Chapter 409 – The Final Battle (4)

In the silent room, a woman sat on her bed, leaning against the wall with her knees drawn up to her chest. She clutched her phone as if in prayer.

The azalea flowers on the bedside table were losing their vibrant colors as time went on and the petals withered.

Jindalrae’s hand, which was lowering her cell phone, stopped at a certain point. She had been anxious but had tried to deny an unsettling truth that she had been convincing herself would never happen.

─S-class disaster, confirmation of Lee Si-heon’s death.

Her lover was dead. She hadn’t even seen his face one last time before the end.

Her phone slipped from her grasp and fell lifelessly onto the blanket.

Her remorse deepened, and a demon named Despair clawed at her heart.

Despite her rumination and repeated reflection, the cruel truth without reprieve was not only hers to bear… It was something everyone had to face.

If only I had let go and cried, cursing him, I might have found relief, at least on the inside. But my choked throat could not alleviate the pain, and I could only scrunch my face at the bitter smell rising from within.

*Smack!*

Azalea lifted her hand and struck her own cheek. Clutching her trembling shoulders, she inhaled deeply and slapped herself again.

“Pull yourself together.”

Until the turmoil subsides. Until she can’t even think about it anymore.

*Slap!*

“Get a grip…”
“Huh?”

In response to the harsh sound, Shiba grabbed the door handle and entered the couple’s room.

“Mom…?”

Azalea slumped, her head hanging low. Her emotions, fueled by layers of anxiety, had finally broken through the dam, overwhelming her.

Shiba tried to climb onto the bed, her eyes filled with worry. She grasped the blanket, attempting to pull herself up, but her legs were too short, no matter how hard she tried.

“…”

Azalea closed her eyes for a moment.

“Sigh…”

She took a deep breath and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Yes, my dear. Did you sleep well?”
“Beep. Mom… Are you in pain?”

With tender affection, Azalea reached out, pulling Shiba up from under the bed and gently patting her daughter’s back. Wrapped in the warmth of Azalea’s embrace, Shiba grinned with contentment.

“Did you finish your homework?”
“…Yes, I did.”

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, but her weary eyes remained unchanged.

“…Alright.”

Azalea tenderly stroked Shiba’s hair, which carried a fresh, fragrant scent. With her eyes closed, Azalea’s nose touched Shiba’s forehead.

“My dear, you’re the best. Even I struggle with the homework assigned by the academy.”
“Giggle.”

Shiba laughed innocently, unaware of the gravity of their situation. Would her daughter be able to come to terms with her father’s death? Azalea’s concern for her daughter outweighed her own worries.

“Mom.”

Shiba spoke softly.

“…Yes?”

“Shiba, my heart feels empty.”

Azalea’s hand, which had been patting Shiba’s back, came to a sudden halt. She closed her eyes tightly. Shiba was fidgeting with her hands.

“Why?”
“Back then… I knew Dad cherished something… but now, I’m not sure.”
“……”
“Dad and Mom used to love me a lot…”

Shiba and Siheon shared a connection so deep that one might think it was magical. Perhaps there truly was such a bond between father and daughter.

My mother used to love me a lot.
Azalea couldn’t shake those words from her ears.

Love.
Wrapping leaves, breaking branches… Blooming flowers for only one person.

A child enveloped in the folds of a skirt, and the warmth of a family she had once lost. She loved with such intensity that her heart felt as if it would burst.

“Yes. Mom and Dad love you too.”
“…Heehee.”

It couldn’t be fleeting.
It just couldn’t be.

A basket of flowers on the bedside table.

Among the lovely pink blossoms, a peculiarly brilliant white azalea flower was elegantly adorning itself without withering.

* * * * * * * * *

“Prepare your equipment.”

The words uttered by Mugung as he drew his sword from the opulent sheath were trembling ever so slightly at the end. Traces of rough gashes were centered around the upper part of his heart. His body, which seemed to have no untouched areas left, had never experienced such severe and violent injuries.

