The time of magic has shattered. The price of daring to break the rules was far too harsh.
“…Answer me.”
With each syllable the man uttered, a chilling cold seeped into her bones. His voice, filled more with frustration than anger, made the despair even deeper.
“Ah, ugh…”
Seoyeon, choking, couldn’t utter a single word recklessly.
Seeing Seoyeon trembling without answering, the man sighed.
After all, there was no need to rush for an answer; they knew each other too well.
The only reason the man had been accommodating towards Seoyeon all this time was one:
He was the heir of Heukryeon, to whom Seoyeon had extended her goodwill.
He was not the useless little boy from the Byeonbang countryside she had cruelly abandoned.
The masquerade was their rule, and since Seoyeon had broken that rule first, there was no longer any reason for the man to remain here.
“Ha…”
The tall man let out a hollow laugh.
He clasped his head in frustration before emptily opening his mouth.
“Sending goodwill to the heir of Heukryeon… I can understand.”
By now, his voice had long since grown hoarse.
“Whether there’s an ulterior motive, or you’re tired of a loveless engagement—whatever the reason, I thought it could happen. But, but…”
His voice trembled so severely that he could not finish his thought and bowed his head.
“You said you wanted to tie up the past.”
“Uh…?”
“You said it was a nightmare. A memory that was so unpleasant you wanted to erase from your life…”
Each word he uttered pricked at her skin like needles.
“You said you’re not worthy to be by my side.”
It felt like someone was squeezing her heart with their hands—a pain so intense it was unbearable.
“I came today to decisively tie up the past.”
“Yes, a nightmare. Really a memory so nasty and unpleasant I wanted to erase from my life.”
“Still don’t understand? You are neither strong nor reliable. The one redeeming feature—your face—has now become useless.”
“You… don’t deserve to be by my side.”
“Ah, ah…”
Seoyeon clutched her hair and trembled. The words she had spat out two years ago returned like a noose, tightening around her neck.
“But now… do you suddenly have a worth that didn’t exist before? Just because you can use a bit of magic? Or because you’ve become a member of a good family?”
“No, no…”
Struggling to gather her thoughts, Seoyeon shook her head violently.
“That’s not it. I didn’t mean it sincerely. Hyun was only trying to protect you…”
“Protect… me.”
But even before Seoyeon could finish, an even colder sneer wrapped around her mouth once more.
The man was now looking directly at her.
Then he moved his hand behind his head and removed the fox mask from his face.
Clang!
The mask fell to the ground with a loud noise and lost its shape. Behind the shattered silence, the handsome man revealed his true appearance.
Sorrow, disappointment, frustration, and emptiness. Looking into his eyes, Seoyeon could better see the emotions he held.
“Ah, aah…”
There was still no hatred or anger directed at her. That only sent shivers down Seoyeon’s spine.
Unintentionally, she found herself wishing for him to be angry.
“See?”
The revealed perfection, within it, the one discordant note.
“This is proof. Proof of a pathetic fool who couldn’t protect family, friends, or a lover.”
A long scar stretched from under his left eye down toward his nose.
That scar spoke to Seoyeon.
“…You etched this and left.”
“No, that’s not it! I told you! I had no choice but to protect you!”
In the moment she had been overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Seoyeon desperately shook her head.
“I thought I could overcome this…!”
“What are you…?”
He asked, as if he found it incomprehensible. Seoyeon, with tears in her eyes, pleaded with him.
“Hyun, you were a strong person. You were resolute and sturdy. So…!”
Just as she was trying to continue persuading him, a voice pierced deep into her heart, rendering all her words into nothingness.
“What I had left was only you.”
“Uh…?”
“You were my only hope in life. The last remaining light. But, but…”
Seoyeon blankly questioned. The man was still cruelly impassive.
“You… broke it.”
Now, there was no tremor in his voice.
“I’m sorry. Now, to believe your words…”
“Ah, ah…”
“I think I’m too tired.”
Once more, silence settled in the alley. Seoyeon stared at him, lost for words.
As the fog named Fear lifted, unseen things finally came into view.
The regrets were overwhelming. She wished she hadn’t schemed pointless things. She should have just been honest before he found out.
If only she had, if only she had…
“…No, that’s not it…”
She forced her unwilling legs to move. Wiping away her watery eyes, she stumbled to speak.
“There was a misunderstanding. In the end, we met like this. You have no idea how happy I was when I saw you again.”
The strangely calm demeanor of the man only made her more impatient. The ominous feeling engulfed her like shadows.
“We can start over, right? I’ll explain everything, so please…”
“No.”
But hearing his firm voice made Seoyeon stop in her tracks after gathering what little courage she had.
“Starting over is impossible.”
“Uh…?”
Seoyeon stared blankly at him. Just hearing that word—impossible—made her heart beat wildly.
“What do you mean…?”
“The person you knew is no longer here. That boy has been dead for a long time.”
