When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 78
Chapter 78
"I don't wish to marry anyone unless they're superior to me. And Young Lord, you've never shown me such qualities."
Sehwa's apologetic gaze swept from the Young Lord's head to his feet as she delivered these regrettable words.
"After all, I achieved exuviation before you did."
The Young Lord's jaw dropped at her mocking tone, something he never expected to hear from her.
'...What did she just say to me....'
"Of course, I would gladly jump into fire carrying straw if the Mystic Ruler commanded it. However, when it comes to marriage, is it so strange for a woman to dream of marrying someone better than herself?"
Sehwa lowered her head, her voice trembling.
"I truly hope you don't misunderstand. Please try to understand this foolish woman's heart, who wishes to marry someone superior to you, Young Lord."
Ju Kyunghyun could only gape, too dumbfounded even to let out a bitter laugh.
'Are my ears deceiving me? Did she just say something about someone better than me?'
"Fortunately, the person I wish to marry, who I consider superior to you, Young Lord, is also someone the Mystic Ruler mentioned as a potential match for me."
Sehwa's gaze briefly flickered to the wedding gifts piled high in the courtyard.
"Therefore, I'm not disobeying the Mystic Ruler's command, and these gifts can be considered as coming from that arrangement. You may leave them here and take your leave."
"..."
While Sehwa looked at the gifts, Ju Kyunghyun's attention turned to the numerous onlookers who had stopped to watch.
Everyone was listening intently to their conversation while pretending not to.
How dare she repeatedly claim someone was superior to the Ju clan's Young Lord in front of all these people?
'Unless you've... lost your mind and want to die.'
"Please leave now. I feel so ashamed I can't raise my head, and my heart is tearing apart at not being able to give you a favorable answer. I cannot bear to look at you any longer."
Just as Sehwa bowed her knees in an apologetic gesture and turned to leave—
'How dare you!'
Enraged by her words, Ju Kyunghyun roughly grabbed her small shoulder.
"Who is he? Who is this man! Who are you lying about, claiming the Mystic Ruler wanted to match you with him!"
"Ah!"
Though Sehwa winced in pain, Ju Kyunghyun didn't even notice her expression.
He shook her shoulder violently as he demanded, "Did you have an affair? Have you been with a man? Is that why you suddenly changed your attitude toward me like this?!"
At that moment, someone seized Ju Kyunghyun's wrist and twisted it back as if to break it.
"Agh!"
At his agonized cry, the Young Lord's secret guards all rushed out with drawn swords.
Clang!
As the sharp sound rang out, the servants watching nearby screamed and backed away.
"You, you...!"
"Is this how the Ju clan's Young Lord speaks? If so, I can see the clan's future."
"Agh! Let go. How dare you not release my hand?!"
Baek Giha, completely unfazed by the killing intent from the guards aimed at him, tossed aside the wrist he held as if disposing of trash.
Unable to withstand the force, Ju Kyunghyun nearly fell headfirst to the ground before a guard barely managed to catch him.
'These, these bastards dare to... to me...'
How many eyes were watching them now?
Rage surged to Ju Kyunghyun's head at the humiliation he suffered in front of them all.
He couldn't help but realize who this man Sehwa had mentioned must be.
Jade-like skin. Deep eyes. Masculine dignity in his brows and an elegantly sculpted nose bridge. A beautiful appearance that caught even a man's eye, coupled with the dignity of high status.
Suppressing his rapidly quickening breath, Ju Kyunghyun looked between Ju Sehwa and Baek Giha as he asked, "Are you... the Baek Clan Head?"
Ju Kyunghyun was very confident in his appearance.
Wasn't he this handsome even though he hadn't achieved exuviation and couldn't properly use spiritual power yet?
Since Sehwa had become like this after her exuviation. How much better would he become after completing his own?
Until now, he had believed that once he achieved exuviation, he would possess an unmatched dignity that no one could follow, living a life of respect from the clan members with his magnificent appearance.
Though those feelings hadn't changed, for some reason, now facing Baek Giha, he felt somehow shabby and worthless.
His insides burned hotter now than when he had been humiliatingly thrown aside in front of everyone.
'That girl was mine from the start. Yet you suddenly appear and try to take her? Who do you think you are?'
"Sehwa. How can someone as intelligent as you act so foolishly? Don't you know that while a ruler's words are absolute, they can change according to circumstances?"
Grinding his teeth, Ju Kyunghyun controlled his expression and spoke in a heavy voice.
"The man you mentioned seems to be the Baek Clan Head here. But both then and now, the Mystic Ruler never made the slightest mention to me about your marriage to the Baek Clan Head. That must be because those marriage talks were dismissed at that meeting."
"..."
"Your silence confirms my words. Then, since the Mystic Ruler later decided on your marriage to me, you should follow his final command. How can you be so unreasonable?"
Ju Kyunghyun continued slowly and gently, as if lecturing a child.
"Marriage is a gift from our parents, and the Mystic Ruler's marriage command is a solemn rule that we as Ju clan members must naturally follow. Stop being so obstinate. Since the Mystic Ruler has commanded your marriage to me, you can no longer discuss marriage with the Baek Clan Head."
