Chapter 284: Protect Me from the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 284: Protect Me from the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace!
"I am the granddaughter of the current Emperor and the third daughter of Prince Yeon."
Neung So-hwa spoke as she looked at Sun-woo, her face brimming with pride.
"............"
Upon hearing her words, Sun-woo’s face began to turn a sickly, ashen color.
He realized things had become complicated—terribly, horribly complicated.
He had already guessed that her status was far from ordinary, but he had never imagined that 'extraordinary status' would be that of the Imperial Family.
'A Commandery Princess?'
'The Imperial Family?'
'The bloodline of the Son of Heaven?'
He was confused. His head spun. A shock beyond anything he could have imagined hammered relentlessly at his mind.
'Right. This has to be a dream. If I close my eyes and open them again, she’ll be gone.'
Sun-woo blinked several times, trying to escape reality, but it was no use. No matter how much he blinked, the noblewoman of the Imperial Family standing before him did not vanish.
'I’m fucked.'
Cold sweat began to pour down Sun-woo’s back.
In an instant, every time he had teased and messed with Neung So-hwa flashed before his eyes like a kaleidoscope.
Even though he knew she had a high status, Sun-woo had figured he had nothing to lose. Because of that, he hadn't felt a single shred of pressure when dealing with her and had teased her incessantly.
Sun-woo’s face turned pale in an instant.
If she were just an ordinary woman, it wouldn't have mattered, but his opponent was the daughter of Prince Yeon. That meant she was a princess. And he had been spouting nothing but utter rudeness to such a woman.
Unlike the modern world, the Central Plains was a place where social status was clearly defined. And the Imperial Family stood at the very pinnacle of that hierarchy—beings of absolute nobility.
Yet, he had treated such a person as an equal and turned her into a laughingstock.
'Execution.'
The word flashed through Sun-woo’s mind like a bolt of lightning. Execution. They were going to execute him.
One might say he was being oversensitive, but the dignity of the Imperial Family in this era was staggering. They were the bloodline of the Son of Heaven—those considered descendants of the gods.
Sun-woo regretted it. He regretted his past self, who had been fooled by that beautiful appearance that triggered his protective instincts.
"..............."
"Why are you silent?"
When Sun-woo didn't speak, Neung So-hwa asked him, sounding curious.
"Commandery Princess, I have committed a grave discourtesy!"
Snapping back to his senses at her voice, Sun-woo quickly bowed deeply and offered his apology. He felt he had to start by throwing himself at her mercy. Even if he hadn't known her status, it was a fact that he had been rude. He had to apologize. No matter what.
"Drop the formalities. Speak comfortably as you always do. I did not reveal this because I wanted that from you."
As Sun-woo took a low posture, Neung So-hwa waved her hand and continued. She wanted Sun-woo’s help, not his worship.
"No, how could I possibly use casual speech with the Commandery Princess?"
Sun-woo replied with an expression of overwhelming awe. Casual speech? That was insane. Their statuses were worlds apart; how could he speak so recklessly?
"Though I have revealed my status as a Commandery Princess, to you, I am still Neung So-hwa. I would prefer it if you treated me not as a princess, but as a friend named Neung So-hwa."
Neung So-hwa spoke calmly as she looked at him. She was being sincere. Although she had revealed her identity to ask for help, she had no desire to be treated with such reverence. To her, Sun-woo was the first friend she had ever made in her life. She didn't want to become a noble object of worship to such a friend.
"....I am asking you."
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with pleading eyes and made her earnest request.
Thump.
Meeting those sorrowful eyes again, Sun-woo felt his heart race once more. He had been fooled by those eyes earlier and had blurted out the nonsense of telling her to reveal her identity. He couldn't let himself be fooled again.
"Alright. I'll treat you comfortably."
Of course, his mouth responded completely differently from his thoughts.
'Shit.'
