Chapter 2
In the Heavenly Realm, there are countless heavenly maidens (seonnyeo). Although the daughters of the Jade Emperor are also called seonnyeo, they were different from ordinary heavenly maidens.
Among the seonnyeo, there were only three daughters of the current Jade Emperor, princesses of Baekokgyeong (White Jade Capital): the eldest, Yuhwa; the second, Sohwa; and the youngest, Yeonhwa.
All the princesses had snow-white hair fluttering like fresh snow and golden eyes.
The boy before her also had white hair, and his eyes shone gold.
Jiho recognized the boy’s childhood face. She had seen him long ago, in Seowangmo’s palace, Cheongokgyeong (Blue Jade Capital).
She never dreamed that the seonnyeo Yeonhwa was the princess of Baekokgyeong. At the time, Yeonhwa had black hair.
She couldn’t express how surprised she was when she learned that the seonnyeo Yeonhwa was a princess. She even anxiously combed through her past memories, wondering if she had ever offended her.
Regardless, judging by that white hair and that face, this boy was indeed the seonnyeo Yeonhwa.
‘But why does he look like this? Is he deliberately disguised as a man?’
Considering his runaway situation, it could be to avoid being discovered, but she couldn’t understand why he specifically chose Seonhwa High School.
Furthermore, there was another thing she couldn’t understand: that man. Who exactly was the man who had trapped her?
How did he know her, and how could he infiltrate this school and set a trap?
He wasn’t a ghost. Even less so a human.
She had felt nothing from that man.
Yet, that man had controlled a hundred ghosts (baekgwi).
Moreover, he knew her father, the head of the Baekho (White Tiger) clan.
‘Does the Heavenly Realm know about this?’
Surely they didn’t send me here knowingly…?
Jiho grew serious. Distrust towards the Jade Emperor and her father briefly flickered within her, but she forcefully erased it.
‘…No, it’s alright. At least I’ve found the princess now. Let’s take her back quickly.’
Thinking she could return to the Heavenly Realm immediately, Jiho’s heart began to lift.
Finding it strange that no greeting came back even after quite some time had passed, Jiho cautiously lifted her head.
At that moment, the darkness surrounding them began to slowly lift.
Dazzling light obscured her vision, making her squint.
With the light behind him, his face was cast in shadow, so she couldn’t see the boy’s face clearly. But soon, her eyes began to adjust.
It was the very moment she saw the boy’s face, looking as if he was about to cry.
Jiho was utterly flustered.
His brushing breath tickled her cheek, and a warm body temperature enveloped her.
The boy embraced her.
“……!”
A faint floral scent lingered around her nose.
Jiho’s lost hands wandered in the air. She was a Baekho (White Tiger) and couldn’t dare push the boy away.
At a loss, Jiho simply remained still. That was when.
“I’m so glad, Jiho. Truly….”
“…….”
Jiho couldn’t say anything. His voice sounded desperately earnest and affectionate.
What was he so glad about? What had frightened the boy so much?
Did he… still remember her?
Many questions tangled on the tip of her tongue, but Jiho couldn’t utter a single one.
‘I think it’s probably okay to let go now…’
If anything, it was fortunate it wasn’t summer yet, so it wasn’t hot. Jiho glanced at the boy, who was holding her as if he would never let go, his face buried in her shoulder, and thought.
Unable to carelessly touch the precious jade body of a princess, she could only roll her eyes.
Sunbeams filtered down through the densely packed trees.
She had definitely passed through the school’s entrance, but now she was in an unfamiliar forest.
She couldn’t tell if it was because of that man, or if the princess’s power had transported them here.
‘Anyway, when should I bring up going back…?’
Jiho had no desire to stay in such a rough place.
How much more time passed like that?
With a sniffle, the floral scent finally receded. Only then could Jiho face the boy again.
Seeing his moist eyes, she briefly wondered if she should find something to wipe his tears.
But she had nothing to give. She wasn’t carrying a handkerchief.
“Jiho.”
“…Yes? Yes?”
Startled by the low, gentle voice that tickled her ear, Jiho answered hurriedly.
