Chapter 153
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: The Person I've Been Looking For.
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A salty sea breeze swept along the coastline.
A girl perched on the railing with a vast ocean stretching out far below.
As if admiring the sea.
Or gazing at the sky.
Or perhaps seeing nothing at all.
She stared into empty space with hazy, fogged eyes, unblinking, for a long while.
Slowly, the girl lowered her head.
Forward, further forward.
And even more forward.
Her center of gravity shifted ahead.
Just as her body lost balance and was about to plummet over the dizzying railing—
"Princess! Did you shake off Tata again and fall asleep here?"
"No. I wasn't asleep."
It happened in an instant.
Right before tumbling off the railing.
The girl regained her balance with just her fingertips and replied flatly, as if nothing had happened.
"Don't lie! I saw you nearly fall asleep and rushed over here."
"You must have seen wrong. Definitely."
The girl denied it calmly.
But the woman called Tata wasn't fooled.
She only interrogated the girl with even sharper eyes.
"Even with sleep crust in your eyes, Tata won't believe it!"
"I slept with my eyes open. No reason for crust."
"So you admit you were dozing off!"
Realizing she'd fallen for the leading question,
the girl, her expressionless face twitching with pupil earthquake, averted her eyes slightly and muttered.
"Tata lied. Great sin for deceiving the princess. Death penalty."
"Kill me if you want. But only if you're prepared never to taste Tata's handmade creme brûlée again."
"......Taking creme brûlée hostage is cowardly. Tata is utterly heartless. The Black Dragon Clan has nothing on you."
"Didn't you know? From the day Tata became your nursemaid, I vowed to be more ruthless than the Black Dragon Clan."
As if that was even an insult.
Tata snorted proudly.
The girl slumped her shoulders.
She knew her petty barbs wouldn't faze Tata, who could say such terrifying things with such confidence.
"I've finished all my backlog. Even postponed the tour again. At least guarantee me some rest."
"Quit whining. Most of that work was done by Tata anyway."
"Managing the clan well is the princess's job too."
"You talk a good game."
Tata shook her head once at the grumbling girl, her face blank.
Then she spoke reassuringly.
"Don't sulk like that. I'm not here to dump more work on you."
"Tata's a habitual liar. Hard to believe."
"I swear on my late sister's grave—it's true."
"......Then I'll believe you."
Her earlier distrust vanished in an instant.
The girl nodded, relieved.
Tata handed her a box and a letter.
"Here. Read this nicely, and Tata will leave you alone."
"Tata worries too much. Why do you think I can't even read this?"
As if it were no big deal.
The girl boldly took the letter.
Tata held out one hand smoothly and answered.
"Because it's from the Black Dragon Princess."
Ping!
Right then.
The girl flung the letter away and tried to bolt.
Tata, prepared, grabbed her by the scruff.
"Where do you think you're going without reading it?"
"I'm not here. I was never here. So I didn't get the letter. Please return to sender."
"Even if you run, read it first. What kind of spectacle is this for the princess of our clan over one letter?"
"It's not just a letter. It's a devil's letter. Looking at it curses you. No doubt."
As if beholding something more horrific than a letter written in pus from plague victims as ink on leper skin.
The girl wriggled desperately to get away from the letter, even caught by the scruff.
"Mind your dignity, Princess!"
Tata barked.
Then she scolded the startled girl sharply.
"The Black Dragon Clan is mocked as the weakest of the Seven Dragon Society right now. What's so scary?"
"I'm scared of getting assassinated."
"Don't worry. If anything happens to you, Tata will avenge you."
"I want to know why you're not saying it'll be safe."
Tata replied as if it were nonsense.
"Who can guarantee 100% safety against the Black Dragon Clan?"
"......I should've just died peacefully in my sleep."
She seemed to have reached resignation.
The girl's limbs went limp.
Tata set her down and said energetically.
"Don't worry too much. I checked it several times before bringing it. It should be safe for now."
"Hearing that makes me more anxious."
Protesting with her blank face, the girl still took the letter with trembling hands.
After carefully opening it.
No explosion.
No poison gas.
No disorientation.
Once she'd confirmed none of her dreaded scenarios happened, she sighed in relief.
Tata declared triumphantly.
"See? Told you nothing would happen."
"......Tata, then why are you standing so far away?"
"To maintain a safe distance, in case there's some dangerous trap."
"......"
Why wasn't this woman born into the Black Dragon Clan?
Suppressing the surging question, the girl carefully read the letter.
Then tilted her head.
"......?"
She flipped it over.
