When the Black Moon Rises - Side Story 12
Side Story 12
“Left State Councillor!”
As if signaled by his name, the officials closed in.
One step. Another step.
He felt like the wooden box would be snatched away any second.
‘Give it away? To His Majesty?’
‘No.’
Logically, since His Majesty had mobilized officials to retrieve it, there was no other option.
But his body wouldn't obey.
The thought alone made him feel like the ground was collapsing beneath his feet; how could he possibly comply?
If he lost these fragments, he might never get them back.
That was all that mattered to him.
Even the healthiest person couldn’t be certain of living until the next day. Life and death were in the hands of fate; there was no order to it.
Only these fragments.
Only these precious treasures, reversing the flow of time in his aging body, were free from the natural order.
‘How can I give them up? With these, I could live forever!’
He was already old. Losing these fragments meant he couldn’t even be sure of living until next year.
‘…I can’t let that happen.’
He couldn't be robbed of them, and he couldn't hand them over.
If he couldn’t have them, then no one could. Not His Majesty, not Prince Yeong, not anyone.
Trembling, he clutched the box and slowly opened it.
He took out the black fragment inside and held it in his hand.
His clouded vision cleared, and his trembling subsided.
His body felt so light, as if floating in the air, that he almost forgot what it was like to walk on solid ground.
‘Even if I lived a long life, how many years do I have left? If I must live according to fate, my prime is a distant memory.’
He gazed at the black energy.
The black energy, which usually seemed to sense his thoughts, now pulsed erratically.
As if whispering, “Don’t abandon me. Give me sustenance. Let’s use my power to kill them all.”
Involuntarily, he nodded.
Yes, you’re right.
‘I’d rather lose everything and escape, living forever, than lose you and live for just a few more years!’
The corners of his lips curled into a sinister smile.
He looked at Seong Ik-gwon and asked,
“They say the Black Dragon, the original owner of this, devoured thousands to gain its power, didn’t it?”
‘How much stronger would it become if I added the lives of everyone here? Even His Majesty’s life?’
“There’s something I’ve been curious about since I obtained this.”
He sliced his arm with the fragment.
As his blood dripped onto it, the red stains vanished without a trace.
“Your Majesty, please answer my question.”
‘Now, you’ve had a taste, so feast to your heart’s content.’
The fragment reacted instantly to his thoughts.
As if burning itself, the black smoke, which had been flickering a handspan high, rapidly expanded.
It grew, engulfing the residence, overshadowing the scorching flames. The surrounding green grass withered and turned yellow, as if reverting to its drought-stricken state.
Just like the devastating drought they had recently endured.
“No! Stop him! Seize the Left State Councillor! Now!”
Realizing what the Left State Councillor was trying to do, Seong Ik-gwon shouted in despair.
“Left State Councillor!”
Just then,
-ROAR!!!!
“!!”
A deafening roar, like that of a beast, suddenly echoed through the air.
A powerful gust of wind swept towards them.
“Ugh!”
The wind tore through the black smoke created by the fragment, scattering the dark clouds that had filled the sky. The raging flames, which had seemed inextinguishable, gradually died down, unable to withstand the force of the wind.
“Ugh!”
He barely managed to withstand the gale and opened his eyes.
Under the moonlight, where the black smoke had dissipated, was a creature with snow-white fur, its eyes gleaming like living jewels.
“!!!”
“Gasp!!”
Those who met the piercing gaze of its icy blue eyes collapsed in terror.
Some fainted, unable to withstand the aura of the massive White Tiger perched atop the roof.
The White Tiger spoke to Seong Ik-gwon,
“I apologize. I didn’t intend to come like this.”
It was a woman’s voice.
“And I’m so sorry, but it seems I broke something.”
“…Pardon?”
Only then did Seong Ik-gwon notice the woman in red seated on the White Tiger’s back.
As the woman’s gaze, her brow furrowed, shifted downwards, Seong Ik-gwon’s eyes followed.
Under the White Tiger’s paw lay the Left State Councillor, his face contorted in a murderous grimace, and the fragment he had been holding.
The fragment, unable to withstand the Divine Beast’s aura, crumbled into dust.
Seong Ik-gwon stared blankly at the dust, then at the woman, then back at the dust, and then at the woman again.
