“Why did you act on your own without saying a word and create this mess?!”
Manseon snapped angrily at Yoon Jucheol, who was sitting with a glum expression. His bad habit of exploiting Nokhee for his own gain had resulted in a serious problem this time.
Upon hearing the news that the Crown Prince’s procession would soon arrive at Hwangju Castle, Manseon urgently summoned Yoon Jucheol and stressed that neither Nokhee nor the Imugi should ever be discovered by the imperial family.
Even if someone from the Yoon lineage fell ill during the Crown Prince's stay, they could just say that it was due to a lurking spirit and summon a shaman to perform an exorcism; that would suffice.
Although it was presented as a visit to a temple, the Crown Prince was undoubtedly here to investigate the Yoon family, which had been consolidating power in this remote northern region. There was nothing to gain from exposing the secrets surrounding the Imugi, so Manseon repeatedly warned Yoon Jucheol to exercise caution. However, driven by greed, Yoon Jucheol devised a plan to place Nokhee directly in the Crown Prince's sight.
“What on earth made you think it was a good idea to force Nokhee into the Crown Prince’s quarters? Those marks on that woman’s body! He’s not blind; do you really think he won’t notice it if he got physically involved with her?!”
Manseon was utterly appalled by Yoon Jucheol's actions, which had brought Nokhee into the spotlight, even going so far as to bring the shackles that bound her ankle to Hwangju. It pounded its chest repeatedly in frustration.
At the banquet welcoming the Crown Prince's procession, the dreaded situation unfolded. Yoon Jucheol's eldest son transformed into a snake and bit one of the Crown Prince’s attendants, leaving the banquet hall in chaos.
“The Crown Prince loves to drink, and I thought it would be fine since it would be at night. I take the blame... I had no idea Myunghoon would end up like that.”
"Has the Yoon family’s curse been going on for a year or two? Even if it came to that, you should have sent that snake bastard far away!"
Under Manseon’s relentless interrogation, Yoon Jucheol finally ceased his feeble excuses and fell silent. Why on earth would Myunghoon, in his serpentine form, go to a place that would threaten Nokhee?
It was only natural for Nokhee to lose all sense of heaven and earth, gripped by the fear that her one and only mother was on the path to the afterlife. In her panic, she rushed into danger, where both she and her mother could have been caught and possibly killed by Myunghoon. Fortunately, a nearby servant managed to save her.
Everyone, including the Yoon family and the Crown Prince, witnessed an unarmed servant cleanly sever Myunghoon’s head and then hold the unconscious Nokhee in his arms.
―Lord Yoon, who is this person?
Even the elite imperial guards, specially trained to protect the Crown Prince, could not easily approach Myunghoon, who had transformed into a fearsome snake monster.
How could an unarmed person have struck down such a beast in a single blow? Moreover, why did his expression remain so calm, as if he were accustomed to such incidents occurring repeatedly?
Yoon Jucheol flinched at the Crown Prince's question, his face turning ashen as he stammered a response.
―I-it is just a mere servant, Your Highness.
―Does Hwangju Castle even teach martial arts to mere servants? And who is that woman? Why did Lady Yoon come all the way here to embrace her?
―I-I beg your pardon, Your Highness. That... that is...
―Your eldest son has harmed one of my cherished aides. I am a man of many suspicions, so you must explain this matter in detail.
One illness could be handled somehow, but the fact that Myunghoon had bitten someone to death had escalated the situation beyond control.
To make matters worse, the secrets regarding Nokhee, the Imugi, and all the hidden dealings had been exposed, leaving little room for deception.
“No way, could it be the true nature of that servant has been exposed as well?”
Manseon, who had been quietly listening to Yoon Jucheol, suddenly interjected. Yoon Jucheol hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
“...I only mentioned that he is a snake yokai.”
“Oh dear.”
“Then what do we do now? His Highness witnessed that servant kill Myunghoon without lifting a finger. To explain what happened to Myunghoon, I had no choice but to speak the truth.”
“...”
“Moreover, it seems that His Highness the Crown Prince was already fully aware that our family was manipulating this mythical creature.”
Yoon Jucheol shuddered at the memory of his earlier conversation with the Crown Prince.
