Chapter 45: Heavenly Maiden Part 2

There was a warrior named Seol Tae Pyeong.

He wasn’t necessarily a strong person, but he was someone who always won.

He was born with a talent for the sword, a gift from the heavens, but he had no time to train it.

He had a natural ability to sense all killing intent, but no stage to use it.

He had the willpower and loyalty to carry out his intentions, but he had to bear the disgrace of being part of a traitorous family that was eradicated.

His life was full of trials, and it seemed he didn’t harbor any grand ambitions.

If he ever had the chance to tell someone about his life, there was a phrase he would habitually say.

Work as little as possible, and earn as much as he can.

Indeed.

Since he couldn’t overcome the blood of the sword master when he was young, he cut down countless bandits… after that, the boy’s dream was to live an ordinary life.

He had no desire to become a hero who ruled the world, nor to become a madman addicted to killing people.

In Ah Hyun’s eyes, this warrior’s life seemed like that of a sinner struggling to shake off the burden on his shoulders.

He lived and died as the brother of Seol Ran, the new Heavenly Maiden. In that life, there was no name called Seol Tae Pyeong.

Surprisingly, he had a strong belief in his sister’s success and good fortune, and he tried not to do anything until signs of the Plague Demonic Spirit began to stir chaos inside and outside the palace.

And when the Plague Demonic Spirit began to rampage and the imperial city fell into chaos centered around the inner palace…. he confided in Ah Hyun, who had stepped down from her position as the Heavenly Maiden.

He explained that this world existed under the story of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story and that he knew parts of it.

However, he never imagined that this world would end in such tragedy.

He never thought that a city with a population exceeding one million would see all its inhabitants slaughtered, or that in the end, Crown Prince Hyeon Won and Seol Ran would only be able to embrace each other and confirm their love in the face of such a colossal trial… He never thought the world would end in such a gloomy and bitter way.

If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have tried to struggle against it.

Even bearing the disgrace of the Huayongseol clan, he would have seized power to expand his influence, mediated the conflicting mistresses of the Four Great Palaces, and sought ways to weaken the Plague Demonic Spirit that had descended.

In reality, Seol Tae Pyeong single-handedly cut down the three special ghosts that appeared with the Plague Demonic Spirit.

Even though the given conditions and environment were not easy, he ran out of the imperial capital with his body covered in blood and did everything he could.

However, it was obviously insufficient to resolve all the situations.

He needed opportunities.

He needed the power to shed the disgrace of the Huayongseol clan, rise to prominence as a military official, and mobilize numerous people.

In order to detect and prevent the energy of the Plague Demonic Spirit under the Heavenly Dragon Hall, it was necessary to take the time to mediate between the feuding crown princess consorts and lead them.

He had to create an environment where Heavenly Maiden Seol Ran could fully adapt to the energy of the Heavenly Dragon and spread that power throughout the entire imperial capital.

If there had been enough time and opportunity, it might have been possible.

So what the retired Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun could do for him… was merely to give him another chance.

What is history? It is something that repeats.

What does it mean to turn back time? It is simply to return to the past and repeat the cause and effect that had occurred.

The reset time returned everything in the world to its original position.

However, there were beings that escaped this law.

Warrior Seol Tae Pyeong was not a being bound to this world.

Although the power of the Heavenly Dragon took away his memories and experiences when time reset, it left the regrets and will engraved on his soul intact.

All time rewound and the original history repeated, but he alone broke free from that flow and acted independently.

With each rewind of time, he grew stronger.

Even though he lost the skills and strength he had honed over many years, the senses and instincts engraved on his soul remained entirely his own.

Moreover, at some point, he began to rally the crown princess consorts on his own.

Even as he died over and over again, he unwaveringly upheld his convictions before the crown princess consorts.

As if it were his destiny. As if he knew it.

And as time flowed and flowed…

He finally came to the Heavenly Dragon Hall on his own.

“The crown princess consorts of the four palaces… must never be at odds with each other. My body is slowly reaching its limit.”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun beyond the paper door squeezed out those words with difficulty.

“Until the next Heavenly Maiden fully blossoms her potential… I must remain in this position… Otherwise, the capital might suffer even greater harm than now…”

“Your Highness …”

“Until we detect and respond to the Plague Demonic Spirit beneath the Heavenly Dragon Hall as one… we must keep them united.”

“In that case… can’t we tell the high officials now…? If we inform them that there’s a monstrous Plague Demonic Spirit under the Heavenly Dragon Hall, perhaps…”

I started to say that but my voice trailed off again.

For sure, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun… there was no way she hadn’t tried that first.

However, it was doubtful whether anyone would believe the absurd prophecy that the imperial capital would be swept away by a great disaster like the Plague Demonic Spirit which was a concept that does not even exist yet.

Even if she used her authority as the Heavenly Maiden to push through any response, the current officials were unlikely to stop their political power struggles to prepare for a distant and uncertain disaster.

The Chief Councilor, the Central Councilor, and the Under Councilor would see such a far-off prophecy more as a tool for political manipulation within the palace rather than something to act on immediately.

Whatever horrific vision Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun saw, it was clear she witnessed something terrible.

At first, I thought, “How can they not even think of uniting in the face of such a huge catastrophe?”… but then I realized that it’s not so strange when you consider the true nature of human greed.

If humans could act so ideally, there wouldn’t have been world wars…

How much influence Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun could wield from the Heavenly Dragon Hall while struggling with her illness was something I didn’t know.

“Your Highness …”

I spoke quietly with a lowered voice.

“You must have walked… a thorny path…?”

