Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1077

Chapter 1077

“What was that you said?”

A chill laced the words, wrapping around me. Her tone left no room for doubt—she was displeased, and the sharpness in her eyes mirrored her voice perfectly. It was a look that stuck with you.

Her expression was one of someone convinced they must have misheard, yet a clear undercurrent of irritation simmered beneath it.

She appeared to be just over twenty, clothed in fine silk and adorned with lavish jewelry. Anyone could see she was from a family of considerable wealth.

“What did you just say to me?”

Seeing her, my senses snapped back into focus.

“Ah.”

Mi Madam.

The woman standing before me was the Mi Madam I knew. The matron of the Gu family and the leader of one of Zhongyuan’s most powerful trading companies. And, more pressingly, someone I still found difficult to handle. This young and beautiful woman—it was her.

“……What exactly did you call me?”

Hearing her question, I finally understood. I had carelessly addressed someone who looked this young as «Madam.» I quickly tried to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“My apologies. You bear a striking resemblance to someone I am acquainted with.”

“……A resemblance? And does this person also share the surname Mi?”

“……”

Damn it. Of all the names, I had to call her Mi Madam.

“Yes… It is merely a strange coincidence.”

At my reply, Mi Madam’s eyebrows arched sharply.

“Calling it a coincidence suggests you are aware of who I am?”

“……”

Ah, for heaven’s sake.

I had slipped up. I must have been more flustered than I realized. I had already anticipated, after encountering Namgung Jin and Moyong Tae, that I would inevitably cross paths with people from my past in this world. Yet, knowing that, I had still been caught off guard.

How could I possibly smooth this over?

It didn’t take me long to decide.

“……I am familiar with you. You are a rather famous individual, after all.” Mi Madam would undoubtedly be well-known in this era as well. A person of her stature wouldn’t possess just a minor reputation.

She let out a dismissive scoff at my words.

“So, am I to understand you knowingly insulted me?”

It seemed her fame was indeed substantial.

“Insulted? Not at all. It was a simple error.”

“I find it hard to believe there is another woman in all of Zhongyuan who looks like me.”

“There is. She is nearly your double.”

“What a preposterous excuse. You might as well claim I look like your mother; it’s a line men frequently use.”

“……”

I paused for a brief moment.
*Looks like my mother, huh.*
The comment gave me pause.

“……There is a slight resemblance.”

“Ha.”

Mi Madam released a short, incredulous laugh.

“So you intend to continue jesting? With me?”

“If I have caused offense, I apologize. It was not my intention.” As if I would be foolish enough to jest with Mi Madam.

“……So, what business do you have with me, Lady Mi?” I smoothly guided the conversation toward its original purpose.

Mi Madam’s eyes narrowed. She seemed to be weighing whether to continue dissecting my words or to move on to more practical matters. But eventually,

“As I was saying before, I have a proposition for you.”

She chose to set aside her irritation and return to her initial objective. That decision alone revealed much about her character.

“A proposition, for me?”

“Correct. I have an offer for you.”

“And does Lady Mi know who I am?” I forced myself to use the address that felt so unnatural.

“Not in extensive detail. I only know your name.”

“And?”

“However, I am aware that Master Paejon has taken an interest in you.”

“……”

Ah.
*So that’s the issue.*
If Paejon had shown interest in me, leading Mi Madam to suddenly seek me out…
*But why?*
Even so, I couldn’t comprehend her reason for approaching me.

Just as I began to frown in confusion—

“Do you currently have a trading company sponsoring you?”

*‘Ah.’*
Her follow-up question made her reasoning clear. Sponsorship. *She’s trying to claim me.* For a trading company to sponsor a martial artist was an implicit declaration of affiliation. The more warriors a company sponsored, the greater its influence.

*So, at this point, the Baekhwa Trading Company was actively seeking sponsorships?* As far as I knew, they only ever supported the Gu family and did not take on external sponsors. But now, they were changing their strategy?

“Sponsorship, huh…”

“From what I understand, you are a son of the Baek family, yet you lack formal backing from any specific trading company.”

“……”

She knew my name without an introduction. She had even investigated my family’s status. How could she possibly move so quickly? *I don’t even know that myself.* I had merely chosen a prestigious family name at random. How was I to know if the Baek family had sponsors or not?

“Therefore, if you are without backing, our trading company could extend very favorable terms to you.”

“Hmm…”

A sponsorship from the Baekhwa Trading Company. I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
*…This is becoming increasingly troublesome.*
First Paejon, and now Mi Madam. Why did I keep getting entangled in these situations? And why did the dynamics always unfold in the same manner?

Back then, despite being Paejon’s disciple, I was still formally propositioned. And now, despite my connection to the Gu family, I was being offered sponsorship again. It was absurd.

But,

“What is your opinion? It would not be an unfavorable arrangement for you either, Young Master Baek—”

“It is an unfavorable arrangement.”

“What?”

“I said, it is a bad offer.”

I spoke to Mi Madam, whose expression tightened slightly.

“What are you—”

“Judging by your approach, Lady Mi, you must have assumed I was inexperienced.” I scratched the back of my head and continued. “But this is rather transparent.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If even Master Paejon was interested in me, you must believe I possess something of value. And yet, you approach me with this immediately after the exam concluded?” I narrowed my eyes. “And considering the manner in which you delivered your message, I doubt the terms you are offering are generous.”

