Chapter 97: Dethronement Part 3

Bad rumors spread inside and outside the palace.

Ah Hyun, the current Heavenly Maiden sitting in the Heavenly Dragon Hall, was nothing more than a figurehead who held onto a position she lacked the ability to fulfill.

The evidence of this was the rampant demonic spirits swarming throughout the Cheongdo Empire. She couldn’t properly wield the power of the Heavenly Dragon.

For the safety of Cheongdo, she needed to be dethroned, and someone more suitable had to take her place.

At first, these rumors were whispered only among junior soldiers and maids, but soon they started to circulate among high officials… and eventually, it got to the point where such talk was openly discussed in public.

She was a girl who had spent almost her entire life revered in the Heavenly Dragon Hall. To suddenly dethrone her and cast her into the streets was practically no different from condemning her to die a lonely death.

“Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun has ordered that no one is to be allowed inside. That includes the Bright Moon General.”

Perhaps this was her last loyal servant.

Headmaid Lee Ryeong of the Heavenly Dragon Hall refused to let me pass even though I had the Heavenly Dragon tablet in hand.

“…….”

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s intentions were clear.

In the end, she was now a falling star.

She had made many mistakes, and it was obvious that her enemies would soon increase. She must have thought that being seen too close to the “Bright Moon General” could bring trouble for me.

I hadn’t completely disregarded that possibility either, so I came dressed in the Black Moon Unit uniform with my face tightly wrapped in white cotton cloth.

Today, I came as Black Moon Leader Cheong Jin Myeong. It was something I often did when I wanted to avoid attention inside the palace.

Even so, the doors to the Heavenly Dragon Hall did not open for me.

“When do you think Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun will step down from her position?”

There was no point in dancing around the subject at this stage. I asked directly, and headmaid Lee Ryeong lowered her gaze for a moment with a flustered look on her face.

“…….”

“So you’re not planning to say anything.”

“There isn’t much I can tell you. But Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun is deeply concerned that the many slanders she will soon face might negatively affect Bright Moon General’s career.”

Even as a falling star, she was still the woman who stood at the highest position in Cheongdo Palace.

If she decided to push me away, there was no way I could meet her.

“If the agenda for her dethronement passes at today’s council meeting, she will likely leave the palace by tomorrow after going through the court hearing.”

“Do you know exactly when she will leave tomorrow?”

“That…”

Lee Ryeong shook her head with her head still lowered. It seemed even she had been silenced by Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

That’s right. Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was someone who already had a vague understanding of how the future would unfold.

Though she appeared relaxed and careless most of the time, which made it easy to underestimate her, if she ever turned into an enemy, she would be endlessly troublesome.

You can tell just by looking at the current situation where the powerful Plague Demonic Spirit was writhing in madness because it couldn’t kill her.

“…….”

When her dethronement was decided, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun had already anticipated how I would act.

If she decided to run away, there would be no catching her.

That was the most troublesome aspect of Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun.

“Come to think of it, around noon tomorrow, a large delivery of food ingredients will come through the southwestern gate for the Heavenly Dragon Hall. There are many delicious and rare ingredients, so the maids there are eager to show off their cooking skills.”

“…….?”

“If you have time, Bright Moon General, you should come and try them as well.”

The sudden mention of the affairs inside the Heavenly Dragon Hall by Headmaid Lee Ryeong felt out of place… but I quickly understood her intention.

Though this Headmaid was on Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s side, she didn’t wish for her to meet a miserable end.

“Tomorrow at noon, the southwestern gate, you say.”

“Yes. The weather is getting colder, so you should eat something hearty.”

“Understood. It sounds like I’ll have a feast for the first time in a while.”

I nodded my head and then left through the main gate of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Tomorrow at noon, the southwestern gate.

I clung tightly to the information Lee Ryeong had given me as I made my way back to the Hwalseong District.