“……”

I couldn’t even begin to imagine the process that led to me sitting here right now.

Therefore, I couldn’t even offer her any comfort.

The Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon became hostile to the White Princess Ha Wol due to the power struggle between the Jeongseon and Inbong clans.

The Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang became hostile with the Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong, due to the scheming of Strategist Hwa An.

The Black Princess Po Hwa Ryeong grew angry with the White Princess Ha Wol due to Ha Wol’s coldness in abandoning the Headmaid.

The Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang became suspicious of the Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon because she was the daughter of an official blinded by power.

The White Princess Ha Wol tried to keep the Azure Princess Jin Cheong Lang in check to win over the officials captivated by Jin Cheong Lang’s innate Taoist skills.

……

…

…

.

After that, countless prophecies from Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun continued.

Who could mediate among those who constantly bickered and fought?

The crown princess consorts of the four palaces had one of the biggest say even in this Cheongdo Palace.

Even high officials couldn’t easily intervene in their conflicts.

“…The most certain way is to inform the crown princess consorts in advance of what will happen…”

If there is a common goal, minor conflicts will disappear.

If I relay exactly what I heard at the tea gathering… some of the conflicts might be resolved. I could even use the name of the Heavenly Maiden which would lend some weight to my words.

However, the fact that this world was part of a novel, time had been reversed, and a monstrous demonic spirit that never existed in history descended upon the imperial palace and slaughtered a million citizens of the capital—such an outrageous claim…

How could anyone, even someone with goodwill, truly believe this?

They might consider you either insane or pretending to be insane to survive, and that would be fortunate.

If only signs of the plague demonic spirit had begun to appear… it might be somewhat possible to convince them…

“How feasible it is… we won’t know until we try…”

At least, until I could convince all four of them, I would have to mediate well so that the mistresses of the four palaces would not become hostile toward each other. This means being able to handle all the countless grudges that arise.

…

That meant the plan to escape from Cheongdo Palace had to be completely abandoned…

This also meant that I had to continue to maintain this precarious situation, as if I was walking on a tightrope, in the face of this mortal danger.

The world…

The world felt exceptionally cruel… as if it was harsh only to me…

“Still, I was relieved to see you brought all the wooden tablets from the four palaces.”

Ah Hyun spoke with a frail voice, as if she had found some peace of mind.

“After countless trials, you have gained the trust of the crown princess consorts of the four palaces. If it weren’t for your noble temperament to endlessly pursue your beliefs, this would have been impossible.”

“…….”

“The trust of the crown princess consorts will be a powerful weapon for you. Especially since they are very influential within Cheongdo Palace.”

“…….”

When I remained silent for a while, the Heavenly Maiden behind the paper door asked anxiously.

“It seems you have something to say.”

“To tell you the truth… that trust is the greatest threat… to me…”

“… What?”

“The truth is… it’s not so much trust as… a feeling that goes beyond that…”

I lowered my head and spoke honestly.

If it were Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun at least, I felt I could share my experiences without holding back.

Because of her physical condition and her status, she would rarely have had the chance to leave Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Even if she knew the general situation, she was unlikely to know the specifics.

“A feeling that goes beyond trust… what do you mean by that?”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun brushed her collar a few times from behind the paper door, then asked as if she had suddenly realized something.

“….…”

“….…”

“…Could it be that someone harbors feelings of affection for you?”

It would not be surprising if I were to be executed immediately if such information leaked out.

Confessing this to the Heavenly Maiden who held the highest authority in the palace might be a reckless move… but when considering the current situation, it seemed necessary to share the truth as it was.

“….…”

“No matter what, they are the mistresses of the four palaces… They wouldn’t be so thoughtless… I spoke too hastily for a moment.”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun retracted her own words.

However, when I didn’t respond for a while, I could sense her confusion from behind the paper door.

“…But still, to a mere guard…?”

“….…”

“It’s unlikely that you are being overly self-conscious… Yes, you are not that kind of person…”

“….…”

That’s right.

Although she must have hoped that I gain the trust of the crown princess consorts of the four palaces and become a mediator among them…

Seems like even she didn’t expect it to go this far…

“Yes… it could happen… it is entirely possible…”

Nevertheless, the Heavenly Maiden remained composed in her own way.

She may not have been able to predict this situation as she was confined to the inner chamber of Heavenly Dragon Hall due to her illness. She wouldn’t have been able to guess their inner feelings just based on the reports she received.

Anyway, since I had honestly confessed everything to the Heavenly Maiden… perhaps I could receive help from the most authoritative woman in Cheongdo. I thought that would be a huge achievement.

“Alright… I understand the situation… I might be able to offer some help within my power. So… who is this woman that harbors feelings for you?”

“…Huh?”

“The Vermilion Princess is discerning and unlikely to engage in such indiscretions… though one can never be certain about people’s hearts…”

“……”

“And the White Princess is not the type to be swayed by such personal emotions… Perhaps it’s the Azure Princess, who is still young and has limited judgment… or maybe it’s the Black Princess, whose free-thinking nature makes her less bound by palace rules…”

“……”

The Heavenly Maiden spoke with a firm tone. As if she was determined to help me in any way she could.

“Even if my authority has started to wane, it’s not impossible to manage the misconduct of one crown princess consort. No matter what, since this is a matter directly linked to your life, I will do my best to help.”

“……”

“So… tell me… who is this woman that harbors feelings for you?”

“……”

“……”

“……”

In the endless silence…

I could only stare at the floor while sweating profusely…

My lips…. couldn’t part…. to speak the words…

TN: What a twist…. But everything now makes sense…