Chapter 186: Isolation (5)

Chapter 186: Isolation (5)

Beneath the Frost Cliff Palace.

In the secretive and clandestine space accessible only to the direct descendants of Adolveit, the sound of footsteps echoed widely.

Clang!

Flames erupted from both ends of the corridor.

Amidst the burning flames, the figure of Queen Hong Se-ryu appeared.

As she walked down the corridor, flames ignited on the torches on either side with each step she took.

She walked with as much composure as possible, but there was an underlying restlessness in her steps.

... She finally reached the end of the corridor, and stopped in front of a massive altar.

Women dressed in white nun robes bowed their heads towards the queen but said nothing.

Silently, someone approached the queen and spoke.

"Your Majesty, the flames of the Hwarang Flower are growing stronger."

"... So it seems."

At the top of the stairs of the altar, there lay a large jade cup, inside which a single flower bloomed. -

'Hwarang Flower.'

A treasure from legend which was believed to house the slumbering 'Fire Goddess.’

It was an heirloom passed down through generations of the Adolveit Family.

Only royalty were deemed worthy to wield it... Yet no one had been able to properly control its power.

This was because as soon as someone accepted the Hwarang Flower, he would immediately lose all magic and consciousness, succumbing to the flames' dominion and run rampant.

The only being to have ever properly wielded the Hwarang Flower was... one of the twelve disciples of the Progenitor Mage, ‘Adolveit.'

*'It must be impossible with mixed bloodlines.'*

Hong Se-ryu flicked her finger.

Suddenly, a silver staff manifested in the air and landed in her hand.

As she approached, the Hwarang Flower resisted, unleashing fierce flames.

Despite sweating profusely, she struggled to restrain its fire.

Since the day Adolveit inherited the Hwarang Flower, its flames had grown increasingly wild.

Throughout history, kings were tasked with suppressing the Hwarang Flower upon ascending the throne...

*'Is this also my limit? I've reached a point where I can no longer control the flames of the Hwarang Flower. While a Class 9 mage proficient in flames might be able to, I haven't reached that level yet.’*

*‘But perhaps there's still one thing. Maybe there's a solution.’*

*'The Coast of Levian. Where the Ice Deity slumbers, a place trapped in winter. Previous kings always forbade meddling with the Levian Coast, and no one has dared to defy that, but now we've reached a limit. If we can't suppress the power of the Hwarang Flower any longer... Perhaps, an unprecedented calamity might occur.’*

Hong Se-ryu wiped the sweat from her brow and withdrew her hand from the Hwarang Flower.

*‘... It's impossible with my own power.’*

Finding the answer from the Ice Deity was imperative.

*'I didn't make the wrong choice. This is the only way.’*

Since this was the only choice, she resolved to trust her own judgment firmly.

———-

It had been about ten days since Baek Yu-Seol began working part-time at the Royal Library.

Expect for one thing, nothing had changed much

"Hey. Hey. Isn't that the real princess over there?"

"Yeah. She is..."

"Oh, I can't believe it."

"She's so pretty..."

"Shh. Your voice is too loud!"

With a Class 3 access restriction, anyone with Adolveit citizenship could enter the Royal Library where Baek Yu-Seol worked.

But if Princess Hong Bi-Yeon started visiting every day?

Rumors would spread among the citizens, leading to a sudden increase in visitors.

They often say that seeing cute animals or attractive people is healing.

In that sense, perhaps Hong Bi-Yeon was a kind of healing totem.

Everyday, she sat quietly in a corner of the Royal Library and read like a fairy, so citizens could come and go while refreshing their minds.

"But why is the princess suddenly coming to the library all the time?"

"Well... According to rumors, she was supposed to have a very eccentric personality, but it doesn't seem like that. She just quietly reads books and leaves. Last time, someone accidentally bumped into her, and she didn't say anything but instead handed them a handkerchief."

"Really?"

Whispers could be heard among the people.

They might not know, but Baek Yu-Seol seemed to have some understanding of why Hong Bi-Yeon kept coming here.

*‘Maybe because she's lonely.’*

Although he didn't know much about her, there probably wasn't anyone in Frost Cliff Palace who would stand up for Hong Bi-Yeon.

