The Beggar Young Master of the Namgung Clan

He felt like he was about to cry.

Was it because he was so moved by the situation of a peerless beauty rushing at him?

No.

Namgung Il felt like he was about to cry because the peerless beauty in front of him happened to share the same blood as him.

'So it wasn't because I'm handsome...'

No matter how pretty she was, being popular with his own sister gave him no excitement.

Right, there was no way such a dream-like thing would happen to him.

A sigh naturally escaped Namgung Il's lips at the fleeting dream he had just had.

"Il-ah, what's wrong?"

"..."

"Are you sick somewhere?"

Asking worriedly, the peerless beauty in front of him, Namgung Yeon, placed her hand on Namgung Il's forehead.

That's right. This person was his own sister, Namgung Yeon.

Only at this moment could Namgung Il finally see his sister's face in person.

'As expected of my sister. She's really pretty, even looking at her again.'

It was a bit embarrassing to say this himself, but honestly, wasn't his own appearance quite outstanding?

Therefore, he had thought that his sister would naturally be a corresponding beauty.

But to think she would be such a peerless beauty.

He could roughly guess that his mother, who had given birth to such a handsome brother and beautiful sister, must have been a great beauty.

'What a shame, I thought it would be nice to be popular with such a peerless beauty at least once.'

Did a woman more beautiful than his own sister even exist in this world?

Somehow, because of Namgung Yeon, Namgung Il felt that his standard for beauties had become quite high.

"You don't seem to have a fever, are you okay?"

"..."

No, I'm not okay.

Why, of all people, are you my sister?

Namgung Il almost blurted out those words without realizing it, but he barely managed to swallow them and opened his mouth.

"I'm fine... But what brings you here?"

"What brings me here? Didn't you miss me?"

"No, that's not what I meant..."

"I'm kidding."

Namgung Yeon said with a smiling-eye expression.

Any able-bodied man would have his mouth agape and a grin from ear to ear at that one smiling-eye expression.

But since he was, after all, Namgung Yeon's younger brother, he did not grin foolishly.

Nod— Nod—.

He just kept nodding his head with a smile.

Seeing that, Namgung Yeon asked with a puzzled expression.

"Why are you suddenly nodding your head?"

"Don't mind me. I just wanted to move my neck."

"Really?"

"But really, what brings you here? I'm sure you were..."

"At the academy. Right?"

"..."

As she said, Namgung Yeon had not been in the Namgung Clan until now.

The place she was currently at was the Flying Dragon Academy.

Namgung Yeon was currently enrolled in the academy, which was established by the Martial Alliance for the training of the younger generation and boasted the largest scale in the Central Plains.

'Flying Dragon Academy...'

When that name came up, Namgung Il couldn't help but be reminded of old memories.

Because that was the place he had attended when he was Do Yeoksan.

The place where he first met Namgung Jeongung was also the Flying Dragon Academy.

'A nostalgic name.'

Whether it was decades ago in the past or now, the Flying Dragon Academy still existed.

No, as time had passed, there must have been some changes there as well.

Namgung Il suddenly became curious about how much it had changed from the past.

"Tomorrow is Father's birthday, isn't it?"

"..."

"So I came for a short while."

So that was it.

The only reason Namgung Yeon would suddenly return to the clan would be Namgung Cheong's birthday.

"And one more thing. I came to scold the brat who made my heart ache."

Namgung Yeon continued.

The brat who made Namgung Yeon's heart ache?

How dare he make his beautiful sister's heart ache. Namgung Il's anger boiled up without him realizing it.

"Who on earth is that brat! How dare he make my sister's heart ache, as a younger brother, I can never forgive him!"

"Is it really okay if I tell you who it is?"

"Yes, please tell me! I will scold that brat somehow."

Swoosh—

Instead of answering, Namgung Yeon raised her right hand.

At that moment, Namgung Il's expression became blank.

He couldn't understand at all why Namgung Yeon was suddenly pointing her finger at him.

"...Me?"

"Yes. How could you not send me a single letter all this time?"

"..."

"I sent you letters regularly. You could have sent a reply at least once, couldn't you?"

"Uh..."

I was the bad guy.

Of course, he had no past memories, but Namgung Yeon wouldn't be able to understand that.

"Hit me!"

"..."

"If that will make you feel better, I will gladly offer my body!"

"...Alright."

Namgung Yeon said and raised her right hand.

However.

Soon, what Namgung Il felt on his head was not a stinging fist, but a warm touch.

"...Sister?"

"How could I hit my own younger brother?"

"..."

"I was angry before I came here, but seeing your face, it all melted away."

Namgung Yeon said with a smile as she stroked Namgung Il's head.

Namgung Il just stared blankly at her.

The moment he saw that smile, Namgung Il could realize one thing for sure.

'This person... is my sister.'

And a person he could truly call family.

What he felt in that gaze could undoubtedly be called affection.

