Yoonaehee,staringdownatthebloodywaterinthebasin,spokequietly.
“Readthehistoryintheblood.”
Atthosewords,Saeroflinchedandlookedup.
“......”
hemonttheeadergavetheorder,Saero’sexpressionturnedgrave.
hisdurumagiwasnoordinaryobject.hereasonSaerohadbeendrawntoitinthefirstplacewasthestrangeenergylingeringaroundit.Butnowhefinallyunderstoodwhyitcarriedsuchdeepresentntandhatred.
Becauseoftheblood.
fJaegyeomwasrightandthisreallyhadbelongedtoMyojeong,thenthebloodoftwodifferentpeoplehadthoroughlysoakedintoit.
Andoncebefore,SaerohadreadthepastthroughJaegyeom’snosebleed.
“Canyoudoit?”
Backthen,therehadbeentoolittleblood.AllSaerohadmanagedtoglimpsewasafragntedsliverofthepast.Buttheeader’sdurumagiwasdrenchedinblood.Withthismuch,hemightbeabletolookfardeeperintobothJaegyeom’sandMyojeong’spasts.
“Yes.’lltry.”
Saeronoddedashelookeddownatthebasinstainedred.
“Couldyougiveabouthalfaday?”
Yoonaeheenoddedonce.
Jaegyeom’seyesmovedbackandforthbetweenthetwoofthem.Readthehistoryintheblood.ecouldnotunderstandwhatthatevenant.SinceheknewnothingaboutSaero’sability,theconversationsoundedincomprehensibletohim.
henYoonaeheethisgazeandexplained,
“Saerocanseethepastthroughblood.”
Jaegyeomfroze.
“hepast...?”
evaguelyremberedhearingsothinglikethisfromYoonaeheebefore.
‘Remberthosetwoghostsyousawyesterday?hey’reintelligentghostscherish.neofthemcanreadthepast.isnaisSaero.’llintroduceyouproperlysoti.Anyway,askedhimtolookintoyou.’
Afteralongsilence,Jaegyeomaskedblankly,
“...hepast?”
“Yes.Wemaybeabletouncoverthingsevenyoudidn’tknow.”
Yoonaeheehesitatedbrieflybeforeadding,
“Andyourmasterprobablywasn’tanordinaryhumaneither.Atleast,that’smyguess.”
houghhetriedtostaycalm,Yoonaeheehimselflookedshaken.
“Whatdoyouanbythat?”
“DidyouknowyourmasterwasthepreviousBangsangsi?”
“...What?”
“Yourmasterwastheheadoftheforrfficeofarye.”
hemontthosewordscrossedthelimitsofwhathecouldaccept,Jaegyeom’smindwentcompletelyblank.
ecouldnotunderstand.
owcouldthatbepossible?
YoonaeheehadclearlysaidtheBangsangsiwasboththefounderandagodlikefigureoftheforrfficeofarye.ButMyojeonghadobviouslybeenhuman.
oneofitmadesense.
AsJaegyeomsattherestunnedbeneaththefloodofrevelationscrashingoverhim,Yoonaeheecontinuedcalmly.
“fwelookintothepast,we’lllearnaboutyourmastertoo.”
heshocklastedonlyaninstantbeforeanindistinctterrorseizedJaegyeom.
“o.don’twanttoknow.”
ischesttightenedpainfully.tfeltasthoughinvisiblehandswerestranglinghim.
“t’sfineifneverknow.”
Cotothinkofit,JaegyeomhadalwayslearnedaboutMyojeongindirectly—fromotherpeople’swords,orthroughhisownassumptions.Diggingupthestaleremainsofthepastterrifiedhim.tfeltlikeopeningaboxwithoutknowingwhatwasinside.
AndJaegyeomdidnotwanttoknow.
“o.Youneedtoknow.”
Yoonaeheespokequietly.
“You’rebeingunbelievablystubborn.haveabsolutelynoconnectiontothatperson.Butsinceyourefusetobelieveanythingsay,thenjudgeforyourselfafterSaeroreadsthepast.Decidewhetherthatpersonisdeadoralive.Decidewhetherheputuptothisornot.”
“don’twantto.don’tneedanyofthat.”
Jaegyeomshookhisheadwithdifficulty.
“Justleavealone.”
Morethananything,hewasafraidhissuspicionswouldturnouttobetrue.
ewantedtoknow.
Andatthesati,hewantedtoremainignorantforever.
Comparedtoalltheyearshehadspentwithhim,JaegyeomknewalmostnothingaboutMyojeong.ehadbelievedtheirconnectionhadalreadybeensevered,buriedsowhereinadistantpast.
AndyetMyojeongstilllingeredaroundhimlikealivingshadow.
heterrorofeventuallyfacingwhateverthatshadowtrulywasoverwheldanydesiretolearnthetruth.Jaegyeom’smindwasdangerouslyunstable.edidnotthinkhecouldendureit.
verythingaboutthissituationfeltsuffocatingandpainful.
Perhapslearningthetruthwasthesaasinvitingdisasteruponyourself.
Jaegyeomsuddenlywantedtorunawaysowhere—anywhere.
Panicswallowedhimwhole.ecouldbarelybreathe,onlysharp,raggedgaspsescapinghim.
