Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Stay Alive
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The situation before she got isolated in the mountains was roughly like this.
"So, is there any place around here good for building up stamina?"
"Beep. (I know a really great spot.)"
"Where's that?"
"Beeep! Beep! (Miji Mountain. Plenty of famous figures have trained there and made names for themselves.)"
"I'm not that skilled though.... What if I go up and get lost?"
Ppippi gave me a relaxed look, as if there was nothing to worry about.
"Beep! (The mountain isn't that high. Even when I was flying, I'd pass it in a flash if I got distracted for a second. Baby birds younger than you cross it too.)"
"Really? How do I get there?"
"Beep-beep! (Alright! Since you treated me to that red fruit, I'll escort you all the way to the entrance as a special favor.)"
Ppippi happily took off, as if repaying me for all the red fruits I'd fed it along the way.
With Ppippi's guidance, I reached the entrance to Miji Mountain without much trouble.
'I did manage to climb the mountain somehow.... But the bird made it sound so easy that I figured the way down would be too, so I didn't ask for directions back. That was my mistake.'
I hadn't noticed on the way up with the bird leading, but Miji Mountain split into more paths than I'd expected.
'Even now, there are two paths. Which way did I come up?'
I'd just passed another fork a little while ago, and it felt like I wasn't descending the mountain at all—instead, I was going in circles.
'I've been walking so long my body's getting heavy.'
On top of that, I'd overdone it with exercise I wasn't used to, so it was no wonder my body was straining.
'Still, I need to find the path before it gets any darker.'
It would be truly dangerous once the winding mountain trails grew pitch black.
'Not much time left.... What should I do?'
The sky was already half dark.
My growing panic only made things more confusing.
'Calm down first. If I mark the paths I've passed, I won't pick the same one again. Can't help it even if it's my favorite accessory.'
I left the butterfly hairpin Daddy had put in my hair at the first path entrance and moved on.
First one: butterfly hairpin. Second: red ribbon.
'This is the last one.'
I undid the red ribbon tying the other side of my hair and tied it to a nearby tree branch.
'Please let this be the right choice.'
I let my long hair down and desperately hoped this was the correct path.
As I trudged forward with stone-heavy steps, something crunched underfoot.
'This is...!'
Lifting my foot, I was overcome with despair and sank to the ground right there.
It was the butterfly hairpin—the very first one I'd left at a path.
'That feeling of staying in the same place wasn't my imagination.'
To make matters worse, the sky darkened rapidly, and rain began to patter down: plip, plop.
'Now it's too dark to see the path. What do I do?'
Thinking I at least needed to get out of the rain, I huddled under a large tree.
My body started shivering from being soaked.
Suddenly, I recalled what Daddy had said before I left for the market.
"Star, I'm heading to the market, so you stay put at home, okay?"
"Yeah! I will!"
'Is this punishment for breaking my promise to Daddy?'
Tears threatened to spill, but now wasn't the time to cry.
'If I stay still like this, I'll freeze to death in the mountains.'
I clenched my teeth, wondering if I should keep walking, but moving further in the pitch-black mountains could lead to worse injury.
'What should I do in a situation like this?'
Then I remembered what Daddy had said.
"Star, if anything dangerous happens to you, call for Daddy right away."
"If I call for you, can you come?"
"Of course. Daddy will fly to you anywhere if you call."
"Pfft, liar! You're not a bird—how could you fly?"
"For you, I could. Don't you trust Daddy?"
"I do! So if I get in danger, you'll come find me, right?"
"Yeah. Daddy will come running."
'Can Daddy really come find me?'
I had left a note before leaving home saying I was going to the mountains.
'Idiot, I didn't even specify which mountain.'
I'd written it briefly, thinking I'd be back soon, never expecting things to turn out like this.
"Daddy, I'm here."
I huddled my cold body tighter and murmured to myself.
"Star's here. Come find me...."
Was it from too much cold wind? My head throbbed, a burning heat spread through my body, and my vision blurred.
