By Zephyria 
Bong-myeong checked the kitchen and, sure enough, he found a Demon Cult member knocked out with their acupoints sealed, stuffed into baskets. By the time he rushed out in alarm, Ak Mujin was already evacuating people, which somehow reassured him, and he breathed a sigh of relief, starting to help him.
“We’ll take care of this side, so please leave quickly.”
“But…”
“They’re looking for you. Staying here any longer won’t be good for us either!”
Bong-myeong issued him a dismissal order, but Ak Mujin hesitated, as the evacuation of others was not yet complete, and he was extremely reluctant to rejoin Jin Geum-ryeon. Bong-myeong pushed him on the back.
“Please go quickly, and if you happen to hear news of Madam Lou first, please be sure to let us know.”
“…I understand. I will watch over Chun-wol.”
Reluctantly nodding, Ak Mujin steeled his resolve, bid farewell to Bong-myeong, and hurriedly left the Drunken Dream Pavilion.
*
Ak Mujin no longer had a human skin mask, so it was best to get as far away from the Drunken Dream Pavilion as quickly as possible.
He was still confused by the thought that he might be the very person Jin Geum-ryeon had been so desperately searching for. Fortunately, after seeing the Demon Cult up close, he was too busy running away from them to have much conversation, which was a relief.
They joined Cheong-aeng, who had been waiting for Jin Geum-ryeon at another inn, and after running for a long time, they finally left Anhui and entered an inn belonging to the Sandow Union, where they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The innkeeper was very loyal and, upon seeing Jin Geum-ryeon, immediately kicked out all the guests so that Ak Mujin and his party could stay comfortably.
Having run for the past few days without eating anything, they were feeling hungry, so Jin Geum-ryeon ordered four servings of hot meat noodles for the time being.
“……”
“……”
“……”
“……”
Perhaps it was because they had been chased so urgently. The four people sitting around the square table were silent for a while. Ak Mujin glanced left and right, then looked at Jin Geum-ryeon, who was staring at Mae-yeong.
“Um… Master?”
Mae-yeong turned his head and stared at Jin Geum-ryeon, who asked,
“…Why did you follow us?”
In fact, that was the question Ak Mujin was also curious about. Mae-yeong had no reason to be with them. He always pursued freedom, never bound to anything, not even his own home, and was always wandering around. It was strange that he, who had even recoiled at the sight of Jin Geum-ryeon in heat cycle, was traveling with them.
Cheong-aeng seemed to feel the same way, as she widened her eyes and looked back and forth between Mae-yeong and Jin Geum-ryeon.
“Do you have any complaints about me following you? I am very happy when I am with Cho-jin. That’s why I am by your side. Ah, is it not Cho-jin?”
“What in the…”
Ak Mujin was about to ask what that meant when the innkeeper approached and began to distribute the noodles. After placing a large teapot on the table, he stood demurely with a tray and said to Jin Geum-ryeon,
“Lord. Hao Mun-ju is coming this way soon.”
“Hao Mun-ju?”
“Yes. She says she must deliver this news in person.”
Hearing that, Jin Geum-ryeon nodded slightly.
“I understand.”
Ak Mujin felt a heaviness in his heart for no reason. Even though she was the leader of the Black Faction, he would not feel good if this incident had a major negative impact on the Sandow Union and Jin Geum-ryeon’s position was threatened.
Noticing that Ak Mujin’s expression was not very bright, Jin Geum-ryeon looked at him, smiled, and poured him tea.
“Everything will be fine.”
“…I’m sorry for always being a burden.”
“Don’t say that. I’m only doing what I want to do.”
Jin Geum-ryeon said firmly, then belatedly realized that Mae-yeong was looking at him, and, feeling a bit flustered, filled his cup as well. For the past few days, Jin Geum-ryeon had been so busy that even two bodies would not have been enough.
Mae-yeong, after eating the garnish on top of the meat noodles, put down his chopsticks as if it was not to his liking and asked Jin Geum-ryeon,
“Is the Sandow Union interesting?”
“Is there anything interesting about it?”
“I was a little surprised when you suddenly became the Evil Cult Lord one day. But, it seems you are doing quite well.”
“…Ahem. Are you… rebuking me?”
Jin Geum-ryeon’s head drooped slightly. Indeed, he had become the Evil Cult Lord and acted against Mae-yeong’s teachings, so Jin Geum-ryeon felt he had no face to show his master. On the other hand, Ak Mujin found this situation subtly amusing.
