Chapter 239 – The First Snowfall (3)
40o8z8BThe one who opened the door was a woman. From her mature air, she looked to be in her mid to late thirties, but her actual appearance was much younger. If you’d seen her on the street, you’d easily mistake her for someone in her twenties.q6k
Bm4‘This person…?’TuofA
7o07bJRI knew instantly. There was no way not to. She resembled Ryozo far too much. It had to be her mother. Aside from the hair and eye color, they were practically mirror images.C5F
RDaA strange atmosphere hovered in the hallway. The cold wind outside only made the tension more uncomfortable.iIJQ
0AfeThe woman’s eyes landed on me first. Most likely due to my height, her attention moved from larger to smaller, as people often do.30I7C
ElSufh“Who are you…?”B85nzCC
alJqxFFSince I still had my hood up, she had no idea who I was. She tilted her head slightly and then looked toward Ryozo. That’s when her pupils doubled in size. Her lips parted clumsily.qSzf4
hak“Ryozo?”21I
RI0YiShe had her head down, like a puppy facing a tiger, unable to even lift her gaze.unJz
O99mmM“I-I…”dTMF
w2AKZHer lashes trembled, eyes squeezed tightly shut. And in that moment—jQSVj
S4yZ“My daughter… my daughter…”EO5DL
GgjThe woman—Ryozo’s mother—embraced her. Ryozo was stunned, her eyes unfocused. In her sky-blue irises flickered emotions beyond surprise or confusion. But they were good emotions.hnwA
OiP“I-I…”SjnCbOy
3UlvEHer hands fumbled in the air, unsure of where to go. She turned her head toward me, silently pleading for help.DTm
RJDsI just smiled and deliberately said nothing. I even took a few steps back. I didn’t want to intrude on the reunion unfolding here in the hallway of a modest apartment building.tt62i
r0dOR11***xhIsvp
GwQLMeanwhile, at the Joaquin Academy’s affiliated hospital.djoJo
zyVQx0Saki Hina walked down the hallway with a bundle of medication in her arms. She was returning after completing her father’s discharge paperwork—the former peerless archer.HnTER
lhfg“Hmhmm~”v6jgDMq
ZRgThough her arms were full, Hina hummed cheerfully. Inside, she was celebrating.LfYH
ilN4w‘Finally! I’m free from nurse duty—oh yes!’fV1YIci
YB3pTLShe had spent a whole month taking care of her father. It started as filial duty, but over time, it had become just a burdensome obligation. And that burden had begun to fade ever since Kang Geom-Ma’s visit.xoYvU
utLpEFor Hina, her world used to revolve solely around the clan. Most of the people around her were part of that same world or tied to the Japanese government. Though she had classmates back at Joaquin Academy, she had never paid them much attention.m2sOz
kjBjfeTBut lately, she had started to think life could be broader. She had met someone special.0fCnYrI
g7z7P‘Heavenly Sword.’NKp
CEHGZtnA smile curled her lips, and her cheeks flushed lightly among the packets of medicine. Despite being in her twenties, she now wore the face of a love-struck teenager.dKW
UMo99Many things had changed since that visit. Her father no longer treated her with disdain. And though indirectly, he even seemed to care about her now.Pzj
HQNO‘Well, not that he’s all that expressive.’ub71B
77XQyBut still, it was a change that would’ve been unthinkable in the past. And not only her father had changed—so had she.cuEyWR
9WJnkkBefore, Hina saw human emotions as tools. When she used her “Blessing of Seduction,” men easily became her puppets. She had never had the chance to feel genuine emotion.jne
9Xo4But then—8PrLRD
x1t1FqW‘You don’t need to use something like the Blessing of Seduction.’VNjSlgh
1AvipCThat remark from the Heavenly Sword, though fragmented in memory,P61
jVYeYt‘You’re beautiful as you are. You’re already enough.’amsYx
G257r…still echoed inside her.Or7Cx29
BHTn“Ah… really, I wasn’t like this.”Pfltj
MJkShe mumbled under her breath, though the corners of her lips stayed lifted. The nurses passing by glanced at her suspiciously and murmured.1tMo
EF5As“Hey, isn’t that the Saint of the Bow’s daughter? What’s up with her face? Should we call psych?”PU00iFy
KNDh“Remember how Heavenly Sword burst into the Saint of the Bow’s room a month ago? They say she’s been acting weird since.”FKrIq1