—Is that servant the miraculous mythical creature you were said to be controlling? Thanks to him, the granaries of Hwangju Castle are never empty, and the news has spread even to the capital.
—Th-that thing is...
—Is it called an Imugi?
Seeing Yoon Jucheol hesitating to reveal the true identity of the servant, the Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled as he openly pressed for an answer.
The thought suddenly crossed Yoon Jucheol's mind that the Crown Prince's visit to the temple might be a pretext. Only then did he realise the gravity of the situation and ultimately confessed the legendary tale entwined with his family.
“Tsk, that’s why you should have been more careful with your reckless behaviour. I had my suspicions about you from the moment you started pushing Nokhee around like that.”
Manseon clicked its tongue in disapproval at his foolishness.
From time to time, Yoon Jucheol gathered the local gentry and arrogant nobles around Hwanju, stripped Nokhee bare, and paraded her around. By boasting about possessing the scales of the Imugi, he solidified his status and amassed wealth through all kinds of bribes. It would have been strange if rumours had not spread.
Because of the sins he committed, Yoon Jucheol silently stared at the floor, his face ashen. His eldest son, who was supposed to carry on the family line, was dead, and now even the hidden family secrets had been exposed to the imperial family. It must have been unbearable for him.
However, this was not a time to be disheartened. While Manseon had helped them gain power, the Yoon family, lacking any real substance, would have been easily exposed if the imperial family had chosen to investigate them.
This might actually be a good opportunity.
“Although, unfortunately, Myunghoon has died, there’s nothing we can do about it now. You said you wanted to make your daughter, Bohee, the Crown Princess, didn’t you?”
At those words, Yoon Jucheol looked up and met Manseon’s gaze. It wasn’t something one should say to a parent who had just lost a child, but such occurrences were all too common in the Yoon family.
"Tell the Crown Prince that what we control is a dragon that fell while ascending to the heavens."
“What? What do you mean...?”
“Tell him that our family does not merely control a snake yokai, but rather controls a dragon.”
“So, ensure you convince him to make Bohee the Crown Princess, and in the process, send Nokhee along as a concubine.”
“What do you mean, Grand Sharman? How can we possibly send that Nokhee to the imperial family?”
Not understanding the situation, Yoon Jucheol opened his eyes wide in disbelief and asked back. After all, the Yoon family had always been dull-witted, just as they were now. Manseon swallowed a sigh and explained patiently.
“After Myunghoon's funeral, it's possible that a new scale will emerge. If that creature realises that there are seven threads of his life [1] gathered in Nokhee's body, do you think he will just sit back and do nothing? He will surely try to desperately reclaim them.”
“If so...”
“Persuade the Crown Prince that if he embraces Nokhee, he will gain the power of the dragon and become the emperor chosen by the heavens. Simultaneously, we can discreetly conceal the reverse scales within the imperial family while making Bohee the Crown Princess. No matter how formidable a creature may be, it cannot easily intrude upon the imperial palace where the Haetae rests.”
“Then, not only will you be controlling a dragon, but you will also become the maternal relative of the future Empress, and who in this country would dare to challenge the Yoon family?”
However, after a moment, he glanced at Manseon and asked cautiously.
“But, if that happens, we would be daring to deceive His Highness the Crown Prince... What if the imperial shaman is summoned to investigate? If it is revealed that it is not a dragon but an Imugi...”
"We can say that in its greed to become a dragon, it devoured its siblings and was punished by the heavens, ending up like this. Even in its incomplete state, it still possesses the energy of a dragon. Just that alone will be enough to captivate the Crown Prince."
Yoon Jucheol was impressed by those words.
“I will wholeheartedly follow your instructions, Grand Sharman. However... if we send Nokhee as a concubine, won’t that creature’s reverse scales end up transferring to His Highness the Crown Prince? What if that woman becomes pregnant...”
“Such a thing will not happen.”
Manseon firmly asserted while subtly avoiding Yoon Jucheol’s gaze, instead looking at the distant mountains.
At first, it was clear that the vengeful spirits of those who died followed the reverse scales, but too much time had passed. While their lives were tied to the reverse scales, this place was where those beings were born and raised, so they had taken root and become earthbound spirits.
