There was silence in the office for a while.
Soon, the head of the Dang Clan spoke in a dry tone.
“It’s been a while.”
“Yes, Father.”
Dang Gyu-young’s tone was also unusually stiff.
“How has it been, living outside?”
“It’s been manageable.”
“No particular difficulties?”
“No. And there won’t be any going forward.”
“Then that’s good. Stay and rest while you’re here.”
That brief exchange marked the end of the reunion between father and daughter.
They seemed closer to strangers than family.
Dang Gyu-young moved her lips as if she still had something to say but soon pressed them shut and stepped back.
Next, the clan head’s gaze turned toward me.
“I’ve heard quite a bit about you. I’m told there are many who’ve received your help. The Hye-seong Group, the Ruby Magic Tower… and my daughter as well. It seems we owe you a debt.”
“I did it because I wanted to.”
“I know. Even so, didn’t they all show their gratitude in their own ways? The Dang Clan cannot neglect debts of favor.”
“……”
“If there is anything you need during your stay, speak up. Within the scope of my authority, I will accommodate you as much as possible.”
“I’ll think about it.”
The clan head’s expression remained as impassive as ever, making it impossible to tell whether he was genuinely grateful or simply adhering to the clan’s principles regarding debts.
Still, there was no reason to refuse when he was offering something.
Lastly, the clan head looked at Seo Ye-in.
“The Dang Clan has had exchanges with the Hye-seong Group before. Though we’ve grown somewhat distant recently, this wouldn’t be a bad opportunity to strengthen ties.”
“I look forward to it.”
Seo Ye-in responded normally, without her usual sleepy demeanor.
Normally, she would’ve answered in short fragments like “Okay” or “Mhmm” but in front of elders or seniors, she maintained at least basic courtesy.
No matter how tired or bothered she felt, she knew she represented Hye-seong.
The clan head nodded.
“I’ve been informed that a few more people will be visiting soon. Arrangements have been made in the guest quarters, so please make yourselves comfortable.”
“Thank you.”
Afterward, the clan head formally set a date for a meal, then dismissed them with an apology, saying he was busy with work.
***
Kim Ho and the others left the office, but meanwhile…
Dang Mun-hyeong, who had been planning to continue guiding them, remained behind.
His gaze stayed fixed on the clan head, who had already returned to his work.
“Hyungnim.”
“……”
“Hyungnim.”
“I’m listening.”
“How many years has it been since Gyu-young returned to the main house?”
“It’s been quite a while.”
“It’s a rare occasion. Couldn’t you have treated her a bit more warmly?”
The clan head, Dang Gun-ak, replied in an even tone.
“Didn’t I say it was enough that she’s doing well?”
“I recall you had more to say.”
Dang Gun-ak remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.
“I didn’t think it had to be now.”
“How long do you plan to postpone it? Later, you might not even get the chance.”
“…That may be true.”
Silence once again settled over the office.
Then Dang Gun-ak called out to his younger brother as if speaking to himself.
“Mun-hyeong.”
“Yes, hyungnim.”
“…It’s not easy, being a father.”
“…You can say that again.”
Dang Mun-hyeong replied with a sigh.
The worries of the two middle-aged men were deepening.
***
Since meeting the clan head, Dang Gyu-young’s expression had remained heavy.
She even looked somewhat downcast, so I cautiously asked,
“Are you okay?”
“Of course I am. I came here expecting this from the start.”
But even as she answered as if nothing was wrong, Dang Gyu-young quietly reached her hand toward me.
It was obvious what she meant, so I took her hand as she wanted.
“……”
Perhaps sensing the heavy mood, even Seo Ye-in simply watched instead of, as usual, saying “me too” and reaching out her hand.
After some time holding hands—
The faint trembling that had been passing through her stopped, and Dang Gyu-young regained her composure.
Then, pulling my hand along, she took the lead.
“Let’s go, guys. I’ll show you around the house.”
“It’s good to know what’s where.”
“Mhmm. I’ll also point out places you shouldn’t go.”
