The Outcast Writer of a Martial Arts Visual Novel-Chapter 250: Night Guest - 7

Who would’ve thought Im Ha-yeon would fall victim to a lease scam?

Honestly, trying to scam inexperienced young adults just entering society—it’s the same in any world.

‘Can’t even say it feels unfamiliar.’

To someone with nothing to rely on, this world is too cruel.

I’ve been there too—without a roof over my head, soaked through all night in a downpour. I’ve wandered around with an empty stomach. I’ve even been beaten senseless and robbed by Heukdo bastards after working hard for days.

The one thing Im Ha-yeon had that was better than me was that I already had a plan in mind.

I looked at Im Ha-yeon, completely dejected like a cat drenched in rain, and proposed part of that plan.

“Huh? L-Live together? With who?”

“I said Lady Ha-yeon should live with me.”

Maybe I didn’t get the message across. She might’ve gotten water in her ears from standing in the rain too long.

Her eyes widened in shock at my words, and she quickly glanced around the attic room.

“Th-The bed... there are two, but... I mean, still, how could a man and a woman live in the same room?!”

You’d be surprised. Once you get used to it, it’s not that uncomfortable. I can say for sure, as someone with experience.

I briefly considered correcting her misconception, but instead decided to first clear up the immediate misunderstanding.

“I think you misunderstood me.”

“Sorry?”

I looked at Im Ha-yeon’s confused face for a moment.

‘I can’t afford to pay the price for Im Ha-yeon’s miracle.’

No matter how I tried to figure it out, there’s no way I could afford her miracle in my current condition. Unless I had some kind of money cheat code in this world.

If I had met the Im Ha-yeon of Infinite Blue Energy, I might’ve made a promise for the future and walked away.

But the Im Ha-yeon standing before me now was from before it all began. Just like when I met the earlier heroines. And for all I knew, the time limit placed on her might not be any longer than it was for the Poisoned One or the Heavenly Killing Star.

I’d do everything I could now, while I still could.

“I’ve spent several nights wide awake, worrying about Lady Ha-yeon.”

I started with emphasizing all the effort I had put in.

“B-Because of me?”

“Not just that. I’ve been trying to find a way to solve your problem. I searched high and low for every possible solution.”

In reality, it had been part of the preparations to send off the Tang Clan, but I decided to repackage all the days I hadn’t been seen at Daseogak as if I had been moving entirely for her sake.

“Ah... I see. But what did you mean I misunderstood? Didn’t you mean to live together here?”

Im Ha-yeon let out a disappointed sigh, then nodded and asked me.

What was that? Since a moment ago... something felt suspicious.

I opened my mouth to quickly steer the conversation to the point before she misunderstood further.

“Let’s move our residence to the printing shop. There are a few empty rooms in the annex. It’ll be fine for living.”

“Not here, but the printing shop?”

I nodded toward her.

“Lady Ha-yeon’s biggest fear right now is being dragged back to Wuchang, no? If you live with me at the printing shop, not even Hao Clan would be able to lay a hand on you so easily.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because the printing shop also serves as a cargo terminal for the Seocheon Escort Bureau. Their escorts guard it day and night. Even if Hao Clan comes to retrieve you, they’ll have to back off in the face of the Seocheon Escort Bureau.”

The moment I started living at the printing shop, Seocheon would increase security. After all, that’s where the illegitimate son of the Tang Clan Head lives.

I couldn’t expect direct support from the Sichuan Tang Clan anymore, but I could still use the indirect influence it brought.

The only problem was that my commute time would go from thirty seconds to something several times longer. Worst case, I’d just make Im Ha-yeon carry me piggyback during commute hours.

“They won’t give up that easily. Daseogak might get caught up in it.”

“I could just claim I’ve quit working at Daseogak. You could just stay in the printing shop and not step out at all. They won’t have any other option but to back off for now.”

