When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 108
Chapter 108
A long shadow stretched behind Sehwa as she gathered her anger.
A large, firm hand quietly approached and wrapped around her shoulder.
“What’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
Warm lips gently landed on Sehwa’s impassive cheek.
“Tell me. I want to do something for you too.”
Was she perhaps bothered by the murder she had just committed?
Baek Giha’s cold, indifferent gaze swept over Seowol’s corpse lying on the ground.
He hadn’t forgotten his resentment. Because of that assassin’s actions, he had almost lost Sehwa forever.
Thinking about it, even tearing the corpse to shreds wouldn’t be enough to quell his anger.
But he didn't want to frighten her, so he had to grit his teeth and endure.
His hot lips continued to fall upon her skin.
Just the two of them, in this secret place where even the sounds of night insects had disappeared.
As his lips, tracing her smooth jawline, were about to move down to her neck…
“Giha.”
“Yes?”
“Would it be alright if you were away for a while?”
“You mean away from the Baek Clan? For how long?”
“I don’t know for sure yet. But I think I might have something to do here even after rescuing Mother and my brothers.”
Sehwa’s gaze fell once again on the emblem stamped on the chests.
“Execute them!”
“Execute them!”
Sehwa’s fists clenched tightly.
Just taking their lives was too light a punishment. Whether it was the Mystic Ruler, the Young Lord, or the branch family elders.
She needed to see them stripped of their foundation, crawling on their knees, their foreheads pressed against her shoe tips, begging.
Her sharp gaze turned chillingly cold.
‘If I show this to Father, there will be nothing holding him back anymore. And…’
Sehwa looked at Baek Giha.
His affectionate gaze, as if it had never looked elsewhere, was focused entirely on her.
She had intended to deal with Seowol alone and then return, but Baek Giha had followed her as a matter of course and refused to leave her side.
How could she not understand his feelings? She felt the same way.
In the letters she had sent to her family who had gone to the battlefield, she had always written, “Don’t worry about me.”
Saying she was fine was more familiar than asking for help. Saying she could do it alone was more familiar than asking for assistance.
‘But now, I don’t want to be apart from him either. Even if it means causing him trouble. As long as he doesn't leave me, I want to be with him wherever he goes.’
“Let’s go together.”
Even as she made this request, a deep sense of guilt lingered in the corner of her mind.
Was it okay for her to be like this? That feeling kept trying to stop her.
Sensing her feelings, Baek Giha smiled slightly.
Why didn’t she understand? He was longing for a situation where they were alone together.
‘Just the two of us, for a long time… would that be like a honeymoon?’
Or a pre-honeymoon? A mini-moon?
A sense of satisfaction welled up within his chest.
He liked all those terms.
Whatever it was, it didn't matter, as long as they left soon. Baek Giha nodded repeatedly.
“Are you really sure?”
What was she talking about? He desperately wanted to split from the group right here and now.
“Then let's go back. I need to show this to Father.”
At her words, Baek Giha’s pupils narrowed vertically.
He understood from Sehwa’s words that they could proceed to their alone time only after this matter was resolved quickly.
The enormous white tiger appeared in an instant.
After gathering all the Spirit Orbs, valuables, and documents that Seowol had collected, Sehwa climbed onto his back, and they soared into the sky.
Only Seowol’s corpse, abandoned in a desolate place, remained there, growing cold.
“This… What is all this… How…”
It was phrased as a question, but it wasn’t one. It was merely an exclamation of bewilderment.
The warrior’s firm hand trembled slightly as he picked up the numerous letters placed before him.
From the oldest to the most recent ones, addressed to the Mystic Ruler, their contents were appalling.
It seemed that only the letters that could be safely discarded had been removed, as not every detail was recorded.
But he was a seasoned warrior who had spent many years on the battlefield, discerning the enemy’s intentions.
Just from these fragmented pieces, he could understand what kind of conversations had taken place.
Since when had the Mystic Ruler been expressing his dissatisfaction with these branch family members to them?
Lists of assets, the locations of safe houses and how to disable their barriers, overheard conversations…
How could they report everything to the Mystic Ruler so thoroughly?
Furthermore, the numerous misdeeds they had committed under the Mystic Ruler's orders were all done in Ju Myoungyoon’s name.
Even though the branch family elders appeared indolent now, the clan’s unity couldn't be underestimated.
If he sided with them first, they would surely side with him in return.
Ju Myoungyoon’s entire life, lived with such a belief, felt like it was being thrown away like trash.
Baek Giha, sensing his feelings, quietly waited for him to compose himself.