In the darkness, a faint image rose: Daddy's face smiling brightly at me.
"Star!"
Hwi was using Void Step, traversing the empty air as if walking on it.
He searched every inch of the mountains near the village in the rain and darkness, heedless of his soaking body, but Cheon-seong was nowhere to be seen.
Hwi recalled the note Cheon-seong had left.
[Daddy, I'm off to play in the mountains!]
'Nothing bad happened, right? No, absolutely nothing can happen.'
Hwi didn't believe in gods, but while searching for Cheon-seong, he found himself pleading with them over and over.
If a god existed, they could tear him apart—he just wanted Cheon-seong safe.
"Cheon-seong! Seol Cheon-seong!"
Floating in the air, Hwi focused all his senses on his ears, scanning the deep mountain.
"Daddy... I'm so cold...."
Then Cheon-seong's voice drifted into Hwi's ears.
"Cheon-seong!"
'It's Star's voice!'
Pinpointing the location from that faint sound, Hwi shot toward it without hesitation, long legs striding.
There, under a large tree, Cheon-seong huddled.
"Star! Pull yourself together!"
'Her body's burning up.'
"Star, open your eyes!"
Having stayed too long in the chilly mountains while drenched, Cheon-seong's body felt like a fireball.
Her consciousness clouded by fever, she couldn't easily open her eyes.
"Star, it's Daddy. Get on my back first."
"Daddy...?"
"Yes, Star. Daddy's here, so let's go home."
Hwi felt relief at the faint voice and hoisted Cheon-seong onto his back.
Her breaths carried heat.
'Her condition's bad. Need to get her to a physician fast.'
Hwi shot into the air.
'No matter what, I can't lose Star. No matter what....'
"Daddy...."
"Yes, Star. Daddy's right here. Does it hurt? Hang on a bit. Daddy will make it all better."
Drenched like a drowned rat, Hwi's mind was filled only with worry for Cheon-seong.
His eyes glistened pitifully, wet with rain or tears.
"...So please live."
Cheon-seong was having a pleasant dream.
'Feels like flying through the clouds. So comfy and warm.'
At the pleasant warmth, Cheon-seong smiled faintly. But her face soon turned worried.
'Am I in heaven? No, Daddy will be sad without me....'
As Cheon-seong fretted over her daddy, Hwi sat at the apothecary gripping her hand, keeping watch.
"We've given Lady Cheon-seong her medicine, so she'll recover with a few days' rest. No need for that lost-soul expression."
"Then why won't she open her eyes?"
The physician explained calmly, but Hwi's anxiety lingered.
"She took the medicine, and she's exhausted. It's for her recovery—she'll wake after a good sleep."
Hwi's hand trembled anxiously on Cheon-seong's.
The physician's sigh deepened as he watched.
"Lady Cheon-seong is one thing, but the one who needs care more right now is you, Heavenly Demon. Your hands are shaking even now."
"...I'm fine."
"Good grief! Are you telling this physician to neglect his patient? Sorry, but this time I'll defy you. I'll prepare your medicine right now."
Knowing Hwi neglected himself while doting solely on the child as if she were his world, the physician didn't lecture further and left to compound the medicine.
But Hwi ignored it, repeatedly squeezing the child's small hand and whispering.
"Star, time to open your eyes.... Is it because Daddy was late? If so, Daddy's sorry. So...."
Even trying to regain composure, the image overlapped: Seol-hwa dying atop the bedridden Cheon-seong, blood trickling from her mouth.
"Darling, raise our Star pretty, okay?"
"No! No! Seol-hwa, you can't go like this...."
He'd clung with all his might to keep her, but it was futile.
He couldn't even hold onto her last breath.
Recalling that day, Hwi's breathing grew unsteady.
Even in that terror of suffocation, Hwi never took his eyes off Cheon-seong.
"Seol-hwa, protect our Star."
Hwi's sorrowful voice echoed in the room.
Hwi silently kept vigil at Cheon-seong's side until darkness swallowed the sky and the sun rose again.