A Dragon Lives In That Scholar's Deep Spring - Chapter 14

– CHAPTER 14 –

Once again, the jewelry seemed to fit Farang as if it were made for her. Do-gyeom felt the joy of giving, even if Farang didn’t seem pleased.

However, Farang once again defied Do-gyeom’s expectations.

“If you’re giving me this gift because you trust me even a little…”

After taking out what Do-gyeom had carefully inserted into her hair, she looked at the jewelry with a skeptical expression.

“I would have preferred being taken straight to my destination rather than receiving a half-hearted gift like this.”

Then she handed over all the jewelry and the snack bag to Do-gyeom. As he received them in his arms, she added.

“If there’s a good memory to take from here, that’s enough.”

“.…”

“The little one gave up all her favorite food for me.”

Farang made a sound as she tasted the snack thoughtfully.

“I don’t understand why that’s considered the best, though.”

With her sweet and sticky lips and a red tongue peeking out, Farang disappeared into the dimly lit room as effortlessly as flowing water. Watching her disappear without making a sound, Do-gyeom sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’ve become quite the hypocrite.”

Having witnessed the powerlessness of the night and experienced the powerlessness underwater, he couldn’t help but be concerned.

Do-gyeom stood there, holding the untouched snacks and the expensive gifts that had been rejected, unsure of where to go next.

* * *

It was such a deep night that it was impossible to tell whether the dark sky was dyed by the black tiles or if the sky illuminated the tiles.

Apart from the torches of the guards patrolling during the night, there was no sound or light to be seen. The bustling energy of the daytime felt like a lie.

“Hmm.”

Farang stood at the edge of a high platform in a corner of the palace. Even when the wind blew, she remained unmoved. Her hair, which had been dyed black when the sun rose, had returned to its original color, swaying like waves.

Her blue gaze was fixed on something far away.

“The palace?”

In a world where vitality was rapidly draining, she didn’t want to move. Yet, there was only one reason she followed Sun-yi, who went out to shop.

“Yes, the palace. The one with patronage.”

While Sun-yi was distracted by shopping, Farang was checking the location of the palace.

“It’s right over there, beyond the bridge. If you go straight up, you’ll find the main gate. That’s the main entrance to the palace. Did you come from a distant place?”

Although Do-gyeom had suggested waiting for three days as a precaution, Farang had no intention of waiting from the beginning.

If the problem is that they will become dangerous to each other, wouldn’t it be better if they don’t create a dangerous situation itself? There was no problem at all with Farang, who was able to keenly read the signs around her and avoid them all.

“Looking for the palace right under your nose.”

Do-gyeom had moved Farang to his own house without being noticed by anyone, so it was natural to assume it was nearby. And Farang’s prediction was spot on. She had no interest in causing trouble for the king of this place, so all that was left was to wait for Do-gyeom’s surveillance to become lax.

“Is there something going on near Jungchon? If so, I could give you more accurate directions.”

“No, nothing like that.”

When Farang obtained the information she wanted while admiring the sparkling jewelry, her peculiar demeanor and dismissive tone puzzled the shop owner, who asked her.

“Then, do you have business at the Eastern Palace?”

“I’m going home.”

“Home?”

Just then, Sun-yi noticed the feeling of emptiness by her side. Holding back her emotions, with a muddy face, she returned to her mistress, who had been pushed aside by the crowd. Farang, who turned away, did not forget to give instructions.

“Yes. Don’t tell anyone about what I asked. Absolutely.”

“Yes? Oh, I see. Lady? I, I am just a servant and do not know the palace’s laws…”

“Lady!”

“Oh my!”

Although Sun-yi seemed to call her, she couldn’t hear properly over the commotion. Farang, holding a pretty but functionally useless hairpin, concentrated on memorizing the path indicated by the shop owner.

“Hmm… around there, I think.”

Even in the darkness, finding the palace wasn’t difficult. Following the direction given by the merchant she met during the day, she saw buildings and gates that looked different in size and structure from regular houses.

“What’s this? There are many guards.”

Do-gyeom’s tension, thinking there would be no breathing room after he had scared her so much, was unfounded. Since she moved stealthily, there was no need to exercise force.

