CH 14

There was no promise about how long exactly he needed to wait until the day he went to the imperial palace. Still, the reason he waited patiently was because he couldn’t move his body easily. Hearing the doctor’s warning that he might get his organs damaged if he moved recklessly because all of his bones were broken, Mugeon managed to suppress his energy from bouncing off.

Originally, he wasn’t the type to stay still, so he felt he had gone half crazy, but it was said that his life was in danger so it was bad for him to move wildly.

Still, perhaps because he had a rest for a long time, his mind was clear regardless of his body condition.

After looking at the ceiling for a long time, he put away the blanket and raised up his body. A short groan flew out because there was still remaining pain around the ribs. He was dizzy because he stood up after a long time, but Mugeon soon walked before the door.

He knew it was a place with watching eyes, but it was quiet outside. He was relieved. If there were people outside, then they would bring him back inside.

Drrttk.

He opened the door very carefully, but it was impossible to completely hush the sound. Feeling the outside air after a while, Mugeon recalled the doctor’s words.

“The recovery rate is really faster compared to the damage. No, actually, even wild animals can’t be this fast.”

When the doctor said it was a miracle that Mugeon survived, Prince Hwa, Jin Pyeong, then muttered with a strange expression, wasn’t happy nor hated it.

“Wild animals’ recovery rate…”

Then, once the doctor left, he asked Yeon Mugeon.

“Do you remember how you survived?”

Mugeon shook his head in response. Telling he didn’t remember how he survived. He was telling a lie. He did so because he somehow felt he shouldn’t tell all the truth to Jin Pyeong. His instinct was warning him.

Prince Hwa Jin Pyeong is a dangerous man.

He was the one who saved him, and he indeed was the only straw he had to catch for him to return to the palace, but he didn’t feel he was a completely good person. He didn’t explicitly show his sword, but because the kindness he showed had no particular reason, it was rather making him uneasy.

Mugeon slowly clenched his fists. He was feeling stronger than usual. It felt like it wasn’t just because he ate and rested well.

… I’m sure it was some kind of ability.

When he faced the ikjaes, the unknown ability rooted inside his body. Some superhuman strength, reflexes, and concentration that could not be achieved with an ordinary human body had been manifested. The origin was unknown, so he only thought of it as an ability out of nowhere.

Mugeon stepped forward, stepping on the floor of the hallway where there was no shadow, even though it was late at night. He was worried that someone might pop out, so his steps became more and more cautious.

This one too may be a playful trick of the name seal.

People connected through the name seal would definitely be connected through no matter what kind of connection it was.

Amongst them were some people who gained some ability, which was out of human range. In the first place, even the ikjae was born because of the name seal.

A madman who would rather cannibalize to possess her beloved lover. In other words, a human being rotten by a curse.

That was the true form of the first ikjae, that rotten lump of body.

Therefore, the name seal was a terrible good luck to some people, and for other people, it became terrible bad luck.

If his power was really realized through the name seal, then it was good luck to him because it saved him from death.

And perhaps for Jin Ye,

It must be bad luck.

Nevertheless, Mugeon made up his mind to change her thoughts. He was determined to make her acknowledge him, correction, and to love him.

Jin Ye entered his heart very easily, as if she had been a part of his body from the start, from a long time ago. It would be the same even though she wasn’t the emperor. Even if she was a normal person, his heart would still lead him by instinct.

After all, he kept her inside his heart as soon as he saw the name seal—only by looking at her name.

Mugeon, who finally reached the entrance, stopped. He was having other thoughts, so he was late to realize it. No matter how late the night was, it was strange to be this quiet.

In the early days, his injury was so serious that when he had a seizure at dawn, or when the door was opened for nothing, people would immediately jump out. Then, does it make sense that not even a presence could be noticed like this?

“…”

Mugeon stared at the door that was faintly illuminated by the moonlight.

For some reason, he got a hunch that he shouldn’t open the door in front of his eyes. More precisely, he had to quickly turn his feet and go back to his room.

He then tried to turn his feet following the warning from his instinct. Suddenly, the door of the room next to him opened and someone pulled his arm.

“Who…!”

When his voice was about to volume up, asking who it was, a sharp voice pierced his ears.

“Shut up.”

