Camellia Permeates the Snow

CHAPTER 3   “The offering of His Majesty the Crown Prince to be offered at the coronation ceremony”.

The assassin’s blade was about to cut her, and Kang Yoon, running at the speed of light, wrapped her in his arms and parried the blade with his black iron sword.

But another blade deftly deflected the black iron sword, forcing him to give up his left arm.

If it hadn’t been her arm, it would have been a wound on Yeon Hwa’s body. A sharp pain shot through her veins, but she had no time to examine the wound.

“Stay back.”

Throwing Yeon hwa backward, Kang-yoon used the full weight of his black iron sword to push the black customer away from the kiln.

Then, without giving him a chance to fight back, he slashed at his body with a single blow.

Thick blood soaked the frozen ground, chilling it to the bone. Swinging his black iron sword in the air, Kang Yoon brushed off the blood and looked at Yeon hwa.

The look of terror on her face was enough to make him feel a little better.

“…….”

Instead, it did the opposite.

Seeing her eyes wandering made me feel like a heavy rock had been placed on my chest.

Kang Yoon held her white face in his eyes for a moment longer, then turned away.

“Protect the sacrifice.”

He left her in the care of Mu Heon, who was nearby.

The black guests, who at first seemed to have the advantage of surprise, quickly fell to their deaths under the black iron sword.

It wasn’t long before the men who had so curiously attacked the crown prince were all dead.

The tense fight was over, leaving only the thick, foul smell of blood in the air.

Kang Yoon walked around and quickly surveyed the damage to the army.

Their casualties were minimal, but the problem was the prisoners.

Nearly a third of the country’s prisoners had been killed.

The surviving prisoners were all panicked and cried out for help, begging to be spared.

Kang Yoon’s eyes quickly scanned them, and his gaze immediately fell on Yan Hua. Thankfully, she was unharmed, thanks to Mu Heon’s presence.

“……Thank God.

Kang Yoon thought to himself as he turned to Yeon Hwa. She looked up at him, her eyes still filled with fear. Her heart seemed to stir in her chest as she looked into his wavering eyes.

“I thought you were waiting for death without regret. You wanted to live, too.”

So I hurled an unnecessary accusation.

I was disgusted by his attitude that it didn’t matter what happened to him.

I didn’t like the arrogance with which he dared to ask me if I would die in front of him, because it reminded me of a part of myself that I had tried so hard to ignore.

The weak Kang-yoon said she wanted to die because she couldn’t bear the harsh truth, but didn’t dare to die.

She looked a lot like her old self, walking toward her demise. That’s why she’s so annoying. It made me look back.

“I asked her if she wanted to live.”

It seemed that if she begged for her life now, it would break the strange atmosphere surrounding her and make her feel better.

In the end, Yeon-hwa didn’t say anything, just stared at Kang-yoon’s scarred left arm with eyes that looked like they could bite at any moment.

Unable to decipher the meaning of the woman’s gaze, Kang-yoon felt disgusted with himself.

His darkened eyes traveled to the hem of Yeonhwa’s red robe. He reached out, grabbed the hem, and tore it into a long, horizontal tear.

“……!”

Yeon hwa’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the sound of the fabric ripping.

Kang Yoon stared into those eyes, which held life for the first time, and bit down on the cloth with his mouth, pulling his wounded left arm tightly together.

The tight knot seemed to choke him to his chest.

“I’m growing increasingly curious as to when you’ll realize you’re begging.”

The disoriented arrow turned to Yeon Hwa. Kang Yoon looked at her with a cold gaze and then ordered his soldiers.

“Let’s regroup and set out again.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Yeon hwa watched wordlessly as Kang yoon turned back into a cold monarch and walked away.

She couldn’t figure out why he was angry with her, why he was keeping her alive. Why the hell was he letting him live, why…… let him live?

“Long live the crown prince, long live the crown prince, long live the crown prince!”

The people of Ahwan welcomed Crown Prince Kang Yoon back to the Yellow Sea after a great victory over the rebels.

Kang Yoon waved to the people without a trace of fatigue.

He waved to the people without a trace of fatigue, a perfect image of a man who had been marching and fighting for days.

The people cheered and blessed the crown prince even more enthusiastically.

It was clear how much the people of the subjugated kingdom loved Crown Prince Kang Yoon. Suddenly, a group of young boys caught Kang Yoon’s eye.

Their fingers were pointing in the direction of the captives of the Yue state.

“Red Clothes…….”

Was it a mere coincidence that the word caught his ear amidst the deafening cheering, or did he heared it because all his attention was focused on it?