“I should have just stormed in when I checked the location during the day.”

She guessed she was overly intimidated because she was surprised by the loss of her strength. There were times when she felt discouraged, and her pride was hurt. Because she couldn’t control her strength, a piece of tile that she was holding onto was brittle and broke. Farang pretended not to notice and jumped down on the other side of her.

The soldier standing guard while suppressing his drowsiness, heard the noise and quickly went to investigate, but he didn’t find the person hiding in the shadow of the wall.

Passing through neatly constructed buildings, Farang arrived at the well-maintained patronage, where the buildings were noticeable for their structure but the wide forest ensured she could hide.

Finally, Farang was going back. Her next move after finding the perfectly square pond was clear: diving into the water she longed for.

“Hmm? Did I just hear something?”

A voice came from the direction of the buildings, but it didn’t matter. Water was all that mattered to Farang; it was her world.

“It sounded like someone falling into the water.”

Close by, voices chatting leisurely could be heard. Farang disappeared completely into the pond. The water seemed to swallow up any evidence, and soon everything was quiet again.

“…But there’s nothing here?”

“Did I mishear?”

Near the Buyongji, some elderly attendants who were out for a walk chuckled. Their senses dulled by age, they soon shrugged off their suspicions and looked up at the sky.

“After all, this is the best spot for moon-gazing, isn’t it?”

“The taste of the moon might even cure illness. I’ll have to tease my grandson a bit more during our day off tomorrow.”

“But as I grow older, I’ve come to prefer the young Choi standing guard instead.”

“Oh, you! You stayed up all night relying on that vigor, only to leave work early without even drinking blood soup. You should have seen the look on your face.”

The square pond listened to the conversation of the attendants. It swallowed up everything that touched its surface but refused to give anything back.

“Sometimes, when Choi Do-gyeom is on guard duty, His Highness the Crown Prince comes to discuss matters. Was he here yesterday?”

“It seems so. Before, His Highness the Crown Prince rarely left his quarters, so His Majesty was even considering the Golden Marriage.”

“Isn’t it fortunate that Choi Do-gyeom managed to handle His Highness the Crown Princ’s antics today?”

“Since he, who usually keeps His Highness the Crown Prince in check, left early today, I wonder if the Eastern Palace will be in chaos again.”

“Didn’t you know? While you were in the library earlier, an official from the Eastern Palace had already visited. He said he came to check things out after hearing that he went for a walk alone and ended up here.”

“It’s going to be difficult for the Eastern Palace to sleep again tonight.”

“Let’s go inside. The night air is getting chilly, and we never know who might take a sick day tomorrow.”

“Shall we have a cup of tea inside? My cousin, who returned from a stroll, brought some good tea leaves as a gift, especially for you.”

“Is it necessary for you to do this?”

The sound of their footsteps and laughter gradually faded away. The tranquil garden returned to being the realm of the wind.

The malicious wind brushed past the pine tree on the small island of Buyongji, but even with branches bent as if twisted by a harsh wind, it stood firmly. It only carried the scent of pine in the wind.

“Hah….”

In that peaceful scene, only Farang, stretching her head on one side of the island, was not peaceful alone.

“…What on earth?”

Anxiety became a reality. She couldn’t go back.

Is removing the ring the answer after all? Farang, gazing at the ring, which glowed faintly in the moonlight, once again grasped the finger.

It wouldn’t matter if she lost a finger or two. Sharp nails dug into her flesh.

“…Ouch!”

The heartache came again at that moment. With a little more force, she could have broken bones and cut off her fingers to remove the ring.

But suddenly, as the wind surged as if her heart would break, Farang struggled for a while without breathing, submerged in water, experiencing unfamiliar pain for the first time.

The terrifying pain subsided only after the partially severed finger regained its weak vitality by absorbing a small amount of water.

Barely coming to her senses, Farang gradually exhaled, realizing one new fact.

If the ring is removed, her heart breaks.

“How long do you think that power of yours will last, huh? Nothing lasts forever…”

It was clear that the two were connected. For example, the ring is like a parasite, clinging to Farang and sucking up strength, bit by bit.