Chapter 21: The Special Unit Part 3

It’s a tough era.

If one were to only look at the splendid majesty of the Cheongdo Empire, they might think all its citizens were happy. However, a quick visit to the slums of the capital would reveal just how deep the misery runs there.

There’s a timeless rule that no matter how the times change, the wealthy live in luxury while the poor lead miserable lives.

Indeed, the common wisdom that the poor struggle just to survive applies universally and across all eras.

Therefore, it was perhaps only normal that there was someone like Po Hwa Ryeong who was abandoned at a young age on the slopes of the White Immortal Mountain.

Her family simply wasn’t wealthy enough to take care of a child suffering from divine fever.

***

An awkward silence hung in the air.

While Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong was sweating profusely and staring blankly at Seol Tae Pyeong, the latter was simply slurping his hot soup.

He fully understood how anxious Po Hwa Ryeong must be feeling right now and gave her time to gather her thoughts.

Po Hwa Ryeong had no choice but to be deep in thought.

Having frequented this place for nearly a month and recognizing Po Hwa Ryeong, why had he remained silent all this time?

From Po Hwa Ryeong’s perspective, there was no way she could know the reason. Perhaps for Seol Tae Pyeong, the idea of Po Hwa Ryeong being captured too quickly and returning to the White Immortal Palace too soon wasn’t exactly a welcome scenario.

“Over a month has passed. The maids of the Black Tortoise Palace must be quite worried by now.”

“…….”

“Or, is there a specific reason you had to go outside like this?”

The Great Star Sword hanging over Po Hwa Ryeong like a bounty was an item any warrior would covet with desire.

But Seol Tae Pyeong didn’t rush to capture Po Hwa Ryeong.

Unlike other warriors, Seol Tae Pyeong’s infinitely relaxed demeanor momentarily caused Po Hwa Ryeong to shudder.

“Then… I’ll tell you why I had to leave the Cheongdo Palace…”

“It would be troublesome if you lowered your speech.”

“Ah… I will tell you…”

Po Hwa Ryeong placed the tray she was holding on the table and spoke earnestly in a lowered voice.

“Don’t be too shocked… I mean, don’t say anything…”

“…….”

“The reason I had to escape from the Cheongdo Palace is…!!”

“…….”

As Seol Tae Pyeong put down his spoon and swallowed hard in anticipation, Po Hwa Ryeong spoke with a grave expression on her face.

“The reason is!!!!!!!!”

After saying that, Po Hwa Ryeong swiftly unraveled the cloth tied around her head and dashed out of Chunhyang Pavilion.

“…….”

Seol Tae Pyeong sat stunned for a moment before realizing that Po Hwa Ryeong had escaped.

Paaa!

Once outside in the marketplace, Po Hwa Ryeong easily used her flying technique to kick off a wooden pillar and jump onto the roof.

After landing gracefully on the tiled roof, she rolled to absorb the impact and then quickly scanned her surroundings.

Even for a martial artist, it wouldn’t be easy to pursue Po Hwa Ryeong who moved as light as a feather.

However, Po Hwa Ryeong was unaware that her opponent was not just any martial artist but Seol Tae Pyeong.

Whoooosh!

Following closely behind her, Seol Tae Pyeong emerged into the marketplace and skillfully traced Po Hwa Ryeong’s path to the roof.

When he landed on the tiled roof with a thud and raised his head, Po Hwa Ryeong was startled and broke into a cold sweat.

“Eeeek!!!”

With a pale face, she quickly kicked off the roof tiles and sprinted away. Po Hwa Ryeong continued her run across the buildings while heading out of the Black Tortoise Market.

Though the merchants stared at her in awe, she ignored them and kicked off the walls and kept running through the air as if flying.

Her movements were so agile that they surpassed those of famous martial artists, which made it difficult to follow her with the naked eye. Even veteran warriors would have decided to give up the chase at the sight of her.

Yet Seol Tae Pyeong persistently pursued Po Hwa Ryeong across the tiled roofs of the marketplace buildings, moving back and forth alongside her figure.

“Uwaaaaaaah!”

The sight of Seol Tae Pyeong chasing after her resembled a predator in hot pursuit of its prey.

The intensity in Seol Tae Pyeong’s eyes as he meticulously executed his steps bore a chilling hint of killing intent and this instilled a kind of terror in Po Hwa Ryeong who seemed as defenseless as a frail herbivore.

Apparently caught off guard by her opponent’s mastery of such footwork, Po Hwa Ryeong resorted to scattering small concealed weapons from her clothes onto the ground.

