Chapter 203
Chapter 203
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Gift
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yi Hwan approached Go Mi.
Despite her deathly pale complexion without a trace of color and the wounds staining her body red in places, she stood ramrod straight and bowed her head to him.
“I apologize for causing you worry, Great Prince.”
“Are you really alright?”
“Yes. I can endure it.”
“You held out well.”
“…….”
Go Mi nearly burst into tears. Yi Hwan checked on Cheol Mu-ok and the warriors. Some were bleeding, but there didn’t seem to be any serious injuries.
Yi Hwan gazed at the corpses scattered around. There were as many as the ones he had killed himself.
Cheol Mu-ok spoke in a heavy tone.
“With this, we can consider Crimson Moon annihilated. However, we missed Mun I-jong.”
“Here.”
Ju Tae grinned as he lifted Mun I-jong’s severed head. Cheol Mu-ok asked with a surprised expression.
“Did you take him down, my lord?”
“Ran into him on the way.”
Yi Hwan patted Cheol Mu-ok’s shoulder and turned around.
“Let’s head back.”
* * *
Cheol Mu-ok asked Ju Tae.
[Did our lord have a sword like that?]
[I saw it for the first time just a bit ago too. It seems longer and wider than the previous one…… Where on earth did it come from?]
[Who knows.]
As Cheol Mu-ok tilted his head, Ju Tae brought up something else.
[Our lord took down nearly thirty Crimson Moon bastards all by himself. Mun I-jong at the end too. He was definitely hiding his true strength.]
[That might not even be all of it.]
[Then we’d have to call him a monster, not a man. All those Crimson Moon guys ended up sprawled in the woods, not in some open field.]
[The stronger he is, the better for us. By the way…….]
Clap!
Cheol Mu-ok placed a hand on Ju Tae’s shoulder. Then he grinned and spoke aloud.
“How’d you even think of that in the middle of all this?”
“Think of what?”
“Rescuing the Flower Lady.”
Snicker.
“If her identity gets exposed, it’ll spell trouble for the Golden Army, so of course we sneak her out. I’ve got brains enough for that much.”
“Keep being that sharp from now on.”
“What?”
Everyone walked toward the Imperial Palace at a steady pace, neither fast nor slow.
Go Mi stared at Yi Hwan’s back as he led the way, letting out a quiet breath. Then she remembered something and flushed red all the way to the nape of her neck.
‘When I thought it was the end, why did only the Great Prince come to mind?’
Just then, Yi Hwan turned to look at her.
“Is your condition worsening? Your breathing suddenly got rough.”
“Ah, no. I’m fine.”
“You should rest if you have a fever.”
“No. Really, I’m okay.”
Was she flustered? Go Mi’s face turned even redder.
* * *
The next day, the sun rose as usual.
The Golden Army headquarters began its routine duties without change. Cha Jung-kyeong and Song Cheon-mu, who had joined late from the Imperial Palace, prepared Yi Hwan’s morning tea.
Thud thud thud.
Cha Jung-kyeong chattered away as he ground the tea.
“This place really doesn’t feel fit for human habitation. Even the flying leaves put me on edge. Tsk.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“You’re fine with it, Young Master?”
“No way. I’m so tense I dread stepping outside headquarters. But thinking of it as the center of the world stirs up a new kind of ambition I’ve never felt before.”
“Ambition just bubbling up?”
“Something like that. I’m a man of the martial world with dreams in my heart too. What about you, brother?”
“I’m plenty satisfied as is. Climbing higher would just bring a heap of headaches…….”
“That’s ground enough. Take it in.”
Cha Jung-kyeong picked up the tea and a kettle of hot water, heading for Yi Hwan’s office.
That was when Yi Hwan stepped out.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I’ll have the tea later.”
“Where are you off to?”
“I have business.”
Yi Hwan headed straight outside. Ju Tae waited there, holding a small box.
Cha Jung-kyeong watched Yi Hwan’s back as he left headquarters, tilting his head.
“His vibe feels…….”
* * *
Yi Hwan headed straight for Second Prince Yi Tae-ji’s residence. Ju Tae accompanied him.
Upon reaching the main gate shortly after, Yi Hwan took the box from Ju Tae. Ju Tae couldn’t enter.
A general asked.
“What brings you here?”
“I have a gift.”
“Apologies, but without prior appointment, you can’t enter.”
“Don’t do something you’ll regret. Send word.”
“……Please wait a moment.”
The general hurried inside, then soon returned.
“Please, come in.”
Yi Hwan strode inside. Moments later, as he entered Yi Tae-ji’s residence, thick smoke and a pungent aroma assaulted his senses.
It wasn’t just any scent.
Yi Hwan stared straight at Yi Tae-ji, who lounged obliquely on the bed.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
“I thought I’d give you a gift.”
“A gift?”
Snicker.
“The sun’ll rise in the west tomorrow, then. Alright, let’s see what it is.”
At Yi Tae-ji’s glance, the general took the box and opened the lid.
“Gasp!”
The general recoiled in horror.
Yi Tae-ji’s expression subtly changed.
“Doesn’t look like a gift worth welcoming.”
He stepped down from the bed. Seeing what was inside the box, his eyes widened.
Mun I-jong’s severed head lay within. Yi Hwan stared at him impassively and spoke in a flat tone.
