“Wow~! The weather’s gotten so cold…! At this rate, my fingers and toes might actually freeze. Ugh, thank goodness I lit the brazier. Let me warm up my hands first~!”
The door slid open with a creak, and Yeon Ri appeared.
“.….”
Then, when she saw the Vermilion Princess wrapped in a blanket and warming herself in Seol Tae Pyeong’s room, she stepped back in shock and bolted out of the room.
“I’m so sorryyyy!”
– Until you’re able to calm yourself, just rest here in the private room. There’s no need to rush back.
Even in the midst of it all, Seol Tae Pyeong had lent her part of the room. He was considerate of the still-dazed Vermilion Princess.
Never in her life had the Vermilion Princess entered a man’s private room. She was flustered beyond words and hesitated awkwardly. But there was no way he could leave the Vermilion Princess alone in the backyard of the Hwalseong District mansion, where anyone might come at any time.
So he first brought her inside to warm herself and was planning to figure out what to do next afterward.
“I was so shocked I nearly fainted, Tae Pyeong-ah. Who would’ve thought the Vermilion Princess, the one the entire palace is looking for, would appear in your room?”
“She showed up so suddenly, I didn’t even have time to think of how to handle it. Anyway, it’s good that we found her, isn’t it?”
After confirming that no one was around outside his mansion, Seol Tae Pyeong returned to the kitchen area with Yeon Ri.
“We can’t just let the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace stay here like this. We’ll have to send her back to the imperial palace as soon as possible.”
“You’re right, Yeon Ri. Still… I can’t help but think it wouldn’t be so bad to keep her here a little longer….”
“What are you even talking about, Tae Pyeong-ah…?”
“Listen to me. If things stay like this, I’ll get fired from my position as the inner palace inspector.”
Seol Tae Pyeong let out a sigh of relief as he spoke.
“The crown princess consort of a country stormed out in broad daylight, and if we fail to find her, how much more disloyal could we possibly be? At the very least, my qualifications as an inspector would come under examination. This winter, with my new role as commander of the Demonic Spirit Subjugation Unit, things are only going to get more chaotic. If I can rid myself of unnecessary positions, I should take the chance to do so.”
“So now you’re deliberately accepting disciplinary action just to get rid of your official position…?”
“I’m seriously going to work myself to death. Dealing with demonic spirits is less scary than this.”
“Tae Pyeong-ah….”
Yeon Ri ran her hands over her face in frustration, then eventually nodded her head.
“You know, you’re right… too much work is really scary.”
“At least we see eye to eye on this.”
“If the high officials in the imperial court who are constantly fighting to grab even more titles heard you, they’d laugh in disbelief. But thinking about your personality, I can kind of understand.”
Seol Tae Pyeong’s reputation had always been excessively high.
Being recognized as competent is a good thing, but when it goes too far, it turns into a noose tightening around your neck.
Work as little as possible while earning as much as you can.
It felt pointless to bring up such a motto at this stage, but one still needed to know when to shed unnecessary burdens.
“By the way, I heard something rather shocking from the Vermilion Princess.”
“What is it?”
Seol Tae Pyeong steadied his breath before sharing the news. This was something even Yeon Ri was likely unaware of.
“She said that it was In Seon Rok, the head of the Jeongseon clan, who killed Seol Lee Moon, the head of the Hwayongseol clan.”
***
Flinch.
When Seol Tae Pyeong entered the room with freshly brewed tea, the Vermilion Princess was trembling under the blanket.
She uncharacteristically twisted her body, lowered her head, and avoided his gaze.
“The tea I served earlier seemed to have gone cold, so I brewed a new pot.”
“Th-Thank you… you went to the trouble of brewing it out of concern for me, and yet I ended up ignoring your kindness.”
“It’s nothing. You were in a chaotic situation, weren’t you?”
Seol Tae Pyeong wanted to hear more from the Vermilion Princess.
This was because he had a gut feeling that it would somehow connect to the truth about the Plague Demonic Spirit that he was tracking.
Still, the story about Seol Lee Moon seemed to have some gaps with the Heavenly Dragon Love Story. That gap needed to be bridged.
Seol Tae Pyeong set the tea down and took a seat across from her.
The way she was wrapped in a blanket made her look like a giant caterpillar.
Seeing this unexpected side of the Vermilion Princess, so different from her usual demeanor, Seol Tae Pyeong had to suppress a laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“…Was it that obvious?”
“Yes. I must look ridiculous to you. I pretended to be noble and strong, but in the end, this is all I amount to….”
The Vermilion Princess didn’t bother to meet his eyes.
For some reason, it was harder than usual for her to look directly at Seol Tae Pyeong today.
After pouring her heart out to him and hearing his calm response of “It doesn’t matter”, a strange sense of relief swept over her.
But when she looked up at him again, she found herself unable to meet his gaze for an entirely different reason.
She was well aware that she had feelings for him.
However, the weight of her position as the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace and the respect she carried on behalf of countless others allowed her to suppress any unnecessary emotions.
