episode_0118

I immediately pulled open the dungeon door. As if the room I was in was not locked, the iron door opened with a small sound.

-Clap! Clap!

It wasn’t that difficult to follow the sound of the chain ringing. Because there weren’t that many rooms in the extremely cold dungeon to begin with.

So I headed to the innermost part of the room where the sound came from, and found it inside a tightly closed door.

Chaejin is tied up with dozens of chains.

He had a tired-looking face.

The sight of her hanging on a chain with her head down, unable to do anything, was a far cry from the cheerful, confident self I knew.

Nonetheless, she was exactly what I was looking for.

I glanced at the floor and saw that there were quite a few broken chains.

If this prison is her mind, are those chains her mind?

I pushed the iron door.

-Good…

Despite the horrifying sound made by the rusty hinges, Chaejin did not raise his head.

I walked up to her and asked.

“Chae Sojeo. Are you okay?”

But there was no answer. She was lying limp, motionless, as if she had fainted, and I placed my hand on one of the chains holding her body.

– Chaejin cannot be trusted.

At that moment, I heard a voice.

It was the first voice I heard. Is this the voice that remains in Chaejin’s memory?

What appeared before my eyes was young Chaejin. The black-haired girl had her head down with a timid look on her face, and the adults were speaking harshly to her.

– Those who want to stand on top must study properly.

– How can you lead Moonwoljeong if you can’t even do these things?

– It would have been better if Chaeryeon was on top…

Resentment, jealousy, contempt.

The words spoken by those who did not acknowledge Chae-jin’s efforts and those who did not look at her achievements became a cold chain that held Chae-jin’s body.

– At best, it’s martial arts, right? What are you good at?

A slightly larger Chaejin appears. Standing in front of her is a woman who has collapsed.

The woman holding the sword, who looked older than Chaejin, spoke with a venomous expression on her face.

– There are plenty of people who are only good at martial arts. Do you think you can become Moon Woljeong’s successor? ah. I really hope so. Then the status of Moonwoljeong will soon drop!!

Others were weak. But I was confident in my martial arts skills. Therefore, I honed in on what I was good at and wanted to prove myself by showing it off.

But all that comes back is contempt, criticism, and jealousy.

Chae-jin laughed despite everyone’s cold words.

When she was alone, she cried.

I cried silently because I didn’t want anyone to see my weakness.

Still, she couldn’t give up.

That must be why it was holding on like this.

I brought my face towards Chaejin’s bowed head and whispered in her ear.

“Chae Sojeo.”

Shockingly, my slumped shoulders start to tremble.

As the blurry eyes meet me through the black hair that falls from the head that is slowly lifted, light enters those black eyes.

“Ahaha… It’s the guest this time… I’m glad. You didn’t come to insult me like everyone else, right? So are you here to save me?”

To her who tried to say it playfully, ‘No. ‘I’ve been captured too.’ I should make a joke about it, but her eyes were so desperate and sad.

I shook my head as I met her gaze, hoping for salvation and for her to release me.

“In fact, by using the Heart Sutra, you can enter the secret mirror of another person. Anyway, that’s not important.”

I squatted down and made eye contact with Chaejin, who looked up at me with pitiful eyes.

“I didn’t come to save you. Why do you say this? The only thing that can save yourself is yourself.”

“Ahaha…”

“All I can do is support you to get up on your own. If you can’t figure it out, I’ll help you… This is your image, and that chain…”

She was silent for a moment at my words, then answered as if she were vomiting.

“…Because it’s my heart. Pathetic, right? This is how I look.”

“I never thought of you like that.”

“…It’s because the guest always thinks highly of people. I can’t shake off a chain like this…”

I pointed to the floor. There were already quite a few pieces of chain scattered on the floor. It was proof that she had already put in a lot of effort and succeeded.

“But no matter how much we have grown. Because I am an unreliable Chaejin…”

“I trust.”

-Ting!

As soon as I finish speaking, the chain snaps and breaks. She stared blankly at the broken chain, then turned to me.

“I’ve said this many times, but I trust you. Also, Chaejin is unreliable. In the end, it’s just the words of people who don’t know you. Were they important to you?”

Chaejin, who was silent for a moment, gently shook her head.

“It is impossible to satisfy everyone in the world. So am I, so is the Doge, and so are you. I think the important thing is whether or not you can carry out your will.”

okay.

The Sayundan members were always getting hit here and there, but we never gave up and always fought.

And, in the end, didn’t I come here and make Sayoon smile?

“Other people’s slander is nothing. and. I trust you will find out.”

“…Is that so?”

-Ting!! Ting!!

Two rows of chains bounce off. I stared at it and stretched out my hand to Chaejin.

