Chapter 05
“Because you all faithfully guarded this place, I was able to leave for the subjugation without worry. This victory belongs to all of us, and so does this celebratory toast. For the peace and prosperity of Yeonguk, let us raise our cups.”
At the king’s words, everyone raised their cups.
Everyone except Soa.
Far away, beneath the shadow of a wall draped in creeping vines, someone was standing.
The distance was great enough that she could barely make out his shape, but the chill in the air was unmistakable.
“……”
Soa stared at him as if enchanted.
It might be that man.
“Is something wrong?”
But only for a moment. Soa turned her head at the voice calling her.
The young lady of the Seo family, seated beside her, was looking at her with concern.
“No, it’s nothing.”
Coming back to her senses, Soa hurriedly lifted her cup.
She could feel Yeonwoo’s worried gaze on her.
Soa offered a faint smile as if to say it was nothing, then straightened her back and corrected her posture.
“For the prosperity of Yeonguk.”
“For the prosperity of Yeonguk.”
Following the king’s lead, all the officials echoed the words.
Soa also spoke the phrase and brought the cup to her lips.
She drank only enough to wet her lips, yet the heat of the liquor burned down her throat, and warm breath escaped her.
As she set the cup down, Soa glanced again toward where the man had been standing.
But there was no one there.
As if what she had seen had been an illusion.
“Among you, there is one who especially distinguished himself by caring for the nation while I was away. Like all parents, I have long thought of him as a child, but he has grown before I realized it. Now is the time for him to truly become an adult. I made him wait a long time because I was absent, Crown Prince.”
At the king’s continued words, not only Soa but also the young ladies seated nearby grew tense.
They understood what his words implied.
As if he had been waiting for this moment, Yeonwoo slowly rose from his seat.
“…Even the waiting itself was a joy.”
He bowed and accepted the cup the king handed him.
The king poured liquor until it nearly overflowed.
The surface of the wine shimmered at the brim.
Yeonwoo drained the cup without hesitation.
Soa felt as though she herself had drunk the liquor. Her chest burned, and she clenched her hands tightly.
The rims of Yeonwoo’s ears turned slightly red from the alcohol, but that was all.
He showed no sign of fluster, standing dignified and composed.
The king laughed heartily as he looked around the hall.
The young ladies’ faces flushed as they admired Yeonwoo’s handsome appearance and impeccable posture, while the officials considered how the king’s coming declaration might change their own positions.
Finally, the king spoke.
“It is time to appoint a Crown Princess. I hereby declare a marriage ban throughout the realm!”
***
Where was it? It should be around here.
Soa looked around.
She was sure she had seen the man nearby earlier.
“I said I would repay the favor…”
If that man hadn’t been there, Soa would likely have fallen victim to the unknown beast.
Even if not, she would have been caught by the patrolling guards.
Her reckless visits to the palace, despite her being the daughter of a chancellor, would have been exposed.
Her body trembled.
Just imagining it was horrifying.
The thought that he had protected not only her but also her father’s position made her anxious to find him.
Fortunately, the banquet was in full swing, with music and dance performances drawing all the palace attendants away.
Thanks to them secretly watching the entertainment, Soa could move around the palace without drawing suspicion.
“…!”
Suddenly, a sharp chill ran down her spine.
It was the same presence she had felt before.
She quickly turned around.
The sun was just beginning to set, casting the surroundings in a peaceful orange glow.
And at the edge of that scenery, far away, beneath the shade of a large nutmeg tree, someone stood.
He was half-hidden behind the tree, staring intently in her direction.
It’s him.
Certain of it, Soa slowly began to walk toward him.
“……”
He could speak.
After all, he had whispered words to her before she lost consciousness that night.
Since they had met again, she had to ask.
What had come after “when we meet again”?
How he had been living.
What kind of grudge bound him to the palace so tightly?
One step, then another.
She walked toward him under the sunlight.
The man seemed momentarily unsettled when he realized she had spotted him, but he soon regained his composure.
Slowly, he stepped out from behind the tree.
“Huh? Your clothes…”
They were different.
Unlike the clothes he wore the last time they met, today he was dressed in a deep purple overcoat.
Was that possible?
Could spirits change clothes?
Or was her memory wrong?
As Soa stopped in confusion, the man stepped forward once more.
But no farther than that.
He remained standing under the shade, as if deliberately avoiding the sunlight.
“I didn’t properly thank you before…”
Soa hesitated, fumbling over her words.
The man continued to stare at her with those sharp eyes, his pitch-black pupils flashing.
It was the most intense gaze she had ever felt.
Despite his refined clothing and elegant appearance, his eyes and movements were nothing like those of royalty.
“For some reason, I don’t know why you died unjustly, but I’ll listen. If you release your resentment, you’ll be able to rest in peace.”
Instead of answering, the man tilted his head slightly.
Seeing his gesture as confusion, Soa spoke again.
She thought he must have died too young to understand what “passing on” meant.
“If you tell me your name, I’ll write it down and burn it.”
“…Name?”
A low voice answered.
Yes. This voice.
Low, not gloomy, slightly rough at the edges but resonant, not unpleasant to hear—if anything, too brief, leaving a sense of regret.
She felt as though she had heard it even in her dreams.
“Yes, your name. You must have one. What should I call you?”
“……”
“Oh, my name is Soa. Yun Soa.”
“……”
“Can’t you remember? Some spirits forget their names after they die, I’ve heard.”
Soa took one more step toward him.
The distance between them was now only about five steps.
The wind blew.
Leaves rustled, and a soft fragrance rode the breeze.
It was the same scent she had smelled that night.
The man’s scent.
“…Do you remember anything else? The palace has many records. If we search the books, we might find you. I’ll look for you, so if you can remember anything—”
“Soa.”
The man spoke, but not the words she expected.
He called her name.
He lowered his gaze slightly, repeated her name a few times, then looked up at her again.
Slowly, he spoke.
“Yun Soa.”
“Yes, that’s my name. But that’s not what’s important—”
“Soa!”
A voice called out from behind her.
Recognizing it, Soa instinctively turned around.
“What are you doing here?”
“Ah, Yeonwoo—I mean, Your Highness. Well, it’s just that the one who helped me last time—more importantly, why did you leave the banquet?”
“I couldn’t see you and was worried. I thought you might have gotten lost—”
Thud.
Yeonwoo stopped short.
His expression hardened instantly, just like when he had seen the flower bud earlier.
“Why are you here…”
“No, it’s not that. Actually, I received help from a spirit that night, so I wanted to thank him. I was looking around and—”
“I asked why you are here.”
A cold voice spilled from Yeonwoo’s lips.
Only then did Soa realize he wasn’t speaking to her.
Yeonwoo’s sharp, blazing gaze was fixed not on Soa, but on the man.
Soa looked at the man standing opposite Yeonwoo.
They were clearly looking at each other.
Though Yeonwoo had often been troubled by spirits, he had never stared directly at one before.
He had only sensed vague shapes or presences.
But now, he was clearly identifying him.
As if he already knew him.
As if he harbored open hostility.
“Let’s go. You shouldn’t be here.”
Yeonwoo grabbed Soa’s wrist as if snatching it away.
When Soa flinched in surprise, the man stepped forward.
“Let go.”
The man’s voice rang out.
