Chapter: 622
He only wore a faint smile or an indifferent expression.
For the first time since hearing the word “pureblood,” he showed a look of surprise.
“Huh.”
“Is that correct?”
“How did you know?”
“I just took a guess.”
I spat out the hypothesis that seemed to fit the best among several ideas. Just lucky, that’s all.
“Well, that was something I was going to say anyway. Now that you’ve guessed it, it’s not fun anymore.”
It was absurd that he was still finding amusement amid all this.
[Isn’t it boring?]
That guy named Yooseon found it amusing too, after all.
Anyway.
‘… So that’s why.’
Listening to the princess’s words, I finally began to understand something that had puzzled me until now.
There’s an iceberg blocking the bitter cold, and if it’s the princess’s life force that maintains that iceberg…
‘It’s not strange that the bloodline of the Ice Palace is being kept alive in the North Sea.’
I couldn’t help but wonder if someone could wield the throne’s power and kidnap blood relatives, only using them to maintain their life force. But that didn’t mean it had happened.
It does mean there’s a reason for this situation.
“As Confucius expected, a princess is needed to maintain the Ice Palace. To be precise, for the safety of the North Sea.”
I looked at the princess, who was casually throwing out these words.
A princess who is half-dragon.
After hearing the story, I faintly understood the reason behind that appearance.
‘Dragons have tenacious vitality, after all.’
The reason curses bloom and one becomes a dragon—wasn’t it a forced shedding of the shell to maintain the iceberg?
If that’s true…
‘What a fucking bastard.’
I could sense just how much of a scumbag that guy named the Dragon Sovereign was.
On one side, he set up devices to summon extreme cold.
On the other, he created a contradiction where that same cold must be resisted using one’s life force.
This means, for one to maintain their life, they must somehow force themselves to survive.
They even went so far as to implant a curse to make this possible.
‘…Is the iceberg really that necessary?’
Or is there another reason?
I don’t know which, but it’s clear that he’s kept the North Sea in a biting freeze for centuries for his own purposes.
‘To wait for the pureblood.’
It was a curse planted for that reason.
And that “pureblood” refers to…
‘Me.’
Now, I have become one and found my way here.
Regardless of the implications.
It means that the current situation directly involves me.
‘Hold on a second.’
As I pondered this, a question arose from the princess’s words.
“The princess’s child. That guy named Yooseon was also a dragon. Does that mean he is the next princess?”
A dragon-like being, similar to the princess.
No, he was even closer to a dragon than that.
If the princess’s words are true, wouldn’t that mean he’s the next princess?
I asked her about this.
“That’s right.”
“…!”
I had to widen my eyes in surprise.
“I didn’t follow the formal procedure, but that should be correct.”
“…You didn’t follow the procedure?”
“Once you hand over the throne, the curse will get lifted.”
When the throne is passed, the curse is lifted.
That’s the deal.
‘… It feels similar to the rules of the love curse.’
In that case, a child’s birth would lift the curse.
This place seemed better off.
“And, the one who originally held the princess’s position dies upon the curse’s removal.”
I tried to wrap my head around it, but this felt equally horrid.
To become a princess, barely managing to suck up my life force…
And you’re saying I’ll die the moment I pass it on?
That’s an incredibly miserable existence.
‘So this is a curse.’
Hearing the princess’s words really hit home. But then came my question.
“But how is it that your Majesty is still alive?”
It was a cruel thing to ask, but I needed to.
If that guy succeeded to the throne, how could she still be alive now?
If the princess’s condition is still like that, what does it mean for Yooseon?
The princess fell silent for a moment with a serious expression.
Was she pondering the right words? Or was she just thinking?
I couldn’t figure that out.
Waiting in silence for her to answer, the princess finally looked at me and responded.
“The position of the princess has already passed on. The fact that my body is gradually collapsing is proof.”
After hearing that, I took a second look at the princess’s body.
A body that is slowly falling apart.
