All My Murim Noonas Are Obsessed With Me!-Chapter 97: Dang Ayeong’s A Dangerous Woman (2)

[Protagonist’s POV]

Crash bang!

’...Guess she’s got a lot to tidy.’

The commotion went on for a while before—

Creak.

"C-Come in..."

Dang Ayeong appeared, her face oddly hinting at some quick cover-up.

"Long time no see. How’ve you been?"

"I-I’ve been fine. Haha..."

’What was she doing in there to freak out like this?’

How messy could it be to make her this flustered?

She never seemed the type—maybe she’s secretly a slob at home.

"C-Come on in."

"Pardon the intrusion~"

With plenty to catch up on, I stepped inside.

Like last time, the house’s vast interior—too big for one—hit me all at once.

Clank.

’?’

A metallic sound caught my ear, but I started comparing it to my last visit, looking for changes.

’New wallpaper?’

Something felt different, but I couldn’t place it— 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Last time was at night, so I hadn’t really scoped it out.

"W-What? Is something wrong?"

"Huh? No, nothing’s wrong."

"T-Then that’s good..."

She fidgeted like she’d committed a crime, trembling slightly—though I chalked it up to my imagination.

"S-Sit here, then. Have you eaten? I haven’t had lunch yet... If you’re okay with it—"

"Sure, let’s eat together."

I sat in the chair she pointed to.

"Y-Yes?"

But despite suggesting it, she looked startled.

"What? Weren’t you asking to eat together?"

Worried I’d misheard—

"N-No no no! It’s nothing! Haha... Just awkward seeing you after so long..."

"Oh..."

That made sense.

After months, memories blur—

Unlike me, she probably has plenty of friends here.

"Then maybe lunch later—"

Thinking she might find me a bother now, I started to rise—

++++

"No! Sit down!"

Thud!

"...You startled me."

I felt Dang Ah-young’s firm grip on my shoulders as she pushed me back into the chair. For a brief moment, her breathing seemed ragged, and an odd glint flickered in her eyes.

"Haha... J-just wait a second. I’ll grab some food in no time," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Okay..." I replied softly.

"Stay! Right! There! And wait for me!" she emphasized, pausing between each word as if to hammer it in.

"...Okay."

Her insistence left me no choice. I clasped my hands on my lap and sat still, counting sheep in my head to pass the time. True to her word, Dang Ah-young soon returned with a tray of food. The spread was simple—pancakes and some meat—but my eyes weren’t on the meal.

Swish, swish.

"You still love your liquor, don’t you?" she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"Of course!" I answered eagerly.

In her hand was a glass of rich, red wine, its surface shimmering temptingly under the light. I couldn’t help but lean forward, drawn in by its allure. Surely, this wasn’t tea.

"I’d prepared it to share with you when you got back, but you took so much longer than I expected. We’re drinking this late now. If you’d been any later, I might’ve finished it all myself," she said with a playful pout.

"Thank you for waiting!" I beamed.

"...You really get like this whenever alcohol’s involved," she muttered, shaking her head.

If she could’ve seen my face, my eyes were probably sparkling with excitement. That’s how fixated I was on the drink.

Swish.

Dang Ah-young moved the bottle out of my line of sight, and my head instinctively followed it.

"...Pfft."

"Why’re you laughing?!" I protested.

"No reason... Just thinking how you haven’t changed a bit," she said, her tone softening. The initial awkwardness between us seemed to melt away, and she slipped back into the familiar Dang Ah-young I knew.

"...I did it on purpose," I admitted. "You seemed a little uneasy, so I figured I’d lighten the mood."

I puffed up my chest a bit, trying to salvage some pride, but—

"Then should I put the wine away?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"...Please let me drink it," I relented.

"Pfft."

So much for pride—I’d lost that round before it even started. When I was with Sword Mistress, her maturity made me hesitant to act childish, but with Dang Ah-young, who felt more like a friend, being treated like a kid stung a little. Not that I ever won these little spats.

"Just kidding. Drink as much as you want and tell me about your travels. We’ve got plenty of liquor," she said with a grin.

Glug, glug.

She poured the wine into my empty glass, and my earlier grumbling vanished, replaced by a surge of anticipation. What would it taste like?

"By the way, this one’s a bit strong, so take it slow—"

Gulp.

"—or not?!" she exclaimed, startled.

I’d tipped the glass to my lips before she could finish. Her flustered voice reached me, but the liquid was already sliding down my throat.

"Mmm..."

The alcohol burned its way down, sending a sharp, electric tingle through my body. I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring the sensation, then—

"Ahh!"

"This is some good stuff!" I declared, thrusting my glass toward her for more.

Dang Ah-young stared at me, dumbfounded.

"I told you to go slow! Good thing I only poured a little—if I’d filled it up—"

"Then it’d be even better! I love strong drinks!" I interrupted, grinning.

"Ha... Fine, it’s been a while, so let’s catch up properly. But seriously, sip it from now on. Try some of the pancakes and meat I made too," she sighed.

"Yes, ma’am!" I chirped.

"...It’s already hitting you, isn’t it?"

She wasn’t wrong. The liquor was potent—my head was starting to feel hazy after just one glass. To think a single drink could do this to me... What kind of brew was this?

"Don’t you want some, Lady Dang?" I asked.

"...I’ll have my own," she replied, pulling out another bottle. It looked identical to mine—same deep red hue. Though, for a second, it seemed to have a faint pinkish tint. Probably not a big difference.

Nom.

I picked up one of her pancakes with my chopsticks and popped it into my mouth. For a sheltered noble girl, she’d done a surprisingly good job—it was tasty. As I chewed, she spoke up.

"So, what happened out there? Why didn’t you send a single letter all this time?"

"Oh, well..." I began, launching into a vague explanation.

I didn’t mention Sword Mistress by name or title. Instead, I said I’d teamed up with a swordsman who was heading to Anhui to find someone.

"Was this person a woman?" Dang Ah-young asked abruptly.

My brain scrambled for an answer. It was true, but admitting I’d traveled alone with a woman might spark unnecessary questions or teasing.

"...No, a man," I lied.

"Hmm..." She narrowed her eyes but didn’t press further.

"Does their gender even matter that much?"

Sure, there’d been that... healing incident, but that was between me and Sword Mistress—none of Dang Ah-young’s business.

"Go on," she prompted.

"So, we got to Anhui, and while my companion went to meet someone, I got kidnapped by a vampire. They came to rescue me, but somehow, I ended up blasted all the way to Guangdong."

Her reaction to my heartfelt (mostly) true tale?

"...You expect me to believe that?"

Cold skepticism.

"But it’s true!" I insisted.

"...That’s actually what happened?"

"Yes! Really!"

Aside from fudging the gender, I’d stuck to the truth.

"..."

Dang Ah-young fell silent for a long moment before speaking again, her voice low and heavy with emotion.

"...Can you answer one thing for me?"