Chapter 118: The Arrogant and Pretty Heart

TL: FoodieMonster007

"You were much prettier."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon deftly leaped over the trap. The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman smiled brightly at his words.

"Don't say that. I wasn't that beautiful."

"No. In my eyes, you were much better."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had endured countless hardships, so a sudden ambush did not shake him.

Still, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's gaze remained fixed on Lee Ahn. It was not easy for anyone to look away from such a beautiful woman.

Even so, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon did not recognize the Lee Ahn who had entered with me.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman recognized Lee Ahn first.

"Congratulations, Martial Artist Lee."

She was calm, as if she had expected this.

"Thank you, Pavilion Master."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon startled when he heard Lee Ahn's voice.

His eyes widened. "Surely not… that ugly heart? Surely not?"

He was so surprised that he repeated himself.

Lee Ahn smiled. "Yes, I'm that heart who was ugly but had an amusing talent."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon shot up and approached Lee Ahn, staring intently at her face from up close. Lee Ahn trembled in fear under the pressure of the white mask.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon tilted his head.

"There's a slight resemblance, but no. It's definitely not her, is it?"

He looked at me.

"Are you trying to tease me?"

"It's true I came to tease you, but it's also true that she's that heart."

"It's true?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon scanned Lee Ahn again.

"That can't be. No, absolutely not!"

He denied it vehemently and looked back at the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman. She nodded once, confirming it was true.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon asked me, "What on earth happened?"

"This is her original appearance. She gained so much weight from the side effects of her self-defense technique."

"She was a bodyguard with this appearance from the start? Isn't that the greatest waste of talent in our Cult?"

This was also the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's highest praise.

Lee Ahn smiled and said to him, "That's because I wanted to protect the Young Master."

Of course, I set the facts straight.

"Do you think she did it because she wanted to? You know very well how our Cult operates."

"It's because our Cult operates so ruthlessly that we get to act as the Demon Supreme and the successor. However…"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's gaze turned to Lee Ahn.

"I suppose I'll have to make an exception for this case."

A new admiration filled the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's gaze. It was not for her beauty, but for her sacrifice.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman went to Lee Ahn and took both her hands.

"You're so beautiful. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Now, follow me. I will complete Martial Artist Lee."

"Complete me?"

"You don't know how to apply makeup, do you?"

"…Yes."

Having lived as a bodyguard, she had likely never properly applied makeup in her life.

"As you live, there are times you must fight with things other than a blade. For a woman, makeup is a weapon stronger than a sword."

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman led her out of the room by the hand. Lee Ahn, perhaps wanting to learn about makeup herself, let herself be dragged out while pretending she could not resist.

"It's stuffy in here. Let's go out too."

"Alright."

I left the room with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. The area around the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman's residence was well-decorated and pleasant for a walk.

"Being with you, Second Young Lord, is truly a series of surprising experiences."

"I imagine you were surprised. Even I was surprised when I resolved the side effects of her martial arts."

However, the surprising experience the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon mentioned was not about Lee Ahn, but about their previous battle.

"While fighting that day, I thought we might die at Baek Manggi's hands."

Even I had not known he would be that strong.

But the truly surprising thing was not Baek Manggi's strength. It was that the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was revealing his honest feelings right now.

"I thought so too."

"But you killed him, Second Young Lord."

"If you hadn't helped me, Smiling Demon, I would have been the one to die."

That was an undeniable fact.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon stared intently at me.

"I think I know what you're thinking right now, Smiling Demon."

"What am I thinking?"

"'So it's certain that this guy is the one who killed the Soul-Stealing Demon Supreme!'"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon laughed loudly.

"You're wrong. Didn't I tell you before? I already believed it. I fought Baek Manggi because I believed. If I hadn't, I would have left that place without a second glance."

"You believed in me? Enough to risk your life?"

After a brief pause, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon answered.

"I suppose that was probably the case."

We walked in silence for a while. Overcoming a life-or-death situation together had a profound emotional impact on us. When the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's mask was almost cut, I was truly furious.

That was the first time I realized how strong my feelings for the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon were. It seemed he felt the same.

Then, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon suddenly picked up a fallen twig and drew a long line on the ground.

"Where have we come to now?"

I took the twig he offered and drew a line on the part we had previously called the survival line.

"I believe we've come this far."

This was the very spot he had said I needed to reach for him to let me live.

In that moment, I saw it.

Through the eyeholes of the white mask, I saw him smile. A genuine smile.

He smiled without a sound, and it was not a smile of anger. It was pure and natural. He simply smiled.

I had never seen that smile, even in my life before regression, but I surprisingly saw it at the end of this journey.

"Of course, the line will move depending on what you and I do from now on, Smiling Demon. It could go further this way, or it could return to the starting point."

"What happens if we reach the very end?"

"We'll become true friends. We'll eat together, drink together. We'll have fun together and fight together. If one of us is in danger, the other will go to the rescue. Then, if one of us dies first, the other will pour alcohol on their grave."

"Those all sound like unnecessary, pretentious, and burdensome things."

"Once you actually do them, they're not such a big deal."

I don't expect that much from the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. The initial goal was to reach a point where we were neither enemies nor allies. It seems I've sufficiently achieved that goal through this journey, at least.

Just then, Green Mask appeared.

He handed the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon what he had brought. It was a white mask.

"Here, as promised."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon gave me the mask Green Mask had brought.

On the day I fought Baek Manggi, he had promised to give me a new mask, and he had not forgotten.

"Thank you."

I tried on the new mask. It was definitely lighter and more comfortable.

