The Heavenly Demon Who Reigns

Cheon Myeong was walking with a somewhat uneasy expression.

Since he hadn't received a clear answer from Cheon Jin, he had been wearing this expression ever since he left the leader's palace.

But still, since he hadn't been told to leave the main headquarters, Cheon Myeong was planning to do as he pleased from now on.

'Should I be glad that I wasn't kicked out?'

In a way, it could be said that he had gained some more time.

If he acted in a way that pleased Cheon Jin in the meantime, he wouldn't be kicked out of the main headquarters, at least.

Of course, he didn't want to go to such lengths for a guy like that, but there was no other way now.

"Young Master, where are we going now?"

At that moment, Mihwa asked Cheon Myeong from behind.

Cheon Myeong, who had been silent ever since he left the leader's palace.

Moreover, since his expression didn't look very good, Mihwa had been silent until now and had cautiously asked.

"We're going to the Small Azure Pavilion."

"What? Really?"

"Yes."

Hearing Cheon Myeong's words, Mihwa's face lit up.

The Small Azure Pavilion was the place where Cheon Myeong had resided until he left the main headquarters.

Of course, since Mihwa had also lived there and served Cheon Myeong, it was a place with many memories.

But to go there now.

That meant that things had gone well between Cheon Myeong and Cheon Jin.

'I'm glad. We can stay at the main headquarters.'

Since Cheon Myeong's expression had been bad all along, Mihwa had only thought that things had not gone well.

Of course, in reality, it couldn't be said that things had gone as well as Mihwa thought.

But seeing Mihwa's brightened face, Cheon Myeong thought that there was no need to explain the current situation in detail.

"It's been a really long time since we've been back."

"I know."

"Since we've been away for a while, there must be a lot of dust. But I'll clean your room first, Young Master, so don't worry too much!"

Mihwa said excitedly.

Cheon Myeong chuckled at the sight.

Although Mihwa seemed to have many memories of that place, Cheon Myeong was not as happy as Mihwa because he didn't really have any memories to speak of.

"If it's cleaning, it's okay to have someone else do it instead of you."

"No! Please let me do it!"

"Won't you be tired?"

"Cleaning is my specialty. No, I don't think I'll be at ease if I don't do it."

"Well... then, do that."

When Cheon Myeong said that, Mihwa looked happy.

Is cleaning that good?

Looking at that, she really seemed to be a person suitable for the job of a handmaiden.

'Come to think of it, I don't need to use this anymore.'

He had been wearing a bamboo hat habitually without realizing it.

Since he had already met Cheon Jin, there was no need to cover his face anymore.

Cheon Myeong took off the bamboo hat he was wearing and walked on the road again.

Thump- thump-.

A moment later, Cheon Myeong arrived in front of a pavilion, tracing his memory.

A huge pavilion in front of Cheon Myeong's eyes.

It was the place where he had lived all along when he was at the main headquarters.

"It's been quite a while, but this place is still the same."

Mihwa said, as if she was filled with new emotions.

Even in Cheon Myeong's memory, the Small Azure Pavilion didn't seem to have changed much in appearance.

'But has it been managed until now?'

No, he couldn't be sure yet.

Even if it looked fine on the outside, it was not impossible that the inside was full of dust, as Mihwa had said earlier.

Cheon Myeong thought so and moved his steps towards the main gate.

Creak-.

As he opened the main gate and entered, he saw a person.

A woman standing with a basket.

It was a face that was quite familiar to Cheon Myeong's eyes as well.

"Ah!"

At that moment, Mihwa's eyes widened in surprise as she discovered the woman.

And she left Cheon Myeong there and ran towards the woman.

"Songhwa!"

The woman called Songhwa heard the voice and turned her head towards where Mihwa was.

And like Mihwa, her eyes widened in surprise.

And she dropped the basket she was holding on the floor and covered her mouth with both hands.

"M-Mihwa..."

"How long has it been! Have you been well?"

Songhwa, like Mihwa, was a handmaiden who had worked together at the Small Azure Pavilion since she was young.

However, when Cheon Myeong was kicked out of the main headquarters, Mihwa had no choice but to leave with him, and the two were forcibly separated.

And they had reunited like this after about three years.

"H-how are you here..."

Unlike Mihwa, who was hugging Songhwa and was happy, Songhwa still looked dumbfounded.

And for good reason, Songhwa knew well how Mihwa had left this place.

So when they were separated, she had thought they would never meet again, and how much had she cried?

She was happy to meet Mihwa again, but more than that, she was more curious about why Mihwa was here.

"I've come back to the main headquarters this time."

"You've come back to the main headquarters?"

"Yes, isn't that great? But you've still remained at the Small Azure Pavilion, I was thinking that maybe Songhwa would still be here."

Saying that, Mihwa separated from Songhwa's side.

Songhwa was still unable to say anything, as if she hadn't properly understood what was going on.

'Wait...!'

At that moment, a thought came to Songhwa's mind.

Does the fact that Mihwa has returned to the main headquarters now mean that that person has also come with her?

Since she had followed him out three years ago, she surely wouldn't have come alone.

Thump- thump-.

At that moment, someone approached Songhwa's side.

Her gaze suddenly turned to that person.

And Songhwa's face became more surprised than when she had discovered Mihwa.

"Y-Young Master!"

Since three years had passed, it was possible that she wouldn't recognize him at once.

But as soon as she saw his face, Songhwa immediately recognized that he was Cheon Myeong.