Queen Hong Se-ryu likely deliberately isolated her socially.

Amidst such circumstances, meeting a familiar face must have been both heartbreaking and joyful.

There probably wasn't any deeper meaning to it.

Baek Yu-Seol still remembered that night.

In the dimly lit library on a dark night, she sat there, tears streaming down her face.

However, as if nothing had happened, from the next day onwards, Hong Bi-Yeon showed the same usual appearance.

She always maintained a cold and distant expression, and spoke curtly as usual, but... something.

There was a strange feeling that something had truly changed.

But no matter how much he used his abilities to gaze through Hong Bi-Yeon with the Blessing of Yeonhong Chunsamweol, he couldn't figure out what it was.

It seemed to be the limit of his abilities.

*‘By the way, why does she dress up so much to come to the library...’*

Her attire always stood out.

She often wore expensive, sparkling jewelry and what was known as the 'princess's dress'.

Compared to the ordinary clothes of ordinary citizens, it was quite glamorous, but perhaps because she was so beautiful herself, it didn't seem bad to others.

*‘Sigh... I'm so tired again today.’*

Then again, perhaps it was foolish to think she could hide anything from Baek Yu-Seol.

After all the time he had lived through, would there really be anything he didn't know?

"And it seems like you're mistaken about something."

He took another step towards Hong Bi-Yeon, closing the distance.

"Do you think I would have spare time and come all the way here just to see your face again?"

"Uh, um...?"

Wasn't that it?

*‘I thought so.’*

In an instant, her heart sank.

She barely held herself together.

"I came here to get you out of here."

Then, 'Ah...’

Because of what he said next, all the emotions that had been building up in her chest finally subsided.

"Now. Wait a moment...”

She tried to say something, but her voice got stuck in her throat.

*‘Do you know what does that mean?'*

* 'Even you can't make that happen.'*

Many sentences brushed past her lips, but in the end, the only word she managed to utter was...

"Why?"

Just one word.

Why?

Why was it?

"Well..."

Baek Yu-Seol smiled mischievously and didn't answer. In fact, he didn't know the answer himself.

"So... Do you trust me?"

It was a phrase Baek Yu-Seol often said as a joke. It sounded so playful and unserious that she couldn't believe it even if she wanted to.

But his words carried a mysterious power.

Truly, it felt like anything he said would come true. No matter what.

She thought it was impossible.

She was discouraged and accepted her fate, thinking that she would live like that forever.

It will be tough, but she vowed to endure somehow.

No matter how sad or painful it gets, she resolved not to cry and hardened her heart.

Because there was no hope.

The future seemed too bleak.

If she didn't do it that way, she wouldn't be able to endure.

*‘But why does he make it seem so simple to give me hope?’*

"... Believe."

Hong Bi-Yeon replied as if in a trance. She didn’t even understand what she was doing.

But he soon shook his head.

"No. Actually... I'm not the one you should believe in."

"What?"

"I can't rescue you with my own strength as you think."

"So..."

"So you have to save yourself. You might even have to risk your life."

She couldn't understand Baek Yu-Seol’s words at all.

What kind of plan was he making that she had to risk her life for?

"Do you still want to go back to Stella?"

But to that question, she could easily answer.

If she didn't risk her life, she might be able to live comfortably in the palace for the rest of her life.

But to go back to Stella, she had to risk her life.

This was too... It wasn't just an obvious choice.

"I want to go back."

"Really?"

"... Really."

"Then you'll have to be prepared."

Nodding, she bit her lip and lowered her head, clutching her clothes tightly.

When Baek Yu-Seol saw at her like that, he burst into laughter again.

"Are you crying again?"

"... No."

"It seems like you are."

"... I'm not."

"Uh, okay. If it's not, why are you staring at me so fiercely?"

As Hong Bi-Yeon retorted coldly and threateningly, Baek Yu-Seol flinched back.

She appeared so much like a vengeful ghost that honestly, he was a little scared.

"... I'm going back now."

She walked towards the castle across the bridge without looking back.

Baek Yu-Seol didn't chase after her, and Hong Bi-Yeon didn't turn back either.

There was no need for farewells.

After all, today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow...

They would see each other again.",