In any clan, there are always areas off-limits to outsiders.
Typical examples include places where family treasures, secrets, or martial arts manuals are kept.
Of course, the top priority is martial arts.
If leaked, there’s a risk that countermeasures could be developed.
The Dang Clan is even more closed off in this regard.
Since their main weapons are poison and hidden weapons.
Poison becomes useless the moment an antidote is created.
Hidden weapons also lose much of their lethality if the opponent knows about them and prepares.
Since it’s directly tied to the survival of the clan members, strict protection is only natural.
In other words, stepping into the wrong place could get you into serious trouble.
You could be thrown into a prison, or in the worst case, silenced permanently.
So we obediently began the tour.
Dang Gyu-young kept holding my hand while pointing around with her other hand, explaining various places.
Most areas around the clan leader’s residence were, as mentioned earlier, “off-limits to guests”.
Strictly speaking, even the clan leader’s residence itself was included.
It was only because we were considered special guests that an exception had been made this time.
When we came across an area with small clustered buildings, Dang Gyu-young spoke in a serious tone.
“Don’t go there at all. Just pretend it doesn’t exist.”
Seo Ye-in stared at that direction.
A strange glint passed through her gray eyes.
“…Traps?”
“Mhmm, lots of formations too.”
It seemed like her veteran instincts were reacting for the first time in a while.
If she really tried, she could probably break through, but there was no need.
If we wanted something, we could just use the blank check we got from Uncle Qyu.
After that, the parade of “off-limits areas” continued.
Not here, not there… as we walked while listening to Dang Gyu-young’s warnings, we finally reached a place allowed for guests.
In front of us was a fairly spacious training ground.
“You can train here.”
“There’s no one around. Must be for guests.”
“Mhmm. The clan has a separate one for their own use.”
It seems there aren’t many guests besides us, so we can practically say the place is reserved for ourselves.
Near the training ground for guests, neat and tidy buildings had been erected.
Dang Gyu-young added an explanation.
“That’s the annex.”
“Looks like it’s well kept.”
“Right? Let’s stop by for a bit.”
Since it was a place we’d be staying in throughout the winter break, I was curious about the interior.
So we all walked toward the annex and saw someone standing in front of it.
Two men dressed in dark green martial uniforms.
Judging by how nearly identical they looked, they seemed to be twins.
Maybe a few years older than Dang Gyu-young.
We lowered our voices and exchanged words quickly.
“Who are they?”
“My cousins.”
“Were you close?”
“…We used to be.”
Which meant she wasn’t sure about now.
Perhaps because of that, Dang Gyu-young seemed slightly tense.
The twin cousins were staring at us with sharp eyes as we approached.
Then, as the distance closed somewhat, they spoke first.
“So the cousin who ran away from home has returned. It’s true.”
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“No, we haven’t.”
The two men shook their heads at the same time.
Then they began questioning Dang Gyu-young in turns.
“No matter that you left home, how could you not show your face for years?”
“You could have at least kept in touch more often.”
“We only just heard that you graduated.”
“First of all, congratulations.”
“But we can’t help feeling disappointed.”
Despite their harsh tone, their words were subtly affectionate.
Dang Gyu-young gave a faint smile and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. I’ll keep in touch more often from now on.”
“You’d better. How long are you staying here?”
“I plan to stay through the winter.”
“That’s good.”
The twins nodded as if satisfied.
Then their gaze shifted to the hands Dang Gyu-young and I were holding before settling squarely on me.
Their expressions immediately turned displeased.
It practically looked like their faces were saying, “With a guy like this?”
The Dang twins stepped forward one stride at a time and spoke in turns.
“Looks like introductions are late. I’m Dang Il-bi.”
“And I’m Dang Han-bi. We’re Gyu-young’s cousins.”
“We’re also graduates of Dragon Slayer Academy.”
The way they emphasized the word “graduates” made their intention obvious.
In any case, we politely introduced ourselves.
“So you’re our seniors. I’m Kim Ho.”
“I’m Seo Ye-in.”