"It's been a while."

Cheon Myeong approached Songhwa and said.

There was also a clear memory of the person named Songhwa in Cheon Myeong's head.

A handmaiden who had served him since he was young, just like Mihwa.

Of course, it wasn't as much as Mihwa, but she was a person who had been with Cheon Myeong for a long time.

"Young Master, why are you here..."

"The leader gave his permission. He said the Young Master can come back to the main headquarters and live here."

"Ah...!"

As Mihwa explained the reason from the side, Songhwa was finally able to understand why the two were here.

Flop-.

At that moment, Songhwa prostrated herself before Cheon Myeong.

Since she had met her master after a really long time, Songhwa had greeted him in her own way.

Songhwa said to Cheon Myeong with her head bowed.

"Young Master... you've returned."

"Even though I left, you've remained here all along."

"That's... my place of work is only the Small Azure Pavilion."

When he first returned to the main headquarters, Cheon Myeong had thought that there would be no one waiting for him.

But now, there was someone in front of him who had waited for him.

Just that one fact made Cheon Myeong feel like he had returned home.

Swish-.

Cheon Myeong bent his knees and personally raised Songhwa's upper body.

And to the flustered Songhwa, Cheon Myeong said.

"Thank you. For waiting all this time."

"Young Master..."

Drip-.

At that moment, tears flowed from Songhwa's eyes.

He hadn't intended to make her cry like this.

Cheon Myeong wondered if he had said something wrong to Songhwa.

"Why are you crying? If the Young Master has returned, you should be happy, not cry."

At some point, Mihwa was saying that and comforting Songhwa.

However, Songhwa's tears showed no sign of stopping.

And Songhwa barely said to Cheon Myeong while crying.

"Young Master... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry."

"...?"

Why was Songhwa suddenly apologizing to him?

He had said thank you, but an apology had come back, so Cheon Myeong couldn't understand the reason.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I couldn't stop it with my own strength... I wanted to leave this place as your home until the end..."

"..."

Although he couldn't hear the end of her words, he seemed to be able to understand why Songhwa was like this.

'Is someone else in the Small Azure Pavilion now?'

Putting Songhwa's words together, he had no choice but to think so.

To think that someone else had come into his residence and was living there.

Originally, he had no promise of returning to the main headquarters, but he had never thought that someone else would come into the empty Small Azure Pavilion and live there.

'It doesn't feel good.'

No matter how much he hadn't actually lived here, he couldn't help but feel bad.

To come in and live here as soon as the master had left the main headquarters.

This felt exactly like being robbed.

"Who is here now?"

Cheon Myeong asked in a changed voice.

Then, Songhwa still couldn't stop her tears and answered Cheon Myeong's question.

"Jang Hyeon... of the Blood Jang Family."

"..."

"That person is now the master of the Small Azure Pavilion..."

The Blood Jang Family.

That was also one of the Five Great Demonic Families, just like the Demonic Dragon Jin Family.

"...Did the leader permit it?"

"That... I don't know either."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Master... no, after Jang Hyeon was selected as the leader's disciple, he somehow ended up living here..."

Somehow.

Does that mean that this was not something that Cheon Jin had officially acknowledged?

Well, since he was a person who was not particularly interested in the affairs of the world, he probably wouldn't even try to know about such things.

Even if he had known, he wouldn't have taken any particular measures.

Since he was a guy who had tried to kill him as soon as they met, what did it matter to Cheon Jin who came into the Small Azure Pavilion and lived there?

It was clear to his two eyes that he would not have answered with his unique expressionless face.

"I'm really... really sorry, Young Master."

At that moment, Songhwa apologized to Cheon Myeong once again.

However, as Songhwa had also said earlier, this was something that couldn't be helped.

How could Songhwa, a mere handmaiden, stop something that even the leader had turned a blind eye to?

Moreover, if the opponent was the Blood Jang Family, one of the Five Great Demonic Families, no one would have been able to easily touch them.

'Still, to think of coming into the place where I lived, it means that I was looked down upon that much.'

Thinking back to his past self, was it understandable?

But that didn't mean he could tolerate this fact now.

"Is that guy inside now?"

"He is inside, but..."

"Really? Then I'll go and have a talk with him, so you guys wait here."

"..."

He's going to have a talk?

Songhwa was surprised to hear that and stopped her tears.

Although it was a sad reality, she thought that Cheon Myeong would not be able to stand up to Jang Hyeon.

Especially the Cheon Myeong that Songhwa knew had a personality that couldn't say anything even if he went.

"It's too dangerous...!"

Songhwa said that and was about to follow behind Cheon Myeong.

However, Mihwa caught Songhwa from behind.

Because of that, Songhwa could no longer go forward.

"It's okay."

"But..."

"Let's trust the Young Master and wait."

Mihwa's appearance seemed to have something to believe in.

Although Songhwa didn't know what that was.

But still, since the person who had been with Cheon Myeong until now was Mihwa, she had no choice but to follow her words.

Thump- thump-.

In the end, leaving the two behind, Cheon Myeong headed to the pavilion alone.

A coldness was felt from Cheon Myeong's face as he moved his steps, to the point where it felt like there was a chill.

'What kind of face is that?'

Did he say Jang Hyeon of the Blood Jang Family?

It didn't matter even if he was a person of the Five Great Demonic Families.

Just a thief who had come in, aiming for an empty house.

The guy was no more, no less than that.

(End of Chapter)