Chapter 32: I’ll tell you a little lie for you

Seleneum.

It was beautiful.

A peaceful land where the faint moonlight descended upon the deep blue night sky, and the white castle walls gently glowed under its light.

In its center stood a palace exuding a mysterious aura and a serene temple that resembled the moon.

The Hall of the Moon, a place visited by countless people for prayer.

“How did things come to this…?”

Tsuki held a candle in her small hands and prayed.

She looked worried about something.

“Princess… I wonder if she’s crying again today.”

Yesterday and the day before.

And even before that.

Every time Tsuki went to see her, the princess was crying alone.

“Why have the two people who always loved the princess so much become like this…?”

The king who ruled Seleneum and the queen who assisted him.

The two of them changed overnight.

Their benevolent and wise demeanor vanished, replaced by an obsession with collecting all kinds of jewels and wealth.

“The nobles, far from offering loyal advice to the two, are only giving flattering counsel, and on top of that, the sound of the common people pounding on the castle gates is growing harsher by the day.”

The once magnificent palace grew increasingly desolate.

Greed.

A desire to swallow everything in the world was engulfing the kingdom.

“If only I had a little more power, I could have been of help to the princess…”

Tsuki held the position of the nation’s only priestess.

However, serving the gods and national affairs were strictly separated, so there wasn’t much she could do in the current situation.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.

Not just them, but everyone else is treating the princess so poorly.”

No one cared about the princess except Tsuki.

The people in the palace simply believed that loyalty to the king and queen was the only way to survive.

To them, the princess was nothing more than a shadow of the king and queen.

“It’s as if some evil entity is controlling them.”

Just then, a soft voice came from behind Tsuki.

“Did you visit the princess again today, Priestess?”

A man suddenly appeared behind Tsuki, who was worrying in the prayer room.

‘Come to think of it, there was one more person who worried about the princess besides me.’

A man with jet-black hair, pale skin, and deep, dark black eyes.

“You’re back early, Lucian?”

“The atmosphere here seems unusual, so I couldn’t relax.”

“Haa… why has everyone changed so strangely?

Only you, Lucian, and the princess seem to be rational.”

“I also met with the king and queen as soon as I arrived… but their eyes were very clouded.

And I also felt a dark presence.”

“…Can we find a solution?”

“Don’t worry too much.

That’s my job.”

Lucian smiled brightly at the worried Tsuki.

As if telling her to trust him.

‘Heh heh… no matter when I see it, your smile seems to make people happy.’

Tsuki approached Lucian, who was about to leave again, to bestow a prayer and a blessing upon him.

“May the faint moonlight always accompany you on your path…”

“Tsuki, you’re getting quite used to blessings now, aren’t you?”

“…Lucian oppa, what if someone hears you say that again?”

“I was just trying to ease your tension… Are you worried I’ll get struck by lightning again?

Haha.”

“You don’t even know I’m worried, always the same… Sigh.

Just come back safely.

And don’t come back so injured again…”

“Haha, I’ve received a blessing from none other than Seleneum’s priestess, so what could happen?

Don’t worry too much.”

Lucian gently stroked Tsuki’s head once and turned to leave.

“Priestess, I shall depart now.”

“I wish you good fortune, Lucian.”

“While I’m gone, the princess, no—”

The last words the jet-black man urged as he departed.

“Please take good care of Luna.”

****

Ding!

[New Story Fragment: The Saddened Princess]

“So that’s how it was…”

What the silver fragment showed was Tsuki’s memory.

“Just like with Laura, Tsuki was also connected to Seleneum.”

Laura, a village girl who lived in the country of Seleneum, and Tsuki, who held the status of a priestess.

Sihyun compiled the information obtained from both their memories.

“The face of the man who seemed to be Lucian was somehow not clearly visible…”

In contrast to Tsuki, who appeared vividly in the memory shown by the fragment.

As for the man named Lucian, only his hair color, tall stature, and voice could be recognized; strangely, his face was blurry.

But even with that much, Sihyun understood why Tsuki and Eclipse called Phantom Lucian.

“His hair color, silhouette, and voice were very similar.”

