“...Kijoon.”
After a long stretch of silence, Nokhee finally managed to speak, her voice struggling to form words.
"I... I'm not a member of the Yoon family. You might think I'm the twin daughter of the late Yoon Jucheol, but in reality, I'm a complete stranger with no blood relation whatsoever."
“...”
"No matter how many reverse scales you feed me, I won’t develop symptoms and turn into a snake, and I... I don't know if I'll live long enough for you to get your revenge to the point that it satisfies you.”
That was the truth. The more reverse scales she consumed, the weaker her body became. At first, it was just a mild fever, but as time passed, the pain grew more intense, and recently, she had even started coughing up blood.
This time, she managed to survive, but each time she endured such suffering, the fear that one day she might not make it always lingered in the back of her mind.
Of course, slowly draining her life away might be the revenge Kijoon intended, but unfortunately, time would not allow it.
"So if you're going to take your revenge, do it quickly — either kill me with one blow or burn me like the others... But please, let my innocent mother go. Once the imperial palace learns of this, they will surely send someone, and when that happens, then you too..."
"Ha."
Nokhee’s desperate plea was mercilessly cut off by a frosty sneer. She barely managed to lift her head to look at Kijoon, who was once again staring at her with his gleaming golden snake-like eyes.
"I wondered what you were talking about."
“...”
"The imperial palace has been completely burned down, my lady."
“...What?"
"The Emperor, the Crown Prince... No, what I’m saying is that the entire imperial family has been destroyed in the flames, so there will be no one left to send."
As Nokhee listened quietly, her vision suddenly blurred, and she felt lightheaded. It was then that Kijoon delivered his final words as if driving a wedge into her heart.
"And now, this place, Hwangju, will become the capital."
"What... What do you mean by that?"
Nokhee couldn’t understand it at all. Her mind was in complete chaos. But one thing was clear: she had a sense that whatever Kijoon was saying wasn’t anything good.
“I... I can't make sense of what you're saying. Why have you been speaking nonsense since earlier? The imperial family has disappeared... and Hwangju is becoming the capital. What is all of this supposed to mean...?"
"You said you wanted to be the Crown Princess, my lady."
“...”
"You said your dream was to rise to the highest, most revered position by becoming part of the imperial family."
Why was he bringing this up now? She had only asked him to finish his revenge quickly, agreeing to whatever he wanted, and yet the absurd response she received was that the imperial family had been overthrown.
She felt like her conversations with Kijoon were constantly going off track, but she had no idea where to begin correcting them. Nokhee was simply at a loss.
Struggling to find the right words, Nokhee hesitated. At that moment, Kijoon stepped forward and snatched the wreath from her grasp.
"That's why I made it this way for you. It will take a considerable amount of time to turn Hwangju Castle into the Imperial Palace, however..."
“...”
"If it’s what you desire, I will even personally ascend the throne as the Emperor."
"So that you can become the Empress."
The man, smiling faintly as he added those words, gently placed the wreath he had taken from her back onto Nokhee's head.
Why on earth was Kijoon acting like this? She felt suffocated. Breathing heavily, Nokhee looked up at him, reached out, grabbed his sleeve tightly, and shouted.
"Wh-what on earth are you talking about? Wh-when did I ever say that? I said I wanted to go to the capital and become the Crown Princess, but when did I ever say I wanted to burn down the imperial palace and make Hwangju the capital?!"
"Whether you go to the imperial palace in the capital or stay here in Hwangju, with this land becoming the capital, what difference does it make?"
"Please, Kijoon. I need to understand why you're doing this if I'm to follow your words."
"There's no need for that. My lady, all you have to do is stay quietly in your room without lifting a finger. I'll take care of the rest... Ugh!"
It was then. The man who had been holding Nokhee tightly as she pleaded with him suddenly let out a final, agonised groan and collapsed.
“Ki-Kijoon!"
Nokhee, startled, quickly supported him. However, she then noticed the fabric over Kijoon’s chest gradually turning red with blood.
“Why... is there blood...?”
Frantically checking his face, she saw that he was pale and drenched in cold sweat from the pain. This was the first time she had seen him like this, and Nokhee’s heart sank all the way to her toes.
