Exposure (10)
Aside from the vaguely familiar features of the man, his attire and the mask in his hand were strikingly recognizable. A quick search through my memories confirmed it—the pig-nosed mask that had occupied the highest seat in the Supreme Council. He had remained there throughout the hours of heated debate without once joining in. Yet what unsettled me far more was the figure standing behind him.
A lightly bitten lower lip. Eyes darting up and down. A gaze that kept stealing glances. Though she stood with hands neatly folded and posture demure, the tremor in her emotions was unmistakable. That gaze was fixed precisely on me, where I stood behind the Black Lion and his wife. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not fathom why she would look at me with such eyes.
"…"
We had crossed paths only days ago at the Red Fire estate, but the situation had been too urgent for conversation. After Yeon Jeong-mun scattered the poison-eye magic circles, I had not seen her at all. Yet facing her in this quiet moment made it excruciatingly difficult to contain the storm of emotions. I was tired—honestly, bone-weary—of being tormented by this sticky, aching something.
I tore my eyes away and forced my attention toward the conversation between the Black Lion’s household and the man.
"It’s been a while."
"Indeed. Fifteen years, if I’m not mistaken?"
While the Black Lion and his wife maintained their usual detached tone, the man spoke with exaggerated warmth, as though genuinely delighted. Had I met him elsewhere, I might have thought him a truly sociable person.
Smiling brightly the entire time, he continued, "Good heavens. Even the Black Lion cannot escape the passage of time. Seeing frost settle on your hair, senior, feels strangely unfamiliar. Haha."
"You, on the other hand, look exactly the same. I only hope the lack of change is limited to your appearance. You’re not still lost in dreams, are you?"
"…I’m not sure what you mean."
At Sa Dae-ryong’s blunt remark, a faint crack appeared in the smile that had been plastered across the man’s face. He paused briefly, as if mending the fissure, then resumed in an affable tone.
"Everyone dreams, don’t they? Even beasts are said to dream…"
"Enough. More importantly, I must admit I was surprised this time. I never expected you to move so swiftly the moment Hae Wolhwa stepped away. Were you simply waiting for the right moment? The perfect time to topple your old rival?"
Sa Dae-ryong pressed with another sharp question, his tone suggesting he had not anticipated this. It sounded less like an accusation about striking at the Red Fire family itself and more like suspicion that he had known about it beforehand and deliberately allowed it to happen—waiting until the fruit was perfectly ripe before plucking it for the sweetest result.
From his perspective, Paecheon had been on the verge of harvesting a basket overflowing with rewards. They had driven their sworn enemy into complete ruin and seized every vested interest the family possessed. They could have ascended to the very pinnacle of power—if only the Black Lion had not returned to protect the heir and declared his intent to rejoin the Supreme Council.
Considering that, the man’s superhuman patience in maintaining his smile was almost impressive.
"Waiting for the right moment? That wounds me, senior. How could I allow personal feelings to interfere in matters concerning the nation’s future?"
Once again, the man merely shrugged and brushed it off with good-natured ease.
"Besides, I only learned of this incident afterward. When my daughter activated the emergency measures and reported it, I was quite taken aback."
"Your daughter…"
"Ah, my apologies. I failed to make proper introductions."
The Black Lion couple’s gazes finally shifted behind the man. He stepped aside as though he had only just remembered. From the shadow of the pillar emerged the full figure of a refined female student.
"Come now, greet them properly. These are the seniors who have guided your father since his days at the Cradle."
"It is an honor to meet you. My name is Baek Seoyeon. I am truly privileged to stand before the renowned Black Lion and his wife."
At the man’s gesture, she stepped forward and bowed. The Black Lion couple nodded, their expressions suggesting they finally understood something that had puzzled them all day.
"I see… So there was a reason you went to such lengths to protect her, and it wasn’t anyone else."