Sun-woo cursed inwardly. He was annoyed by his own mouth, which seemed to move instinctively on its own. How could it be so ignorant of its master's heart?
"Thank you."
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Neung So-hwa broke into a bright, satisfied smile.
Daze.
Sun-woo stared blankly at her. At first, she had maintained a stiff and overbearing attitude, but as time went on, her emotions became more diverse. And those varied emotions seemed to further decorate her beauty. The more he got to know her, the more beautiful she became.
"Heh, have you fallen for my beauty again?"
Seeing Sun-woo like that, Neung So-hwa spoke with a small smile.
Nod, nod.
Sun-woo nodded, agreeing with her words. People say that beauty is relative. But if they saw Neung So-hwa, they would change their tune. They would realize that absolute beauty does exist.
"Regrettably, I think the appreciation must end there."
Neung So-hwa continued as she looked at the dazed Sun-woo.
"I want to look a bit longer, though?"
"The sun will rise at this rate!"
At Sun-woo’s sly remark, Neung So-hwa raised her voice slightly.
"I had a reason for revealing my true identity. Shouldn't you hear that reason?"
"What is it?"
Sun-woo asked, his curiosity piqued. In fact, he had been wondering about her intentions for suddenly revealing her status.
She had said she came to the North Sea to obtain Ice Essence—to control her uncontrollable fire arts. Sun-woo couldn't understand why someone with the supreme status of the Imperial Family would personally travel all the way to the North Sea.
The North Sea was a place where harsh snow winds, fitting the term 'bitter cold,' blew constantly, and it was inhabited by numerous criminals and northern barbarians. Yet, she had come to such a place with only a single guard. It made no sense.
Even if she was a master looking toward the Profound Realm beyond the Transcendent Realm, wasn't her internal energy currently sealed? Right now, she only possessed martial prowess slightly stronger than an average person. So with what confidence did she come to the North Sea while hiding her identity? Especially when she held the status of a Commandery Princess, which would have allowed her to lead a massive army.
Sun-woo figured there must be a more complicated story hidden behind it.
'Shit, this is why I didn't want to hear it.'
Sun-woo regretted it again—his past self who had been bewitched by her beauty.
"I am known as Commandery Princess Gyeonghwa. I am the granddaughter of the Emperor and the daughter of Prince Yeon. I am also a General of the Empire, appointed as the Junior Second Rank General Geumo."
"........"
Sun-woo was shocked by her words. If she was General Geumo, wasn't she a military officer who guarded the Imperial Palace? How could a woman rise to the position of a general, which was practically a male's exclusive domain?
Even in the modern era, the position of a general was rare for a woman. If it was like that in the modern world where women's rights had improved, how much more so in the male-dominated Central Plains? Even if she was a princess, the position of a general was a completely different kind of office. Yet, she had attained it. He couldn't help but be astonished.
"How... did you rise to the rank of general?"
Sun-woo looked at her with wide eyes and expressed his doubt.
"I performed great deeds."
Neung So-hwa answered briefly.
"Just what kind of deeds did you perform to become a general?"
Sun-woo asked, still unable to understand.
"I saved the life of the current Emperor and annihilated the rebel forces."
"Whoa."
Sun-woo let out an exclamation of admiration. If those were her achievements, it made sense that she could rise to that rank.
"After suppressing the rebels, I was appointed as a general guarding the Imperial Family."
Neung So-hwa continued, her expression looking somewhat proud.
"And for the eight years following that, I defended the Imperial Family against numerous forces that threatened its safety. Everyone praised me, and I received the respect of many within the palace."
Neung So-hwa spoke with a distant look in her eyes, as if reminiscing.
"And then, one day in the eighth year, a problem arose!"
"What problem?"
"As I reached a new realm, my fire energy became uncontrollable!"
"Ah, the part where your body catches fire?"
"Yes. My body began to burn at any given moment, and eventually, I reached a state where I could no longer stay in the Imperial Palace where the Emperor resides."