“W-where are you hurt, huh?”
“...”
"Wh-why are you like this? Why... is there so much blood...?"
The red stain on his white garment spread wider and wider. Despite knowing the castle was empty, Nokhee desperately looked around, searching for someone who could help. She had to treat Kijoon immediately.
“It's nothing.”
But suddenly, the man roughly shoved Nokhee away, who had been supporting him. Then he said:
"I’ll come to consummate our union tonight, so you should at least rest during the day."
After uttering those words, he disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving no time for her to react. In the front courtyard, where the green flowers swayed gently, only Nokhee was left, standing alone.
After Kijoon disappeared, Nokhee was confined to her chambers all day. Though the door was not locked, it strangely wouldn't budge whenever she tried to leave.
With no choice but to remain in the room, Nokhee eventually heard a soft 'knock knock' on the door. When she opened it, to her surprise, a steaming meal was set on the meal table, as though it had been waiting for her.
However, there wasn't a single servant or even a shadow of anyone who could have prepared the meal, which struck her as truly odd. Bringing the meal table into the room, Nokhee thought to herself that Kijoon must have used some kind of magic again.
Even though she was trapped, she knew she needed to eat to regain her strength and assess the situation. So, Nokhee tried to force herself to take a bite, but the image of the bloodstained robe kept flashing before her eyes, making it impossible to swallow a single bite.
Barely managing to eat, she set her chopsticks down and moved the meal table back outside. Not long after, when she opened the door again, the meal table had disappeared without a trace, as if it had vanished completely.
With nothing else to do, Nokhee aimlessly searched the room, but even that grew tiresome. She eventually lay down on the bed. Then, out of nowhere, the threatening words Kijoon had left behind suddenly came to mind.
He had clearly said he would come tonight to consummate their union and told her to rest. But her worries kept sleep from coming, and not a single wink of rest passed her.
"What if the wound gets worse? It needs to be treated quickly..."
‘How dare I worry about someone else in my position?’ She scolded herself, but still, she couldn't calm the growing anxiety in her heart. Over and over, she looked at the window bars, checking how much time had passed.
Finally, the sun set, and darkness fell. Though she didn’t know exactly when he planned to come, the pitch-black darkness had settled, yet Kijoon still hadn’t arrived.
"That insolent man. He talks about consummating our union, but why isn't he here...?”
Seated by the window, Nokhee gazed out absently, biting her lip in frustration. Unable to endure it any longer, she suddenly sprang to her feet.
It would be better to step outside and get some fresh air. Staying inside was making her feel suffocated, as though she would burn up from the inside and crumble into ashes. Just as she reached for the doorknob...
Kuuung, kuakwakwaang———!
Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar echoed from outside the door, as if the heavens and earth themselves were being torn apart.
"Ahh!"
The building shook as if it were about to collapse, and Nokhee screamed, covering her head with both arms. Fortunately, it wasn’t a natural disaster like an earthquake, and the vibrations, accompanied by the deafening roar, soon came to a halt.
“What on earth is going on?"
Nokhee lowered her arms and, in a panic, rushed out of the room. As soon as she stepped outside, she froze in shock.
Somehow, it felt as if a deafening explosion had come from right beside her, and when she looked, one side of the wall separating the front courtyard from the inner courtyard had collapsed, lying in ruins.
Beyond that, the branches of the Nokhwa flowers she had seen in the morning were crushed, and something massive, the size of a house, lay on top of them, causing them to droop under its weight.
“Ssss, hiiissssss...”
The eerie hissing of a monster, a sound she had heard countless times since being brought here, filled the air. Despite hearing it over and over, it still never failed to send a chill down her spine.
Nokhee hated snakes. The mere thought of them made her skin crawl and filled her with revulsion. Yet, despite her fear, she found herself hesitating for a moment before slowly walking toward the collapsed wall.
"...Kijoon."
The massive black snake’s body lay there, its scales torn off in places, revealing raw, red flesh underneath.
Under the moonlight, the Nokhwa flowers were all stained red. As she approached closer, the hissing breath of the snake, which had been steadily seeping out, intermittently faltered, as if it were about to stop altogether.
