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I looked at the hand that blocked my path.

A thin, slightly pale hand. My body trembled at the grip Noya had on me.

I was trying every way to move my body, but I just couldn’t.

It was not just Noya’s strength holding me back; there was also my own desperate attempt to endure.

Crack.

My bones echoed. I barely managed to breathe as I fought through it.

“SSsss.”

I could somehow hold them off. But even so, my gaze was drawn to those who had passed behind me.

“Calm down.”

Noya gripped my shoulder tightly and spoke.

“…”

I didn’t respond, just dazedly confirmed that the two people had vanished into the crowd.

“What is it…?”

I was able to ask Noya.

“What I just saw. Was it real?”

What I had just seen. More accurately, it was what I had felt, not seen.

In response to my question, Noya frowned slightly and replied.

“How would I know? I’m just as perplexed as you are.”

It seemed Noya didn’t have a good grasp of the situation either. As if to prove it, his expression didn’t look great.

Which meant.

‘This isn’t my imagination.’

The sensation I had just felt.

It confirmed that it wasn’t just my own delusion.

Then.

‘Why…?’

Why were they here? Part of me wanted to wish it had been a mere illusion. If it wasn’t an illusion, it would be even worse.

Clenching.

“….”

I pressed down the sensation in my hand and thought.

I shouldn’t meet my mother right now. At least not in this state.

I kept repeating that thought. Noya had likely told me for the same reason.

“Damn….”

It wasn’t easy, as it was in my mind.

Especially with how they had just passed.

Leaving aside why they showed up.

‘Are you telling me to just let this go?’

I had to watch for a while in the direction where the two had disappeared.

“Hmm?”

A woman walking down the street suddenly stopped. Then she turned her head to look back.

“What is it?”

Noticing something strange, she turned back, but all she saw were the throngs of people.

“Hmm….”

As she observed, the woman hesitated. Should she lift the cloth and check?

As she thought that, she slightly shook her head and faced forward again.

Lifting the cloth now was not a good idea.

The moment she did, unnecessary things would surely happen.

She wanted to stay quiet and leave since she had come down only after a long time.

Of course.

‘Something… feels off.’

Something about the sensation felt unusual.

It was a vague feeling that something was not right.

What had she passed until now?

Having passed far too many children, nothing struck her memory.

Behind the covered face, scarlet eyes fluttered.

Those jewel-like eyes moved slightly, gazing at the woman next to her.

“Daughter.”

“…”

The masked woman, Yarang, looked at her upon being called.

“Have you seen anything… strange?”

Pausing for a moment at the woman’s question, Yarang quickly shook her head.

“Really?”

The woman smiled, seeming to accept it without suspicion.

“Good. From now on, you must truly be my eyes and ears. Guide me well.”

Yarang nodded at the woman’s words.

However, her expression was busy watching the path they had come.

After scanning the crowd for a moment, when the woman moved, Yarang followed suit.

“Hmm.”

The woman glanced around, examining her surroundings.

“It’s changed a lot since I last saw it.”

When was the last time she had seen it? It was too long ago to count.

Back then, it had just been a thick brush, so to see something like this was rather surprising.

“Just like always, time really flies, doesn’t it?”

Yarang nodded at the woman’s words.

In the blink of an eye, time changes.

Mortal time never aligns. Time simply exists.

That flow didn’t matter much to the woman.

Because of that.

Because of that.

‘It’s not something worth caring about.’

Time is infinite; thus, it has no meaning.

Meaning is beautiful precisely because it is finite.

But for the woman, it was not so. Therefore, the essence had faded.

Thus, even while observing the transformed Yawol, she was curious but felt no more than necessary sentiment.

“Hmm.”

As the woman looked around, her uniquely beautiful eyes showed a flicker of light, but it was somewhat diminished.

What was she seeing?

Though she tried to capture it in her eyes, she felt it was not particularly lovely to capture.

No, perhaps she simply didn’t want to.

Capturing it would serve no purpose anyway; there was no need to ascribe meaning or to remember it.

This place was indeed where she belonged and where she must be as a being.

That was all.

For the woman, this land was just that.

She wished to remember and capture it.

When was the last time she had felt that way?

That, too, she couldn’t recall.

‘Memory.’