The high-ranking officers of the Hunter Association were all tense, swallowing their breaths. If it were true that Mugung had engaged in a life-and-death battle with Lee Si-heon and had suffered grievous injuries as a result… just how formidable was Lee Si-heon’s power?

It was a force on par with that of the legendary Samjae. This realization was evident from Mugung’s wounds, and the officers felt a genuine sense of relief.

The news of Lee Si-heon’s death.

“Hanbyeol.”
“Yes… Chairman.”

The Vice President of the Hunter Association, Hanbyeol’s eyes were shrouded in darkness. Her relationship with Lee Si-heon wasn’t widely known, but she was the woman who recently sent her close friend to prison.

Mugung looked down at Hanbyeol and murmured softly.

“Even without me, you’ll do well.”
“…”

“Chairman!”

The other executives, not Hanbyeol, exclaimed in surprise. The guild masters of various guilds also sensed the tense atmosphere and shut their eyes tightly.

“Seems like there are many complaints.”

Mugung diffused the somewhat aggressive mood.

“…Those who know how this old man built this place will understand.”

*Clank.* The sound of a metal blade locking with the sheath. A long silence pierced through the large table.

“Hanbyeol.”
“…”
“Hanbyeol?”
“…Ah, yes, Chairman.”

Mugung’s eyes narrowed, and he let out a sigh.

“You’re not ready. Prepare yourself outside.”
“Ah… no. If it’s preparing for a fight.”
“I won’t say it twice.”

The stars trembled. There were those who had an inkling of the reason, and Mugung too saw through it. If Byul were to lead the association now, more innocent victims would inevitably surface. It was better for him to risk his life and proceed on his own.

“…”

Byul reluctantly nodded.

“Please.”

Begging. For what? It was entirely reasonable for Mugung to attempt to kill Lee Si-heon himself, who was judged as a heretic. It made sense within Byul’s understanding, and the only thing she couldn’t comprehend was why Lee Si-heon had made such a judgment.

“He is the heir to the king.”

The whispered words. One small fact delivered in a place where no one could hear caused Byul’s eyes to widen in surprise.

Why did Lee Si-heon lock up Lee Se-young? Did it lead to acts that were close to suicide?

Although shrouded in shades of gray, Lee Si-heon was fundamentally a person inclined towards goodness, and that was how Byul perceived him.

‘…’

So then…

In the end, it was the same thing Se-Young had intended to do.

– Drrr.

Byul rose from her seat, bowing her head as she exited the conference room. At this moment, she couldn’t despise her position more.

Dazed. Utterly dazed, she stood in the hallway. Leaning her face against the window glass like a person who had lost her mind, she closed her eyes to the clamor from outside.

‘I wish they were all… dead.’

Hazardous thoughts to harbor. Perhaps she was still struggling to grasp the reality of it all.

Lee Si-heon was going to die. No, he was already dead.

If she had known beforehand, could she have stopped Si-heon? The king’s succession was an undeniably weighty concept, but somehow, perhaps due to the proverbial blinders of love, it only fueled her resentment towards the world.

With tears in her eyes, Byul moved purposefully towards a specific destination.

An institution yet unbroken. It faced the underground thorn-laden hall, and inside that prison, Lee Se-Young could still be seen kneeling.

-Kikkik, bang!

As the prison door forcefully closed, Lee Se-Young’s head slightly trembled. But they didn’t look at each other.

Lee Se-Young must have been somewhat aware of the commotion outside. However, she didn’t know the cause of it. Relying on her intuition, she assumed Lee Si-heon must have stirred up some trouble. She was genuinely worried about his health.

-Kiririk.

The handcuffs jingled. She held her breath. As she raised her arm to wipe away the tears, her eyes stung.

She knew it was difficult to say. But she had to tell her.

“Hey.”

In a low, gritty voice, she spoke decisively.

“…Si-heon is dead.”

The cold air seemed to bite at their skin.

“…What?”

Se-Young, who had remained silent, raised her head for the first time. Her pale face, disheveled hair, and trembling eyes met Byul’s gaze.

“He… he had a secret he didn’t tell us.”

“What?”

“He’s the heir to the throne.”

Calm yet filled with pain, Byul closed her eyes as she clenched her fist tightly.