“How could this...”
Tears sprang to her eyes before she could even confirm that it was Kijoon. In that instant, her mind went completely blank, and without thinking of the grotesque sight before her, she simply grabbed the limp head of the snake, trembling as she stroked it gently with her shaking hands.
“Why, why...”
Why was Kijoon in this state? She had gone to great lengths, even risking everything, to avoid this very moment. So why did the situation keep spiralling into the worst possible situation?
“Kijoon, Kijoon. Please open your eyes, okay?"
“...”
"Is it because of me? It's because you fed me the reverse scales, right?"
No matter how much she called, the snake’s tightly shut eyes never opened. Her heart sank heavily.
“Is anyone there?! Someone, please, come and help!"
Nokhee cried out like a child, desperately searching for someone to help. But the empty palace was silent, not even the sound of an ant scurrying.
The breathing of the snake she held in her arms gradually became weaker, each breath more shallow than the last.
What if Kijoon died like this? She had endured all this time, holding onto the hope that he would escape this hellish Hwangju Castle. But if Kijoon died now, what would she do?
“Please, please, someone...”
Nokhee wanted to hit and punish herself for not being able to do anything as her beloved was dying. Clutching the snake’s head, she wept uncontrollably, her sobs choking her as she pleaded with no one in particular, 'Take me instead of Kijoon, I beg you.'
And then, in that moment...
"This is divine retribution, my lady.”
As if in response to her cries, someone emerged from the darkness. The figure was so familiar that Nokhee stopped crying and blinked in surprise.
“You... Oh, aren’t you Eokbun?”
Dressed beautifully in a white hanbok like a mourner at a funeral, Eokbun walked gracefully and bowed respectfully to Nokhee, who was sitting in the middle of the courtyard. The only splash of colour on her white attire was the yellow ornament Nokhee had given her the last time they met, gently swaying as she moved.
After finishing her greeting, Eokbun crouched down to match Nokhee’s eye level and spoke.
"My lady, I am not actually Eokbun. I am a fox yokai, killed by the Imugi, and devoured by a weasel yokai. I am not a rabbit yokai."
Nokhee stared at Eokbun, who had suddenly confessed her true identity, with an expression of complete bewilderment.
"Originally, when the weasel yokai died, I should have disappeared along with the other spirits it consumed. But I stayed behind just a little longer to say my final goodbye to you, my lady."
"Di-disappear? Why are you saying such frightening things?”
"I drove out the spirit of a living person and took possession of their body, so it is only right that I receive the punishment for that."
Only then did Nokhee begin to understand that Eokbun's appearance was not actually Eokbun. The woman, who had been looking at Nokhee, lowered her gaze to the snake in her arms before speaking again.
"He was originally one of the seven celestial dragons who upheld the heavens. The Heavenly Emperor commanded him to descend to this world to restore order and assist humanity."
“A dragon...”
At those words, Nokhee lowered her gaze and looked at the snake she was holding tightly. As a servant in this wretched household, he had endured endless drudgery, called a “worm” and “snake bastard,” and suffered from insults, neglect, and humiliation. It was truly astounding that he was, in fact, a real dragon.
"Originally, he was supposed to perform good deeds, accumulate virtue, and obtain the Dragon’s Pearl [1] after which he would return to the heavens. However, due to the weasel yokai who acted as the Land Deity here, things went awry, and he ended up receiving the punishment of growing twelve reverse scales on his body."
The spirit of a fox yokai in Eokbun's form calmly explained the story to the shocked Nokhee. Her voice and mannerisms had shifted from Eokbun’s familiar tone to that of a calm and composed woman.
"If the Imugi had ceased killing and accumulated enough virtue to match the sins he had committed, he would have surely had the chance to grow new scales and become a dragon again. But now, his karmic debt has piled up so high that it reaches the heavens, and thus divine retribution has fallen upon him."
This was why his scales were falling off in chunks, his skin was peeling, and blood was pouring out. Yet, Nokhee couldn’t fully understand.