“Look. It’s nothing.”

“…Haha. That’s because the guest owner was next to me.”

“Thank you for thinking that way. ruler. Let’s go now.”

Chaejin, who was staring at my hand, lowered her head. And, after bursting into laughter, he lifted his head.

The face that had been distorted with despair and pain just a moment ago had returned to the confident Chaejin I always knew.

“I see. Because I’m an idiot… I forgot again. You’ve always trusted me and supported me, right?!”

-Ting!! Ting!! Ting!!”

Chains begin to break. It can be seen that strength is exerted on the smooth arms, and the tightly stretched chains cannot withstand the force.

“Inhale!!”

With a strong explosion of energy, the chains on Chaejin’s body were completely broken.

All that remains is a single chain hanging around her neck.

But since it wasn’t connected anywhere, it just lay limp.

“Phew.”

Sighing, Chaejin began to simply remove the restraints hanging from his body. As she took a step forward, feeling so light, I pointed to Chaejin’s neck.

“Why don’t you take that off?”

“Uh… um. This will come later.”

Chaejin patted the chain as if it was precious and smiled softly.

Contrary to Hongryeon’s image, this place was not that wide. Even though it was called an underground prison, there were no guards.

When I climbed up the stone stairs and reached the top, there was a door to announce the end of the secret area.

“It’s a smaller place than I thought. My image is. Is it because I have a small heart?”

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Hehe. Still, I am satisfied just because you were in my heart. ah. And there. Guest owner. Could you please do me a favor?”

“As much as you want.”

After saying that, Chaejin slowly approached me. His face is red and he’s smiling, so the atmosphere is somehow unusual.

“Wait a minute. As I said before, I am not an illusion, I am real. I came in using the heart sutra…”

“Did they say that the illusions that have continued to appear until now are real? Earlier, my father said that he came to criticize me using the Moon Gate, the last herbivore of the Moon Light Taoism, and Ryeon came to ridicule me using the key of the Moon Palace, and my uncle…”

No, you’ve already hit the ball?

I was embarrassed, and she gently came into my arms. Then, he tied the chain placed on my hand to my hand.

Then, just like before, an illusion appeared.

– I trust you.

To what I said.

– I’m always rooting for you.

Chaejin is happy and happy.

She looked at it happily and then looked away.

“…someday. I would also like to ask you in real life. Please guide me.”

“…….”

“Be your own person and allow me to think only of you.”

Chaejin looked up at me with tear-filled eyes, hoping that I would hold the chain.

“Other chains were pulled tight and tormented me, but not as much as that chain. The memories with you, the hope you gave me. It is a precious thing that made me recognize myself and helped me overcome the despair that appeared in front of me. So, please…”

Aside from that, this is like holding a leash.

She smiled and proudly displayed the chain still hanging around her neck by shaking her body.

“The day when it becomes natural for me to be next to the guest. I’ll do the ‘excuse me’ that I couldn’t do last time, at Yang Wiseong, and after defeating Cai Jeokyao and his gang. At that time… If it were you in real life who always supported me… you would definitely give me permission, right?”

…How can I be rude?

She blinked one eye and spoke cheerfully and went outside without even thinking about taking off the chain around her neck, and at that moment, the surroundings turned pure white.

“…….”

When I came to my senses, I stood up.

Just like when I entered Hongryeon’s image, time was barely a moment.

I put the two broken jewels in my pocket and looked at them. Unlike before, my apprentice approached me after seeing me sleeping with a peaceful face.

“Did anything happen?”

I said after thinking about it.

“Ah. yes. It was confirmed that both of them were leaving the secret area.”

“I see. Good thing…”

At that time, Hyeonhwi, Sayun, and Chaeryeon came out from another room. It looks like he came out after hearing the moans from earlier.

It feels like a lot of time has passed, but in reality, it hasn’t been that long, so it probably came out now.

“Guest guest…”

“Is it okay?”

“I definitely thought I heard a scream earlier…”

When the girls were curious, I smiled and waved, and eventually they went back inside.

“Over there. This is…”

“I know. Let’s keep it a secret for now.”

“Thank you. Then I was a little tired…”

With that, my apprentice and I went outside. I asked him for permission to have a drink since I was tired and returned to my room.

Since their attitude toward me was quite friendly after the meeting, it’s not like I didn’t have any concerns.

But I never thought it was real.

What is this?

No, that was true, but they both clearly thought it was just an illusion in their minds.

and. They both hid their feelings for me and said they would tell me when they were ready.

But what happens if he finds out that I know that?

Should I just be a little embarrassed?

or not…

I quickly erased the thoughts that popped into my head and started thinking again.