Chapter 3: Conviction

A wave of energy erupted, slamming against the walls of the counseling office.

The force of it flipped my bangs back from my forehead.

I didn’t so much as blink, meeting her eyes with a faint smile.

[Ja Hwa-yeon]

[Main Stance]

[Deeply confused. She believes the Left Protector… could not have done such a thing.]

[Optimal Response] [Satisfaction Probability 90%]

[Plant the seed of distrust.]

The killing intent radiating from Ja Hwa-yeon still made the back of my neck prickle.

Her aura was as sharp as ever.

But strangely, I no longer felt the same fear as before.

This wasn’t the threat of a predator.

It was more like a cornered hedgehog, puffing up its quills.

Ja Hwa-yeon urged me on in a low voice, as if forcibly suppressing her emotions.

“I said, explain.”

Let me make one thing clear.

It wasn’t my place, as a mere counselor, to define her enemy for her.

The strongest fortresses always crumble from within.

It was enough to simply create a small crack—a fissure in her perception—so that she would gradually recognize the enemy on her own.

I paused as if choosing my words, then opened my mouth.

“It is exactly as you see it.”

The goal was to isolate her from the Left Protector, to make her reconsider.

“This is the document your subordinate outside showed me.”

“!”

At the mention of her subordinate, Geumgang, Ja Hwa-yeon’s eyes wavered once more.

I pressed on, giving her no time to think.

I deliberately avoided the word ‘guardian.’

She might have an aversion to the very concept of being ‘protected,’ after all.

“Your subordinate… wanted me, as an expert, to confirm whether this diagnosis was truly correct.”

Ja Hwa-yeon had looked displeased from the moment she entered the office.

It was highly likely that her subordinate, Geumgang, had brought her here against her will out of loyalty and concern.

Yet despite her reluctance, Ja Hwa-yeon had followed him.

That meant she trusted Geumgang as much as, or perhaps even more than, the Left Protector.

From this point on, the judgment was hers.

By placing the two people she trusted on opposing sides, I had dragged her completely out of her safe, familiar ring.

This wasn’t some meddling counselor sowing discord.

She couldn’t deny the diagnosis, not when she’d remember visiting the physician with him.

At the same time, she couldn’t deny the suspicions of her loyal subordinate.

This was my method.

From here on, it was her job to find the answer herself.

Ja Hwa-yeon closed her eyes for a moment, then stared straight at me.

“Physician.”

“Yes, Heavenly Demon.”

“There is one thing I have realized since coming to this Jungwon… no, this world.”

I nodded silently, focusing on her words.

“The strong reign supreme, and the weak are prey for the strong. In my homeland, that was the only law. If I had a doubt, I would simply cut it down. If I disliked something, I would simply destroy it. Everything was simple, clear.”

A self-deprecating smile touched her voice.

“But this place is different. To be honest… I was afraid at first.”

I nodded slowly in response to her confession.

She was starting to reveal her inner thoughts.

A good sign.

All counseling begins like this, with the patient opening up about their truth.

“The strong here fight not only with swords, but with their tongues. My martial prowess was often blunted by their cunning words and rules. It was… troublesome, more than once or twice.”

I could feel the weight of the worries and trials Ja Hwa-yeon had endured.

“Eventually, I realized it. My experience… is somewhat lacking for living in this strange world.”

“So, I suppose I came to rely on those around me more than necessary, believing they would solve everything for me. In the meantime, perhaps the blade of my senses has grown dull.”

Her voice grew quieter.

“But…”

Ja Hwa-yeon’s eyes, looking at me, were wavering precariously.

The solid mask of the supreme ruler was peeling away, revealing a bare face trembling with anxiety.

“I still… don’t know. Could the Left Protector… really…”

The killing intent that had been pressing down on me just moments ago was gone.

She finally looked her age.

A twenty-year-old woman, terrified and alone in a new world, lost before a truth she didn’t want to believe.

This was the true face of the Heavenly Demon, Ja Hwa-yeon, whom I was meeting for the first time.

It isn’t difficult to give strength to a wavering patient.

All it takes is support and a gentle push from behind.

I stood up without a word and quietly prepared a cup of warm tea for her.

The sound of tea pouring into the cup filled the silence of the office.

I carefully placed the steaming cup in front of Ja Hwa-yeon.

Sitting down opposite her again, I spoke softly.

“In the West, there is a book called The Prince. It’s a book one must read to become an excellent ruler.”

Ja Hwa-yeon’s gaze turned to me.

“In that book, it is written that the one who stands at the highest place can never fully trust anyone. That at times, they must even doubt their most cherished retainers. That to protect oneself, it is better to be feared than loved.”