Even the most formidable warriors could lose their balance and slip upon stepping on these.

Whoosh!

Crack!

Seol Tae Pyeong was no exception to the laws of physics.

He was caught off guard by the sudden scattering of concealed weapons, slipped on the beads, and fell between the buildings.

Crash!

He fell onto a pile of lumber next to a timber shop, kicking up a cloud of dust and filling the air with the sound of collapsing objects.

“…. Huuuuuuuuuuuh!”

As soon as Po Hwa Ryeong saw the cloud of dust rising, she snapped back to her senses.

She was so shocked that she had accidentally caused the other party to fall beneath the building. The fall could have resulted in a serious injury or, if he was unlucky, even a fatal wound. No matter how urgent the situation was, this was not what she had intended.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen…! I was just so, so surprised…! We need to call a… a physician…!”

At that moment, a single slash from Seol Tae Pyeong cleared the dust in an instant.

Their eyes met as Seol Tae Pyeong who was covered in dirt and dust from the broken lumber struggled to his feet. Even though he had fallen from such a great height, he appeared to be unharmed.

However, the intensity in his eyes as he drew his sword sent a wave of fear through Po Hwa Ryeong.

“Uwaaaaah!! A monster!!!”

Po Hwa Ryeong darted between the tiled roofs again with tears in her eyes.

Seol Tae Pyeong quickly regained his balance and leaped from the wall to land on the roof tiles. As he resumed his chase, the sheer force of his presence sent shivers down Po Hwa Ryeong’s spine.

Seol Tae Pyeong closed the gap with great strides. His presence came closer and closer.

Po Hwa Ryeong ran away screaming with tears in her eyes.

While this moment might have felt intense for those involved, from an outsider’s perspective, it merely seemed like a scene of a predator hunting its prey.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Just stop for a moment! Black Princess! And talk to me properly!”

“I was wrong! I was wrong! I was wrong!”

Despite her pleas, she never stopped running. The ferocity of her pursuer’s chase meant that if she was caught, she could be skinned and devoured.

She jumped down from building to building with her light green hair trailing behind her, then landed skillfully in the alleys between the buildings.

She felt that she would be easily caught if it were purely a matter of speed, so she veered into the complex cityscape hoping to shake him off.

Seol Tae Pyeong landed in the alleys too and sprinted across the dimly lit backstreets.

The merchants’ wooden crates and barrels of alcohol were stacked all around the place. Po Hwa Ryeong weaved through them skillfully before taking off her flowered shoes and tossing them aside.

Now that she was barefoot, her white feet touched the dirt. She seemed to gather energy before her speed noticeably increased.

She pushed over the stacked barrels, causing them to tumble down in an attempt to block Seol Tae Pyeong’s path.

Crash! Bang!

The falling barrels ambushed Seol Tae Pyeong, but with a swing of his sword, he split them apart in two.

Seol Tae Pyeong closed the distance through the debris of broken barrels. His fierce eyes sent chills down her spine.

Po Hwa Ryeong closed her eyes as she ran. The being chasing her was not human but a monster.

Regardless of how wrong it was for her to sneak out of Cheongdo Palace, she couldn’t understand why they would send a monster that could kill a person with one hand after her. Surely, her crime was not that serious.

With tears brimming in her eyes, Po Hwa Ryeong dashed out of the alleyway once more and climbed up the flagpole atop a massive trading house.

Her plan was to gain height and put distance between herself and the man below while she surveyed the area to determine the most efficient escape route.

It was in the midst of scaling the sizable flagpole that it happened.

Thud!

Seol Tae Pyeong took a huge step and swung his sword horizontally in a sweeping motion.

With that, the large flagpole was cleanly severed and soon began to lean and then collapse to the side.

“Ca-Can this even be real….?!”

It was a sight that Po Hwa Ryeong had never witnessed in her life. A flagpole thicker than a human body was sliced through with a single stroke of a sword.

Perched atop the falling flagpole, Po Hwa Ryeong quickly surveyed her surroundings to decide where to land. She lightly landed on the canopy of a fruit vendor at the edge of the marketplace.

Swish!

Crash!

The fabric billowed as a few fruits displayed there rolled across the market floor.

“Aaah! What’s happening?!”

“So, so, so sorry! I’ll compensate with this!”

After quickly tossing a few coins to the vendor, Po Hwa Ryeong weaved through the crowd before casting a glance back.

And the moment she did, she regretted having looked back at all.

