Chapter v17c21

Dream Illusion Manor

– Another Ryeong

* * *

Whoooooosh!

Rain poured down, transforming into a waterfall that threatened to engulf the world.

The roar of the rain was like thunder.

Blue lightning flashed, illuminating the fleeting moment, followed by the booming roar of its twin, thunder, shaking the heavens. Raindrops pounded against the earth and water, sounding like the hooves of wild horses. The cacophony of nature’s symphony was drowned out by the relentless drumming of rain, like a six-barreled Gatling gun firing wildly, as if a war chariot was charging across the battlefield, spraying a torrent of blood.

It was a violent downpour, so fierce that one might question if it was truly spring rain.

The woman moaned.

Rainwater streamed down from the torn heavens, carrying the weight of sorrow, threatening to wash away the world, yet her body burned with an unbearable heat. Like iron in a furnace, like molten lava in a volcano, an eternal inferno threatened to consume her soul.

“It hurts…”

Her scream was trapped within her lungs, imprisoned by chains of silence. Her breath grew ragged.

Fear was approaching. Step by step. Hidden beneath a black hood, its face remained unseen. She mustn’t see its face. To confront the black abyss, the embodiment of terror, would only bring despair. It was best to keep the hood on. She mustn’t meet its eyes. She would be consumed. The cruel and merciless fear would pierce her heart, tearing her body and soul to shreds.

She mustn’t face it. Never. She wasn’t strong enough. She was weak. Too weak to fight against despair.

She had to escape. She had to run. If she was caught, it would be the end. She would cease to be herself.

She had to escape.

But her body and soul were paralyzed, bound by a curse. Fear approached. She couldn’t move. It drew closer. Still, she couldn’t move. She felt its cold breath on her neck. Her head turned. The hood fell away. She had to look away! But she was frozen. Their eyes met. A wave of pitch-black darkness engulfed her.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

She clutched the blanket, her body trembling uncontrollably. It seemed to be raining inside the room. She was cold.

“…Ryeong… Ryeong… Ryeong…”

A voice called from somewhere far away.

Whose voice was it? She couldn’t remember. Dark clouds had devoured her memories along with everything else. Then a sharp voice pierced through the fog.

“Miss Yeong-Ryeong!”

Her eyes flew open, as if greeting the dawn of a new world.

She winced at the blinding sunlight.

The next moment, she sat up abruptly, as if trying to shake something off.

“Gasp… gasp… gasp…”

Her breath came in ragged gasps, like a wild horse. Her heart pounded in her chest. The scream she had choked back still echoed in her ears. Cold sweat poured down her face, soaking her thin silk undergarment.

‘Where am I? And who am I?’

As her breathing calmed down, she looked around. But her memories were blocked, as if by a dark veil. The remnants of the nightmare still clung to her mind.

‘Calm down, calm down. And remember, slowly, one by one.’

She desperately clung to the tangible aspects of reality, trying to escape the nightmare. To prevent herself from falling back into its depths, to anchor her consciousness to the present.

After a long struggle, she finally managed to pull herself back to the shore of reality from the border of dream and wakefulness.

“Right. I remember. That’s what happened…”

The thick fog of memories that had clouded her mind began to clear, taking shape. This was her home, her room. The blanket was her favorite pink silk blanket, embroidered with phoenixes. Familiar sights filled her vision. The rosewood dressing table, its mirror covered in a thin layer of dust, the various makeup tools on top, the ornate silver candlestick with its cold candles, the empty teacup. Everything was as she had left it before going to bed. Nothing had changed.

The familiarity brought a sigh of relief. Her mind and body finally calmed down.

At least the sun had risen. She sighed softly, relieved.

Fortunately, it wasn’t night anymore.

She sighed again, grateful that she didn’t have to go back to sleep.

She had just emerged from the depths of a dark abyss, a prisoner of the night, and had finally opened her eyes, escaping the veil of darkness and returning to the world of reality.

She was afraid of the night.

“Again…”

Every night, the same nightmare haunted her. Each time, the scar on her body burned like fire. Cold sweat drenched her undergarment. Her body felt weightless, as if her consciousness was still hazy. It felt unreal. Like sitting on a swing, swaying between dream and reality.

