Chapter 44: Heavenly Maiden Part 1

There were times in life when one felt they had reached an important turning point.

The overwhelming sense that today’s choices would lead to significant consequences in the future made it difficult to take even a single step forward.

The novel “Heavenly Dragon’s Love Story” wasn’t really to my taste, but many people found it incredibly interesting. I also thought it deserved the praise as I read it.

The past histories, behaviors, choices, and outcomes of the characters were so engaging that nothing felt wasted. This made me curious about what would happen next.

Perhaps that’s why I occasionally felt a sense of discomfort.

Was Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang’s divine fever really so severe that it was nearly impossible to overcome?

Was the demonic spirits incident that Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon experienced during the birthday ceremony really of such a massive scale that it caused a night parade of one hundred demons?

Were there really so many demonic spirits in the foothills of White Immortal Mountain where Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong’s benefactor stayed?

During the Heavenly Dragon Festival that White Princess Ha Wol was involved in, did the Heavenly Maiden’s health deteriorate to the point where she couldn’t even show her face?

There were moments when the creeping sense of discomfort would wrap around my shoulders and whisper in my ear.

──_Was it like this in the original story?_

The overall flow followed the story of “Heavenly Dragon’s Love Story”… but little by little in subtle parts…. deviations from the original plot I knew began to appear.

I wondered if the cause was my existence, which didn’t appear in the original story.

But then I would shake my head again, knowing clearly that I hadn’t done anything significant enough to influence the events.

And yet, one possibility coiled in my heart.

Wasn’t this place, where I existed, indeed the past before the story of “Heavenly Dragon’s Love Story” began…?

The Vermilion Bird Tablet, the Azure Dragon Tablet, the White Tiger Tablet, the Black Tortoise Tablet.

With those four wooden tablets the head maid of the Heavenly Dragon Hall Lee Ryeong bowed her head in the inner chamber lit only by a lantern.

She placed the four tablets that were neatly arranged on a large wooden board on the tea table in the chamber.

Through the paper screen door, the shadow of a woman dressed in a blue cotton robe could be seen.

The girl checked the tablets and her chin quivered briefly.

“Warrior Seol Tae Pyeong from the White Immortal Palace has come to seek an audience.”

The head maid of Heavenly Dragon Hall was always the most experienced and mature among the headmaids of any palace.

Lee Ryeong was an old woman with deep wrinkles but delicate movements. And when she reported this, the girl beyond the paper screen door remained silent.

“It seems your health is still quite poor. I will inform him to turn back.”

Even the emperor had not seen the Heavenly Maiden.

On the night of the last Heavenly Dragon Festival, she had indeed been at death’s door.

If the news that the Heavenly Maiden who received the energy of the Heavenly Dragon was hovering between life and death spread, it would cause great unrest in the country. Especially if it happened on the night of the grand festival, the Heavenly Dragon Festival… such news would spread like wildfire.

Therefore, even the emperor considered the situation of the Heavenly Maiden and backed off

Even though her condition had improved significantly now, the Heavenly Maiden who could collapse at any moment needed absolute rest.

However, the girl beyond the paper screen door spoke in a quiet voice.

“Are the wooden tablets truly genuine?”

Her voice was like a candle about to go out at any moment.

It was elegant but devoid of vitality. The voice, as if it would shatter at any moment, made the listener worry.

However, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun paid no heed and spoke with strength in her voice.

“I can meet him for a short while.”

“Your Highness, he is just a trivial third-rate warrior.”

“Let him in.”

It was hard to believe that the Heavenly Maiden whom even the emperor would turn back for would call for a mere warrior.

Lee Ryeong couldn’t understand it, but the princess’s determination seemed firm.

The Heavenly Maiden spent most of her days either unconscious or battling illness.

Even when she regained consciousness occasionally, she had no time to rest properly as she had to check on official matters presented to her.

One might think it would be better for her to rest when she could, but the Heavenly Maiden’s attention was particularly drawn to this warrior from the White Immortal Palace.

It was said that she had never even met him.

So why was Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun so concerned about this warrior?

“Understood.”

Beyond that… it was not something that headmaid Lee Ryeong should concern herself with.

“You have been granted permission to enter. After performing a purification bath at the White Dragon Stream behind the Heavenly Dragon Hall, we will burn incense to cleanse your body of impurities. Also, leave all your weapons before entering.”

A senior maid of the Heavenly Dragon Hall bowed her head as she spoke.

He had been granted access to Heavenly Dragon Hall, the most sacred place within Cheongdo Palace.

