Chapter: 591
It didn’t take long for Yuri to faint and come to her senses again.
At best, a half-angle?
This is thanks to me controlling my strength.
I just applied enough force to knock her out momentarily.
That way, she should wake up quickly and we can talk again.
“I showed such an ugly side….”
This is what Yuri said when she woke up again.
Her messy hair and the slight drool at the corner of her mouth were evident.
Looks like she had a good sleep.
“Ugh….”
Yuri rubs her forehead.
It seems like the pain is still lingering.
After a few rubs, Yuri’s gaze shifts towards me.
There’s a look of inexplicable resentment in her eyes.
“I really didn’t think you would hit me.”
Honestly, neither did I.
“I’m sorry.”
I offered my apology without hesitation.
I did strike, but what I did just then was a tad over the line.
“…”
Upon hearing my apology, Yuri moves her lips around, making a strange expression.
In a new martial world, it could be expected to be scrutinized for laying hands on a ruler’s kin.
“…If that’s the case, you’ll overlook my escort’s mistake, right?”
Hearing Yuri’s words made me chuckle inwardly.
‘More realistic than I thought.’
If I had drawn attention for hitting her, I would have thought to flip it back on the escort trying to draw his sword.
But I never expected such a calm response.
“Princess…! How could you say that!”
Was it Yuri’s words that were the problem?
Woo-beom begins to get angry, his face smeared with blood.
Even without that, the glare he shot at me the moment the princess fainted was fierce.
Is it because I held back?
Still, that attitude was commendable.
“The great bloodline of the North Sea has suffered a grave injustice…!”
He shouts, veins bulging in his neck.
He merely glared when Yuri was passed out.
Now that she’s awake, he’s all fired up.
Should I rip his head off right now?
I know I should hold back, but he’s continually getting under my skin.
‘I was planning to handle this quietly later.’
Why does he insist on setting off my annoyance?
It’s infuriating.
For now, I decided to just observe how far he’d take it.
But.
“How can we just let this slide…?”
“Woo-beom.”
The one stopping such a spectacle was none other than Yuri.
She just woke up with her hair all disheveled.
Without even wiping off her drool, Yuri smiles.
“Let’s just end it there.”
At that moment, I felt the air in the room subtly shift.
“If you go beyond that, you know it’s not allowed, right?”
Her smile is definitely fresh and her voice soft.
Yet, there’s an indescribable weight behind it.
“…”
Woo-beom’s eyes tremble.
Even more so than when he nearly killed me earlier.
“Woo-beom. What’s your response?”
When Yuri asks again,
“…I’m sorry.”
Woo-beom opens his mouth hesitantly and manages to spit out an apology.
After receiving the apology, Yuri beams and continues.
“No, that’s not it, Woo-beom.”
“What?”
“The apology isn’t meant for me.”
“…!”
Her words carry a clear intent. Woo-beom’s expression contorts slightly.
Even while she clearly sees this, Yuri is resolute.
“Come on.”
“…”
At this, Woo-beom redirects his gaze toward me.
There are noticeable traces of blood flowing from his nose and mouth.
His look was still quite fierce, though.
“…I’m sorry.”
Even so, he manages to apologize.
An unexpected turn of events indeed.
I never thought he’d respond like that.
That too.
‘All at the behest of the Little Princess.’
In my view, that’s the most surprising part.
‘He just seemed like a fool.’
It seems there’s more to him than I initially thought.
‘This is really annoying.’
I pondered that while looking at Yuri.
From the first moment I saw her.
Even now after several conversations, the thought lingers in my mind.
Something is bothering me.
But because I don’t know what it is, it bothers me even more.
tap-!
Woo-beom reluctantly spat out his apology, and Yuri suddenly clapped her hands.
“Well, now that we’re calm, shall we get to the main topic!”
I wondered who decided that we were calm.
But I didn’t bother asking.
For now, I’ll just observe.
I concluded that now was the time for that.
‘The main point.’
I almost forgot about it momentarily because the situation had become chaotic, yet it is important to me as well.
It ties to the matters of the North Sea.
In particular.
‘…What feather?’
There were indeed unknown rumors floating about me in the North Sea.
Even if they called me, why would I be referred to by such ridiculous names?
‘Who the hell is spreading that?’
