Chapter 273

The Empress tightly held onto Qing’s hand.

Maybe it was because Qing’s hands were always cold from practicing Demonic Arts, but the warmth radiating from her body felt like it could burn.

“Seeing you in your prime, when you were once so beautiful, feels like a dream. So, you’ve seen your mother now, and you have nothing to say?”

“Um, well…”

Qing rolled her eyes around.

The Empress smiled kindly at her.

“That’s right. Speak freely. What could there possibly be to be concerned about between mother and daughter?”

“Well, could I get some clothes on, then…?”

“Hey! What’s there to be embarrassed about in front of your mother? It seems you’ve become shy about your body since losing your memory. Just like before…”

“‘I?’”

“Yes, ‘I.’ That’s the name you’ve forgotten. It’s written in characters you may not recognize.”

The Empress wrote characters in the palm of Qing’s hand.

They looked very complex, and all she could tell was that there were many strokes.

‘“I,’ the beautiful jade polishing of white snow, means nightingale.”

The grace of royal blood comes from their names, making it quite impossible for commoners to share the same names. If the names of royals became too familiar, they could become unknown traitors in an instant.

So, the royals take care to create unique characters seldom seen by the public, just to consider the common people.

“Anyway, about the clothes…”

“Ts, ts. Are you embarrassed by the body your mother gave you? Really, having large breasts means you can hold the world, and a big bottom is a blessing for fertility. So why does the princess try so hard to hide it?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Qing thought her body was not shameful.

Every time she looked in a mirror, she was amazed at the new thrill of her own beauty.

At this moment, she felt as if the foreign goddess, who used to exclaim over her reflection by the stream all year round, could understand her too.

So it wasn’t about being ashamed; it was just awkward and embarrassing to be naked in front of someone she didn’t know.

Especially when a woman claiming to be her mother was scrutinizing her with a gaze so affectionate that it felt like she was intent on memorizing every single hair of Qing’s.

“Is it really that awkward? You don’t feel affectionate even though your mother is right in front of you? I knew the moment you entered the palace that something was off about you, a fake!”

The courtesans who brought the newly better daughter had bodies identical to each other, and while their faces appeared slightly tarnished, traces of their former beauty were still visible.

However, due to some sixth sense or a supernatural ability typical of kin, no matter how hard she tried, the Empress couldn’t shake off the feeling that this girl wasn’t her daughter.

Then one day, one of the maidens serving the princess pointed out a truly strange thing: that a certain mark below her chest was connected, appearing as if two dots were joined.

In that moment, clarity struck her, and she realized that those wicked monks had deceitfully inserted something disguised as her daughter into this body.

If she had only one child, she would have been prepared to fight to the death with those wenches, but fearing harm would come to her remaining child, she could only suffer inwardly, especially after the daughter she lost appeared in her dreams to pay respects.

Then, overwhelmed with despair after hearing no news, she opened the window of the carriage and, upon seeing Qing’s figure, she instinctively opened the door and stepped out.

Suddenly, her legs lost strength, and without considering the Empress’s dignity, she hurriedly exited, dropping down without feeling any pain as she rushed to chase the appearance of her daughter.

From a young age, she had been embarrassed by her own ample breasts and rear, and knowing they appeared extraordinarily thin could break with a simple touch, yet above all, her face, the most beautiful in the world before falling ill, remained unchanged.

It was still exquisite, the remnants of that past beauty were very much alive.

“My lady, why am I even listening to this?”

Listening, Qing felt her heart grow heavier.

The unintended violation of her body made it feel more like a transfer than a theft since the original owner was already dead. Was it more like picking up what was discarded? A rudimentary case of corpse-snatching for Qing.

With each poignant tale, she couldn’t help but grow increasingly uncomfortable.

So she tried to change the subject.

“Um, but am I really still young? I actually don’t know my exact age, so I was just guessing.”

“Of course. You’ve grown remarkably since childhood, and by ten, you were already taller than me! I thought you were hurrying to grow to show off before leaving so soon. So, when you fell ill, you wanted to be a dutiful daughter, but didn’t you complain about leaving before me?”

Naturally, the topic flowed back to normal, and Qing swallowed her discomfort and diverted her thoughts.

Wait, so when I first got here… it’s been five years now, so I must have been sixteen then?

That’s sixteen… wow. No wonder my chest feels bigger; I was at that age where growth mattered.

“Right, how did you live in the world? The wicked monks weren’t wrong when they said all of this. After all, they claimed that when the Great Law is finished, not only would you achieve immortality, but if Ma Gyeong awakens and learns martial arts, you’d become the world’s greatest warrior—your achievements are truly amazing to leave even the Thunder God in awe. Aren’t you fortunate to have survived out there?”

“Um. Just about alright, I’ve been living fine.”

“Hey! Why not tell me everything?”

Even though getting beaten up by beggars daily was just a part of life, scavenging for food, eating bugs and poisonous mushrooms when desperate, or just filling my stomach with water, I can’t possibly retell all that hardship.