Anyone from Cheongdo Palace would have thought it impossible, but bringing all four wooden tablets of the crown princess consorts of the Four Great Palaces seemed to have made a great difference.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

The current mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall and a shaman who received the will of the Heavenly Dragon.

A prodigy of prodigies, favored by the Heavenly Dragon from a young age and destined to sit at the center of this Cheongdo palace.

She ruled the Heavenly Dragon Hall for a long time, protected by the crown princess consorts of the Four Great Palaces, sitting in an untouchable position… but as the Heavenly Dragon Love Story progressed, she eventually passed on her position to Seol Ran who gradually began to receive the energy of the Heavenly Dragon.

However, the strength of her energy was something that even the protagonist Seol Ran could not match. Some even thought that perhaps she was a much better person as the Heavenly Maiden.

It is very big.

The Heavenly Dragon Hall was overwhelming from the entrance.

The main palace with its layers of large blue tiles was imposing. The number of maids working for just one Heavenly Maiden was in the triple digits.

Among the maids of Cheongdo Palace, those who directly assisted the crown princess consorts received exceptional treatment. They were recognized for their skills, which made them quite proud.

However, even those maids of the princess consorts had to yield to the maids of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Even though the maids and court ladies were at the bottom of the hierarchy in the palace, it was not uncommon for maids in this palace to receive salaries comparable to those of minor officials.

Furthermore, the maids of the Heavenly Dragon Hall were so esteemed that even the other maids found it difficult to speak to them. The headmaid of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, Lee Ryeong, was a person of such authority that she talked directly with high officials.

And the heavenly maiden of the Heavenly Dragon Hall who commanded them… was a woman above whom stood only the emperor.

The highest position a woman could attain in Cheongdo Palace was that of the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

At that level, no one within the politically charged and scheming environment of Cheongdo Palace could reach her.

She had divine powers and was the only person in the world capable of wielding the power of the Heavenly Dragon.

She was not someone who could be manipulated by mere political schemes and plots. She was what people called “living in a different world”.

She was someone you couldn’t be certain of meeting, even if you brought all the tablets of the four great palaces.

This kind of authority…. maybe it’s natural.

“This way, please.”

As we entered the grand Heavenly Dragon Hall, numerous maids stood in orderly rows near the main gate.

The maids and court ladies managing the palace quietly greeted us with flawless manners.

They all appeared more like temple priests than maids. Considering the duties of the Heavenly Maiden, it might be more accurate to see them that way.

When I passed the row of maids with their heads down, I saw a certain court lady looking strangely excited in a corner.

“………”

“………”

“…Warrior Seol?”

“…Sorry, it’s nothing.”

When I glanced in that direction, I saw Seol Ran bowing her head and greeting me with the most solemn look on her face.

Even though she was just a maid dressed neatly in her maid’s uniform, her demure behavior while bowing truly reflected the character of the Heavenly Dragon Hall’s people.

“.……”

However…. it seemed she couldn’t hide her unique energetic demeanor….as if vitality was radiating from her entire body.

A vibrant aura seemed to flow from her. As if she were energetically greeting me with her presence.

Welcome, Tae Pyeong-ah! It’s nice to see you. This is the Heavenly Dragon Hall. I usually work here. These are my maid friends. That place over there is for this and that. The place you’re going to visit from now on is such and such. I would like to guide you myself, but since the senior maid has taken the lead, I’ll just stand here and warmly watch you tour the Heavenly Dragon Hall───

Even though not a single word was exchanged, it felt as if Seol Ran’s lengthy speech had just passed through my mind.

With a look that seemed like she would wag her tail furiously if she had one, she shot a glance at me and I greeted her back with my eyes.

In any case, I was an honored guest visiting the Heavenly Dragon Hall with the tablets of the four great palaces, and she was just a court lady of the Heavenly Dragon Hall…. It wouldn’t be proper manners to engage in a long greeting with me.

Just exchanging the feeling of being glad to see each other, I followed the lead of the senior maid into the depths of the Heavenly Dragon Hall for my purification bath.

Entering the Heavenly Dragon Hall and completing all the necessary procedures took almost two hours.

Even though it was handled as briefly as possible, it was clear that most people would not even dare to meet the Heavenly Maiden.

After completing various procedures under the guidance of the senior maid for a while, I finally reached the inner chamber where the Heavenly Maiden was tending to her illness.

To reach that point, I had to pass through three or four paper doors, and before entering the inner chamber, I had to cleanse myself with a final round of sacred incense to dispel any impurities.

