From the moment Soeun Yu first entered the secret chamber, Byul Rak had been focused entirely on one thing.
Her physical condition.
To Byul Rak, Soeun Yu was more than just any woman. She was someone he had traded his life to save, more than just a matter of affection. In fact, she was practically his alter ego.
And now, the life thread of this Soeun Yu was perilously fragile. There was no way Byul Rak could maintain his sanity.
– Hmm… doesn’t seem like there’s a mood for jokes here.
“Madame Yu’s behavior is strange.”
– It’s not just desperation. It looks like our son-in-law suffered a great deal in his absence.
“No, she truly feels remorse toward me. Though I don’t know the reason… This is not a feeling that can be produced merely from suffering.”
However, the moment Soeun Yu began to rub Byul Rak’s hand against her cheeks and face, Byul Rak started to encompass ‘other things’ in his line of sight.
Then, suddenly.
“All of it… you’ve found out…?”
“…”
“To go so far as to reverse time for me…”
Soeun Yu’s single utterance shook Byul Rak to the core.
It was a statement akin to a bolt of thunder. A bright flash of lightning struck and settled deeply within Byul Rak’s heart.
To know that time has been reversed.
That meant…
– It seems you’ve gone through quite an ordeal in the meantime.
It implied the realization of the Heavenly Principle.
It also signified the violation of the Heavenly Mandate.
“…”
As that thought occurred to him, Byul Rak’s mind was instantly overwhelmed by extreme anxiety.
Kwang!
“Su, sir?”
Byul Rak roughly stood up and walked forward, treating the wooden table as if it weren’t an obstacle at all.
Kwajijik!
Indeed, it failed to act even as an obstacle. The moment it touched Byul Rak, it crumbled like shedding its skin.
“Sir? Why, why are you doing this…?”
“Stay still.”
“Y, yes?”
Startled by his sudden behavior, Soeun Yu, who had been crying, lifted her head.
Byul Rak lifted his other hand and cradled Soeun Yu’s face, aligning their gazes.
Though Soeun Yu wondered what he was doing, upon seeing his serious expression, she closed her mouth.
“Could it be, could it be…!”
Byul Rak’s blue eyes quivered with emotion.
Only he, who had already experienced this situation thousands of times, was witnessing the return of his most dreaded moment.
“Why, why, why, why…!!”
Death.
The Heavenly Mandate is a privilege reserved for those of qualifying rank.
It’s a forbidden zone that those without sufficient standing should not dare approach. Arrogant as it may sound, that is what the Heavenly Mandate embodies.
The Heavenly Mandate had previously bestowed upon Byul Rak a deeply painful memory. In the midst of the burning Namgung household, through his ignorance of its laws, while trying to reassure Su-a Namgung, he disclosed a fact. As a result, he witnessed Su-a Namgung spewing blood from the Seven Vacant Points right before his eyes.
Byul Rak still couldn’t sleep sometimes due to the memory of that day. Although he had seen Su-a Namgung die countless times, it was different when her death was caused by his own actions.
“Why…! Why has it come to this for you too…!”
Ooom.
Byul Rak’s hands cupping Soeun Yu’s head had a purpose other than emotional support.
It was an intention to delve into her memories, much like what he had done with others.
“Su, sir? Wh-what are you… attempting…”
Soeun Yu’s pupils became hazy. Someone had forcibly flipped the pages of her memories. Of course, Soeun Yu herself was unaware of this.
“…”
“…”
– So, you’ve seen the diary you left behind at the Namgung household. The reason you left with nothing but the attire given by Namgung Su-a on your expulsion has created this situation.
“…”
– Good grief? You even clashed with the Qingwang Treasure Sword? The Qing Guang Treasure Sword did well to save this girl… Remarkable.
“…”
– Oh, so it was this woman’s actions in the Mutchun Valley that healed you so quickly. The mystery has finally been resolved.
Wooom.
Into Byul Rak’s head, chaotic like the center of a bloodbath, Woo-yong Jin inserted himself to organize the situation. Consequently, Byul Rak now clearly understood the events Soeun Yu had experienced after the Qi Flowers Battle.
“Ah.”
Like closing the final page of a finished book, Byul Rak detached himself from Soeun Yu with a disoriented expression. Soeun Yu continued to stare blankly into space.
Ah, it was an unfamiliar experience for him.
To have been unknowingly protected by someone.
And to realize this fact.
To someone like Byul Rak who had always concealed his divine powers bestowed by heaven and protected others, it was indeed an unprecedented experience.
However, such matters were entirely unimportant at this moment. What truly mattered was…
“Lady…”
Regardless of how things turned out, Soeun Yu had awakened to the Heavenly Mandate.
And, judging from the physical contact he had just confirmed, the time allotted to her had cruelly and mercilessly run out.
Soeun Yu, who was already alternating between exhaustion and fainting, had strained her weakening body further by revealing Heavenly Qi leaks, expending all her remaining strength.
It was only natural that the minuscule amount of life force left in her would dissipate without a trace.
“Lady…?”
Byul Rak extended his trembling hand towards Soeun Yu’s face. His rough touch gently smoothed over her.
Her eyes still lacked focus. No tears flowed. It was unclear whether it was due to dryness or her inability to cry any longer.
Though her gaze wasn’t fixed on anything specific, it didn’t wander. It seemed as though she didn’t have the time to wander.
Once more, Byul Rak’s heart plummeted.
“Lady! Lady! Lady!!!”
