Chapter 114: Thin Ice Part 4

– Ha Yeon-ah, you’re reaching the age where you must become one of the leaders of the Jeongseon clan. You need to understand life and reality.

The Vermilion Princess’s footsteps quickened as she walked down the hallway of the Vermilion Bird Palace.

Her silk-like red hair swayed in time with her pace, and the maids following her hurriedly lowered their heads and kept up with her.

The serious expression on the Vermilion Princess’s face made it clear to the maids that something had happened during her conversation with In Seon Rok.

– Ha Yeon-ah, how do I look in your eyes, sitting here as the Chief Councilor of this country?

– I remember you as a noble father, always devoted to the people and tirelessly working for the Emperor.

– Thank you for remembering me that way. But Ha Yeon-ah, you must also know that the politics of Cheongdo Palace are not always noble and beautiful. You’ve seen all kinds of dirt from your seat as the Vermilion Princess already.

Chief Councilor In Seon Rok.

In Ha Yeon’s father, Chief Councilor In Seon Rok, was seated as a high-ranking official of Cheongdo and was famous as a great official who devoted himself to the country for a long time.

In Ha Yeon too had now grown into a fine young woman.

The days when she would laugh joyfully while she was being carried in the arms of her uncle In Chang Seok were nothing but childhood memories. The time when the whole world smiled warmly at her and doted on her had long ended in the distant past.

Now she had to grow up.

As a member of the Jeongseon clan, she had to know how to fulfill her role.

It was not just about wielding a sword, but learning how to wield people as well.

When sitting in a high position, she needed to endure the waves of jealousy and envy that inevitably came her way.

For that, she had to know how to dirty her hands.

At some point, the Vermilion Princess began to realize this.

Her father In Seon Rok who had always appeared experienced and mature… was not simply a clean man.

You learn this as you live.

The world is not like the stories written in books, where people are clearly divided into evil villains and obviously kind and good souls.

The people she had seen in Cheongdo Palace during her time as the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace… were mostly gray, neither entirely one way nor the other.

Where there were merits, there were also flaws. Where there was kindness, there was also cruelty.

There were those who treated their families coldly but were excellent officials, and there were also officials who were corrupt and vile but extremely kind and loving to their families.

– Politics is like being a bat by nature.

– If necessary, you must be willing to dirty your hands, but if manipulation isn’t required, you must know how to act for the nation and the people.

– If you can’t walk the line between self-preservation and the interests of the state, you’ll inevitably be weeded out in the reality of politics, Ha Yeon-ah.

The very fact that he had endured so long in the muddy, cutthroat politics of Cheongdo Palace meant that he couldn’t be entirely a good man.

Because of that, she thought she had at least prepared herself mentally.

– If left alone, the Huayongseol clan would have crushed the Jeongseon clan and become the most powerful force in Cheongdo Palace. But how could someone who only has skill in swordsmanship and military achievements possess the insight to understand the suffering of the people? That’s why it was necessary to break their momentum once.

– ..….

– The greatest weakness of Seol Lee Moon who was the head of the clan was the peddler Seong Hyeol Hwa with whom he had a secret affair. I bought the information related to them through the Anpyeong Merchant Guild and fed that female merchant slow poison grass.

– What…?

– But that woman, being the strong-willed figure she was, chose to take her own life rather than become a burden to Seol Lee Moon. At least, that’s how I understand it.

In Seon Rok who cherished his daughter deeply didn’t want to reveal the darker sides of himself.

He had a vague sense that the Vermilion Princess had picked up on some of his shady dealings, but he didn’t want to blatantly expose them to her.

However, he couldn’t remain the kind father forever.

He was someone who, for the sake of the people, cracked down on loan sharks who made exorbitant profits, arrested merchants who exploited the tribute system to bleed the people dry, spread agricultural techniques, traveled to remote mountain villages to see the reality of people’s lives, and refused to pardon those who slandered the Emperor.

But he was also someone who, in order to maintain his position, sometimes framed others, used underhanded tricks, arrested the innocent, and crushed rival clans.

– Father…?