The deep resentment they harboured toward the sibling who devoured them prevented them from ascending to the heavens. Over time, they consumed the souls of deceased members of the Yoon family, growing stronger with each passing day. Eventually, they became a mass of malevolent spirits, losing track of their original enemy. Consequently, the current Hwangju Castle had become little more than a den of ghosts.
However, Manseon had no intention of revealing such truths aloud. Therefore, in response to Yoon Jucheol's question about how it could be so certain, it added a bit of truth to its answer.
“They only run through the Yoon family’s bloodline. This is because your great-grandfather personally extracted them and swallowed them whole. That snake bastard has been reduced to serving as a mere servant in this house all this time because of that...”
“What… what does that mean?”
It was then. A foreign voice interrupted the secret conversation between the two.
Manseon and Yoon Jucheol turned their heads simultaneously. A young woman sat on the bed, her pale complexion suggesting she had just regained her senses.
In their haste to discuss their plans and share secrets, they had completely forgotten about her.
Yoon Jucheol had hastily brought Nokhee, who was covered in blood and had fainted, to Manseon’s chamber in the shrine after snatching her from the snake bastard that was attempting to move her.
He had done this to prevent the Crown Prince from approaching, which, despite his usual foolishness, was a commendable display of quick thinking.
“Nokhee, you’re awake.”
Manseon calmly greeted her. However, unlike her usual self who would have bowed deeply and stepped down from the bed, Nokhee stared back at it with ghostly lifeless eyes and asked again
“I asked what you meant.”
“Why are you asking about it if you've been eavesdropping all this time? Just prepare yourself accordingly; you might become the Crown Prince's concubine...”
“No, not that. I’m referring to what I’ve consumed so far... the heirloom.”
Nokhee was the first to interrupt Yoon Jucheol. As she regained her senses and listened to the conversation between the Grand Sharman and Yoon Jucheol, she found it difficult to believe what she was hearing.
"What do you mean they are Kijoon... Kijoon's reverse scales..."
As she stumbled over those words, a chilling sensation crept up the back of her neck. Her hands, resting under the blanket, trembled uncontrollably. Although the room was undeniably warm, it felt as if she had been abandoned amid a snowy mountain in the dead of winter, causing a shiver to rise within her.
“I… I told him to just leave.”
By merely pretending to be a member of the Yoon family, she felt she was already sinning against Kijoon. After all, they were in a similar situation as servants. It felt wrong to speak to him casually and give him orders.
But it wasn’t even that. They were in the same situation.
If what she had consumed over the years was essentially Kijoon’s lifeline, and if that was the reason he had to continue serving as a servant in this house...
How on earth was she any different from the members of the Yoon family?
—Just run away already.
She spoke without knowing anything, completely unaware of what had taken root in her body. As she recalled how she had been flitting about like a fool, oblivious to the gravity of the situation...
She felt suffocated. Nokhee gasped for breath like a fish pulled out of the water and then suddenly began to scream as if wailing.
“You told me to think of myself as a scapegoat for the Yoon family's misfortunes and to live my life that way. If I did, then no one would come to harm — didn’t you say that yourself?! How… how could you not mention it even once in ten years...!”
“You didn’t need to know.”
However, the expression on the Grand Sharman's face, which seemed to dismiss everything as nonsense, left Nokhee speechless.
“Your only purpose is to serve as a vessel for those things. Knowing won’t do you any good; it will only leave you feeling uneasy.”
No. If she had known, she would never have stubbornly insisted on having Kijoon serve her. She wouldn’t have dared to utter such presumptuous words about running away, nor would she have imposed unnecessary commands as he suggested.
If… if she had known, she would never have given her heart. Never, never...
“Did you think it would be easy for lowly beings like yourself to rise in status? Even the daughters of noble families are not guaranteed a place in the imperial family. Do you really think this is appropriate for someone in your position?"
“...”
"We took in your mother and your younger sibling, cared for them, and provided for your food and clothing without hesitation, just like we did for Bohee. For ten years, neither I nor anyone in this household has ever done you any harm."
“...”
“So from now on, just pretend not to know.”
The Grand Shaman recited only the most superficial things. In the ten years she spoke of, there was no acknowledgment of Nokhee, who had suffered, fallen ill, and decayed.
It had been so painful. It had been so difficult.
