CHAPTER 68…………………………….
The Forbidden Cave Opens
Only after spending a fiery night with my jealous, possessive husband Mix did he finally confess why he had been so plagued with unease.
And then, out of nowhere, he blamed the poor dress I had worn last night.
“It must’ve been because of this that I acted like a madman. From now on, dresses of this color are banned. Especially ones with the back all open—absolutely not.”
“Are you sure it was the dress?”
“Ahem…”
Embarrassed, he gave a fake cough. I patted the spot beside me on the bed.
“Stop talking nonsense and sleep a little longer. We have to go to the Geupa Forest in the morning.”
“If you’re tired, we don’t have to go. You can see scenery like that in Fritan too.”
“And the silverberries? Those aren’t in Fritan.”
He came closer, brushing my cheek with his long fingers, and muttered unhappily.
“I don’t see why you even need them. You’re already more than beautiful enough.”
“Beautiful or not, every woman still wants to become more beautiful.”
I caught his hand and pressed a kiss into his palm.
“So hurry up and sleep. We don’t have much time left.”
“Then lull me to sleep quickly—pat me.”
Seeing him curl up into my arms so childishly made me laugh. I wrapped my arms around his head and shoulders and gently patted him.
“Lea, you must never, ever leave me.”
“Why would I leave you? I keep telling you—I’ve got nowhere else to go.”
“No one else would accept someone like me. Don’t ever forget that.”
He pulled me tighter around the waist. I kissed his hair softly and stroked it.
“I’ll never leave. So don’t be anxious, alright?”
At last, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Before long, his breathing grew even and he drifted to sleep.
The tickle of morning sunlight on my face woke me—only to realize it was already past brunch time.
“Mix, we’re late. We have to get ready to go to the Geupa Forest!”
I jumped up, flustered, while he scrunched up his handsome face in annoyance. Slowly, he released his arm from around my waist and threw on a robe.
I quickly pulled the bellcord to summon Millie.
“Millie, just a light breakfast today. Prepare something warm to wear—we’ll be riding to the Geupa Forest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Once we leave, you can take the evening off.”
“Free time?”
“Yes. Go on a date with Sir William if you like.”
“…Thank you.”
Millie’s cheeks flushed red as she bowed and hurried out.
“Hm… what to do. I was planning on bringing William to the forest too.”
“Mix, really!”
He was being petty again, so I smacked his back.
“What? Wouldn’t it be nice if William and Millie came too, to see the sights?”
“No matter how nice the scenery, it won’t be the same as being alone! Sometimes I wonder if you even understand romance!”
“Hmph, William probably doesn’t understand it either.”
“Then ask him directly. And promise me—you won’t command or pressure him. Understood?”
Throughout breakfast, I made him swear not to force William into coming. My mischievous husband was impossible sometimes.
After a quick meal, Mix and I bundled up in fur-lined coats. At the glasshouse where we were to meet, Shine and Julmon were already waiting.
At the sight of her outfit, I was once again stunned. It was one thing for her to wear revealing gowns indoors where it was warm, but now—even for horseback riding into the forest—her neck and chest were bare.
“Aren’t you… cold?”
I blurted out the question before even greeting her.
“Not really. To Malau people, this level of cold is nothing.”
“I see…”
So that was it—not just to seduce my husband, but simply because their tribe was far more resistant to cold than humans. What I thought had been strategy might have just been her style all along.
Then William arrived, leading Bloodstorm and a gentle white horse. Mix mounted Bloodstorm, then glanced back at William with lingering reluctance.
“I’ll give you one last chance. You really don’t want to come with us?”
“I’ll pass, Your Highness.”
William answered with a resolute smile. Of course!
“Will, have you forgotten your knight’s vow? You swore never to leave your lord’s side.”
“…Just for today, I’ll make an exception.”
“What, exceptions to oaths now!”
William flushed crimson but stood by his decision.
“Don’t be difficult. The Malau king gave us permission, but this is still a restricted zone—we can’t bring too many people anyway. Mix, let’s go ahead~”
To distract him, I nudged my horse forward. He followed right after.
“Sir Julmon, please lead the way.”
Thrust into the lead, I called to Julmon, who, with Shine, took point. Together, we rode toward the mysterious Geupa Forest.