Namgung Il, who had never once felt the affection of a family in his previous life, could finally know what it was.

Thump—

His heart was telling him instinctively.

To that brat, Namgung Yeon was a precious person.

Then to him, Namgung Yeon was now a precious person as well.

'Okay, I get it. I'll protect this person somehow, so don't worry.'

As if in response to those words, his heart thumped again.

Well, it might be his own delusion, but this must be that brat's own way of answering.

Just then, Namgung Yeon lowered the hand that was stroking his head and said.

"Still, please reply from now on. You don't have to do it every day, okay?"

"...?"

Hearing that, Namgung Il couldn't help but feel a moment of doubt.

Didn't that sound like Namgung Yeon had been sending him letters every day?

Namgung Il decided to confirm that with Namgung Yeon.

"Sister, did you really send me letters every day?"

"Huh? Of course."

"Uh..."

Namgung Il was momentarily at a loss for words.

Was it about half a year ago that Namgung Yeon had left for the academy?

It was surprising enough that she had been sending him letters every day since then, but before that, Namgung Il couldn't help but have one question.

'If she sent me letters every day... shouldn't a letter have arrived recently?'

However, he had not received any letters.

This... something smells fishy.

Just then, Namgung Yeon also seemed to have noticed something strange and asked Namgung Il.

"What's wrong? Could it be... you didn't receive the letters?"

"..."

My sister has good intuition.

It seemed he would be found out even if he hid it, so Namgung Il answered honestly.

"No, I didn't receive them."

"...Not a single one?"

"Uh... no."

Given this brat's personality, he wouldn't have thrown away the letters Namgung Yeon sent.

But since he had never seen any letters from Namgung Yeon anywhere in this room, wouldn't it be right to think that he hadn't received a single one?

When he answered so, Namgung Yeon's expression suddenly turned cold.

"My letters... not a single one arrived..."

Namgung Yeon muttered with her head slightly lowered.

It was a stark contrast to the smiling face she had shown him just a moment ago.

When a peerless beauty like Namgung Yeon's expression hardened like that, the dissonance seemed to create even more fear.

"...Sister?"

"..."

Namgung Yeon didn't answer and suddenly shot up from her seat.

A sense of anxiety from that appearance.

A murderous intent, as if she were going to kill someone, could be felt from Namgung Yeon's appearance.

"Il-ah, stay here for a moment."

"...Where are you going?"

"I'll check something and come back."

Namgung Yeon said and smiled at the end.

But Namgung Il could immediately tell that the feeling of that smile was quite different from when she had stroked his head.

'Where on earth is she going?'

Namgung Yeon had already completely left the room.

Ah... if I just leave her like that, something big is going to happen.

Because the expression on Namgung Yeon's face that he had last seen was still unforgettable in his mind, Namgung Il couldn't just sit still.

Hoo—

With a light sigh, Namgung Il ended up following Namgung Yeon.

Until then, Namgung Il had not realized exactly what kind of person his sister was.

* * *

Suseonghwa was checking the list of people who would come to the banquet tomorrow.

'Huhu, this should be enough.'

The various names written on the list.

Anyone living in Anhui would have heard the names here at least once.

Literary families, martial families, merchant families.

Any place that was considered even a little prestigious in Anhui had been invited to the banquet tomorrow, regardless of their type.

'I'll have to thank Father separately later.'

The power of the World Escort Agency was a big part of what made all this possible.

Of course, the influence of the name Namgung Clan was also considerable, but without Su Majin's influence, wouldn't it have been difficult to gather all the people here for a simple birthday banquet?

All of this was to prove that her son was superior to that woman's son, and for that reason, Suseonghwa had even borrowed Su Majin's power to set the stage.

'The clan is not enough. I have to let the whole of Anhui know.'

This was the real reason Suseonghwa had gone to the trouble of gathering the influential figures of Anhui.

To make them watch the spar tomorrow and spread the rumor throughout Anhui.

The people on this list would have enough influence, so if she just gave them a little hint, they would spread the rumor on their own.

'I hope the rumor spreads beyond Anhui and nationwide.'

That woman's son is not superior to her son.

Imagining that future, a smile automatically appeared on Suseonghwa's lips.

"Y-you can't do this!"

It was then.

At the sound of a maid's voice suddenly coming from outside the door, Suseonghwa's gaze turned that way.

"What is all this commotion?"

To make such a fuss in the middle of the night.

If it was a fuss over something trivial, Suseonghwa got up from her seat, planning to give them a sharp word.

However.

Bang—

The person who kicked open the door was not the maid.

A woman standing confidently, holding a sword in one hand.

As soon as she saw her, Suseonghwa's eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost.

"N-Namgung Yeon!"

"Was it you?"

"...What?"

"Did you dare to intercept the letters I sent!"

Shouting, Namgung Yeon began to run wild with a sword like an executioner.

It was the moment the sharp thorns hidden within her beautiful appearance came out.

(End of Chapter)