Another repetition. She should be used to it by now, but she couldn’t get used to the nightmare that descended upon her every night, flapping its black wings. She was afraid of the night, but the relentless cycle of day and night was beyond her control. She couldn’t stop the night from coming, nor could she hasten its departure. True freedom came only when a human acknowledged their limitations within the grand scheme of the universe. But she hadn’t reached the level of detachment, where she could simply observe fear, despair, and darkness from a distance. Still, she tried. It was better than doing nothing.

She took a deep breath and began to look inward. If she couldn’t trust the external world, there was only one option left: to look within herself.

Her memories were fragmented, a result of a long illness. People said it was because of the high fever she had suffered during her numerous comas.

“Miss, are you awake?”

A maid called from outside the sliding door. She was probably checking if she was coughing.

“Miss…”

The maid’s voice was cautious.

‘Who was that?’

She searched her hazy memories and realized it was the voice of Mong-Mu, her personal maid. Her mind returned to reality.

‘Ah, right. This is my room at home.’

She had just remembered, but it still felt unreal. She wasn’t dreaming, but her body still felt like it was floating in water.

“…M-Miss Ryeong?”

Mong-Mu’s voice came again from outside. How many times had she called? She couldn’t remember. Her voice was trembling slightly, probably because she was getting anxious. If she didn’t answer soon, she might barge in, breaking the door. Her maid was a bit clumsy, and it was always a headache. She decided to save herself the repair costs.

“Come in. I’m awake.”

She answered in a quiet voice, and she heard a relieved sigh from the other side of the door, followed by the creaking sound of the door sliding open. The morning sunlight peeked through the gap, landing on her shoulder. Her white silk undergarment seemed to glow translucently in the sunlight, highlighting her long, black hair. The sweat-soaked garment clung to her body, revealing the curves of her figure, from her ample bosom to her slender waist. Mong-Mu gasped softly at the sight, strangely alluring.

Her mistress’s beauty was always breathtaking. It would have been perfect if not for that one cruel “blemish.” It was a shame. Such a masterpiece, marred by a flaw. Those “Sword Valley” bastards were truly despicable.

“Please wash your face first, Miss. Then I’ll help you get dressed.”

Mong-Mu said with a bright smile.

“Is something the matter?”

Mong-Mu feigned surprise at her question.

“Oh my, how did you know, Miss? I didn’t say anything.”

“You might panic, but you never rush. What’s the matter so early in the morning?”

“The Manor Lord is calling for you.”

Mong-Mu confessed.

“My father?”

What could it be so early in the morning? It seemed she had to hurry.

“My sword.”

She adjusted her clothes and took her sword from Mong-Mu, who presented it to her with both hands. A pang of pain shot through her.

Her elegant sword was scarred, bearing the marks of battle. The scabbard seemed slightly scorched.

“Lead the way!”

“Yes, Miss!”

Mong-Mu answered, opening the door politely.

“Ah, you’ve arrived.”

“Greetings, Father.”

Yeong-Ryeong bowed.

“Please, have a seat.”

The middle-aged man, with his dignified appearance and gentle smile, gestured towards a seat. Yeong-Ryeong obeyed.

“I apologize for summoning you so early in the morning.”

“It’s alright. What is it that you wish to speak to me about?”

Yeong-Ryeong asked politely.

“The date has been set.”

Yeong-Ryeong’s head shot up.

“Then…?”

The middle-aged man nodded slowly, his expression grave.

“Yes, it’s a month from now. Are you prepared?”

“Of course, Father.”

The girl nodded, her face determined. It seemed she had been waiting for this moment.

“I’ll definitely pass and become his strength.”

She had a fiancé, her future promised to him. Her body and heart belonged to him. And she wanted to be his strength. But she felt guilty for not being able to help him in recent years, due to her illness, a lingering effect of a past battle. She had lamented her powerlessness countless times.

She wanted to pass the upcoming test and become his strength. But whenever she thought of him, her heart pounded, and a strange pain stabbed at her chest.