***

I wasn’t sure what kind of character Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was portrayed as in the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”. I hadn’t even read far enough to reach the part where she was given much focus.

She was the one holding the position of Heavenly Maiden before the protagonist Seol Ran took it.

There were frequent descriptions of her watching over Seol Ran as she received both harsh treatment and recognition from the mistresses of the Four Palaces.

Every now and then, letters written by her would appear. Judging by her writing style, she seemed to be a sharp and cruel person—or at least, that’s the impression I got.

Seeing Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun in person was a bit shocking at first, as she seemed far less impressive than expected, but that too was a story from quite some time ago.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun herself had insisted that no one defend her and told everyone to leave her alone. She said that she would take full responsibility for her own faults.

And she was actually someone who could do that.

Considering how she had turned back the world multiple times, she must have survived well after her dethronement and watched how the world continued to unfold.

She likely wasn’t completely helpless in household affairs, nor would she have been penniless (usually, they’d send you off with a few bits and pieces when you’re dethroned), so even if left alone, she would manage just fine.

….

Yes.

If one were to name the right answer, it would be to leave her alone, no matter what fate befalls her.

– It’s the Heavenly Maiden’s palanquin!

– What did she ever do right to be riding out in such a lavish palanquin on the day of her dethronement?

– Because of those demonic spirits, my father passed away! Take responsibility! I said, take responsibility!

– Sob… My daughter… Give me back my daughter who was killed by those demonic spirits…

As the palanquin of the dethroned Heavenly Maiden passed by, the lower-ranking officials nearby shouted angrily.

Among them were those grinding their teeth in fury, and others shedding tears for family members lost to the demonic spirits.

But was it truly all the Heavenly Maiden’s fault?

In the end, it didn’t matter.

Those who had lost wealth, friends, or family… they were left utterly alone, and they needed someone to blame.

Even if the facts didn’t align, if there was no outlet for their burning rage, it would fester and eventually explode from inside.

I sat on the southwestern wall and watched the crowd that had gathered for the Heavenly Maiden’s departure before I slowly closed my eyes.

Plop, plop.

A few stones struck the palanquin carrying the Heavenly Maiden.

At first, it was just a handful of small pebbles, but soon drums and even food began to be hurled through the air.

All sorts of filthy things flew at the noble Heavenly Maiden’s palanquin and stained it.

The bearers clenched their jaws and continued pulling the palanquin forward with pained expressions on their faces.

Offer a scapegoat to the gallows and burn them at the stake.

Find the source of this huge disaster and set it ablaze.

Could anyone truly call such a frenzied crowd uncivilized and foolish after witnessing them caught in the grip of half-madness?

It was a sight I had often seen, even before being swept into this strange world.

Sometimes, I felt a sense of revulsion watching crowds driven by such madness.

Other times, I found myself among them, shouting at the top of my lungs. And at times, I lived as the very target of their hatred, bowing my head to survive.

It wasn’t about right or wrong, but rather a natural phenomenon.

Crowds move with emotion. The Heavenly Maiden must have realized this, after seeing this irrational world repeat itself countless times.

That must be why she could accept this situation so easily.

She didn’t see the crowd throwing stones and filth at her as individual people but rather as a predictable “phenomenon” she had long come to understand.

I recalled the image of Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun sitting quietly in the Heavenly Jade Pavilion as she kept gazing up at the waterfall.

After facing disaster, the crowd always seeks someone to blame.

It was just another natural phenomenon. Like water falling from the cliffs.

Creaaaaaaaak.

The middle gate of the southwest began to open for the departure of the Heavenly Maiden.

The sight of that huge gate opening looked like a giant beast opening its maw, ready to devour its prey.

The Heavenly Maiden who now didn’t have the support of countless maids. Once she stepped beyond that gate, she would become nothing more than a common village girl.

“Bi Cheon, let’s move.”

Bi Cheon who had been watching the situation from behind me nodded his head.

***

Once the palanquin passed through the middle gate, we would take Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun to the Hwalseong District.