– I resolved to live for the people. But to do that, one needs power, and to gain power, one’s hands must get dirty. Half-hearted strength won’t suffice. We must grasp the greatest authority alone, one that no one can challenge.

In the end, if he wanted to continue protecting his daughter, Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon, he would have to reveal everything to her.

– Father, no matter how good the outcome is, if the means aren’t right, the meaning will be tarnished….

– So am I supposed to sit idly by and observe reality from a distance? If you want to pull someone out of the mud, you must be prepared to get muddy yourself. To live pure and high on a serene mountain while discussing the filth of the sewers… that’s the arrogance of those who don’t know reality.

The Chief Councilor set aside his long pipe and looked down at his beloved daughter with an even more serious look.

– I don’t want to live like that.

– Then why… why did the head of the Huayongseol family rebel against His Majesty? If they intended to draw a sword, shouldn’t it have been aimed at you, Father?

– ….

– Could it be… was it the Emperor’s will? Why would His Majesty…?

– Are you disappointed?

At those words, the Vermilion Princess momentarily caught her breath.

– If you are disappointed, then there’s nothing I can do. I’ve committed countless darker and more evil acts than this to keep my position.

– ….

– The position of Chief Councilor of a country can only be maintained this way. I hope that one day, you’ll come to understand.

“…….”

The Vermilion Princess had spent half her life resenting the Huayongseol clan.

The treacherous clan that killed her uncle In Chang Seok who was a pillar of strength in her childhood.

She had resented them, hated them, and even gritted her teeth as she swung her sword at Seol Tae Pyeong, the descendant of that family.

Only now did she fully understand that Seol Tae Pyeong wasn’t someone with such a sinister nature.

However, the fact that it was her own father who had trapped the head of the Seol family, Seol Lee Moon was an entirely different matter.

The Jeongseon clan… did this?

Seol Tae Pyeong and Seol Ran had endured a tragic childhood.

Looking back, the siblings would say that it hadn’t been all bad. They fondly recalled those difficult days when they wandered the imperial capital as orphans, holding each other’s hands tightly, but… that was only something they could say because it had all passed.

The true root of all their misfortune had been the Jeongseon clan. It was that family that had made them outcasts, the bastard orphans of a traitor’s bloodline.

The existence of the In surname, which was attached to her name like a curse, was actually like an enemy to Seol Tae Pyeong.

She remembered the way she had once wielded her sword in the name of avenging her uncle, In Chang Seok, against the descendants of the Huayongseol clan.

In truth, if revenge was justified, it should have been Seol Tae Pyeong seeking it against the Jeongseon clan. That would have been the natural order of things.

Thud.

“Vermilion Princess! Are you alright?”

As the Vermilion Princess strode forward, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed.

The event happened so suddenly that the startled maids rushed out in a panic.

It was the first time since she had taken the seat of the Vermilion Bird Palace that In Hayeon, the symbol of courage and maturity, had shown such a weak side to her.

Headmaid Hyeon Dang hurried to support her, but when she saw the expression on the Vermilion Princess’s face, she froze in shock.

In Hayeon’s shoulders were trembling and her expression was filled with fear. Just like a frightened child.

It was unclear what the Vermilion Princess had heard from the Chief Councilor to be so shocked, but moving her to her chamber seemed to be the most urgent task.

Her hands were trembling as they pressed against the wooden floor, and her gaze was wandering.

“Vermilion Princess, I’m not sure what’s happened, but I think it would be best for you to rest.”

“Hyeon Dang-ah … Hyeon Dang-ah …”

“Yes, Vermilion Princess. I’m right here, Your Highness.”

She had lived her entire life supported by the Jeongseon clan. Since she was the daughter of such prestigious clan.

From the court robes she wore to the food she ate, even the grand mansion where she spent her blissful childhood… everything had come from the Jeongseon clan.

Now, turning her back on the Jeongseon clan in disgust seemed impossible after all she had received, and doing so wouldn’t change anything.

If she had not been the daughter of such a renowned clan, would she ever have been able to take her place as the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace?

