A Dragon Lives In That Scholar's Deep Spring - Chapter 30

Chapter 30

“Why do you know?”

“Because when the appearance is perfect, one can have doubts. My uncle is a very suspicious person. That’s why I showed you your flaws.”

Flaws, you say. Perhaps he meant that she hadn’t learned the order of this land yet, but receiving such treatment, even for an unfeeling blue, wasn’t pleasant.

“I don’t have any flaws.”

“I showed them to him before disappearing. Do I need to say more for you to understand?”

Do-gyeom looked satisfied as he gazed in the direction his uncle had disappeared.

“If you didn’t like it, you would have opposed it even if it meant changing the contract. You liked it.”

“….”

“My uncle doesn’t judge people based solely on what they see and hear. If you’re upset, I apologize.”

“So, can I go in now?”

“What are you talking about?”

Do-gyeom cut off and said firmly.

“From now on, it begins.”

* * *

“From now on, your name is Cheong. Shim Cheong.”

“Shim Cheong?”

Farang, lying on the bedding, munched on the sweet and chewy taffy and seemed displeased as she rolled the new name on her tongue.

“Why do I need to change my name?”

“Because you need a home and a status. We can’t just bring anyone in as a royal consort.”

Do-gyeom’s hand slid like water over Farang’s shoulder, unconsciously trying to push back her long hair. She must have been quite surprised when she saw the woman crossing the middle gate earlier. Right now, it’s back to its blue color, but earlier, the hair color had changed.

“What happened to your hair?”

Perhaps he was worried that it had some power to induce hallucinations in people. He sighed softly as he watched Farang’s hair flow.

“I put my cherished power into it. I found out why my hair is black during the day.”

“Put your power into it?”

Seeing that Do-gyeom didn’t quite understand, Farang, as if annoyed, lifted the brush from the writing table and sloppily brushed a white piece of paper.

“What are you doing?”

“Teaching you how to do it.”

And she applied more strokes. The paper quickly turned into indigo where Farang’s brush had passed.

“It’s like applying the same color over and over again. I didn’t have enough power to make it completely black, but it’s a night, so it shouldn’t be too noticeable.”

“…I see.”

He thought the same thing. Fortunately, it was a moonless night, and Do-gyeom had lured his uncle out of the room with the candles on.

If Sun-yi had noticed first, her reaction would have been heard. So he judged that it wouldn’t be too late to hide it from his uncle at that time.

“But…”

Farang, who tossed the brush carelessly, picked up another taffy and bit into it. It was amazing that it didn’t melt even after holding it for a while.

“You said you can’t just bring anyone in as a royal consort, so what if they look at my background and status first?”

“I check the background first. How you’ve lived, the education you’ve received, your character, whether it’s gentle and upright.”

“So, I have to lie?”

“It’s not about creating a fictitious character. We’re borrowing the name of my cousin.”

Do-gyeom cleared his throat and called out to Farang.

“Cheong.”

“What?”

“Cheong, I will call you that from now on. You can call me ‘brother’ respectfully.”

“Brother?”

Farang’s eyebrows wrinkled unevenly.

“What’s that? Why do I have to be respectful?”

“Although it’s a title, it establishes the bond of family between us and simultaneously fosters intimacy.”

“Intimacy? I have no intention of getting close to you.”

This time, Do-gyeom’s eyebrows wrinkled unevenly.

“…Why not?”

Looking at the hole in the taffy, Farang responded to Do-gyeom as if it were obvious.

“I’m going back.”

“…Even if you go back, it doesn’t change the fact that you have to live as Cheong while you’re here.”

Do-gyeom, who spoke firmly, shifted his gaze to Farang’s hand holding the snack.

The ring that was like a shackle to Farang was nothing short of a lifeline to Do-gyeom, giving him complex feelings of both gratitude and guilt.

“But it doesn’t mean the persona of Farang who lived here disappears.”

“Perhaps, even if I want to forget, I’ll never be able to. With hair that turns blue every night…”

“Of course. You’re not going to live as Shim Cheong for just a few thousand years.”

How can someone who talks so naturally about things that can’t be explained within the bounds of human understanding forget themselves?

“So, even more so, you need to forget what you brought with you from living as Farang and learn everything step by step while living as Shim Cheong. Cutting time means you must be exceptional, especially because there isn’t much time until your selection…”

“Brother.”

Farang, who had been listening silently, suddenly called Do-gyeom. She had been taught to call him that way, but she felt a bit strange about it.