Seoyeon’s voice trembled as she asked. But the man simply shook his head.
“Why, why are you saying that? He hasn’t died. He’s alive… right here before me…”
“No, he’s dead.”
Still, the man remained calm and detached as if judging her emotions.
“He died two years ago. Captured and killed by a black magic vagabond. Pathetically, alone, in that desolate wasteland. The Lee Hyun you knew… is now gone.”
“No! No! That’s not true…! Don’t say that…!”
In the end, it was Seoyeon who burst into anger.
“He’s right here alive…! Breathing in front of me!”
Seoyeon shook her head vehemently. After a happy dream, it was turning into a horrible nightmare. Now she wished to wake up from this dream as soon as possible.
“I was wrong, right? It’s all my fault…”
Seoyeon stumbled forward, desperately trying to grasp his sleeve.
“So please, please just listen to me for a moment…”
Thud!
Yet, the man brushed aside her pleading hand with a forceful rejection.
With a painful wave of nausea.
“Ugh, ugh…”
He gagged as if he were spilling his insides. It was as though his body instinctively rejected her approach. And only then did Seoyeon see it.
The fear reflected clearly on his face as he looked at her.
“Ah, ah…”
The light in Seoyeon’s eyes dimmed as she was pushed back unsteadily.
“Haah, haah…”
The man, breathing heavily, took a white mask from his pocket and put it on.
“So… please stop now.”
Then, he finally spoke in a voice that felt both calm yet exceedingly weary.
“…I beg you.”
“Ah, no… wait…”
His polite words, disguising an outsider’s formality, only deepened her suffering. As Seoyeon fumbled and tried to reach for him again.
Boom!
With a distant explosion, the alley erupted into chaos once more.
*
Boom!
Bang!
Without warning, a series of explosions followed, and a massive fire surged skyward. Then came the screams of hundreds of people.
“What is happening!”
“Ahhh!”
The sounds echoing in her ears were the noise that should never be heard from the cradle. The metallic sounds of blades clashing, the sounds of offensive magic spells prohibited within the cradle.
“Code Zero. Code Zero situation has occurred. Guests are to evacuate promptly according to protocol. Repeating, a Code Zero situation has occurred. Guests please…”
With a loud crash, the entire cradle plunged into darkness. Soon after, emergency power activated, and alarms screamed loudly in her ears. The explosions and screams intensified.
“What the…?”
In an instant, Seoyeon muttered, distracted by the chaos. The man stood tall, looking toward the direction of the sounds of explosions coming from the main building.
Then from his lips came the name of someone who shouldn’t be mentioned.
“Don’t… Yeon Minha…”
Seoyeon’s heart sank. She felt a strange sensation. If she missed him this time, it felt like she would lose him forever.
She desperately tried to block the man’s way as he attempted to leave.
“Wait…!”
Thud.
However, the man passed straight by her without a single word. He didn’t show even the slightest interest in her.
Finally, the alley was left empty. Seoyeon slumped down.
Her knees shook so much she couldn’t move at all.
There she lay on the stone floor, pathetically staring into the abyss where someone had just departed.
And this time, no one was there to lift her back up.
The fact that her knee was bleeding hurt far less than that truth.
There were so many things she wanted to say to the man again.
How hard the past two years had been for her, how much she had struggled for his revenge, how much more beautiful she had become.
After spilling everything, she just wanted to be held and have her head patted like before.
Of course, she was also full of questions.
How he had been doing all this time, how he managed to use magic, and how he ended up connected to Jeokhwa.
The imperial’s flames—the particles left behind by that military magical torture in the ruins.
Now they had made him a benefactor, but because of it, she thought he was killed by Sa Jaehyuk, who had allied with Jeokhwa.
The most curious aspect was definitely that bizarre mask covering his face.
The mask, white and smooth, the object that had given him the moniker of a megalomaniac.
For Seoyeon, it was the most resented object. If it hadn’t been for it, she might have recognized him sooner and arranged a better reunion.
Of course, she knew it was to cover the scars on his face. But so what?
It was just scars—a tiny wound. In fact, it even enhanced his wild beauty.
The words Seoyeon had spat out two years ago were just a desperate measure to keep him from following her. She had thought it would keep him from following and expose him to danger.
She was not unaware that the boy would have a hard time because of it. After all, those had been words she felt pain uttering.
But she thought he would quickly overcome it. The boy was such a strong and reliable person for Seoyeon. He was so steadfast that she couldn’t drop him without using such means.
“Ah, aa… aaah…!”
But Seoyeon suddenly realized.
He too had a fragile heart, and a depth of love that she couldn’t even fathom.
And since that day,
The boy had lost his face.
Not to anyone else but because of herself.
“What have I done…?”
Seated, Seoyeon let out a beastly cry. She tore at her hair in despair.
What came to mind was the image of the scrawny boy lying on a hospital bed with a face twisted by tears.
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