chapter 45
When the winter that had burned white finally passed, spring came.
But the world was dry and lifeless—there wasn’t a hint of freshness anywhere.
“It’s a drought.”
Mother said as she brushed the dry soil in the back garden.
“And a severe one at that.”
Truth be told, the signs had been there since the beginning of the year—there had been very little snow.
But with the chaos surrounding the Sa family incident, no one had noticed until it was too late.
It was already March, yet not a single drop of rain had fallen. The parched earth only coughed up clouds of dust.
The real problem was that the drought had spread all the way to Homyeok Province.
A shaman from the Baek family, who’d recently visited our home, said that even the air was too dry—Homyeok Province was on high alert for forest fires.
When the land gets this dry, even squeezing the shamans for every ounce of power is useless.
Even if every shaman in Seolgok Province combined their strength, they could only make it rain for at most two days.
And two days of rain weren’t enough to end a drought this severe.
“We can’t go on like this.”
Before the crops were ruined, Grandmother gathered all the elders for an emergency meeting and came to a decision.
If no spell or ritual could help, there was only one last card left to play.
“We’ll call for His Imperial Majesty.”
Thus was decided—the Summoning of the Emperor.
Everyone could only nod at that overwhelming decision.
Farming depends on every single day, and if we delayed, a poor harvest was inevitable.
“Since both Seolgok and Homyeok Provinces are suffering, we should ask His Majesty to help both. When the Baek family’s shaman arrives this afternoon, send a letter to Baeksan immediately.”
At Grandmother’s command, everyone moved swiftly and in perfect order.
* * *
The Emperor of Hleunguk was a blue dragon—one of the rarest and noblest among dragonkind.
It was said that blue dragons could strike lightning to enrich the earth and also summon rain. With their innate spiritual power, they could control the weather itself.
And their size was so immense that, if one coiled around the Imperial Capital, its tail would still hang loose!
What’s more incredible was that such a body could soar freely through the sky.
“What’s a blue dragon’s weakness, I wonder?”
He was such an overpowering being that such a question naturally came to mind.
It was late evening. I had been lazing around the house when Father, resting quietly in Mother’s lap, answered my idle curiosity.
“Dragons are fiercely protective of their young. They say anyone who harms a dragon’s child will suffer divine punishment.”
“Because their offspring are so rare, right?”
“The higher the divine rank of a being, the stronger that tendency seems to be.”
That’s why, once married, dragons always tried to have at least two children.
“Though His Majesty doesn’t seem eager to have a second child—probably for the sake of a stable succession.”
“…”
“Still, that must be his decision as a ruler.”
No, Father—His Majesty already has two children.
And the elder one happens to be your future son-in-law!
I couldn’t say that, of course, so I just gave an awkward laugh.
My fiancé’s identity was a sealed imperial secret.
Even without the secrecy, the matter was far too heavy to discuss openly.
So, I decided to change the topic.
“Do you think His Majesty will really come to Seolgok Province?”
“He will. Or rather… it’s about time he did.”
The Emperor often visited each region every few years, even without a natural disaster, to bring down lightning and bless the land.
That was why, despite the dynasty change years ago, the people still revered the current Emperor.
“The last time he came was, if I recall—”
“The year you and I met.”
“Has it really been that long? Almost ten years now.”
Mother told me she’d once seen the blue dragon rise through the clouds over the snowy mountains—it was so breathtakingly beautiful it didn’t feel real.
“Our little one will soon see him too.”
Mother’s hand softly brushed my hair as she smiled.
“Our blue sky.”
I began to feel excited as well.
What kind of person was he, really?
The Emperor of this land—
The blue dragon, the mother of Sobaeksan.
What kind of being could possibly—
“I came to make a proposal.”
—fall in love with a scoundrel like him?
The very next morning, after Grandmother sent the letter, Baeksan himself stormed into our estate without warning, leaving me utterly baffled.
* * *
Baeksan, cutting through the bleak spring air, looked every bit the infamous rake he was known to be.
His robe hung so loosely that his chest showed, and his long hair was left completely untied.
Yet his striking good looks made him seem less like a madman and more like a lazy beast of prey.
“This lunatic…”
Grandmother muttered, clearly done trying to find any other way to describe him.
“Is this your house?”
“Not mine—my in-law’s.”
“You insolent—!”
“We need to talk. Shall we go to your study?”
Three years ago, the Hyun family would’ve scrambled in a panic the moment he appeared.
But now they simply watched from a safe distance.
“Seems like the rich really do get used to each other.”
“Hush. Hush.”
After three years of enduring Baeksan’s sudden visits, everyone in the Hyun household had grown used to him.
Like father, like son.
They’d become numb to the eccentricities of the tiger-blooded Baek family.
I took my chance and slipped between Grandmother and Baeksan as they headed for the study.
“How have you been?”
“Oh, my lovely future daughter-in-law.”
He chuckled and gently patted my head. I caught the faint scent of cold winter air clinging to his hand.
“Still training hard in your magic?”
“I can’t seem to form ice crystals properly.”
“Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy. Ice and water share the same essence—it’s just the structure that differs.”
By the time we reached the study, I’d received a full mini-lecture on sorcery.
My future father-in-law wasn’t just powerful—he was also a good teacher. No wonder Sobaeksan had grown so skilled so quickly.
