When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 38
Chapter 38
“Guards! Bring the Fatal Fragment poison for this shameless traitor who claims to have devoted herself to you!”
“Confess your sins and repent. Acknowledge your wrongdoings in a loud voice in this place and beg at my feet. Then I will allow you to die the same way as your family, instead of by the Fatal Fragment.”
“Display the heads of this traitorous group in the plaza, tear their bodies into pieces, and throw them into the dog kennels!”
The heads of family members kicked by the executioner's feet. The cobblestones soaked with crimson blood.
'No matter what, those scenes refuse to fade away.'
To call this beast worse than an animal "brother" and smile at him like before?
To play along with every conversation and pretend nothing happened?
'That's something I really cannot do.'
Swallowing the rising emotions, Sehwa looked at him and answered.
"Wouldn't that be resolved if the Young Lord simply avoided crossing paths with me?"
"Sehwa!"
"I requested that you stop coming, yet you still visit. I merely pointed that out, but you threaten me saying others would make a big deal of it, telling me to fix my attitude, using my family's safety as leverage."
"You—"
"I should be the one asking. Just how can I get even one of my words to properly reach you, Young Lord?"
"......"
"......"
"......Is this really how you're going to treat me? Even after everything I've said, you're still going to act like this?"
Ju Kyunghyun asked through gritted teeth.
"Think carefully. If you turn away now, I really won't see you anymore. I won't speak to you like before, nor walk with you in the garden. Will you still say the same thing?"
"I believe I've already told you several times. Are you still unable to understand, Young Lord?"
"......"
"Let's not see each other anymore."
Ju Kyunghyun's gaze, fixed on her as if suppressing his anger, was colder than the northern wind in midwinter.
"......So this is your final decision."
His jaw hardened like stone.
"Fine, very well. If that's truly what you want, don't even think about coming near me again. We are nothing to each other, so there's no need to acknowledge each other even if we meet!"
Ju Kyunghyun declared while brushing off his sleeve, then turned around decisively.
Watching him walk away quickly, Youngsun, who had been observing their confrontation from the side, asked anxiously.
"Young Lady. No matter what, he is still the Young Lord. Could you really treat him like this?"
"......"
Sehwa watched Ju Kyunghyun's retreating figure for a moment.
She thought she would be scared and terrified about her family's safety after provoking him like this, since she hadn't accomplished anything yet. But......
'I'm not scared at all.'
That didn't mean there weren't any problems.
Her actions today were like crossing the Rubicon.
'Having provoked him this much, I must deal with the Young Lord before I leave.'
Sehwa's gaze settled, low and firm.
Just then.
A servant who said they came on Choi Jangmyung's errand hurriedly approached and handed Ju Sehwa a small box.
The reply to the letter she sent this morning had arrived quite quickly.
Taking it, Sehwa carefully opened the box so others couldn't see its contents.
Small, bluish stones were nestled inside.
Spirit Stones.
At that time, Ju Myoungyoon's forehead was wrinkled like a piece of paper.
Although his hostility toward Baek Giha had decreased since their first meeting, he was still an Elder of the Ju Clan and a military commander who eliminated the clan's enemies on the frontlines.
How could he let his guard down without understanding the intentions of an enemy who had infiltrated alone?
Baek Giha had sworn that his reason for coming here would absolutely not harm the Ju Clan, and promised to explain everything soon, but.
'Somehow, all these seemingly disconnected conversations feel like they're converging toward a single point.'
If he thought about it carefully, he might be able to grasp something......
"After that, instead of scolding those Baek Clan children, wouldn't I have said something like this? Gather here tomorrow before the Hour of the Snake with your bows. I will teach you. Then those children, not knowing what to do, respected me and......"
"I see. The position of Clan Head isn't a leisurely one. Moreover, you must be even busier being involved with the other five clans, Clan Head."
"Indeed. It's not easy to make time between all that, but you personally taught all those children. That's truly remarkable."
"While I'm embarrassed to say this, I'm not someone who's known for lacking character."
......But the surrounding conversation was so distracting that his thoughts couldn't properly connect.
"Until now, I've been so devoted to the clan that I've never given my heart to any woman, not even brushed against one's skin. The clan members praise me so much for being noble and pure that I get embarrassed listening to it and beg them to stop......"
"My, do you mean you've never even exchanged letters with any woman?"
"Letters? If one carelessly exchanges those, wouldn't they have to marry right away? That would be terrible."
"What? Having to marry just for exchanging letters? That's not true at all."