She spoke with a face full of regret.
"In the end, I temporarily resigned from my post as General Geumo and entered a detached palace to spend time trying to control the flames."
She looked at Sun-woo with a heavy gaze.
"I tried every possible method to control the flames. I submerged myself in water, buried myself in the earth, and even vented the flames until all the internal energy in my body was depleted. But it was useless. The flames burned through even the water and soil, and even if I exhausted all my internal energy, it only stopped for a moment; as soon as my energy refilled, the fire would ignite again. I had no choice but to despair."
Neung So-hwa frowned deeply, as if she didn't even want to think about it.
"The only time the flames were somewhat calm was when I consumed medicinal herbs with strong Yin energy, but even that only provided temporary control and didn't have a permanent effect. So, I thought differently. I wondered if the flames would stop if something with Extreme Yin energy was inside my body."
"So that's why you thought of Ice Essence."
Sun-woo followed her logic. Indeed, if it was the Extreme Yin energy of Ice Essence, it might be able to suppress her flames.
"Correct. What I thought of was Ice Essence. I believed that if Ice Essence constantly released Yin energy within my body, I might be able to control the flames that surged from me at any moment."
Neung So-hwa nodded at Sun-woo’s words.
"But wait."
Sun-woo spoke up, curious.
"Did you really need to come yourself? You're royalty. Couldn't you have just ordered troops to go and get it for you?"
Sun-woo voiced his biggest question. As he said, it was far too dangerous and troublesome for her to come to the North Sea personally. Why would a woman who couldn't even control her own martial arts choose such an arduous journey? Especially a woman of her high status.
"I had no choice. My situation was too dire to just sit around and wait."
"Why? You said the flames don't surge if you seal your internal energy. Couldn't you just wait for the Ice Essence to arrive while your energy is sealed?"
Sun-woo tilted his head and asked.
"The situation didn't allow for that. I spent eight years as the shield protecting the Imperial Family. I made many political enemies in that time."
"Political enemies?"
"Yes. My status as a member of the Imperial Family and General Geumo raised the Emperor's authority immensely. Naturally, this resulted in weakening the power of the nobles. In such a situation, if I were to seal my internal energy, many would target my life."
Neung So-hwa spoke with a serious expression.
"Target a member of the Imperial Family? The bloodline of the Son of Heaven?"
Sun-woo asked back, surprised.
"It may be hard to believe, but it is the truth. In fact, assassins have come for me several times already."
"Whoa."
Sun-woo let out a hollow laugh. He had never imagined that even the most noble woman in the Central Plains would be plagued by the threat of assassination.
"That is why I vanished under the pretext of closed-door meditation and came to the North Sea in secret."
She explained her circumstances to Sun-woo in detail. Without a single lie, she told him everything.
After hearing her explanation, Sun-woo stared at her in silence. He was likely organizing his thoughts. After some time had passed, Sun-woo finally spoke.
"But why reveal your identity now?"
Sun-woo asked, genuinely curious. He didn't understand her action of suddenly revealing her status to him. If she had decided to deceive him, shouldn't she have kept it up until the end? Why was she spilling her weaknesses so freely? Especially when she was being targeted by so many enemies.
"I need help."
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with steady eyes.
"Help me."
"Help?"
Sun-woo looked at her with a questioning gaze.
"Yes. I am currently facing a very difficult situation."
"What kind of help do you need? Should I lend you some money?"
"I am the wealthiest person in the Central Plains. I have no need for money."
At Sun-woo’s question, Neung So-hwa shook her head.
"Then what is it?"
Sun-woo asked.
"Protect me from the Master of the North Sea Ice Palace!"
Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with sparkling eyes.
Sun-woo’s expression crumpled instantly. It was a request far more burdensome than he had imagined.
Perhaps sensing Sun-woo’s expression, Neung So-hwa’s gaze began to turn plaintive and pleading.