Just wait until I get my hands on you.
I’ll fold you up into a star shape.
While grinding my teeth in frustration.
Yuri’s gaze turned my direction.
“So… that.”
Her eyes still show disbelief.
“…Are you the one with the red feather….”
“Please don’t call me that.”
“Yes.”
As soon as she said that with disdain, Yuri nodded.
“…Are you saying that you are that person?”
“I don’t know who that is. I am Gu Yangcheon.”
Despite my immense desire to tell her no, I held it in.
It was no doubt that if I denied it here, the conversation would lead nowhere.
Even with my affirmative assertion, Yuri’s face was still fraught with doubt.
It seemed she simply could not believe it.
What on earth had she heard to make her express such disbelief?
“…I see.”
“You certainly look skeptical.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that wishing it wasn’t true won’t make it so.”
“So ultimately, wishing it’s not true makes sense?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Yes, your ladyship.”
She just chose to ignore my needling.
I’ve been thinking about that for a while, but no matter how I look at it, she seems to have a peculiar temperament.
‘It was embarrassing to cry from getting hit in the head.’
Just looking at how she managed the situation after passing out like that.
She doesn’t seem like an ordinary fool at all.
‘Is that the reason?’
Is this why I’m feeling so out of sorts?
‘No, it’s something else.’
I scrutinized Yuri closely.
I wanted to rid myself of this unsettling sensation as quickly as possible.
“Could you do me a favor and pass over a few people?”
Yuri smiled as she spoke.
Then Mrs. Mi shot me a knowing glance.
Upon seeing that, I immediately conveyed to Dang So-yeol and Seong-yul.
“Step outside for a moment.”
“Yes.”
As the two exited the room, Yuri turned her attention to the rear, where Woo-beom was.
Then.
whuum-
A surge of energy flowed from Woo-beom’s body, enveloping the room.
It was spellbinding.
This also indicated her seriousness about speaking.
As the atmosphere shifted, a brief silence settled in.
“Let me introduce myself again.”
Yuri made a graceful bow directed towards us.
“I am the fourth star of the North Sea Ice Palace. My name is Yuri.”
While she said “we,” it was quite clear she was addressing me.
Yuri’s gaze was solely fixed upon me.
It seemed she was urging me to introduce myself as well.
“…I am Gu Yangcheon of Guga.”
“Chit.”
“…?”
Did I mishear something? Was that the sound of a tongue clicking I just heard?
“…You’ve got to be kidding, right?”
It seems hearing a formal introduction dissolved any remaining hope I had.
As I noticed her reaction, I asked,
“Why on earth is my tale spreading throughout the North Sea?”
A faraway place.
How on earth did even the ruler’s blood relatives know about my story?
And what of that ridiculous name, “Red Feather”?
When I inquired, Yuri hesitated before replying.
“That’s… the White Fox….”
“The White Fox?”
“Fox? What’s with this random fox all of a sudden?”
I frowned at the strange term.
“…No, this isn’t really that important, is it?”
“It feels like an important tale to me….”
“If you do consider him to be true… there’s something I want to ask first.”
Yuri shifted topics abruptly.
It wasn’t really an inconvenience.
Noting rumors aside, the core intention was that the North Sea personnel wished to meet with me.
Looking at me, Yuri inquired.
“Did you really lift Hee-ah’s curse?”
“…?”
The term “curse” seems familiar to me.
Presumably, it must relate to her illness.
What stands out here is the title Yuri used to reference Mo Yong-hee.
‘Hee-ah?’
It holds a rather friendly nuance when I glance at Mo Yong-hee, who looked startled.
She suddenly stammers,
“…I didn’t let my guard down.”
“Uh-huh?”
With a sigh, as Mo Yong-hee spoke, Yuri had a follow-up to explain.
“Well, after all, she’s my cousin. We’re the same age, right? So I thought we could get along easily… but she wouldn’t allow that.”
“You’re the same age?”
“Yes.”
Not only do they share similar looks, but they also appear to be the same age.
What’s more,
‘Cousin.’
Mo Yong-hee’s mother was a princess of the Ice Palace.
And Yuri happens to be the current princess of the Ice Palace as well.
It indicates that the previous ruler of the Ice Palace has stepped down and a new figure has taken their place.