"This is nice. It seems like it won't get sweaty either."

"Green Mask made it himself. My mask was also made by Green Mask."

"His craftsmanship is incredible."

Green Mask gave a slight bow at my compliment.

Just then, two people walked in.

It was Lee Ahn and the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, who had gone to do her makeup. Not only me, but the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and Green Mask were also startled.

With makeup on, Lee Ahn was a completely different woman. She was enchanting and sensual, intense and glamorous.

"Martial Artist Lee has such natural grace, so I tried to create a different atmosphere."

It truly felt like I was looking at another peerless beauty. Makeup is a woman's weapon? If so, we were looking at the world's number one sword.

"From now on, I'll call you Pretty Heart, not Ugly Heart."

It seemed the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon also secretly liked Lee Ahn's transformation.

Then, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman remarked subtly, "She's prettier than I was in my youth, isn't she?"

At that, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said coldly to Lee Ahn, "Make sure you pay back the cost of the carriage!"

Meanwhile, Green Mask was truly shocked when he realized the beauty before him was Lee Ahn.

"This person is Martial Artist Lee?"

Lee Ahn smiled at the surprised man and replied, "Yes, Green Mask. It's me."

"Is this really the martial artist?"

He was so surprised I could guess the expression under his mask. He was normally so careful with his words and actions around the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, but now he had completely forgotten his presence.

Realizing this belatedly, Green Mask stepped back.

Then, Lee Ahn carefully asked me, "May I wear that mask?"

I could understand Lee Ahn, considering the stares she had endured on the way here. She did not have the personality to enjoy that kind of attention.

"I don't mind, but you should ask for the Smiling Demon's permission. He's the one who gave it to me."

Lee Ahn turned to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. "May I wear that mask?"

"No!"

Then I won't be able to see that pretty face, right? I'm sure that's what he was thinking.

"……"

"It'll smudge the makeup you put so much effort into, and who was it that did your makeup?"

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon only ever said the correct thing. Pleased, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman lightly pinched his arm. She was probably the only person in the world who could pinch him.

"If you want it, wear it."

"Thank you."

Lee Ahn was overjoyed at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's permission. She took the mask from me and put it on.

She looked at me and asked, "How is it?"

"How is it? It's a deception against beauty and a despair for all the men in the world."

"You told me I should be happy, didn't you? I think I'll be happier with this."

I went and pushed Lee Ahn's mask up to the top of her head.

"When it's just us, wear it comfortably like this. Your mask will be looking at the sky then."

"That's nice."

Perhaps taking the opportunity, Lee Ahn asked Green Mask, "By any chance, does the honey trap work?"

Green Mask did not know what she meant and could not answer for a moment. I guessed what she was trying to say.

"With you, anything would work. You could even make a monk who meditated facing a wall for a hundred years break his vows."

"That's too much of an exaggeration!"

"You'll see later if it's not true."

Lee Ahn spoke to Green Mask again.

"What I said before was a joke. I would like to invite you, Green Mask, to be the first Division Leader of the organization I'm creating."

Green Mask was startled by the unexpected words. As he hesitated, unsure how to respond, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon spoke.

"I went to the trouble of giving you a mask as a gift, and the first thing you do after putting it on is try to poach my person."

"Please don't misunderstand. Green Mask was the first candidate even before I received the mask."

"You're telling him to give up his position as a Demon Supreme and come be a Division Leader. Do you know what you're saying?"

"……"

"Does Green Mask look like that much of a fool?"

"No. I considered him someone with the courage to throw himself into a new life at least once."

"When it comes to courage, you're the best, Arrogant Heart! To say such a thing in front of me."

"I just went for it, trusting in the Young Master. I apologize."

She bowed politely to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

I saw it.

The conflict in Green Mask's eyes. Yes, any man would be conflicted if such a beautiful leader made an offer.

However, I thought this beauty might also be a hindrance. If it were the old Lee Ahn, he might have gone, but some people wouldn't want to look like a snob who only follows her because she's beautiful.

"Please give it some thought."

Green Mask gave a slight nod.

Even seeing this, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said nothing more. He seemed like the type who would just say 'fool' and let Green Mask go, even if he agreed. If he showed that side, the line I had drawn in my heart would move further to the right.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon said to me, "Second Young Lord. Let's go back now."

"You go back first. I'll hang out with Pretty Heart for a little while before I go in."

This was not for me, but for Lee Ahn. She had shed her old skin, so she should get to fly freely for a bit before going inside.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman saw right through my intentions.

"Second Young Lord, you are a truly good person."

To that, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon replied, "Don't be fooled. Second Young Lord is the villain of villains. Can't you see that mask? He's a man who was born wearing a mask. There are two people wearing masks standing over there right now."

Then, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman smiled and said, "That's why they suit each other well."

As I was about to leave with Lee Ahn, I turned back to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

"Thank you so much for showing me a wonderful world. Please show me again next time."

Before we parted, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman said, "Second Young Lord, please take good care of our Orabeoni from now on."

Normally, Lee Ahn should have been the one asking for her to take care of me. Instead, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman playfully yet seriously entrusted the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon to my care.

Had she seen something in the relationship between the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and me?

At least one thing was certain. Only one person in this world, the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman, truly cared for and understood him.

I laughed and said loudly, "Yes, for your sake, Pavilion Master, I will take good care of the Smiling Demon from now on."

Leaving the dumbfounded Extremely Evil Smiling Demon behind, I took Lee Ahn's hand and turned away.

"Let's go, Lee Ahn. Let's go see the Central Plains."

From now on, a world completely different from the one you have known will unfold before you.