Perhaps it was one of the effects of the beginner’s package.

‘They really put all sorts of functions in it.

So that’s why Luna also said she missed me at Bosingak.’

It was clear that Luna had a connection with Lucian when she was a princess.

‘So even though she lost her memories, it must be correct that she mistook Phantom for someone similar.’

“…Later, if Luna finds out the truth, she might hate me a lot.”

She might even say she never wants to see me again.

“…Anyway! I roughly understand why she mistakes Phantom for Lucian now… but that’s not the important thing.”

One sentence was heard very clearly at the end of the memory fragment.

–”Please take good care of Luna.”

“Luna is definitely the princess of Seleneum.

I was 99.9% certain from the moment it mentioned a beautiful princess with silver hair and golden eyes anyway.”

Learning more about Luna’s past was definitely a gain.

To end the story of a destruction-level ghost story, knowing its background story is indispensable.

But.

“It should clearly be something to be happy about… so why does my heart ache so much…?”

Sihyun couldn’t simply accept it positively.

In the story, the princess spent every day crying.

Her parents, who always gave her love, changed as if they were different people, and the country was darkening.

“In the end, Luna must have fallen without escaping her sadness…”

The reason Luna, who did nothing wrong, became a ghost story was none other than her parents, who were consumed by greed.

“If Luna finds out that her loving parents turned her into a terrible ghost story, she will surely…”

Sihyun unconsciously gripped the crescent moon hairpin tightly.

“…For now, let’s go home.

Luna is waiting.”

****

Sihyun arrived home via Shadow Movement.

He took a deep breath at the front door and opened it.

–Click.

As soon as the door opened, a small silhouette was visible.

A girl with moonlight-like silver hair and golden eyes that sparkled even in the dark.

Luna.

“Sihyun…”

“Luna.

Were you waiting at the door all this time?”

“I wanted… to do it here.”

“Haha, what did Luna want to do?”

The girl trotted over, took Sihyun’s hand, and placed it on her head.

“Luna?”

“Sihyun… I… waited.”

Luna closed her eyes and mumbled with her small lips, repeating herself.

“I… waited for Sihyun…”

—Thump.

Why was it?

Luna’s words struck deep into his chest.

The change in a girl who didn’t know what waiting was, or what it meant to wait for someone.

‘Now Luna knows.

She knows that if she waits, I’ll pet her and praise her.’

—Stroke.

Sihyun moved his hand, which was already on her head, and stroked Luna’s small head.

“You really… did well, Luna…”

For some reason, his lips trembled the moment he spoke.

When his voice came out slightly choked without him realizing it, Sihyun had no choice but to admit it.

‘I can’t deny it anymore.

Luna has become too precious to me… perhaps more than myself.’

****

Sihyun, as always, picked up Luna and laid her on the bed.

The room was quiet.

Only the faint moonlight from beyond the window warmly illuminated the room.

“……Sihyun.”

The girl stared intently, her golden eyes shining brightly.

“Luna.

Can’t you sleep tonight either?”

Luna tilted her head slightly and moved a little closer into his embrace.

The girl’s small, delicate hand gently gripped his clothes.

“Sihyun… I want to hear… an old story…”

“This is the first time Luna has asked for one first, isn’t it?”

“Yes…”

“Alright.

Then I’ll tell you the rest of the story I told you last time.”

Sihyun pulled the blanket over Luna to make her more comfortable.

“In Seleneum, there was a very wise king and a kind queen.

The two of them loved their daughter, the princess, very much.”

“Really…?”

“Of course.

I told you before, didn’t I?

She was a very beautiful princess with silver hair and golden eyes, just like Luna.

How could they not love their daughter when she was so cute?”

“……”

Luna’s gaze suddenly fell on her own hair.

Strands of silver hair, sparkling one by one.

‘Does Sihyun… think I’m pretty…?’

The girl had never given any meaning to her appearance until now, but from the moment he called her pretty, she gradually started to care.

Sihyun playfully took a strand of Luna’s tilted hair, brought it to his mouth, and grinned.

“Even Luna thinks it’s pretty, right?

It looks cold, but it’s gently warm like moonlight.”