Held it to the sunlight.
Wet her fingertip with saliva and rubbed.
After every trick, she cocked her head again.
"Princess? What's in the letter?"
"An invitation."
"You mean an invitation proper?"
"No. Just an invitation."
Tata's puzzled look lasted only a moment.
She took the letter from the girl.
And fell silent.
[Come.]
Staring at the simplistic, almost meaningless letter, Tata asked to confirm.
"......Is this the whole thing?"
"No secret writing."
"It wouldn't be secret if it were that obvious, but yeah, seems like nothing."
While Tata pondered the Black Dragon Princess's intent.
The girl opened the accompanying box.
She tilted her head again at the neatly packed tablet inside, then cautiously lifted it out.
Ding-dong.
"......!"
Right then.
The tablet turned on by itself.
She nearly flung it away in shock, but hesitated.
Then peered closely at it.
To hear the guitar and song starting from the auto-playing video as soon as it powered on.
Blurry, unfocused quality.
Muddy audio even worse.
Noise mixed throughout.
Obviously some half-assed smartphone footage.
Yet the girl couldn't look away.
Enthralled by the video.
"Princess? What's wrong?"
Tata called out repeatedly, finding her demeanor odd.
Only after the fifth time did the girl speak flatly.
"Tata, I need space movement. Prepare it."
"You're accepting the invitation? You know where the Black Dragon Princess is?"
"Yes."
"You mean that seriously?"
"Dead serious."
Wondering if hypnosis from the video.
Tata eyed her suspiciously for a moment.
Then her face hardened.
"You saw something."
The girl didn't answer.
Recognizing the silence as affirmation, Tata pressed.
"What did you see?"
"The person I've been looking for."
"......What did you say?"
"If I miss this, it'll be years of wandering the world again to find them."
The girl repeated herself expressionlessly.
Tata stared at her in silence for a long time.
Then sighed.
"Yeah, if that's the case, you have to go."
"Make the escort solid."
"Obviously. Would I send the princess to the land of the Sword Duke—that demon—with a weak guard?"
As if to say trust only me.
Tata replied haughtily.
After she left to prepare departure.
Alone, the girl walked back to the railing.
And tossed the letter in her hand.
Flutter.
The fierce Mediterranean wind?
Far from falling, the letter soared skyward, riding the breeze far away.
But the girl knew.
It would only fly briefly.
Eventually sinking into the sea, dissolving without trace.
So, gazing at it blankly, she stepped back from the railing.
"If only......"
World's last holy site, Jerusalem.
From the palace pinnacle surrounded by thirty-three spires, the white-haired girl Aynsha murmured those words she couldn't finish.
"Hm......"
[What's wrong?]
'Nah, just feels like someone’s cursing me out.'
[That's nothing new. I heard you get trashed every day back when we were at the PAB.]
'Those were just guys I busted doing shady shit.'
He scratched his ear briefly.
Rimon opened the door and stepped out.
He asked Kim Seungjun, waiting outside.
"How was it? Worked out?"
"......"
"Why no answer?"
Like he'd been hit by a petrification ray.
Kim Seungjun, unblinking, not even breathing, frozen solid, finally snapped out of it.
And blurted involuntarily.
"What was that?"
"What?"
"That just now."
"You heard everything, so what bullshit is this? Don't tell me you zoned out?"
"That's why I'm asking—gah!"
Kim Seungjun yelled.
And rolled on the floor after a flick to the forehead.
"Where do you get off raising your voice at an elder?"
"Ugh... S-sorry. I was just so shocked."
He looked older, but.
Kim Seungjun couldn't even think to argue it.
He was that dumbfounded.
Not just him.
Everyone present with ears and eyes—Yeonhwa included—stared at Rimon like they'd seen a ghost.
"Why so shocked? Not the first time hearing me play."
They stared, utterly baffled.
Unable to hold back, Kim Seungjun asked again.
"Was that really playing just now?"
"What else did it sound like?"
"That’s......"
Unable to answer, trailing off, Rimon chuckled.
He asked Yeonhwa, still stiff.
"This fulfills my promise, right?"
"......Now I get why Director Moon was desperate to recruit you."
"Looks like we're all set then."
[Wonder what that old man's face'll look like knowing the team leader pulled this just to screw him over.]
Yeonhwa looked shell-shocked.
As Rimon nodded satisfied at her reply, Yuna Kyung muttered awkwardly.
For some reason, Kim Seungjun flinched, sneaking a glance at Rimon before speaking.
"Uh, about that preparation... I actually have something to discuss."