When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 113
Chapter 113
“How dare you beg for your life after being so clumsy? Where’s the other one? Bring her here as well.”
Following her words, another maid was dragged out in the same manner.
This maid, her face pale, didn’t even raise her head, as if she had accepted her death.
The first maid, prostrating herself at Ju Suyeon’s feet, pleaded desperately, “Madam, Fifth Madam! Please spare my life! Please forgive me, considering all the time I’ve served you.”
Sehwa blinked at the title she had just heard.
‘Fifth Madam?’
“Consider the time you’ve served me?”
Ju Suyeon laughed, as if she had heard the most absurd thing in the world, then bent down.
“You still don’t know me after serving me for so long? I specifically warned you to be careful. And you still make such a mistake?”
“M-Madam…”
“If I hadn’t just switched to this body, I would have taken your spiritual power and turned you to ashes right here and now.”
“P-Please… spare me… Madam… please…”
“But well, considering how long you’ve served me, I suppose I can give you a chance. How about this?”
Ju Suyeon lifted the maid’s chin with her long, sharp nails.
Drops of blood welled up and slowly trickled down from the skin where her nails dug in. Her eyes gleamed with amusement.
“I can forgive you, but I can’t forgive your hands and feet that made the mistake, and your tongue that still dares to speak. So you’re going to cut them off yourself.”
“!!”
“I will personally cut off your last remaining hand. And if you still don’t die after that, then I’ll gladly let you live. How about it? Can you do it?”
“Madam! Madam! Please forgive me just this once! Please spare my life!”
“So you can’t. How boring. Take her away!”
Just then, someone appeared behind Ju Suyeon, dragging their feet slowly.
“Stop it. I’m fine.”
It was Sa Yeonju.
“It's fortunate for them. If your skin had been scratched or if you had bled, I would have flayed them alive today.”
“Just be quiet. I have a headache.”
Even though she hadn’t said anything particularly harsh, Ju Suyeon's face paled.
She hurriedly approached Sa Yeonju, fussing over her, checking her forehead and taking her pulse.
“Does your head hurt a lot? Should I call a healer?”
“No. I think I’ll be fine if I get some sleep. So just go.”
“Weren’t you startled by the vase breaking earlier? I’ll have some medicine prepared right away, so please take it.”
“Just go.”
“…Alright. But take these girls now, Sister. Then I’ll go.”
“!!”
“!!”
The faces of the maids kneeling on the floor drained of color at Ju Suyeon’s words.
“You know how sensitive we are about your health, Sister. Take them.”
“Don’t. It’s bothersome.”
“Why? Do you pity them?”
“Pity?”
Sa Yeonju scoffed.
“Why would I pity them? Why pity any of you? I’m the most pitiful one in this Mystic Realm. I have to struggle and cling to life because of you!”
Ju Suyeon smiled gently and patted Sa Yeonju’s shoulder.
“So please take them. Then I won’t bother you anymore.”
“......”
Sa Yeonju, her face creased in a frown, finally took a step forward.
It seemed like she thought this argument wouldn’t end unless she did as she was told.
“M-Madam!”
“Madam!”
The maids cried out in terror as Sa Yeonju approached.
The other maids standing nearby pushed the two of them to the floor.
Sehwa was watching the scene with a puzzled look when…
Sa Yeonju grabbed one of the maid’s heads. A horrific scream escaped the maid’s lips.
“Aaaargh!”
Along with the scream, the maid’s body rapidly aged.
‘!!’
Sehwa almost cried out, but quickly covered her mouth.
As if she had been consumed by time in an instant, the maid’s body withered and aged, then turned into white ash like burnt wood and disappeared.
The other maid, witnessing the scene right next to her, burst into tears.
“Please spare me! Please, Madam! First Madam!”
Sa Yeonju grabbed the other maid’s head without hesitation.
“Aaargh!”
Along with a scream of pain, the maid’s body rapidly withered.
Her white, supple skin turned yellow in an instant, and age spots and wrinkles covered her entire body.
Just as the maid was about to turn into white ash and disappear like the other…
Sa Yeonju pulled her hand away from the maid, as if feeling nauseous, and clutched her chest.
“That’s enough, right?”
“Why? Don’t you want more?”
“No. Even if I consumed a hundred of these, it wouldn't be of much help. It’s better to consume one high-quality one than a hundred low-quality ones.”
“Ah!”
As if remembering something, Ju Suyeon hurriedly rummaged through her sleeve.
She pulled out a dark brown Spirit Orb.
“I almost forgot. Here, take this. It’s a high-quality Spirit Orb. Deer are good for your health, you know.”
‘…Deer?’
“It belonged to the Elder Madam, who has the highest spiritual power among the noble ladies, so it shouldn’t be bad for you.”
