Chapter 187
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: A Mother's Concerns
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lady Han was strolling through the halls of the North Sea Ice Palace.
For a palace matron, she wore rather thick clothing, which might have made her look plump on someone else, but not her.
The perfectly tailored garments suited her so well that they only accentuated her beauty.
“Winter’s long gone, and yet the days are still so chilly.”
Two maids who appeared to be her attendants followed behind her, wearing puzzled expressions at her words.
That was because today was unusually mild for North Sea weather.
Of course, to someone from the Central Plains, it was all the same, but to locals who had lived here for over a decade, it felt much warmer.
One of the maids asked,
“Matron, is something troubling you?”
The beautiful lady was none other than Han Su-yeon, Seol Hwa-un’s mother and the matron of the North Sea Ice Palace.
She gave a wistful smile.
“Troubled? What would I have to worry about? With our palace enjoying such prosperity... Though I wonder how the North Heavenly Lord is faring in the Central Plains.”
The other maid quickly caught on.
“Shall I look into news of the young lord?”
Han Su-yeon’s expression hardened slightly.
“He’s probably handling things just fine, as always.”
“It really is amazing, though. To think someone as remarkable as him had no presence and was so frail as a child.”
“......”
“They say he spent every day in his room just reading books? Maybe that’s why he’s become such a wise North Heavenly Lord now.”
“......”
Han Su-yeon fell silent for a moment, her gaze turning distant.
“He was a smart child. His body was so weak he couldn’t properly practice any martial arts. So he only studied mental techniques, but his mind was truly sharp.”
The maids already knew the story well, but they nodded along as if hearing it for the first time.
“Oh, really?”
“He was exceptional. Explain something once, and he’d remember it perfectly. He’d spot any flaws like a ghost. There were more times than I can count when Hwa-un’s logical questions left me stumped.”
“What a fine young man the little lord is.”
A warm smile bloomed on Han Su-yeon’s face.
“Everyone looked down on him because he couldn’t properly learn martial arts, but I believed in him. I knew one day he’d accomplish something great.”
“You had true foresight, Matron!”
Han Su-yeon shook her head.
“I’d like to think so, but... it was really just a mother’s hope. Then one day, he changed, and he lived up to those expectations.”
“Oh, I know. The young lord went to the forbidden area and fell unconscious...”
The maid beside her nudged the speaker’s shoulder. She whispered lowly,
“Enough.”
“Huh?”
“You know how shocked the matron was that day. You want to make her relive it?”
“Oh.”
Han Su-yeon let out a soft chuckle.
“It’s fine. The memory’s faded now. The day he came back from the brink of death, Hwa-un changed. Come to think of it, that’s when it all started.”
Her eyes sparkled.
“Our Hwa-un growing into the North Heavenly Dragon.”
The gloom that had clouded Han Su-yeon’s heart had lifted. She turned to the maids with a smile.
‘Thank you.’
With a much lighter heart, Han Su-yeon entered the office.
Seol Wi-myeong sat at one side of the spacious room.
Unusually, the palace lord and matron shared an office. There was no special reason—it was simply for efficiency.
The lord handled external affairs, while the matron managed internal ones, so their duties differed, but they needed to coordinate more than expected.
Since they both had to make the decisions anyway, handling things through direct conversation was most efficient.
That naturally led to them using the same office.
Seeing Han Su-yeon enter, Seol Wi-myeong studied her expression.
“You looked down this morning, but you seem fine now.”
“Was I?”
“If not, then I must have seen wrong.”
“You did see wrong, my lord.”
“......”
“Any word from Hwa-un yet?”
A faint smile touched Seol Wi-myeong’s lips.
“I was wondering when you’d ask today.”
Han Su-yeon’s face darkened again.
“So even today...”
She hadn’t always been so fixated on news of Seol Hwa-un. But when she heard late about the Shanxi conflict, it hit her hard.
He’d defeated the Blood Sword Army without major injury, but it had been a close call for his life.
After that, she couldn’t help worrying.
“But today, I won’t disappoint you, my lady.”
Seol Wi-myeong held out a letter.
“It’s from the boy.”
“Oh!”
Han Su-yeon snatched it eagerly. Surprisingly, it was from Seol Hwa-un to her.
“After all my nagging... it takes him nearly a year to write?”
“Let’s be grateful he sent it at all. He was never one for words.”
“It annoys me that we have to be thankful for this much.”
“What can we do? He’s at the center of our palace’s push into the Central Plains. He probably barely has time to write.”
Han Su-yeon carefully unfolded the letter and smiled unwittingly.
“He wrote it like a diary. Filled it with whatever since he had nothing specific to say. So blunt, as always.”
As she read on, a glint entered her eyes.
“...Dragon-Phoenix Assembly judge? Not participant? What does that mean?”
“Ah, that. Given his age, he should participate, but wouldn’t the whole assembly be boring if he did?”
“Oh, right. Mid-twenties and already a Dragon-Phoenix judge. That’s our Hwa-un.”
Han Su-yeon returned her gaze to the letter.
“Training at Mount Hua Sect... Huh? Closed-door training?”
“......!”
Seol Wi-myeong’s face stiffened instantly. But he quickly composed himself and said,
“He must have gained some insight during training. What a talented boy.”
Han Su-yeon’s expression grew grave bit by bit.
“That’s not it. Preparing for a duel? Who’s Hwa-un dueling that he needs...”
