Chapter 4
“Abamama!”
With a cry of anguish, the boy’s eyes snapped open.
Seventeen this year. Crown Prince of Joseon, Lee Hyul.
His mind was hazy. The world spun violently, and his head throbbed as if it were about to split apart.
Only then did Hyul remember.
West of Mount Gwanak, Mount Hoam (Tiger Rock Mountain). While wandering deep in the mountains in search of the Udumbara flower said to bloom once every three thousand years, he had fallen off a sheer cliff.
“Where… is this?”
As Hyul tried to sit up, a groan escaped his lips. He looked around, but there was nothing in the room—not even basic furnishings. He alone lay there.
“You’d better stay still. It’s a miracle you didn’t die.”
A voice suddenly spoke from close by. Startled, Hyul whipped his head around in alarm.
He had no idea when she had been there. Just moments ago, the room had been empty.
“N-no one was here…”
“Just because you couldn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t.”
It was a woman. Impossible, yet there she sat, as if she had always been in the room.
“Just lie down. It’ll take time for your bones to mend.”
“D-did you save me?”
At his question, her brow twitched faintly.
“Rather than saving you, it’s more accurate to say you rolled into my dwelling.”
“I will not forget this kindness. I will repay you, no matter what.”
“I don’t need repayment.”
“No. You saved my life—”
“That’s enough.”
She cut him off sharply.
“Just recover quickly and leave. That’s repayment enough for me.”
Her voice was so cold that Hyul was momentarily speechless. Only then did he notice how unusual she looked.
Her attire resembled the crane-feather robe worn by scholars, her hair neither fully tied nor loose, and her eyes carried an eerie hue.
Her lack of formality made him think she might be someone who had lived in seclusion deep in the mountains.
“Miss… what day is it today?”
“Yesterday was the summer solstice.”
“The solstice?”
That meant June was already more than halfway over. More than twenty days had passed since he left the palace.
“I must return to the palace!”
Hyul sprang to his feet.
“Argh!”
He cried out in agony and collapsed again. It felt as though his entire body were being torn apart.
Watching him, the woman clicked her tongue.
“Hey, human. Where do you think you’re going in that state? If you entered a sacred mountain, you should’ve behaved yourself.”
“But I must go. I have to return to Hanyang.”
“Well, if you can walk, go ahead. All your limbs are broken, so it won’t be easy.”
She spoke indifferently.
“Ugh…!”
Gritting his teeth, Hyul pushed himself up. Even the slightest effort brought a wave of crushing pain. Cold sweat poured down his back.
“I have to go…”
His body collapsed again. Tears streamed down his face from the unbearable pain. The woman’s gaze wavered slightly as she watched him.
“…What a troublesome human.”
Suddenly, she reached out toward his face.
Hyul was the Crown Prince—the very foundation of the nation. Naturally, no one had ever dared touch his face.
“What are you—”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. Her vividly red lips had come right up to his.
Parted lips, warm breath, brushing skin.
“M-miss…”
At that moment, something surged into him. Something hot.
The heat that flowed from her breath was drawn into his lips. His mouth, tongue, palate, and throat burned as if on fire.
An indescribable heat spread throughout his body.
His fingertips tingled. Warmth filled his abdomen. The rising heat felt as though it would burst his chest apart.
By the time his pounding heartbeat filled his ears, her lips pulled away.
“W-what… was that?”
“I saved you.”
“…Pardon?”
In that instant, Hyul realized—he no longer felt any pain.
“I used my life force to heal your body.”
“Life… force?”
“Yes. I gave you some of my life. About two or three years’ worth.”
Hyul could only stare blankly at her. He couldn’t comprehend her words. Yet even as he stood there, his body was undeniably healing.
Bones mending, flesh regenerating, vitality returning.
“You… gave me your life?”
His voice trembled faintly.
“No need to be moved over a mere two or three years. I’m older than you think.”
Hyul looked at her, bewildered. Though her demeanor was imposing, she appeared no older than twenty-five or so.
“How old… are you?”
“My age?”
She paused briefly, as if recalling it.
“Three thousand nine hundred years.”
She was Horang, an ancient immortal who had made Mount Hoam her dwelling.
“My name is Horang. I am an immortal.”
“…An immortal?”
“Yes. And this place is the Peach Blossom Realm. The land of the immortal Horang.”
Hyul blinked blankly.
Unbelievable, yet impossible not to believe.
The woman before him… an immortal?
“Three… thousand nine hundred…”
How long was that, truly? Crown Prince Lee Hyul had lived only seventeen years.
“Since you’ve received my life force, you’ll recover after some rest. Leave this place in seven days.”
“Seven days? I must return immediately!”
“Hey, human. This is the land of an immortal. It’s not a place you can come and go as you please.”
“Then how did I come here?”