“Um, at first, I struggled a bit, but I adapted quickly. Then my Master—ah, do you know Seomun Sulin of the Divine Maiden Sect? She’s the best among women—she took me in, and since then, I’ve been eating well and living quite nicely.”

“So it wasn’t just the Buddha’s blessings but the immortals watched over you too. That’s truly fortunate! I shouldn’t just offer prayers; I’ll need to hold a memorial!”

“Um, you don’t have to go that far…”

“No! If my child has returned from the dead, what mother wouldn’t want to honor her? So, what else happened?”

“Um, I made a lot of friends, and I traveled to many places. Oh, do you know Hwasan? It turned out that Hwasan isn’t really that Hwasan…”

Qing fittingly recounted all the interesting sights she’d seen in the Central Plain, omitting the parts where she struggled, making it sound like she had a leisurely time exploring the world.

Of course, who could believe that?

It was clear to see that a sheltered girl had gone through some trial, and all the effort to hide it only made her look adorable.

“Really? You can play the flute? Why not play a tune for your mother?”

“Okay.”

Qing grabbed the Magic Flute and hesitated momentarily.

She still felt awkward not being allowed to wear any clothes, but somehow, holding the flute calmed her a bit.

But seriously, what’s with the clothing restriction?

Is it a cultural norm in the Central Plain for mothers to feel nostalgic seeing their naked children? Is it something only the royals do?

Well, it wasn’t that.

It was just that the Empress could only remember her daughter’s body from the time she had perished, constantly searching for any injury left on her.

Struggling to decide what to play, she thought perhaps it should be a song of parental love? Was that the correct title? After thinking, she realized she wasn’t sure she had even remembered the title.

And so Qing began to recall the lyrics inwardly, bringing forth the Magic Flute’s beautiful tones, which could be said to be heavenly music.

“Let go of the pain of giving birth…”

Aaaaah, she was thankful for the… master’s grace?

Qing continued playing in spite of losing track of her thoughts.

“Let me repay you, you’ve been gracious…”

Suddenly, she found herself at a loss for what it was.

What’s this? Where did the confusion start?

Wasn’t the reprise about the master? That wasn’t right.

And was it gratitude? Or longing? Ugh, I don’t know. There was no way to verify this.

Of course, there was no one in this world who could understand, but feeling embarrassed, Qing hurriedly moved on to the next tune.

A certain carousel from a man named Jo in Waeguk, and some of the not-so-clear themes of her hometown made their way out.

“Wow, you’ve grown so much since I last saw you. Your body may have matured, but…”

The Empress was crying rivers again.

“My lady, why are you making me feel this way?”

Qing’s heart was beginning to sway.

Even if they were strangers, if they didn’t know me at all, even pretending to play the part of a daughter could be tolerable.

Just look at my senile grandpa.

But not with the Empress. Wearing her deceased daughter’s skin, that wasn’t something she could do. It just shouldn’t be like that.

Yet her heart kept wavering.

Isn’t she just like grandpa now?

But as a corpse thief, does she even have that right?

In the end, while she couldn’t be stone-hearted, time slipped away from Qing as she tried to fit in.

The one to pull her out was Qing herself.

To be precise, it was the roaring demands of her empty stomach that had gone without dinner, sounding fiercely.

Gurgle!!! (Feed me!!!)

“Oh my, my daughter is hungry! How could I not know my daughter is starving now that I’m a mother myself?”

And then the tears flowed again.

“No, it’s just that I made a loud sound, so I’m a bit hungry, that’s all.”

“No! That’s not it! Here we are, reunited by the blessings of heaven, and I can’t even share a single meal with my daughter; my state is as sad as it gets!”

“Um, can’t we just eat together?”

With that, the Empress smiled through tears.

“No. Our palace affairs are anything but normal. Just holding you like this has already attracted attention. I’ve run my mouth without even realizing it. I wish I could say I recognized you because I’m your mother, but that’s not the case; if someone finds out, it could bring misfortune upon you, so we must separate for now.”

“Ah. Yes…”

Is this liberation?

“Right, my daughter. Don’t worry; just enjoy the best of things, eat well, wear fine clothes, and in the world’s comfort, wait patiently for me. I’ll restore to you the things that were originally yours.”

The look in the Empress’s eyes was incredibly vicious, like that of a truly malicious woman.

Qing was so shocked that she hurriedly interrupted the Empress.

“No, you really don’t need to do that. I’ve already decided to live as Seomun Qing, disciple of the Divine Maiden Sect—”

“That’s not something you can just dismiss! Being born of the Emperor means a divine calling that must be heeded! If you try to evade it, it would be a greater sin! How could any mother bear to see that?”

“No, really, I’m okay. I’m living quite well right now, so please don’t worry about me—”

“My daughter, let’s embrace before we part. Just once, let’s embrace.”

No! This is wrong!

I wish she wouldn’t do something foolish!

But then somehow, sensing that no matter what she said it would fall on deaf ears, she also had a feeling that this would lead to trouble in the not-so-distant future.

But what the heck. Whatever. I give up.

Qing abandoned all efforts to persuade and dove willingly into the Empress’s embrace.