Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Confirmation
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-Splash!
In an instant, my vision shifted dramatically.
I had charged toward the vampire and the Faceless Golden Ghost the moment blue lightning struck them and the vampire let out a scream of agony. I saw the strange formation drawn on the floor emit a glow.
In a fraction of a second, our surroundings had transformed into a frigid lake.
-Splish!
"Wh-what is this?"
I turned my head poking out of the water, surveying the scene around me.
Instead of the dim underground chamber we'd been in moments ago, a dense forest stretched out.
'An illusion...?'
I knew there were types of formations that trapped people inside illusions, making them wander endlessly. I'd even experienced a few myself.
But...
'...This isn't an illusion.'
No matter how bizarre a formation might seem to the uninitiated, they all followed certain rules at minimum.
This situation had completely deviated from what my old comrade had described.
Yet that didn't make the current circumstances any easier to comprehend.
Judging by the thick trees surrounding us, we were now several li away from our original location—I couldn't even guess how far.
'...Hold on.'
I hadn't been the only one inside the formation's range.
"Da-Dan Yuseong!!"
I hurriedly searched the inner part of the lake.
.
.
.
-Crackle... crack...
"..."
I had lit a campfire in a nearby cave and was watching over him as he lay collapsed.
"Cough... hack..."
I'd managed to expel most of the water he'd swallowed, but perhaps because he was still recovering from a cold, the symptoms had flared up again after ingesting more water.
-Shiver... shiver...
"Ugh... cough..."
"...Haa..."
I knew that staying in wet clothes in that condition would only make things worse.
No matter the societal differences in views on chastity between men and women, chastity was something precious and valuable regardless of gender.
Exposing oneself to an unrelated virgin woman was no different.
"...Sorry about this. I'll apologize properly later."
But leaving him like this was too dangerous—his condition was critical.
Having nursed him back in Henan, I knew just how fragile his body was. I couldn't abandon him to worsen further for such a reason.
If I did, his life could truly be at risk, or he might suffer lifelong aftereffects.
-Rustle...
As I grasped the edge of his Bloodstained Cloak to remove his clothes, I noticed it miraculously hadn't absorbed any water.
It looked like ordinary leather from the outside, but since it repelled all the water, it was clearly no ordinary cloak.
-Squelch.
"...As expected."
I slipped my hand inside his cloak on a hunch, confirming that the clothes beneath were completely soaked.
At least I had dry clothes to change him into afterward—that was a small comfort.
-Rustle... swish...
"...Ngh..."
Undressing an unconscious man. No matter the circumstances, this was something utterly unimaginable in the life I'd lived until now.
The unique fragrance emanating from his body, intensified by the dampness, assaulted my nose, but I ignored it as best I could, stripped off his clothes, and wiped away the moisture with leaves.
"...Hoo..."
After drying him off completely, I draped his Bloodstained Cloak over him again.
Fortunately, it was easier to remove than it appeared. If it had been more complicated, I might not have just blushed—I could've exploded from embarrassment.
-Flutter flutter.
I fanned my face with my hand, cooling the heat rising to my cheeks.
The image of his naked body, seen against my will, kept flashing in my mind.
I'd suspected it before, but his body was indeed small and delicate. By age, it seemed like it hadn't grown past a boy's at around thirteen or fourteen.
There wasn't a trace of muscle, and his pale, soft skin stirred a protective instinct in any woman who saw it.
There was one part that wasn't like that, though...
'Aaaah...'
I sealed that image away at the very bottom of my subconscious.
-Crackle... crack...
I shook my head and tossed more firewood into the campfire I'd kindled in a trance.
"Cough..."
I moved him closer to the fire so he could absorb the warmth properly and began assessing our situation.
'I don't know the reason, but we're quite far from where we were.'
The place we'd been right before arriving here was underground, but still within a city.
And judging by the dense trees around us, we were now far from any city.
'First, I need to look for signs of people.'
Water's edge was a spot frequented by wild animals, and thus by hunters as well.
If this area was within a hunter's territory, I could find traces of them.
I couldn't leave him alone and venture far while he was unconscious, but at least I didn't have to worry about other wild animals approaching.
This cave had belonged to a fierce beast I'd driven out and claimed, so ordinary wildlife wouldn't dare come near.
"I'll be back as quickly as possible."
