CHAPTER FIVE The Girl Who Returned Before Dawn
521 Words
Yeonhwa left before the final round.
Nobody stopped her.
Good.
Winning was entertaining.
Getting discovered was not.
She crossed rooftops instead of streets.
Fast.
Quiet.
Moonveil secure at her side.
The city below slowly faded.
By the time she reached House Seo—
the eastern sky had begun turning pale.
She landed lightly on the outer wall.
Paused.
Listened.
Nothing.
Good.
She dropped into the courtyard.
Three steps.
Four.
She reached her room—
and froze.
The door was open.
Inside—
someone sat waiting.
Minji.
Her servant.
Arms folded.
Expression blank.
Yeonhwa stared.
Minji stared back.
Long silence.
Then—
“…Good evening, Miss.”
Yeonhwa looked outside.
“It is morning.”
Minji nodded.
“That makes this worse.”
Yeonhwa entered carefully.
Minji’s eyes moved downward.
Stopped.
Sword.
Dust.
Tiny tear in her sleeve.
Minji closed her eyes.
Opened them.
“…Did you fight someone?”
Yeonhwa considered lying.
Then—
“…Several.”
Minji stared.
“Several?”
Yeonhwa nodded.
Minji looked offended.
“How many enemies do you think normal noble girls have?”
Yeonhwa removed her hood.
“…I don’t know. I don’t talk to them.”
Minji pointed.
“You’re impossible.”
—
Later.
Bath.
Warm water.
Quiet.
Yeonhwa sat still.
Then looked down.
Bruises.
Her wrist.
Shoulder.
Small cuts.
She touched one.
Interesting.
She hadn’t noticed.
Training was different.
Her teacher never fought to win.
Only to teach.
Tonight—
people wanted victory.
People adapted.
People lied.
People attacked unpredictably.
She leaned back.
Slowly.
Thinking.
She wasn’t stronger.
Not suddenly.
She was just…
finally seeing what she didn’t know.
That annoyed her.
Good.
—
Morning.
Breakfast.
House Seo.
Perfect table.
Perfect posture.
Perfect family.
Her father looked up once.
“You returned late from the gardens.”
Yeonhwa blinked.
Interesting.
That was his guess?
She nodded.
“Yes.”
He returned to eating.
No questions.
No concern.
Just—
“The engagement discussion continues tomorrow.”
She looked up.
Expression unchanged.
“…I see.”
Her father continued.
“You will prepare.”
That was all.
Like discussing weather.
Yeonhwa lowered her eyes.
“…Understood.”
—
Later—
she stood alone in the training courtyard.
Officially—
noble daughters practiced elegance.
Unofficially—
there was an old wooden practice post hidden behind the garden.
She stood before it.
Thought about last night.
Iron Wolf.
Pressure.
Speed.
Mistakes.
Then—
she picked up a wooden sword.
And trained.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Until her sleeves darkened with sweat.
Not to become stronger overnight.
To deserve becoming stronger.
Then—
mid-swing—
she stopped.
Someone was watching.
She turned.
Second floor.
Far away.
A figure dressed in black stood on a roof beyond the estate wall.
Too far to see clearly.
Too still.
She blinked.
The figure turned—
and disappeared.
Yeonhwa lowered her sword.
Annoyed.
“…That’s unsettling.”
She looked down.
Near the training post—
something had been left.
A folded paper.
No seal.
No name.
Only one sentence.
You drop your left shoulder before changing direction.
She stared.
Long silence.
Then—
slowly—
she crushed the paper.
“…Unbelievable.”
- Writer