“But, I, I had my reasons for doing so…. I don’t touch innocent people anymore….”
Mae-yeong had not yet answered, but Jin Geum-ryeon hurriedly began to explain. Cheong-aeng was witnessing the Lord in such a subdued state for the first time, so she was filled with surprise, and soon felt very sorry to be seeing such a sight, so she quietly picked up her noodles, got up from her seat, and sat at another table.
“I thought I had no prejudices, but I can’t say that’s entirely true.”
As he said that, Mae-yeong took a sip of the tea that Jin Geum-ryeon had poured, but even that did not please him, and he frowned as much as he could and put down the cup. He continued.
“Living with Cho-jin, and seeing you become the Evil Cult Lord, I have once again realized that people are not always what they seem.”
“Does that mean…”
“Geum-ryeon. Did I ever say… that there might be a few good people in the Demon Cult?”
Mae-yeong said, looking at Jin Geum-ryeon. Jin Geum-ryeon, and Ak Mujin as well, were looking at Mae-yeong.
“Even as I said those words, I thought I was telling a child a pointless lie, but now it seems it wasn’t entirely wrong.”
Those words somehow made him feel that his struggles had not been in vain, and a warm feeling arose from deep within Ak Mujin’s heart. He lowered his head and began to eat the meat noodles. Jin Geum-ryeon also seemed a little moved and could not respond for a while.
Having finished speaking, Mae-yeong made a noise as he pulled out his chair and stood up.
“To be honest, although I have affection for you for raising you, I really hate Yang person. Still, I was a little worried when you lost your way for a while, but Cho-jin has relieved me a bit. I don’t know what imprinting is… but since you say it’s a good thing, it must be. So, I’ll be on my way. The tea here tastes terrible.”
Mae-yeong, who had joined as he pleased, declared that he would leave as he pleased. Jin Geum-ryeon and Ak Mujin stared at him with blank faces. After hesitating for a while, Jin Geum-ryeon hurriedly got up and tried to grab Mae-yeong. No, he tried to grab him.
As if he hated his hand touching him even a little, Mae-yeong’s clothes fluttered lightly and slipped through his fingers.
“Master. Won’t you rest a little longer?”
“Well, I’ll go home. I’m going to rest in my room for the first time in a while.”
“…Yes.”
In the end, Jin Geum-ryeon could not hold him back any longer and nodded to see him off. As Mae-yeong began to move lightly and quickly, Jin Geum-ryeon belatedly remembered something and hurriedly followed him. Ak Mujin and Cheong-aeng also hurried to the inn’s doorway.
“Master! The soy sauce is in the leftmost crock. The firewood is in the shed behind the main house! I’ve also fixed all the cabinet handles, so you have to use them carefully! You must!”
Jin Geum-ryeon shouted, repeatedly urging him, even as he watched Mae-yeong’s back receding without regret. Whether he heard those words or not, the body that was rapidly shrinking had disappeared into the darkness before he knew it. Jin Geum-ryeon, Ak Mujin, and Cheong-aeng, who had been watching it for a long time, returned to the inn.
For some reason, Jin Geum-ryeon’s ears were red.
“…That’s a relief.”
His complexion as he said that was truly one of relief, so Ak Mujin wondered what was so relieving.
“I was always worried, but it seems that my master thinks well of you…. Now, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
Having said that, Jin Geum-ryeon looked at Ak Mujin and smiled brightly. Ak Mujin felt his heart pounding uncontrollably as he faced that face.
This won’t do. This really won’t do.
He bit his lip tightly.
*
There were many rooms in the empty inn. The largest and most comfortable room was Ak Mujin’s. But for some reason, as he lay down to try to sleep, he felt restless, and the room, where he was sleeping alone, felt so empty that he eventually got up and began to pace.
No matter how desperately he thought about it, he felt that something was missing between Jin Geum-ryeon and Mae-yeong. No, beyond that, Mae-yeong almost hated Jin Geum-ryeon, didn’t he?
This really doesn’t make sense. They had a stake that was almost like an official couple, only not recognized by the original author, so why was their relationship so bland that it was almost dry?
Really, is that terrible hypothesis the actual situation? Is there no possibility of another doujinshi?
Ak Mujin, who was only throwing out questions that could not be answered, suddenly looked around the room and realized that he had not yet returned the moonless to Jin Geum-ryeon, which he had brought from the sound chamber.
He stopped pacing and stared at it.