5jySzQa“I feel a bit bad for her, but honestly, I think Heavenly Sword did the right thing.”B7UsZ4H
nINdYk“Why? What happened?”u3oowQ
hycWn9s“You didn’t know? I was the nurse assigned to that room. The Saint of the Bow looked calm on the outside, but his eyes were awful. Like he saw everyone as trash.”vWKnW74
jgW1lks“People at the top are always like that… But Heavenly Sword bows politely to everyone whenever he passes.”FFtxPnR
rZDs“Yeah, now that’s a real hero.”h3WfBW
NQtTap, tap.PvsmB
yiiTheir whispers faded behind the sound of her steps. But even if she had heard them, Hina wouldn’t have cared.zqWBt
CGzc5‘I wish I could see Heavenly Sword one more time before returning to Japan…’d16
EEVZoWalking in high spirits, Hina glanced out the window.XmUYPFt
Xm3xDGazing at the gray sky, she murmured.16YEx7
3FYG“Did he make it okay…?”2b9db
CkcYpJust yesterday, she had finally located the address of Ryozo’s mother—her younger stepmother. It had taken her an entire month. And doing it while caring for her father had been hell.IupnIr
arpIi0VShe couldn’t ask him directly since Kojima’s condition was fragile. So she dug into it herself.qL6iA
5KZySOEventually, she sent the address to Ryozo. The reply came much later, in the early morning hours.nJu
buK[Thx.]8r5
9G7nr0NSeemed like Ryozo was pretty well influenced by Korean texting style.5I5re
eg2P4cqHina wrapped up her thoughts and continued walking. As she neared the room, several men in black uniforms approached.Po9G
IIWjThey were Kojima’s bodyguards.DBDr
gfq“Miss, allow me to carry that.”58uP
xiF“No, thanks. Don’t you know my dad has a hygiene obsession? If you touch these bags, he’ll cut your hand off.”ZUmSuH
psF3Ka“Ah, understood…”2fN
AHyFkOgScratching the back of his head awkwardly, the guard leaned closer and whispered.MkL0BRQ
MHC49zS“Do you recall the Japanese unit we sent to the Gehenna Gate?”58OpCA
bOYyRL“Of course. It’s been a few weeks now. Why? Are they requesting supplies? If so, give them whatever they need. If any politician complains, say it was under Heavenly Sword’s orders. That’ll shut them up.”quIAE
7rVc“It’s not that. There are… strange rumors coming from the area.”R5MJZu
5cM“Rumors? What kind?”NrBH
Ts7VSOeHina blinked. The guard leaned even closer.N0Pt
qUc“Remember the rift that appeared near the Gate? They say it’s grown large enough for a child to walk through. A major anomaly is likely to occur within the week.”cYtOz
5UHX3UHina’s expression turned serious. The guard asked again.AlzA
uaXE“Should we order our men to pull out, depending on the situation?”63rK
yRG“No.”DKyuBG
j6AL0yFShe shook her head firmly.QN2
ZahXj“The situation’s too unstable. We can’t make decisions based on short-term losses. We have to think long-term.”RJeDmd
vNsOH2E“Then…”nrGSpX
ZOgEA“Cooperate as much as possible. If something happens, make sure Japan is seen as being on the front line.”BMAq8U
3QiPSgYHina spoke with clear resolve. Raised in the shadow of Japan’s prime minister, she now acted like a true stateswoman.R7BNTe
XWV3VHA“For the safety of our heroes, ensure the quality of the supplies is top-tier. While we’re at it, dispatch the Guild and Heavenly Sword as well. That’ll boost our image down the road.”dB6
rJbJ“Yes, ma’am.”X6a
VQXAc“Also inform the academy staff, the director, and Heavenly Sword. Tell them if something like this happens again, they can bypass my father and me—report it directly.”V4gd
oWOvCy“Understood.”12bK0
c2EsJust as the man raised his phone, Hina stopped him a second too late.PvLGduq
KJefQyF“I’ll contact Mr. Kang Geom-Ma myself.”7D5R
Ks7“You’ll contact him… personally?”7GXtC
JFBHThe guard frowned, puzzled. Wasn’t she the one who’d had that unpleasant run-in with him?2oDkZDl
KFzdAnd now she was saying she’d reach out to him directly? It sounded suspicious.BInzyu
EE8FUh2Hina cleared her throat and explained.p1SAJzw
ZcaTp“You know how my father is, right? He doesn’t like messages passing through too many hands. Something this critical should come from me directly. If anything leaks, not only will I get an arrow to the mouth—you will too.”hZzEJ