Even as we exchanged names, Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi kept their eyes fixed on me.
Their eyes gleamed as they spoke again in turns.
“As her cousins, we have a few things we’d like to ask.”
“It might be somewhat personal.”
“But if you’ve nothing to hide, it shouldn’t be hard to answer. What do you say?”
Judging by how far they were going despite it being our first meeting, they really wanted to hear the answers.
It seemed like an attempt to block off any escape, but there were plenty of ways out.
I could draw a line and say it was personal, for one.
Still, facing it head-on is the right move right now.
They were her cousins, and they still seemed to treat Dang Gyu-young with goodwill, so it was best for me to start off with a good first impression as well.
And as they said, I had nothing to hide.
Except for number four.
After finishing my thoughts, I accepted their proposal.
“Yes, go ahead.”
The Dang twins once again glanced at the hands we were holding.
“We can more or less guess, but we want to hear it clearly.”
“What exactly is your relationship with Gyu-young?”
I answered smoothly.
“We’re in a relationship with marriage in mind.”
At those words, Dang Gyu-young looked absolutely delighted.
The corners of her mouth twitched uncontrollably.
When she couldn’t manage her expression at all, she simply turned her head and looked elsewhere.
In contrast, the twins’ faces hardened stiffly.
“Are you serious?”
“You should know the weight of promising a future together.”
“This isn’t something you can take lightly and cancel later.”
Once again, I answered without hesitation.
“I’m serious. I have no intention of canceling it.”
“Pfft—hehehe.”
Dang Gyu-young who had turned her body away had her shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
The twins exchanged glances and then glared at me.
“Fine, we’ll acknowledge you to some extent.”
“But don’t misunderstand. What we acknowledge is only the relationship.”
“If you ever cross the line…”
“For example, if you engage in any promiscuous behavior…”
As if building up their momentum, a sharp glint flashed in their eyes.
“…you’ll come to know just how ruthless the Dang Clan’s hidden weapons are.”
“Especially, such things happening in the main house will not be tolerated.”
“We’ll be watching, so keep that in mind.”
The twins demanded an answer while exuding intense pressure.
I slowly nodded.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
***
Until the very end, the Dang brothers cast gentle looks at Dang Gyu-young and Seo Ye-in, and warning glances at Kim Ho before setting off.
As they walked across the Dang residence, Dang Il-bi glanced toward the direction of the annex and spoke up.
“He’s quite a decent guy.”
“He definitely has backbone.”
For someone who had only just finished his first year, this guy Kim Ho was remarkably composed.
Even under their pressure, he didn’t shrink at all and spoke his mind firmly.
“Seems like he wasn’t lying about being sincere either.”
“They were holding hands the whole time. I almost thought they’d glued them together.”
“Did you see how much Gyu-young liked it?”
“With how obvious she was, how could I not? Still, it felt a bit unfamiliar.”
“She’s grown up before we knew it.”
When they recalled the image of Dang Gyu-young as a cute child, a smile naturally formed on the twins’ lips.
Soon after, Dang Han-bi wiped the smile away and frowned.
“Still, I’m worried. The elders don’t seem very pleased.”
“Considering they’re already talking about expelling her even now.”
“It feels a bit too cold-hearted.”
“I understand how they feel, but she’s still family. If not a warm welcome, at least don’t treat her this way.”
The two brothers let out low sighs at the same time.
Having lived their entire lives in a clan culture sensitive to grudges and debts, many of the household members still held resentment toward Dang Gyu-young.
“They won’t accept expulsion. At least not while the head of the family is still around.”
“But they won’t give up there either.”
“The next best option they’ll consider is driving her out.”
Using every possible means to make it uncomfortable for Kim Ho’s group to stay, eventually forcing them to leave the Dang family estate on their own.
For Dang Il-bi and Dang Han-bi, they didn’t want to send away the cousin they had finally reunited with.
“Do you think we can stop it?”
“Hard to say for sure.”
“Still, we should do what we can.”
They exchanged meaningful glances.
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