It was a familiar voice that he heard quite a lot recently. Mugeon then felt relieved, and followed the lead of the small hand. The door of the room they entered was soon closed, and a millisecond later, there was a sound of the guest quarters door being opened. Also, a big shadow was reflected on the door of the room where they hid.

As the shadow passed by along with the very faint creaking sound of the wooden floor, a small whisper was heard in his ears.

“I think it’s someone who came to kill you.”

Mugeon turned his eyes to look at the other person. It was Prince Hwa’s right arm, the woman who was next to him when he opened his eyes for the first time in Prince Hwa’s residence. She brought her forefinger to her lips, telling Yeon Mugeon to be quiet, and then asked.

“Can you run?”

Mugeon nodded his head. Truthfully, he didn’t know if this woman was on his side or not, but in order to live, he had to follow her for now.

After confirming his answer, the woman carefully opened the window and sent Mugeon out first. Mugeon stepped on the window sill and jumped out, making sure he was careful not to make too much noise.

It had been a long time since the air outside blew in his nose. There was a faint smell of blood in between.

As he was stalling because of the unusual air, the woman had already followed him out and then pushed his back.

“There is no time to idling. Let’s go to the east.”

East?

Unfortunately, Mugeon couldn’t sense the direction. All the surroundings were dense with buildings and gates. It had been long since he went outside, so there was no way for him to know how many days had passed and what time it was. Thus, it was difficult for him to guess the direction based on the moon.

While he looked around foolishly, the woman dragged his wrist in frustration.

“This way.”

She pulled Mugeon to a place that was supposed to be a side gate. Even though he was following her, Mugeon was wary as he didn’t know what would happen in the future.

“… Where are we going?”

“What? Do you think I’ll bury you? Don’t you worry. You’re still valuable enough to not be killed immediately.”

Value.

She would have been rather dubious if she appealed to his emotions. And as she said it like that, she was rather reliable. Mugeon looked behind while he was being led by her hand.

Someone who came to kill Yeon Mugeon.

He could only think of one person. Jo Seoyeob, Jin Ye’s right hand man.

He wondered if it was because of that woman’s will or Jo Seoyeob’s will that he came to kill him.

Jo Seoyeob brought Mugeon to the palace with his own hands but he looked very displeased. He was certainly a loyal retainer, but it didn’t feel like he followed Jin Ye as the emperor only. The meaning behind his desperate gaze staring at her was clear that it was impossible to not know it.

Perhaps he would be the biggest stumbling block in Yeon Mugeon’s life from now on.

“Welcome.”

As they went outside after passing through numerous gates, there was a palanquin waiting.

When he was pushed by Doyang and opened the door of the palanquin, he could see Prince Hwa, Jin Pyeong in it. He greeted Mugeon with a gentle smile.

Looking at Jin Pyeong stepping aside to willingly give him his side, Mugeon tried to gauge whether he could go in for a while.

The Emperor and her brother.

Even though they were related by blood, would the two really have a good relationship? If not, if he would try to control himself by using this event,

…… Maybe,

Maybe he would regret this decision.

Mugeon decided to close his eyes.

Prince Hwa had the thing he desperately needed at this time.

The power to make him walk past the threshold of the gate that he could never pass by.

“Do you want to go to the palace?”

Yeon Mugeon had answered that question without even a moment of hesitation.

“I want it.”

The man in this palanquin was the only one who would let him enter that place alive. The place that he would not dare to approach with his lowly status.

Therefore, it was a natural sequence for Mugeon to step into the palanquin. After confirming that Mugeon had sat safely, Doyang closed the palanquin door.

When he met her eyes for the last time, there was faint ridiculing in her eyes.

Nevertheless, Mugeon only straightened up his expression and turned his head. Not long after, the palanquin was lifted gently, and Mugeon turned to look at Prince Hwa.

The features that strangely similar to Jin Ye as if proving they were blood relative. Looking at him, a fancy beauty, Mugeon drew Jin Ye inside his head. That action alone made his heart beat irregularly, and nervous.

Trying his best to suppress that excitement, Mugeon talked first to Prince Hwa.

“What do I have to do at the palace?”

If perhaps the man in front of his eyes would be an obstacle to Jin Ye, he made up his mind to certainly eliminate him.