I knew very well how much of a political burden it was to bring the dethroned Heavenly Maiden to the Hwalseong District.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun herself must have been fully aware of this, which was why she tried to flee without looking back.

After all, she likely had a compulsion that she absolutely could not stand in the way of my path to success, so she probably didn’t want to leave even the smallest risk behind.

However, when have I ever reached out to people while considering such things?

Understanding and gains, reason and discernment, all were important. But in the end, the most crucial lesson I had learned from White Immortal Lee Cheol Woon was just one thing.

Do what you believe is right.

If you are convinced it’s right, then rise with your sword, even in the face of irrationality and opposition.

I drew my sword against the Vermilion Princess on the platform of the birthday ceremony, let the Black Princess escape, fought with the ghost hands, and spared the White Princess who would later become a thorn in the inner palace.

I did all of these simply because I believed they were the right things to do.

If you push forward with unwavering belief in your convictions, the day will come when you’ll see the light.

Because I believed this without a doubt, I had lived my life doing what I thought was right.

Once I took her to the Hwalseong District, there would be countless ways to avoid the political burden.

Even if someone discovered it and tried to cause trouble, as long as I handled it properly, I could take full responsibility.

Was she afraid her existence would become my weakness? That was underestimating me.

If you live your life running away from responsibility out of fear, you’ll never achieve anything.

A man’s life shines not when he flees from responsibility, but when he strives to bear it.

No matter what you’re thinking, I live the way I always have.

There’s no need to overcomplicate things. This is simply my way.

Clang!

Tap! Tap! Thud!

At my command, the Black Moon Unit swarmed the palanquin of the Heavenly Maiden.

According to the laws of Cheongdo, the moment someone deposed leaves the palace, they are no longer connected to the royal court in any way.

Since she had completely lost her status as the Heavenly Maiden, it didn’t matter how she was treated now.

Wham! Smash!

“Aaargh! What’s happening? Assassins!”

Even the palanquin bearers abandoned the palanquin and fled. After all, the person inside was no longer the Heavenly Maiden, so it didn’t matter to them anymore.

The assassins stormed in, broke open the door of the palanquin, and checked inside.

“……”

However, the inside of the palanquin was completely empty.

There was nothing inside the palanquin except for a single letter written on a luxurious silk scroll, as if hoping the one who attacked the palanquin would read it.

That’s right.

Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun was someone who had a certain grasp on the flow of the future.

She had already foreseen this situation to some extent after her dethronement.

—————————————

To Tae Pyeong,

I write this letter beneath the last moon I will see from the Heavenly Jade Pavilion.

This is probably the last time I’ll smell the plum blossoms drifting through the window of my chamber. It’s a shame. I enjoyed it.

When I think about it, the time we had together feels like a dream, a long one at that.

Now that I’ve nearly lost the power of the Heavenly Dragon, the memories of how you helped me all this time often feel like fleeting dreams. I suppose it’s because so much time has passed.

I think I should start by apologizing, Tae Pyeong-ah.

I can no longer remain the Heavenly Maiden of Cheongdo. You probably already knew, but without my title, I would only be a burden to you, never a benefit.

Before facing the great enemy of the Plague Demonic Spirit, you need to gather all your strength, right?

The fact that you’re harboring a dethroned Heavenly Maiden will only serve as a political burden for you.

You’re about to cross the Bright Moon General and soon rise to the position of Vice General, so there’s no point in carrying unnecessary burdens.

Ideally, I would have liked to raise you to the rank of Grand General before I got dethroned, but considering the circumstances, I think I’ve done enough. From here on, you’ll manage just fine on your own, even without the Heavenly Maiden by your side, right?

At dawn today, I’ll pack my things and leave Cheongdo Palace.

The high officials were considerate enough to allow me to leave quietly when no one is watching.

By the time you see the empty palanquin you attacked, you’ll probably realize that Headmaid Lee Ryeong was in on this with me.

