A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel

“You… were lying to me?”

At a loss for words, I froze in place and looked up at Mok-kyeong.

Could there have been anything about me that warranted deceit?

While I don’t recall every single detail of the original story, I remember quite a bit about Dan Mok-kyeong from it.

But… lying to me?

I quietly stared at her. Then Mok-kyeong met my gaze and spoke.

“It must come as a surprise, but I feel it’s something I need to tell you now. It’s becoming too difficult to keep hiding it, and honestly, I don’t want to hide it anymore.”

After saying that, Mok-kyeong paused for a moment.

Was she carefully choosing her words? Or was she nervous?

I calmly waited for Mok-kyeong to reveal her secret. If she had been lying to me, it was highly likely that I already knew the truth.

“…I no longer wish to hide…”

“Hye-ryeong seems to have caught on rather quickly since we just met, but I felt that if I didn’t tell you, Great Hero Wi might never find out. So, I’ve decided to speak now.”

“Hye-ryeong… noticed?”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

…So that’s why it seemed like Hye-ryeong was keeping a close eye on Mok-kyeong.

“Then… what have you been hiding from me?”

“The truth is… I’m a woman.”

“Yeah, you kinda looked like… wait, what?”

What?

A woman?

Mok-kyeong’s bombshell brought Hye-ryeong’s earlier words to mind.

“Isn’t she a woman?”

Hye-ryeong had said that.

Now I understood the reasons behind Hye-ryeong’s past behavior.

…So, Hye-ryeong had figured it out early and kept an eye on Mok-kyeong.

I just thought she wanted some alone time with Mok-kyeong and was giving her hints.

And… all this time, I’ve been sharing a room with a woman.

I must have undressed or changed clothes in front of her countless times.

When I thought about it now, I felt awkward staring at Mok-kyeong, so I turned my gaze to the ceiling.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Mok-kyeong then apologized.

“…Forgive me for deceiving you, Eun-gong.”

“…In a dangerous world, such things happen.”

I managed to reply. Though it was shocking, upon reflection, there were plenty of clues I should have noticed.

For instance, she never changed clothes in front of me. Though a martial artist should have been fit, she had a frail physique, and her voice was rather youthful…

After Mok-kyeong confessed, all the overlooked clues started to surface in my mind.

Perhaps I didn’t doubt it before because I blindly trusted the original story.

Thinking about it, I shouldn’t have assumed the original story would unfold exactly the same way once I entered this world.

“There were many things to doubt, and yet I didn’t question any of them.”

“I’m truly sorry for deceiving you.”

“No, you don’t need to apologize… it’s a harsh world out there. Faking one’s gender is no big deal.”

It wasn’t a serious issue unless someone was stabbed in the back. For Mok-kyeong, pretending to be a man must have been a survival tactic, and it was natural for her to hesitate to reveal her secret for fear of embarrassment.

“…But why tell me this now?”

“…I felt it was wrong to keep lying to you, Eun-gong. You have been so supportive of me, and it didn’t seem right to deceive you… It’s only proper, isn’t it?”

She must be feeling guilty.

Actually, it’s me who should feel guilty.

Unlike Mok-kyeong, I can’t even confess.

Without revealing that I’m a reincarnated soul, I can’t explain things like the uncle’s grave in Huannig or the knowledge I possess.

Therefore, while Mok-kyeong is being honest with me, I cannot reciprocate.

“…I appreciate the gesture.”

“…Aren’t you angry?”

“Why should I be?”

I replied nonchalantly and met her gaze. Now seeing her as a woman, everything felt awkward.

Her unwavering eyes.

Her skin bathed in moonlight peeking through the window.

Her cheeks slightly flushed.

Time passed in silence.

By the time my lips felt dry, I finally spoke.

“In this perilous world, everyone holds secrets. Don’t worry about it.”

Given the secrets I carry, ones I could never reveal to others, I had no reason to be angry with Mok-kyeong unless she turned out to be a spy for the Demonic Sect.

Instead, I was just surprised.

Though I thought I had grown quite knowledgeable about women through Hye-ryeong, I failed to recognize the woman right beside me.

“…I understand, so go rest now. Tomorrow will be busy.”

“…No… I understand, Eun-gong. Good night.”

Mok-kyeong quietly left the room. I watched her go, then turned my gaze to the ceiling.

“…It’s going to get awkward from now on.”

Hye-ryeong has always been easy to handle because of our long acquaintance and lack of distance. But Mok-kyeong is not the same as Hye-ryeong, and I find it harder to interact with her.

I never expected these added concerns.

“…I don’t know. Somehow, it’ll work out.”

I’ll just assist Mok-kyeong with her revenge.

Closing my eyes, I drifted off to sleep.

———————

“…Good morning, Eun-gong.”

“…Yeah. Good morning, Mok-kyeong.”

We awkwardly avoided each other’s gaze.

We hadn’t adjusted yet.

After all, I had been treating her as a man and had acted freely around her, so recalling those moments made it impossible not to feel strange.

“Auntie! Good morning!”

“Ah, good morning, Hye-ryeong.”

“What’s wrong with your face?”

“…I heard a shocking confession.”

Hye-ryeong, who had been clinging to my arm, turned sharply toward Mok-kyeong. After scanning Mok-kyeong’s figure, she looked up at me knowingly and asked.

“Did you tell him?”

“Yeah.”

“…I didn’t expect you to take this long to realize. You’re pretty dense, Auntie.”