“Jaegyeom.”
Yoonaeheeslowlyreachedahandtowardhim.
“Don’ttouch!”
heviolentreactionstoppedYoonaehee’shandcoldbeforeitcouldreachhim.
“......”
WhatstrangledJaegyeomwasthetrapofthepastitself.
venwithoutfullyunderstandingwhathadhappenedbefore,histhoughtshadlongsincehardenedintosothingextre.hemoredesperatelyhetriedtoescape,thedeeperhesankintotheswamp.ewasdrivinghimselfintoacorner.
Afteralongsilence,Yoonaeheeslowlywithdrewhishand.
elookeddownatJaegyeom,whohadcurledintohimselflikeafrightenedhedgehog.
hen,afteramont,YoonaeheeloweredhimselfontoonekneetoetJaegyeomateyelevel.
“waswrong.”
nlythendidhefinallyunderstand.
Myojeong’sgarnthadrelybeenthesparkthatpushedJaegyeomtotheedge.herealfuelfeedingtheflashadbeenthedistrustYoonaeheehimselfhadplanted.
“twasn’tyourmaster’sorders.Andwasn’tmanipulatedbyhim.”
fJaegyeomrannow,hewouldneverescapeMyojeong’sshadowfortherestofhislife.
“......”
“hereasonliedtoyouanddeceivedyouuntilnow...”
Yoonaeheepausedbriefly.
“...wasbecausewantedyoutostaybeside.hatwastheonlyreason.twon’thappenagain.So...”
ereachedoutandgentlycuppedJaegyeom’sface.
“Calmdown.”
Jaegyeomsaidnothing.
Buthisraggedbreathingslowlysteadied,andthetremblingthroughouthisbodygraduallyfaded.
Maybe...intheend,stillwanttobelieveYoonaeheesohow.
twouldtaketiforSaerotoreadthepast.
YoonaeheeaskedBlackmperortostabilizeJaegyeom’sconsciousnesssohecouldsleepforawhile.Sleepwastheeasiestwaytoescaperealityandregaincomposure.
ater,Yoonaeheesataloneintheroom,deepinthought.
nsoways,perhapsthiswasagoodthing.
ftheycoulduseMyojeong’sbloodtoseethepast,theymightuncovercluesaboutwhatwashiddeninsideJaegyeom...andperhapsabouttheforrfficeofaryeandSuhyangaswell.
ehadthefeelingtheanswerlayattheverybeginning.
ountangleahopelessknotofthread,therewasnochoicebuttoreturntowhereitfirstbegan.
ateatnight,everythinghadgrownstill.
hepavilionwassilent,asthoughtheearlierchaoshadneverhappenedatall.
Andwithinthatbriefstillness,Yoonaeheesuddenlyfeltachillcrawldownthebackofhisneck.
‘ongago,wentintothemountainstotrimbranches.Butthenheardababycrying.followedthesound,andstrangelyenough,itwascomingfromunderground.Sodugthere,andfoundastonemonunt.nitwasthecharacterhye,aning“towait.”thoughtitwasstrange,somovedthemonuntaside.Andunderneathitwasacoffin.openedthattoo,andourSeonohwassleepinginside.urSeonohwasagiftsentfromheaven.’
Withoutwarning,Yoonaeheefoundhimselfthinkingabouthisownbirth.
twasaridiculousstory.
Afterrunningawayfromthehousethathadbeenlittlebetterthanagarbagedumpandtakingrefugeatahermitage,Seonohhadonceconfessedeverythingtotheheadmonkthere.
hemonklistenedquietlytotheentirestorybeforetellinghimtoseverhistiestothesecularworldandforgetaboutitall.
Attheti,Seonohhadaskedwhetherthemonkknewanythingabouthisparents.
heanswerhereceivedwasthis:
neday,soonehadabandonedanewborninfantinfrontofthetemple.YoonWonjoonghappenedtobevisitingthen,heardwhathadhappened,anddecidedtotakethechildin.
omatterhowhethoughtaboutit,thatexplanationsoundedfarmorebelievable.
Afterhearingit,hehadstoppedcaringmuchaboutwhohewasorwherehecafrom.
YoonaeheestillbelievedJaegyeom’ssuspicion—thathemightsohowbeconnectedtoMyojeong—wasaridiculousleapinlogic.
Andyet,forsoreason,afaintuneaselingereddeepinsidehim.
Perhapswhatunsettledhimwasthefactthat,likethismysteriousgarnt,hetoocafromanunknownorigin.
ap.ap.
Yoonaeheecontinueddrumminghisfingersaninglesslyagainstthetable.
Butwhatif...
Whatif,bysoimpossiblytinychance...
etrulywasconnectedtohisenemy?
Yoonaeheeturnedtowardtheopenwindow.
hemountainsbeyonditlaydrownedindarkness.
Rustle.Rustle.
Windsweptthroughtheleaves.
Yoonaeheeslowlyliftedhiseyestowardthewaningmoonhanginginthenightsky.
hemoonlightstaredstraightbackathimlikeawatchingeye.
“Paehyeon.”
Stillgazingintothedarkness,Yoonaeheefinallyspoke.
“havesothingneedyoutodo.”
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