“From here, you may proceed alone.”

The senior maid who had been guiding me for some time finally bowed and stepped back.

“Do people usually have private audiences with the princess?”

“Usually, the head maid is present, but the princess requested a private audience.”

“…Huh?”

I considered asking why, but knowing the senior maid wouldn’t have that information, I just nodded my head.

When I entered through the paper door, I saw a path leading to the inner chamber where all kinds of sacred incense were burning.

I adjusted my clothes and continued inward. When I pushed open the last door, the inner chamber where the Heavenly Maiden was recuperating appeared.

Even though it was called an inner chamber, it was larger than the entrance areas of most palaces.

There were several more paper doors within the chamber. In front of them were seats seemingly prepared for those coming to have an audience with the princess.

As I knelt and bowed my head on one of those seats, I saw the silhouette of a young girl beyond a paper door.

I kept my head bowed and swallowed dryly.

Beyond the paper door sat the most noble woman of this Cheongdo Palace.

There was no exchange of words for a while.

No one could speak first to the Heavenly Maiden. Only with her permission could the mortals of the world finally open their mouths.

The silhouette beyond the paper door appeared endlessly haggard.

Though it was just a shadow, the arm that peeked out from beneath her robe was incredibly frail.

She was the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall known only through rumors.

And, strangely enough, she was the pinnacle of this Cheongdo Palace which had oddly protected me.

What words would she speak to me…?

As I waited quietly for her to speak, I could only listen attentively.

“I heard you brought all the wooden tablets of the crown princess consorts.”

Even in official settings, she did not use honorifics towards the crown princess consorts.

Even the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces of the north, south, east, and west could not compare to the authority of the Heavenly Maiden.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“You survived.”

Her voice… was thinner and more fleeting than I had imagined.

The Vermilion Bird Tablet, the Azure Dragon Tablet, the Black Tortoise Tablet, the White Tiger Tablet.

The Heavenly Maiden’s gaze lowered as if she were quietly looking down at the four wooden tablets.

“I heard that that your highness …. took good care of me.”

“………”

“I wanted to express my gratitude for that.”

“Yes. You have… survived well. It must have been really difficult.”

Suddenly, the voice of the Heavenly Maiden was unusual.

It was said she was born with divine powers and wielded the power of the Heavenly Dragon. I knew she was an extraordinary girl who could see through most things…

“You died eleven times trying to cure the divine fever of the Azure Princess.”

The following words were things I couldn’t understand.

“…Huh?”

“The illusions of the Azure Princess of the Azure Dragon Palace are not something that can be easily endured. To have the necessary willpower, one must constantly train themself.”

The girl continued speaking in a tone as if she knew everything.

“And you died five times trying to save the Vermilion Princess during the Night Parade in the White Immortal Mountain. Even if you were carrying the Cold Iron Heavy Sword, defeating an intermediate demonic spirit alone is not something just anyone can do.”

The Heavenly Maiden spoke as if my bewildered reaction was something she was familiar with.

Her demeanor… It looked so natural.

“You died seven times trying to fulfill the wish of the Black Princess. It is never an easy task to break away from Jang Rae’s special unit and have all of your sins discarded just like that.”

“Your Highness…?”

“And you died twenty-three times trying to clear the name of the White Princess. Challenging the palace laws without clear evidence is indeed a reckless act.”

I could no longer find any words to say.

This was because the story that the Heavenly Maiden was reciting was vague and difficult to understand.

Was her mind perhaps affected by a long illness?

Though I couldn’t bring myself to voice such words, the Heavenly Maiden quietly continued her tale.

“Did you think the Sword Master quality you possess, the heroic spirit that overcomes adversity in any situation, was something you were simply born with by chance?”

Suddenly, the Heavenly Maiden asked this.

“No. It is a noble aura you have cultivated over the years and built up in your soul.”

“…I don’t understand.”

“You are where you are because of your own efforts. All I did was give you the opportunity.”

Beyond the paper door, the girl lowered her head and spoke in a wistful voice.

“And then, after many years have passed…. you have finally reached the Heavenly Dragon Hall. I hope the heroic spirit you have honed over the long years will have great importance in this world. I… I don’t have much time left after all.”

“Your Highness, I lack the insight to fully understand your words, but…”

“The tale of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story ends with everyone’s death.”

That short sentence cut off my words abruptly.

At that moment, I held my breath with my head bowed.

And forgetting even the courtesy that a subject should show, I could only raise my head sharply and stare wide-eyed at the paper door.

The Heavenly Dragon Love Story.