No matter how extraordinary her beauty was, how perfect her character was, or how skilled she was in martial arts, could she have come this far on her own?

In the end, she belonged to the Jeongseon clan. That fact would cling to her until the day she died and it would never disappear.

And the ones who had killed Seol Tae Pyeong’s parents were also from the Jeongseon clan.

Her father, Chief Councilor In Seon Rok, was beginning to appear more like a monster than a man.

In front of the descendant of the people he had killed with his own hands, he nonchalantly praised him as a military officer who would greatly contribute to Cheongdo, supported him, and smiled in satisfaction.

He had buried the shameful past deep in the annals of history.

He walked forward nonchalantly, swapped one mask for another, and just continued living his life. If you followed his path, you would see hundreds, if not thousands, of discarded masks rolling across the ground.

That was how he had lived.

That was how he had survived.

Surviving in this imperial palace, where schemes and deceptions ran rampant.

Sitting at the top, holding the title of Chief Councilor, and gaining fame as a great official….what did it all mean?

“I… I don’t know what to do… Hyeon Dang-ah…”

Could she, who had grown up under his power and nurtured by his influence…. dare to criticize him? Or should she side with Seol Tae Pyeong instead?

Would he even accept that?

She recalled the night of the Birthday Ceremony when demonic spirits swarmed the place.

In a remote cave on the White Immortal Mountain, she remembered the silhouette of the man quietly treating Hyeon Dang.

He had no resentment toward life, no hatred for the world. He had simply accepted reality as it was and continued to live calmly.

It didn’t take long for the admiration she had once held for him to turn into shame.

And that shame stirred up the confusion in the Vermilion Princess’s heart. The guilt with nowhere to go clouded her mind, making it difficult for her to even maintain her balance.

At that moment, it felt as if time had stopped and the surroundings were frozen.

From the corner of the Vermilion Bird Palace courtyard, a figure landed gracefully with its court robes fluttering as if to survey the anxious princess.

All the maids were startled.

The figure dressed in the clothing of the Heavenly Maiden, upon closer inspection, had the decaying form of a demonic spirit with flesh rotting away in patches.

Before the maids could scream and run, the aura of a Heavenly Dragon emanating from the demonic spirit swiftly overwhelmed them.

***

I quickly informed Headmaid An Rim of the situation and escaped from the Black Tortoise Palace.

Staying in the inner palace now would have been suicidal. The crown princess consorts who had lost their senses seemed dangerously unstable, and leaving them alone could lead to a disaster beyond imagination.

“Tae Pyeong-ah! I told you to stay still! There’s too much I still need to test!”

Ignoring the frantic shouts of the Black Princess from beyond the tea room, I gritted my teeth and dashed out of the courtyard of the Black Tortoise Palace… where other figures were already waiting for me.

…I hadn’t told anyone I was going to the Black Tortoise Palace, so I couldn’t understand how they knew to wait for me.

One of them, Headmaid Hyeon Dang from the Vermilion Bird Palace clasped my arm and bowed her head as she spoke.

“Headmaid Hyeon. Why have you come all the way here…?”

“I heard a rumor that General Seol was in trouble.”

“Where did you hear such a rumor?”

“…The Vermilion Princess would like to help you. Would you like to come to Vermilion Bird Palace?”

She didn’t answer my question.

I was already hovering on the edge of suspicion, so I began to feel a growing sense of unease.

Headmaid Hyeon Dang of the Vermilion Bird Palace was someone who always knew how to handle situations, was quick to read the room, and responded appropriately to anything said. The fact that she was now awkwardly avoiding my questions was a clear sign that something was off.

“I see… I understand.”

With that, I immediately turned and bolted toward the main gate of the inner palace.

Thud, thud, thud!

I didn’t know why, but…

If I went to Vermilion Bird Palace now, I would surely die.

That instinct flashed through my mind like lightning.

After doing this for years, I could feel my intuition sharpening.

Run.

As if this place were the end of the world, as if the vast meadow stretched on forever.

Toward that red sunset… I would keep running. I…. Seol Tae Pyeong…