Chapter 96: Dethronement Part 2

– I’m being… dethroned…?

It was now a distant story. One so old she could barely remember it.

In the endless cycle of time while she was repeating the same years over and over to kill the Plague Demonic Spirit.

Even this journey, which had stretched on so long that it was hard to remember how much time had passed, had a beginning.

– Heavenly Maiden…

– How… how could such a thing happen…?

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun of the first cycle.

Though it was surely herself, she felt like a stranger, perhaps because so much time had passed.

When she recalled those memories, an awkward feeling crept over her.

When she first heard the news of her dethronement, it felt like the sky was collapsing.

– I have dedicated my entire life to this Heavenly Dragon Palace, lived only to love the Cheongdo Empire, served the spirit of the Heavenly Dragon, and lived solely for the world… and yet… how can they so easily try to bring me down…?

– Heavenly Maiden… I have no words to offer…

– Who… who decided this? Was it some high official? Which high official… was it the Chief Councilor? Or perhaps, the Under Councilor?

– ……

The sight of Headmaid Lee Ryeong bowing her head and answering with difficulty was quite pitiful.

– It was unanimously passed by the Imperial Council and His Majesty, the Emperor, has approved it…

– How… how could they…

The Heavenly Maiden staggered and sat down on the tea table with a blank expression on her face.

There had been rumors that the power of the Heavenly Dragon was weakening, but she had brushed them off as something plausible. She also knew well that demonic spirits often appeared in the outermost regions of the Cheongdo Empire, but that was beyond the reach of the Heavenly Dragon’s power.

In the end, they blamed all the disasters, even those like the Higher Demonic Spirit, on her and sought to bring her down. She couldn’t believe this reality that was happening.

Had she really lived her entire life sacrificing everything for these ignorant people?

That truth pierced her to the core, and tears flowed endlessly.

– If only I had known… if only I had known…

– Heavenly Maiden…

– If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn’t have lived a life of such sacrifice. It is unbearably cruel and heartbreaking. I lived gritting my teeth for the sake of this country… I lived for the people while receiving the power of the Heavenly Dragon…

Outside the Heavenly Dragon Palace, the voices of the people were filled with doubt toward Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

The Heavenly Maiden sitting in that position was failing her role.

She was nothing more than an incompetent human sitting in the Heavenly Dragon Palace. A woman who was obsessed with asserting her authority and interpreting the will of Heaven.

The evidence was the demonic spirits that swarmed the world in chaos.

The Heavenly Maiden must be replaced. The wrath of the Heavenly Dragon must be appeased.

Each time those voices reached the Heavenly Dragon Palace, the owner of the room wiped away tears and gnashed her teeth.

She resented the world and hated the people.

Even if I fall into hell, I will never let go of this sorrow.

I will engrave this hatred for the world into my soul and never forget it.

And so, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun stepped out of the Heavenly Dragon Palace carrying the weight of all the world’s malice with her.

Once she had walked through the palace halls with grace and dignity, but now she trudged through the central courtyard.

There wasn’t a single guard by her side, not even a maid to serve her.

Aside from the few coins hidden in her robes, she had nothing else to take with her.

As she passed through the outer gate, insults and jeers rained down on her.

Filth was thrown from above as she exited the outer palace gate, and some even hurled stones at her.

The elegant robes of the Heavenly Dragon Palace were smeared with mud and food scraps. She kept her head down as she walked and walked through the crowd, and by the time she realized it, the sun had already set.

She had nowhere to go, and the sun had disappeared.

As she wandered aimlessly through the dark forest, she stumbled over a stone and fell towards the base of a large tree.

Thud!

She leaned against the tree trunk in the pitch-black forest and lay there for a while. She couldn’t find a reason to get up.

Perhaps it would be better to be devoured by the mountain beasts here. After all, her body reeked of rotten food, so it wouldn’t be long before a lucky boar or tiger came searching for its next meal.

She could summon the remaining power of the Heavenly Dragon to resist, but… was there really any need?

It was a moonless night. The forest was silent, even the darkness seemed to hold its breath.

It was around that time when she was sobbing alone and waiting for her inevitable end,

An apprentice swordsman appeared before her that night.

The signs of divine fever were evident on his shoulders.

Now that I think about it, I was quite cruel back then too…

Early morning. As she lay in bed and looked up at the ceiling, old memories came flooding back vividly.

The sun had not yet risen. Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun thought about getting up but then decided to lie down just a little longer.

Before the journey of drifting through the confines of time began, if anyone had seen Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun at that time, they would have stood in shock with their mouths agape.

Her sharp eyes that doubted everything in the world and tried to judge who was right and who was wrong.

