When the Black Moon Rises - Side Story 33
Side Story 33
She herself, when she first heard the attendants' conversation, had thought, "Who would believe such nonsense?"
But she couldn't bring herself to say that she was climbing this snowy mountain, on a day when a snowstorm had raged until dawn, just to shout a wish from the summit.
So she answered vaguely.
"It seemed like everyone had climbed this Mount Baekseon at least once. I wanted to try it too. ...Something like that."
"Thanks to you, time turned back, and because of that, I was able to finish everything I wanted to do. Maybe that's why, when I looked at Mount Baekseon, I suddenly remembered that time. I really wanted to go to the summit, I thought."
She gazed for a moment at the mountain summit, barely visible, covered in sharp, bare branches. Then she stretched her heavy legs again.
Baek Giha, who would normally have made her laugh with silly or playful words, seemed to sense something and just walked silently beside her.
Her breathing grew more and more ragged as time passed.
She had felt a sense of foreboding when Baek Giha said they still had a long way to go, but she hadn't realized it would be this far.
Thus, by the time they finally stood on the summit of Mount Baekseon, the sun had already set quite a bit.
Fortunately, the thick snow clouds that had lingered until dawn had all retreated.
The scene of the reddish-purple sunset dyeing the sky like a vast red sea was clearer than anything.
Her legs, which had been strained for a long time without using spiritual power, felt incredibly heavy, as if submerged in a swamp.
In that state, she approached a rather precarious spot on a rock at the edge of Celestial Peak.
After hesitating, she moved her hand, imbued with spiritual power. The red clouds split in a straight line.
Unlike a moment ago, the entire landscape was now visible through the gap.
Baek Giha, who had approached, tightened the outer robe she was wearing once more and then embraced her from behind.
Feeling the tip of her ear had grown cold, he rubbed his lips against it, transferring his warmth.
"So, why did you really want to come here?"
"Hmm. Before that, there's something I want to ask."
"Yes."
"Why do you place a barrier on Mount Baekseon in winter?"
"Because if I don't."
As he said that, he suddenly seemed to realize something and closed his mouth for a moment.
"Is there something you wish for?"
"Something I wish for?"
As Sehwa lifted her head, he, who had been gazing down at the one in his arms, gestured with his chin towards the gap between the clouds.
"Yes. If there is, shout it out loud towards there. Then your wish will come true."
"Really."
"I'm telling you, it's true."
She laughed out loud.
"This is no time to laugh. When spring comes and the weather warms, the snow will melt. I don't know why, but wishes only come true when Mount Baekseon is covered in snow. So you have to do it now. Hurry up and shout."
"What are you talking about? I know very well that the snow on Celestial Peak doesn't melt even in midsummer."
"You never know. Just because it hasn't melted until now doesn't mean it won't suddenly melt this year."
"But what if that causes an avalanche? All of my most precious and cherished things are down there right now."
Her eyes, still filled with laughter, looked down at the faintly visible Baek Residence and the Baek Clan territory.
"It's true I came to gain courage, but I don't think I can make a wish. Because I don't want to risk even the slightest danger."
As Sehwa said that, her legs trembled slightly.
Baek Giha, realizing it was the aftereffect of climbing the mountain with almost no spiritual power, sat down first and pulled her towards him.
He sat her on his lap and embraced her as if to block all the wind.
As they gazed in the same direction for a moment, the sea of clouds filling the sky slowly changed its color and shimmered.
"So."
Just then, a cold wind blew fiercely, and Baek Giha, who had carefully tightened the outer robe she was wearing, asked.
"What wish did you want to make?"
"......."
"Is it hard to say?"
"......It's not that."
She placed her hand over the man's, which was embracing her.
"When I wanted to come here before, I think I was probably going to wish to go home."
"Back then, I was desperate not to give my heart to you. I couldn't control myself at all, so I tried to run away."
"Actually, that's why I hated it when you kept approaching me. I had to not see you to cut off my feelings. You didn't even know I was trying, just kept coming and going before my eyes, and I was so angry."
"Were you?"
"I was. But thinking about it now. Maybe. Hmm......"
"Maybe?"
"If you had really stopped coming just because I told you not to, I think I would have been even angrier. I might have even stormed into your office myself."