‘If the Ice Lord stepped down, then who could that be?’
It’s likely to be one of Mo Yong-hee’s mother’s siblings.
Of course, I can’t conclude that just by thinking it through.
After all, I don’t recognize a single soul from the Ice Palace.
‘Let’s set this aside for now.’
There’s something far more significant to pursue.
“If the curse refers to that, does it mean it’s about the coldness?”
I inquired about Mo Yong-hee’s curse—the words Yuri had used.
“Oh, is that the term here?”
“Aren’t you referencing the coldness inside the body?”
“Exactly, we label that as a curse.”
“I’m not quite following.”
A curse.
What did they call it? The curse of the Ice Crystal, I believe.
That terminology does sound rather grim.
Moreover, it’s an actual treacherous matter.
In her past life, Mo Yong-hee had perished because of that affliction.
But.
“Aren’t you people from the North Sea?”
The crux of the issue lies in that Mo Yong-hee inherited her mother’s condition.
One side is central,
For, mixed in her lineage is the blood of the Baekcheon Sword Master, making her body ill-equipped to handle the cold of the North Sea.
So, why do they also refer to it as a curse on that side?
Inquiring within that context caused Yuri to tilt her head.
“What does that relate to?”
“Uhm?”
“No, on the contrary; it’s perilous due to their North Sea bloodline.”
“…What does that mean?”
“The curse… is one that affects any direct descendant of the Ice Palace. It’s also a burden that those safeguarding the Ice Palace bear.”
At Yuri’s statement, not only mine but also Mo Yong-hee’s eyes widened in surprise.
“…Everyone has that condition?”
The sickness, such that it plagues everyone in the bloodline of the Ice Palace.
Does this imply that all who share that ancestry are inherently afflicted with the cold that gradually leads them to freeze to death?
“But why?”
Why are they still alive? I was about to voice that question.
“Conversely, it’s an essential source of power. To use Binggong, one must possess this physique.”
Only then did I begin to grasp what Yuri was saying.
‘So it’s not treating the condition; it’s about leveraging it for deeper styles.’
Specific profound techniques enable using the cold within one’s body.
Does that imply it also sustains their lives?
Just as I started piecing it together.
“That’s insane…!”
Mo Yong-hee shouted suddenly.
“I’ve never heard anything like that from my mother.”
Seeing Mo Yong-hee react that way, I nodded along.
That too is quite a conundrum.
‘If that’s the case, why hasn’t Mo Yong-hee’s mother…?’
Why was she withholding survival methods from her daughter?
She would have been blood-related and thus known how to manage her constitution.
“This power is solely transmitted to direct blood relatives. You cannot liberally leave, hand it down or share it.”
As Yuri elaborated on this matter, Mo Yong-hee still looked bewildered.
“What’s more…”
As she noticed this, Yuri continued.
“…There’s a reason why it’s called a curse.”
“That’s—!”
“So…”
She interrupted whatever Mo Yong-hee was trying to say.
Now wasn’t the time for that.
After interjecting, Mo Yong-hee gaped at me wide-eyed.
Then, she bit her lip and bowed her head.
She seemed to be barely restraining her emotions.
I turned my gaze from Mo Yong-hee to Yuri.
“What does all this have to do with that?”
What relation does the arrhythmia Yuri mentioned have with the curse?
That’s why I asked.
“… As I’ve said, this is a curse. Anyone with blood ties carries this burden. And nobody can evade it.”
“So you’re saying…”
“But… I heard you managed to lift it. Is that true?”
“Have I lifted the curse?” I deliberated upon that inquiry for a moment.
It is factual that I could remove Mo Yong-hee’s coldness.
Yet I cannot claim to have healed her entirely.
But.
“Approximately?”
At the very least, the coldness within her was no longer present.
“…”
Yuri wore an odd expression after perusing my answer.
Then she directed her gaze at Mo Yong-hee.
“… I truly felt no remnants of the curse upon first seeing you. How on earth did you achieve this?”
“Does it really matter? You mentioned there was a method to control it, anyway.”
Mo Yong-hee was oblivious to that fact.
Hence, she almost lost her life.
In my previous life, I hadn’t treated her and thus, met with demise.
But would that be of any importance to Yuri?
