Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Desiring Power
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‘Why did he tell me to come to his room when I can’t sleep?’
“Is the Young Cult Leader not sleeping either?”
“Usually, I do. But with the Heavenly Demon away, there’s twice as much work.”
‘Oh no, Daddy had to be away raising me, so the Young Cult Leader ended up taking on Daddy’s duties too.’
So that’s why he meant for me to help with work if I couldn’t sleep.
Of course!
There’s no way the Young Cult Leader would call me to his room for no reason.
“Somehow, I feel like I could fall asleep right away if I lay down now.”
“Is that so? Then go get some rest.”
“Yes, then I’ll be off.”
I tried to slip away quickly, just in case I’d get dragged to the Young Cult Leader’s workplace.
“I wasn’t considerate.”
At that moment, the Young Cult Leader continued speaking with his back turned.
“Sleep well.”
With those words alone, he entered his room without looking back.
‘Did the Young Cult Leader just feel sorry toward me?’
“Is there really someone who apologizes to their servant for not being able to sleep?”
Then, I suddenly recalled what the Young Cult Leader had said.
“Seol-i is my servant. It would be troubling if her health suffered.”
‘Ah, I get it.’
Thinking back on his conversation with Chae-chae, it seemed like if his servant got sick, it would disrupt his work, so he took meticulous care of their health too?
“Well, whatever. At least I don’t have to worry about getting sick while serving as a servant.”
‘But...’
Feeling a bit lonely, I opened the door to my quarters.
The room with its window open let in only the cool evening breeze, with no signs of life.
“Pippy, you’re not coming today?”
Yesterday, he had knocked much earlier than this...
As a melancholic mood set in, the firefly Chae-chae had given me glowed brightly inside the glass jar.
The room quickly filled with a warm light.
‘How much effort did Chae-chae and Jang-ryu put into catching this firefly?’
That thought brought a smile to my face.
“Right, I can’t rely on Pippy every night to sleep. Time to get used to sleeping alone!”
I hugged the doll Chacha that Chae-chae had lent me and lay down on my bedding.
Its fur was so soft that it felt comforting against my skin.
‘It even smells a bit like Chae-chae from the doll...’
With that, the loneliness faded away.
“Goodnight, Chacha.”
‘And goodnight, Daddy.’
Perhaps because I thought of Daddy, who must be fast asleep, as I drifted off?
That night, I dreamed of happily making a remedy for Daddy’s mental and physical weakness and throwing myself into his arms.
The firefly Chae-chae caught circled around Daddy and me, emitting a brilliant light.
Such a warm dream.
“Did you come from seeing Lady Cheon-seong?”
As Red Cloud returned to his room, Five Elements, who had been reporting work, asked with a kindly smile.
“Yeah, briefly.”
Red Cloud sat at his desk as if it were nothing and picked up the scroll he had been handling.
“Still, this is quite something. For the Young Cult Leader to show such deep interest in someone else.”
“......”
Five Elements spoke as if he had witnessed everything that happened outside.
“This is the first time you’ve disobeyed the Heavenly Demon’s orders.”
Red Cloud, who had been ignoring Five Elements’ words, turned to look at him upon hearing that.
“Didn’t the Heavenly Demon say to wake him and report if anything happened to Lady Cheon-seong?”
“...Did you know too, Elder?”
“Of course. I received the same orders from the Heavenly Demon.”
“...I see.”
Red Cloud understood this measure, as the Heavenly Demon left no gaps in anything.
“Then why didn’t you report Lady Cheon-seong’s matter to the Heavenly Demon?”
“For her sake.”
Red Cloud made a face as if he didn’t understand Five Elements’ words.
Five Elements smiled gently, as if it was only natural, and continued.
“When Lady Cheon-seong was a newborn, I did think she needed the Heavenly Demon’s protection. But now, I feel his attention toward his daughter is excessive. If he gets anxious even when she’s away from his side for a moment, reporting this to him means she’ll never get a chance to stand on her own.”
Five Elements was a loyal retainer who had suggested to the Heavenly Demon that he leave the cult and stay away until Cheon-seong was safe.
Thus, he always pondered paths beneficial to both the Heavenly Demon and Cheon-seong.
“If Lady Cheon-seong’s potential doesn’t awaken due to the Heavenly Demon’s overprotection, that would be a great loss to the cult.”
Red Cloud strongly agreed with Five Elements’ words.
Especially regarding Cheon-seong’s potential.
‘She truly is an extraordinary genius.’
“But how are you so certain of Lady Cheon-seong’s potential?”