“That…”
Horang trailed off.
“You don’t need to know. Why would a mere human pry into the affairs of an immortal?”
Her voice, which had softened slightly, turned cold again.
“What’s your name?”
“Hyul… Lee Hyul.”
“Lee Hyul of Hanyang. Don’t forget—I can find you anytime. Cause trouble here within these seven days, and I’ll cut your life short.”
“But, Immortal—”
“That’s enough.”
She cut him off again.
“I have no interest in dealing with insignificant humans. This is my domain, so behave yourself.”
The next moment, Horang vanished without a trace.
Seven days. The time Hyul spent in the Peach Blossom Realm.
There was no wind, no clouds—yet every dawn, a quiet rain fell to awaken the day. After the rain, a rainbow appeared and lingered until sunset.
A pond shimmering with five colors beneath that rainbow. Pure white lotus blossoms floating on its surface. The sky shifting from jade-blue by day to pink and indigo at dusk, then to deep midnight blue at night…
Yet the most vivid memory for Hyul was a single massive tree at the heart of the realm.
Countless blossoms adorned its branches, sparkling like pink jewels.
“It’s the immortal’s peach tree.”
Horang appeared out of nowhere and explained.
“Most immortals and gods live in the heavens, not on earth. That makes this the only celestial peach tree in existence.”
She added with a proud smile,
“I am its master.”
“Celestial peach?”
“It means the peach of immortals.”
Though there was no wind, a shower of peach blossoms fell around them.
“What happens if one eats it?”
“Humans should live as humans. Nothing good comes from craving what belongs to the divine.”
But Hyul persisted.
“I’m just curious. Could it save someone who is dying?”
“Well, it is a miraculous fruit. It would likely extend one’s lifespan.”
Though her tone was indifferent, to Hyul, it sounded like salvation.
Suddenly, he dropped to his knees before her.
“Immortal, please grant me just one peach. My father—no, His Majesty—is gravely ill. Or… if it’s too much to ask, would you come to Hanyang and heal him? I’ll do anything…”
With clasped hands, he pleaded earnestly. But Horang’s gaze remained cold.
“When one’s lifespan ends, death is only natural.”
“Immortal… I beg you, please…”
Tears welled up and fell from Hyul’s eyes. Horang averted her gaze.
“This is why I dislike humans. You can’t even live a hundred years, yet you cling so desperately to life. Think about it—if someone is destined to die, what’s the point of saving just the body? A soulless shell would be far more terrifying.”
“He is my only father…”
“…Everyone has only one parent.”
Horang turned away. Hyul grabbed the hem of her robe.
“Please…!”
“That’s enough!”
Her shout thundered. Hyul froze in shock.
“I already told you. What kind of human are you, trespassing here and being this bothersome? This peach is not for the likes of you. As I said before—I despise humans.”
Her voice echoed through the realm.
Hyul couldn’t speak. The force emanating from her completely overwhelmed him. Even the Peach Blossom Realm seemed to hold its breath before her anger.
“I warned you. Disturb this place, and I’ll end your life.”
She raised a hand. Snap—her fingers brushed together, and a flash of blue light appeared.
Then everything turned to darkness.
No—it wasn’t darkness. Even darkness was consumed.
A complete void, erasing all existence, surged in from all directions. The realm, the trees, the sky, the earth—everything vanished.
Only Hyul remained, alone in a world of nothingness. A crushing helplessness engulfed him.
“I-Immortal…! Immortal…!”
He cried out in terror.
After some time, the world returned.
Thud. Hyul collapsed, his strength gone. He couldn’t breathe.
“W-what… was that?”
“I erased the world.”
“The world…?”
His pupils trembled.
“I showed you what would happen if you continue to annoy me or harm this place.”
“…”
“If this entire world were to disappear, you’d realize how insignificant your defiance of fate truly is.”
Horang loomed over him like a mountain. Her cold voice tightened around him.
“I’ll say it again—don’t touch my peach tree. The moment you do, you’re as good as dead.”
Seven days passed.
Night in the Peach Blossom Realm—stars pouring down like rain, fireflies drifting like lanterns.
At that hour, Hyul lay in deep sleep.
“Abamama…”
He murmured in his sleep. A tear slipped from beneath his closed eyelids.
A sorrowful dream. A terrifying one.
His father dead. The palace in ruins. That dreadful darkness swallowing the world.
And himself, left alone in that endless abyss.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, something approached him.
Warmth—an indescribable gentle heat.
His tear-damp lashes trembled.
Hyul slowly opened his eyes.
Warmth of life, a sweet fragrance, red lips.
The heat flowing through those lips revived both his body and soul. A soft touch brushed lightly against his lips.
“Haah…”
And then, like an illusion, Horang vanished.
Hyul bolted upright.
