As someone who grew up in a loving family with tolerant parents who never laid a hand on their children, this was the shock of a lifetime. However, despite his initial shock, Wooyun was no chump. He had gone through his fair share of fights back when he was entering his rebellious phase in high school. So he knew how to take a hit, and he most certainly knew how to deliver one back.
Though he was itching to hit this woman back—knowing she deserved a strike that would send even her ancestors shaking in their graves—he held himself back. Now was not the time to make a move, especially not when he would have to live in this house for a few more months before being swept away by his knight in dark and menacing robes.
He slowly turned his head back and saw the smug look on Choon-hee's face. But her smile soon faltered when she saw the cold glint in his eyes. Usually, after being hit like that, Seo-yoon would be on the verge of tears, on her knees begging for mercy. But this time, Seo-yoon looked her straight in the eyes before bowing his head.
Her face twitched at the sight. "You. As punishment for your insolence, you are to accompany your older brother to his training. You will carry his things for the entire day. Do I make myself clear?" she hissed.
"Yes, Mo…mother." After giving her a deep bow, he scurried out of the dining room.
"Just what in the world has gotten into that child?" she muttered as she watched him leave.
Do-yun, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, looked at Seo-yoon's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression, while Yu-jun let out an annoyed groan.
Later that day, as instructed, Seo-yoon spent the day following Yu-jun around, basically acting as his personal servant. Since Yu-jun had training, they had to walk all the way to the training grounds while Seo-yoon carried his equipment, which weighed quite a bit. The entire time, Yu-jun kept muttering about how useless he was, and on several occasions, Wooyun wanted to push him off a cliff just to make him stop his incessant yapping.
They finally made it to the grounds, where a young man was waiting for them. Upon seeing him, Wooyun realized it was the same man he had seen earlier that day. His long hair was tied back this time, and he was fully clothed. He had a stern expression on his face, which only hardened when he caught sight of Yu-jun.
"Young master, you are late," he said coolly.
The young master in question rolled his eyes, not wanting to deal with his nagging. His gaze briefly shifted to Seo-yoon, who, despite struggling to hold everything together, was still managing. "Blame this one over there. He's the reason I'm late," he said casually.
It was now Wooyun's turn to roll his eyes.
Accusing me of being the reason we're late when you were the one busy flirting with those courtesans we passed by earlier…
The memory nearly made him scoff. Men truly are dogs.
Eun-woo glanced over at Seo-yoon, his eyes sweeping over his appearance before frowning. It seemed as if he muttered something under his breath before sighing.
"Fine, I will let this go for now, but do remember this, young master: I am only here at your mother's request, but I can easily leave and take my business elsewhere. I am sure there are plenty of young and capable boys out there who would be more than willing to work under an esteemed master such as myself," he said.
Yu-jun's face contorted in a snarl when he heard this, but he still nodded his head and apologized.
This sight surprised Wooyun. He didn't recall reading about a man who was capable of making such an obnoxious, pig-headed, and arrogant person like Yu-jun yield so easily. And what was this about him being a master?
While Yu-jun was doing his warm-ups, Wooyun took the time to look around the training grounds. This was his first time seeing one, and from what he could tell, it matched the brief description the author had provided in the book. Granted, it wasn't a spot Seo-yoon had the luxury of visiting, but there was a time when she was younger when she would come and watch her father train.
The training grounds sprawled across the vast estate, nestled between towering mountains—separating the home from the public. Rows of polished stone tiles paved the main courtyard. To the east, a vast open-air sparring arena stretched beneath the watchful gaze of elder statues carved into the cliffside. Wooden dummies, some freshly constructed and others splintered from rigorous training, lined the edges, ready for those who wished to practice their strikes. Further beyond, a set of tall bamboo poles stood like sentinels, swaying with the wind. Wooyun remembered a scene where one of the side characters used the bamboo as a form of training—balance, if he recalled correctly.
Archery ranges, weapon racks gleaming with swords, spears, and halberds, and meditation pavilions lined with incense burners filled the remaining grounds, offering every kind of training one could need. It was an overall impressive place, even for a dying clan.
It was fascinating watching them train, with Wooyun's eyes glued to the supposed master, who, despite his expressionless face, looked as if he was glowing with each strike he blocked from Yu-jun. It was fun to watch the young master grow more and more frustrated the longer the bout went on. Wooyun couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to fight like that.
Though Seo-yoon had never held a sword, it was said she possessed an affinity for it due to her bloodline. The entire Han clan had once been a family of cultivators, but after gaining notoriety, they slowly weaned off martial arts and started focusing on business.
Han Beom-seok, a well-known merchant in Cheonghae, was able to build up their own mini empire with his success. Around this time, Seo-yoon's mother had grown ill, but even with all the money they poured into healing her, nothing seemed to work. She ended up dying of a disease, leaving Seo-yoon without a mother.
A few months later, her father returned home with another woman, one who brought two sons with her. Seo-yoon was confused by her sudden appearance and didn't understand why her father had brought her here. She was not looking for a replacement for her mother, but her father had misunderstood her loneliness, believing that no girl should grow up without one.