The princess, now locking eyes with her, smiled brightly, as if she had never been crying.
It was a smile like the blue sky visible beyond. Jiho felt her heart stop for a moment.
Come to think of it, it was like this in the past too. Back then, the seonnyeo Yeonhwa would smile enchantingly.
And with that enchanting smile, she would say pretty things. Just like now.
“I missed you.”
“…….”
Thump. Thump. Her heart pounded as if it would burst.
The thought that she should say ‘let’s go back’ was completely erased from her mind.
She needed to answer, but her mouth wouldn’t work, as if sealed shut.
She could only stare blankly at the princess.
Finally, she managed to speak because of the princess’s following question.
“Jiho, didn’t you miss me?”
She couldn’t possibly say ‘I missed you’ with more affection than the princess’s heart.
Honestly, she had buried it as a memory and forgotten about it.
A very pretty seonnyeo she had met in Cheongokgyeong as a child. A friend she had liked very much.
That was all. Isn’t that how childhood things usually are?
But the princess didn’t seem to feel that way.
Who could say in this situation that they had actually forgotten?
Pushing aside the ensuing guilt, Jiho nodded.
“…I missed you too, Princess Jaga.”
At her answer, Haerang’s smile grew even brighter. Jiho continued, deliberately ignoring her pricking conscience.
“Have you been well all this time?”
Jiho realized for the first time that she was this good at lying. She didn’t even bat an eye.
“No, I wasn’t well.”
“Huh?”
“Because I missed you.”
‘Is that all…?’
Jiho couldn’t tell if Haerang’s words were serious or a joke.
But seeing the princess’s drooping eye corners, it seemed sincere.
Jiho could no longer ignore her conscience. She wanted to change the subject now.
“Still, I’m glad you seem to have been doing well.”
“…….”
Jiho was speechless. She couldn’t find the words to say.
Seeing Jiho at a loss, Haerang swallowed a laugh that threatened to burst out. Her fluster was clear to his eyes.
In truth, Haerang knew. The weight of Jiho’s feelings and his own were different. To Jiho, he was probably just a friend left in childhood memories.
But to him, Jiho had never been just a friend for a single moment.
Only Ryu Jiho could possess Cheon Haerang.
For this, Haerang was willing to be patient. Even if he wasn’t in Jiho’s heart right now.
Although things had deviated slightly from his plan, it didn’t matter. After all, the most important thing was to get Jiho’s heart into his hands.
For now, it seemed Jiho liked his face, so he intended to make good use of it.
Silently expressing gratitude to his parents for this face, Haerang spoke, maintaining his ever-present smile.
“Then, shall we go back to school now?”
The topic had changed. Jiho inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
Haerang stood up and reached out his hand to Jiho, as if telling her to take it.
Jiho naturally took Haerang’s hand and stood up. Then, she looked for an opportunity.
She needed to go back to the Heavenly Realm, not the school.
She had fulfilled her given mission. She had found the runaway seonnyeo, Princess Yeonhwa.
Jiho hurriedly opened her mouth.
“Wait, just a moment, Princess Jaga. Shouldn’t you go to the Heavenly Realm now instead of school?”
“Then?”
“Shouldn’t you return with me to the Heavenly Realm?”
“Hmm…. But I don’t want to.”
“…Huh?”
“I never said I was going back to the Heavenly Realm, Jiho.”
“…….”
His tone was affectionate, but there was a strange sense of pressure.
Jiho’s head spun.
‘…What do I do?’
She had finally found the princess, but the princess didn’t want to go back.
As a servant, she couldn’t forcefully drag the princess back either.
“Why, why not?”
“Because I have something to do?”
“What is it?”
“Secret.”
“Yes?”
“If you really want to go back, you try to persuade me. Make me want to go to the Heavenly Realm.”
Saying this, Haerang smiled like a flower. Looking at him, Jiho thought.
‘Why me?’
But she wasn’t foolish enough to say that out loud. There was no benefit in unnecessarily offending the princess.
Instead, Jiho asked something else.
“…By any chance, is that secret related to that man?”
Haerang just smiled without any answer. At the same time, Jiho’s vision warped.
