Nano Machine

‘I put a decent amount of effort into this one. It’s one of my masterpieces. You can use it for at least five years if you take care of it.’

It was what 12th Elder Huan Yi said to her when he gave it to her. It was created from pigskin and other various materials made to withstand against most shocks. It even changed the color of the skin when Huan Yi worked on his magic on it. She needed to take it off every day to let the air flow through and it required new glue, but Mun Ku gladly took it.

‘How did he find out?! You told me nobody would ever find out about it!’

Huan Yi claimed that no one would be able to realize that it was a mask. Yet Yeowun saw right through it and even found out that she was a girl.

‘Should I say that I am too ugly so I had to hide my face…? No, that’s too dumb.’

That excuse didn’t explain why she had to hide her gender. From what she experienced, Chun Yeowun didn’t seem like the type to trust others easily.

Her face turned from one to another with various expressions and she soon became depressed and Yeowun frowned. Mun Ku emotions were obvious on her face, much like Hu Bong. Mun Ku then looked up to Yeowun with begging eyes.

“Prince! Please don’t tell anyone about this!”

“…It’s not like you will be kicked out if the others know. Why are you hiding it?”

The Demonic Cult valued strength. It did not matter if the one who held the strength was a boy or a girl.

“Do you have a scar on your face? Or are you too ugly or something?”

“…”

Mun Ku became dumbfounded. She thought Yeowun would not believe such excuses, but since he asked so seriously, it seemed like Yeowun thought it was a plausible reason. Mun Ku sighed, “Whew… Prince, promise me.”

“Promise?”

“That you will never tell this to anyone! Ever!”

“…Okay.”

Yeowun answered hesitantly. Mun Ku then leaned back against the building wall with her limp leg and started talking.

“This face is the face of my twin brother.”

“What?”

Mun Ku was a twin. She had a brother named Mun Yu who was the future leader of her clan. Their father, Mun Sung, was killed right before the twins were born by the Evil Forces. After experiencing such shock, their mother had trouble giving birth.

“Mother died while my giving birth to my brother.”

‘Ah…’

Yeowun realized she had been raised without her parents. Yeowun felt more sympathetic as he too had no parents.

“My brother was always weak since he wasn’t given a proper birth.”

Unlike Mun Ku, who came out first normally, Mun Yu was born with a defect of being mentally ill. It was very shocking for Mun Yun who just lost his son. He now had a mentally ill grandson who was the only one who could succeed the family. It was unfortunate for the Dragon Fist Clan who always had a male to lead the family.

Mun Yun then hid the fact that his grandson was mentally ill. He tried very hard to heal his grandson, but nothing worked.

“Grandfather was very sad.”

He barely made his clan powerful like that of the six clans, but no one could succeed him. Unlike Mun Yu, Mun Ku’s talent at martial arts was astounding. She had reached the master level just when she was just sixteen, and Mun Yun was glad and sad at the same time.

“And that’s when the time to join the academy came closer.”

Mun Yun hesitated. All clans were required to send students to join the academy, but he couldn’t send Mun Yu, who could barely speak. If he sent his granddaughter instead, that was same as saying that his grandson had a problem.

“Is there a reason for not revealing your brother’s sickness?” Yeowun asked since he was confused. In his opinion, the problem was going to be revealed sooner or later anyway.

“…All six clans want to take our clan under their wing.”

The six clans were always competing with equal power between them. The Wise Clan was the strongest at the moment, but having the Dragon Fist Clan would be enough to turn the tide.

“They always ask us, and if they realize what happened to us… Ugh.”

Mun Ku scowled. If the Dragon Fist Clan’s only successor was mentally ill, it would easy to take the entire clan under them by marrying Mun Ku off instead.

‘I see.’

Yeowun nodded understandingly.

“So, grandfather declared to be neutral to protect our clan.”

The 9th Elder wanted to keep his clan from being absorbed into one of the six clans. Mun Ku then gave him a surprising idea.