His head throbbing once again, Kang Yoon slowly closed and opened his eyes.

Something seemed to come to mind, but it was as indistinct as a grain of sand slipping through his fingers.

It was as if there was more to her than the old memories she didn’t want to remember, even the lost ones.

I didn’t want to leave her there for others to see.

I wanted to lock her away in a place where no one could easily see her until this disturbing feeling was resolved.

‘Where no one can easily see…….’

Since he was brought here as a sacrifice to the throne, it wouldn’t hurt to send him there a little earlier. After a short thought, Kangyoon turned to Muheon.

“Mu Heon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In a voice only Mu Heon could hear, Kang Yoon ordered something.

Mu Heon looked surprised for a moment, but then he lowered his head and stealthily left.

With a sideways glance at Mu Heon, as he walked away, Kang Yoon stepped forward amid thunderous cheers as if nothing had happened.

Yes. I admit it. It was an impulse, an impulse that the woman had caused him to commit, a mistake or divine guidance.

When he saw the palanquin carrying the lotus flowers headed in a different direction, Kang Yoon struggled to calm his dizziness and headed straight for the Emperor’s palace.

The emperor and empress, their concubines, and their major and minor servants were all gathered there, and the sight of them gave him a terrible headache.

Despite his exhaustion, Kang Yoon kept his nerves in check.

He was supposed to be the emperor’s son, impeccable at all times.

Even the red cloth tufts of hair on his arms would fall prey to them, and he had made sure that not even a short tufts of hair escaped. Kang Yun knelt before his father, the emperor, and spoke in a firm voice.

“God Kang Yoon, I have returned from conquering the rebellious kingdom of the Women’s Kingdom at the behest of the Vice Emperor.”

The emperor was pleased with his son’s bravery and strength, as well as his longevity.

“I had full faith in your ability to accomplish this.”

“My pleasure, Your Majesty.”

The Empress Dowager was as pleased as anyone.

Any mother would be delighted to see the crown prince return with such great accomplishments, and if it weren’t for the prying eyes, she would have embraced her son and wept tears of joy.

The emperor picked up a gold-embellished scroll and handed it to his chamberlain.

“The prince has brought glad tidings of his service to the kingdom, and Jim wishes to make an important announcement here.”

The emperor nodded, and the minister took the scroll and went to Kang Yoon. After Kang Yoon bowed and took it, the emperor spoke in a stern voice.

“Crown Prince Kang Yoon, I give you permission to build an altar to the throne.”

The scroll was, in fact, a license for the construction of an imperial altar.

The air in the Yuan court hummed with excitement at the emperor’s announcement: the construction of the imperial altar meant that preparations for the imperial succession would soon begin.

Everyone knew that Kang Yoon would be the next heir to the imperial throne, so there was nothing new here, but the emperor hadn’t expected to make the announcement so quickly.

Kang Yun was the only one who stood tall, and he bowed to the emperor as naturally as one who received what he deserved.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

“I bow to you, Your Majesty! I bow to you, Crown Prince!”

The courtiers and ladies-in-waiting, as well as you and I, bowed in honor and respect.

Kang Yoon turned and looked at them, and something foreign caught his eye.

Amid all the cheering and rejoicing, two pairs of eyes stared back at the crown prince, alone and cold.

It was the First Lady Hee Gyeonggung, and while she was expressing her reductions with the others, her eyes were not smiling at all.

The ice-cold gaze seemed to resent her for returning. Kang Yoon didn’t avert his gaze but looked her straight in the eye.

The attack in the wilderness had most likely been staged by her.

It didn’t matter, no matter what she did, no matter how many assassins she sent, she would return to this palace alive and well, and her son would never return.

“Hail, Crown Prince!”

For a long time, the palace echoed with well-wishes for Kang Yoon’s future.

And when the imperial throne moves, giddy energy inevitably permeates the air.

Amidst the chants of praise for the vassal states and the imperial family, a few men with dangerous eyes began to crouch quietly, waiting for the right moment.

As if the real war were just beginning.

***

Contrary to the expectation that they would be taken to the camps with the prisoners from their own country, the tenderized caravan suddenly took a different path.

Knowing full well that there is no paradise for her on this earth, Yeon-Hwa asks no questions and only hopes that it was a place a little closer to death.

They traveled for a long time through the imperial palace, which was vast and far beyond the size of her country.

Finally, the palanquin stopped in front of a building.

White cloths hung from the trees, fluttering like butterflies and clouds, and faintly scented smoke wafted through the air.

It was deserted, but not desolate; it looked ordinary, but not like a place where anything was going on. The atmosphere hovering around the building was almost palpable.

