episode_0172

“So… they say there will be a farewell ceremony soon as the Lord and Lady Heeseon are descending to the mortal realm?”

“Oh, is that so? The announcement has already spread throughout the Sky Kingdom! My goodness, how come you’re so slow in catching up with news?”

“Well, things can get busy, you know! Besides, when was that announcement posted in the first place, back when the prince…”

“Oh my… Gam, you troublemaker! You’re asking for trouble…”

“Ahem… I apologize… No, it’s just that you keep calling me slow and all, which made me slip up! Anyway! So, when is the farewell ceremony supposed to take place?”

“Phew… It’s scheduled for the day after tomorrow… Oh! And there are things we need to watch out for…”

Three days ago, Gam, who ran a small shop and lived modestly in the Sky Kingdom, heard about the farewell ceremony from his close friend and rival.

The contents of the announcement were simple.

A banquet would be held in honor of the Lord.

As Lady Heeseon wanted to surprise the Lord, even if they happened to meet the Lord unexpectedly, they were not to mention anything about the farewell ceremony.

Roughly, that was the gist of it.

Gam felt incredibly fortunate that his friend brought him the news because on that day, his usual rival and thorn in his side couldn’t have been more grateful.

Perhaps he missed the chance to set off belatedly due to the late news, missing the opportunity to see the faces of the Lord and his wives.

It would likely be a regret shared by everyone in the Sky Kingdom.

Whenever people gathered in the Sky Kingdom, discussions about Lady Heeseon, the Lord, and the upcoming baby flourished, showing a keen interest in them.

Especially, the talk about the baby born into Lady Heeseon’s womb was undoubtedly the hottest topic in the Sky Kingdom.

Even the gruff Gam himself couldn’t help but eavesdrop among storytellers if he caught wind of new information about the baby.

Some might find the behaviors of the Sky Kingdom’s people puzzling, not understanding why such fuss was made over what seemed like a simple matter of a woman’s pregnancy.

They might suggest that if they liked babies so much, why didn’t they just find partners themselves and have children.

But that would be a simplistic view from outsiders who didn’t understand their circumstances.

They were ‘people of the Sky Kingdom.’

And being ‘people of the Sky Kingdom’ meant not just living in the Sky Kingdom but being ‘chosen by the heavens.’

The problem lay there.

To be chosen by the heavens, one had to cultivate virtue.

Virtue grew by accumulating more virtue beyond one’s own capacity through good deeds and actions.

However, cultivating this virtue was not as easy as it seemed, even in the virtuous Sky Kingdom.

Since only individuals with a certain level of virtue gathered here, ordinary deeds wouldn’t build enough virtue.

So unless individuals with large capacities came together from the start, their children would ultimately lead lives no different from commoners, never receiving the heavens’ favor.

“…”

Just imagining it would be a terribly tragic situation.

Although the people of the Sky Kingdom had larger virtues compared to commoners, in the end, they were nothing more than mere mortals.

Even if they forcibly extended their children’s lives by seeking rare celestial peaches to satisfy their desires, they would inevitably witness their children aging and departing for the afterlife before themselves.

This outcome was clear, no matter how hard they tried to avoid it.

The only way to raise a child properly is by sending them down to the mortal realm to perform good deeds and nurture their character…

Ironically, while earthly actions were acknowledged, the lack of abundant virtue in the mortal realm made it incredibly challenging to cultivate character through deeds rather than words.

As a result, parents in the heavenly realm had a high likelihood of eventually experiencing the pain of losing their children.

Perhaps this fear was not unique to those around me.

Noble beings or deities with inherently large vessels probably didn’t need to ponder such matters…

They likely grew numb due to their lofty virtues, and being preoccupied with their own practices, they might have simply dismissed such concerns.

However, those like fairies or deities who could bear children were too indifferent, trapped in a situation where they desired offspring but couldn’t have any….

Regardless, rumors like “Heeseon Mama has given birth to a baby!” or “A baby is born in the heavenly realm!” must have been astonishing and provocative to those folks.

Hence, among the people of the heavenly realm celebrating the news of Mama and Papa,

There were probably individuals who, having lived for many years, longed for the laughter of a child they hadn’t heard in a while,

Deep down… there may have been those who desired to have their own child.

Moreover, before Heeseon Mama ascended to the heavenly realm with Papa, how icy the atmosphere in the heavenly realm must have been.

The enraged former emperor, the grieving populace.

While the emperor was an emperor…

Since Heeseon Mama was the last owner of the baby laughter that the people had heard, everyone in the heavenly realm had grown attached to her like a child, so the news of her not returning must have plunged them into despair.

“They weren’t originally like that….”

It wouldn’t be appropriate to say that to esteemed individuals….

Yes, the elder fairies were so resented that everyone was immersed in sorrow.

However, the moment this atmosphere changed,

-“Have you heard? Haha! Heeseon Mama…! Heeseon Mama has returned to the heavenly realm…!”

This rapid spread of news about Heeseon Mama’s return to the heavenly realm was the reason!

-“What, what! Is our Heeseon Mama safe?”

-“She is safe indeed..! Moreover, there are rumors that Heeseon Mama found her husband on earth, got married, and is already pregnant!”