“Now tell me—what brings you here so suddenly?”
Grandmother asked as we entered.
Baeksan waved a hand, casting a barrier, and answered calmly.
“Heun-rin must conserve his strength.”
Heun-rin? I tilted my head before realizing who that was—and nearly choked.
That was His Majesty’s name—Cheong Heun-rin!
And Baeksan had just said it aloud without hesitation!
“He’s been exhausting himself with all these natural disasters lately. Handling both Seolgok and Homyeok’s droughts at once would overburden him.”
“So what do you propose?”
He plopped into the chair opposite her and crossed his arms.
“Shamans can create clouds, can’t they? Instead of making His Majesty do everything, we should make the rain clouds ourselves and save his strength.”
“Ourselves?”
“Ourselves.”
One of Grandmother’s eyebrows lifted. Baeksan nodded.
“It’s a decision I reached after careful thought.”
“You haven’t slept, have you?”
“Not a wink.”
His disheveled clothing suddenly made sense—he must’ve spent the whole night thinking.
“So, will you agree to it?”
“How many shamans will you need?”
“I knew you’d understand.”
Baeksan smiled lazily and gave his answer.
“All of them.”
“What?”
“We’ll need every shaman in both Homyeok and Seolgok Provinces.”
“You—!”
Grandmother’s roar filled the study, but Baeksan didn’t even flinch.
* * *
There was, however, a valid reason for mobilizing every shaman.
If they combined their powers to create the clouds, it would not only ease the Emperor’s burden but also make the rain come faster—and last longer.
“Many hands make light work. With that many shamans, the results will far surpass what Heun-rin could manage alone.”
“Are you sure it’s possible?”
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Would you?”
Even Baeksan had no comeback against her deeply rooted skepticism.
“Then trust my ability as a shaman, if not me personally.”
“Tch.”
At that, Grandmother hesitated no longer. She pulled a rolled-up scroll from her sleeve.
“What’s that?” I asked.
Baeksan tapped my cheek lightly and replied,
“A letter to Heun-rin. Anything written on it goes straight to His Majesty.”
In other words—a direct imperial hotline.
“Each family receives only one, and once it’s used, it can’t be replaced for three years. Very precious.”
“Do you have one too?”
“Not anymore.”
Apparently, he’d used it immediately—to send a love letter filled with affection and resentment alike. I was speechless.
Then the scroll suddenly gleamed, and new writing appeared.
‘Approved.’
The Emperor had granted permission.
“Good. The arrow’s already been loosed—now gather your shamans.”
“As you wish.”
Baeksan stood at once. I’d expected him to linger or bicker with Grandmother as usual, but he didn’t.
“Then, I’ll be off.”
And just before he dispelled the barrier, I heard him murmur softly—
“For the sake of my love.”
Baeksan still loved the Emperor.
And if it meant easing the burden of the one he loved, he was willing to move like the wind itself.
* * *
Wind-affinity powers are truly unfair.
In just a single day, Baeksan had convinced every shaman in the region to join him.
For those who were far away, he personally fetched them.
Even the most reluctant ones gave in easily.
“He looked like he’d eat me if I refused…”
“Ah…”
Most of them had simply been frightened into agreement by his fierce aura.
Soon, a detailed plan was formed.
Once the Emperor arrived, the shamans would gather to fill the sky with clouds. Then His Majesty would imbue those clouds with divine power to turn them into rain clouds.
Baeksan would then split the cloud mass in half—sending one half toward Homyeok Province, while the Emperor spread the rest evenly across Seolgok.
In short, aside from creating the clouds, Baeksan would be taking on half the Emperor’s work.
“Can that really be done?”
“That’s what’s most terrifying—that it can be.”
Said Baek Jusun, one of the Baek family shamans I’d grown close to.
“It means our lord has power nearly equal to His Majesty’s.”
Of course, that power came at a cost. The magical backlash would be tremendous.
But one thing was certain—Baeksan was absurdly strong.
As for our Hyun family, who had no shamans?
“Clean the guest rooms! Empty and repair the unused storerooms!”
“Have you checked the food supplies? And the wine?”
“Count the dishes! We need more of everything!”
“We’re short on furniture!”
“Then call the carpenters!”
We had to prepare to host His Majesty and all the shamans from both Seolgok and Homyeok, and the household was thrown into chaos.
We scrubbed rooms, washed bedding—there was no end to the work.
The decision to summon His Majesty had been made on March 1st.
Baeksan visited on the 2nd.
And His Majesty had said he would arrive on the 7th!
Normally, it would take five days to travel from the capital to Seolgok, but as a blue dragon, he could fly here in a single day.
The five days were simply for him to wrap up state affairs before leaving.
Half of the Baek family shamans had already arrived, and the Lang tribe shamans were steadily descending as well. The estate was in utter turmoil.
And the busiest of all, of course, was Father.
“Grand Marshal!”
“Sir, what do we do about—”
Even so, with his years of experience, Father somehow managed everything, while I helped with my tiny hands as best I could.
No joke—we were so busy we’d have borrowed a puppy’s paws if we could.
Then, on the morning of the fifth day—
“His Majesty has arrived!”
From afar, a massive dragon glided gracefully across the sky.
The Emperor had come.
