Chapter: 588
When I returned to the White Flower Merchant Association after finishing work, the first thing I obviously wanted to do was to find Mo Yong-hee.
‘I need to go eat.’
I had just returned from a task that spoiled my appetite. I thought that this should be my priority after not seeing her for a long time.
But.
“Vice-captain.”
“…Yes, my lord.”
The atmosphere was certainly not conducive to my intentions.
“If you have anything to say, I will listen first.”
At Madam Mi’s cold words, the mood fell apart in an instant. It was clearly summer, yet somehow, it felt like a cold wave was crashing down.
“…”
After hearing this, Mo Yong-hee fell into a brief silence and then spoke to Madam Mi.
“I’m sorry. It was my carelessness.”
There were no excuses.
It was a perfectly Mo Yong-hee-like response.
‘Given the situation….’
It seemed like she was getting scolded for missing the little princess.
‘Hmm.’
While it was true that the runaway little princess was at fault initially, the fact that she wasn’t caught was also somewhat Mo Yong-hee’s issue.
No matter how unfair it might seem.
‘That’s just how it goes when you’re in charge.’
If you take on the responsibility for something, you should expect to be blamed when things go awry.
Mo Yong-hee understood this and accepted her role, leaving me with nothing more to comment on.
Tap-tap.
That was the sound of Madam Mi knocking on her desk.
Was she tapping her fingers?
Listening to that made me recall something.
‘She has the same habits as my father.’
My father used to act that way whenever he was deep in thought too. It was a strangely coincidental thought.
“The situation has been reported and understood.”
“Yes.”
“Although it was unexpected, you are aware of your responsibilities, correct?”
“I will accept any punishment.”
“Understood. Then…”
‘…’
Having heard that, I retracted the energy I had been releasing. I figured that eavesdropping any further might lead to trouble.
Time drifted by as I leaned against the wall with my eyes closed.
Creeeak.
The door opened, and Mo Yong-hee stepped out.
“Ah.”
She halted when she spotted me.
“…What? Were you here?”
“I just had nothing to do.”
I thought that was a terribly lame remark.
Upon hearing this, Mo Yong-hee slightly furrowed her brows and asked, “Then you heard everything?”
“…What?”
When I gave a trivial response, a small smile broke out on Mo Yong-hee’s face.
“You still can’t lie.”
“No, why do you think I lied?”
“It’s fine; sometimes it’s better to be no good at something than to be good at nothing.”
No matter how much I tried to explain myself, she didn’t seem inclined to believe me.
Is it that obvious? Ugh.
‘Should I really just wear a mask every day?’
That thought crossed my mind with exasperation.
As I attempted to follow her, she looked back at me with a puzzled expression.
“Are you okay without seeing the captain?”
“Sure.”
It didn’t seem like a situation worth visiting right now. I thought if it was needed, I would call.
“Hmm, it would be better if you went to see her.”
“What?”
“Never mind. Let’s go eat, right?”
I attempted to react to Mo Yong-hee’s mumbling, but she soon sensed my true reason for being there and started walking ahead.
“Okay. I just got scolded a lot, so I’m a bit hungry.”
I wondered what scolding had to do with hunger.
Now was definitely not the time for nitpicking.
If I tried to raise the issue, I’d probably be completely brushed off.
No matter how clueless I might be.
‘I can see she’s subtly displeased right now.’
I could tell that Mo Yong-hee was trying to contain her emotions.
Calmly walking, she suddenly turned her head and looked at me.
“By the way, what do you want to eat?”
I answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Dumplings.”
“…”
As soon as she heard that, Mo Yong-hee scrunched her face in distaste.
What is it with dumplings…?
I said that, but in the end, I couldn’t eat the dumplings.
The inn I usually enjoyed was in an inconvenient location, and plus, Mo Yong-hee was against it.
It seemed like she really didn’t want to eat dumplings at all.
So ultimately, we had no choice but to find a restaurant within the Merchant Association instead.
It was about the quietest time of the day.
We were seated at the largest table, waiting for our food.
Slurp.
Mo Yong-hee carefully poured water.
First, the water came in front of me; next, it was in front of her.
Finally, she poured the water for Dang So-yeol.
“Here you go.”
She handed Seong Yul a water bottle.
That was her way of saying, “Drink at your leisure.”
Watching that made me click my tongue inwardly.
‘Really, she still has such clear boundaries.’
Even the smallest actions create an impenetrable wall for someone oblivious like me.
It was classic Mo Yong-hee.
Seong Yul didn’t show any response.
It was accurate to say he didn’t even care.
