Chapter 22

TL: pineapples

***

I’m five years old now but is this real life?

As soon as my eyes opened, I let out a long sigh. I can’t believe that even compared to my previous life my body feels healthiest to date.

“Euuh…”

Raising my body, my shoulders felt stiff. Once I took off my clothes, surprisingly my injuries weren’t that severe. I must have received prompt treatment before.

I gingerly probed the red area of my injuries that had healed and suddenly looked up.

“Wait, what happened to Aku Ryun?”

My last memory was that I pushed all my powers into Baekha. That’s all I could remember.

Since I had even poured my life energy into it and emptied my dantian, I immediately lost consciousness as I felt a twisted pain in my lower abdomen.

So I didn’t know what happened to Aku Ryun and how he managed to evade the assassins. I knew nothing.

I began to recall Aku Ryun’s words before I entered the secret passageway.

“I don’t even know myself why I’m like this. I could just let you be. But when I was about to do that.. I couldn’t. I really couldn’t.”

I knew well that if I returned I would just become baggage to Aku Ryun. I also knew the rational decision instead would be going down to the village and asking for help.

But I couldn’t do that.

Like Aku Ryun couldn’t explain why he did such things, I too did the unexplainable. Even though I knew I wouldn’t help, I couldn’t leave him alone.

“Maybe while he was trying to save me something bad happened…?”

I shook my head as I was thinking those ominous thoughts.

If I’m safe, Aku Ryun must also be safe.

As I was trying to console myself vigorously, the door opened and Seoyoung entered.

“Young Miss!”

Seoyoung threw a basin away and ran towards me.

During the time I had collapsed, she must have been very anxious, so her face was very gaunt.

As she gave me a big hug, tears began to drop from her face.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left my position. I am very sorry.”

“It’s not nanny’s fault. I’m fine now.”

“Young Miss always says that she’s fine.”

“I’m really fine. My shoulder doesn’t hurt one bit. My body is completely fine as well.”

“Your injuries haven’t healed yet, but you say that you don’t feel any pain… Wooo, my lady has seemed to have grown up too early.”

I wiped off Seoyoung’s tears and asked her cautiously.

“So what happened? Is the Young Sect Master safe?”

“Compared to Young Miss, he recovered much faster. He is training right now.”

Ah, that’s good to hear. That’s good to hear.

I let out a sigh of relief as I pictured Aku Ryun nonchalantly training with an expressionless face.

His obsession with closed-door training was not just to build up his strength.

It was because he had something to do during closed-door training. That’s why it was even more amazing.

Resisting the urge to rest, he was a ten year old that worked diligently towards his goals.

Where in the world would you find another ten year old like him?

“How about the assassins? Though it looks like the North Sea Ice Palace sent them, does daddy know?”

Seoyoung rearranged my messy hair. Her expression of hesitation suddenly became determined.

“Since Young Miss will find out eventually, I’ll be frank.”

“About what?”

“Because of these events, the North Sea Ice Palace and the Black Wolf group, the largest organization of assassins in the Central region, were eliminated.”

“Who would… is it daddy?”

“Yes, and the Sect Master officially announced the existence of Young Miss by destroying the North Sea Ice Palace.”

“Then nobody knew about my existence previously?”

“That is not true. Only several important people knew before. But the Sect Master had no choice but to stay away from you. If people knew that Young Miss was precious to the Sect Master, Young Miss would be in danger.”

A scene that I had forgotten suddenly came to mind.

“I don’t deserve to hold your hand. I can’t because you’ll be in danger because of me. So…”

“Don’t approach me. Don’t hold my hand and don’t treat a monster like me as your daddy.”

I thought it was just a dream, but it wasn’t. Cheonma’s heavy confession and the fact that I stroked his cheek were all real.

“The fact that my existence was officially revealed…”

“Since Young Miss is Sect Master’s only child, a proclamation was made that Young Miss is the most precious existence to the sect.”

Seo-ryeong, who was speaking calmly, ground her teeth.

