Chapter 178 - Prophecies

Eun Ha and Shin were watching the moonlight on Dominion and all the stars that dotted the sky. With hands clasped and wrapped in a blanket, sitting in the garden, they talked lazily as the stars changed places, marking the passage of time,

"So is it what happened? Did Ms. Park Nam Joo see her mother 'blessing' little Ye Rim? And were her words these?" the Hunter asked after Eun Ha recounted the facts she heard from the witness of her own mother's death. Nam Joo had an excellent memory for the events that took place 27 years ago, as they had changed Ye Rim's mother's life forever.

"Yes, as I understand it, my mother promised to grant Ye Rim intelligence, charisma, talent, beauty, and courage, except for one thing," she accounted on her fingers, intrigued by this detail. Was the 'lacking thing' the condition of magic? Most likely. But what Shin said afterward gave her a clue as to what it would be.

"Yes, a broken heart would be her only weakness, probably a dire one. The spell even allowed her to be untouched by the supernatural. This is intriguing," Shin scratched his chin thoughtfully.

Was it 'love'? Having all of that and not being able to have your love with you was really a fitting price for blessings, but ... it was so cruel! Eun Ha understood now that the death of her husband shook her mother. But glancing at Shin by her side, she knew that she'd given up many things to have her lover by her side. Did it relate in any way to the 'Man in Pink' prophecy?

"But what about the last part of the spell?" Eun Ha asked. She had come a long way on magical matters, and now she knew that this type of enchantment was powerful and permanent. Probably her mother invested all the magic that still remained. The effort to do so consumed any life which was still in her body. It should be important enough, Eun Ha understood.  Her mother intended something else, besides wanting Nam Joo to feel compelled to keep her promise.

"Let me see. She said…"

"She said, 'This baby will bring back all the stars that the monster has stolen'. I believe she was referring to the Devourer."

"Well, there were some noble houses in the past that believed that each fairy was linked to a star in the sky. This is part of the myths, and today it's not even part of basic education. From what was told, I believe your mother had an outstanding education. All the more reason for you to try, isn't it?" He kissed Eun Ha's head, who purred contently, before agreeing,

"But, could that explain why Ye Rim says she's able to 'exorcise' supernatural beings?"

"I believe so. She could even upset a werewolf."

"And what about the 'Prayer of the Serpent-Sun'? Does that make any sense?"

"I don't know. Gifted humans exist, and the rituals they use differ from our kind of magic. It might work. It may just add a dose of confidence to what Ye Rim can do," he mused.

"Like a kind of 'placebo effect'?"

"Exactly."

"But isn't that dangerous for Ye Rim?" Eun Ha concluded that, prophecy or desire, her mother's final words projected a heroic but risky destiny for Ye Rim.

"This is my fear. May Ye Rim attract the Devourer's attention, if she hasn't already. According to the terms of the magic, not even he could kill her. Because nothing that's supernatural can achieve it. But she can kill him, if she can, and thus keep her mother's words."

"But if he can't hurt her, he might fear her instead!" Eun Ha followed the logic behind Hye Seong's words.

"And because the Devourer fears her, he may want to destroy her. Although he cannot do this himself now, he could find other means," the Hunter concluded his thoughts. "Furthermore, at this point, Ye Rim can do nothing. She has no preparation for dealing with a magical monster of this caliber."

"Actually," said Eun Ha, after thinking about it, "why would she want to do all of this?"

"I imagine that at some point, she will find herself without choices," Shin said, and Eun Ha shivered. She wished that it wasn't true, but she also believed in prophecies.

ººº

Again having trouble sleeping, even after experiencing at least a dozen different emotions in his bed tonight, Jun Hyeon got up very early. After a run in the park and taking a shower, he returned in time to meet his grandfather, who also woke up early, making breakfast in the kitchen,

"Yesterday was Ye Rim's birthday! Why are you here, and so soon?" asked his grandfather as soon as he entered the kitchen.

Sitting heavily on the chair, he wondered how his grandfather knew about his plans. Or if it was just a very smart assumption.

"I planned a special night. But when it comes to Miss. Nam, the unlikely can happen. And again, everything went wrong,  he said.

