Chapter 55 …..

In the end, unable to hold it in any longer, Sihyeon exploded and snapped angrily at Haun.

“You damn crane-head! Because of you, he thinks the crow thing is real!”

Haun gracefully dodged the hand that shot out to grab his collar. Even more irritated, Sihyeon ground his teeth.

“Damn it, you lousy Daoist…!”

“Sihyeoni, no, don’t do that. You’ll get hurt again.”

When I grabbed his sleeve to stop him, Sihyeon, apparently frustrated, thumped his chest and protested.

“Hurt? What hurt? I’m perfectly fine right now! I’ve got so much energy I don’t think I’ve ever felt this healthy!”

“Patients never know their own condition.”

“You—just shut up.”

Watching the two of them growl at each other made me sigh.

Honestly… these kids.

Still, I knew why they were acting like this, so I should smooth things over.

So I quietly stepped beside Sihyeon and gently took hold of two of his fingers.

“Huh? Uh?”

“Ah… does it hurt? I thought this much would be okay, so I held on…”

I think I understand a little now—what makes Sihyeon and Haun upset, and what makes them happy about me.

Sihyeon must have been upset because I didn’t hold his hand like usual. More than the pain, that’s what he hated. So I have to be careful.

I gently held Sihyeon’s fingers with both hands and gave a bright smile.

“N-No. Not at all.”

“That’s a relief. Actually, Dohee wanted to hold Sihyeoni’s hand while we walked too. So I grabbed it carefully, hehe.”

At that, Sihyeon’s face relaxed, while Haun’s crumpled.

“Ahem. Hey, crow. If you’re going to hold on, at least hold properly. You walk slow.”

“What a half-baked tiger. Tsk.”

They really need to stop fighting. We should get going.

“Haun, we’re going to the training grounds.”

Though he had been clicking his tongue in disapproval, Haun smoothed his expression at my farewell.

“Alright. Go and return safely. Don’t get hurt.”

“Mm.”

“Hah. It’s just training, and you’re making such a grand farewell.”

Both Haun and I pretended not to hear the grumbling from the side.

I like this grand send-off. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of it, even if it happened every day.

Walking side by side while gently holding two of Sihyeon’s fingers felt strangely new.

It was our first time going to training since that day—how would everyone treat Sihyeon?

Would they reject him, or admire him like before?

“Sihyeoni… are you okay?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Th-that… it’s nothing.”

I quickly shut my mouth.

‘I can’t exactly ask if he’s okay after getting beaten like that in front of everyone by the Tiger King. That would just make him feel worse.’

Being the heir of the tiger clan was Sihyeon’s pride—his very dignity.

And that day, it had been publicly shattered.

‘It’s basically like his weakness was exposed to the whole world… is he really okay?’

I was worried, but I didn’t want to bring up something that might hurt him first…

We were walking as if nothing was wrong when Sihyeon suddenly stopped.

“Crow.”

“Mm?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I don’t care about other people’s stares.”

Ah—that smile.

Even when he seems angry, his pretty grin brightens everything around him in an instant.

With a radiant smile like a marigold, Sihyeon’s large hand ruffled my hair.

“So I only need to care about my junior—about you.”

“Hehe, yeah. As long as Sihyeoni is okay, Dohee is okay too.”

“Right. As long as we’re fine, that’s all that matters.”

Sihyeon looked completely refreshed, as if he truly held no lingering feelings about what had happened.

Seeing that lifted my mood too, and we both walked on smiling, still holding hands—

Completely unaware that someone was waiting in the Forest of Training.

Contrary to expectations, the training forest was in an uproar. So much so that neither Sihyeon nor I could ignore it.

“Is that really true?”

“Yeah, it’s real.”

“Ugh, why are they suddenly coming here?!”

This is definitely…

‘Something’s going on, isn’t it?’

Thinking that, I looked around.

The atmosphere was unusual. Perhaps sensing it too, Sihyeon suddenly grabbed the back of a passing kid’s collar and demanded:

“Hey. What’s all this about? What’s going—”

“Kyaaaak!”

“Tsk. What kind of guy screams like that?”

Startled out of his wits, the poor kid let out a shriek.

At Sihyeon’s grumbling, his face twisted in irritation, the kid began trembling.

At this rate he looked like he might wet himself, so I quickly asked instead.

“Um… what’s going on?”

Fortunately, while the kid clearly disliked me, I wasn’t as scary as Sihyeon. He finally answered properly.

“They said someone from the Imperial Palace is coming. Probably a prince or princess, so everyone’s like this.”

Ahh, so that’s why it’s so chaotic.

A prince or princess… I was briefly curious, but Sihyeon’s next words immediately killed my interest.

“What? Everyone’s making a fuss over nothing.”

Even a royal visit is nothing to Sihyeon? Then I won’t be interested either. Getting curious only sounds tiring.

After hearing everything he needed, Sihyeon casually dropped the kid he’d been holding. The boy bolted like his life depended on it.

‘He must’ve been terrified.’

I was watching him with sympathy when I heard someone calling me from afar. Somehow Sihyeon had already gone ahead.

“Hey, crow. What are you doing over there? Not training?”

“I’m coming!”

“Then hurry up.”

“Mm!”

As I ran over, I thought:

There’s no way this has anything to do with me, right? Even if I’m the True-Name shaman, I’m only five. They wouldn’t come all the way to see me.

I can barely even talk properly right now. They must have other business. Let’s not worry about it.

“So—you’re asking us to summon the True-Name Shaman?”

“That is correct. Is that not possible?”

With an arrogant expression and elegant bearing, the handsome Prince Yeoun sat in the seat of honor, looking down at Hyeyun, the West Hall supervisor.

Hyeyun could not hide her troubled expression.

“Your… Your Highness. This is the Yin-Yang Pavilion. We do not belong to any authority, and we cannot be commanded.”

“Yet it is built on imperial land and funded by the empire’s people, is it not?”

“Even so, we do not dare summon the True-Name Shaman at will…”

This was truly a difficult situation.

Even if the Yin-Yang Pavilion was independent and not subject to coercion, it would be troublesome to openly oppose the Imperial Palace. As the prince said, the Pavilion stood on imperial territory.

‘This is why we should have pushed for independence back then…’

But what use was blaming the past now? The situation was already unfolding.

The young prince, who had arrived bearing a massive donation, had bluntly demanded that the True-Name Shaman be called.

“You say you cannot summon them?”

“Please understand, Your Highness.”

“Are you daring to defy a prince’s command, Supervisor?”

At the prince’s line-crossing remark, Hyeyun hesitated briefly—then made up her mind.

Even if it cost her head, she would speak the truth.

And besides, this was the Yin-Yang Pavilion. Despite his words, he could not treat her carelessly.

“Your Highness. Even the imperial family cannot treat the True-Name Shaman lightly. Therefore, Supervisor Hyeyun cannot comply.”

“How absurd. In the end, isn’t that shaman just someone who answers when summoned?!”

No matter what he said—threats or condescension—Hyeyun showed no sign of bringing the True-Name Shaman.