How would they even know if she was inside the printing shop or not, if she stayed in her room?

Even with all their influence, Hao Clan wouldn’t want a direct conflict with Sichuan Tang Clan behind the Seocheon Escort Bureau.

“It’s a good method. But they still won’t give up.”

I let myself admire Im Ha-yeon’s beauty for a moment—her elegance hadn’t faded even with the rain; if anything, it seemed even more alluring.

She would become famous in Wuchang someday as the most beautiful blue courtesan. Hao Clan wouldn’t easily give up their asset.

“I’m not saying you have to stay there forever. I’m saying we buy time.”

“Time?”

I couldn’t buy her miracle just yet. But that didn’t mean I had nothing to give her.

Hope.

Let’s give her the hope that things could get better.

“I’m planning to make an official request to Hao Clan. To investigate what happened in Wusan.”

What happened in Wusan was clearly a martial world conspiracy. We might be able to find the key to changing her fate there.

“Is there a reason to investigate what happened in Wusan?”

“When you wander around the streets at night, don’t you think about the structure of the house, where the valuables are, how you’ll leave?”

“Yes, I do.”

“This is the same. To figure out how to move, we have to uncover the truth of what happened. If you go to Wuchang now without knowing anything, you’ll be stuck in a brothel forever as a runaway courtesan.”

“To figure out the truth in advance...”

“We only live once. When you’re about to walk into a deathtrap, don’t just mutter ‘it can’t be helped’—you have to prepare how to walk back out.”

You prepare to survive. If one plan isn’t enough, then two. If two aren’t enough, then three. That’s how I’ve lived in this world.

Of course, one of the original storylines does unfold in Wuchang, so I’d probably remember a few more strategies once I got there. But no need to throw away my home advantage and walk straight into danger.

Right now, it was time to build a connection with Im Ha-yeon—who might very well be a true heroine.

“I’ve got other strategies ready as well.”

I laid out all the plans I had thought over and prepared the past few days.

“...Why are you trying so hard to help me?”

Was it because the plan was bigger than expected? Or because she could finally see my effort? Im Ha-yeon looked at me as if searching for an answer.

Daughter of an old sworn brother. A treasured employee of Daseogak. A talented manager. Member of the chaos clean-up crew. And a candidate for the true heroine.

There were many things I could say.

But only one line could help restore her shattered self-esteem.

I looked at her for a moment as if gazing at the most precious thing in the world, and then answered firmly:

“Because you’re Lady Ha-yeon.”

Because it’s you. For that reason alone. People can find the strength to rise again from even the simplest reasons.

“...”

“I can’t promise everything. But I’ll do everything I can.”

“...Then I’ll try to trust you.”

Im Ha-yeon nodded, avoiding my gaze for some reason.

-----------

“I’ve turned on the hot water, so feel free to use it. There are extra uniforms I ordered—just take one from that box and wear it. One should fit.”

“Y-You mean, change right now?”

Im Ha-yeon stared at me, mouth agape, with wide, startled eyes. Her expression practically screamed, So this is what this man was really after.

“There’s a screen over there. Use it. I’ll turn around and face the other way.”

“Ah... okay.”

Her face looked better than before she entered Daseogak. She had been drowning in despair, completely deflated, but now there was a faint light of hope on her face.

At least this much should’ve left a good impression.

From the attic room, I could hear the unfamiliar sound of a woman washing, the rustle of soft fabric brushing against skin. They were rather stimulating sounds for me, but I didn’t let it show.

I’d gotten used to this sort of thing over the past year, after all. Better to stay still than to let temptation shatter a fragile bond of trust.

As I waited, I heard the creak of the bed as Im Ha-yeon sat down on it.

She must feel better now—after hearing my plan, showering in warm water, and putting on fresh clothes.

“Kang. Yun. Ho. Ma. Na. Ger?”

But the voice from behind was full of rage.

“...Huh?”

“What is this!!!”