“Si, Sihyun…?”

His action made Luna’s heart feel that strange sensation again.

‘What on earth is this…?’

An unknown feeling.

An incomprehensible sensation.

But.

“I don’t… dislike it.”

Sihyun stroked Luna, tidying her hair.

“But Luna.

Something sad happened in that happy Seleneum.”

“……?”

“The two people who seemed like they would love their daughter forever changed strangely overnight.

They began to chase only gold and treasures, pushing the princess away.”

“……”

Luna said nothing.

She simply stared intently at Sihyun with her golden eyes.

But Sihyun noticed the small change in Luna’s eyes.

A subtle tremor reflected in her golden pupils.

‘Luna shouldn’t know emotions.

Why does that tremor feel like sadness…?’

Sihyun couldn’t continue the story and could only remain silent.

Because the sentences that followed were too tragic and sad.

He simply couldn’t tell this to Luna.

“Sihyun…?”

“…Luna.”

Sihyun first hugged Luna, who was quietly looking at him.

He had stroked the girl many times before, but he had never initiated a hug.

“Sihyun… what’s wrong…?”

“Ah, sorry Luna.

Did I surprise you?”

Luna shook her head slightly from side to side, indicating no.

—Squeeze.

As Sihyun tried to loosen his grip, Luna burrowed further into his embrace.

“Sihyun is Luna’s… right?”

“Yes.

I’m Luna’s.”

“And… Luna is Sihyun’s…”

“Is that so?”

“Yes… So Sihyun, hug me a lot…”

The girl was slowly learning and understanding emotions.

Because Luna was like this, he absolutely couldn’t tell her the true ending of the story.

[New Story Fragment: The Saddened Princess]

‘…Don’t make me laugh.

Do you think I’d accept a story where Luna is sad?’

This isn’t right.

I can’t accept a story like this.

‘I want Luna to be happy.’

At least in my story.

Sihyun opened his mouth as if he had made a decision.

“Luna, actually, there’s a secret to this story.”

“……Secret?”

“The reason the king and queen collected all that gold was… actually to protect their beloved princess.”

“……The princess?”

“Yes.

One day, a very wicked and greedy monster appeared in peaceful Seleneum.”

The girl listened to Sihyun’s story in silence.

“That monster wanted to make the beautiful princess his own.

But the king and queen couldn’t just stand by, could they?”

“Why…?”

“Because they loved her.

Luna, they loved their daughter too much to ever give her up.”

“Love…”

“The monster was initially flustered.

It expected them to be scared and hand over their daughter, but instead, they resisted fiercely.”

The sight of parents going to any lengths to protect their daughter.

Sihyun was certain that Luna’s parents would have acted that way.

‘Even I, who’s only been with Luna for a few months, already find her so precious.

How much more so for her parents?

They’d be even more so, if not more.’

Sihyun cleared his throat and continued the story.

“The monster, exhausted from the resistance, made a proposal.

It was a deal to give up the princess if all the gold and treasures in the world were offered to it.”

“……”

“So the two of them had no choice but to collect the gold.

Although it was certainly wrong that they became so engrossed in that task that they neglected their daughter.”

“So… that’s it…”

“So Luna, the princess shouldn’t forget this fact, right?”

“Will the princess… remember… Sihyun?”

Luna quietly asked again.

The girl’s question carried a desperate hope that the princess in the story would remember.

“Of course, Luna.

And—”

Sihyun gently stroked Luna’s head.

“Because the beautiful princess right in front of me hopes so, the princess in the story will definitely remember it.”

“Really…?”

“Yes, really.”

As if reassured by Sihyun’s affirmation, Luna gently closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

“…That’s a relief…”

Luna’s breathing became soft and steady.

A very small and subtle smile appeared on the girl’s lips.

But that smile made Sihyun’s heart even heavier.

‘If she ever finds out that the story I told her was a lie… I’ll be hated by Luna, won’t I…?’

Luna, who had completely fallen asleep.

Sihyun carefully stroked the girl.

“I’m sorry… Luna.”

‘Just for tonight, I wanted the princess in the story to be happy.’

“Please… forgive my selfish lie for your sake.”