Whenever the nightmare consumed her, she called out his name. She begged him to save her from this dark, hideous, and terrifying nightmare.

A terrifying white hand reaching towards her, the sound of rain pounding in her ears, thunder engulfing the world, flickering flames and shadows.

Everything was dark, and she couldn’t see anything. All she felt was the approaching white hand and a burning pain, as if she had been burned. But no matter how much she called out, no help came. She wanted to escape this meaningless dream that haunted her.

“You should have taken the test four years ago, but you lost a few years recovering from your injuries. If not for that incident, you would have passed easily with your skills. It’s a shame.”

“I won’t tolerate any interference this time.”

“Prepare to depart immediately. I’ll assign Mong-Mu and Hwan-Mu to you. I trust you’ll uphold the honor of our family.”

“Yes, Father. I won’t disgrace our family name.”

The Manor Lord nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

“Although you were disadvantaged by those treacherous bitches, I believe you can overcome it. You have to, to become his strength. Remember, your body and heart belong to him.”

The Manor Lord’s voice lingered in the air.

“Yes, I’ll never forget that. It’s the only reason I was brought into this world.”

Yeong-Ryeong answered in a firm voice, without a hint of hesitation. It was clearly an unshakable truth, a sacred belief in her heart.

“Good, good. I’m glad to hear that.”

The woman’s father nodded repeatedly, beaming with joy.

“When will you depart?”

“Time is of the essence, so I’ll leave tomorrow.”

The Manor Lord nodded in satisfaction at his daughter’s resolute answer.

Everything was going according to plan.

“Mong-Hwan Twin Mists, we’ve arrived.”

“Enter.”

The door opened silently, and two women entered. One was Mong-Mu, who had attended to her that morning, and the other was a woman named Hwan-Mu, a beauty who seemed a bit older than Mong-Mu.

The person waiting for them was the Manor Lord, Yeong-Ryeong’s father.

“How is the young mistress?”

He asked, his eyes cold and sharp, a stark contrast to the kind and gentle expression he had shown earlier.

“There have been no unusual signs so far.”

“She could have a seizure at any moment. Take the necessary measures I taught you. Never let your guard down.”

“We understand.”

The two women bowed deeply.

“Failure is not an option. Do you understand?”

The two women shuddered at his icy voice.

“We won’t let the grand plan fail.”

“Good. I trust you.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

“Oh my, Miss, the fog is unusually thick today. Even for a mountaintop, this is too much. Don’t you think so, Hwan-Ah?”

Mong-Mu asked her companion, Hwan-Mu, dramatically.

“…”

But Hwan-Mu didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on their mistress, Yeong-Ryeong.

“Tsk, you’re still so taciturn. Will your tongue get blisters if you talk?”

“I don’t want to waste time on meaningless conversations. That is all.”

With that, Hwan-Mu fell silent again.

“Tsk, you’re so boring. I’d rather talk to a stone Buddha.”

Mong-Mu grumbled.

“It’s wise to choose your conversation partners carefully. That is all.”

“Yes, yes…”

Mong-Mu gave up on talking to Hwan-Mu and turned her attention back to Yeong-Ryeong.

“Miss, Miss, the fog is so thick, right? It’s like the whole world is covered in white. It really suits the name of the manor. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, it does.”

She looked back at her home as she left the manor.

Through the thick fog, she saw the signboard of the manor.

Dream Illusion Manor.

Shrouded in mist, the manor looked like a mirage, an illusion that didn’t belong to this world. Doubts arose in her mind.

‘Did I really live there? Did it even exist in the first place? Am I seeing an illusion?’

But she quickly shook her head, dispelling her thoughts. She had a task to fulfill, and it was her top priority.

“Let’s go!”

“Yes, Miss.”

Mong-Mu and Hwan-Mu answered. Compared to Mong-Mu, Hwan-Mu was quiet and reserved.

Although she was a maid, she was said to have received martial arts training directly from her father, the Dream Illusion Manor Lord. She wouldn’t be a burden.

And so, Yeong-Ryeong, accompanied by her two maids, walked into the thick fog of dreams and illusions.