Looking for the Runaway Heavenly Maiden - Chapter 43

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

43.

* * *

She sometimes felt something distinctly foreign about her existence.
Following my master’s commands, I was clearly doing what was right, yet a sacrilegious thought whispered that this work was not righteous at all.
At times, I felt estranged from myself—as though I were someone other than who I truly was.
The reason eluded me.
Even now, it was the same.
Crunch, crunch. The sound of something being devoured sent shivers down my spine.
The metallic stench of blood that invaded my nostrils made my brow furrow involuntarily. I turned my head away.
The crimson spectacle that filled my vision refused to fade easily.

“Jeong, is something troubling you lately? You seem rather strange.”

The voice that reached me felt strangely unfamiliar. I gazed upon the one who spoke.
One who possessed power equal to mine. Their name was….

“…Byeong.”
“You haven’t been eating well lately, it seems.”

A acrid scent of fire emanated from the man.
I felt that same sense of alienation from him as well.
It seemed as though this was not always the case, long ago.
Where had things begun to change?
I shook my head.

“…No, I’m fine. I’m just not very hungry.”

Besides, I had never truly enjoyed these hunts to begin with.
The sense of strangeness gradually dissolved. I found myself enveloped in familiarity once more.
Yes, this was my daily existence.

“Is that so? Then that’s a relief.”

The man seemed to harbor no particular suspicion toward me.

“Still, it’s proving far more difficult than expected.”

She quickly grasped the meaning behind his words.
For the Master to attain complete power, she would need the Nine Hearts of young ones.
But it was not merely any Nine Hearts.
Yin covets Yang. They had to be young ones overflowing with vital yang energy.
Such beings were far fewer than one might expect.
Moreover, it had to be done in secret. Otherwise, Yeonhwa would notice.
Yeonhwa. Yeonhwa. She chewed over the name that had suddenly surfaced in her mind.
A familiar name. The Heavenly Emperor’s first bloodline. The princess who inherited the purest blood and guarded the barrier.
A princess…?

‘…The princess herself?’

A splitting headache suddenly crashed over her. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her palm against her forehead.
The man immediately noticed her condition.

“Jeong? What’s wrong? Does your head hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. Ugh.”

A groan escaped her involuntarily. The bewildered man quickly called out to someone.

“Hey, Eul! Come over here for a moment!”

Yueul, who had been enjoying the hunt, approached Byeong with obvious reluctance.

“What is it? Why?”
“Look at her. Something seems to be wrong with her.”
“Something wrong?”

Yueul’s gaze turned toward Jeong. The woman pressing her forehead against her palm was sweating profusely from the intense pain.
Yueul was well acquainted with such cases. Among the other Heavenly Realm beings so far, this was rare, but with Jeong it happened unusually often.
This was what happened when one dared to defy the Master’s will.
It was said she had grown quite close to Princess Yeonhwa not long ago.
Yueul clicked his tongue and opened his palm toward Jeong. A crimson aura flowed from his hand.
The aura enveloped Jeong and then vanished.
And when the crimson aura disappeared, Jeong collapsed to the side.

“Hey, hey? Jeong!”
“Don’t make a fuss. She’s fine.”

Yueul spoke thus, hoisting Jeong onto his shoulder as though carrying a sack of supplies. Jeong’s unconscious body swayed briefly atop his shoulder.

“Where are you taking her?”
“To the Master.”

She’s broken. Yueul swallowed the rest of his words.
When damaged like this, she would need the Master’s attention before she could be used again.

“Hey, wait, let me come too…!”

Byeong called out, but he could not follow Yueul, who had already vanished.
Byeong stared at the empty space where Yueul had disappeared, his expression hollow.

* * *

A chill hung over the silent table. Within it, Hand Ogeong rolled his eyes to gauge Yeonhwa’s mood before quickly withdrawing his gaze.
A voice as cold as the air itself resonated across the table.

“…What exactly did I just hear?”
“I will serve as bait, Princess.”

Jiho’s voice held no tremor, as though her resolve was already set.
She neither gauged Yeonhwa’s mood nor feared her.
Yeonhwa, who had doubted her own ears, now realized she had heard correctly.
She turned her gaze toward Hand Ogeong.

“Hand Ogeong. What exactly have you done?”

Her reproach was unmistakable. Hand Ogeong accepted it without resistance.
Viewed coldly, Ryujiho was an excellent bait to lure both the Heavenly Realm and Gihyeongrang.
Ryujiho was Cheonhaerang’s greatest weakness, after all.
Yet it was not a decision befitting an adult. Those still immature should be protected instead.
This was what Yeonhwa was saying.
But Jiho’s resolve was unwavering. When he saw those eyes, he knew they would not break.

“Does the Princess not also understand? Jiho will make excellent bait.”

The words were utterly cold and cruel. Yeonhwa let out a hollow laugh.

“Hand Ogeong, have you lost your mind? Using whom as bait right now…?”
“I’ve made my decision.”

It was I who cut off Yeonhwa’s words.
I looked at Yeonhwa and spoke with a steady voice.

“I’ve made this decision for Cheonhaerang’s sake.”
“Jiho.”
“I’ve already been targeted by them twice. They must think of me as Cheonhaerang’s weakness.”
“….”
“I’ll be the bait, Your Highness.”

With resolve firmly set, I showed not a single tremor. I didn’t seek Yeonhwa’s approval, nor did I fear her.
Yeonhwa was left speechless. In that moment, her mother’s words suddenly flashed through her mind.

“I wish to witness the world that child will overturn, Yeonhwa.”

“It seems it will be quite amusing.”

“So let it be as it is.”

Ah. Yeonhwa swallowed her sigh inwardly.
The world that child will overturn.
That world seemed to be exactly such a place.
A world where adults do not wield children at their whim.
Within precariousness, the children were already growing with their own will.
It was the adults’ duty to protect such children.
Only now did Yeonhwa understand why Hand Ogeong had agreed to this task.
She could not break the will she saw in those eyes.
Yeonhwa exhaled a long breath. Then she laughed as if she had no choice.

“Very well. Let’s do it that way.”

At my affirmative answer, my eyes grew bright.

“But we’ll need precautions. Hand Ogeong, you go with her.”

I knew Yeonhwa would go to the Human Realm, so I had intended to follow her.
But I never expected her to ask me to come with her directly.
Hand Ogeong stared at Yeonhwa with widened eyes. Her gaze quickly shifted back to me.

“Yerim will be going too. Then Gihyeongrang won’t be able to do anything about you so easily.”
“Sister Yerim is going as well?”

At the affectionate way I referred to Yerim as “sister,” Yeonhwa’s brow furrowed for a moment.
I turned back to Yeonhwa’s words.

“But setting aside the Jade Emperor… why would Yerim going mean Gihyeongrang can’t do anything about me?”

It was an innocent question. A brief silence fell over the table.
The atmosphere had become strange. I turned to Hand Ogeong and demanded an answer.
Hand Ogeong replied with a somewhat melancholic expression.

“They were lovers.”
“…Pardon?”

I had no choice but to ask again, wondering if I’d misheard.

“So… Sister Yerim and Gihyeongrang were dating?”
“Yes.”

How many shocking truths have I learned in just those few days I spent at the Kunlun Mountains?
I could only gape wordlessly.
My confused mind finally crystallized into a single sentence.
The reason Yerim was chosen as my guardian. There was a significant reason behind it.
The Patriarch knew about the relationship between Yerim and Gihyeongrang.
Perhaps the Patriarch had even anticipated that things would unfold this way.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
Then did the Patriarch know what would become of Cheonhaerang when he learned all these truths?
Did he know that?

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————