“It could happen.”

“Hmm~”

Why was she alternating her gaze between me and Mok-kyeong? I looked at Hye-ryeong’s significant expression and sighed, adjusting my bag.

“I like dense Auntie though.”

“Okay, sure.”

“Isn’t that reaction a bit too uninterested?”

“You’ve said things like that before.”

Her pouted cheeks were adorable but utterly ineffective in annoying me.

“Get some air in your cheeks.”

“Mr. Eun-gong. It’s time to leave.”

Hearing Mok-kyeong’s words, I stopped teasing and looked at her. She seemed to be slightly uncomfortable, and though I was curious about why, I chose not to ask and nodded. We had important matters, so we couldn’t afford to be relaxed.

“We should head straight to Mount Mon.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

With that, we immediately used light-body techniques and dashed toward Mount Mon.

———————-

“…It’s ruins now.”

A ruin strewn with broken and charred remnants.

From the appearance, it seemed the house had been abandoned since the attack. Perhaps because it was located far from the city, it had been left untouched.

“…It has become… a ruin.”

Mok-kyeong’s eyes watered.

Seeing her family home in ruins after being away for a long time, anyone would have difficulty holding back tears. Rather, the fact that Mok-kyeong did not break down into sobs speaks to her incredible restraint.

“…The waterfall is up the valley behind the mansion. I hope it hasn’t been damaged.”

Her strained voice echoed. We silently nodded and followed Mok-kyeong as she circled the ruins.

A prolonged silence enveloped us until we reached the waterfall.

Since there were only clichéd condolences we could offer, it seemed wiser to remain silent. Hye-ryeong seemed to share this sentiment as she patted Mok-kyeong’s back a few times and quietly followed her.

“…This must be the waterfall he mentioned.”

“Beyond this is the secret vault, right?”

Behind this waterfall lies the vault of the Yunnam Dan family, a catalyst for the protagonist’s growth.

Inside must be the Yunnam Dan family’s secret manual, a treasure sword, and their fortune.

“We’ll wait here while you go.”

At my words, Mok-kyeong looked up at me. She opened and closed her lips a few times before nodding and dashing into the waterfall with her light-body technique.

Soon, her figure disappeared into the waterfall.

“Auntie, will everything be alright?”

“Hmm. I’m not sure.”

I sat on a convenient rock and gazed at the waterfall.

She should be out in about an incense stick’s worth of time, so Hye-ryeong and I will just wait here.

“Isn’t it better if we follow?”

“It would be impolite to casually enter someone else’s treasury.”

Though we won’t harm Mok-kyeong, it would be good to allow her some time alone here. So, we’ll just wait for Mok-kyeong here.

“Auntie.”

“What is it?”

“If Miss Dan comes out, please hold her.”

“What?”

Suddenly?

I turned to Hye-ryeong at her unexpected remark. What was going on in her mind?

Looking intently at her, I noticed an unusually serious expression as she explained.

“When she’s this sad, it’s best to give her a hug and pat her back.”

“…I didn’t expect you to say something like that.”

Was that the same Hye-ryeong who clung to my arm jealously earlier? She seemed to find my gaze bothersome and, sitting next to me while looking at the waterfall, continued.

“I understand how Miss Dan feels too.”

“Ah…”

“I’m fine. I have Auntie, my master, and seniors… But Miss Dan is alone, right?”

“Alone…”

“For a long time, she must’ve buried her sorrow with thoughts of revenge. So please hold her. That much should be alright… right?”

“That much?”

“If you don’t understand, it’s okay.”

When she closed the conversation like that, naturally it made me more curious.

But seeing her face indicating she didn’t want to elaborate further, I decided not to press her. There was no need to force her to speak if she didn’t want to.

So, we quietly chatted while listening to the waterfall cascading through the valley.

The sound of the waterfall, filling the valley, was refreshing, but it couldn’t wash away the heavy atmosphere that surrounded us.

“…It’s probably been about an incense stick’s worth of time.”

Could the interior be deeper than expected?

Thinking it might take even longer, I stood up.

“Auntie, what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to start a fire. We might be here until nightfall, so it’s better to prepare.”

“I’ll gather firewood.”

“Let’s go together.”

Since we had nothing else to do while waiting, we might as well start a fire. We entered the lush forest and returned to the valley carrying a bundle of suitable branches to start the fire.

The warmth of the fire slightly melted the chill from our bodies. I took out some dried meat from my bag, tore it in half, and handed one to Hye-ryeong.

She took it from me, tore it into three pieces, popped one piece into her mouth, and chewed.

“…It’s salty.”

“That’s dried meat for you.”

True to her word, the dried meat was excessively salty.

Making it into a stew with other ingredients and water might have been a better choice.

While I was thinking that, Hye-ryeong leaned into me, resting her head on my shoulder.

“Auntie, watching the fire makes me feel a little sleepy…”

“Then sleep.”

“Can I borrow your shoulder?”

“Isn’t it uncomfortable?”

It seemed leaning on my shoulder would be uncomfortable.

“But it’s nice this way…”

“If you say so.”

Carrying her pleasant weight on my shoulder, I gazed at the fire. The sunset was beginning to appear, so Mok-kyeong should return before it sets.

As we idly waited, I noticed a sound approaching from behind.

“…Eun-gong. I’m back.”

Hearing the familiar voice, I greeted her warmly.

“Congratulations on breaking through.”

———————-

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