If a method to regulate the cold exists, it should be inconsequential.
After taking in my words, Yuri bit her lip.
That was the exact same expression Mo Yong-hee was making earlier.
“That’s…”
“And foremost.”
Just as Yuri was about to speak.
I interrupted, steering the conversation elsewhere.
“How did you know I could offer treatment?”
“…”
In response to my question, Yuri sealed her lips tightly.
The information of me treating Mo Yong-hee is known only to a select few.
What was the purpose behind secretly attempting to treat Mo Yong-hee by keeping her close?
Since I aimed to keep it concealed as much as possible, how did the Ice Palace arrive at this knowledge?
As I broached this query, Yuri diverted her gaze and responded.
“… I received intel.”
Indicating there’s a mole among them?
‘That figures.’
It’s not entirely shocking.
Even though they profess they aren’t adversaries, they undoubtedly occupy foreign territory.
Simultaneously, being a half-blood relation yields a connection.
Thus, knowing some extent of Mo Yong-hee’s particulars isn’t abnormal.
‘Being so close causes an unsettling feeling.’
Seeing someone who seemingly ranks as her closest confidant doing so stirred irritation within me.
‘Later, I’ll have to confront and handle this matter.’
If I hadn’t known any better, I could have let this slide.
But no, I had no intentions of allowing this to slide as it stands for now.
I shifted the subject, taking another step back.
“So, the reason for wanting to see me was for treatment, right?”
At this moment, I needed to firmly grasp the situation in the Ice Palace.
“Yes.”
Yuri supplied her answer.
“If you truly can… lift ‘our’ curse, I sincerely wish to ask for healing.”
“Hmm.”
After hearing this, I stroked my chin.
I didn’t respond to Yuri’s assertion.
The curse of the Ice Crystal.
The terminology feels extraordinarily peculiar, yet it signifies Mo Yong-hee’s condition.
When I indicated I could treat it, blood relatives traveled this far to request my healing.
Her suggesting makes a fair degree of sense.
‘But it feels strange.’
Something is off.
Yuri’s statements too.
The situation she exhibited felt out of sorts.
In conjunction with the oddities that dawned upon me, I saw a strange story emerging.
It remains yet a suspicion.
I’m uncertain.
More verification was needed.
“To mend your condition. You went all the way here to meet me… is that right?”
“Indeed. Even if it’s controlled, being a bloodline curse means… I truly wanted treatment.”
Drip.
As I listened to Yuri’s remarks, droplets fell in my mind.
The minor impact sent ripples through my thoughts.
“Hmm.”
I tilted my eyes back at Mo Yong-hee.
The irritable emotions that had been wavering in her expressions up until now had vanished, shifting her face into a stoic recognition.
At first glance, it appeared she was merely listening to a narrative.
But I could see in her expression that she too harbored the same thoughts I did.
We shared a mutual understanding.
That was my assurance.
I was confident my thoughts aligned with reality.
“So…”
“Princess of the Ice Palace, right?”
Freeze.
Yuri paused for an instant at the sudden question I posed.
It was but a fleeting moment, but I wouldn’t let it slip by.
Yuri beamed as she turned to me. This was surely an afterthought for her.
It was regrettably too late.
“Why on earth are you—”
“Seems like the Ice Palace holds some danger.”
“…”
Her smile dissipated instantly.
As I observed her demeanor, I discerned the disruptive sensation that had been plaguing me from the start.
“That’s a tremendous amount of trouble, isn’t it?”
“…”
WHOOSH.
A chill permeated the air.
Yuri’s expression turned impassive as she gazed at me.
The joyous and playful atmosphere that previously lingered had vanished.
She bore the appearance of a wholly different individual.
As if the ice had taken on human form.
Yuri stared at me and spoke.
“You.”
Her tone and demeanor had shifted entirely.
Feeling the change, I couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.
Ah, now it makes sense.
I’m finally beginning to understand why that irritation kept bothering me.
‘My gut felt tied in knots. That was the issue.’
The causes of my discomfort beginning to fade now that I realize.
The sensation of having witnessed something I shouldn’t have.
It all stemmed from the sight of her masking her true nature, pretending to be someone else.
“What is your true identity?”
That tableau was fundamentally disagreeable to me.
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