Chapter 1149: Scorched World.

Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, I quickened my pace slightly.

Even then, Hyun Soyeon chased after me as if determined not to let me go. She was damn persistent.

“Agh… Why are you so fast!”

“…Why do you keep following me.”

“Following you! You said we should chat while strolling, but you went ahead first!”

If you didn’t want me to follow, then why are you chasing me? She’s disgustingly persistent.

Due to her persistent pursuit, I eventually stopped walking.

“…So what is it.”

What did she want to say, acting like this? Getting rather annoyed, I asked.

“Ah, I had something I wanted to ask, just in case.”

“What is it?”

“Um. It’s… about Young Master Namgung.”

“…”

I narrowed my eyes, wondering what it was.

‘Is it about Namgung Hyung.’

It wouldn’t be Namgung Jin. If it were about him, she wouldn’t have asked with that expression.

“…Young Master Namgung Hyung?”

“Yes.”

“About him, to me?”

“Yes.”

“…?”

What could she possibly want to ask? As I watched her, full of curiosity.

“…Do you know where he went?”

That was what she asked cautiously. Hearing her words, I paused for a moment.

Where did he go? If he went somewhere, it would probably be…

‘The shaman.’

If he went where I told him to go, it would be the shaman. Whether he actually went there is unknown.

However.

“…Who knows? Why are you asking me that?”

The fact that she asked me this. That was the problem for me.

Was she asking because she knew something? I asked back, filled with doubt.

“I thought Young Master Baek might know. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

Hyun Soyeon spoke as if certain. Of course, it wasn’t certainty in her emotions, just her tone.

This meant…

‘Grasping at straws.’

She was asking out of a desperate hope to grab onto anything.

But.

“I don’t know.”

As for me, I couldn’t say. Not only was the shaman uncertain, but even if it were certain, I couldn’t tell her.

“…Is that so.”

At my words, Hyun Soyeon’s expression instantly darkened. I felt a slight pang of guilt, but what could I do?

I didn’t have the capacity to worry about Hyun Soyeon right now.

If there was just one thing I was curious about.

“Miss Hyun.”

“…Yes?”

“Why him, of all people?”

“…”

At my words, Hyun Soyeon faltered. Why Namgung Hyung? I was curious about the reason she chose him over Namgung Jin.

To my question.

“…Would it be okay if I said I don’t know either?”

Hyun Soyeon replied with a bitter laugh. Hearing that, I felt awkward.

‘This person knows I’m lying.’

She didn’t seem to believe my ‘I don’t know.’ Hearing that, I shrugged. What else could I do?

“No. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“…”

It wasn’t something I was terribly curious about, so I figured it was fine not to hear it.

“It wasn’t anything major.”

Hyun Soyeon, perhaps not having heard me, started to answer.

“He just saw me for who I am.”

“…What do you mean, ‘for who you are’?”

“I’m pretty, aren’t I? Extremely so.”

“…”

I made a strange face. I was genuinely taken aback. What is this person talking about?

“Ahahaha.”

Perhaps finding my expression amusing, Hyun Soyeon burst out laughing.

“Right. That was exactly the expression. He used to do that too. When I asked if I wasn’t pretty, he’d tell me not to spout nonsense. That’s the kind of person he was.”

“…You liked that?”

“Funny, right? But yes, I did.”

You liked someone who disliked you for being pretty? What nonsense.

“He was the only one who saw me for who I was, without regard for my appearance.”

“What’s so great about that.”

I couldn’t understand.

“Yes. It’s not great, but surprisingly few people do that. Young Master Baek seems to have a similar vibe… but this one is a bit different.”

“How is he different?”

“He already has someone. It feels… familiar? It’s not easy to get used to beauty. I thought, ‘His fiancée must be quite beautiful.’ Ah, well.”

Hyun Soyeon nodded as if she understood.

“If she resembles me, then it’s possible.”

“How obnoxious.”

“Young Master. Your inner thoughts slipped out.”

“Oops.”

I couldn’t help it.

“Well, that was the reason. A childish whim, perhaps.”

“Calling it a whim seems off, considering you’re still like this. It sounds more like a curse?”

“Love is originally a curse. You don’t know? You’re still young.”

I didn’t like the way she chuckled.

“But then, Young Master Namgung Jin isn’t much different, is he?”

Seeing Hyun Soyeon still favoring Mi Hyoran, I thought Namgung Jin probably wasn’t that different either.

So, couldn’t she just love Namgung Jin? I asked, implying this.

“With him, something feels… off, so I don’t really feel attached. Well, even so, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

I sympathized with the feeling of unease. And furthermore.

“Even so, you’re still going to marry him?”

“There’s no other choice. Family matters aren’t something I can resolve. And…”

A shadow crossed her smiling face.