“Divine retribution. What did Kijoon do wrong...? Wasn’t everything the result of the sins committed by the Grand Sharman and the Yoon family?”
No matter how much she thought about it, Kijoon was not at fault. It wasn’t enough that he had been forced into servitude for over a hundred years for something he had done as a child, unable to tell right from wrong. Now, he had to endure such a horrific punishment? She couldn’t understand why he deserved this.
Wasn’t that too cruel? When Nokhee asked this question, her voice thick with emotion, the unfamiliar woman silently nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. The weight of the sins committed by the weasel yokai and the humans of this household has grown greater than the sins of the Imugi, so at some point, the area where the eleven reverse scales were plucked will surely be filled with new scales."
“But why is this happening now? The ones who truly deserved divine retribution are all dead, so why isn't it over yet? Huh?"
"My lady, have you perhaps not heard the news that the capital has been overthrown?"
At that question, Nokhee's eyes flickered for a moment. It was something she had heard from Kijoon this morning.
"That... that can't be possible."
She had simply dismissed it as an absurd story. The idea that the capital could fall and the imperial palace be engulfed in flames overnight — sounded like something out of a fairy tale.
However, the fox yokai firmly denied Nokhee's words.
"If you have heard, then it is all true. The Imugi has commanded all the yokai in the world to gather and destroy the capital, and as a result, the number of humans dying each day is in the thousands."
“Wh-what...?”
Nokhee’s eyes instantly widened in shock. If that was true, then everything Kijoon had said this morning was real.
―The imperial palace has been completely burned down, my lady.
―The Emperor, the Crown Prince... No, what I’m saying is that the entire imperial family has been destroyed in the flames, so there will be no one left to send.
―And now, this place, Hwangju, will become the capital.
Nokhee's eyes began to tremble as if shaken by an earthquake.
"Why on earth, why…?"
Why would he do such a thing and bring more misfortune upon himself? If Kijoon had been awake, Nokhee would have shaken him violently and screamed at him.
New scales could have grown. If that were the case, he could have flown away without the reverse scales. So why did he do something so foolish? Why?!
A scream, raw and intense, boiled up from her throat. Then, suddenly, the words that had followed came to her mind.
―You said you wanted to be the Crown Princess, my lady.
―You said your dream was to rise to the highest, most revered position by becoming part of the imperial family.
At the time, the talk of changing the capital to Hwangju had been so absurd that she didn't pay it any mind. But now, looking back...
"I-it can't be..."
A terrible realisation suddenly struck Nokhee, draining the colour from her face. The fox yokai that was silently watching her quietly muttered.
"In the places where the scales have fallen off, reverse scales will grow instead. If this slaughter continues, a reverse scale will keep growing for every human that dies. Eventually, when all the scales have transformed into reverse scales, the Imugi will be corrupted, losing his sanity like the weasel yokai. He will endlessly pluck out his reverse scales with his own hands, and in time, he will slowly cease to exist. That is precisely why everyone fears divine retribution."
Just hearing it was enough to send chills down her spine; it was a horrifying tale. She absolutely could not let that happen. Nokhee desperately asked the fox yokai.
"Th-then, what should I do? How can I prevent Kijoon from becoming like that, huh?"
"You must stop the killing now."
The solution the fox yokai offered was simple and easy. Yet, for Nokhee, it was an incredibly difficult task. Even if she told Kijoon to stop killing, there was no way he would listen to the words of his hated enemy.
"The reverse scales that have already grown cannot be undone... But the essence of the Imugi is that of a dragon. From the beginning, he was one of the seven celestial dragons who upheld the heavens. As long as he does not accumulate more sins by defying the will of the Heavenly Emperor, another chance will come."
"... What chance?"
"The chance to ascend and return to the heavens. Even if he fails in his task, the Heavenly Emperor will forgive him one day, and he will be able to return to his original home.”
The fox yokai hadn’t exactly posed it as a question, but Nokhee nodded firmly. That statement was correct. If one was a dragon, it must naturally return to the heavens.
It was fortunate that someone was there to share this information with her. Otherwise, she would have been left arguing with that foolish snake, eventually feeling so frustrated she might have died of exasperation.