In a panic, Byul Rak attempted to embrace Soeun Yu.
Thus, having lost her support, Soeun Yu’s eyelids slowly closed. Losing the previous balance, Soeun Yu collapsed into Byul Rak’s arms like a falling leaf.
The remnants of life scattered around began to gradually fade into the cold, chilly air of the basement. It was unclear if these were emanating from Soeun Yu’s body.
“Lady!!!!!”
From the blue irises, after an incredibly long time, blue liquid fell. It moistened something that had grown cold but, once lost, it would not return.
In this world, unless it was an exceedingly rare divine pill that sometimes leaves behind a sense of wonder, it was absolutely impossible.
My body can no longer hold any strength.
That last taboo word must have been the root cause.
Since ancient times, death has been described as something abrupt that cannot be anticipated or prepared for.
In my case, I guessed it roughly, but still, facing it, I feel nothing but regret.
My Lord, no, Cheolbin holds my face. His large hands warmly cover my face.
Of course, as always, his touch is cold, devoid of any warmth, but to me, it is a warmer touch than the sun that illuminates all things.
I am glad.
In my final moment, to leave this world having been caressed by him.
Being able to depart without burdening him further.
Cheolbin’s eyes are closed, as if focused on something other than my condition.
My head feels numb. Someone is furiously ransacking my memories. However, it is not unpleasant. After all, I am a wretched soul that is dying.
Right here, right now, I must die quickly.
He holds the elixir. And now, having revealed the glimpse of the celestial Qi in a fit of emotion, he will soon realize I am on borrowed time.
I must die before then. The miraculous elixir painstakingly obtained by Cheolbin should not be wasted on a despicable girl like me.
I don’t want to be a shameless woman. Of course, I’m afraid of death, but since I have already committed an enormous sin against him, I fear accumulating further karmic retribution even more.
– Soeun Yu.
A voice calls my name.
It is cold, frosty, and frigid, and I know who this voice belongs to.
– Soeun Yu.
The emissary of the underworld calling the soul of the deceased by uttering one’s name thrice.
He has arrived.
He has already called twice. Now, one more call, and it would end. Fortunately, it’s sooner than expected. Cheolbin’s eyes are still closed.
– Yu.
I feel no great regret, only a sense of release.
In the final moment, to sincerely apologize to him.
And, though unclear of his intent, the way he caressed me with both hands felt as though I had received his forgiveness.
Impudently, I feel joy and relief.
– Soeun.
The third utterance by the emissary of the underworld has just ended.
Ooom.
Simultaneously, an inexplicable sensation enveloped me. The strange feeling of my soul detaching from my body.
When my body, no, my soul floated up, I finally saw it. Above my head stood a man wearing a long black hat and dressed in black formal attire, with a face as white as snow.
– Let’s go.
I silently followed him. Throughout my life, I had never learned to walk without touching the ground, but strangely, in this moment, it came naturally. Like a newborn baby taking its first breaths without prior knowledge.
“My lady! My lady! My lady!!”
He calls out as he holds me. I cannot bring myself to turn around. The Underworld Messenger, who is urging me, I am both grateful and resentful towards.
“My lady!!!!!”
“I’m sorry.”
– Come along now.
“From here on, may you lead a happy life. Cast me, someone like me, into the past, and may you find joy with new connections.”
As I prayed for blessings for his future, I prepared to leave. Unable to bear it any longer, the Underworld Messenger grabbed my wrist and led me along, and I immediately followed without further ado.
At that instant, something extremely hot passed down my throat.
An unbearable heat. That energy seemed to dislike my soul’s state and was roughly pulling me back towards my body.
Looking back hurriedly, My Lord was pushing something into the cold opening of my corpse’s mouth. Since it wouldn’t go down naturally, he pressed his lips against mine to blow air, helping it pass down.
The true identity of that something was revealed by the startled expression and words of the Underworld Messenger.
– …! The Elixir! How does it end up in his hands through the joke of the Book of Life and Death?!
The hot energy grew stronger, and I was forcefully pulled towards my body, as if being drawn into the abyss. Even as I tried to resist by bracing against the ground, my soul passed through it effortlessly.
– Oh no! Not good! I already have a bad record because of the Dang family girl… If you go as well…!
As the Underworld Messenger spoke cryptically and gripped my wrist tightly, it was all in vain. As the fiery energy consumed his hand like kindling, in surprise, he immediately let go.
Eventually, with no support left, I was…
“My lady! Soeun! Wake up!! Please, open your eyes!!”
Because of the uproar caused by someone thundering like thunder and tearing away even the Underworld Messenger.
I was carried back to the place I had once come from.
What awaits me now.
I dare not even imagine.
Summer is hot. And at noon, the heat becomes unbearable.
The guard has to endure it all. It’s impossible not to feel irritated.
“Hey, visiting hours are over.”
The guard called out to the woman who had disappeared into the secret chamber long ago, trying to suppress his irritation. There was no response.
“Geez, even if it’s hot and I’m about to die, why don’t you make a move and stop wasting time?”
Venting his irritation over the weather, the guard approached the door to the chamber in a disheveled manner. The look in his eyes changed the moment he saw the scene inside the chamber that resembled the underworld.
The shattered table, the broken chairs, the opposing currents of heat and cold filling the room.
And, amidst all that,
“Soeun! Please, please open your eyes…”
A man, kneeling, was sitting with tears streaming down his bloodshot eyes. In his arms, a woman lay, her head and back resting on him.
A woman who was breathing but could not open her eyes.