‘So that’s the problem that arose when the throne was passed on.’
I thought she would die immediately.
But, contrary to her claim, the princess was inching closer to death.
“The reason this has occurred is most likely that the procedure was not followed properly.”
The princess quickly elaborated on my question.
“Because it was usurped and not conferred, a problem arose with the laws.”
She had forcibly taken my position.
In that process, the curse must have malfunctioned.
‘So she’s dying slowly because of that.’
That implies…
‘That bastard Yooseon forcibly took the princess’s position.’
But what could have motivated that?
‘What benefit could he possibly gain?’
From what I gathered, there doesn’t seem to be any perks to being a princess.
Once you sit down, the curse kicks in and you become a dragon.
Even if your body grows stronger, your life force gets drained by the ice.
Was it really necessary for him to take it by force?
‘If he kept this secret from his children, then it’s conceivable.’
Judging by what Yuri mentioned, even if it wasn’t perfect, he had to have some understanding of it.
In that situation, I still didn’t comprehend what drove Yooseon to do this.
At that moment.
“Princess, I mean.”
The princess added to her thoughts.
“The position must be one chosen by the Ice Spirit.”
Chosen by the Ice Spirit?
“Usually, it would be the princess who chooses, and the Ice Spirit would accept the outcome.”
Swish.
The princess reached out and stroked the circular ice crystal.
“The fact that things have unfolded this way means that the Ice Spirit chose that child.”
The Ice Spirit chose Yooseon.
What does that imply?
This was something I didn’t fully understand.
The important thing is…
“So, what’s the purpose of that guy? What am I supposed to do here?”
What does Yooseon intend to do with the princess’s position?
And what is the intent of the princess who brought me here?
Then came my most pressing question.
“What is pureblood?”
The most critical question.
What on earth is pureblood?
What is it about pureblood that led the Dragon Sovereign to place the Ice Spirit here and wait for its existence?
‘Why am I playing that role now?’
It was time to unravel all these mysteries.
At this, the princess chuckled softly.
“Pureblood refers to someone who has awakened on their own, not someone who has merely gone through a transformation.”
“…”
“Breaking a full vessel and attaining the dragon status on your own strength—that is what pureblood means. That’s what’s been passed down.”
I couldn’t help but frown upon hearing this.
‘Break a vessel using your own power?’
How ridiculous.
It’s the most distant story from my reality.
I didn’t become a dragon through a curse or an enlightenment.
I’m a being that was made by breaking a vessel.
If that’s what it means to be called pureblood, semantically it might fit.
‘But it’s the most different thing from me.’
I am a hybrid, swallowing various fortunes, living amongst beings even I know nothing about.
The person who least suits the word ‘self’ is me.
‘But I’m pureblood?’
That just couldn’t be true.
“In the beginning, even if you awaken the vessel, one cannot become a dragon… My good sir, it seems you must have the lineage that allows you to achieve this.”
As I listened, I couldn’t help but recall my bloodline and mother.
“It seems you have finally reached it, as you possessed the talent to awaken the vessel.”
‘What a joke.’
The princess’s words had me tempted to swear, but I barely contained myself.
Something was off.
In my previous life, I never became a dragon.
I had never even come close to the North Sea.
If that’s the case, I’d never have found myself here.
Unless, of course, I hadn’t predicted this regression of mine.
There was no way I could have fabricated this situation.
This means…
‘Someone should have been looking for me instead.’
I reflected on the princess’s words.
Didn’t someone originally leave the Ice Spirit here?
The Dragon Sovereign?
No.
‘Blood Demon.’
The Ice Spirit was his possession.
Whether that guy is pureblood or whatever is still unclear.
But let’s say…
‘What if he had anticipated his own resurrection, placing the Ice Spirit here in advance?’
Or, had the intention of sending someone else here to witness it.
‘It’s most likely he didn’t think I would come, paving the way for me.’
Which implies…
‘Is it correct to assume this is a safety measure left by the Blood Demon?’
