Chapter 208

After returning from my walk with Grandfather, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep for a while.

Before, I could have covered that distance without breaking a sweat. If it was this difficult now, I clearly still had a long way to go before my stamina fully returned.

I came outside massaging my stiff left arm and saw Uncle Geunmyeong splitting firewood.

When he noticed me, he beckoned me over.

“If you’re awake, come drink your medicinal decoction. The old man brewed it before he left.”

“Okay. Where’s Grandfather? Did he go somewhere?”

“He stepped out for a while. The Head of the Council of Elders came all the way down here to see him.”

The Head of the Council of Elders?

I searched through my memories of the time I had spent at the Tang Clan, but all I could remember was a pair of eyes looking me up and down and a white beard.

I was about to casually ask why he had come when Tang Geunmyeong held out the bowl as if to say it was none of my business.

“Just drink your medicine.”

His firm tone clearly meant I shouldn’t go digging into it.

I obediently took the bowl and stared down at the medicinal decoction.

After endlessly swallowing medicine packed with precious herbs and medicines, I was beginning to feel guilty.

Surely everything I had consumed since waking up was worth at least a couple of estates by now.

“Uncle. Um...... how much have the medicinal ingredients cost?”

When I cautiously asked, Tang Geunmyeong stared at me as though I had said something absurd.

“Do you have any idea what kind of place the Tang Clan is? Why are you worrying about money? If the old man heard you, he’d be dumbfounded that you thought the clan looked that poor. Just worry about getting better.”

Even though I’m drinking enough money to bankrupt an ordinary household every single day.

I nodded awkwardly, didn’t ask anything else, and emptied the bowl.

I thought I had only dozed off for a moment, but quite some time must have passed. The world had already grown dim.

The gray sky was covered in dark clouds, looking ready to burst at any moment.

Is autumn rain coming?

I dropped onto the wooden platform and rolled the wooden bead back and forth between my fingers.

The trembling in my left hand had disappeared long ago, but perhaps it was just my imagination—it still felt stiff, almost like a block of wood.

It would probably take more time before I could handle concealed weapons the way I used to.

Something as delicate as the butterfly blades is still out of the question...... Maybe I should start by throwing coins.

I was rubbing each finger joint while thinking it over when Cane crept up and caught the hem of my trousers between its teeth.

“Kit.”

“What is it, Cane?”

“Kii!”

“You want to go for a walk? We already went out earlier.”

I stared at it in confusion, but Cane ignored me and kept tugging at my clothes.

I lowered my voice.

“What’s wrong? Where are you trying to take me?”

“Guruk. Gguk.”

That’s strange. It isn’t the type to pester me to go outside for no reason.

After thinking for a moment, I got to my feet.

“Uncle, if Grandfather comes back, could you tell him I went for a walk?”

“Where are you going with the sky looking like that?”

“I just want some fresh air. I’ll be back soon.”

“Don’t go too far. Looks like it’s going to come down hard. Be back before dinner.”

“Okay.”

I slowly crossed the threshold of the safe house.

Cane shot ahead as though it had been waiting for that very moment.

“Cane, slow down.”

“Kit!”

Despite my warning, Cane didn’t stop. If anything, it straightened up insistently and pointed north as though telling me that was where we had to go.

Once I began following, it kept glancing back to make sure I was still behind it, then gradually picked up speed.

There was definitely something it wanted to show me.

Had we been running for two hours?

Four?

I wiped the sweat from my forehead while struggling for breath, and Cane chirped at me as though we were almost there.

“Kyuu.”

But I was reaching my limit.

My legs stopped obeying me, as if I were trying to drag them through a deep swamp.

When my pace slowed further and further, Cane came back, circled around me several times, then slapped its paws against a broad rock as though telling me to sit down.

“You want me to rest here?”

“Ki.”

“Fine. But we really need to head back soon, Cane. How much farther is it...... Hey! Where are you going now?”

The moment it saw me sit down on the rock, it vanished into the undergrowth without even waiting for me to finish.

Grandfather’s going to worry if I’m late.

I sighed and rubbed my aching legs.

Then a chilling presence brushed across the back of my neck.

It was a sensation I could never mistake.

Every hair on my body stood on end.

Demonic energy.

I sprang to my feet, slipping a hand into my sleeve.

The hand clutching my concealed weapon grew damp with tension.

Can I even fight a member of the Demonic Sect in this condition?

As though echoing my unease, a violent gust swept through the forest, sending dead leaves scraping against one another with an eerie rustle.

I held my breath and focused on the approaching presence.

A small figure slowly emerged from between the distant bushes.