It was because she locked eyes with Seol Tae Pyeong as he moved and pushed through the crowd.

She held back the tears that threatened to blur her vision once more and quickly turned into the city streets.

The hunter was upon her.

She twisted and turned through the winding paths between buildings, attempting to shake off her pursuer, but the chaser seemed impossible to lose.

Ne-Never have I encountered someone so stubborn! If it’s come to this, I might as well try to make it out of the imperial…!

Thump

Just as she rounded a corner, she collided with someone and fell backward onto the ground.

When Po Hwa Ryeong pressed her forehead, trying to apologize while lifting her head, she caught her breath in shock.

“…….”

Seol Tae Pyeong who was covered in dust was looking down at her.

The moment their eyes met, a chill ran through her entire body, draining her of all warmth.

Just as Po Hwa Ryeong attempted to flee once more, Seol Tae Pyeong quickly grabbed her wrist.

“Ah!”

“Black Princess…”

“I-I’m sorry… no, my apologies…!”

“…….”

“…….”

Seol Tae Pyeong brushed the dust off his clothes with his bare hands. His voice was devoid of any discernible emotion as he spoke.

Po Hwa Ryeong clenched her eyes shut. After causing such a commotion, she couldn’t predict what kind of punishment might come her way.

“Let’s… continue eating our meal for now…”

“… Huh?”

***

Before she realized it, Po Hwa Ryeong found herself staring at Seol Tae Pyeong, who was eagerly devouring the leftover rice soup from the Chunhyang Pavilion.

Sitting opposite him and fidgeting nervously was Po Hwa Ryeong with her arm tied to the leg of the table with a rope.

“Please forgive the grave sin of binding the Black Princess like this, given my humble status as a warrior. If you wish to punish me, I will accept it upon returning to Cheongdo Palace.”

“N-No, it’s okay…”

“……..”

“I-It’s really okay…”

Po Hwa Ryeong couldn’t quite grasp the situation.

After turning the Black Tortoise Market upside down in a dramatic chase, Po Hwa Ryeong was captured by Seol Tae Pyeong and brought back to Chunhyang Pavilion to eat rice soup.

Of course, the rice soup that Seol Tae Pyeong had eaten had cooled down, so it had to be ordered again. This time, two bowls were ordered, one for him and one for Po Hwa Ryeong as well.

The owner who had been hiding Po Hwa Ryeong trembled at the sight of her sitting side by side with a warrior from the special unit of Cheongdo Palace, with rice soup placed between them.

This restaurant had been a favorite of Po Hwa Ryeong long before she ascended to the position of Black Princess, which is why they agreed to hide her upon hearing her plight. However, Po Hwa Ryeong insisted on not receiving help without offering something in return, which led her to pretend to be an employee there.

It was a bold move, but no one would have suspected that the mistress of the Black Tortoise Palace would be serving rice soup in such a place, nor was there a better spot to observe the comings and goings of the special unit warriors patrolling the Black Tortoise Market.

In fact, she had been keeping an eye on Seol Tae Pyeong who came daily to eat rice soup to observe his movements.

Ironically, it was Po Hwa Ryeong herself who ended up being under observation.

As she warily glanced at Seol Tae Pyeong from the corner of her eye, Po Hwa Ryeong engaged in a silent standoff with the steaming bowl of rice soup in front of her.

For his part, Seol Tae Pyeong appeared utterly engrossed in his meal and blissfully slurping the hot soup as if it were the best thing in the world.

He didn’t seem to care about the fact that he had been chasing her down with killing intent just moments before or even that he fell down and got covered in dust because of Po Hwa Ryeong.

His demeanor seemed mature in one light and almost inhuman in another…. Po Hwa Ryeong had no idea what this person was doing.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“…….”

“You should eat now, or you’ll be hungry later. We’re all just trying to survive, after all, so it’s best to eat whenever you can.”

He said this and slurped his pickled cabbage. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy his meal.

He seemed like a simple warrior whose daily indulgence in rice soup was his greatest joy in life.

“Are you really not going to eat?”

“…….”

“Really, you’re not going to eat?”

“Um, umm… I’ll eat…”

“…….”

“No, I mean, I will eat…”

Po Hwa Ryeong scrambled to correct her instinctive use of informal language and attempted to force down the rice soup.

While she fought back tears and struggled to eat, Seol Tae Pyeong looked on with satisfaction and quickly devoured his own rice soup.

The scene of them eating together caught the attention of both the guests and the owner of Chunhyang Pavilion, albeit subtly. A girl with one hand tied to the table sobbing softly, and a warrior covered in dirt sat side by side, enjoying their rice soup.