A mysterious princess who crushed others with her low commanding voice wherever she went and observed the world under the authority of the Heavenly Dragon.

She was a noblewoman who, after rising to a divine position supported by the power of the Heavenly Dragon, had devoted her entire life to protecting the country of Cheongdo.

The woman who dominated all the palace maids, fitting the role she held, was none other than Ah Hyun.

Had she not crossed paths with the Plague Demonic Spirit, she would have likely lived her life that way.

But they say that life can undergo great change due to a seemingly insignificant event.

In any case, during her first life, she had been lying in the mountains, covered in filth, when she met a swordsman.

He treated her without a word, even though she was spitting out her bitterness in harsh words.

As she followed him, some of the hatred that had once consumed her began to fade away.

She came to understand the value of life that he so revered.

As she roamed the Imperial Capital, she stood in awe of the sunrise emerging from behind the White Immortal Mountain.

She sang as she gazed up at the bright moon.

She walked through the reed fields along the riverbanks and felt the breeze on her face.

She watched people bustling through the lively marketplace.

And she came to realize that the world was worth staying in, just to witness a little longer.

The girl gradually learned how to ease the tension in her shoulders.

In her second life, third life… every time she gritted her teeth and walked through the world, and every time she was dethroned and cast out onto the streets, the grief that once gnawed at her heart slowly dulled.

Even when the weight of fate bore down on her shoulders and her twisted destiny seemed to mock her,

She learned how to give her best in the life she was given, without falling into despair, without shedding tears.

If a cruel fate laughed at her, she thought it best to laugh right back at it.

Even if the world were to end tomorrow, one should not dismiss the pleasure of a single meal today.

Life is like a long-distance race, and the joys and sorrows of each day must never be taken lightly.

Life goes on, even in the midst of heartache.

Hmm… Right, I suppose there are about seven meals left to enjoy at the Heavenly Dragon Palace… I’ll need to distribute them carefully… so I won’t regret it later… Should I start with seafood? Ugh… There’s no room for mistakes… I need to think this through…

It’s better to know how to live without straining your shoulders.

If the swordsman from that night saw the current Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, he would surely think to himself—

For breakfast… it’s best to start with a light fish porridge…! I heard they’ve just received a fresh batch of quality pollock…!

—Ah, but no matter how much,

I didn’t mean for her to relax “that” much…

***

It took quite some time for the palace to recover from the damage left by the Sun Demonic Spirit’s rampage.

Naturally, with no one in the palace free from responsibility, all ceremonial events had to be canceled for the time being.

Various large and small events were called off, and all available personnel were focused on the restoration efforts.

Of course, the tea gatherings of the mistresses of the four great palaces, which took place a couple of times a month, were also canceled.

The scars left by the Sun Demonic Spirit remained in the four great palaces as well.

They had to repair the buildings destroyed by the demon spirits and change the shifts of all the personnel to replace the injured personnel.

The Headmaids were so frantically busy during this time that they couldn’t attend to the crown princess consorts of the four great palaces with their usual care.

Because of that, the Azure Princess who was sitting alone on the porch of the Azure Dragon Palace felt bored.

“…….”

Among the four great palaces, the Azure Dragon Palace had suffered the least damage on that chaotic night of the demon spirits’ attack. The reason was simple: it was where the Azure Princess resided.

To the Azure Princess who was born with a heavenly gift for Taoist magic, a group of lower demonic spirits was nothing more than a disorganized rabble.

Dealing with enemies that rushed in using swarm tactics was precisely the Azure Princess’s specialty, as the range of her Taoist magic extended far and wide.

Perhaps, if a single special demonic spirit like the Sun Demonic Spirit had charged in, it might have posed her danger. But to someone like her, who was akin to a walking siege weapon, this level of ordeal wasn’t even a real threat.

Thanks to that, not a single death occurred in the vicinity of the Azure Dragon Palace.

The buildings were relatively intact, so there wasn’t much cleanup to do either. Given the situation, the Azure Dragon Palace even had enough leeway to lend some of its maids to other areas.

But, of course, the Azure Princess couldn’t go out and work herself… so all she could do was read the scriptures alone or occasionally step out onto the porch to enjoy the breeze.

As she sat on the scriptures and did some embroidery, a yawn escaped her lips from time to time. With all palace schedules canceled, it was a rare moment of leisure in the usually busy palace life.

…Hmm, what should I do…

And when people are given unexpected free time, they often feel the urge to break the routine.

…I want to see General Seol.

Is there any excuse I can use to visit the Hwalseong District…?

She no longer felt any embarrassment or guilt in having such thoughts.

