Haa-
Every ti Cheon Myeong exhaled, a white breath ca out of his mouth.
'To think it's this cold even inside.'
The place where Cheon Myeong was sitting was inside the Ice Palace, and from the looks of it, it seed to be a room used for receiving guests.
Cheon Myeong and Jong Seojun were currently waiting here for the Palace Lord to arrive.
Originally, it would have been right for the two of them to go to where the Palace Lord was, but the Ice Palace was now secretly hiding the existence of the two.
Because of the existence of the two, the fact that the Young Palace Lord was now down with the White Disease could be known to the people of the palace.
Of course, it wouldn't matter if the White Disease was completely cured, but since that was not yet confird, they were thoroughly concealing that fact.
'How on earth do the people of the North Sea live in a place like this?'
Of course, it was warr inside than outside.
However, that was only relative, and even after entering the palace, he could not throw off the clothes he was wearing.
Swish-
At that mont, Cheon Myeong's gaze turned sowhere.
At the place where Cheon Myeong's gaze was directed, a white, shining bird-shaped sculpture was placed.
Although it might look like an ordinary sculpture at a glance, in Cheon Myeong's eyes, it by no ans looked ordinary.
'How chilling.'
To think that a sculpture made of ice was placed in the room.
Just by that, he could roughly tell what the temperature of the room was.
Such things were scattered not only in this room but also throughout the Ice Palace.
In a word, it would not be an exaggeration to think of the Ice Palace itself as a giant freezer.
If a person were to die inside the Ice Palace, it seed that the corpse would be preserved as it is forever without rotting.
'Well, it doesn't matter if I just keep circulating my internal energy...'
At Cheon Myeong's current level, he could intentionally circulate his internal energy even while sleeping.
So this level of cold was not a big problem for Cheon Myeong, but what was a little worrying was the person sitting next to him.
"Jong Seojun, are you okay?"
"Pardon?"
"You still seem to be cold."
"I'm fine. At least the wind isn't blowing... Achoo-!"
Seeing him sniffling, it seed that Jong Seojun had already caught a cold.
To think that a physician would catch a cold while coming to treat soone else's illness.
It seed that he would have to make so dicine for a cold and give it to Jong Seojun later.
Swish-
At that mont, Cheon Myeong's gaze turned downwards.
"Peep... peep..."
Baekjo, who was still sleeping in Cheon Myeong's bosom, even snoring softly.
If you were to pick the most carefree one here, Cheon Myeong would not hesitate to pick Baekjo.
'I should have been born as a bird instead.'
He gets fed on ti, and he can sleep whenever he wants.
Just looking at Baekjo, it seed that the saying 'living without a thought' was made for this guy.
"..."
Sothing is getting on my nerves.
In the end, Cheon Myeong, who threw off the clothes he was wearing.
Thanks to that, Baekjo, who was sleeping in his bosom, popped out.
Thump-
Baekjo, who fell onto the table with a light impact.
The impact was not a big problem. However, because of the chill felt from the table, Baekjo couldn't help but be startled and wake up from its sleep.
"Peep-!"
Baekjo flapped its wings as if its tail were on fire.
In that state, Baekjo began to run around on the table, and Cheon Myeong, watching him, said with a gloating smile.
"Are you awake now?"
"Peep-!"
"We've arrived, so stay outside now."
"Peep, peep-!"
"You're getting fat because you just keep eating, sleeping, and lying down like that. Got it?"
As Cheon Myeong spoke in that way, Baekjo had no choice but to get up reluctantly.
Although the inside of the Ice Palace was not so cold that it was unbearable because the wind was not blowing, Baekjo still imdiately missed Cheon Myeong's bosom.
"Peep..."
It was so warm and felt really good there.
Should I say it felt like when my mother was incubating when I was an egg? Only those who have experienced that feeling can know.
Stare-
Although Baekjo looked at him with pitiful eyes, there was no way that thod would work on Cheon Myeong.
"It won't work even if you look at like that."
"Peep..."
"Or you can go in there instead of ."
Cheon Myeong said that and pointed at Jong Seojun with his eyes.
At that mont, Baekjo, who started to look at Jong Seojun with the sa gaze it had been looking at Cheon Myeong.
Jong Seojun looked at Baekjo and Cheon Myeong alternately with a bewildered face. Then he was startled and said to Cheon Myeong.
"What? You want to put that bird in my clothes?"
"It's perfect. It will be quite warm if you hold that guy in your clothes."
"B-but..."
To think of putting a bird in one's bosom.
If Baekjo's size had been small, it might have been different, but since it was no longer at a level that could be called small, Jong Seojun looked at Baekjo with a hesitant gaze.
"..."
"Peep?"
Still... it's quite cute when I look at it like this.
Although he had never raised an animal before, he was not on the side of disliking them, so Jong Seojun slightly reached out his hand to Baekjo and said.
"If you're okay with it... do you want to co in here?"
Saying that, Jong Seojun lifted his clothes so that Baekjo could co in.
Although Jong Seojun had gathered his courage and had spoken to it, Baekjo soon completely turned its body away from Jong Seojun.
"Peep!"
"W-why..."
"Peep, peep!"
"Y-Young Master! Why is this child like this?"
"..."
Since Cheon Myeong could understand what Baekjo was saying, he of course knew what Baekjo had just said.
To say that it didn't want to go in there because it slled like an old bachelor... this guy, I've felt it since a long ti ago, but its mouth is really rough.
'It would be better not to tell Jong Seojun this.'
If he found out that he had heard such a thing from a bird, he would not be able to get over the shock for a while.
In the end, Cheon Myeong was about to say it to Jong Seojun in a roundabout way.
"This kid's owner..."
It was then.
