The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

Hoo- hoo-.

Rough breaths flowed out from inside the room.

At the same time, a feeling of heat.

Mihwa was at a loss for words at the sight of Cheon Myeong, who was sweating profusely and repeatedly sitting down and standing up.

"..."

What on earth was Cheon Myeong doing right now?

At first glance, it looked like he was training his muscles, but Mihwa couldn't think that way at once.

Because she knew Cheon Myeong better than anyone else.

After overcoming a near-death experience, Cheon Myeong showed an extreme aversion to martial arts.

For such a Cheon Myeong to be training his body now.

Mihwa was momentarily stunned because she had never even seen him circulate his energy before.

"Young Master... what are you doing right now?"

Mihwa, who had been watching silently for a while, asked cautiously.

Then, Cheon Myeong answered while still repeating the motion.

"Training... I'm... training..."

Cheon Myeong barely managed to say with a rough breath.

Just by listening to his voice, she could tell that he was struggling as if he would die at any moment.

Nevertheless, Cheon Myeong still maintained his posture and continued to repeat the same motion.

"Training...?"

Why all of a sudden?

He wouldn't be doing that just because his body was stiff.

Rather, Mihwa instantly realized one important fact.

"..."

Mihwa put down the tray she was holding and hurriedly approached Cheon Myeong.

And she said to Cheon Myeong, fidgeting.

"Y-Young Master! You haven't fully recovered yet, and if you do such strenuous exercise, your wounds might get worse!"

"It's... fine."

"It's not fine!"

When Mihwa shouted that, Cheon Myeong stopped his motion.

It wasn't that he stopped his motion because of Mihwa's words.

It was just that he had stopped his motion because he had filled up the target number.

Standing still in place, Cheon Myeong began to catch his breath.

"Hoo..."

After some time, his rough breath gradually returned to normal.

Mihwa looked at Cheon Myeong with a worried face and asked.

"Young Master, shall I bring you a towel?"

Cheon Myeong was currently completely shirtless.

As the training continued, sweat began to form all over his body, and thinking that it was a hindrance, he had thrown off his shirt.

"Would you?"

"Please wait a moment."

Mihwa said that and left the room with light steps.

And a moment later.

Mihwa returned to the room with a towel and a basin of water.

"I brought water too."

"Thank you."

Saying that, Cheon Myeong lifted the basin with both hands.

And suddenly, he put his mouth to the basin and started gulping down the water.

"Y-Young Master!"

Mihwa couldn't help but be surprised at the sight.

That water was brought to wash his body, so why was he suddenly drinking it?

However, before Mihwa could stop him, about half of the water in the basin had already entered Cheon Myeong's body.

"Ah, I feel like I can live now."

"That's water I brought for you to wash with, what are you doing drinking it like that all of a sudden?"

"I was so thirsty, I wanted to drink it."

"Then you should have told me to bring you drinking water separately..."

"It doesn't matter. It's the same water anyway."

Of course, the water in the basin was clean enough to be used as drinking water.

But still, Mihwa couldn't hide her uneasy feeling.

'The Young Master seems to have changed somehow.'

The fact that he was doing training he didn't used to do, and the fact that he was drinking water from a basin like this.

The Cheon Myeong she usually knew was a person with quite a meticulous side.

Of course, he would drink water from a cup, not with both hands to his mouth from a basin.

And crucially, he was showing his upper body in front of her, but he didn't seem to be embarrassed at all.

"..."

She had served Cheon Myeong for a long time, but Cheon Myeong had rarely shown his bare skin in front of Mihwa.

Even if he did, it was a case where Mihwa accidentally discovered it, and he would usually send Mihwa out and change his clothes himself.

Until now, Mihwa had thought that Cheon Myeong was embarrassed to show his bare skin in front of her.

But seeing him now, that thought seemed to be completely wrong.

Splash-.

Cheon Myeong washed his face with the remaining water in the basin, regardless of whether Mihwa was watching or not.

And he calmly wiped the water from his face and body with the towel Mihwa handed him.

"That's refreshing."

"..."

"By the way, what brings you to my room?"

"Ah... I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you a meal."

Mihwa said that and prepared the meal she had brought in front of Cheon Myeong.

A bowl of white porridge placed in front of Cheon Myeong.

There was no soy sauce.

There was only a bowl of porridge and a spoon.

"...Is this all for the meal?"

Seeing this, Cheon Myeong said in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Yes, since you've been bedridden for a few days, I thought it would be good to prepare a meal that's easy to digest for your first meal."

"..."

Those words were not wrong.

In the end, Cheon Myeong picked up the spoon and put the first spoonful into his mouth.

Chew- chew-.

He couldn't really taste anything in particular, but chewing food after a long time made it feel quite delicious.

Moreover, his hunger had become stronger while training, so that could be the reason.

'It's delicious.'

When was the last time he had eaten porridge?

No matter how much their power had weakened, it was basic for the leader of the Demonic Cult to always have dozens of side dishes.

In contrast, now there were no side dishes and only a single bowl of white porridge.

But Cheon Myeong was able to finish his meal more satisfactorily than what he usually ate.

"..."

After gobbling down all the porridge, Cheon Myeong looked down at the empty bowl with disappointed eyes.