Was there a need to remember something?

Had she ever tried to?

As the woman quietly pondered while walking.

“Ah.”

Having discovered something, her eyes widened. Then.

Thud—!

Something fell from the air in a sparsely populated area.

It was a young man with light green hair. The woman looked at him with a bland expression.

“…I see my master….”

With a tension-filled expression, Yusa paid his respects.

“It’s been a while.”

As the woman spoke softly, Yusa swallowed and bowed his head deeper.

“Why has a noble being like you come to this humble place…?”

“Humble, you say.”

The woman chuckled slightly at Yusa’s words.

“Where on this land can you say is humble?”

“…”

Yusa’s lips twitched at the scent of flowers wafting by his nose.

It seemed he had made a slight slip of the tongue.

“…I’m sorry. How dare I….”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t looking for an apology.”

With a rustle, the woman approached Yusa. There was an unfelt sensation.

A near-void feeling made Yusa tremble.

How could someone be so devoid of sensation?

“Lift your head.”

Hearing the command, Yusa raised his head.

He then met the woman’s scarlet eyes.

Swish.

The woman gently caressed Yusa’s cheek with her white hand.

“Would it really be a problem for you if I came to seek you out?”

“…That can’t be the case. There’s no place on this land where you, my Master, cannot go.”

At Yusa’s unwavering words, the woman smiled slightly. And then.

“I’m glad. Then may I ask you something about the water?”

“…I will listen.”

Yusa almost lay flat on the ground in his eagerness to serve.

His flickering tail had long since settled down, and his perky ears were drooping.

He had performed all the courtesy possible.

Seeing that, the woman asked.

“I heard there have been interesting events happening lately.”

“…!”

At the woman’s words, Yusa’s tail wiggled slightly.

“It’s possible that events have arisen, but… this is the first time I’m hearing about it.”

“…That’s not it. I was just in a stage where most verifications were almost complete, so I planned to report after gathering definite information.”

“Is that true?”

“Indeed….”

[Is that true?]

“…!”

Clang—! At the woman’s voice, Yusa’s body jolted violently.

His heart. Even the soul within it recoiled.

A choking sensation. It was the feeling when one hears their name.

“…It’s true…”

“I see.”

Once I barely offered a response, the crushing pressure lifted.

It was only then that Yusa was able to breathe properly.

“Then does that mean you’ll save the details for later?”

“…If you wish, I can tell you right now.”

“No, it’s fine.”

The woman declined Yusa’s offer.

“When the time comes, I’ll hear it. I’ll wait.”

Waiting was never a problem for her.

As she had mentioned earlier, for the woman, time was nothing.

“I’ve heard your answer. Sorry for interrupting you.”

“Not at all….”

“How long will you be here?”

Asking how much longer he would remain in her domain.

It was a strange question to ask in and of itself, but there was a reason for this question.

“I’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

Because the woman had assigned Yusa a task.

“Alright. Then rest well.”

The woman turned her back as though she had nothing more to say.

Seeing that, Yusa urgently spoke up.

“Are you… leaving now, Master?”

“Hmm. No.”

The woman shook her head at Yusa’s question.

“Not right away….”

While pondering her response, the woman glanced at Yarang beside her.

“I’m thinking of going for a little outing.”

“An outing… you say?”

“Exactly. An outing.”

As she said that, the woman walked slowly.

Without a trace of reluctance, she distanced herself from Yusa.

Yusa bit his lip slightly as he watched her follow Yarang.

After that, the woman and Yarang headed to the park in the center of the castle.

A serene space that barely existed amid the chaos within the castle.

As she walked calmly, she took in her surroundings.

Passing through a place that had been nothing but buildings, arriving here felt a bit strange.

Yarang quietly followed her, gazing at her.

How much.

Until when.

For what purpose.

Had she been able to ask such questions, she could have.

But Yarang didn’t.

He couldn’t speak, let alone ask.

He just quietly stared at the woman.

At that moment.

“Daughter.”

The woman spoke to Yarang.

“Something seems to be amiss.”

As always, her tone was warm yet calm.

Beyond her gently articulated voice.

The woman added something.

It was.

“It seems it’s time to change the General.”

Although it was a gentle tone, it was a somewhat formidable statement.

 

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