To any onlooker, they were an odd pair.

Po Hwa Ryeong then took her spoon and began to stir the rice soup vigorously.

After stirring a few times, she skimmed the layer of oil that had risen to the top.

Seeing this, Seol Tae Pyeong shuddered.

Then Po Hwa Ryeong added the accompanying chives to the soup and stirred them in thoroughly. After tasting the soup, she checked its seasoning and decided to add a bit more salt.

She used her spoon to carefully divide the rice in the bowl into a cross shape. And then she carefully adjusted the ratio of soup to rice.

Then she picked up a moderate amount of the chives and pork belly mixed in the soup, rolled it neatly, dipped it in soy sauce, took a bite, and before the taste faded, slurped down more of the soup.

……. She is a master……!

Seol Tae Pyeong swallowed hard. He even broke in a cold sweat.

It had been a while since he had encountered such a formidable opponent. While staring at the Black Princess, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

…I can sense a killing intent in his eyes…

But for Po Hwa Ryeong, his gaze was distressing.

It was her fault for recklessly running away from Cheongdo Palace, for fleeing as soon as she was spotted, and for causing so much trouble… But she hadn’t expected to be glared at as if she were about to be killed.

The sight of the Black Princess stuffing rice soup into her mouth with tears in her eyes was extremely pitiful.

“So…”

The reason Seol Tae Pyeong was going to such lengths to feed the Black Princess was simple.

“Why did you leave Cheongdo Palace?”

He wanted to ask her that.

He had heard that it’s common to feed someone before interrogating them because people’s defenses tend to lower while eating.

Seol Tae Pyeong could have handed her over to the special unit as she was, but he was personally curious.

The Black Princess he had seen at the Heavenly Dragon Love Story, always maintained her dignity, seemed detached from worldly affairs, and would not engage in such things.

From Seol Tae Pyeong’s perspective, it hardly mattered, yet he wished to hear the full story of what had happened before returning to the White Immortal Palace.

“That is…”

Po Hwa Ryeong who was shaking while scooping up the rice soup carefully gauged Seol Tae Pyeong’s reaction.

“……..”

“……..”

“……..”

“……..”

The movement of the spoon through the rice soup came to a halt.

In this situation, pressing or pestering her was not a wise choice.

“If you do not wish to speak, you need not do so.”

Instead, Seol Tae Pyeong took a step back and showed consideration for Po Hwa Ryeong.

After all, Seol Tae Pyeong asked out of personal curiosity. Of course, if he managed to uncover the reasons behind Po Hwa Ryeong’s escape, his merit would increase, but he was a man who did not dwell on such stuff.

Feeling that kind of consideration made Po Hwa Ryeong feel very complicated.

After being pursued and captured like a beast, the captor’s only actions were to feed her and encourage her to share her troubles.

Even though she thought of him as an unpredictable man, Po Hwa Ryeong began to speak as if she were grasping at a straw.

“I just… wanted to say some goodbyes…”

Her energy seemed greatly diminished as she quietly looked down at her rice soup.

It was then that Seol Tae Pyeong recognized the familiar face of Po Hwa, the Black Princess.

Sitting in the Black Tortoise Palace and occasionally looking up at the sky, she looked like a bird trapped in a cage.

“When I was young, I fell seriously ill and was abandoned at the White Immortal Mountain. So… in order to survive, I had to get a lot of help here and there…”

“……”

“In that process, the old lady from Chunhyang Pavilion, the herbalists at the market, the herb gatherers wandering the White Immortal Mountain, and the blind man who was a close friend…”

“..…..”

“As I was going around those people… I realized I would never see them again once I entered the inner palace, and I desperately wanted to say goodbye…”

It was a deeply personal reason.

Such a reason hardly justifies the mistress of the Black Tortoise Palace rashly escaping from Cheongdo Palace.

However, Seol Tae Pyeong chose not to point this out. He simply kept his mouth shut and stirred his rice soup a few more times.

“I caught the eye of the Under Councilor… I was taken into the inner palace so suddenly… I didn’t even have time to say goodbye …”

With those words, she looked down at her rice soup as if she was trying to suppress her emotions.

So that was it…

It was only then that Seol Tae Pyeong felt like all his questions were being answered.

Becoming the mistress of one of the Four Great Palaces, a life every woman dreams of, came with its own set of restrictions.

Just leaving the outer palace required making the maids work hard, and to leave Cheongdo Palace entirely, one would need to convince all the high officials.