In actuality, the Blood Demon was already busy scheming using other people’s bodies.
So viewing it this way would probably be more accurate.
‘Didn’t he even have an inkling?’
That someone would need to meet certain conditions to become a pureblood dragon?
Could he have unknowingly set this up, not realizing it would lead to someone arriving here?
That was my thought.
It’s a tangled path.
Since it seems unlikely to reach a proper conclusion.
“…So, what exactly is Yooseon’s purpose? It’s not merely treachery, right?”
I decided to probe further about Yooseon.
“I mean, he took the princess’s position, and you’re dying because of it. This can’t be reduced to simple rebellion!”
“…”
The actions taken were not merely aimed at claiming the princess’s position.
That was evident from everything the current princess had explained.
But what reason could there be?
The dragon Yooseon behaving this way?
“Perhaps that’s it.”
The princess pointed once more toward the Ice Spirit.
“I think he wants to acquire that ice.”
“What?”
I couldn’t help but voice my disbelief at what I had just heard.
“You want to obtain the Ice Spirit?”
“If you’re chosen to become a dragon, then that is what you need to become more complete.”
What could that possibly mean?
He needs more of this Ice Spirit to become whole?
Furthermore…
“Then why should you even be here?”
I noticed something bizarre about the princess’s words.
“If you intend to take that Ice Spirit, then you shouldn’t be using this place as your hideout…!”
Oh.
As I was speaking, it hit me.
Could it be that…
“You’re…”
The princess all along.
“Have you been waiting?”
Waiting here for Yooseon?
Rather than fleeing to hide out, were you actually waiting for him?
The princess didn’t confirm nor deny my statement, but I was already convinced.
I was right when I said that.
“What are you waiting for…? Why are you waiting?”
“Because what has gone wrong must be made right.”
“Shouldn’t you have sought treatment from me instead, then?”
A deteriorating body.
While I cannot confirm if the curse can be lifted, I should have at least tried.
Yet, back then, the princess had distinctly rejected my treatment, claiming not to desire such a thing.
“If I were to take that, I wouldn’t be able to stop that child.”
The princess admitted she was waiting for an enemy here.
“What does that mean?”
“Once you become a princess, you are privy to many things.”
A tremor began to shake the princess’s hand as she touched the Ice Spirit.
“What is contained within this Ice Spirit? How come it’s referred to as an egg and a heart?”
Moreover.
“What occurs if the Ice Spirit hatches from an egg?”
“Hatching…?”
I, too, glanced at the Ice Spirit upon hearing the princess’s words.
Hatching? Are we truly saying it’s also utilized as an egg?
If that holds true, what on earth is contained inside there?
“If that child’s goal was merely to attain the position of princess, I would’ve readily handed it over to them. But.”
The princess spoke, her vertically-slit eyes shimmering with purpose.
“I can tell that the objective is not the seat but rather the hatching.”
The intent behind Yooseon is to revive the Ice Spirit.
That’s what he was coming here to do.
“So, do you intend to prevent him from doing that, with your failing body?”
“Because that’s the surest method.”
Waiting, not merely hiding.
The reason the princess was stationed here, in front of the iron door, was exactly that.
Then, I asked, “What was your reason for calling me here?”
Why did she bring me to the Ice Spirit?
That was the lingering question I had been asking all along.
I needed to know what my role here was.
When I inquired, the princess replied,
“For that matter, I do not know.”
“What?”
For a moment, I was dumbfounded by this response.
“You don’t know? Then why did you summon me?”
“I merely brought you here based on karmic ties. Beyond that, I know nothing.”
“This is another maddening riddle.”
She called me here knowing I was a pureblood, yet she doesn’t know what I’m meant to do now that I’m here.
I felt utterly lost.
“Yet that I don’t know means you do know something.”
The princess turned her gaze toward me.
“If I knew, why would I bother to ask you?”
“You simply don’t know because you haven’t decided.”
“…!”
“Isn’t that right?”