I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a heads-up. However, I couldn’t help it since I knew how you would react.

Once I’m dethroned, they’ll have to select a new Heavenly Maiden.

The process of selecting a Heavenly Maiden is a long and grueling one, so in the meantime, they’ll need to choose a temporary priestess to uphold the power of the Heavenly Dragon. She will be the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Palace for the time being.

Normally, my dethroning would have come much later, but since the Sun Demonic Spirit grew stronger through repeated cycles of reincarnation, I ended up being dethroned much sooner than expected. The calamity brought by the Sun Demonic Spirit wasn’t supposed to be this severe.

So, until Maid Seol becomes the new Heavenly Maiden, they will need to carefully select someone capable of fully taking on this role. Finding a woman of such noble stature won’t be easy, so one of the mistresses of the Four Great Palaces will have to step up.

Most of it will be decided in the council meetings, but now that you’re about to become the Vice General, you’ll have a voice in those meetings soon enough.

I trust you’ll handle it well.

Stay strong, Tae Pyeong-ah.

I’ll have to wander the world for a while.

I hope you don’t feel too sad about it.

Throughout many cycles of reincarnation, I’ve been dethroned countless times, and there was always a period when I would roam the world like this.

Though I couldn’t stay near Cheongdo Palace, wandering through the mountains and other worlds became some of my fondest memories and greatest assets.

And though it’s a little embarrassing to admit, the starting point of all those journeys was always you.

This might be a confusing thing for you to hear, since you have no memory of it.

But still, now that I’ve reached the final cycle of reincarnation, I wanted to tell you.

Thank you. Because of you, I was able to endure this terrible cycle of reincarnation.

Thank you for understanding me when I was filled with bitterness, consumed by hatred, and full of resentment towards the world.

I had always been a spiteful and cruel woman, even if I say so myself, but I was grateful that you accepted me until the end and taught me the beauty of life.

Thank you for helping me realize that the world isn’t just filled with cruelty.

Thank you for showing me why I should care for the people and for giving me a reason to live a little longer.

Even through all the hardships and suffering, I was grateful that you endured and stayed alive.

Looking back on countless years, to the point where it’s hard to keep track…

The only reason that stubborn soul, who once only knew how to wield the overwhelming power of the Heavenly Dragon, survived and continued this journey was entirely thanks to you.

So you must survive.

We are not parting forever.

No matter what happens, it is my destiny to return to Cheongdo Palace.

So let’s meet again before this story ends.

– Ah Hyun

—————————————

After closing the letter again, I looked down at the floor of the carriage for a moment.

Bi Cheon who had been sitting across from me noticed the look on my face and flinched before he lowered his head as well.

“General Seol, are you alright?”

“Yes. It’s just… even though I knew this would happen, I still feel a strange sense of sadness.”

How could you hold back someone who knows the future?

Once she decided to leave, there was no stopping her.

I knew that much, but still, I reached out into the empty air.

Come to think of it, Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun always lived within unreasonable circumstances.

She seemed immature and only showed a bright exterior, so it was hard to fully understand the situation she was in.

She must have suffered more than anyone amid the endless cycle of death. She calls it the repetition of reincarnation, but in reality, it’s just a living hell.

Perhaps in the first few cycles, she truly wept in despair as she was trapped in this cursed loop of destruction.

And through the ongoing reincarnations, she must have experienced so much.

She must have dreamed many dreams, sometimes achieved them, and at other times lost them.

Amid the cycle of success and failure, she had likely held onto her slowly eroding emotions, and in the end, the conclusion she reached was to enjoy life as it came.

The way she sat in the heart of Heavenly Jade Pavilion, ate delicious food, and always greeted me with a cheerful smile… that was, in fact, the destination she had reached at the end of a very long journey.

By laughing, crying, and chatting like that, she had managed to keep her heart from being worn down.