Was that actually in the book?

Well.

It didn’t really matter.

But my words offered both a definition for her anguish and a solution.

‘It’s not your fault. It’s just a natural trial that comes with being a ruler.’

A sweet absolution.

“No one can be an excellent ruler from the very beginning. A lack of experience is something that can be overcome.”

I looked her straight in the eye.

Then, I took the piece of brownie I had just picked up and very slowly, pushed it between her lips.

She didn’t resist.

She simply stared at me with empty eyes, accepting it like a child.

Looking into her eyes, I spoke quietly.

“However… if a war is unavoidable, it is better to start it quickly.”

This, at least, was definitely something written in The Prince.

“……”

Ja Hwa-yeon quietly closed her eyes, chewed, and swallowed the brownie.

I didn’t miss the subtle changes in her.

Her tightly shut eyelids trembled minutely, and the fingertips holding the teacup twitched ever so slightly.

Now, she was left with only two choices.

She could either accept the betrayal of the Left Protector, a man who was like the master who raised her, or she could doubt the loyalty of her faithful guard, Geumgang.

I hoped the sweet pastry would help her make that bitter choice.

How much time had passed?

Finally, Ja Hwa-yeon spoke.

“This tastes… quite good.”

With those words, she opened her eyes.

The uncertainty that had been wavering in them was gone.

Her gaze, now settled and clear of emotion, was sharper than before.

“Physician.”

“Yes, Heavenly Demon.”

“What do you think I should do?” she asked, the corners of her lips lifting into a languid smile.

Instead of answering her question directly, I tapped my fingertips on the tabletop.

My gaze was not on her face, but on the empty space beyond it.

“……”

As I thought, she had already made her decision.

I didn’t bother looking at the optimal response.

After all, there was only one thing for me to say.

All I had to do was give her a push, telling her that her answer was the right one.

I shifted my gaze from the empty air back to her, meeting her eyes.

“As you wish.”

And I answered with the same faint smile she wore.

At that moment, the corners of Ja Hwa-yeon’s mouth curved up even deeper.

“…How truly marvelous. It is as if you can see right through me.”

I answered with only a smile.

She left me with those words and rose silently from her seat.

Then she looked down at me.

“Physician.”

“Yes, Heavenly Demon.”

“My name is Ja Hwa-yeon. You will… address me as such.”

She turned her back on me without waiting for a reply.

To go from wanting me dead to telling me her name…

It was quite a moving moment.

“We will meet again.”

With that, Ja Hwa-yeon opened the door without a hint of hesitation and walked out.

Click.

With the sound of the door closing, silence returned to the counseling office.

“Phew…”

The first client.

“That was intense.”

Ended just like that.

*

Ja Hwa-yeon and Geumgang left the counseling center.

Leaning back in my chair, I stretched long, cracking my stiff neck.

Time to get going.

I had a lunch appointment.

But just then.

The closed door to the office opened ever so slightly, without a sound.

And through the crack, a single, mischievous golden eye peered inside.

When our eyes met, she whispered in a hushed tone.

“…Is it over?!”

I chuckled and replied.

“You’ve got some skills.”

Her timing was perfect.

Only then did she swing the door wide open and step inside.

A playful smile and sparkling golden eyes.

My coworker—no, my former coworker now.

It was the S-class hunter, Jin Se-ah.

“…Isn’t your first client a little too scary? That’s the Heavenly Demon.”

I asked nonchalantly.

“You know her?”

“Yeah, of course. She’s famous! What’s she like in person?”

She seemed to be quite famous.

“What do you mean, what’s she like?”

I wasn’t particularly impressed.

My first impression had been far too intense.

I doubt I had the luxury to care about the appearance of a woman who could punch a crater the size of a human head into a table…

At my lukewarm reaction, Jin Se-ah stifled a laugh.

“No, but what on earth was that guy, Wi Jae-wan, thinking?”

My first client had been a referral from Wi Jae-wan.

He’d said he was bringing me a big-shot client.

That crazy bastard.

“I’m thinking of reporting him to the police.”

“Heehee.”

Jin Se-ah laughed, then asked with eyes full of curiosity.

“So… how was the session?”

“That’s confidential.”

Patient information is classified.

No matter who it is.

“…Is that so?”

She tilted her head.

Then she shrugged.

“Well, anyway, I hope she gets better.”

At Jin Se-ah’s words, I recalled Ja Hwa-yeon’s final state.

[Ja Hwa-yeon]

[Main Stance]

[She is seeking confirmation for her own decision.]

From the beginning, what she needed wasn’t healing.

Well… probably.

“She will.”

She’ll be fine.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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