A Dragon Lives In That Scholar's Deep Spring - Chapter 10

– CHAPTER 10 –

The demeanor was as if pretending to help with even a straw, but now it seemed like a betrayal. Do-gyeom couldn’t help it even if Farang wasn’t directly strangling him.

No matter how the conversation flowed afterward, this part couldn’t be ignored.

“Just because I blindly believed a few words you said yesterday, if something unexpected happens, won’t there be a similar level of mistrust?”

“…Is it stupidity or excessive loyalty?”

Even though he thought Farang might smash the building instead of just the door, surprisingly, Farang just crossed her arms and clicked her tongue. It was merely a light mockery.

“Aren’t you afraid of dying? Is that why you’re acting so recklessly?”

“Someone who seeks to collaborate must have at least some backbone, don’t you think? You, too, must not completely trust me.”

“…….”

Farang turned her head abruptly as if staring through Do-gyeom without blinking. Then, as if to suggest listening, she cursed Do-gyeom’s lordship with a snort.

“How can the king of this land perform his duties if he can’t even protect himself?”

“That’s not…”

“What’s not? A weakling like you would be worried about being weakened.”

“Outrageous!”

Although she was angry, Farang’s actions didn’t seem like she was trying to provoke a fight with Do-gyeom. Her expression seemed to suggest that she simply didn’t understand the limits of being human.

Do-gyeom was genuinely curious about the identity of this mysterious being.

“Even if what you say is excessive by the standards of this land, it’s never that I or the king are weak. So, it would be better to refrain from such remarks.”

“Anyway, in the end, your words imply that you’ll help me, right?”

“If you hadn’t knocked the child unconscious, I would have taken you away a few days sooner.”

“Isn’t it okay because I didn’t kill her?”

“If she had fallen and hit her head hard, she could have lived with a severe brain injury for the rest of her life.”

Just when it seemed like things were settling down, sparks flew again. Their conversation was akin to walking a precarious path along a cliff.

“Are you testing me?”

“No, that’s not it. I had the purest child among those in this house help you because you felt the pain of living. Unless people understand their nature or cultivate themselves, they accumulate anger in their hearts, which eventually turns into hatred and malice.”

“The more excuses you make, the longer the tail seems to grow.”

“What?”

Although Farang explained politely, the other party was already askew.

“You’re being unnecessarily long-winded right now.”

Farang swung the head dangling behind her forward and petulantly touched it.

“You were worried about me touching even a hair of the king of this land just a moment ago, and now weren’t you worried about the child?”

The issue lies exactly in this ambivalence. People are incredibly fickle. Someone who seemed resolute until just now, diligently preaching their convictions, suddenly becomes shameless and reckless.

“To be honest, I find it bizarre and am self-blaming.”

“Bizarre? Why?”

“Well…”

Perhaps it’s because of her proximity to water. Despite seeing only cold and merciless behavior, she didn’t feel malice. However, that’s not a clear basis for trusting Farang, so it’s better to observe her over time.

Do-gyeom expressed his ambiguous thoughts as succinctly as possible.

“It’s as if body and mind are separate.”

He might have appeared as a frivolous man who rationalizes everything, drawn in by Farang’s appearance. It was necessary to establish a center quickly, or else he might lose all the trust he had painstakingly built with Farang, who still didn’t fully trust him.

With that in mind, he descended from the sudden pedestal and conveyed his conclusion to Farang.

“In three days, I’ll take you back to Buyongji.”

“Three days? Is that to build trust until then?”

As if naturally following, Do-gyeom sat Farang at the end of the floor and knelt himself.

His careful touch reached the white flower-patterned shoes lying on the cold stone floor.

“I’m not sure if trust will develop, but at least by then, there will be an expedition, so His Majesty won’t be in the palace.”

Although he brought them hastily, fortunately, Farang’s feet fit perfectly into the shoes.

“Don’t walk around barefoot. Even if you’re strong, if your flesh isn’t as tough as stone, you can still bleed and get hurt.”

Farang, who had suddenly stood up, looked down at the shoes and furrowed her brows awkwardly. She also tapped the stone floor a few times with the soles of the shoes.

“If I can’t go back because I’ve waited until then…”

Then, with a warning glance, she told Do-gyeom.

“I’ll kill you first.”

