****

“Who dared to do this to my servant? Who dared…!”

The blood suddenly disappeared from Bing Eun-seol’s twitching face. It was like she had seen a ghost. She looked out of the room with a terrified face and her lips opened and closed.

“Leader…”

The one who entered the room was Cheonma.

Dressed in black with his long hair hanging down, he looked calm, not like a man who had just turned a servant into a mass of blood.

With his red eyes, he slowly looked around the room that had turned into a mess. Then his eyes stopped on me, who was being held by Seoyoung. The next moment, his red eyes darkened, turning to a deep black.

At the same time, killing intent spread out and stuck to everyone in the room. It was like an invisible bug. Like an insect that penetrates the skin and eats you from the inside.

“Ah no… Huk! Leader, Young Miss in dan… danger… please… your powers… stop… kuk!”

Seoryeong covered me with her body and cried out. Then the energy that had suppressed my body disappeared as if it had been washed away.

“Huuu.”

Cheonma took a long breath and approached me.

I forcibly opened my dim eyes and looked up at him. I knew that Chunma didn’t have any attachment to me, but I was doubtful if he even knew the meaning of family.

Still, I was glad to see him. It looked like he was angry with Bing Eun-seol. It seems like he’s angry at my injuries which were caused by her.

I reached out to him.

“Dadda… Dadda…”

Chunma gently looked down at my small blood-stained hand. Then he knelt in front of me.

“…I was too late”

The moment I felt his warm hand on my cheek, the tears I had held until then burst.

“Waah! Dadda!”

“Are you… hurting?

Strangely, it hurt more to watch him asking that question. His expression was still cold and his speech was dry. Perhaps that’s why a lie popped out of my mouth.

“No? No, no, no ouchie. No ouchie.”

I must have shaken my head too much. My nosebleed, which I had managed to halt, started to flow again.

“Stay still.”

Cheonma grabbed my face and wiped the dirty blood around my nose and mouth.

Why do I feel relieved when he did so with such a rough and careless hand?

More or less wiping the blood away, he hugged me. Then my legs left the ground. I never imagined that Chunma would ever hold me in his arms.

Chunma held me with one arm and turned his gaze to Bing Eun-seol who was standing in despair.

“Huk! Lea… leader!”

As their eyes met, Bing Eun-seol who had half-fainted, fell on her butt.

Cheonma stared at Bing Eun-seol with dead eyes.

“There was a beast in my house.”

“You… you are misunderstanding!”

“Misunderstanding? If the thing that is trying to devour my child isn’t a beast, then what is it?”

“But then again, even a beast would protect his own children”

Chunma muttered to himself and stepped up to her.

“So what are you?”

“Now, wait a minute… please stand over there and talk…….!”

“Shut up and answer me. I asked you, What. Are. You?”

“Save me…huu huk!”

As he got closer, Bing Eun-seol desperately crawled away. Scared out of her mind, she seemed to not realize that she was crawling.

But soon she hit the wall. There was no place to retreat. She then pointed to Seoyoung with a trembling finger.

“Didn’t you say it was a misunderstanding!? I didn’t do anything… that, that bitch did it! That nanny bitch abused the child… That’s why I was about to stop her… uh… but…”

Since she was raving like a madwoman, no one believed her.

When the excuses didn’t work, Bing Eun-seol began to mock.

“Since when did you start showing interest in her? When did you become like this? Aren’t you the great Leader that isn’t interested in anyone in the world? Why? You live a life that is boring to you, no matter what you do. Did you become interested in playing the role of a father?”

“…”

When Cheonma didn’t answer, Bing Eun-seol raised her voice with more vigor.

“In that case, you must first become a husband! That child is not necessary for your cultivation! I am your wife! I am your cultivation partner!”

“Not anymore.”

“What, what did you say? You can’t do that! A political marriage is not something that can be easily broken! The North Sea Ice Palace will never agree!”

Cheonma’s red lips rose sharply. It was a cruel smile. Like a murderer who had painted his lips with blood.

“Since when have I ever needed to ask the Ice Palace or whatever for consent?”