"Haha, perhaps it’s because of my age, but I find myself more drawn to the daughter I gained late in life than to those grim-faced men. However…"
After his usual banter, the man turned his gaze toward me.
"Hmm. So this is the second one."
Though his face remained smiling, I could clearly feel the sharp, probing glint in his eyes beneath the mask. A faint wave of nausea rose through my body.
"Well, given how famous the two of you were for your harmony since your Cradle days, this isn’t surprising at all."
Yet the searching look vanished in an instant.
"Congratulations, senior. You’ve produced two Category 1 mages in succession—and both male mages at that. As expected, the Black Lion remains the Black Lion."
The man extended his hand toward me with an unchanged friendly expression.
"A pleasure. My name is Baek Il-yong."
"…"
The moment I heard his surname, I understood why his face had seemed familiar from the start. His first impression was flawless—tall stature, a smile that seemed genuinely warm, an unpretentious personality that did not flaunt authority, and a willingness to engage with the common people. It was no wonder he enjoyed such soaring public support and popularity. With a solid business foundation and loyal retainers, Paecheon had been on an unstoppable rise since he became head of the family.
But the first thing that came to mind upon hearing the name was the conversation I had with the principal upon first arriving at the Cradle.
‘The head of Paecheon is a dangerous man. Those in the know are aware that he harbors excessive ambition. His daughter follows her father’s path faithfully.’
It was something the principal had said while asking me to support Yeon Minha. She had also mentioned that he harbored a particularly deep grudge against the head of the Black Lion family. That had been the deciding factor that led me to accept her request and approach Yeon Minha, bringing me to where I stood today.
The principal must have had a reason for warning me. The Black Lion couple’s wariness toward this man was clearly justified as well. Knowing he held such a deep grudge against the head of the Black Lion family, I had to suppress the sudden urge to smash his skull right then and there.
Without thinking, I raised a hand to check that my mask was securely in place. Paecheon’s retainers had frequented the village, so reports of my existence there must have reached them. Back then, I had been very close to that child.
‘So I decided to erase that nightmare. You understand, don’t you? For a family of our stature, something like that is trivial.’
‘I was never in that village to begin with. I am the beloved daughter cherished by the head of the family, raised with such care that I have never once left the capital.’
‘No matter how much you shout, not a single person will believe you.’
‘Of course not. Who would believe the boasts of a country bumpkin like you?’
Even the slightest trigger was enough to make the memories of that day rise as vividly as if it had happened yesterday. Each morpheme of those words became sharp thorns piercing my heart.
"…"
If they discovered that the person I am now and that child from back then were one and the same, the outcome would not be good. The girl standing before me had already made it clear with her own words—she would never welcome anyone who remembered the past she wished to forget. She might even think it fortunate that the entire village had been wiped out by demons.
Fortunately, as long as this mask remained, they would never learn my true identity. Not a single trace of that time remained. My height, my voice, my status—none of it matched. That child… had already burned to death long ago.
"…It is an honor to meet the head of Paecheon."
With that thought, I steadied my heart and clasped the hand he offered. There was no need to reveal my hostility now. It would only ruin everything. After all, wasn’t there already someone standing before me with a smiling face while facing an enemy? Whatever grudge he held against the head of the Black Lion family, I could uncover those answers gradually.
"…Indeed. Welcome to the Five Great Families."
With a peculiar smile, he gave my arm a slight shake. Since there were already two people here whose presence made me uncomfortable, I was about to slip behind the Black Lion couple when an unexpected voice called out to me from a completely unanticipated direction.
"Um, excuse me…"
"…?"
Along with the sound of clicking heels, a sweet fragrance suddenly wafted toward me. I doubted my ears several times, but the voice was unmistakably directed at me. Soft, flowing black hair swayed before my eyes.
"That… um… are you feeling all right…?"
Even as I tried to discern her intent, the question continued. Standing before me was a girl with flushed cheeks, her head slightly lowered as she looked up at me.