I had never imagined anyone in this world would mention that term.

“If I were to use your words… it is a tragic epic that would make you curse if you had seen it in person.”

“… Your Highness, what do you know?”

“The Plague Demonic Spirit that has received the energy of the earth veins beneath the Heavenly Dragon Hall will kill all the people of this imperial capital.”

Plague Demonic Spirit.

Such a term does not exist in this world.

Spirits are classified only as lower demonic spirits, intermediate demonic spirits, higher demonic spirits, and special demonic spirits.

“I witnessed the scene with my own eyes. This happened long after I resigned from this position.”

A chill ran down my spine.

In each word spoken by the Heavenly Maiden, there seemed to be no hint of joking around.

The ridiculous tale she told was filled with nothing but sincerity.

Tragedy.

At that brief word, my brow twitched.

In the genre of oriental romance fantasy, tragic narratives where hearts miss each other or stories end in sorrow were more common than one might think.

Indeed, not every story in the world is filled with happiness and beauty.

A conclusion in which lovers reaffirm their love before death and reflect on their feelings as they witness destruction together…. leaves a unique bitterness and lingering impact.

Stories of two people exchanging their final sentiments and closing their eyes before an insurmountable trial can be memorable for such poignancy. A bond between two people that even death cannot do them apart.

But I do not like these stories.

I believe that stories should praise life and sing of its beauty.

To me, the most perfect ending is one where those who endured trials and pain survive to the end, receive their reward, and smile in happiness.

Those who struggled to survive deserved respect.

However… perhaps the same could not be said for the Heavenly Dragon Love Story.

“Your Highness, if I may be so bold, can I ask you just one question?”

“……”

“I have heard that although the power of the Heavenly Dragon is immense, if it is exerted too greatly, it consumes the user’s body.”

In the original story I knew, there was no mention of the Heavenly Maiden’s condition deteriorating to this extent after the Heavenly Dragon Festival.

The unusually blurred energy of the Heavenly Dragon awakening the nearby demonic spirits near the imperial capital was strange. The night parade during the birthday ceremony and the appearance of demonic spirits during the Heavenly Dragon Festival were all odd.

I thought everything was following the original story, but why did these subtle distortions occur?

“If you unleash the power of the Heavenly Dragon to its limit without considering the backlash…”

“………”

“…can even time be reversed?”

If you turn the fundamental premise upside down and think about it… surprisingly, the answer comes easily.

This was not the “past” before the main story of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story began.

It was “after” all the stories had ended.

That way, it felt as if all the misaligned puzzle pieces fell into place.

And silence continued for a while.

That silence… it was not hard to discern it contained a sense of affirmation.

However, whether anyone in the world would believe that such a thing was possible with the power of the Heavenly Dragon… that remained uncertain.

“Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon was the daughter of a prestigious family and had the talent of a leader who could guide others.”

“Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang was endowed with the talent of Taoism which made her the most promising candidate to become a divine sage.”

“Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong was granted by the heavens a free-spirited nature and wit that were unaffected by worldly concerns.”

“White Princess Ha Wol possessed an understanding of human desires and the nature of power, which gave her insight into the essence of politics.”

“The current mistresses of the Four Great Palaces were individuals each blessed by the Emperor of Heaven. If they had united their strengths instead of opposing each other, they could have prevented the disaster beneath the Heavenly Dragon Hall. There were so many opportunities to do so.”

“However, with high-ranking officials entangled, families fighting for dominance, maids involved in political strife, the pursuit of power, and the battles for control over the Four Great Palaces in this Cheongdo Palace where politics, scheming, and discord were rampant …. it was not an easy thing to do.”

The words of the Heavenly Maiden etched themselves into my brain.

With eyes wide open… I could only stare beyond the paper door while forgetting even basic courtesy.

“It seemed as if this world was designed to divide, pit them against each other, and cause discord.”

Indeed, the Heavenly Dragon Love Story was fundamentally a tale of schemes in the palace.

The mistresses of the Four Great Palaces were destined to doubt, attack, and conflict with each other in the end. Seol Ran was able to shine as the heroine because of that chaotic background.

As with all the concubines in history, they were beings who could never mix. Just like water and oil.

“If there had been someone to serve as a central force, things might have been different… Crown Prince Hyeon Won was supposed to be that person…”

“………”

“In the end, Crown Prince Hyeon Won … failed to fulfill that role…”

After saying this, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun lowered her head.

What kind of future she had seen with those weary eyes…

To the current me …. it was something I could not even imagine.