“I don’t have the courage, or perhaps the recklessness, to break that and choose something else.”

“…”

It was a very realistic point. So much so that I couldn’t possibly comment on it.

“I see.”

“Aren’t you going to ask more?”

“Yes. It’s not my place to interfere.”

“Ahaha… That’s right.”

She casually wiped the tip of her nose. It didn’t seem like anything was there; it looked like a simple gesture.

“What if.”

“Yes.”

“What would you have done, Young Master?”

“Done what?”

“If it were my situation. Would you have mustered the courage?”

“…”

Hearing the question, I pondered. What if I were in Hyun Soyeon’s situation?

In that situation, breaking away from family circumstances and choosing someone…

‘Whom…?’

A rather unscrupulous thought crossed my mind. Several women came to mind.

Whom among them…?

After a moment of damnable imagination, I simplified it.

‘Anyone.’

Anyone among them.

Even if I dared to substitute anyone, would my answer change?

‘No.’

It seemed unlikely. So, I conveyed that sentiment fully to Hyun Soyeon.

“There’s no need to weigh anything.”

“What?”

“Family or whatever else. No matter what, I wouldn’t give up on that person.”

“…”

Whether it was recklessness or courage.

There was no need to attach trivial words. I wouldn’t choose anything else.

‘That’s why I’m living like this right now.’

Blood Demon this, Sky Demon that.

That’s the reason I’m crawling and living stubbornly, even while looking at my damn fate.

Because I didn’t want to choose anything else. That’s why I’m living like this.

“…Those are strong words. I envy them.”

“It’s not like that.”

“If I had been like that, would things have been different?”

“Who knows. I don’t think that’s something I can answer either.”

“Ahaha…”

Hyun Soyeon chuckled softly. Then, she resumed walking.

“I envy your fiancée, Young Master.”

She said this to me as she walked.

“To ignore everything and choose their partner… Is there such a man?”

“…”

Hearing her words, I nodded. Because there was something I needed to correct.

“No.”

“What?”

“Miss Hyun, you aren’t envious of my fiancée, are you?”

“…What do you mean?”

She seemed to be mistaken. She wasn’t envious of that.

“You’re envious of me.”

“…!”

Hearing this, Hyun Soyeon’s eyes widened further.

“Not your fiancée. You’re envious of me, the one making such a choice. Because you couldn’t do the same.”

“…”

She had a dazed look, as if struck by a hammer.

“Ah…”

“I’ll be going ahead.”

Leaving Hyun Soyeon like that, I moved on. There was no need to do anything more for her like that. I figured she might realize it on her own.

‘Though I wonder what difference realizing it would make.’

Even if I feared something changing.

I didn’t want to leave that as it was. It’s quite contradictory. Regarding the Heavenly Venerate, I was worried about changes and didn’t even touch it, yet…

‘To be meddling in things like this.’

I’m such an idiot, there’s no idiot like me.

‘It’s all…’

Walking, I looked up at the moon.

‘It’s because of you.’

Because the appearance resembles it so immensely.

It makes me care even when I don’t want to.

“Haa.”

I let out a sigh.

‘I wonder if they’re doing well?’

Whether it was the child resembling the moon.

Or the child resembling the sun.

Are the children I’ve kept inside me living well? It was a night where hidden worries sprouted.

---

Inside the blackened, scorched cave.

Splish.

It’s a space filled with blood, reeking of fishiness. A passage utterly dark, untouched by even a speck of light.

Within it.

Fzzt-!!!

For a moment, a bright light burst forth.

“Turn… off…”

Someone screamed as they collapsed, the smell of burning permeating the fishy stench.

The one whose brain was fried and burned black perished into the pool of blood.

Squish.

Leaving the dead one behind, someone walked through the pool.

Grrr…!

As the figure moved, a massive form nearby made a sound.

It wasn’t hostility, but unease.

Perhaps sensing that emotion, the walker paused for a moment.

Swish.

With fingertips as white as snow, they caressed something massive. At the figure’s touch, the colossal being swallowed its cry.

At that sight, the blue eyes seemed to absorb brainwaves, glowing faintly.

“Ah…”

A weak voice escaped.

“…It seems they aren’t here either…”

Grrr…

As if in response, the being let out a sound.

The white fingers, which had been caressing something, moved towards their own face.

“…Where are they? Where are they…?”

The emotion was slurred and profound.

“Just… where…”

Just where are they?

The figure scanned the surroundings, but nothing was visible.

Hoo-oo.

“…”

A nauseating smell rose. Overcome by the foul stench, the woman closed her eyes and grimaced.

“…Where are they…”

As the woman closed her eyes, the faint light that remained vanished, and darkness descended.

The moon, having lost its place to shine, quietly hid its light.

And so, only darkness remained.