The Azure Dragon Palace… is okay as it is, right?

In fact, if she was going to raise such questions… she should have done it a few years ago…

“Azure Princess.”

It was around the time the Azure Princess was lost in such thoughts.

Her Headmaid Hui Yin entered through the middle gate of the Azure Dragon Palace. She was carrying a large box with her.

The box was made of luxurious antique wood and it was covered in engravings from the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

***

For a while, the only topic in the council was the matter of dethroning the Heavenly Maiden.

The very fact that such a proposal had been raised in the council was enough to stir up gossip throughout the palace.

Doubt began to spread within the palace about whether Heavenly Maide Ah Hyun, who currently resided in the Heavenly Dragon Hall, was truly fit for her position.

The major incident of the two special demonic spirits invading the imperial palace had gradually been exaggerated, and soon the conversation began to lean more and more towards dethroning her.

Each time such rumors reached them, the Headmaid and maids of the Heavenly Dragon Hall were filled with anxiety.

At this time, when the political standing of the young girl they had followed and believed in for so long was being shaken, no one would have a heavier heart than the Heavenly Maiden herself.

Everyone, with eyes full of concern, did their best to support their mistress and lighten her burdens as much as possible.

However, the hours Ah Hyun spent in deep thought grew longer by the day.

It was only natural. The situation was dire.

How difficult it must be to endure the overwhelming malice of the masses with that frail body.

How much she must despise the world, how empty the passing years must feel, and how unbearable the pain in her heart must be.

Yet, even with such suffocating emotions, she never complained, never showed it, and maintained her dignity as the noble Heavenly Maiden. This evoked a sense of reverence in the others.

Still, at heart, she was likely just a fragile young girl.

It wasn’t that she didn’t feel the pain, but rather, she remained strong so her maids wouldn’t become unsettled.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun sat on the porch and looked up at the bright moon; she seemed to be lost in thought. Headmaid Lee Ryeong secretly wiped away her tears from afar.

Just looking at her silhouette from a distance, as she silently gathered her thoughts, made Lee Ryeong’s chest ache.

Ugh… choosing the fish porridge was a mistake… It was greasier than I expected, and I couldn’t really enjoy my lunch…

She spent an unusually long time gazing at the flowers in the garden that day; it was likely because she knew that soon she would no longer be able to take in their beauty.

Should I ask for some honey tea… Something sweet sounds good right now…

The lamp in her bedroom remained lit because her mind was filled with so many thoughts and she couldn’t fall asleep.

Ugh… I can’t sleep because my stomach isn’t digesting well… Did I overdo it…

…There was never a day when the tears in Headmaid Lee Ryeong’s eyes dried.

“…….”

And then, the next morning.

A letter arrived from the palace, summoning her to the morning assembly.

Summoning the Heavenly Maiden, who must always serve the will of the Heavenly Dragon, was a grave act of disrespect.

The people of the main palace must have known that, but the reason for sending such a letter was obvious.

“Haa…”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun let out a soft laugh as she rose from her seat.

“Well then, shall I go to be dethroned?”

***

– To Tae Pyeong-ah

Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong sat in his study and read the letter that had flown in from the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

It was a final piece of advice from Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun who sensed the end of her own fate.

The letter was filled with various thoughts, but most of it was simply a repeat of things she had already said before.

No matter what happens to her, he must never defend her.

He must not help her, nor make any rash moves.

He must simply stay still.

“…….”

He heard that in the first timeline, Seol Tae Pyeong had suffered greatly after defending Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun. And it seemed that this had deeply wounded her.

Though he couldn’t know exactly what happened at the time, one thing was clear: if he followed the instructions of Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun who had some knowledge of the future there would be no loss for him.

Logically speaking, the best course of action was to simply stay still and do as she instructed.

– This is my command as the Heavenly Maiden that you should follow. Sit quietly in the Hwalseong District and focus solely on healing your body. Do nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just focus on following this command.

Seol Tae Pyeong threw the letter that ended like that on the wooden table and thought for a moment with his chin resting on his hand.

“A command I should follow, huh…”

Indeed, in this country, aside from the emperor, no one could challenge the authority of the Heavenly Maiden.

If it was her command, it was only right to carry it out without question.

The problem was, she was about to be dethroned.

Seol Tae Pyeong was a rising star, who earned numerous military achievements, and it was almost certain he would soon be given the position of a general-level official.

Meanwhile, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was a setting sun, who nearly completed her role and was beginning her descent from her position.

“…Why should I?”

Even after all this, could she still not understand…

Seol Tae Pyeong… was not a man who moved purely by reason or logic.