“No idea. Someone must have challenged him. Shows how prestigious the North Heavenly Lord has become.”
Seol Wi-myeong tried to change the subject, but Han Su-yeon didn’t let it go.
“My lord. Look me in the eye.”
“......”
“I’ll ask again. Who’s Hwa-un dueling?”
Seol Wi-myeong answered helplessly.
“His opponent is the Fist Demon, I hear.”
Han Su-yeon’s eyes widened.
“Fist Demon? That Fist Demon, one of the Demon Apostles?”
Seol Wi-myeong nodded.
“He’s higher up than the Four Demon Generals that Hwa-un defeated, right?”
“......Yes.”
“And they say no one who’s faced the Fist Demon comes out unscathed...”
Han Su-yeon’s pupils trembled.
“Can Hwa-un win? No, even if he loses, he mustn’t get hurt...”
As Han Su-yeon fidgeted anxiously, Seol Wi-myeong reassured her.
“My lady, calm down and listen. This is the boy who already took down two of the Four Demon Generals. The Fist Demon won’t be a match for him.”
Her gaze shifted.
“My lord, you underestimate me too much. I know full well the Fist Demon’s reputation.”
“......”
“If Hwa-un were truly confident, he wouldn’t need closed-door training. It means he’s a formidable foe!”
Seol Wi-myeong spoke calmly.
“You could see it that way. But think—how many crises has Hwa-un faced so far?”
“......”
“He overcame them all to stand tall as the North Heavenly Lord. If he truly lacked confidence, he’d have refused. He’s not one to act recklessly.”
He omitted that the rumors had spread too far in the Central Plains for refusal.
“Let’s trust him. If Hwa-un overcomes even the Fist Demon, the way the Central Plains views the North Heavenly Lord—and our North Sea Ice Palace—will change completely.”
“......Will he really be okay?”
Seol Wi-myeong smiled and gently embraced her.
“Of course. Supporting him from here is enough for us.”
“Alright, my lord. If you say so, I’ll believe it.”
“That’s the spirit.”
By now, Seol Wi-myeong’s expression had turned serious.
‘Hwa-un, you must win.’
* * *
The North Sea Ice Palace showed little disturbance at news of Seol Hwa-un’s duel. It wasn’t disdain for the Fist Demon—it was trust in Seol Hwa-un.
The image he’d built as little lord over the past decade had earned the unwavering faith of the North Sea folk.
The heads of the Five Great Families felt the same.
Meanwhile, the Ice Family Head narrowed his eyes at a letter freshly arrived from Dong Ho-won.
‘He wrote a lot again this time...’
Last time, he’d been shocked by news of Seol Hwa-un meeting Demon First Beauty Gu Hye-ryeong and had quickly sent someone to the North Heavenly Lord for details.
He’d been greatly relieved to confirm there’d been no further contact after that one meeting.
‘This guy just tacks the most important bit on as a single line at the end?’
Back then, he’d felt a twinge of regret about trusting Dong Ho-won.
But there were no real alternatives.
Seol Hwa-un’s closest aides were Dong Ho-won and Eom Mu-hwi, but Eom Mu-hwi was too upright and would surely tell Seol Hwa-un right away.
So he’d had no choice but to ask Dong Ho-won.
‘I’ll trust you one more time, you rascal.’
The Ice Family Head tore open the letter and read it carefully. As expected, it was full of trivialities.
‘Sigh. More about himself than the little lord.’
Fortunately, there were some intriguing parts.
‘Formless Realm? He’s already challenging that level?’
Excluding the monstrous Seol Hwa-un, no one in the North Sea Ice Palace his age was near the Formless Realm.
‘Even with their talents... The little lord’s influence is something else.’
Thinking of Seol Hwa-un as his granddaughter’s future husband made him feel oddly pleased.
‘Hm? Didn’t go to the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly together?’
Fortunately, the letter said he’d heard about Martial Alliance events from Yu Gong-seon, who’d gone instead.
‘Not bad at all. Smart to ask Military Adviser Yu.’
The letter detailed recent events fairly well, but then something else caught the Ice Family Head’s attention.
‘Vermilion Bird Brigade Leader So Hye-ran?’
He knew of the Martial Alliance’s Vermilion Bird Brigade.
‘Mount Hua Sect’s female expert...’
He’d thought they might cross paths briefly and let it pass.
‘What? Invited to Mount Hua Sect? Stayed a whole month?’
In the Ice Family Head’s mind rose an image of the unknown Mount Hua Sect leader chatting amiably with Seol Hwa-un.
“Hahaha, take good care of our Hye-ran. Linking our families like this would benefit both North Sea Ice Palace and our sect greatly, no?”
“As a disciple of the Great Mount Hua Sect... hard to refuse. I’ll send someone to North Sea for permission soon.”
“I hear you have a fiancée. Is that alright?”
“No choice. It’s vital for our palace’s Central Plains expansion. She’ll understand.”
“Hahaha, straightforward as ever!”
The Ice Family Head shot to his feet unthinkingly and shouted,
“No!”
His guards outside rushed in at the cry.
“Family Head!”
“What’s wrong?”
“......”
Realizing his outburst, the Ice Family Head waved them off.
“Nothing. Go back out.”
“Yes......”
As the guards left with tilted heads, the Ice Family Head’s eyes hardened.
‘I can’t just sit idle. I need to take decisive action!’