“Get off.”

Mu Heon held out his hand to Yeon Hwa.

This was the warrior who had been a shadowy presence at the crown prince’s side, the man who had stood by his side when the black-clad assassins attacked.

Judging by the way the caravan had changed course since this man arrived, it was as if the crown prince had sent him here.

Looking at Mu Heon’s palm, which still bore the marks of a knife, Kang Yoon’s arm came to mind.

‘Is the wound…… okay.’

I didn’t even dare to say hello, as it was too strange to express my gratitude.

She was only glad that the cursed garment had been used to bind his wound.

After a moment of reflection, Yeon Hwa took Mu Heon’s hand and led him out of the kiln.

In the meantime, they heard a noise and someone walked out from inside the building.

Tap, tap, tap.

It was none other than an old woman, walking with a cane.

Dressed all in white with a black collar, she looked like any other old woman, the only difference being her eyes.

The old woman’s eyes were white and distant as if they were trying to capture things that were not of this world.

She leaned on a cane, but her back was stiff, and her face, deeply etched with immeasurable years, was overwhelming to behold, but she was also cautious, not wanting to be rash.

The old woman gauged their presence with her eyes. An uncharacteristically strong smell of iron assailed the old woman’s sense of smell.

“I assume you were sent by the Crown Prince, Captain.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Very well, then, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Please.”

After a brief, unintelligible exchange, Mu Heon turned back the way he came.

A glance was all he offered in greeting. As Mu Heon stared at the unintelligible situation, the old woman spoke first.

“Please come inside, and I’ll show you around.”

It was an undeserved courtesy for the queen of a country that had lost the war.

For the first time in her life, Yeon-hwa wondered if things were going differently than she expected.

So she opened her lips, which she hadn’t opened since her arrival.

“I am a prisoner from a foreign land. How is it that I was brought here unlike all the other prisoners?”

“…….”

“Or is there a disgrace worse than being royalty of the Asylum?”

I asked, knowing what was to come and what this place was for.

The old woman turned around to go inside with her cane, her pure white eyes focused on Yeon Hwa exactly as she was looking ahead as if she could see deep into his heart.

The old woman remained silent for a moment, but then she revealed a startling fact.

“The fact that His Highness the Crown Prince sent you here means that you are not just a prisoner.”

“Then…….”

“It means that you are His Highness’s offering to be presented at the coronation.”

“An…… offering to be made at the coronation?”

“Yes.”

Just when I thought I had barely gotten out of the spirit world, now I was being asked to be a sacrifice.

Even to herself, she gave a shuddering sob at the strange fate that had befallen her, and the cylinder disappeared in a soundless puff of white breath.

“Old lady,” Boshan muttered to himself, “you are a very strange woman.

“You have indeed traveled a dizzying path, my lady.”

When you lose your sight, your other senses take over.

So Boshan could read and feel things that others could not.

The other man’s breath, his scent, the width and speed of his steps across the floor, even his mood, and the aura he was born with.

The more she studied him, the more a puzzled glow spread across Boshan’s face.

A person could hide their emotions through their facial expressions, but their breathing, gestures, and even finger movements gave everything away, and yet, no matter how hard he concentrated, he could read little from Yeon Hwa.

It wasn’t that she had no energy, but rather that she had so many different emotions that she couldn’t define any one of them. This is usually reserved for those who have endured a series of overwhelming storms.

‘The woman who wept tears of blood.

Long experience had taught me that a person with such an aura could be drawn into a dizzying whirlwind by mere presence.

But what to do with her was something only the prince who brought her to him can decide.

He felt that it was only right to offer his advice quietly.

After a moment’s thought, Boshan introduced himself to Yeon Hwa.

“I am Boshan, the highest priestess of Manhadang, and while you are here, you will be looked after by me and the other priestesses of Manhadang, so if you need anything, please feel free to ask.”

The more Boshan talked, the more Yeon Hwa didn’t understand the situation.

A human sacrifice would be like a game taken from the hunting grounds.

Yet her attitude toward Guiyin, as if she were a guest, created a disparity.

Boshan seemed to read her confusion and gave her an unasked-for answer.

“The sacrifice here may be very much the same as you think, or it may be very different.

But for now, nothing will happen, so that’s all you need to know for now.”

Boshan smiled gently, but it didn’t ease her doubts, and she walked into the hall.

The futility of premature hope and premature despair was something she had learned the hard way over the past ten years in the inner court.

So Yeon Hwa gave up pondering and followed Boshan.

She never imagined that she would see something unexpected there.