“……”

As I spoke without hesitation, Mi Madam was momentarily rendered silent. That confirmed it.
*She’s young.*
The woman before me was not the Mi Madam I knew. The Mi Madam I knew would never have approached me in such a way. Her demeanor would have been entirely different.
*She’s still unrefined.*
There were too many signs of her inexperience.
*Compared to Moyong Hee-ah…*

“…Ha.”

Mi Madam laughed, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was her pride injured? Her eyes held a trace of astonishment as she stared at me.

“You are quite different from what I had anticipated.”

“And what exactly had you anticipated?”

“Precisely what you just described.” Naive, oblivious, and slow-witted. She was blunt about her initial impression.

“It seems I was mistaken. I apologize.” Mi Madam quickly schooled her expression and offered an apology. Her ability to adapt was swift. “Then, would it be acceptable if I approached you differently at a later time?”

It was already too late for that, but she didn’t seem to care.

“No.”

I rejected her outright. For a simple reason.

“I already have a sponsor.”

“…What?”

Mi Madam’s expression stiffened at my words.

“That’s impossible…”

“I am unsure what intelligence you gathered, and while it is true that the Baek family does not receive sponsorships, that does not apply to me personally.”

“…!”

Mi Madam’s eyes widened. She understood what I was implying. I had an individual sponsor.

“From whom?”

“I do not believe I am obligated to disclose that.”

“Tch…”

Mi Madam clicked her tongue, realizing she had been a step behind.

Then,

“…How peculiar. Why is it that I am only now learning of someone like you?”

“I prefer not to leave my home often.”

“……”

“Are we finished here? I appreciate the offer, but it seems I will be unable to collaborate with the Baekhwa Trading Company.”

I gave a slight bow and began to move away. I pretended to be composed, but internally, my heart was racing.
*Wow.*
What if my voice had trembled? What if I had misspoken? My mind had been filled with those thoughts, but it seemed I had managed adequately.
*I can’t believe I actually encountered Mi Madam.*
That had genuinely taken me by surprise—I had nearly ruined everything.
*…I need to conclude this quickly and move on.*
I couldn’t afford any further complications. I needed to wrap this up and determine my next steps. I should hurry and complete the remainder of the exam.

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

“Hahaha! Wait, did Lady Mi just get turned down?”

A bright, ringing laugh came from a distance.

“See? No matter how you attempt it, some things simply cannot be forced.”

Hearing the voice, I turned my head. And again—that manner of speaking… It couldn’t be.

I looked on with wide eyes, and Mi Madam also turned to face the approaching figure. Then, with a glare of pure annoyance, she spoke.

“…Baek Bong (White Phoenix). I am not in the mood for your foolishness.”

“Oh, really? What a pity. I was just in the mood to bother you.”

The woman teasing Mi Madam with a radiant smile— She had deep navy-blue hair, a cool aura, yet an expression that was refreshingly cheerful.

Her name—

“Moyong Biyeon.”

“Oh? You know who I am?”

The White Lotus Sword, Moyong Biyeon. In my past life, she was someone who shared an profoundly deep connection with Moyong Hee-ah. Their appearances were undeniably similar, but the atmospheres they carried were worlds apart.

As I stood there, speechless, just staring at her—

“Hey.”

Moyong Biyeon looked at me and smiled a sly, seductive smile.

“What’s with that look in your eyes? Have you fallen for this big sister?”

“…Excuse me?”

“Oh, so you have an eye for beauty? Well, naturally, I’m far better than this block of ice over here.”

“You lunatic—”

Wait…
Did I hear correctly?
Did Mi Madam just call her a lunatic?
Yet, despite the insult, Moyong Biyeon seemed utterly unbothered. She even added another remark.

“Sorry to disappoint, but this big sister’s heart already belongs to another.”

“…What?”

*Thump.*
I stopped mid-sentence and turned my head to the side. Suddenly, my heart was reacting. A warmth spread through my breath. *Thump—! Thump—!*
My racing heartbeat— I forcibly calmed it and looked in the direction from which Moyong Biyeon had come.

This feeling…

“Ah, there he is. My partner.”

As Moyong Biyeon waved her hand, a figure in the distance began to approach. I stared at him as well. My Nine Flames Firewheel was stirring wildly. It might have been my imagination, but despite the cold air, I could feel a pervasive heat.

A silhouette came into view. And before anything else, the first thing I noticed was— Those red eyes.

A figure taller than me by at least half a head. A large, imposing frame. The scar that should have been across his nose—was absent. He appeared slightly older than me, likely not yet thirty.

Step by step— Slowly— The young man walked toward us.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm.
*…Am I truly seeing him this soon?*
I didn’t need to ask. I could tell from his red eyes alone. And even if that weren’t enough, the way my Nine Flames Firewheel was reacting told me everything.

It was him. The reason I had come to this world in the first place.
*‘Father.’*
Gu Cheolwoon, the Heroic Blade. No—Divine Dragon, Gu Cheolwoon.

Our eyes met.