“…Yes, Cheong.”

“I understand that I need to live as Shim Cheong and conform to my surroundings here. But if I have to protect a weak king to that extent…”

Licking the sweet taffy with her red tongue, Farang looked at Do-gyeom and her eyes sparkled.

“Make me the king. How about me becoming the king?”

Her eyes were excessively clear and blue, as if her pure intentions were visible in her pupils, to the extent that Do-gyeom couldn’t even feel a hint of doubt. He swallowed hard before finally responding.

“Never speak those words again! Absolutely not!”

“Why are you shouting like that?”

As if her ears were sensitive, Farang covered both her ears with her hands. Do-gyeom grabbed both of her wrists and made eye contact.

“You must never say such things anywhere. It’s a grave crime. Your life could be in danger immediately!”

“Do you think my life can be so easily taken?”

Of course, if it were Farang, she could likely avoid the situation, just as she had dispatched the thugs.

But this was Joseon.

“Rebellion is a crime that doesn’t end with your death alone. I, the servants who look after this house, and the parents who have a daughter named Shim Cheong can all be executed. Do you think it’s a matter that ends by just sacrificing your own life?”

“….”

Only then did Farang firmly seal her lips. She appeared somewhat surprised.

“Your world and this place have different orders of power. Even if you have power and have become a king in your world, here, the king of this land is the king because he possesses power. You must never forget this fact.”

“All right.”

Farang lowered her hands, which had been covering her ears, and looked at Do-gyeom, who was holding both her wrists, asking.

“What if I find a way to go back suddenly and disappear?”

“….”

“What if you or the other people in this house didn’t die then? How will you handle it?”

Do-gyeom released Farang, moved back, and sat down. It felt like his mind became clear and cool for a moment when his cold skin touched her, but now it seemed like warmth was returning to his body, much like after being immersed in water and feeling a slight chill. He needed a break.

“Then we’ll have to find alternative solutions at that time. Right now, I’m just trying to do the best I can immediately. Regardless of how much time is left, the reason for fabricating such an event is to eliminate those who threaten the Crown Prince, so we need to investigate the truth of the matter as much as possible and gather evidence.”

Farang, who had been quietly listening, offered an alternative that didn’t sit well with her.

“Why not just capture the already appointed Crown Prince and kill him? It doesn’t matter when I disappear, and you would have more time, wouldn’t you?”

“Cheong.”

Do-gyeom called out to her with the new name, trying to dissuade her, but it was in vain. Farang straightened her posture and asserted her opinion.

“If it’s difficult to kill him, it’s okay to just hide him away somewhere where he can’t move.”

Since she had decided to help, it was clear that she wanted to help with determination in case of unforeseen circumstances. However, Do-gyeom felt the need to temper Farang’s excessive enthusiasm.

“This country operates on legitimacy. If the designated Crown Prince disappears, people will become suspicious, starting with the person who benefits most from the Crown Prince’s disappearance, which would likely be me. Even if I manage to avoid suspicion, someone will undoubtedly face retaliation. How do you think I should handle that?”

“Ugh….”

Before long, the disinterested Farang flipped over onto the bedding again. She seemed to have grown tired of munching on taffy, even pushing the half-empty snack bowl away.

“These people in this land live tiring lives.”

“That’s why humans are different from fish, isn’t it?”

The lamp flickered, casting light on Farang’s pale face. Initially, she had disliked the heat, but now she seemed to have grown somewhat accustomed to it.

The dragon, who had initially found the heat unbearable and questioned why they needed to have the light on when they could see perfectly well in the dark, now appeared to be adapting. Do-gyeom considered that they had a long way to go, even when the journey was only one step.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be busy, so rest here in the meantime. As soon as it gets light…”

Do-gyeom got up to open the door but stumbled for a moment. Farang had become two, and then three.

Dealing with just one of them was challenging enough, but now there were three. Do-gyeom closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.

“…What’s wrong with you?”

“It’s nothing. Rest, and you’ll feel better. You should go back before you might be moved.”

Do-gyeom had barely managed to grip the wall and was standing when Farang silently approached him. The icy-cold woman with blue eyes gazed at Do-gyeom with a raised eyebrow.

“You seem hotter than before. Is it because of that?”

Suddenly, her pale hand touched Do-gyeom’s cheek. The chilling touch briefly jolted his consciousness back to reality. Do-gyeom pushed Farang away with great effort.

“Go back.”