At the entrance, tall evergreens stood guard, their needles still green even in the heart of winter. The crisp air was filled with a refreshing fragrance that lifted my spirits.
“Aren’t you glad we came?”
“…Yes.”
Even Mix, who had been reluctant to leave Fritan’s forests, looked around in awe at Geupa’s winter scenery.
“If you’re impressed already, you may be in trouble,” Shine teased, urging her horse faster. “This is just the beginning.”
Excited, I hurried to follow.
“This is the cypress grove—the very heart of the Geupa Forest,” Shine announced, halting at last after two hours of riding.
Around us, soaring cypresses reached straight for the heavens, their branches frosted with white blossoms of ice that sparkled in the sunlight.
I dismounted and craned my head back, nearly toppling over, until Mix stepped close behind me so I could lean into him.
“It’s breathtaking,” I whispered, afraid to disturb the beauty with my voice.
Mix, holding me from behind, nodded silently.
“This way, please. Have some hot spring water,” Julmon called.
Startled, I turned. He was kneeling beside a small spring bubbling up from the ground, steam rising thickly from it.
Mix and I gratefully accepted the cups he offered.
“Ugh! It doesn’t taste very good.”
“True, but it’s sulfur spring water—very good for the body.”
After warming ourselves, we tied our horses, as the path ahead was too rough to ride.
Julmon took the lead, I followed with Shine behind him, and Mix came last.
At last we reached a great cave sealed off with thick vines, marked with sacred ropes.
“Silverberries grow only inside this cave.”
“But the entrance is blocked.”
“After the former chieftain forbade entry, my grandmother has guarded this place for twenty years. I am her only grandson.”
Smiling faintly, Julmon closed his eyes and chanted words I couldn’t understand. At once, the vines stirred like living things, slithering aside to open a path.
For some reason, the cave felt strangely familiar to me. Something about it pulled at me with an irresistible force.
Julmon took up a pouch and approached the entrance.
“I’ll go in and pick the silverberries.”
“If it’s alright… may I come too?”
“Your Majesty?”
He looked from me to Mix, clearly hesitant.
“We’ve come all this way. I’d like to see inside. If it’s a problem, I’ll stay.”
“It’s not that… but…”
Julmon glanced at Shine, then back to me.
“Would Your Highness like to join as well?”
“In that narrow, dark cave? No thanks,” Shine replied indifferently.
As if expecting that, Julmon fetched thick blankets from the horses and spread one on a flat rock near the entrance. After Shine sat comfortably, he draped another over her.
“I’ll just wait here. If Queen Lea insists on going, I won’t stop her.”
“Then, Your Highness Mixlok, will you stay with the princess while I escort the queen inside?”
Mix’s face instantly hardened—he clearly hated the idea.
“Lea, must you really go?”
“…Yes. I’ll be quick, I promise.”
I knew he disliked the thought of me entering a cave alone with another man. But the pull I felt from within was undeniable—I had to see it.
Mix looked as if he wanted to follow, but leaving Shine alone seemed awkward.
I whispered for his ears only:
“Remember my promise? I’m not going anywhere without you. So don’t worry. Alright?”
He frowned, then shot Shine a wary glance before finally nodding at me. Leaning close, he muttered under his breath:
“Come back fast. I’m scared the princess might pounce on me.”
“…Got it.”
Suppressing my laughter, I followed Julmon into the cave.
Contrary to its narrow, dark entrance, the inside was wide and deep.
“You said it was cramped and dark—but it’s nothing like that!”
Julmon smiled faintly as we ventured in.
Far inside, a shaft of bright light streamed down from above, illuminating a small brook. Strange plants grew among the rocks, their fruits glowing with a radiant shimmer.
A broad flat stone lay in the middle of the brook.
“Are those… silverberries?”
“Yes. Once, greedy humans fought over them, shedding much blood.”
“I see…”
Julmon climbed onto the rock carefully, plucked some berries, and placed them in his pouch. Then he held one out to me.
I stepped toward the light to take it.
But suddenly my vision went white, my mind clouded in warmth.
And before me, an illusion appeared: a beautiful woman and a young man locked in a passionate embrace.
‘…Mother?’
The woman, kissing a stranger fervently upon that very stone where the silverberries gleamed, was unmistakably my beloved mother—Yurahel.