Suddenly, her vision went dark. No matter how much she flailed her arms, it felt as if an endless swamp was pulling her down to the very bottom.
She had been barely holding on to a faint lifeline, but in reality, it wasn't even a severed rope; it was merely an illusion that never existed.
She could no longer live like this.
“...No, I need to know.”
Nokhee abruptly raised her head.
"I need to understand what has taken root in my body and what kind of value they possess for the Crown Prince to come all the way to Hwangju himself."
“You insolent woman! How dare you act so brazenly in my presence! You should be grateful that I’m even considering allowing you to join the imperial family, yet here you are, speaking so impudently…!”
“When have I ever said I wanted to be the Crown Prince’s concubine? Without Seonghyeon and my mother, I wouldn’t care if I dropped dead right now.”
With bloodshot eyes, she glared at the two people in front of her, causing Yoon Jucheol to frown. However, Nokhee remained unfazed, gritting her teeth as she repeated her words.
“Being a scapegoat in a place where my family is gathered and being forced to leave them behind to go to the imperial palace, which I do not even desire, are entirely different matters. So, everyone, listen carefully!”
“...”
"Choose now whether you want me to quietly follow Bohee and become the Crown Prince's concubine, or if you would rather have me bite my tongue and end my life right here. Do you understand?"
Perhaps because the servant’s first act of defiance felt unusually bold and out of character, a chilly silence settled over the room.
Both the Grand Sharman and Yoon Jucheol glared at her with eyes that looked like they could tear her apart. However, Nokhee was not so foolish as to simply comply, even while being held hostage.
There was a reason why the Yoon family subjected her to unspeakable shame and humiliation yet never dared to inflict serious harm. If she were to take her own life, they would lose any chance of reclaiming everything she had been forced to swallow and endure over the years.
So, she needed to know. About Kijoon. About the reverse scales that had taken root within her and the price, she had to pay for the sins she committed against him.
“...It is as you have heard.”
With Nokhee eyes wide open in a fierce glare, she shifted her gaze between the two of them until the Grand Sharman finally spoke, her tone weighted as if she were yielding.
“In the past, a calamity struck Hwangju, and the ancestors of the Yoon family requested that I find the cause. I discovered that a monster named Gangcheol had taken root within the castle. By the time I attempted to exorcise it, I realised it had already died after laying twelve eggs, and one of those eggs hatched into the creature that now serves you.”
And the words that followed were enough to completely shatter Nokhee’s composure.
What the Grand Sharman and the Yoon family had done to Kijoon was beyond the bounds of human decency.
In a fight for survival, he was forced to devour his siblings; the power that emerged from this was then forcibly extracted, turning a healthy mythical creature into a servant for nearly one hundred and fifty years.
They commanded people to be killed, beat him, and forced him to perform all sorts of degrading tasks that even their subordinates were reluctant to do... The contempt she had witnessed from the Yoon family over the years was beyond what she could count on both hands.
Nokhee struggled to stifle the screams that threatened to erupt from her as she listened to the Grand Sharman's words. The ones who deserved divine punishment were not Kijoon, but them.
“...Thus, out of the ten that I distributed to this family, six of them reside within your body.”
By the time the Grand Shaman and Yoon Jucheol's lengthy explanation finally ended, Nokhee's insides felt not just shattered into pieces but reduced to a pulp, stained by a palpable sense of death.
This time, Yeojin's advice was misguided. “Life is much shorter than you think, therefore, just follow your heart.” After hearing this, Nokhee gathered her courage, deciding she wanted to see that arrogant servant's face just one more time before entering the Crown Prince's quarters.
‘But Mum, that's not true. I guess I was never in a position to even look at Kijoon.’
“So if you stay here any longer, as the Grand Sharman said, that monster will surely eat you alive. Don’t you think it would be better to go to the imperial palace and be treated as a concubine rather than living under our watchful eyes?”
Following the Grand Sharman, Yoon Jucheol tried to appease her as if he was doing her a favour.
Translator's Corner:
[1] "Thread(s) of life" is a metaphor for a person's lifespan and refers to the Greek mythology, of "Moirai" or "The Fates." A golden thread represents each person's life and destiny, and once a person's life ends, the thread will be cut. (Source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Fates/)
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