It was a condition considered only from Do-gyeom’s perspective. However, fearing the consequences, Do-gyeom took Farang to the palace early. If an accident happened, he would also have to risk his life. Do-gyeom thought calmly.

“Do you remember how different the water was in Buyongji?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, if it’s water mystical enough to go to another world, it should be different from the small spring in this house, don’t you think?”

“Well…”

Farang, who had been glaring at Do-gyeom, blinked her big eyes. The slight blur in her focus seemed to revive the sensations of last night.

“I don’t remember. I didn’t bother to look into it because you were busy wasting your strength touching me.”

No matter how much he explained, the one who blindly attacked was still someone else. Do-gyeom felt unjustly accused, but he decided to let that part go.

“Then, is it okay if I don’t call a physician to take a look at the fact that your nose was bleeding and your chest was tight and in pain?”

“A physician? What’s that?”

“There’s a physician here who examines the bodies of sick people, prescribes medicine or treats them. I’m asking if we should call him.”

Worriedly, Farang suddenly touched Do-gyeom’s chest. Surprised, Do-gyeom tried to pull away, but he couldn’t resist her strength as she also grabbed his belt with her other hand.

“W-what are you doing?”

“I’m checking. Even though you and I may look similar on the outside, we might not be the same on the inside.”

“And you can tell by touching me like this?”

“It would be more certain if I stabbed you.”

“….”

Farang sighed, seeming to gauge something, and lowered her head.

“No, you don’t have it.”

“Have what?”

“The bead. I gather energy from the bead here…,”

Farang, with her fingers upright, pointed near Do-gyeom’s heart.

“You don’t have it.”

“The bead? T-then, are you…”

Unconsciously covering his abdomen with both hands, Do-gyeom stepped back hesitantly. The words like ‘bead’ and ‘energy’ reminded him of some mystical entity.

“Are you…?”

Farang stood still and just grinned. Do-gyeom didn’t want to believe the conclusion he came up with, but he needed confirmation, so he reluctantly asked.

“Is your true identity… really a nine-tailed fox?”

* * *

“If you’re that slow, you might as well tear down the entire floor and rebuild it, instead of polishing it!”

“I’m polishing it.”

Farang, slowly polishing the floor, responded bluntly. If only she could, she would have smashed the entire floor so she wouldn’t need to polish it anymore. It was all because of Sun-yi, who kept nagging and supervising everything.

“Until we go back to Buyongji, you’ll have to stay in this house. But those who don’t work in my house won’t eat or wear anything, so you’ll have to work too, won’t you?”

“Who said I needed to? Even though I didn’t eat or wear anything, you forcibly made me wear it.”

As soon as she remembered what Do-gyeom had said, she gritted her teeth. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted not killing him earlier.

The more she talks to him, the more she thinks he’s not a shallow guy, so she thinks she’d try to manipulate him, but she’s being manipulated without any hesitation. Filled with anger, Farang drew a mark on the wooden floor with her nails.

“In this land, you need a clan name with your name. So if someone asks, just answer ‘I’m Farang, of the Choi clan.'”

In addition, he even arbitrarily added flaws, saying that it was an appropriate name to use here. It felt like clear water was being polluted.

When asked if she was a nine-tailed fox, Farang, who was about to show her true form, burst out laughing again. Despite wanting to show it firsthand, it seemed to be a failure. Regardless of whether she denied it, Do-gyeom already firmly misunderstood that Farang was a nine-tailed fox.

“What about that ring? It always glimmers right before you bleed or feel pain.”

However, that wasn’t the only thing she lost. Thanks to the man with good perception, Farang was reminded of the existence of the ring that she had forgotten. At the same time, she began to suspect that the ring might be the culprit of this situation.

Farang looked down at the ring on her finger. She had tried to take it off immediately after hearing Choi Do-gyeom’s words, but for some reason, it wouldn’t budge. It felt like it was rooted deep in her finger.

Now, it seemed to sparkle even more than before.

“Lady, they say you have to polish the floor properly!”

Frustrated by her inability to exert strength freely, Farang impulsively struck the floor with the mop she was holding.

“I won’t do it!”

After tossing the mop onto the floor with a thud, there was a brief moment of silence, followed by the sudden sound of the wooden floor caving in. Surprised by the noise, Sun-yi, who had been startled for a moment, suddenly raised her voice even louder.

“Did you forget what the master said? You have to listen carefully!”