I had been staring at the enemy with every nerve taut, but the sight left me dumbfounded.

“Cane?”

Cane was clinging to the shoulder of a small boy.

The instant my expression hardened, Cane seemed to sense my displeasure. It hopped down and began circling me.

“Kyuu......”

“What do you think you’re doing? Why did you bring a member of the Demonic Sect here?”

I refused even to look at the boy and adjusted my grip on the concealed weapon.

Cane made a series of little sounds as though trying to explain itself.

“Kkyuk. Guruk......”

The boy, who had been silently watching me, hesitantly held out a hand.

I glared at him fiercely—then my eyes widened.

In his hand was a familiar hair ribbon.

It belonged to Yeon Ryang.

“You...... Where did you get that? Why do you have it?”

The boy flinched at my sharp shout and cautiously took a step back.

Then he spoke in an awkward, halting voice.

“Baekya. Go and tell her Yeon Ryang sent you.”

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

My lips trembled as I forced out the words.

“......What did you just say?”

“Tell her Yeon Ryang sent you.”

He sounded as though he were repeating someone else’s exact words.

My heart dropped.

“Your name is Baekya? Did Yeon Ryang really send you?”

The boy gave a timid nod.

My entire body began to shake.

“Where is Brother right now? Is he all right? Back then, he was clearly—!”

“No.”

“What?”

“Don’t get involved with the Divine Cult, Sohae. Don’t try to find your brother. It’s time for you to go home.”

Baekya cut me off and shook his head from side to side, trying to imitate a stern expression.

Those were words no one but Yeon Ryang could have given him.

My heart began hammering wildly.

He’s alive.

Alive enough to send someone to me.

Relief lasted only an instant before anger surged up inside me.

He actually sent someone all this way just to tell me not to look for him? That idiot—seriously......!

“No. I’m going to find him. Where is that idiot right now? Tell me!”

At my shout, Baekya began backing away.

Even then, he continued delivering Yeon Ryang’s message in his clumsy pronunciation.

“Don’t worry about your brother. Forget him and live your life.”

“Tell him to stop talking insane nonsense! I asked where he is!”

“Live your life.”

He repeated the same words with deliberate emphasis.

Then his face suddenly went pale, and he turned and fled.

“Wait! Wait a second!”

I hurriedly reached for him, but Baekya didn’t so much as glance back.

He was unbelievably fast.

No matter how hard I gritted my teeth and chased him, the distance between us never narrowed.

It only grew.

Damn this useless body. Why won’t you move......!

No matter how angrily I forced strength into my legs, my already exhausted body refused to obey.

Panting, I shouted after him.

“Tell him! Tell him I’m coming for him! Tell him I’ll be there soon, so......!”

Just—

Just wait a little longer.

The rest of the cry never left my throat.

It drifted unfinished into the air and faded away.

Idiot.

You haven’t changed at all.

You’re exactly the same.

You said family was supposed to trust and rely on each other.

I told you not to carry everything alone. Again and again and again......

I glared into the forest where Baekya had disappeared, then let my head fall helplessly.

Who was there to blame?

All of this was simply proof of my own powerlessness.

“Guruk......”

Cane gave a thin whine and tugged at my clothes, but I couldn’t move.

Tap.

Tap, tap.

Then—

Shhhhhhh!

A few scattered drops became a heavy downpour in an instant, drenching the entire world.

As the rain hammered against my body, reason slowly returned.

......I’m late.

I have to go back.

I was trying to rein in my emotions and steady my breathing when someone suddenly seized me by the shoulder.

“You little rascal! It’s pouring down like this, and you came all the way out here alone—!”

Grandfather had been raising his voice, but the moment our eyes met, his face crumpled.

He squeezed his eyes shut as though trying to rein in his emotions, then opened them again and cupped my cheek with a pained expression.

“......Little one.”

I wanted to answer him.

But my throat had closed so tightly that no words would come.

Grandfather brushed his thumb beneath my eye.

His expression was heartbroken.

“Little one. Just cry instead. Please?”

“......”

“My poor child...... You used to cry so easily...... What happened to my little crybaby pup? Why...... why can’t you even cry anymore......?”

What would crying change?

It wouldn’t change the fact that I had failed to protect him.

Grandfather stroked my rain-soaked cheek, then silently circulated his inner force and drove the water from my body.

After that, he opened my clenched fist and took away the concealed weapon I had never managed to throw.

“I’m sorry.”

“......”

“I’m sorry......”

My lips trembled as I buried my face against Grandfather’s shoulder.

The plea I could never bring myself to speak dissolved into a strangled, muffled sound.