Suddenly, Cheon Myeong stopped talking and looked at the door.
'They're here.'
Two presences approaching this way.
One was a person Cheon Myeong already knew, and the other was a person Cheon Myeong did not know.
However, since his whole body automatically reacted to the energy felt from beyond the door, Cheon Myeong could guess who that person was.
"Young Master?"
Jong Seojun said, looking at Cheon Myeong with a puzzled face.
And at that mont.
Creak-
The door opened and two people ca inside.
One was Daeyeoksan. And behind him, a middle-aged woman imdiately appeared.
'Is that the Palace Lord?'
Cheon Myeong could imdiately know that fact.
Although the energy felt from her was one thing, more than anything else, her silver hair was telling him that that woman was the master of the Ice Palace.
'I heard that if you learn the Ice White Divine Palm, your hair turns silver like that... it was really true.'
The Ice White Divine Palm was a secret art of the Ice Palace that only the Palace Lord could learn.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Ice White Divine Palm was the North Sea Ice Palace itself.
Just as the Demonic Cult had the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the North Sea Ice Palace existed because the Ice Palace had the Ice White Divine Palm.
Swish-
The Ice White Divine Palm, which was considered the best among the existing yin arts, Cheon Myeong could see that that statent was not simply an exaggeration.
A chill felt even from the gaze that was looking at him.
The Palace Lord, Seol Suham, was silently looking at Cheon Myeong as soon as she entered the room.
"...!"
At that mont, as if he had belatedly realized Seol Suham's identity, Jong Seojun stood up from his spot and bowed his head.
However, Cheon Myeong, who was still holding his head high.
He was not avoiding Seol Suham's gaze at all.
"..."
As soon as she entered the room, Seol Suham was drawn to Cheon Myeong and had her gaze fixed on him.
She had already heard from Daeyeoksan that Cheon Myeong had co here.
However, even if she hadn't heard that fact, Seol Suham felt as if she could imdiately know Cheon Myeong's identity.
'I see. That child is...'
He resembled her.
Although she couldn't pinpoint where he resembled her, she thought that the atmosphere felt from his overall appearance was very similar to her older sister, Seol Suhwa.
Of course, Seol Suhwa had left the Ice Palace a long ti ago, and she had not t her since then.
However, since the mory of when they had lived together in the past was still clearly in her mory, Seol Suham felt an unknown longing as soon as she saw Cheon Myeong.
"...It's Seol Suham."
Seol Suham said, looking at Cheon Myeong.
Only then did Cheon Myeong lightly bow his head with a fist salute and reveal his na.
"It's Cheon Myeong."
"...Cheon Myeong."
Yes, the na Cheon Myeong was written in the letter that Seol Suhwa in the Heavenly Mountains had sent.
From the words written in the letter, the feeling that her older sister cherished Cheon Myeong was conveyed.
Among the contents, there was a part where she said she wanted to show her son to her as well. To think that she would see him in this way.
Seol Suham was feeling an unknown sense of being deeply moved.
"...Do you know who I am?"
"Yes, I do."
"..."
"Palace Lord, it is an honor to et you like this."
Palace Lord...
Those words were not wrong.
'What was I expecting?'
Did she perhaps hope that he would call her 'aunt' from those lips?
As Seol Suham suddenly had that thought, she felt absurd even thinking about it.
She probably didn't have the right to be called 'aunt' by Cheon Myeong.
Swallowing all those emotions in the cold, Seol Suham returned to her cold gaze and said.
"Is the person behind you the head of the Demonic Infirmary?"
As Seol Suham said that, Jong Seojun slightly bowed his head again and answered.
"Yes, my na is Jong Seojun."
"Thank you for coming so readily despite our palace's urgent call."
Saying that, Seol Suham, who even lightly bowed her head to Jong Seojun.
To think that the Palace Lord of the Ice Palace would bow her head, even Daeyeoksan, who was next to her, was flustered, as if he had not expected Seol Suham to act in such a way.
"N-no. Of course, as a physician, I just ca because there was a patient."
If even Daeyeoksan was flustered, how much more so would Jong Seojun, who had received the words of gratitude?
Jong Seojun imdiately waved his hands and said to Seol Suham.
Then, Seol Suham imdiately raised her head and looked at Jong Seojun again and said.
"Although it would be rude to say this to a guest who has co a long way, could you please look at the patient's condition right now?"
"That's not a problem, but..."
"...?"
As Jong Seojun trailed off and said that, Seol Suham tilted her head.
Is there perhaps a reason why he can't diagnose him right away?
However, Seol Suham could imdiately see that Jong Seojun was now looking at Cheon Myeong while trailing off.
'Why that child...?'
What Seol Suham had heard from Daeyeoksan was only that Cheon Myeong had also co here.
Co to think of it, why had Cheon Myeong co here?
When she had first heard that, she had only been concerned with the fact that Cheon Myeong had co here, so she had not thought about the reason.
"U-uh... Palace Lord..."
At that mont, Daeyeoksan belatedly said sothing to Seol Suham in a whisper.
"...!"
Seol Suham's two eyes, which widened noticeably as soon as she heard the story.
It seed to be the first ti that Seol Suham had shown such emotion on her face since entering the room.
Since the story she had just heard from Daeyeoksan was that shocking, even Seol Suham couldn't help but make that face.
"Is that... true?"
At Seol Suham's question, Daeyeoksan silently nodded his head.
Watching him, Seol Suham did not say anything for a while, blankly.
At that mont, a voice was heard from Seol Suham's side.
"Where is the patient?"
Seol Suham, who turned her head to the side where the voice was heard.
Then, there, Cheon Myeong was speaking with a aningful smile.
"Please show the patient."
(End of Chapter)
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