When I turned around, Im Ha-yeon was glaring at me with a deeply irritated expression.

This was bad. The outfit she had changed into was a tight-fitting dress with an open neckline and a scandalously short skirt.

It was one of the designs I had once considered as a potential uniform.

“That was... in there?”

I must’ve left it in the box after ordering it.

“Are you saying I’m supposed to wear this?”

Im Ha-yeon, whether uncomfortable with me or with the tightness of the chest fabric, yanked at the inside of the dress while shouting at me.

What do I even say...

“There are all kinds of tight-fitting dresses. Near Liaodong Province—in the Manchurian region, for example...”

“They wear this near Liaodong?”

That sounded dangerously close to regional discrimination or cultural insensitivity.

“To be honest... it was a test version that was a bit too... informed by personal taste.”

It was a design where I had poured in too much of my personal taste, but barely managed to put the brakes on.

Now that Im Ha-yeon was wearing it, the visual impact was devastating. It was like her presence was covering the parts the fabric failed to.

I should avert my eyes, but they kept getting drawn in.

“...Personal taste?”

The light faded from Im Ha-yeon’s eyes. It was the expression of a woman who had just seen something indecent. No good. I couldn’t even lift my head from the shame.

“I’m sorry. No—I sincerely apologize. It’s my fault, okay? Please, just wear something else.”

In the end, I gave up on any convoluted reasoning and could only apologize like the terrible manager who had just made his employee wear something indecent.

“Hehe. Got it.”

At that, Im Ha-yeon let out a short laugh and turned back toward the screen.

There were other outfits in the box—why did she wear that one? Was it really the only one that fit? Considering some of the excess flesh in certain areas, maybe there weren’t many that did fit.

It felt a bit unfair, but oh well.

-----------

“Hmhm.”

Unintentionally, Im Ha-yeon hummed a soft tune, just quiet enough that Kang Yun-ho wouldn’t hear.

‘Men really are all the same.’

It had been a little prank, really.

She’d worn outfits with even less fabric during courtesan training, so it didn’t feel like a big deal. She’d just wanted to tease him a bit.

Oddly enough, she didn’t mind the way Kang Yun-ho couldn’t tear his eyes away from her outfit.

— Because you’re Lady Ha-yeon.

‘He definitely likes me. No doubt about it.’

Remembering that line, so filled with affection, Im Ha-yeon smiled faintly.

She didn’t know why, but just the fact that someone loved her—someone was doing their best for her—was enough to pull her out of the despair she’d nearly drowned in.

‘Even if we’re living together, I can’t let my guard down.’

Even if they said they’d sleep separately, she couldn’t relax. He could tempt her at night with a drink, or come knocking on her door saying he felt lonely.

If they put two beds in the same room, or if she allowed him to stay “just for a bit,” they ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) might end up waking up face to face the next morning.

She knew how he felt.

But she hadn’t yet allowed her own heart to feel the same.

Gently fixing her appearance in the mirror, Im Ha-yeon masked her expression once again, making sure he wouldn’t notice—returning her face to its usual cold, composed look.

“I’m ready.”

“How about taking today off?”

“I don’t want to inconvenience the other staff just because I lost a night’s sleep.”

At her words, Kang Yun-ho nodded.

“Let’s go downstairs.”

The rain that had poured all night had soaked her in hardship, but now Im Ha-yeon, dressed in clean clothes as if nothing had happened, followed the man down the stairs.

She saw a single beam of sunlight shining on Kang Yun-ho’s back.

As if to remind her that there’s always a glimmer of hope, even in the storm.

Maybe, if she’s with this man, she might be able to overcome the trials ahead.

With those thoughts she couldn’t bring herself to say aloud, Im Ha-yeon followed him down to the second floor.

“Ha-yeon unni!!! Did you seriously just come down from the third floor with the manager?!!!”

...Maybe overcoming those trials was going to be harder than she thought.