“Now everyone in the Central region will know about this incident. If Young Miss is touched, the only price is death.”

A few days later, the news that the North Sea Ice Palace had been destroyed spread throughout the Central region.

* * *

My existence must have been revealed to the Central region, seeing the explosive increase in gifts.

Not only the disciples, but also the minor civil servants who wanted to enter the sect – of course, they were bad people – have sent so many gifts. So much so that a separate warehouse had to be created.

The escape funds were settled without the need to make more ice flowers, but I was not very happy.

‘Since I like to do the opposite of what I’m told, if they tell me to throw it away, I won’t want to throw it away anymore.’

I felt uncomfortable after I realized that time with Cheonma was not a dream.

In addition, when I learned that those grandpas, who had been throwing gifts at me, were elders in the sect, my resolution weakened considerably.

Indeed, would I really be able to completely escape even if I wanted to live alone? Even ignoring Cheonma and those grandpas, there would still be a problem even if I didn’t escape.

It’s not like I have a way to change my miserable future.

“Young Miss, what are you thinking of right now?”

“Huh? Nothing. How many did we make?”

I was now in the process of making an accessory out of the ice flowers, waiting for Cheonma and the elders to return from the North Sea Ice Palace.

It was a simple shape that was completed by applying sticky glue to the ice flower I made and attaching a clothespin.

In fact, I thought of it as an item to raise funds after escaping, but I decided to make it for those who had suffered for me in advance.

“In total, ten.”

“We still have a long way to go.”

“Really? Since Young Miss will present them to the elders and Sect Master, shouldn’t one more be enough?”

“I need to give one to nanny, Young Sect Master, servant sisters, and Divine Spirit.  I need to make thirty more.”

“… I will also be receiving one?”

“Yup, the most pretty one.”

Seoyoung stirred the glue with her cheeks dyed red.

“Young Miss doesn’t have to give one to me…”

“Why? You don’t like it?”

“Eh? Of course not! Even if Young Miss gives me poison, I would like it!”

“Then take one and pin it on your clothes.”

“Certainly! Of course, I will! I will wear it forever! Since I could lose it, I’ll leave it on even if I die!”

You don’t have to go that far… since I can make another one if you lose it.

Embarrassed, I scratched my cheek and glanced at Baekha.

After that day, Baekha did not move anymore. Baekha did not steal my pillow at night, nor did it forcibly drain my energy.

It just obediently made ice flowers.

I was nervous because Baekha didn’t respond, but I decided to wait patiently.

It’s not that its flowers fell off either. Baekha looks completely fine on the outside. Maybe Baekha is resting since it used all its energy.

At that time, a person fell into the room that Seoyoung and I were occupying.

“Ak! My heart! Mister, please make some sound while moving.”

The Divine Spirit’s eyes showed that he was flustered. It was only natural to be taken back when told to make noise while moving since it was a spirit whose job was to move secretly.

“…sor-sorry.”

The spirit apologized in a rather blank voice. I shrugged my shoulders and laughed.

“Oh, I’m kidding. But what’s going on?”

“Sect Master… arrive.”

As soon as I heard the Divine Spirit’s, ice flowers fell from my hand.

I jumped up and tried to run out of the room.

“Young Miss! You have to take this! You said you wanted to give it to him as soon as he arrived!”

“Oh, you’re right.”

He ran back to Seoyoung and snatched the basket.

When I went out to the flower garden, I saw Cheonma and ten elders land in a vacant lot as they stopped using air magic.

I heard that it takes more than two months for an ordinary person to travel from the North Sea Ice Palace to the sect.

The trip, which took more than four months, was shortened to just one month. However, the elders did not show any signs of fatigue.

The elders, who had looked refreshed as if their ten-year-old indigestion had been cured, suddenly looked pained.

They must feel guilty because they pretended to be a normal grandpa that was just passing by.

I glanced gently at them and turned to Cheonma.

Why is my heart pounding when I see his calm eyes staring at me?

Recently, I had been thinking about something.

How would I feel if I had a family?

‘This is how it would feel.’