“Because she was born different. Her father is the Heavenly Demon, and her mother was the top expert of the North Sea Ice Palace. Even without that, it’s clear.”
‘The powerful martial art writhing to awaken within Lady Cheon-seong’s body.’
Five Elements’ specialty was gauging opponents’ martial arts to select talent.
“But if it doesn’t manifest, it will wither away.”
‘That powerful force withering away... What a shame.’
Even though it was hypothetical, Red Cloud felt regret as if it were his own matter.
“Elder.”
Red Cloud, lost in thought for a moment, called out.
“The matter of Lady Cheon-seong staying in the cult...”
“Don’t worry. As I said, I want her to awaken her power on her own and let it bloom. My only concern is how to handle the Heavenly Demon’s anger later.”
After briefly making a worried face, Five Elements quickly smiled warmly again.
“Well, I’ll deal with that when the time comes. Hohoho!”
“It’s fortunate that your intentions align with mine.”
Red Cloud felt relieved inwardly.
“I feel the same. I was worried you might have already reported to the Heavenly Demon on your way here, Young Cult Leader, since you distinguish public and private so clearly.”
Five Elements looked at Red Cloud with eyes that seemed to see through him.
“Has there been some change of heart?”
“W-Well, it’s beneficial for the cult to have even one more reliable talent. That’s all.”
“Hoho, let’s say that’s it.”
“I said that’s all!”
“Yes, yes, that’s all. Hohoho.”
Realizing that engaging further would only amuse Five Elements, Red Cloud turned his eyes to the scroll.
“By the way, Young Cult Leader, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What?”
“You’re only about four years older than Lady Cheon-seong, so you’re around the same age, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So I thought you might understand her mindset well, as the Young Cult Leader.”
At the mention of Cheon-seong, Red Cloud perked up his ears toward Five Elements.
“So, what’s the point?”
Five Elements, with a deadly serious expression, spoke.
“How can I get Lady Cheon-seong to call me Grandfather?”
“Give up.”
“That’s too much, Young Cult Leader! How cruel!”
Five Elements’ wail filled the Young Cult Leader’s room.
“Instead of wasting time on such nonsense, think about how to act when the Heavenly Demon finds out.”
But Red Cloud didn’t blink and turned back to his scroll.
“I was wrong to trust the Young Cult Leader.”
Early in the morning, I was back in the cave to fetch spring water from the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.
It was my usual task, but I was far more irritated than normal, and there was a reason for it.
“You don’t need to bring my meals starting today.”
That was what he said when I went to the Young Cult Leader early in the morning to bring breakfast.
“Really?”
I thought I was finally escaping this grueling slave—no, servant life after a full two days.
Until I heard his next words.
“Instead, fetch spring water twice a day.”
“Twice a day?”
In terms of labor intensity, fetching spring water was far harder than bringing meals.
I had to go up and down those terrifying steep slopes.
“...Lately, my throat’s been twice as dry.”
The reason for assigning the task was laughably light compared to the effort.
“Argh, if your throat’s dry, go fetch and drink it yourself! Why make me do it?!”
I stopped filling the kettle with spring water, tore at my hair, and plopped down right there.
“I don’t even have time to find a cure for Daddy’s mental and physical weakness... And because I became the Young Cult Leader’s servant, I wasted two whole days with no progress.”
‘I didn’t join the Heavenly Demon Cult just to be the Young Cult Leader’s servant.’
“Lotus, I’m only saying this because it’s you, but if I had strong martial arts, could I achieve my goals faster?”
I poured out my frustrations to the innocent lotus.
“Right, it’s all because I’m weak. If I were as strong as Daddy, I could’ve found a cure quicker and healed him...”
Daddy’s pale face flickered in my mind, making my eyes well up.
No, don’t be weak.
No matter what, I’ll cure Daddy’s illness and live happily clinging to him in this world for all to see!
I wiped my tears with the back of my hand, stood up, scooped spring water in both hands, and watered the lotus.
“Thanks for listening. I’m glad I at least have you.”
That’s when it happened.
A brilliant light emanated from the lotus, and someone grabbed my water-wet wrist.
‘The lotus...’
The lotus bud had bloomed into a golden flower, and from it...
With honey-like, vivid and mysterious golden eyes.
And golden hair sparkling with water droplets.
“It... turned into a person?”
The boy, dressed in golden robes matching his shining hair, looked at me.
“Shall I pull you out?”
At that moment, the mysterious boy’s finger pointed at me, and his red lips curved slyly.
“The power you desire.”