0o7b“Ah, I see…”dfU5
krkMk0Same old pattern. The guard nodded with a resigned look.ZTM
rz7c***pRwJsh
aYllRyozo’s mother invited us into the house.aVCK
nmbg“I’ll prepare some tea. Please wait on the sofa for a moment.”6ZGB
y7AuWith a gentle smile, she guided us to the living room and went into the kitchen. I took the opportunity to glance around. From the outside, the apartment had seemed ordinary, but inside, it was spacious and cozy. Through the window, there was a clear view of the Busan sea.rVSmj
w8yO‘What a great place to live alone.’hNEl
djMIkRyozo stood nervously in the middle of the room, scanning the space like a meerkat. Once she confirmed no one else was around, she finally sighed in relief.lO9Vbb
2Yy“Just like your mother said, let’s sit for now.”loXpXL
IZG9t“Yeah…”cX3zaay
atz3While the lady prepared the tea, we sat down together on the sofa. The only sound was the gentle clinking of dishes.LzcX
ZMvhPvEThen, Ryozo gently tugged on my elbow. Her pale blue eyes, not quite meeting mine, were filled with tension.6C9
eKJO6XE‘Makes sense.’FNJTnVg
zwUM3AShe had probably braced herself to be turned away. But instead, the moment her mother saw her, she embraced her. That wasn’t the reaction of someone who had abandoned her child.yyEt3
7k2wabRyozo must’ve been confused. That sudden warmth felt unnatural.dDE
5q9Xqj1I let her hold onto my arm. In moments like this, silence was the best comfort.VEn8R
oQV‘Come to think of it, I’m seeing a lot of new sides to Ryozo today.’J4zs
vlkufThe cold, rational girl was gone. Next to me now was a vulnerable and scared young woman. It showed how much her mother meant to her.qAcr6Ka
x0qXznR“I didn’t keep you waiting too long, did I?”2GVh5j
LmL5A while later, Ryozo’s mother returned, setting an elegant tray on the side table. A soft herbal scent wafted through the air. I wrinkled my nose in curiosity, and she smiled.ze5oJ
Pxz9z“It’s very cold, isn’t it? It’s chamomile. It helps warm the body.”YXYKp
31sEowQI nodded respectfully as I took the cup.VUzx
t6bQ“Thank you for welcoming us so kindly, ma’am. I know we came without notice.”5dVD5xA
cUaY“Please don’t say that. I’m honored to welcome the companion of my daughter—the Heavenly Sword.”gY4
PFhT“…You knew who I was?”Plhnj
bNdJAqB“Oh, please. Is there anyone in this country who doesn’t know who you are? It’s just that I didn’t recognize you at first because of the hood. My apologies for the oversight.”Kyi57
MS5Placing a hand over her heart, the lady gave a formal bow.aKOcl3
cDnsWg“My name is Cynthia. It’s an honor to meet you, Heavenly Sword.”kPb3
oOd“Cynthia…? Then you’re Korean too?”fl2uN
WlOnShe nodded, and I quickly turned to Ryozo. Our eyes met.ui69yn
rQn‘You’re half Korean?’hA0uOa
5DypI asked with a look, and she subtly nodded, mouthing her response.hDAtOtf
0Lki‘You never asked.’bDqa
4loN3‘…’XzG8
kyj7MqSTrue. That was just how she was. Even if it was something important or dramatic, if you didn’t ask, she wouldn’t say. I’d forgotten that today—she looked so sweet.YJIGuh
kVrOr‘Okay, my bad for assuming you were fully Japanese.’nWRk
xNHuwGjCynthia, who had been watching us with her chin in her hand, averted her gaze and began pouring the tea. Despite the tense atmosphere, she remained composed.AhAdg
uC0She spoke to her daughter.rxw0q3
rGE“The fact that you’re here means you came to ask me something, right? Why I had to leave you. Whether it was your father, Mr. Kojima, who forced me out. I’m sure you believe the latter.”kDXFj9W
3ZMkBFRyozo flinched slightly. Cynthia held out a piece of red bean mochi with a pick.Fx2
Ie9HyoB“Would you like to eat this while you listen? What I’m about to say won’t be very sweet.”J5rJ3
5MaRyozo swallowed hard and glanced at me. Then she looked back at her mother.bFjMqIv
Iar4“I don’t eat that anymore.”FzkC
jIONFCynthia smiled gently.SE8mmyK
KDeKgSX“You’ve grown up a lot, my daughter.”end9OX
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Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaRyozo is half Korean and half Japanese so that’s why she can speak Korean fluently.