“So, who is this?”
“Ah.”
Mo Yong-hee was asking about Seong Yul.
Come to think of it, I hadn’t introduced him at all.
“A friend?”
I answered vaguely, not wanting to elaborate.
“…Oh, I see.”
After her answer, Mo Yong-hee turned to face Seong Yul.
For some reason, there was a trace of sympathy in her gaze.
“What’s this? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Stay strong.”
She even offered words of encouragement to Seong Yul.
“What do you mean, stay strong? What am I even gearing up for?”
“When’s the food coming? It’s a bit late today.”
“…I placed the order right before pouring the water. You expect to see it now?”
This was utterly ridiculous.
“Still. This new slave… I mean, friend, feels a bit different.”
“You just called him a slave…”
“It’s hot. It’s summer.”
“…”
I decided to keep my mouth shut.
It was undeniably summer.
It was so hot I felt like I was going to blow up from heatstroke.
Considering that talking any further would be an utter loss for me, I decided to dive straight into the main topic.
“…Let’s hear what’s going on.”
When I said it with some emotion behind it, Mo Yong-hee coughed a few times.
The real reason I came to eat with her was to listen to this story.
“What should I explain?”
“The little princess.”
“Hmm.”
Mo Yong-hee let out a soft sigh.
Looking at her, I continued.
“If you’re not going to explain, that’s fine too.”
Saying it flatly seemed to stir up a hint of puzzlement in Mo Yong-hee’s eyes.
“Aren’t you curious?”
“I’m curious.”
How could I not be?
It was certainly a question worth being curious about.
“Even if you don’t say anything, there are still plenty of ways to find out eventually.”
“…”
Ha.
Hearing that, Mo Yong-hee let out a short sigh.
“…Those methods probably won’t be peaceful, right?”
“Well, that depends on personal taste.”
I said with a smile.
Yeah, it’s all a matter of taste.
It depends on how you see it.
“I don’t usually call that taste, Your Highness.”
“In any case, you can either tell me or not.”
Even if Mo Yong-hee remained silent, I would eventually figure it out.
Since Madam Mi mentioned that this matter had something to do with me, I started to feel the need to know too.
Wouldn’t Mo Yong-hee, the clever woman of Murong, be aware of that?
Surely she wouldn’t miss that!
‘But that her reluctance to speak suggests…’
It probably means there’s something significant.
Ah, of course.
‘Even if I find out, I’m not going to back down.’
With that thought, I looked at Mo Yong-hee.
“…”
A few seconds ticked by as we locked eyes.
“…What exactly are you curious about?”
Eventually, Mo Yong-hee was the first to surrender.
That was a relief.
It seemed I wouldn’t have to deal with any cumbersome issues after all.
“Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
“Even if I tell you now, you will still hear a separate explanation from the captain later.”
“I suppose so.”
“But do you still want to hear it now?”
What Mo Yong-hee said was correct.
I would have a chance to hear an explanation eventually.
However.
“It’s more important to hear it from you first.”
“…”
More than what I’d hear later.
I needed to understand the story from Mo Yong-hee’s perspective first.
Among those who would tell me, she would likely be my greatest ally.
“…Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
Hearing my words, Mo Yong-hee slightly averted her gaze.
I could vaguely see her ears turning a bit red.
She seemed to grasp the meaning behind my words.
“What are you… trying to ask?”
“Oh, the very first thing I wanted to know…”
It was a question I had prepared beforehand.
Why had the little princess come here?
How had the White Flower Merchant Association, rather than the sect, ended up with such a task?
This wasn’t a story I’d hear later.
The question I aimed to ask was this:
“Why did you let the little princess slip away?”
“…”
Mo Yong-hee’s eyes widened at my question.
That’s right, that was what I needed to know first.
“You scaled the wall, right?”
“…Yes.”
“When did you do that?”
“A few months ago. It was shortly after I parted ways with you.”
“Hmm.”
Mo Yong-hee had already peaked.
I had taken my time melting away her long-held affliction, and after that, Mo Yong-hee had resumed her martial arts training and crossed the wall.
After not training for several years and jumping back in, it must have taken a monumental effort, and it was definitely a cause for celebration.
“The little princess was at the beginner level of first-class.”
Now wasn’t exactly the time for light congratulations.
“Moreover, none of the surrounding guards were weak.”
This applied to the individuals placed under the Merchant Association as well.
The little princess of the Ice Palace surely wouldn’t have shown up alone, and thus her guards wouldn’t be weak either.
Yet somehow, at a time when she was being watched by those individuals, a top-class princess slipped through the cracks?