Convincing all those high-ranking officials for a personal reason like not being able to say goodbye was almost impossible.

– I miss the scent of cherry blossoms at Chunhyang Pavilion…

Those were the words that the Black Princess used to say while sitting at the tea gatherings.

And the way she always seemed to look up at the sky with longing while sitting in the Black Tortoise Palace.

Perhaps she was sad because she was like a bird with broken wings sitting in the Black Tortoise Palace.

The regret of not being able to properly say her goodbye must have knotted up inside her.

“I… I know very well how blessed it is to enter the Black Tortoise Palace. However, in my miserable life, there have been far too many people to whom I owe my gratitude…”

“…….”

“The loss of never seeing them again weighs heavily on me… the thought of parting in such a vain manner troubles my heart…”

The Black Princess spoke these words before quietly bowing her head.

It was like that.

From the moment she was captured by Seol Tae Pyeong, the Black Princess’s last wandering journey had come to an end. With Seol Tae Pyeong taking charge of the Black Princess’s future, the long and extensive search operation by the special unit was concluded.

Seol Tae Pyeong quietly closed his eyes.

How valuable had this one month granted to the girl been?

During the day, she helped the old owner of Chunhyang Pavilion, and at night, she went around meeting those she was thankful for… Did she manage to release all the feelings of debt she harbored in her heart?

Who had picked up the girl abandoned on White Immortal Mountain? Who had shown her the way as she wandered the mountains? Who had provided her with the means to live? Who taught the value of life to a girl who had no family and a miserable existence?

—Regardless of what happens, surviving and moving forward is our life’s journey.

Who was it that awakened this fact, that a life lived to the best of one’s ability creates value that cannot be explained in words?

Countless were the people who had supported her throughout her life’s journey, and their kindness became a lump in her chest that tormented the girl to the end.

Even after she became the mistress of the Black Tortoise Palace, the girl was still haunted by this unresolved grief and always appeared as someone gazing far into the distance.

“…….”

It’s likely that the girl would never fully unravel this knot of sorrow.

Even if Seol Tae Pyeong hadn’t captured her, she would have been discovered by the special unit members and brought back to the Black Tortoise Palace.

Just like what happened in “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”.

Therefore, it’s hard to say that Seol Tae Pyeong’s intervention led to any major outcome.

But what about the journey itself?

Had Seol Tae Pyeong not captured her, had her journey not ended here… how long could she have evaded the special unit?

She might have been able to run for much longer than she did, worked through her grief, and said goodbye to just a few more people, or maybe even one more.

Even if her grief never fully dissipated, the fact that she had done all she could might have remained as a comforting thought.

The size of the regret that would follow her throughout her life… might have been significantly less than he could imagine.

He couldn’t deny this fact. In a way, Seol Tae Pyeong’s presence contributed to the growth of her grief.

“…….”

Seol Tae Pyeong pondered over a bowl of hot rice soup for a moment.

The appearance of an immature boy reflected on the surface had changed a lot compared to when he was wandering the outskirts of the imperial capital while suffering from divine fever.

There had been someone who had held his hand as they walked together. He knew the profound meaning of that someone.

If they parted ways and never saw each other again, he understood that it would leave him with deep grief and regret.

Po Hwa Ryeon’s feelings weren’t much different.

Humans are beings that cannot live in solitude. Thus, whether they like it or not, they lean on the person next to them.

Even though he walked alone, he could never forget that there was always someone there at the beginning to support his arm. And indeed, he couldn’t forget. Such was the nature of humans.

A buzz of voices reached them from outside the Chunhyang Pavilion.

Having stirred up such chaos in the chase, it was only normal for rumors to spread across the marketplace.

The team in charge of the Black Tortoise Market quickly caught wind of the rumors, and the special unit led by Jang Rae closed in.

“It’s over now… I’ve done enough… It was just a month, but thank you for turning a blind eye to me during this time. In a way, that was your mercy.”

“…….”

“Despite the commotion, your first instinct was to feed me, and you looked after me all this time while pretending not to see. I won’t forget your kindness. Once I take command of the Black Tortoise Palace, I’ll make sure to repay you even if in a small way. Thank you for everything.”

The Black Princess’s words were not the truth.

The reason Seol Tae Pyeong pretended not to see the Black Princess for a month was simply because he did not want to return to the White Immortal Palace too soon.

There was not a single trace of selflessness for the Black Princess in his actions. Seol Tae Pyeong was just thinking about himself.

