Back to the Frontline
Seonu Yeonha was in her room, dressing herself up before a mirror.
Her appearance was already beautiful and radiant enough, but the image of Jegal Seoyul's dazzling beauty and the dazed expressions of the brothers who looked at her kept lingering in her mind.
Crack!
The comb in her hand snapped. Grinding her teeth, she muttered,
"Hmph, once I grow just a little more…."
Yes. She simply hadn't matured yet. That was why she wasn't as radiant as Jegal Seoyul. But once she grew a little more, she would surely be just as beautiful.
Even now, wasn't she praised as one of the greatest beauties of Guizhou Fortress?
As she was trying to console herself with those thoughts, voices of passing maids drifted in from outside the room.
"Really?! The Fourth Young Master got beaten by the Third Young Master and was injured?"
"Exactly! That's why the Third Madam caused a huge commotion!"
Yeonha's movements froze.
"Wait, is that even possible? How could that pig of a Young Master manage that?"
"I heard the Fourth Young Master just happened to bump into the hand the Third Young Master stretched out."
"Seriously?! Kekeke! That must've been hilarious!"
"You know what's even funnier?"
"What? What?"
"The reason the Fourth Young Master did that was to look good in front of Lady Jegal—but in the end, he fainted right in front of her!"
"What?! Hohohoho! That's priceless!"
At that moment, Yeonha flung the door wide open.
Bang!
"Kyaa!"
"Y-young Lady?!"
With a terrifying glare, she looked at the maids.
"What did you just say? Gi Orabeoni was injured after being hit by Jin Orabeoni? He fainted?"
That fierce gaze, rarely seen from her, made the maids tremble as they lowered their heads.
"Y-yes, Young Lady. That's right."
Yeonha ground her teeth. Her furious eyes glittered dangerously.
"How dare they…."
In the luxurious guest quarters of the Seonu household, Jegal Seoyul handed a sealed letter to her roommate and friend, Hae Cheongyeon.
"Here, this is the file you asked for about the Third Young Master of the Seonu family. Bought it from a nearby Hao clan."
"Thanks. I'll pay you back immediately."
Seoyul chuckled at Cheongyeon's flat reply.
"Pay me back? Come on, between us? But seriously, why did you want info on that fat Young Master? I was honestly shocked. I mean, who knew a martial family man could have a body like that? Did you see him earlier? His eyes were buried in flesh—you could only see them as a single slit. Unbelievable."
Cheongyeon replied in an indifferent tone,
"Yeah, I saw."
Then, she glanced at the doll in her hand.
It was a stuffed bear, round and puffy like a ball, with its eyes drawn as a single line.
Seoyul burst into laughter when she noticed.
"Pfft! Now that I think of it, that guy does look a bit like your precious doll. Don't tell me that's why you wanted me to get the info?"
Cheongyeon's reply was just as flat as ever.
"Of course not. It's just… the move he used to knock out the Fourth Young Master seemed unusual. I got curious about his past."
"Huh? That move? Wasn't it just an accident?"
While Seoyul looked puzzled, Cheongyeon calmly read the documents.
"Who knows."
"Hmph. Well, I'll admit—even if my martial arts are stronger, your insight's sharper. But still, is there any point in paying attention to a pig who can barely move and collapses from exhaustion?"
No answer came back—Cheongyeon was too focused on reading. Seoyul gave up with a shrug.
"Right, right. Even Lord Hae himself gave up on your weird curiosity. How am I supposed to understand it?"
Then, watching her friend immersed in the papers, she asked again,
"I've always wondered—can you actually see the text with your bangs covering your eyes like that?"
Cheongyeon's bangs hung down past the middle of her nose, completely hiding her eyes.
The reply was as flat as ever.
"If I couldn't see, how would I be reading this?"
Seoyul knew once Cheongyeon focused, nothing could distract her. Still, she couldn't bear the silence and spoke again.
"So when are you going to brush back those bangs? I'll never understand why you hide such beauty."
The reply came in the same neutral tone,
"Do you want me to?"
Seoyul thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"No, I'd hate that. Not just because I don't want attention diverted from me, but if you got more attention, I might end up jealous. Just the thought is awful."
"See? Then it's fine as it is."
Satisfied, Seoyul beamed brightly.