Had I ever truly tried to understand her? No, I hadn’t.

Whenever I saw Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun’s constant smiles and chatter, there didn’t seem to be any trace of despair left in her.

She had grown stronger in her own way through a long battle. The fact that I hadn’t noticed her despair was proof of that.

“I… I haven’t really done anything for her…”

“..…..”

“That’s… that’s just…”

I lowered my head and quietly looked at my trembling fingertips.

“That’s just, what lingers heavily in my heart…”

Meetings and partings were always fleeting things.

They said that people meet as easily as water flows in and part just as easily as it flows out.

I had let go of the White Immortal Elder, of the Vice General, and now of Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun as well.

Well… in any case, she was still alive, wasn’t she?

She wasn’t dead; she was merely wandering the world for a while and reflecting on life during these passing years.

Let’s meet again before this story ends.

Like the girl had said, all I had to do was steadily move toward the end of the story.

Because we would meet again there.

The sound of the carriage wheels rolling echoed through the air.

Inside the carriage heading toward the Hwalseong District, only Bi Cheon lowered his head as if he was troubled.

How could he comfort his lord, who had fallen into despair? It must have been an overwhelming task for this young apprentice warrior.

The carriage simply moved forward in silence.

Just as our lives, our fates, and our connections do.

“Greetings~! I’m Yeon Ri, a senior maid who has been appointed as the headmaid of Lord Bright Moon General of the Hwalseong District~!”

“……”

“Wow~. Lord Bright Moon General, it’s been so long~. You’ve changed so much since your time as an apprentice warrior in the White Immortal Palace that I almost didn’t recognize you~! It feels like just yesterday when we struggled together back in the White Immortal Palace, and now, to meet again like this, I’m so happy to see you again~!”

At the Bright Moon General’s mansion in the Hwalseong District.

I glanced briefly in Ha Si Hwa’s direction, and she hesitated before speaking.

She explained that she had brought Yeon Ri because she was an old friend of mine from the White Immortal Palace days, and Yeon Ri was known for being competent.

Although talks of Yeon Ri’s appointment had been going on for quite some time, it seemed there had been no formal report because Yeon Ri, who had returned to her hometown, still had some time left before she was ready to come back.

“After leaving the White Immortal Palace, I went down to my hometown for a while to look after my parents. But recently, I heard rumors of various disasters causing a shortage of workers, so I returned to Cheongdo Palace… I never expected Lord Bright Moon General to rise to such prominence like this! Wow~ I knew you were destined for great things, but I never imagined you’d do this well~.”

“The… the headmaid should show proper respect toward Lord Bright Moon General.”

“Manager Ha sure is strict~. Lord Bright Moon General and I have been through thick and thin together since our White Immortal Palace days, so a bit of rudeness should be something he can understand—aaack!”

I grabbed Yeon Ri by the collar and glared at her as I spoke.

“You said you were afraid of becoming a burden.”

“Well… that’s the Heavenly Maiden’s story, and I’m just Yeon Ri, the new headmaid?!”

“If that’s the case, you could have at least given me a heads-up…”

“Well, I couldn’t do that…”

Yeon Ri broke into a strained smile and sweat dripped down her face.

“If I did that, I wouldn’t have been able to make a surprise entrance… right…?”

I could feel the coldness radiating from my eyes.

“Do you really want to die?”

“P-P-Please spare me…”

After that, the new headmaid Yeon Ri had to stand in the hallway for an hour as punishment.

No matter how much I thought about it. As I watched her standing there in tears with her hands raised, I couldn’t help but think she was bringing this upon herself.

She would sit in the Heavenly Jade Pavilion and would laugh happily as she made various kinds of schemes.

The memories of all the hardships I endured under the Heavenly Maiden’s command passed faintly through my mind.

Still, when I think back, there were a lot of good memories as well.

Yes.

If I were to describe those memories…. from that time…

“…….”

…You’re dead now.