However, the sight of the Black Princess bowing her head while expressing gratitude for just that… how did it appear in Seol Tae Pyeong’s eyes?

However, Seol Tae Pyeong just lowered his head and closed his eyes.

The situation was pitiful, but in the end, it was someone else’s matter. Regardless of the grief the Black Princess harbored or her sincere approach to life…. it all remained a story belonging to someone else.

All he had to do was say that he was sorry, hold that regret in his heart, understand it as someone else’s problem, as someone else’s story, and slowly forget about it. Even if Seol Tae Pyeong’s indifference added to the weight of her grief, that too was the Black Princess’s burden to bear. Cold and cowardly as it might seem, this was his way of smartly navigating through life.

Amidst these reflections, Seol Tae Pyeong quietly listened to the sounds of the special unit members entering the Chunhyang Pavilion.

“………”

Then he opened his eyes wide and asked,

“How many are left?”

“…. Huh? I mean…. What?”

“I asked how many people are left whom you need to bid farewell to. How long do you think it will take?”

Thud!

Crash!

“There! It’s the Black Princess!”

“Seol Tae Pyeong has found her! Clear out the customers from the store first!”

The special unit members swarmed into the store.

It was at that moment when Jang Rae was leading the special unit from the front and was about to come in and inspect the situation.

That he caught sight of a man quietly staring at a bowl of rice soup in front of the Black Princess.

It was surely the back of Seol Tae Pyeong that he had seen several times. However, the atmosphere around him wasn’t normal and he was shrouded in an eerie aura that did not bode well.

“Looks like that guy is going to earn himself another merit…”

“Doesn’t he already have the Great Star Sword? How greedy can one get…!”

“Why can’t he just let this one go…! Seriously, he has no tact…! Does he think he’s the only one who’s capable…!”

Amidst such murmurs of discontent, more and more warriors began pouring into the restaurant.

Their numbers continued to increase and eventually the exit was completely blocked.

“The Black Princess!”

As soon as Jang Rae confirmed the presence of the Black Princess, whom he had been searching for over the past month, he raised his voice. But just as he thought the lengthy search was finally over—

Whoosh!

Seol Tae Pyeong’s drawn sword swiftly sliced through a large wooden lantern hanging from the ceiling, bringing it crashing down. The speed of the sword was such that none of the gathered warriors could catch even a glimpse of its trajectory.

Whish! Crash!

“Ugh!”

“What, what is… Ahhh!”

Through the rising dust, they could see Seol Tae Pyeong cutting the rope tied around the Black Princess’s wrists.

“Seol Tae Pyeong! What are you doing…!”

Jang Rae started to speak but stopped and swallowed dryly.

Only the figure of Seol Tae Pyeong stood out, drawing his sword with one hand while shielding the Black Princess behind him.

It wasn’t quite a murderous aura as there was no sharp edge to it, nor was it simply a fighting spirit as it sent shivers down their spine.

All the warriors gathered in the restaurant were momentarily speechless by that indescribable presence.

Amidst the swirling dust, Seol Tae Pyeong flicked his sword. His eyes sparkled with an eerie light.

The situation was clear to all without a word being exchanged.

Seol Tae Pyeong, a member of the special unit, had betrayed them.

What was unbelievable was…

Even in the face of dozens of special unit members, including their leader Jang Rae, there was not a hint of faltering in Seol Tae Pyeong’s eerie aura.

They were skilled warriors hand-picked from various palaces. It was a formidable special unit that outnumbered him by dozens.

Yet standing before them, Seol Tae Pyeong showed no signs of thinking he might lose.

This fact was so unbelievable that Jang Rae had to swallow dryly.

***

In the outer palace’s laundry area, Seol Ran felt chills running down her spine again as she washed the cotton clothes.

…Eeeek!

Was it the chill of the water in the laundry area that caused her to feel uncomfortable?

But the other maids working alongside her didn’t seem to grumble much about it.

Seol Ran, however, simply shook out the wet cotton fabric while lost in thought.

It’s been well over a month since I last saw Tae Pyeong… I wonder if he’s been hurt during the search operation. It must be tough…

He must be going through a lot emotionally too… Times like these probably leave him no chance to rest… Even if his body can handle the strain, I hope his mind finds some peace…

And as she finished up with the laundry, she continued to ponder.

Please… Tae Pyeong-ah… don’t get involved in any unnecessary trouble and come back safely… Really… You just need to keep breathing…!

Seol Ran who was worried about her only brother quietly blended in among the other maids.

As was usual for the maids of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, their day was filled with endless chores.