"I see. I'm glad you don't like attention. I really love having you as my friend, Cheongyeon."
For the first time, Cheongyeon turned her eyes toward her and answered,
"And I like you too, Seoyul—the one Jegal clan member who doesn't act like one."
Though her tone was as plain as always, those words made Seoyul smile radiantly. She knew how rare it was for her unusual friend to say something like that.
The next day was finally the day I departed from my clan.
Outside the main gate, wanderers who would accompany me were waiting since early morning.
Father had said they were escorts to protect me on the frontlines of Yunnan, but anyone could tell they were also there to keep me from running off midway.
Those who came to see me off were few.
Other than the attendants, only Father and Yeonha stood there.
"For the honor of the clan, I expect you to serve in good health and distinction."
As always, Father's voice was stern and authoritative.
But now, I could easily see the regret and affection hidden in his eyes.
I couldn't understand how I had ever failed to notice it before.
"I swear to bring glory to the clan and return to you."
I knelt on the ground, bowing deeply. Father only nodded, but his eyes shone faintly red.
Next was Yeonha.
"Thank you, Yeonha. To come see me off so early in the morning."
She looked at me with worry.
"Of course, Orabeoni. How could I not, when you're going so far? And here, this is for you."
She held out a small bundle.
"What's this?"
"Rice balls. I made them for you to eat on the way."
I blinked in surprise.
"Rice balls? You made them yourself?"
"Yes. I can't promise they taste good, though."
I smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Yeonha. You really are the best. I'll enjoy them."
With that, I mounted my horse, and we departed from the Seonu estate.
Before long, the estate was completely out of sight. I stopped my horse and dismounted.
One of the wanderers, the leader named Jang Gangseong, frowned and asked,
"What is it, Young Master? It's not time to rest yet."
Judging from his expression, he feared I might try to refuse to continue.
I declared firmly,
"From here to Yunnan, I'll be running on foot."
"…What?"
"Running. All the way. Might as well lose some weight."
The wanderers gaped at me, speechless.
"Wh-what?! Y-young Master, do you realize how far that is?! With your body—running there?!"
Of course, their shock was understandable.
But what was more urgent for me right now than losing weight?
No matter how many martial techniques I had in my head, they were useless without a body capable of using them.
That was why I decided—I would run to Yunnan.
On horseback, the journey would take at least three days. If I ran all the way… well, I wasn't sure how long it would take.
Anyway, in my previous life, when I first arrived at the frontline, all the captains of the Flying Dragon Thirteen Squad stared at my body with horrified expressions.
Of course, none of them wanted to take me into their squad.
That was the only reason Captain Seolpung laughed and accepted me. But I had absolutely no intention of repeating that shame in this life.
No—there was no way I could.
Because this time, not only Captain Seolpung would be there, but she—still alive—would be there too.
"In this life, I'll make sure to give her a good first impression. This time, I swear…!"
I clenched my fist, burning with determination, when the wanderers' leader, Warrior Jang, spoke with a troubled face.
"Er… I can understand your resolve, Young Master. But we have a contract. If you arrive late, we'll end up losing out for those extra days, and I don't see why we should…."
As he rambled on about his concerns, I cut straight to the point.
"What do you think of my horse?"
I pointed at the horse I had been riding. He looked at me blankly, then asked,
"That horse? A very fine horse indeed. But why do you ask?"
"I'll give it to you. A horse of that quality would fetch a good price, even at market value, don't you think?"
All the wanderers turned their heads toward the horse at once.
Their eyes gleamed as they examined it.
This was one of the best horses in the Seonu household, chosen especially for me by Father.
To anyone who knew horses, it would fetch as high a price as they could name.
So it was obvious what they were thinking now. They were probably celebrating their windfall in their heads.
After staring at the horse for a while, Warrior Jang cleared his throat and said,
"That horse is certainly worth the price."
Only worth the price?
Well, I expected him to say that.
Since they wouldn't see me again, taking advantage of me would only be in their favor.
But after hesitating for a moment, he sighed deeply and said again,
"I'll be honest, Young Master. You don't seem to know much about horses. That horse would sell for any price you name. Accepting it as our fee is far too much."
"Oh?"
That was… unexpected.
I thought he'd be thrilled to fleece me.
But instead, the other wanderers glared at him like they wanted to tear him apart.