"Indeed. To be so ignorant about women. Clan Head Baek, you're more innocent than you appear."
'From my perspective, it's you fellows who don't know anything about the Baek Clan Head......"
"Is that so? I am ignorant about women...... You see, from a very young age, I swore to dedicate my whole heart only to the woman who would become my wife."
"That's an admirable resolution. Whoever she may be, the person who marries Clan Head Baek and becomes the Clan Head's Wife will be very fortunate."
"Haha, you think so? But I'm serious. I will be good only to my wife. Ah, and I forgot to mention earlier, but I'm quite skilled with the zither. When you spoke about your younger sister before, didn't you say she also plays the zither?"
"Yes, my sister plays the zither beautifully, truly beautifully. No one matches her skill."
"I would love to hear that heavenly music sometime. If you would lend me an instrument, it might be enjoyable to play together. As I keep saying, I'm quite skilled with instruments."
"That would be wonderful. The Clan Head himself offering to play. Who would refuse such a spectacle?"
......But regardless of what conversation they were having, the situation of these naive sons being drawn in by the Baek Clan Head was too obvious to ignore.
Perhaps it was because they had spent their young lives only following orders on battlefields as commanders.
While it's common for military commanders to think in the binary of either enemy or ally...
'To open their hearts so easily as soon as they decide someone isn't an enemy.'
Managing this group alone was quite burdensome.
The biggest problem was that once they sat down, they showed no intention of getting up.
The man who had suddenly sat down by the roadside earlier claiming hunger showed no signs of moving even after finishing his meal with the sons.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ju Myoungyoon cleared his throat repeatedly and said.
"If you're done eating, shall we get up? You've been sitting for too long."
"I apologize, Father Myoungyoon. But couldn't we rest just a bit longer? The journey has been longer than expected, and I might have overdone it — my toes are still trembling."
"......You came on horseback, why would your toes be cramping?"
"When I ride horses for too long, my muscles— ah, but that absolutely does NOT mean my body is weak. I hope there's no misunderstanding about that part, absolutely not."
"......"
"It's just that I had so much to handle at the Baek Clan and couldn't sleep much before coming here, so fatigue seems to have built up."
"......I recall you fought against us for over two weeks without sleep on the battlefield, or was I mistaken?"
"Father, on the battlefield, one is constantly tense so honestly, you don't really feel fatigue, right? The situation is different now. So how about letting the Clan Head rest a bit longer as he suggests?"
"Yes. We're not trying to defy you, Father, but there's still food left. How about we finish this before moving?"
"......"
Trying to intervene between these three would only make him look strange again, like before.
'Danyoon, when are you coming? Just when are you coming?'
That's when it happened.
"Lord Myoungyoon!"
'That voice!'
Overjoyed at hearing the voice he had been desperately waiting for, Ju Myoungyoon jumped up.
If this hadn't been on the road, he might have run out barefoot to greet him.
"Sa Danyoon!"
Sa Danyoon, who had gone to fetch the Ju Clan guards, had returned.
"You're finally here! You're here!"
Myoungyoon's exclamation clearly revealed the joy he felt.
Dismounting from his horse at the more enthusiastic welcome than expected, Sa Danyoon asked worriedly.
"Did something happen?"
"Did something happen!"
Something did happen.
"Nothing happened."
I've been in such turmoil. I need to find out as soon as possible why this Baek Clan Head came alone to Ju Clan territory. But the more we talk, the more complicated it gets and I feel like I'm being drawn in. Even three or four days of conversation wouldn't be enough to explain. But even if I have stories piled up to my throat, I can't say a single word in front of those guards. How frustrating. So frustrating.
......Sa Danyoon immediately understood this condensed "Nothing happened."
"That bad?"
"Pardon?"
The guards, who had dismounted and were approaching, failed to grasp the direction of the conversation and asked again.
"Did something happen?"
"No. Don't worry about it. And Gahan, Gayoon."
"Yes, Father."
"Now that the guards are here to protect us, you two head back to the territory first."
"No. Didn't you say the Mystic Ruler is also in the Human Realm? That they would be coming soon? Then there's no rush for us, so we'll stay until you have time."
"That's right. Once we return to the border, we won't be able to see you for a long time again, Father, so together—"
"Stop arguing and just go when I tell you to!"
"Ah, Father."
Looking at his two sons who were likely to demonstrate their inexplicable intimacy with Baek Giha in front of the Ju Clan guards, Ju Myoungyoon once again mustered his patience.
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