When the Black Moon Rises - Chapter 79
Chapter 79
Sehwa moved to a different bedroom at her father's command.
While the Baek Chancellor's room that had been attacked in the middle of the night was naturally changed as well, Ju Myoungyoon firmly insisted that Sehwa should no longer stay in that separate quarters.
Seeing the anxiety and anger in his gaze, Sehwa felt somewhat relieved.
Her father was having a change of heart regarding the Mystic Ruler.
At this rate, she might soon be able to talk to her father about what happened in her previous life.
'If I have to tell Father, what should I say and how much should I reveal?'
Though it would be difficult to understand, she was confident he would believe her. She had that much faith in his love and trust.
'I hope he doesn't show his true feelings too much in front of the Mystic Ruler.'
Her only worry was that he wasn't good at hiding his emotions.
As Sehwa lay unable to sleep, listening to the night insects chirping through the closed window, the insects suddenly fell silent.
A muted presence brushed against her senses.
What is it? Had that old man not come to his senses and sent more warriors?
Or perhaps the Young Lord who must have felt quite humiliated today?
She sharply focused her gaze and carefully gripped the bow and arrow hidden under her blanket.
Tap.
At that moment, a very faint sound tried to open the window.
Never taking her eyes off the window and holding her breath, she nocked an arrow.
Just as she was drawing on her spiritual power, a shadow blocking the moonlight briefly appeared above the window.
"..."
The shadow's form was too vague to easily identify.
However, Sehwa couldn't mistake the fluffy fur surrounding the shadow.
Lowering her bow, she walked straight to the window and flung it open.
The white tiger, who had been carefully pushing the window with just one claw extended between its massive paws while keeping its head lowered, looked up in surprise.
The beast's eyes narrowed upon seeing her.
"What are you doing here again?"
Since her father's quarters weren't far from where she was staying, Sehwa asked in a hushed voice.
The white tiger quickly picked up the blanket it had set aside and tapped it with its large front paw, just like last time.
'Really, is he in his right mind or not? What if Father notices when he's so close by?'
Even as she said this, her feet were already climbing over the window.
After she got inside the triangular folded blanket, the white tiger looked around cautiously before carefully closing the window with its large claw.
Then it soared into the sky.
In reality, it was using spiritual power to leap high, but its movements were so silent they felt no different from flying.
Only after jumping between buildings and arriving at a cozy grove amid pointed trees could she come out.
Having experienced it once before, she felt less dizzy than last time.
After briefly blinking to adjust her vision, she stared at Baek Giha, who had already transformed back into human form.
Last time he had put ointment on her face, so what did he bring her here for today?
However, this time instead of bringing anything, he sat before her with a serious expression.
His complexion was quite dark, as if something was deeply troubling him.
"You do have some plan, right?"
"Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden?"
"About what happened this morning. After that, you were busy talking with Father, so I couldn't ask."
He asked urgently with an anxious expression.
"Why did you say you'd marry the Young Lord if you lose? You do have a plan, right? An absolutely certain plan without any variables?"
"You brought me here to ask that?"
"Yes."
At that answer, a fleeting look of disappointment crossed Sehwa's face.
Hiding that subtle emotion, she lowered her eyes.
"Don't worry. I can handle it-"
"How can I not worry, how!"
"!"
Her eyes widened in shock - this was the first time she had ever heard him raise his voice, in both her previous and current life.
Seemingly realizing his reaction had been excessive, Baek Giha quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry. That was a mistake just now. But you know how the Mystic Ruler views you right now. If something goes wrong, you could end up like those children..."
He appeared anxious with worry, but Sehwa's eyes grew rather subdued.
'Is that what he was most curious about? Well, if it were me, I suppose I would have been most curious about what plan there was too.'
Actually, when she had discovered the white tiger outside her window, she had expected different questions to come.
For example, 'Was I the one you said you'd marry earlier?'
Or 'Since the Mystic Ruler suggested it to you first, there's no need to delay - let's proceed right away.'
"Are you listening to me?"
'What was I expecting? That there would be something like... like that night again?'
"Sehwa."
At his worried voice, she quickly shook off her scattered thoughts and softened her lips slightly again.
"Don't worry. I can handle it well. Though there is something you'll need to do on the day of the competition."
"Something I need to do? What is it?"
"It's about those seals you stamped yesterday. To reveal them..."
Sehwa's explanation continued at some length.
Listening, Baek Giha slightly furrowed his brow with a disapproving expression.
"...Such audacity... I see."
"...Perhaps you don't like involving the Chancellor?"
"..."
