Chapter 51
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51
Her pale red eyes widened as they fixed on the boy standing before her.
Greeting her with a voice as soft as a spring breeze, he was the same kind prince So-ya had once known. He was the prince from those unbelievable rumors—the one who had supposedly brought a bloodbath to the Imperial Palace, killing all his brothers to become Emperor.
No, he was now the Son of Heaven of the Taehwa Empire.
As So-ya’s eyes trembled and her lips parted, unsure of what to say, a voice intervened.
“Your Majesty.”
The low, resonant voice she had missed so much over the past few days drifted into her ears. Sa-eon’s robes fluttered as he stepped in, obscuring So-ya’s vision.
Simultaneously, Ga-hyeon took a step in front of So-ya, and Ga-yul firmly gripped her sleeve. From behind her, Seol-yo glared at the boy over her shoulder.
Tae Yi-rim let out a languid laugh at the immediate, defensive reactions of the four men.
“How insolent, Sa-eon. To block the path of the Son of Heaven.”
“She is my daughter,” Sa-eon replied, shielding So-ya behind the folds of his robes.
“Right. I heard you adopted a youngest daughter just before the last Mountain Lord Festival,” Yi-rim replied in a relaxed tone, a stark contrast to the stiff posture of the White Tiger Palace men.
For some reason, Sa-eon found that composure irritating.
“Did you not visit the White Tiger Palace because you had business with me? Please, come inside. I shall escort you.”
Though he used formal language, Sa-eon’s attitude remained prickly—ever since the moment Yi-rim had stood before So-ya.
Yi-rim was surely aware of Sa-eon’s wariness, yet he remained undaunted. He looked at So-ya with a faint smile before his eyes crinkled softly.
So-ya’s pupils trembled at that refreshing, eye-crinkling smile. It wasn't just her; everyone who had come out to welcome the Clan Head’s return was shaken by that beautiful expression. Even Ga-hyeon, Ga-yul, and Seol-yo, who had been so guarded just a moment ago, were momentarily dazed.
Amidst them, only Sa-eon maintained a displeased expression as he turned to his children.
“I have matters to discuss with His Majesty, so let us catch up later. Keep a close eye on your sister.”
Sa-eon ruffled the children’s hair and then led the Emperor into the building.
Left behind in the courtyard, the boys immediately crowded around her.
“Cotton Ball, who was that guy just now?!”
“So-ya, do you know the Fifth Prince—I mean, His Majesty the Emperor?”
Ga-hyeon and Ga-yul grabbed her, their faces a mix of intense curiosity and suspicion.
“Ah… yes,” So-ya replied, finally snapping out of her daze with a bright smile. “We knew each other when we were younger.”
*
Meanwhile, Sa-eon was asking Yi-rim the same thing.
“How do you know my daughter?”
Yi-rim gazed out the window, his expression suggesting he was reminiscing about a time long past.
“We have known each other for a very, very long time.”
Sa-eon scoffed inwardly. Even if he said "a very long time," the boy was only eleven years old.
Of course, the young Emperor sitting before him had spent the last few months performing deeds that made it impossible to believe he was only eleven.
[I give you my word, Sa-eon. I will ascend the throne and grant you the Dragon Blood Herb before this year is out.]
The boy who had declared he would become Emperor before the year's end had truly kept his word. He had purged his brothers, imprisoned the former Emperor, and made himself the Son of Heaven of Taehwa.
Because he had always been lethargic and quiet, no one had ever imagined he would do such a thing.
However, he hadn't become Emperor simply by catching people off guard. Yi-rim had unearthed the hidden weaknesses of every single one of his brothers and seized total control of the Imperial military before ascending the blood-stained throne.
This event would remain in history, a stigma attached to his name forever, even if he were to become a Sage Emperor who ruled with benevolence.
He must have known this, yet he had not hesitated for a single moment to turn his blade against his own kin. Ascending the throne drenched in blood, he had looked like a true Rakshasa.
Sa-eon couldn't fathom what had caused such a change of heart in the young Emperor, but…
“Though my daughter is young, she is already nine. Her First Growth is not far off, so I believe it is inappropriate for you to be personally close to her.”
For now, the only thing that mattered to Sa-eon was the fact that the young Emperor was showing interest in his "Cotton Ball."
“Hmm.”
Yi-rim tilted his head languidly. His fine, platinum-blonde hair cascaded smoothly with the movement.
“Do you really think so?”
“?”
Sa-eon knit his brows and stared at Tae Yi-rim.
Yi-rim’s eyes curved into a soft smile.
“Baek Sa-eon. You haven't fully completed my command yet, have you?”
Sa-eon’s face instantly froze.
[Go to the South, to the Land of the Vermilion Bird. Steal the most precious thing from there.]
[It is not something you can possess. You simply need to show me that it is safe.]
To steal the most precious thing in the South and show him that it was safe. Yes, that had certainly been the Imperial decree.
Afterward, Yi-rim had said he would come to see the stolen prize once the palace was settled, but the matter had fallen by the wayside amidst the bloody transition of power.
“What… exactly do you mean by that?”
“It doesn't mean much. I just happened to remember it.”
Yi-rim smiled thinly and lifted his teacup. Sa-eon, however, could not bring himself to smile back.
“…”
Could it be? Had this young Emperor issued that command because he foresaw from the very beginning that Sa-eon would bring that child from the Southern Land?
But he didn't have the power to see the future. How could he have been so certain?
“I shall give you what was promised.”
As Yi-rim changed the subject and gestured, his attendant brought forward a wooden box and placed it on the table.
Click. The box opened, revealing the plant inside.
The Dragon Blood Herb.
When a new Emperor of Taehwa ascends, they perform a ritual before the statue of the Yellow Dragon. The direct lineage of the Imperial family is known to be Dragon Beastkin; during the ascension ritual, their old scales are shed, and golden scales grow in their place as they awaken as a Yellow Dragon.
During this process, the scales are forcibly torn away, ripping the flesh and causing blood to spill. The flowers that bloom after soaking up that blood are known as Dragon Blood Herbs. Because of this origin, they were incredibly rare and precious medicinal ingredients.
“…”
Sa-eon stared silently at the herb in the box. Even though he was finally facing the Dragon Blood Herb he had searched for so long, his expression didn't change much.
However, Yi-rim saw it. The moment the herb was revealed, Sa-eon’s eyes twitched ever so slightly.
*
So-ya was busy arranging fallen maple leaves into shapes on the ground.
‘What did Brother Rim—no, His Majesty—come to talk to Sa-eon about?’
So-ya’s mind was filled with thoughts of Yi-rim.
‘They say he became the Son of Heaven. He seems much more like an adult now. He must have been surprised to see me here, but he didn't show it at all.’
As she was making a butterfly by joining two yellow ginkgo leaves, she realized she was short on leaves.
“Oh dear. It’s missing a wing.”
“I’ll go pick up some more!”
Seol-yo, who had been crouching beside her watching the leaf art, jumped up at her words. Before So-ya could say anything, he dashed toward the bushes.
‘That Seol-yo. He’s so fast.’
So-ya giggled, thinking of her friend who always moved without hesitation to help her, never finding it a chore.
As she waited for Seol-yo to return, a shadow suddenly fell over her.
“Flowers and butterflies.”
A voice spoke from above.
“The flower is lovely and resembles you, while the butterfly, which only makes you wait… is exactly like my own pathetic self.”