"Aigoo. And to think you were mad at me for introducing you!" your grandfather spoke with a smug face. Maybe he wanted to be flattered with a gift or something else. 

"What part of that was a performance?" the doctor really hoped that the situation at the cemetery was not part of a plan.

"Ahem, pass the rice to me, please," Mr. Go changed the subject and Jun Hyeon raised an eyebrow. "But I wouldn't have left such a beautiful girlfriend alone on her birthday night," her grandfather insisted. The grandson closed his eyes, holding his breath,

"But she is not my girlfriend yet."

"Aigoo," dramatically his grandfather dropped the cutlery to make it fall with a crash, and stood with his mouth open, staring at the only grandson. "Jun Hyeon! What do you mean, aren't you a couple yet? What is wrong?"

"At first I thought I would beat her in her game, but that only led to a huge delay. Then ... complications ensued. From my being her tap dance teacher to the fact that she's angry with Eun Ha. Yesterday I prepared a romantic night for both of us, and what happens? She decides to spy on what her friend was doing. Ask me: what was the friend doing? Dating. I don't know if Ye Rim really has room for anyone in her life."

"But ... She seems to like you ..." Mr. Go was shocked and confused.

"I also think she likes me. But at the same time, I think she is boycotting the outcome. I think she's afraid of committing. Ye Rim has a 'record'. Her parents divorced in a weird way," now Jun Hyeon had one more reason to worry, the 'man in pink' prophecy! But bringing this issue up to his grandfather would only make this conversation a lot weirder! He hadn't even understood the problem himself, only that it was a problem. But not how real this problem was ... 

Both men had been lost in their reflections for a moment. His grandfather shook his head in disgust,

"Tsk tsk, poor girl. Anyway, she and you are not her parents. Show her."

"Well, I tried to build trust," he explained.

"You need to give an ultimatum, Jun Hyeon!"

'Aigoo. I'm getting interrogated and getting loving advice from my grandfather like when I was 17, 'Jun Hyen wanted to hide his face in his hands and die. But Mr. Go didn't notice or pretended not to see the plastic surgeon's embarrassment.

"It's not easy to find this type of relationship, Jun Hyeon. A woman who doesn't see herself above or below you. Being your equal, there's no rush to discard or grab. Maybe she wants to solve everything around her. Like a woman who only goes to bed with her husband after the house is completely tidy."

He laughed involuntarily at the example his grandfather cited. And his old ideas. But the wisdom of an experienced man was valuable. There was truth in those words, even though they seemed strange.

"Uhn. Shouldn't I have acted like a modern man then? Should I be a little more 'desirable'? Less available, less understanding? Should I hide that I like her? Are there still women who like this type of man?"

"Hmmm," the elderly man pondered, "Yes, there are definitely women who like this type. And women who like to dominate their men, too. But in your case ..."

'What a humiliation. He has a complete diagnosis for my love failure, 'Jun Hyeon lamented internally. Ye Rim had that fixed fantasy of ​​Queen Maeve's tenets, and Jun Hyeon even researched about it. But she wasn't quite who she wanted to be.

"In your case, you have won the trust of a woman very suspicious of love. It's not time to gamble and lose everything. But, of course, you should, ..."

"I should…" the grandson expectantly pressed on, moved by curiosity.

"Spice things up. I thought you knew!" the grandfather spoke, slamming his fist on the table.

"Aishh!" Jun Hyeon stood up, "It's a piece of cake. I was taking it easy. But I will have to play my regular game!"

"More than normal. Play on the 'hard' level. It shouldn't be difficult," the grandfather chuckled, and Jun Hyeon laughed at the double entendre!

But, as the morning seemed ripe for loving advice, the doctor sent a message to Shin Hye Seong, the lucky guy from last night,

KJH: 'Hyung, how did you win Eun Ha-ssi?'

Dr. Kim laughed when he got the answer, half an hour later,

SHS: I don't know. I just let her do it as she wanted. I don't know how to deal with modern girls. Shall we exchange tips?' He still had the phone in his hand, looking at the screen, when Ye Rim called,

"Oppa, I need a thermometer ... How ... Doesn't a doctor have a thermometer at home?" her dragging and weak voice worried him.