I gave a wry smile.
It seemed I had misjudged him.
I had assumed, since he was just a wanderer, that he'd care only for money.
With a serious expression, I cupped my hands in salute and said,
"I must apologize, Warrior Jang. You are far more honest than I thought. It is an honor to journey with such a fine man."
To my praise, he looked taken aback.
"M-me? No, I only…."
"I know very well how valuable the horse is. Honestly, I just wanted to give it to you. Once we reach the frontline, I won't be able to sell it for its true worth anyway. Besides, I worried that keeping it would weaken my resolve to run. So, let's call it mutual benefit. I'll give you the horse, and in exchange, may I rely on you for some convenience along the journey?"
I extended my hand. After a moment's pause, he dismounted and firmly grasped it.
"You are nothing like the rumors, Young Master. Very well. Since you've given such a great price, we'll also do our utmost."
And so my running began.
From Guiyang in Guizhou to Yunnan.
Even on horseback without rest, it would take at least three full days.
For me as I was now, it was bound to be incredibly difficult.
But I was certain—this running would be the nourishment to remake me.
Yes. In this life, I would change.
Absolutely!
And then, half of one gak later (a quarter of an hour)…
I was on the ground, vomiting.
"Uweeegh!"
Warrior Jang patted my back with a pitying look.
"Young Master, this isn't just because you don't want to go, is it?"
"H-how could you say that—uwweeegh!"
Not long after I got back up, I collapsed again, sprawled out on the ground before even a quarter of a gak had passed.
The sky was spinning yellow.
"Haa, haa, haa…."
The wanderers glanced at the horse I had given them, as if wondering whether it was really worth as much as they thought.
It was humiliating, but the exhaustion was so overwhelming that shame didn't matter anymore.
Then, suddenly, beneath the yellow-tinged sky, a handkerchief appeared before me.
"Huh?"
Startled, I turned—and saw a young lady offering it.
The one with bangs covering her eyes, who had been with Lady Jegal.
She said,
"Wipe your sweat."
Her voice was flat and emotionless, but beneath her bangs, her cheeks looked faintly flushed.
…Was I imagining it?
Either way, in that instant, embarrassment outweighed fatigue. I forced myself upright and said to her,
"Ugh… Lady Cheongyeon, is it not? Forgive me for showing such a disgraceful sight."
She looked surprised.
"You… know me?"
I gave an awkward laugh.
"I heard Lady Jegal call your name yesterday."
"Ah, of course. Your memory."
She murmured that, then offered the handkerchief again.
"Use it. I have several, so you can keep it."
She said it so matter-of-factly that I couldn't refuse.
I instinctively took it and wiped off some sweat.
Then she added,
"Stay strong. I'll be cheering for you."
With that, she spun around and walked away.
It felt like something had swept through—less like a person, more like a force of nature.
In both my lives, it was the first time a woman had given me a handkerchief.
The feeling was… strange.
Once she was gone, the wanderers erupted into cheers.
"Ooooh! Young Master Seonu! Amazing!"
"To receive a handkerchief from such a beauty—how enviable!"
What strange words.
If she's beautiful, she's beautiful—why call her someone who looks like she'd be beautiful?
Well, I supposed it was inevitable when only half her face could be seen.
Of course, it wasn't what they were imagining.
I knew my place all too well to mistake her actions.
She must have only pitied me.
A very kind lady, no doubt.
Still… it really does make my shoulders feel lighter.
Being lifted up by a woman's kindness in front of others—come to think of it, that was also a first in both my lives.
Suddenly, strength surged back into me. I leapt up and shouted,
"Come on! Let's go again!"
The wanderers roared back in answer.
"Ooooooh!"
Of course, I still couldn't last half a gak.
"Uweeegh!"
The warriors now simply looked skyward with faces of enlightenment.
Stopping and resting again and again, we finally managed to crawl out of Guiyang around noon.
Seeing the wanderers barely holding back their frustration, I thought once more that giving them the horse had been the right choice.
Warrior Jang called out,
"Alright, let's eat! We'll be dining outdoors plenty from here on!"
Hmm. That was clearly directed at me.
How embarrassing.
Turning away from them, I opened the bundle Yeonha had given me.
Inside were neatly wrapped, cute little rice balls.