“…So, it’s better not to get entangled with him. He died alone.”

Without any consultation or anything of the sort, his actions were selfish enough to cast doubt on his love.

Byul waited for a long time for a response. It wasn’t long before Lee Se-Young spoke.

“…Untie me.”

“I can’t.”

“Damn it, I need to see it for myself to set things free.”

They say when people become too emotional, they shed tears of blood. Faint red tears streamed from Lee Se-Young’s eyes, confronted with a harsh reality amidst overwhelming exhaustion.

She understood why.

“I told you… that bastard… he’d go through it alone and die…”

The resentment was directed towards Hanbyeol, and she closed her eyes.

“So… Hanbyeol, you damned bastard. If only you hadn’t interfered from the beginning.”
“Shut up… just a little.”
“…”

They clawed at each other’s chests as if tearing each other apart, and ultimately, Hanbyeol could no longer shine as brightly as before. Blood vessels became prominent on both Hanbyeol and Se-Young’s faces almost simultaneously.

Blue veins surfaced, and each of them vented their fury.

“Isn’t it because of you acting recklessly and almost getting yourself killed that Si-heon is like this?”
“…What?”
“This good-for-nothing bitch, who didn’t even prepare properly and had no clue at all!”

Hanbyeol’s roar loudly echoed throughout the empty prison.

“If we stay like this, it feels like we’ll get our noses cut off… Isn’t that why these four months have been so terrible?”

Her voice grew paler. There seemed to be an overwhelming amount of frustration in Hanbyeol’s words as they rose and then slowly subsided. Hanbyeol had so much more to say.

“Si-heon said…”

Her voice trembled. Tears continued to flow.

“You, protect me. I’ll handle everything else. As much as possible… please, try not to move.”
“……”
“…Why do you think Si-heon said that? You know, don’t you? There’s no way you wouldn’t. So please, just stop acting like some tragic heroine all on your own!”

In truth, these arguments held no meaning.
They simply vented their piled-up resentment towards one another.

“Do you have any idea how shitty I felt when I locked you up? Huh?”

Her voice grew hoarse as if her throat was drying up.

“If you saved my life like that… I would have thanked you, said I’d live well, and greeted Si-heon.”
“Who asked to be saved?”
“You…!”

At Lee Se-Young’s words, Byul clenched her fists once more, ready to shout.

“…I’m sorry.”

A tired voice, Byul was left speechless.

“……”
“Byul.”
“…Yeah.”

Drip. Drip. The tears of both people fell almost simultaneously.

“Can I ask you for just one favor?”

* * * * * * * * *

“Mr. Marronnier… Please open the door.”
“Mr. Marronnier!!”

-Thump thump thump thump.

All the servants within the mansion hurried and pounded on the door in unison.
No movement, no words.
Should they resort to extreme measures out of concern for his health?

“Oh, Mr. Marronnier!”

Even when the head butler, who genuinely adored Marronnier, stepped forward and pleaded earnestly, Marronnier remained as elusive as a cat hidden behind a curtain.

“We have an esteemed guest here… Please.”

Lately, it seemed as though Marronnier, who had always been diligent, was subtly scheming to find moments of free time, perhaps due to entering his rebellious phase. This was a fact known to all.

Though the majority appreciated Marronnier’s strong sense of responsibility, they could not help but worry.

It’s different this time.

There was a woman with white hair, dressed in a gown, standing behind the servants.

“It’s alright, you can go and attend to your duties.”
“…Yes?”

The woman took a few more steps and placed her hand on the doorknob.

-Click!

Summoning the finest artifact locksmith, she effortlessly unlocked the door. The sage who opened the door immediately bowed her head.

“……”

Marronnier, clad in pajamas with a line of mucus streaming down her nose. She must have cried so much that her face was red.

How could even that be so endearing? But the servants couldn’t help but sincerely worry about Marronnier.

“…Sage?”

Sniffling and blinking her eyes. The sage tried to laugh at Marronnier, but she forced herself to hold back her laughter and instead, offered a smile.

“I have something to discuss with you.”