“…!”

Bing Eun-seol was struck speechless by Cheonma’s words. Then he quietly said someone’s name.

“Eunyeong.”

Suddenly, a person wrapped in black clothes appeared out of thin air.

He prostrated in front of Cheonma, awaiting his command.

“Inform the North Sea Ice Palace of the divorce and send them her wrist.”

“I… understand”

Eun-yeong, who answered with a bizarre forced voice, swung his hand.

Tock.

He had just lightly swung his arm in the air, but Bing Eun-seol’s arm fell off.

It happened so quickly and naturally that it felt surreal.

The blood sprinkled in the room like a fountain and her hand flopped on the floor. It felt like a dream.

“Kyaaaaak!”

Bing Eun-sul, who belatedly recognized that her arm had been cut off, thrashed around letting out a horrifying scream.

When I realized that it was real, I buried my face in Cheonma’s chest.

“You have to breathe.”

Cheonma rubbed my back while speaking indifferently.

“Haaa, haaa”

I let out a breath. I hadn’t even realized that I was holding my breath.

Cheonma turned towards the door and gave an order.

“Seal the room.”

Sealing the room meant that entry was prohibited, nothing could go in or out. Even treatment and meals. Bing Eun-seol was now trapped in this room and could only wait for the day to die.

“Huh! What did I do wrong…le.. let’s do this. I’d rather die! Kill me and go!”

Bing Eun-seol’s voice assaulted my eardrums. Her voice was so evil that it made one’s shoulders shrink. But Cheonma remained calm.

“I don’t know why I have to be so merciful. If you really want to die, do it with your own hands. I left an arm.”

“Dadda!”

I grabbed Cheonma’s collar in a hurry. Cheonma looked at me silently.

I could see it in his eyes. That Cheonma would comply with my demands.

If I asked him to give treatment or food to Bing Eun-seol, or even release her, he would do whatever I wanted.

There was one more person who realized this fact.

Bing Eun-seol.

She, cleverly aware that I had the initiative, begged me.

“Oh, baby! It’s mommy! It’s because mommy went crazy for a second! Baby, you’re gonna forgive mommy, right? I’m sorry, my daughter. I shouldn’t have done that to you no matter how lonely I was… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Forgive me just once, will you?”

Cheonma looked at me silently like he was making a decision.

I didn’t even look at Bing Eun-seol. Instead, I reached my hand out to the kneeling Seoyoung.

“Nanna.”

“… Yes? Ah, yes, Young Miss.”

“We go”

“Me.. me as well?”

Looking back, if things played out like this normally, nobody would take care of Seoyoung.

There was no one in this room interested in whether Seoyoung died or not with Bing Eun-seol. One can get as many nannies as you want.

This is what it meant to be weak in magic.

I managed to get a hold of my mind that was about to break. I could have fainted and left Seoyoung. I could wake up and find her, but I didn’t want to keep her with Bing Eun-seol for a moment.

“no alone. We go. (I don’t want to be alone, come with me)”

“… Yes, yes, Young Miss. This child will come with you.”

Seoryoung stood up slowly and held my hand tightly. With tears in her eyes, her lips opened and closed.

‘Thank you, Young Miss’

I held her hand tightly and leaned my face against Cheonma’s chest.

It meant that all my business was done. Then Cheonma held me and left the room.

“No, not like this! Baby! How about mommy? Are you leaving your mommy here!? Baby! You… oh you! You think that you can live comfortably leaving me like this? The North Sea Ice Palace will bury you! Your mother gave you four years of your life…”

As soon as Cheonma exited the room, the noise disappeared at once. The entire room was sealed using his abilities. It was fascinating, but I didn’t have the strength to ask him about it. My mental strength was already at its limit.

Tok tok.

Cheonma patted me on the back.

At that moment, all my strength left my body. I guess I was so nervous without realizing it.

Relieved, I became really drowsy.

Not being able to beat the wave of drowsiness, I closed my eyes.

Until I fell asleep, Cheonma’s large hands never left my back.