Sehwa, with a look of regret and apology, added,
“It’s shattered; I can’t put it back together. I’ll compensate you.”
“...”
‘…Oh dear. The celestials are here again.’
Due to the commotion, the joint Funeral was postponed for a week.
While the people were disappointed, Seong Ik-gwon and Prince Yeong, who had originally planned the fake ceremony as a trap for the Left State Councillor, now prepared for the real Funeral with even greater care.
Although it had been Prince Yeong’s doing, many hostages were found in the Left State Councillor's warehouse, corroborating the rumors.
People now believed that the Left State Councillor had been responsible for the drought.
Furthermore, the various rumors surrounding Chihwa disappeared like the receding tide.
The problems surrounding her had been resolved, and she had even reunited with her friend, whom she hadn't expected to see again for a long time.
She should have been overjoyed.
“...”
But after lying in her room all day without eating, she suddenly sat up.
With no more threats to her life, she had dismissed her servants early, and the residence was quiet.
Unable to bear the silence, she went outside.
But where could she go at this hour?
She wandered towards the back of the residence.
Walking along the wall, marred by the pits she had dug, she looked at her mother's garden, now a mess of upturned earth. She had dug the pits without a second thought, intent on protecting her home, but now, seeing the aftermath, she felt a pang of regret.
Lost in thought about how to fix the garden, she sat down on a nearby tree stump.
She had only checked the traps during the commotion; there wasn’t anything to celebrate or dwell on.
‘Perhaps I’ve been too tense.’
She felt inexplicably drained and exhausted.
Sehwa seemed to sense this, and after a brief greeting, told her to rest and that they would talk again tomorrow.
Chihwa picked up a stone, tossed it idly, and then hugged her knees.
‘…I feel strangely melancholic.’
Being outside was better than being cooped up in her room.
But she still felt listless, staring blankly at the ants crawling on the ground.
Their diligent digging reminded her of herself.
She sat there for a while, lost in thought, when someone quietly approached and sat down beside her.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh my god! Wh-what are you doing here?”
The man she had met a few days ago was sitting next to her, wearing the same ash-grey robe.
“You just walked in again? And you’re not afraid that I'll call the officials again?”
“You didn’t seem to be calling for them then, either.”
“I… I apologize for my behavior at the time. I had just lost my father and was distraught, so I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“It’s fine. I just came to check on you. I’ll be leaving soon, so don’t mind me.”
She was about to ask why he cared, but then she remembered Seong Ik-gwon.
‘It’s none of my business. I won’t be seeing him again after this anyway.’
Not wanting to get involved with him and create more problems, she turned away dismissively.
However, sitting next to the man she had threatened to capture and kill felt incredibly awkward.
“Well, stay as long as you like. I’m going inside; it’s getting cold.”
Just as she stood up, unable to bear the awkwardness any longer,
“Do you remember me saying I had a debt to repay?”
“Pardon?”
“When I asked you to throw down a rope. I said I had a debt.”
‘…Did he say that?’
“You keep accusing me of being ruthless, but I didn't come here to do anything… I mean… I had… a debt to repay.”
“Ah, yes. I remember now.”
‘What debt? Wasn’t that just a random excuse?’
“But I’ve never met you before, Your Highness. What debt could you possibly owe me…?”
“It’s not to you.”
Prince Yeong chuckled after a moment of hesitation.
“Don't you know how it is? Sometimes, a seemingly trivial and insignificant event can leave a lasting impression on the person who hears about it.”
“...”
“Have you heard about my birth?”
Chihwa, who had been half-standing, awkwardly sat back down.
“…No.”
‘Birth.’
She felt a sense of foreboding, worried about what kind of suffocating story would unfold.
“They said the Queen was frail and couldn’t bear children. So she adopted me, a poor, motherless child, as her own son.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“My position as Crown Prince was also something my mother wished for. She had no idea… that eight years later, she would give birth to the child she so desperately wanted.”
“But even after my brother was born, she treated me so well… I couldn't bear to hold onto a position that rightfully belonged to him. So I decided to leave the palace.”
It couldn't have been a pleasant memory, but Prince Yeong’s expression wasn’t particularly dark as he spoke about that day.
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