‘…!!!’
“It’s a bit of a waste, though. She had high spiritual power and wasn't bad looking. If only she were a bit younger, I would have switched bodies with her.”
Ju Suyeon placed the small Spirit Orb in Sa Yeonju’s hand.
“No, you take it. If it’s that good.”
“That Madam will be here tomorrow, right? I can consume it then. So you take it first, Sister.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I tasted a little, and it wasn't bad. You can’t get sick, Sister, so you take it first.”
‘…’
The deer was the symbol of the Cheon Clan. And the only Elder Madam with the surname Cheon was Sehwa’s mother, Cheon Sua.
Sehwa’s vision turned red.
‘They’re talking about my mother…’
Sehwa gritted her teeth, her body trembling with rage. Her gaze was fixed on the small, dark brown Spirit Orb in Sa Yeonju’s hand.
‘You take it, I’ll take it… they're being humble? With my mother’s life on the line?’
The sight of the maids turning to ash resembled her own family, turning into puddles of blood on the execution ground, their lives extinguished.
The number of guards in the residence, the fact that she couldn’t transform right now… all of it vanished from Sehwa’s mind.
Just as she was about to jump down… something grabbed her waist.
“!”
“…Shh.”
It was Baek Giha.
“Let go! That’s Mother’s…”
“Wait. Just wait a little longer.”
He covered Sehwa’s mouth with his hand and whispered in her ear, “I’m sorry to ask you to wait. I know how you feel. But they said that Madam will be here tomorrow. We have to wait for then.”
Baek Giha answered cautiously.
He, too, was desperate to find and rescue the Madam as soon as possible, disturbed by the scene he had just witnessed.
But they were currently in the heart of enemy territory, and they didn't even know where the Madam was.
“If she’s coming tomorrow, she must be somewhere nearby. If we search the surrounding area thoroughly, considering the distance the warriors can travel in a day, we’ll find her.”
“I’m also worried that she had to extract her Spirit Orb, but our chances of rescuing her without any complications or failures are higher if we wait until she’s brought here.”
Baek Giha shook his head and added, “We have to be calm. You’ve also extracted your Spirit Orb to avoid transforming into a white tiger. It’s too dangerous right now.”
“......”
“Just wait a little longer. And tomorrow, we’ll bring the Madam back without a single scratch.”
“......”
Her silent body trembled slightly.
She knew he was right.
As Sehwa suppressed her anger, Sa Yeonju put the small Spirit Orb in her mouth and absorbed it.
Ju Suyeon, her expression brightening, led Sa Yeonju to her room and laid her on the bed.
“Rest for a while. I’ll take that bitch who dared to startle you and flay her alive.”
“......”
Sa Yeonju turned over, as if she didn’t even want to answer.
Ju Suyeon covered Sa Yeonju with a blanket, then turned around with a chilling gaze.
“Bring her here.”
With that, Ju Suyeon headed somewhere.
The maid, her hair turned white after having her spiritual power consumed by Sa Yeonju, was dragged away by Ju Suyeon’s attendants.
Once the open door closed, the hallway fell silent again.
Only then did Sehwa and Baek Giha quietly leave the residence.
They returned to their lodging quickly, without exchanging a word.
They couldn't make sense of the situation they had just witnessed.
They had many questions and uncertainties, but one thing was clear: now wasn't the time to think about them.
As soon as they returned to their room, Baek Giha took out his sword and bow from his belongings. He imbued each sharp arrowhead and the gleaming blade with spiritual power.
He seemed determined to finish the job, even if it meant revealing his Divine Beast form.
Sehwa also calmed her spiritual power, trying to avoid transforming into a white tiger even if she used all her power.
But she had too much of the Baek Clan’s spiritual power within her now.
No matter how careful she was, there was no telling when she might suddenly transform back into a baby white tiger.
‘I have to rescue Mother quickly, before I lose control.’
Was her mother really alright?
Why had she had to extract her Spirit Orb?
What if she was forcibly aged and weakened like the maid she had seen earlier?
Various worries tormented Sehwa.
So, they moved as soon as midnight struck.
Before they left, Sehwa shook her head when Baek Giha suggested they use the disguise technique.
“I’ll use all my spiritual power for attack. I can’t risk transforming into a white tiger by diverting my power to maintain the disguise.”
Nodding, the man approached her and placed a longbow in her hand.
It was the bow used by the Baek Clan Head.
“Let’s go.”
A sliver of a moon hung in the sky.
Even though it was past midnight, the lights illuminating the streets were as bright as day, obscuring even the stars.
Thus, the darkness in the unlit areas was even deeper.
Large and small shadows slipped quietly through the window.
Hidden in that darkness, they once again ran towards the residence.
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