The Vermilion Princess was harsh on herself.
As long as she had responsibilities to protect, she could restrain personal feelings to a certain extent.
But her current situation was anything but ordinary.
Did any dignity as the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace remain? Especially after crying so uncontrollably in front of him?
Were there any maids here in this Hwalseong District whom she needed to maintain proper behavior for? No, not even that.
Or what of her honor as a crown princess consort? The truth was, the Crown Prince hadn’t even brought her into his favored Jade Tiger Palace.
Throughout those grueling years, she had worn countless masks, but now, after abandoning everything and wandering until she reached Hwalseong District, only her original human In Ha Yeon remained.
If she were to return to Cheongdo Palace, she would pay for her sins and then regain her authority once more.
However, in her current state, she was a Vermilion Bird with broken wings. There was nothing left to protect, and she existed only as the fragile girl In Ha Yeon.
When she fully acknowledged this, a devil’s whisper crept into her mind.
It was a strong temptation to entrust her body just this once to Seol Tae Pyeong, who supported her fragile self, and to find emotional comfort in him.
It was said that when men saw weakened women, an inexplicable protective instinct would arise in them.
Even though it wasn’t intentional, for someone who had lived her entire life under strict discipline, this was her first mistake and she was already struggling immensely. Seol Tae Pyeong undoubtedly understood this as well.
On top of that, given the disparity in authority between them, if she leaned on him now, it was almost certain he wouldn’t be able to refuse.
No matter how upright he was. No matter how much of a paragon of self-control he was, it wouldn’t be easy for him to endure this moment.
If she had only been controlled by the White Demonic Spirit, at least she could have blamed it on being out of her mind. But in this situation, even a single wrong word could create a black mark in her history that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
Yet how foolish human beings are.
That simple, primal desire to rest her head against Seol Tae Pyeong’s broad chest just once burned fiercely within her and made it almost impossible to resist.
The man, whether aware of her inner struggle or not, sat there with the kindest expression on his face. He was carefully brewing tea with utmost sincerity too.
Feeling both gratitude and resentment toward such a man, she buried her face as much as she could into the blankets and murmured.
“I-I apologize for showing such disgrace. Still… your words earlier gave me a great deal of comfort.”
“I’m relieved to hear you’ve calmed down. For now, please focus on recovering, and until you’ve decided you’re ready to return, I won’t inform the main palace about your whereabouts.”
“If… if you do that, won’t your position as the inner palace inspector be at risk?”
“I don’t feel particularly attached to such a position.”
“That won’t do. The palace is filled with those who struggle desperately to attain even one title. You should value your authority more.”
“Thank you for your concern, but I assure you, it’s really fine.”
In reality, Seol Tae Pyeong simply didn’t want to work anymore.
All he wanted was to quickly find and kill the Plague Demonic Spirit, then live his own life.
“Even so… the maids under my command and the guards who let me pass must be in trouble. If I don’t step in to protect them, they could face real danger.”
“…I can’t deny that. Headmaid Hyeon Dang has been under a lot of stress.”
“I owe so much to her. She’s been my loyal support who served by my side for her entire life, yet it feels like all she ever does is sacrifice herself for my sake….”
“Even just confirming that you’re safe and well will bring the Headmaid great joy.”
“…There are too many people in my life who are far too good for me. I’m… not someone who deserves them….”
Once again, the Vermilion Princess’s voice grew faint.
It seemed it would take some time for her to regain the confidence she once exuded so effortlessly.
Everyone experiences a period of wandering at least once in their life. Seol Tae Pyeong understood well how profoundly the way one navigates such a time could shape the course of their future.
For that reason, rather than pressuring her, he decided to respect her choices as much as possible.
This cautious attitude from Seol Tae Pyeong was clear to see, and strangely enough, it stirred an inexplicable heat within the Vermilion Princess’s chest.
To her eyes, Seol Tae Pyeong seemed like a man without a single flaw.
Though his martial strength reached unparalleled heights, he did not allow pride to cloud his judgment. His approach to life was serious, his concern for others was unwavering, and his restraint in the use of power was admirable. He simply fulfilled his role like an ideal warrior.
If not for her status as a crown princess consort, such a man would have been the one she longed to take as her companion. For the first time, she realized what her ideal partner would be like.
If the shackles of her noble lineage stood in her way, perhaps even casting off those chains to wander the imperial capital with him would not be so terrible.
No matter which path she might tread, she felt that as long as she had someone like Seol Tae Pyeong by her side, she would never lose her way.
“……!”
As her thoughts wandered this far, the Vermilion Princess had to steady herself again.
Once again, her mind almost slipped into a haze and she was on the verge of losing control. Truly, this man, Seol Tae Pyeong, was someone who constantly caused waves in her once-calm heart.
“Still… even if it means poking the Vermilion Princess’s wounds, I must ask.”
“Wh-What is it…?”