“I told him I would join the academy as a male student.”

She also knew about the situation of her clan, so she decided to join the academy in place of her brother.

“If I pretend like I’m my brother and do well at the academy, the six clans won’t try to play tricks on us at least.”

Mun Yun did not want it at first. But he soon asked his friend, and the only one who knows about the details of his clan, 12th Elder Huan Yi to make her a mask, and that’s how she was here now.

However, the thing was that she did not use her brother’s name. This was as a precaution just in case her gender was revealed so that her clan or her brother would not take the blame.

‘So, this was what happened.’

Yeowun then lost all suspicion he had of her. For the first time, he fully understood another person’s problem.

‘He’s very serious.’

Mun Ku grinned at Yeowun, who was seriously listening to her story.

“I guess that explains my mask?”

Yeowun nodded. Mun Ku too, felt a bit relieved after telling her secret to someone. She then emphasized it again.

“Prince, you really have to keep this a secret.”

“…Yeah.”

“You have to keep it! Please!”

Mun Ku had a very girlish accent, but she had a boy’s face and voice.

“Did you change your voice too?”

Mun Ku intentionally spoke with a hoarser voice to mimic a boy’s voice. She smiled and changed her voice to a higher and smoother voice.

“Of course. I can’t let anyone know, you know?”

Yeowun was surprised. That was definitely a girl’s voice.

“But making this boy voice makes my throat dry.”

That’s why Mun Ku did not speak much if she could.

“It’s much better to speak in my own voice. Heh.”

She smiled and Yeowun also smiled back.

“Huh? OH no!”

Mun Ku then looked up at the dark night and began taking something out from her pocket. It was a small bottle.

“I almost forgot.”

“Huh?”

“It’s my time to put on glue on the mask. I forgot while talking to you.”

“Is that the glue?”

“Yeah. This is really taxing, you know. I have to glue it every night or else it might come off.”

“Oh.”

The mask made from Huan Yi was very well-made so that it didn’t feel awkward while wearing it, but it always needed constant gluing.

“It was so hard to glue this on myself with my broken arm. At least there’s an upside to something.”

She then took the end part of the mask and pulled it off her face. The mask then stretched like rubber and was peeled off, revealing what was underneath.

“Ah…”

Yeowun let out a gasp of astonishment without realizing. She had a pure white face with large, glittery eyes, and she had small pink lips. Her beauty shined under the moonlight and it made even Chun Yeowun, who was indifferent toward others, mesmerized.

“Here! Hold it up with both your hands.”

“Huh? Like this?”

“Yeah!”

Yeowun held up his hands and Mun Ku placed her mask in them. She then opened the bottle and began spreading the glue on the inner surface of the mask.

“See how annoying it is? Hehe.”

She smiled and Yeowun blushed. It was the first time Yeowun thought that someone of the opposite gender was pretty. Yeowun, however, did not know what this emotion was, so he soon returned to his normal expression.

“There we go. Thank you.”

Ku finished re-gluing it and placed the mask over her face again. It looked like it was a bit difficult to place it over her face with one hand, so Yeowun had to help her out. Soon, Ku was back to wearing her brother’s face.

“I did it quickly, thanks to you. It’s good that someone knows my secret. Heh.”

Ku spoke with a smile. She then asked Yeowun, “As you can see, I cannot train right now because I’m injured. Are you going to train in the training room?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll go back to the dorm and rest for today. Oh, what is your room number?”

“I stay in the 7th room in the 4th building.”

“I’ll move my stuff over to your room then now that I’m in your group. I’ll see you later.”

Ku then limped over in the direction of the dormitory. Yeowun then moved to walk toward the training room when a thought struck at him that made him stop in his tracks.

“Wait… she’s a girl.”

Ku was a girl, and she was now going to come to stay at boy’s dormitory. Yeowun wondered how he should deal with this.