"But I really want to marry him."
"...What?"
"While staying in the same mansion as the Baek Clan Head, I confirmed with my own eyes how much more superior he is compared to you, Young Lord. How could I now marry you?"
"Ju Sehwa!"
At that moment, Sehwa suggested with a very troubled expression:
"Then how about this? Since I understand that you can't understand my decision, why don't we have a competition?"
"What? Competition?"
"Yes, anything will do. If you win against me, I'll marry you without any excuses. If I win, you'll accept my decision without further comment."
"..."
"You can even choose the event yourself. This way, you won't be able to say the competition is void because I chose it and you can't accept the results."
"You...!"
"What do you think? Will you do it?"
The Young Lord's fists trembled with contempt, wondering if he should slap those beautiful cheeks to stop her impudent words.
This attitude of hers could no longer be overlooked with magnanimity.
Did he really need to get involved in such matters? Did he really have to take such an impudent woman as his betrothed?
'Of course, I must.'
Ju Kyunghyun's gaze trembled savagely, as he could barely speak through his anger.
'Now that it's come to this, I must make you my betrothed. I must drag you to the mansion and fix that mouth of yours, even if I have to whip you.'
The Young Lord, his face turning red and blue, glared terrifyingly at Sehwa as he asked, "You said if I win, you won't say another word?"
"Yes. Everyone here will be witnesses. Ah, but—"
"What now?"
"Mightn't you refuse to accept the outcome even after choosing the event yourself? So I'd like to make this a grand affair. How about inviting all the Ju clan members as witnesses?"
"You!"
Finally shaking out his sleeve, he spoke through gritted teeth:
"Fine. All these people are witnesses. Baek Clan Head, did you hear? If you're going to be a witness, you too must not dispute the outcome."
Baek Giha nodded.
Releasing a low laugh into the air, Ju Kyunghyun concluded while fixing Sehwa with a piercing gaze:
"Wait quietly at home. I'll soon hold a competition in the Mystic Ruler's name. You told me to choose the event myself, so you must not say anything else afterward. Understand?!"
"Of course."
At her crisp answer, the Young Lord's gaze grew even colder and sharper.
"What?! You left the wedding gifts there and accepted such nonsense?!"
The old man struck the table violently.
"Father, this isn't my fault. When she spoke like that in front of so many people, what should I have done? Even if I invoked the Mystic Ruler's name, wouldn't I just be branded as someone who took a woman by wielding power that isn't even mine?"
"That girl is doing this on purpose! That's why you should have taken her to a quiet place before she could say such things! You should have grabbed her by the hair and slapped her until she shut her mouth!"
At the old man's shouting, Ju Kyunghyun spoke as if frustrated:
"Father. Instead of saying that, please lend me your wisdom. Fortunately, she wasn't completely crazy and told me to choose the event, so I just need to cut down that impudent nose of hers as I wish."
Then Ju Kyunghyun gave a meaningful look to the Chief Attendant, who was fanning the old man with a large fan.
Catching that look, the Chief Attendant carefully added:
"Mystic Ruler. In this case, the Young Lord's approach seems correct. With so many watching eyes, what could he have done? Since retreat was blocked, he had to move forward."
"Haah."
The old man sighed, clutching his head as if it ached.
'What should I do?'
The old man's mind was troubled, as he absolutely needed to bring Sehwa in to absorb spiritual power.
If only she had achieved exuviation a little sooner.
If he had known things would change like this, he wouldn't have even brought up the marriage alliance with Baek Giha.
"Then what event do you think would be good for the competition?"
Even at the old man's question, the Young Lord couldn't answer immediately.
He too found it difficult to decide on an event since he didn't know what Sehwa was good at.
"That's why I wanted to rely on your wisdom, Father. What should I do?"
Deep fatigue seeped into the old man's face like aged wood.
It had to be a competition that couldn't be won by just anyone, and absolutely couldn't be won by that girl.
They needed to create a competition where his son must take first place, but what could it be?
His son had excellent sword skills, so it would be good to use swordsmanship.
'No. That girl has achieved exuviation while this fool hasn't, so it could be dangerous.'
The size of spiritual power she showed when stealing the Divine Dragon's spirit orb wasn't small.
Since clan members' abilities were proportional to their spiritual power, no matter how much more skilled his son had been than that girl before, with his delayed exuviation, there was no way to win with swords.
Then what should they compete in?
Composing poetry or comparing painting skills wouldn't work either, as the results could vary depending on the judge's subjectivity.
"Was the Baek Clan Head there too?"
"Yes."
"You. How much of the Baek clan's spirit orb I gave you have you absorbed?"
"All of it."
"Is that so."
After long contemplation, the old man finally nodded.
"Though that girl probably hasn't handled weapons, you've trained long in both sword and bow together with your sword training. That should seem fair enough for both an exuviated and non-exuviated person to compete..."
"You mean—"
"Yes. Tell that impudent girl that the Baek Clan Head is here so we can't use underhanded methods, and say..."
The old man ordered the Chief Attendant, who was gently fanning him with the large fan:
"Go tell that insolent girl. The competition event will be archery! We will hold a hunting competition in the Mystic Ruler's name!"
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