The princess’s assertion left me momentarily speechless.
“Your indecision is what’s keeping you blind to the truth.”
[So that’s it. Therefore.]
It clicked with something Yooseon had said.
‘Because I haven’t come to a decision, I remain uninformed about the answers?’
Am I a dragon?
Or am I, by any chance, human?
Not being able to ascertain all these has left me unsure of what my purpose here is.
Is that truly the case?
Even now, the situation was compelling me to make a choice, reflecting on everything I’ve encountered up to this point.
As frustrating as it is, I already had the clarity I needed.
Even if it’s late, it’s very late.
Regardless of the truth behind the princess’s words,
[How trivial.]
Even though I couldn’t choose and lost my chance, it meant I was still standing at a crossroads, caught up in foolish hesitation.
“…Do you wish for me to make a choice as well?”
“I don’t know. I’m not familiar with your life; thus, I cannot provide guidance or meddle in your affairs. The only conclusion I’ve come to is.”
With her vertically-slit pupils, she gazed at me.
“It appears you seem to lack much to achieve anything right now.”
“…”
Merely failing to grasp one’s intention shouldn’t make this so tiresome.
I couldn’t quite understand.
I didn’t wish to know.
But.
‘Damn it.’
This was something I’d been aware of ever since encountering Yooseon.
The emotion I experienced the moment I lost Woohyuk, feeling utterly helpless.
As I opened my eyes, having met Namgungbia, the sense of insecurity that perhaps I could lose Namgungbia as well someday.
I felt it and realized…
I am far too insufficient to be greedy.
‘Having claimed I’d resort to any means to achieve my desires, I’ve done the opposite.’
There’s one reason.
-I want to live as a human.
That simple and pitiful longing alone.
In my former life as a human, I couldn’t truly live as one, so in this rebirth, I desired to experience it differently.
Even if my body becomes draconic.
I just want to be human.
That’s simply what I’m yearning for.
Yet it’s a sad, miserable hesitation.
That’s what’s been holding me back and dragging on until now.
‘…’
I found myself contemplating while staring at the Ice Spirit.
My gaze was fixed on it,
But my mind wandered elsewhere.
I recalled a few people briefly and then closed my eyes.
“…Could you give me a moment?”
There was no response.
I could claim I simply didn’t hear it.
I kept mulling it over.
What would happen if I dispelled my hesitations and reached a conclusion? What would change?
Despite holding that in my embrace…
Ironically, I already knew the answer to my decision.
I was just avoiding it.
Pretending to ponder, I kept delaying it further and further.
Just wishing to postpone it for just a little longer.
Hoo—
When I closed my eyes like that and opened them again…
“…”
I stood in a world that had been burned to blackened ashes.
There was no need to question where I was going.
‘Because I already knew.’
This was my heart.
It was a place I could reach at any time.
It’d been easy to confront at any moment yet…
That hesitation, for some reason, kept me from facing it as such.
In a world where everything had burned away, leaving nothing behind,
I made my way towards a minuscule spot that had barely survived.
[Huuuu… Huuuuuuuu…!]
I heard cries.
[Ughhhhh…]
In a world where only flames danced,
The cries of a child resonated throughout.
Creak.
I walked, stepping on ashes, moving towards those cries.
[…Mama… Mamaaa!]
In this disarrayed world, a child was wailing, terrified that they would burn away with even the slightest movement, as they searched for their mother.
I stood upon the charred ground, gazing at the child.
[Ugh… Ugh… I don’t want this…]
The child’s expression was vicious for their age.
Red, swollen eyes and nose from endless tears.
A body trembling in fear, curled up.
It resembled my childhood.
Moreover,
It represented the last remnants of my hesitation as a human.
[Mommy……!! I’m scared…!! Where have you gone…!]
“…”
Watching the heartbreaking sight of the child wailing, I couldn’t help but form a bitter smile.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
And then I said,
“Shall I chat with you, little one?”
It was time to end this.
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