But surprisingly, Ju Myoungyoon didn't show any signs of grief.
After letting out a sigh to dispel his bewilderment, he simply turned his gaze forward, his eyes as sharp as his daughter’s.
“I will deal with them.”
A much lower voice escaped Ju Myoungyoon’s firm lips.
Sehwa immediately shook her head.
“No. You can’t. I will deal with them.”
Did his daughter pity him?
He didn't dislike her consideration.
But he couldn't take back the lifetime he had wasted on these people, no matter how much he regretted it now.
Just as his foolish beliefs had filled the bellies of these rat-like bastards, he intended to clean up the mess himself, to prevent them from jeopardizing his children's future.
Even if his daughter strongly objected, he would personally carry out their punishment. Just as Ju Myoungyoon was thinking this…
“I’m not saying this because I can do it better. You have to become the Ju Clan Head, Father, and if you do so with the stigma of having massacred your own kin, it will only cause unnecessary delays.”
“What?”
Ju Myoungyoon’s eyes widened.
‘What is this child saying? Clan Head?’
“I’m not saying this lightly. As I said before, the Mystic Ruler must step down. Then who can take his place?”
At her implication that there was no one else but him, Ju Myoungyoon froze momentarily.
Seeing this, Sehwa continued,
“Fortunately, the Mystic Ruler proved the validity of your bloodline by sending me to the Baek Clan. He proved that we, too, are of his lineage. So, when his crimes and misconduct are revealed, you must take the vacant seat of Clan Head and restore order to the chaotic clan.”
Thanks to this trip to the Baek Clan, no one would be able to object even if Father became the Ju Clan Head.
Ju Myoungyoon’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he listened.
He had never considered this before.
As the silence stretched, she worried that he might refuse the position.
Ju Myoungyoon shook his head.
“I understand what you’re saying. But I will not take that position.”
“Father!”
“But that doesn’t mean I’ll let someone untrustworthy and unproven take it.”
“…Someone else? Who are you talking about? If you mean my brothers, they’re—.”
“It’s not about them.”
Shaking his head once more, he added with a small smile, “You’re missing something too, you know. You. There’s you.”
“What?”
“If anyone should ascend to the position of Ju Clan Head, it should be you.”
A blank expression spread across Sehwa’s face.
“…What?”
“You are also a direct descendant of the Mystic Ruler’s bloodline, a legitimate heir of the Ju Clan. Why do you say there's no one else but me? You can take the position as well.”
Seeing his daughter’s stunned expression, Ju Myoungyoon chuckled.
“I have misdirected my loyalty for far too long. I walked a path I shouldn't have and committed deeds I shouldn't have, cloaking them in the guise of loyalty.”
Ju Myoungyoon’s voice was tinged with regret, but it wasn’t entirely dark.
“If it had been my path alone, I wouldn't have any regrets, but how can I take on such a heavy responsibility when I've not only made my family suffer but also put them in such danger?”
Even the fact that they had managed to overcome this much was due to the cruel and difficult days his daughter had experienced in the past.
Knowing that, he couldn't bear to sit in that heavy seat, obtained through his daughter’s sacrifice.
“B-But I don’t know anything about being a Clan Head…”
“Who knows everything from the beginning? And…”
Ju Myoungyoon glanced at Baek Giha.
His daughter, the person in question, was clearly flustered, having never even considered this possibility, but the man from the Baek Clan remained unfazed.
He had thought about it. About this child becoming not the consort of the Baek Clan, but the Clan Head of the Ju Clan.
For a brief moment, Ju Myoungyoon’s and Baek Giha’s gazes met and then parted.
‘Please help my daughter walk a righteous and straight path.’
At that silent request, Baek Giha's expression softened.
‘You are mistaken.’
Baek Giha’s dark eyes gleamed.
The strikingly handsome man softened his sharp expression and smiled.
‘Your daughter is already complete.’
So he shouldn't worry.
He would gladly assist in any way, but his daughter would be able to handle everything wisely even without such help.
He looked at Ju Myoungyoon with sincerity and nodded. Ju Myoungyoon let out a long breath, as if relieved.
‘To think I’d come to trust this man so deeply…’
On the battlefield, they had been perfect enemies, aiming only for each other’s vital points.
So it was fascinating.
That this man could make such an expression. That his warm, affectionate gaze was directed at his daughter.
“So, what are you planning to do now?” Ju Myoungyoon asked Sehwa.
Sehwa, who had been flustered, briefly pushed aside the thought of becoming Clan Head and began to speak in a low voice.
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