-“What, what…!”

Just her safe return would have been joyful and surprising enough…

And now she’s even conceived new life!

“The last baby of the heavenly realm has returned with new life.”

With just that statement, the prevailing atmosphere of despair and gloom in the heavenly realm completely reversed, which was not at all strange.

Is that all?

As the mundane days of repetition in the heavenly realm began to overflow with fresh and exciting stories,

The usually quiet heavenly realm started buzzing with activity…

Ah…

How rare it is these days to see smiles blooming on the faces of the people in the heavenly realm.

So, it was natural for people to be enthusiastic about the baby and Papa who finally ended such a bleak situation.

Although there isn’t anyone in the heavenly realm who dislikes gatherings, the fact that more people gathered at the farewell ceremony than usual was probably due to that.

Even Lady Gamssi set aside her work to come to Dohui Hall just to catch a glimpse of Papa’s face.

Well, even if I opened my shop, since everyone had come to see Papa at Dohui Hall, there wouldn’t be any guests coming to my small shop anyway.

“The carriage and soldiers are here, so it seems like the time is near… ”

“Oh… It’s not time yet, but… They’ll be out soon.”

“Quickly come out… By the way, they say that Lord Buma is a handsome man beyond compare. Is it really true? I’m dying of curiosity, seriously. The standards of our country’s people are already high, but they seem to be excessively high… I was so curious that I eagerly waited for the welcoming ceremony.”

“Hmm… I’ve heard some people around Lord Dohee talk about it… They say he’s extremely handsome, right? To the point where women let down their guard and pee themselves? I’ve also heard that even the concubines suspected to be in the back are all beauties. But I can’t be sure. I haven’t seen his face myself.”

Rustling.

The bustling area around Lord Dohee.

Although the voices of the people weren’t particularly loud, with the crowds gathering, even if each person whispered a word softly, the place buzzed with excitement.

“To be honest, I don’t think it would matter if he were an ugly man. Who can say that this lively atmosphere in Heaven’s Realm isn’t all thanks to him! Nevertheless… those high-ranking individuals… sigh…”

“That’s right! Ugh, to impose such a harsh trial on someone like him… even the high-ranking individuals were too much. Even if I feel sorry for my Lord Buma, I must cheer loudly when the doors of Dohee Hall open.”

“Who dares? Moreover, Lord Buma is not only a benefactor of Lady Heeseon but also a grateful figure who conceived that precious young lady in Taean… Even if they were extremely humble, how could they be lacking…?”

“……”

Nodding.

Listening to the gossip of the women nearby, Gam thought that the treatment of the higher-ups was too much and secretly nodded his head in agreement.

In his eyes, the memory of the followers who were clamoring to punish Lord Buma in front of the palace was still vivid.

‘Oh… stubborn old men.’

He still didn’t know what crime Lord Buma had committed, but seeing that all the followers disappeared from the palace after Lady Heeseon’s appointment…

They probably accused Lord Buma of marrying the fairy mother without Emperor Sangje’s permission under the pretext that she was pregnant with a valuable child.

Of course, Gam respected and revered the followers as Heavenly subjects, but at the same time, he couldn’t help muttering to himself knowing that they were unreasonably persistent in certain matters.

And… he felt a bit jealous too?

‘It’s ridiculous, sneaking around causing a commotion and then secretly using makeup to see Lord Buma’s face…’

The followers who rushed forward with the determination that they wouldn’t bend even if they strayed slightly from the principles and laws of Heaven.

The rumor that these followers labeled Lord Buma as a sinner, only to recognize her beauty firsthand and immediately accept her as the consort of the mother, was already famous in Heaven’s Realm.

There were even followers who snuck into Dohee Hall to see Lord Buma’s face and openly gossiped that the appearance of the unborn baby girl would be the most beautiful in the world.

Moreover, rumors were circulating that the strict criticisms from Dohee Hall were more severe than Lady Heeseon’s coldness.

‘Ah… If I had seen Lord Buma’s face, I could have imagined the face of the unborn baby girl… Is it reasonable for only those rude people to see her face? …Was she really that beautiful? It’s hard to find beauty comparable to our Lady Heeseon… Ah, well, maybe it’s a bit exaggerated…’

Well, soon he would be able to meet Lord Buma in person…

That moment arrived.

“Oh…! It’s opening. It’s opening!”

At someone’s shout, Gam’s head snapped up from his thoughts.

“Where, where..!”

“There, there… Huh..!”

“Huuaaack…!”

“……”

After a long wait, the wide doors of Dohee Hall swung open.

And slowly emerging, a tall handsome man followed by stunning beauties…

The bustling crowd fell into a sudden silence, as if each person had turned into a mute who just tasted honey.

And…

“Wowww!!!”

“Wow! The rumors were true…!”

Starting with someone’s shout, the people’s voices transformed into a massive roar…

As Gamshi wanted to imagine the appearance of the baby about to be born and even went to Doheedang out of curiosity, he finally came face to face with the physical form of the much-anticipated Bumanim.

But at the moment when he tried to capture Bumanim’s exceptional appearance in his sight,

He didn’t dare to even imagine the appearance of the baby.