Things weren't too bad in the beginning. In fact, Choon-hee treated Seo-yoon like a real daughter. She was kind and generous; even her brothers treated her well. But then, her father was invited to a summit in a neighboring town and was attacked by ruffians along the way. Han Beom-seok put up a good fight—he was still a martial artist, even if he had stopped training long ago—but unfortunately, they had sent out an elite-level martial cultivator in the Blazing Tempest stage. It was unfortunate since Seo-yoon's father, who was only at the Verdant Bloom stage at the time, was easily defeated.
When news of his death arrived, Seo-yoon was devastated. Not only had she lost her mother, but now her father, all within the span of a year. She had no family left—she was all alone. That was also when Choon-hee started to change. She was no longer caring. Her true colors were finally revealed, and she wasted no time claiming everything from the Han family as her own, including the estate and the business. Seo-yoon was left in the dust, delegated to household chores, treated no better than a slave, even though she was the rightful heir to the Han estate and business.
Overcome by grief and being the soft-spoken girl she was, Seo-yoon was unable to fight or defend herself. She had lived in agony like this for years. And the more Wooyun thought about it, the sadder he became. It was one thing reading about the story, but another thing living in it.
He couldn't even begin to imagine how hard things must've been for her. Wooyun's thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang. When he looked up to see what was going on, he saw Yu-jun on the ground with a sword pointed at his chin.
"I see you're still lacking, young master. Where has all your training gone?" Eun-woo said coldly.
Yu-jun couldn't respond, his face twisting into an ugly scowl. Even from where Wooyun stood, he could tell how pitiful the young master was. He had to resist the urge to laugh. Kang Yu-jun had always been a horrible person, especially toward Seo-yoon. A little brat who took pleasure in tormenting the weak and never stopped reminding the female lead of her place. It was nice to see the tables turning for once.
The young master's face turned so red it almost looked purple as he glared daggers at Eun-woo. Even though he was embarrassed, there was nothing he could do—Eun-woo was right. He was lacking in his training. All he wanted was to have fun, hang out with friends, talk to girls, and party. He didn't understand why his mother was forcing him to do all this work when they weren't even a family of martial artists. It was unfair. With a huff, Yu-jun shoved the sword aimed at him to the side, threw his own weapon away, and stormed off, leaving Wooyun behind. Wooyun stared after him with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Did he seriously just leave? he wondered.
Wooyun blinked a few times before recovering from his shock. "What a sore loser," he muttered under his breath, walking over to the ground to pick up the sword Yu-jun had left behind. As he did so, Eun-woo kept a steady gaze on him, observing him intently.
His eyes narrowed as he took in the young man, supposed to be weak and fragile, incapable of looking after himself. He noticed how different Seo-yoon was from the rumors he'd heard about him.
He'd been told by others in the estate that Seo-yoon was a timid, meek, and soft-spoken boy. A pushover who let people walk all over him. Eun-woo didn't have a good impression of him at first, and that hadn't changed.
But something had shifted. Wooyun had a backbone now, some personality, even as he muttered insults about Yu-jun under his breath. As Wooyun picked up the rest of his things, Eun-woo's sharp eyes caught a glimpse of something peeking from the sleeves of his robes. They looked like markings on his skin—likely inflicted by another person.
Something stirred within the young master at the sight of those marks.
Wooyun, with a handful of Yu-jun's things, was about to head down the hill when Eun-woo stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Wooyun frowned and looked up to find Eun-woo's stony expression waiting for him.
His face showed no emotion, and Wooyun had a hard time figuring out what he was thinking. No matter how much he tried to signal with his posture that he wanted the older man to move, Eun-woo didn't budge an inch.
What the hell is this guy's problem? Can't he see I'm struggling here?
Just as Wooyun was about to speak up, Eun-woo opened his mouth first.
"You should consider undergoing some training yourself," he said coldly. "How long are you going to sit back and let yourself be used like a tool?"
Wooyun blinked, then followed Eun-woo's gaze. He looked down at his arms, slightly exposed, and saw a mark he hadn't noticed before. Pulling up the rest of his sleeves, his eyes widened with horror.
A row of what looked to be whip lashes—red and still swollen—marred his pale skin. It was an awful sight to behold, and Wooyun couldn't believe he'd missed it earlier.
Of course, he'd read about the multiple beatings Seo-yoon endured at Choon-hee's hands, but he hadn't expected them to be this severe.
The novel had really downplayed the extent of her abuse.
This is horrible, Wooyun thought as his eyes darkened.
Eun-woo, who had been silently watching him, noticed Wooyun's reaction.
Something moved within him, and a shadow of a smile briefly flickered across his face before vanishing.
"You better hurry back if you don't want more trouble with that woman," he warned, his tone detached, though there was a hint of concern buried beneath the words.
Wooyun cursed under his breath when he realized how much time had passed. He quickly grabbed everything and ran down the hill toward the estate.
Eun-woo watched him go with faint interest before turning back to continue his training.
***Read author note!!!