“I beheaded him on the spot for the crime of attempting to assassinate Moon Pavilion’s Moon Lord during an intelligence operation.”
“Have you forgotten his position?”
“Of course not. But no matter how high the rank, one must face punishment for crimes. So I’ll ask just one thing.”
Yi Tae-ji glared at Yi Hwan with fury in his eyes. Yi Hwan ignored it and asked.
“Did you order him to kill Moon Pavilion’s Moon Lord?”
“And if I did? You gonna drag me off?”
“Naturally.”
Yi Tae-ji climbed back onto the bed. He put what looked like a long pipe to his lips and inhaled deeply.
“Fuu…….”
White smoke billowed from Yi Tae-ji’s lips, enveloping Yi Hwan’s face. But Yi Hwan didn’t blink, staring straight at him.
“As if I would. He must’ve done it to prove his loyalty to me. He’s been unreliable lately anyway. Wonder if the Moon Lord’s safe, though.”
“She’s alive and well.”
“Good enough. Your precious Moon Lord’s unharmed, and the dog I used lost his head. No loss there, right?”
“I’ll let it go today, but the investigation continues. If evidence of your involvement surfaces, it won’t end like last time.”
“Bring it on.”
Yi Tae-ji waved him off dismissively. Yi Hwan turned and left.
“Get rid of that gruesome thing!”
“Yes!”
The general carried out the box with Mun I-jong’s head.
Yi Tae-ji stepped down from the bed and opened the window. He watched Yi Hwan return to Golden Army headquarters, his eyes gleaming.
“Senile old fool. Couldn’t even handle one wench and got his head chopped off.”
Today, Yi Tae-ji was unusually cool-headed, where normally he’d be beside himself with rage.
Just then, another general rushed in.
“Your Highness!”
“What is it?”
“Multiple Crimson Moon assassins found dead in the northern mountainous region outside the capital!”
“……What?”
Yi Tae-ji’s reaction was even stronger than when he’d seen the head. A new leader could replace the head, but assassins took significant time and money to train.
He glanced back at Yi Hwan’s retreating figure.
‘What the hell did that senile old fool do to lose all those assassins?’
A close aide asked cautiously.
“You’re just letting this slide?”
“What are you getting at?”
“He killed the Grand Overseer of the Golden Imperial Guards, no matter who he is. We can’t just overlook that.”
“And if we don’t? You think he’ll expose that I ordered the Moon Lord’s death?”
“Just deny it.”
“It’s not about whether I did or didn’t. He’ll drag me in somehow, and the ministers who know my ties to the Grand Overseer will suspect me for sure.”
“Then…….”
“The Mun family was useless old trash anyway. He moved only for his son’s revenge. Better to use this chance to install someone more capable, bolster our forces, and turn crisis into opportunity. Don’t mention it again.”
“Understood.”
Yi Tae-ji donned an outer robe from the wall and headed out.
“I’m going to the Palace of Illusory Flowers. Don’t follow.”
“Yes.”
* * *
The Empress sat facing Yi Tae-ji.
Her eyes blazed with anger as she looked down at him.
“Mun I-jong’s dead, and all the assassins lost too?”
“Yes. The Mun family fool acted on his own.”
“On his own? So you didn’t order it?”
“I only told him to keep him in check, never to kill. Wasn’t it Your Majesty who wanted him removed?”
“What?”
As the Empress’s face reddened with rage, Yi Tae-ji continued with his signature sly smile.
“What’s the point of quibbling now? But I have a request.”
“What?”
“We need replacements for Crimson Moon. So…… isn’t it time to bring them out into the open? With the Crown Prince’s Palace growing stronger by the day, how long will you keep them hidden?”
“Watch your mouth!”
“It’s for Your Majesty’s sake. Move them now, and we can wipe out the Crown Prince’s Palace and that insolent fourth whelp all at once.”
“That’s not for you to meddle in!”
“Mother.”
The form of address changed abruptly.
Yi Tae-ji’s gaze toward the Empress was markedly different now.
“He delivered the Mun family head’s severed head to me. It’s a warning that he’s stepping up in earnest from now on. Better we strike first than let him get the jump.”
“He brought you the Grand Overseer’s head?”
Twitch.
The Empress’s brow curved like a blade.
“That bastard really…….”
“He’s elevated the Golden Army’s authority too far. It could lead to misjudgments for him and the Crown Prince’s Palace, so please heed my words.”
Yi Tae-ji was indeed different from usual.
Beyond calm and cool-headed, he felt heavy and serene, like an unfathomable ocean.
Surprised by this, the Empress?
She peered down at his face with slightly startled eyes.
“Tae-ji.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Have you been deceiving even this mother all this time?”
“How dare I deceive Your Majesty?”
“Then what’s with that attitude and air now? Normally, you’d be whining red-faced.”
At those words, a faint smile played on Yi Tae-ji’s lips.
“Got tired of losing, so I grew up late. Can’t act like a child forever.”
“If only that one had matured sooner. Tsk tsk tsk.”
Yi Tae-ji just smiled silently.
“Understood. Go now. I’ll send word once I’ve decided.”
“I look forward to it.”
Yi Tae-ji bowed and left the Palace of Illusory Flowers.
Crossing the bridge, he looked up at the sky. Today, the sun dazzled unusually.
“Time to end the wastrel act? Heh heh heh.”