Mihwa stared at him blankly.

And she cautiously asked Cheon Myeong.

"Would you like more?"

When Mihwa asked that, Cheon Myeong raised his head towards Mihwa with sparkling eyes.

"Is there more?"

"Yes, I thought you should only eat this today, so I cooked a whole pot."

There's a whole pot more.

Hearing that, Cheon Myeong felt saliva gathering in his mouth without realizing it.

"Then... can you give me more?"

"Okay. How much more should I give you?"

"Bring it all."

"...What?"

Mihwa wondered for a moment if she had misheard Cheon Myeong.

And she nodded as if she understood something and said.

"Ah... you're asking me to bring one bowl, right?"

"Not one bowl, but one pot."

"...You're going to eat all of that?"

"I'm not sure, but bring it first."

"..."

How hungry must Cheon Myeong be to say such a thing?

She didn't think he would really eat it all, but for now, as Cheon Myeong said, Mihwa decided to bring all the porridge in the pot.

"Ah, and."

Before Mihwa left the room, Cheon Myeong said to her.

"Do you have soy sauce by any chance?"

***

Is there a beggar in front of me?

No, even a beggar wouldn't eat food like that.

"..."

Cheon Myeong was diligently moving his spoon in front of Mihwa.

Mihwa brought the whole pot into the room as Cheon Myeong requested.

At first, she predicted that he wouldn't be able to eat all the porridge in the pot, but as if to mock her prediction, Cheon Myeong was eating all the porridge in the pot.

'When did the Young Master become such a big eater?'

At first, he ate from a bowl, but at some point, he started eating with the pot in front of him.

And the inside of the pot was gradually showing its bottom.

Mihwa couldn't close her mouth at the sight of Cheon Myeong, who was still moving his spoon at the same speed as at the beginning.

'How can he eat all that amount...'

Is it because it's porridge, so it's not that filling?

No, but eating all that amount was impossible considering the usual Cheon Myeong.

He usually couldn't even finish a bowl of rice and often left it behind.

Now, she couldn't even recall that image.

'Still, it's better to see him eat well than not eat.'

It felt a little strange, but of course, she couldn't help but feel good when he ate the food she made so deliciously.

Hoo-.

In the end, only after finishing all the porridge in the pot did Cheon Myeong put down his spoon.

The amount Cheon Myeong had eaten was originally planned to be served in three meals throughout the day.

On top of that, she had deliberately prepared more just in case.

To think that it would all disappear in one meal...

Slurp-.

Cheon Myeong drank all the water in his cup with a relaxed look.

And he put down the empty cup and said to Mihwa.

"That was a good meal. It was the most delicious food I've eaten recently."

Hearing those words, Mihwa shyly turned her head.

She had been praised for her food by Cheon Myeong a few times, but never had he said it after emptying the entire bowl like now.

Moreover, hadn't he emptied not just one bowl, but a whole pot?

That's why Mihwa felt that those words were even more sincere.

"It's just porridge."

"I'll look forward to a delicious meal for dinner too."

"You're going to eat for dinner too?"

Can he eat again after eating so much?

Mihwa was so surprised for a moment that she almost dropped the pot she was cleaning.

"I'm full now, but I'm going to train again, so won't I get hungry soon?"

"Training..."

Is he going to do that again?

Not this time.

Mihwa thought she had to tell Cheon Myeong firmly.

"You can't do that. As I said before, you haven't fully recovered yet, and if you move so recklessly..."

"I know my own body well."

"Young Master, you were unconscious just this morning."

Mihwa said in a firm voice.

Originally, as a mere maid, Cheon Myeong didn't have to listen to whatever Mihwa said.

But to Cheon Myeong, Mihwa was like a precious family member.

Because that memory remained in his head, Cheon Myeong couldn't ignore Mihwa's words firmly.

She was saying that because she was worried about him.

But still, he couldn't give up training because of that.

"Okay. Then I'll do it in a way that doesn't overdo it."

"Still..."

"I can't compromise on that any further."

"..."

When Cheon Myeong said that, Mihwa had no choice but to shut her mouth.

The cases where Cheon Myeong had spoken to her so firmly until now were only when it was a truly important moment for Cheon Myeong.

'Is training that important to the Young Master?'

If so, as a maid, she could only watch her master.

Continuing to tell the master what to do and what not to do about something he had firmly decided on was an act that crossed the line as a maid.

No matter how long she had been with Cheon Myeong and how close they were, Mihwa always kept the line between master and maid.

"Okay."

"..."

"Please really don't overdo it."

"Okay."

Hearing that answer, Mihwa got up from her seat.

And before leaving the room with the pot, she looked at Cheon Myeong one last time.

Hoo- hoo-.

Cheon Myeong had already started training again.

Mihwa watched him silently for a moment.

'What could have changed the Young Master so much?'

The incident with the Yakhyeon Gang this time? If not, then maybe...

She had a guess, but Mihwa decided not to ask Cheon Myeong anything.

'I'm always by your side, Young Master.'

Thinking so to herself, Mihwa left the room.

And finally, she engraved the image of Cheon Myeong training in her eyes and closed the door.

(End of Chapter)