"Do you think you can't do it properly? Or are you worried the Chancellor might be in danger?"
"That's not it."
"?"
"...When things work out well, you'll surely praise him for doing a good job, won't you?"
"Well, if it goes well, I suppose I'll thank him?"
"..."
At that moment, images flashed through Baek Giha's mind: Baek Manyong's bright red face, his blank stare at Sehwa, his nervous fidgeting trying to talk to her, and his tense figure wanting to follow after Sehwa as she went alone to meet the Young Lord today.
His fingers plucked at the grass fiercely.
'No, this is fine. Fortunately, Father dislikes that fellow more than I do.'
Yes, that's something.
Judging by his expression, Father seemed to dislike the Baek Chancellor a hundred times more, which felt like gaining a thousand troops to Baek Giha.
"I didn't know you'd dislike it so much. Should we exclude the Baek Chancellor from this? I thought neither you nor the Chancellor would find this level dangerous."
"No. Feel free to use not just that fellow but the entire Baek cavalry as you wish. What wouldn't I do for my wife-to-be?"
Sehwa's face reddened momentarily at the words "wife-to-be," but Baek Giha didn't notice.
He had one more thing to do.
Taking the bow he had taken from Baek Manyong, he moved behind Sehwa.
"Now, hold this."
The low voice near her ear made Sehwa's earlobes turn red, but again, Baek Giha didn't notice.
Just like at the pavilion where they had played the geomungo.
'...Her scent.'
When this close, her fragrance flowed deep into his lungs.
In that position, he lightly pressed his forehead against her flowing hair.
The scent flowed stronger through her glossy hair.
"Wait, wait. You're too close. What are you trying to do?"
"I'm going to teach you how to shoot arrows silently while imbuing them with spiritual power."
Yes. Isn't this a very important matter?
It's something that must be taught, so inevitably, not by choice, they had to overlap bodies and hold hands like this.
With a smile tugging at his lips where she couldn't see, he placed his hand over hers on the bow.
When their skin touched, their body temperature seemed to rise by a span.
The old man at the window was quietly gazing at the moonlit garden.
How long had he been counting the swaying red bean tree leaves?
The Second Guardian, one of his three personal guardians, carefully entered the inner chamber.
Though there was no announcement, the old man didn't fault this behavior.
Still staring at the garden, he asked in a quiet voice.
"How was it?"
"It's strange. Those we planted in Ju Myoungyoon's mansion searched the entire house today, but no one saw any corpses."
The old man turned around with furrowed brows.
"What do you mean? We sent twenty-five warriors. Where did all those bodies go? Are you saying the Baek clan buried them? Did you check the Baek warrior quarters too?"
"Yes. They were assigned to a place where nothing could be hidden from the start. Perhaps they burned all the bodies with spiritual power, fearing the risk of a second war if it was confirmed they killed so many Ju clan members?"
"Are you certain they all died?"
"Yes. Black insects were implanted in all the guards' bodies, so we can immediately know if they live or die."
"And you're sure no marks were placed on them?"
"Yes. It was before making them official guards, and we were going to give them marks after they completed this task successfully."
"...So they just burned the bodies because there was no way to trace the culprits? But they must know that whoever did it, I could raise objections since it happened in Ju clan territory."
"It hasn't been long since the war ended. Perhaps it means they don't want another war yet. Though they're called the Six Clans Alliance, they've never truly united before, so there must be considerable power struggles."
"..."
After a moment of silence, the old man confirmed again as if seeking assurance.
"You're absolutely certain there's nothing that could identify those bodies?"
"Yes. Though if Ju Myoungyoon saw the bodies, he might have realized."
"Myoungyoon is fine. If Myoungyoon saw them, he would have come to me to ask the truth rather than reveal their identity to the Baek clan."
The old man, seemingly somewhat relieved, gestured to the Second Guardian.
"Alright. You may go."
"Yes."
"No, wait. Did you deliver the spirit orb to him? How was his mood today?"
"...I delivered the spirit orb, but it seems it wasn't enough - one maid disappeared."
"Just one?"
"Yes."
"That's fine then. You may go."
"Yes."
Even after the Second Guardian left with a bow, the old man's furrowed brow wouldn't smooth out.
Time was always lacking.
Meanwhile, despite feeding his son so many spirit orbs, he hadn't even undergone exuviation yet.
'I absolutely need that woman. That spiritual power of hers. For that, I should ensure an even more certain victory in the competition, just in case.'
Recalling that flame-like spiritual power he had discovered in the banquet hall, the old man's narrow eyes glinted sharply.
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