Grateful, Nokhee offered her thanks without hesitation.
"Thank you for telling me this. But why are you sharing this with me? I've treated you poorly, making you serve me."
Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled. After all, Nokhee had never even jokingly considered herself a good master.
She had always coldly rejected the warm words and helping hands offered by her subordinates, maintaining a consistent indifference. Deep down, she suspected that quite a few of them secretly resented her for it.
"Though your tone was often cold, my lady, you have always been considerate of everyone. We may be spirits of the dead, but we’re perceptive — and it was out of genuine respect that we served you."
However, the words that came from Eokbun’s mouth were completely contrary to what she had expected.
"Moreover, you realised early on that I was a yokai and pretended not to know. Because of that, I almost ended up being deceived myself, my lady."
"...Eokbun."
Before long, Eokbun’s voice returned to the familiar tone of a servant, and she stood up to leave. Nokhee instinctively sensed that this would be their final moment together.
"Thank you for everything. Thanks to the trinket you gave me, I should be able to use it as travel money. I sincerely hope you live a long and healthy life, my lady."
The woman in white mourning clothes bowed deeply to Nokhee, and then gradually became transparent before disappearing.
Nokhee gazed at the lingering image of Eokbun for a long time, and after seeing it completely disappear, she turned her eyes back to the snake in her arms. For a brief moment, the spirit of the fox yokai came and went, but in the end, the only ones left here from the beginning were the two of them.
Perhaps the pain that had been tormenting him had subsided, as the snake soon began to make a steady, even sound. It seemed as though he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Nokhee searched for Kijoon’s human facial features in his snake form, gently stroking under his eyes and beside his snout for a long time. She had once despised snakes, but now, she hardly found it repulsive. She found it a bit amusing and even managed to smile a little.
"...Kijoon."
She softly called the name she had given that man.
"I still don't understand why you did that."
She tried to recall and make sense of the hints the fox yokai had given her, but she still couldn’t understand. Why had her reason for wanting to become the Crown Princess led Kijoon to burn down the imperial palace and change the capital?
"Just as you said, I guess it's because I'm a fool, an idiot, and utterly stupid.”
Whenever they mated, Kijoon often said, “What do you know, my lady? Acting so foolishly will only cause you harm.” However, the one thing she knew for certain was that, in the end, nothing had changed.
Kijoon had to leave this place. Whether it meant leaving Hwangju or ascending to the heavens.
And as for herself...
She was still an unnecessary and pointless existence to him.
Without any fear, Nokhee pressed her cheek against the large snake's head and whispered softly.
"I... I never wanted that, Kijoon."
That nonsense about wanting to be the Crown Princess or the Empress was all just an excuse to persuade him.
The corners of her eyes burned, and soon warm tears began to fall, dropping steadily into the groove carved into the snake's head, and collecting there.
"I wanted you... you..."
She wanted him to live and be happy. It was too heartbreaking to think that her very existence was contributing to shortening his life. The only thing she could do was to return the reverse scales and disappear from his sight.
However.
"Why do I still continue to tighten the noose around your neck?"
It no longer mattered why Kijoon had done such things. The most important thing now was to stop him. And Nokhee knew very well that whether or not she could achieve that depended entirely on what she did.
Whether in the past or now, she was a harmful presence to Kijoon, offering him nothing good. Even if she did nothing and simply stayed still, it was the same.
Therefore, she could no longer remain by Kijoon's side.
The one who needed to be let go was not him, but herself.
Translator's Corner:
[1] The Dragon's Pearl (여의주) also known as a "Yeouiju," or "Cintamani" is one of the wish-fulfilling jewels mentioned in Buddhist scripture. It is a mystical orb that dragons are depicted as holding in their claws.
In Korean legends, the dragon did not originally appear in the form of the classical dragon. It had to spend five hundred years as a snake and then another five hundred years as an Imugi. It became a real dragon once it caught a Yeouiju falling from the sky. If it succeeded, it remained a dragon forever, and the Yeouiju was found under the dragon's chin, transforming into a pearl that fulfilled all wishes.(Source: https://blog.naver.com/monikadrtoth/222093559097)
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