"Hack..."
His weak coughing tugged at my heart, but it couldn't be helped if I wanted to save him.
.
.
.
-Crunch crunch.
'Fortunately, there are people nearby.'
I'd found what seemed to be an old hunter's camp.
It looked abandoned for quite some time, but it was a valuable clue that a village with people was nearby.
Even hunters needed to maintain their tools somewhere.
"How's your condition...?"
I'd hoped he might have woken up as I entered the cave, but...
"A-are you okay?!"
-Shiver shiver shiver shiver.
"Cough..."
I rushed to his side upon seeing him curled up, hand over his mouth, trembling all over.
'He's burning up...'
His forehead felt scorching when I touched it.
-Squeeze.
"Master... Master..."
As I pressed close to check on him, he clung to me desperately.
I couldn't bring myself to push away his trembling form wrapped around my body and could only hold him gently.
"I-I'm so cold..."
'He must be mistaking me for his master...'
It had happened before, and it seemed his master truly was a wonderful person.
[Master?]
-Urp.
Soyeon’s voice overlapped in my mind for a moment, stirring a wave of disgust, but...
-Pat... pat...
"It's alright... I'll help you... Just hold on a little longer..."
I suppressed my emotions and patted his back.
His fragile frame felt all too real through his clothes, just as I'd sensed earlier.
How much time passed as I held him and stroked his back?
"Cough..."
I felt him drift off to sleep.
Since ample rest was one of the best remedies for a cold, I inwardly sighed in relief and tried to lay him back down, but...
-Grip.
"..."
His hands clung to my waist as if he'd never let go. With a sigh, I continued stroking his back.
'Now that I think about it.'
I'd practically confirmed he was Dan Yuseong, but it wasn't fully verified yet.
I hadn't asked his name, nor properly seen his face.
And... now was the perfect opportunity to do so.
With him asleep like this. I just needed to lift his hat briefly and check.
I knew it was impolite, but if not now, there might not be another chance.
If I asked while he was awake... I wouldn't have time to compose myself. He'd wonder why I'd been searching for him, too.
So, while he slept—now was the time. Only then could I gather my emotions afterward.
'Sorry... I'm sorry...'
I moved my arm to grasp his hat.
As I slowly pulled it back, at one point I felt an inexplicable resistance preventing it from coming off.
Coincidence or another function of the Bloodstained Cloak? I didn't know.
But this was my last chance.
And my choice was...
-Rustle.
To force it off past the resistance.
His bare face emerged from under the hat.
A young, cute face that matched his build.
A face that exuded an aura stirring any woman's protective instincts.
And...
"Ah... Aah..."
It was the face I'd searched for over ten years.
He'd barely changed at all.
If an imposter had mimicked what Dan Yuseong might look like after ten years of growth, this was almost unchanged.
The exact face I remembered remained intact.
"Aah..."
The greatest sin I'd left in this world stood before my eyes.
The child I'd searched for relentlessly for ten years. The one I owed a debt I'd spend my life repaying.
The child I'd sought so desperately...
"Why..."
Why were tears flowing from my eyes?
I wanted to believe it was from joy, but deep down, I knew.
"Why... of all people..."
Why was the first man I'd ever fallen for him, of all people?
Why had I fallen for the very source of my life's greatest sin?
"Aaaaah...!!"
Revulsion surged up. Nausea welled within.
Self-loathing. Utter disgust at myself.
I'd vowed to repay my debt. To atone for life.
How dare I. How dare I... How dare I... How dare I...
"Ah... Ah..."
My mind was in chaos.
I had no idea what to do.
I could never forgive myself.
To inflict a lifelong scar on him because of my disciple's twisted love—and then harbor the same feelings for him myself.
It was an act no human should commit.
Then... what... should I...
"Cough..."
"..."
His coughing pierced through my fracturing mind, snapping me back to reality.
'First, I have to save him.'
No matter what I did next, he had to live.
Whether apologize, atone, or love—he had to be alive for any of it.
I checked that the moisture had fully dried from his clothes by the fire, then hurriedly dressed him again.
No matter how much I racked my brain here, there was no guarantee I could improve his condition.
I needed to find the village. Find a doctor.
I hoisted his collapsed form onto my back and ran, following the traces of human activity I'd found earlier.
I had to save him, no matter what it took.
No matter what.