“Such a thing is usually impossible.”
“Hmm.”
“How did that happen?”
This wasn’t meant to criticize Mo Yong-hee’s abilities.
It was just such an odd occurrence that it warranted asking, especially since…
‘At that moment. The feeling from the little princess.’
When the light radiated from the little princess’s body.
I needed to feel that strange aura alongside the light.
It certainly seemed like she was trying to do something.
That thought continuously nagged at me.
As I inquired with curiosity, Mo Yong-hee carefully began to speak.
“Your Highness is correct. It was a situation that absolutely couldn’t be missed…. We even deliberately deployed extra personnel.”
“But…”
“There wasn’t anything particularly unusual about the situation. We were surrounded and patrolling. I was right in front of her.”
Given the environment, it was decidedly not one that allowed for escape.
I didn’t know about others, but Mo Yong-hee never slackened her guard.
Knowing her nature made it all the more perplexing.
“But… at one point, when I looked to the side, the little princess was simply gone.”
Hearing that, I tilted my head in confusion.
“She just disappeared?”
“Yes, she really vanished in an instant, without even a chance for me to sense anything…”
“Hmm.”
Out of the blue, she had just vanished like that.
If that was the case, it seemed likely that….
‘She did something.’
What she aimed to do to me, she must have used as a means to escape.
What could it be? What method did she employ?
‘Some sort of supernatural entity?’
That was the most plausible explanation.
‘If that’s the case….’
Why on earth had the little princess fled?
What reason would she have to risk coming to the Central Plains to run away?
Such questions emerged, but they weren’t meant for Mo Yong-hee.
This was probably something she remained unaware of.
“Is that all you want to ask?”
After I’d fallen silent, Mo Yong-hee questioned me.
“No, there’s still one more.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the moment to wrap things up.
The most critical inquiry was still outstanding.
“The little princess’s face; she resembles you a lot.”
“Ah…”
A subtle change flitted across Mo Yong-hee’s expression upon hearing my question.
I didn’t miss it.
“Is that just mere coincidence?”
That indeed might seem to be a strange question.
To suspect something just because they look alike, after all.
Even if she were a half-sister, Mo Yong-hee was from the North Sea too.
Her sky-blue eyes were evidence enough of that.
It was unclear how the little princess of the North Sea was connected, but they were both born of the same royal line, so it was natural for them to share similarities.
It just seemed a bit excessively similar.
Looking at it strangely felt even stranger…
I could see it in Mo Yong-hee’s eyes.
“That…”
She clearly had some concerns as well.
“I’m not sure.”
“You don’t know?”
“Yes. When I first saw her, I was extremely startled.”
That much was understandable.
I would also be shocked if I encountered someone who looked just like me.
It would feel odd too.
“But, strangely enough, the little princess didn’t seem surprised at all.”
“Hmm.”
That part really puzzled me.
Mo Yong-hee had been shocked when she first saw the little princess, but the princess herself had remained unperturbed…
“She didn’t show surprise upon seeing my face; she just asked me something.”
“What did she ask?”
“Yes. The question she asked back then was undoubtedly….”
[Really… You escaped the Ice Curse?]
It was what she had said.
‘The Ice Curse?’
Hearing that caught me off guard momentarily. I had heard of Bingjeong before.
Wasn’t it said to be a symbol of the North Sea, containing a massive amount of condensed cold?
The Ice Curse?
Did she also see it in Mo Yong-hee?
Tap-tap.
I reflected upon that as I lightly tapped on the table.
‘Could it relate to her constitution?’
The condition that Mo Yong-hee had.
Could that be what she implied?
‘But how would the little princess know that?’
The person who brought up such matters was problematic.
The fact she even mentioned knowing about the cure meant she was aware that Mo Yong-hee had been treated.
Considering this.
‘So you’re saying she didn’t come here just for a casual visit?’
The reason the little princess ventured to the Central Plains seemed heavier than I had anticipated.
The questions stacked up.
I felt a distinct unease in the air.
Just then, while I continued to ponder my queries.
“Excuse me.”
Someone approached us and spoke up.
“I have a message from the captain.”
He was a staff member from the Merchant Association.
Wondering what was occurring, we all focused on him.
In a calm voice, he delivered the tidings.
“The little princess has regained consciousness. The captain instructed that you be informed.”
Upon hearing this, I had to frown.
The individual involved in this incident has opened her eyes, so it’s time to hurry back.
That was certainly the message’s intent.
The issue was.
“…The food hasn’t come out yet.”
The real problem was that I hadn’t even taken a single spoonful of what I had ordered.
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