“Vermilion Princess, I heard that Seol Lee Moon, the head of the Hwayongseol clan, was renowned as a loyal subject even in Cheongdo. How could such a devoted man have tried to assassinate the Emperor and incite rebellion? I can’t help but wonder about the reason.”
From Seol Tae Pyeong’s point of view, since he was unable to discover the full truth of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story, this was the question that preoccupied him the most.
Swordmaster Seol Lee Moon had overcome the Human Trial, which was one of the Three Calamities to elevate one’s strength.
These Three Trials or Three Calamities consisted of the Heavenly Calamity, the Earthly Calamity, and the Human Calamity.
The Human Trial was considered the lowest of the three and it required the wielder to personally kill the person they held most dear.
That’s why the Seol Lee Moon that Seol Tae Pyeong knew… was a mad Swordmaster who had slain Seol Ran’s mother, merchant Seong Hyeol Hwa, in pursuit of greater power for the sake of a higher cause.
But the Vermilion Princess revealed something different.
“I heard that Swordmaster Seol Lee Moon’s beloved merchant… was poisoned to death by my father.”
With those words, she laid bare the disgrace of her own family.
She told Seol Tae Pyeong the truth with a sad expression on her face. She believed it was the least she could do for him.
“……”
At her words, a chill ran down Seol Tae Pyeong’s spine.
Surely, Yeon Ri who was listening from beyond the paper door must have felt the same.
“And through political scheming, they manipulated him into thinking it was an imperial decree.”
“Is that… the reason why Seol Lee Moon rebelled?”
“Yes. I heard he loved the merchant Seong Hyeol Hwa dearly.”
The method to identify the Plague Demonic Spirit was clear.
Even the Plague Demonic Spirit was not fully aware of the content of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story.
The events of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story, which only Seol Tae Pyeong knew, could not be accurately deduced or revealed by the Plague Demonic Spirit, no matter how hard it tried.
Of course, the flow of this world had been greatly distorted by Seol Tae Pyeong and Yeon Ri’s efforts to save it. Many events that would never have happened in The Heavenly Dragon Love Story were now unfolding.
Even Yeon Ri, who had never experienced such events in any of her countless cycles, was now encountering them one after another. The Vermilion Princess’s own escape from the palace was a prime example of this.
However, the past was different.
Especially a past from far before the cycle of reincarnation had even begun. No matter how much the present or future might deviate, the past could not stray from the original flow of The Heavenly Dragon Love Story.
Seol Lee Moon’s death, for example, had occurred long before Seol Tae Pyeong arrived in this world.
The future could change, but the past could never be changed.
Knowing this well…
“Merchant Seong Hyeol Hwa was caught in the schemes of my Jeongseon clan and lost her life… at least, if my father’s words are true…”
In the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”, Seol Lee Moon killed Seong Hyeol Hwa himself and became a Swordmaster in return.
However, the Vermilion Princess’s story contradicted this.
───A gap within The Heavenly Dragon Love Story had been discovered.
It was neither a story of the present nor the future… but of a distant past, long before any story had begun.
“The head of the Jeongseon clan In Seon Rok poisoned merchant Seong Hyeol Hwa to death…?”
Seol Tae Pyeong pondered.
That statement was a lie.
Chief Councilor In Seon Rok was lying.
Why?
Why would he falsely claim to have killed someone he had never laid a hand on?
From this point, it was speculation.
Yet, only one convincing hypothesis came to mind.
The reason for such a lie was to fabricate a plausible excuse.
To justify why Seol Lee Moon, a military officer who had been more loyal to Cheongdo Palace than anyone else, had suddenly turned against the Imperial Palace.
The real reason was twisted and hidden as a secret while a reason that everyone could reluctantly accept was created.
It was to make the world remember him as a vengeful spirit who rampaged to avenge the death of the merchant he loved.
Why?
For what reason?
“It must be because Swordmaster Seol Lee Moon must have uncovered some fragment of a great truth.”
Yeon Ri who was sitting on the wooden floor beyond the paper door gazed solemnly at the dirt ground.
“For example… the beginning of some great disaster hidden inside the Main Palace.”
He looked up at the grandiose main palace….then raised the corners of his lips in a smirk.
“Found it.”
The tail of the Plague Demonic Spirit that was hidden deep within this massive Cheongdo Palace, lying low and working in secret to devour the world out of the Swordmaster’s sight.
He grabbed hold of the clue. And once he grabbed it, he would never let go of his grip.
***
“Have you found Ha Yeon?”
“The search led by the Vice General is well underway, but we have no news yet. My apologies.”
“I see… I am worried. Inform me immediately when you hear anything.”
The Jeongseon clan’s mansion.
The head of the Jeongseon clan In Seon Rok closed his eyes briefly upon receiving the report from his subordinate.
Was it the last trace of late autumn?
A single red leaf clung to the end of a bare branch and started trembling in the cold wind.
He gazed at it for a moment with a complicated expression on his face, then finally turned his eyes to the sky before retreating indoors to escape the cold air.
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