Laughter flowed from the mouths of both the speaker and the listener at the same time.
If that had happened.
If they had acted that way then, they might have found happiness a little sooner.
That thought occurred to both of them at the same time, but neither of them said it out loud.
That happiness had come at the time it was meant to.
So from now on, they just had to enjoy this life with their precious ones.
Because they had already decided to think that way in the light that purified the Corrupt Dragon's evil energy.
A firm arm wrapped around her waist as she gazed down the mountain, pulling her back against his chest.
The wind at the summit was fierce, but in the small space where they touched, a peace that could never be broken by anything had settled.
"So actually, it's true there was something I wanted to wish for today, too."
"......"
"......But since you came with me, there's no need for that."
"Huh?"
Sehwa smiled silently at him, who turned to look, not understanding.
Even after speaking, she couldn't bring herself to act, and only after a long while did she put her hand inside her sleeve.
A very small sachet emerged from her sleeve, caught on her fingertips.
Taking something out from inside, Sehwa, this time without hesitation, placed it around Baek Giha's neck.
"......!"
Baek Giha, who was about to ask what it was, immediately recognized the small, round bead hanging at the end of the string.
She carefully caressed his cheek as he just stared at what was hanging around his neck.
"It's quite unsightly, isn't it?"
The bead, which must have originally been immaculately white and clean, was in a much more stained state than when she had shown it to the First Consort.
As if it hadn't recovered its former state at all, even after she had transformed into a Divine Beast.
Thus, during the time they were preparing to exchange wedding gifts. She had the bead made into a necklace through Merchant Ji, who had visited the Ju Clan, but she couldn't give it to him and had to hesitate until now.
It's so unsightly even now.
This will continue to change according to her actions in the future.
She was afraid of showing every detail of that process to this man.
"On the hill before facing the Corrupt Dragon, you said you wanted to see it."
"......."
"I felt sorry for refusing back then, so I kept wanting to give it to you. You gave me everything. So I wanted to do the same. But at the same time, this was a little... scary. I was afraid that one day, you would see my blackened heart through it."
"......."
"Still, I wanted to give it to you. Just like you did for me."
"......."
"I thought I could give it to you. Casually. But whenever I actually tried to take it out, I couldn't."
"It's so foolish, isn't it? You already vowed to be with me no matter what I became, so what's the big deal about showing something like this?"
What was I so afraid of that I held onto this for ten years?
Now that I've given it, I feel so relieved.
I should have done this sooner. It's so relieving.
What is this thing?
What is this thing?
A speechless gaze looked down at Sehwa, who spoke while leaning on his shoulder.
While listening to her low voice, all sorts of emotions swirled around him.
Does she know? How desperately she is confessing her love right now.
Her fear wasn't because she didn't trust his heart.
Even though she believed it all, and knew he would never leave.
It was probably because she didn't want to lose even the smallest part of him.
Just like how she couldn't shout her wish because of the small possibility of danger, even though she knew this snowy mountain was surrounded by a sturdy barrier.
Because he was that precious to her.
Because he was cherished.
Because she loved him.
And so, she was confessing that she had been afraid for ten years.
Baek Giha pulled her body even tighter against his.
After closing the gap, fitting their bodies together without a space, he rested his forehead on her head.
His heart, taken out in human form, was awakening new and vivid sensations in him every day like this.
Thus, he too was feeling life every day. What it meant to be alive. What it meant to live. What happiness was.
Has anyone else ever received a love so overflowing, with a whole heart poured out just as it is?
Just as it always was when he heard her confessions, his heart ached painfully now, as if being gouged out by something.
She had said it. That because he was walking beside her, she was no longer afraid of anything.
Walking a path full of sharp, falling rocks. Walking a thorny path that could scratch and wound her skin in an instant.
That it would be so, no matter what happened in the future.
It would be the same for him.
It was a life completely changed by a single person.
He wanted to say many things, but at the same time, he didn't want to say anything at all.
Sehwa seemed to feel the same, as the low whispers that had continued for a while had now subsided.
In that state, they once again watched the process of the sky changing.
Because an affection that could be understood without words was formed between their touching warmth, no further expression was needed.
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