Chapter 590
Chapter 591: The Young Princess of the North Sea Ice Palace
It didn’t take too long for Yuri to regain consciousness after fainting.
Maybe a half-moment at most?
Thanks to me controlling my strength, that is.
I had only weakened it enough to make her lose consciousness for a brief moment.
That way, she would wake up quickly and we could talk again.
“I showed such an ugly side of myself…”
Those were Yuri’s words after she came to again.
Her disheveled hair and the drool lightly smeared at the corners of her mouth were visible.
She had clearly slept quite well.
“Ugh…”
Yuri rubbed the top of her head.
It seemed that the pain was still lingering.
After doing that a few times, her gaze turned towards me.
There was an inexplicable resentment in her eyes.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t hit you?”
Well, I truly didn’t think I’d hit anyone either.
“I apologize.”
I delivered my apology without hesitation.
Though I did smack her, that was definitely crossing a line.
“…”
Yuri, hearing my apology, moved her lips in a strange way, making odd expressions.
Surely, having touched the bloodline of a ruler from the New Outer Martial World was something to bring up.
“… In that case, you’ll overlook the faults of my guard, right?”
Hearing those words from Yuri made me stifle a laugh inwardly.
‘More practical than expected.’
Had I been called out for hitting her, I could have exploited the fact that her guard was about to draw his sword.
I didn’t think she would respond so calmly.
“Princess…! How can you say such things?!”
Was Yuri’s comment the problem?
Woo Beom, with blood smeared on his face, began to flare up in anger.
Even before Yuri fainted, his glare towards me was quite fierce.
Maybe I hadn’t hit hard enough?
Regardless, his behavior was impressive.
“The glorious bloodline of the North Sea has been wronged!”
He shouted with veins popping from his neck.
He had just stared daggers at me while Yuri was unconscious.
Now that she’s awake, he is acting like this.
Should I just snap his neck now?
I need to hold back, but he keeps getting on my nerves.
‘I was planning to handle this quietly later.’
What’s with him always being a bother like this?
Naturally, I decided to observe how far this would go.
But then—
“How can you let this go…”
“Woo Beom.”
The one who intervened with Woo Beom was none other than Yuri.
Having just woken up, her messy hair still tousled, she smiled, showing no traces of the drool she had.
“That’s enough.”
In that moment, I could feel the air in the room drop slightly.
“If you go any further, you know it won’t end well, right?”
Though she wore a bright smile and spoke softly, there was a heavy weight behind her words that was hard to describe.
“…”
Woo Beom’s eyes trembled.
It was even more intensely than when he almost died just moments ago.
“Woo Beom. What’s your answer?”
When Yuri asked again, he hesitated before finally saying,
“…I’m… sorry.”
Woo Beom, hesitating, said his apology, and upon hearing it, Yuri smiled brightly and continued.
“No, that’s not it, Woo Beom.”
“Pardon?”
“You should be apologizing to me, not him.”
“…!”
Those words were heavily loaded with intent, and Woo Beom’s face twisted slightly.
Even while clearly seeing this, Yuri remained resolute.
“Now, hurry up.”
“…”
At her cue, Woo Beom’s gaze turned toward me.
Blood was dripping from his nose and mouth, and though his eyes remained fierce—
“…I’m sorry.”
Still, he offered his apology.
This was unexpected.
I never thought he would do that.
Especially because—
‘He’s doing it at the command of the young princess.’
To me, that was probably the most surprising thing.
‘She didn’t seem like the type to command anyone.’
This certainly wasn’t just a typical foolish act.
‘It’s quite disturbing.’
Seeing Yuri like this reminded me of how I felt the first time I met her.
The words and ideas that had been stuck in my mind ever since seemed to irritate me.
Something was off.
But I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, which only made it more bothersome.
Clap!
Woo Beom forcibly spat out his apology when Yuri suddenly clapped her hands.
“Now that it’s settled, shall we get to the main point?”
I felt like asking who decided it was settled.
But I opted not to press the matter.
For now, I decided to keep observing.
This was the time for it.
‘The main point.’
I had almost forgotten for a moment, given the chaos, but this was also important for me.
Like how the North Sea’s affairs had something to do with me.
Especially—
‘…What’s with that feather?’
It was also about the mysterious rumors about me circulating in the North Sea.
What’s with being called by such an embarrassing name?
‘Who is spreading such rumors?’
I’d catch them if I found them. They’d better watch out for what I’d do to them.
Just as I was gnashing my teeth in quiet frustration, Yuri’s gaze turned toward me.
“So, um…”
There was still a look of disbelief in her eyes.
“…You’re the One with the Red Feather…”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Okay.”
She nodded when I spoke fiercely.
“…So you are the One in question?”
“I don’t know who ‘the One’ is, but I am Gu Yangcheong.”
Is it wrong for me to not want to claim that title?
If I said no, it was clear the conversation wouldn’t progress.
Even when I acknowledged it, suspicion was still evident on Yuri’s face.
She seems hardly convinced.
What on earth have they heard to cause such an expression?
“…I see.”
“You’re really not believing me, are you?”
“I hope you aren’t who I think you are.”
“Ultimately, meaning you are hoping I’m him?”
“Lady Mi.”
“Yes, Princess.”
My little quip was so easily brushed aside.
I had thought that from the beginning, but she definitely seemed to have a certain spirit to her.
‘It was surprising she cried after getting hit.’
But seeing how she handled the situation after fainting like this,
It didn’t seem like she was just some ordinary fool.
‘Was that why?’
Is that why I felt this strange disconnect?
‘No, it’s something different.’
I stared closely at Yuri.
I wanted to shake off this unsettling feeling.
“Could you lend me a person for a moment?”
Yuri smiled as she spoke.
At that, Lady Mi shot me a telling glance.
Seeing that, I immediately spoke to Tang Soyeol and Seongyul.
“Go outside for a moment.”
“Yes.”
As the two left the room, Yuri turned to Woo Beom in the back.
Then—
Boom—!
A wave of energy erupted from Woo Beom, enveloping the room.
It was an energy barrier.
This meant she was serious about having a proper conversation.
As the atmosphere shifted, a short silence passed.
“I’ll reintroduce myself.”
With fluid movements, Yuri directed a polite gesture toward us.
“I am the Fourth Star of the North Sea Ice Palace. Yuri.”
Though she said “us,” it was clear she was speaking directly to me.
Her eyes were solely on me.
Was she implying I should introduce myself as well?
“…I am Gu Yangcheong of the Gu Clan.”
“Cheh.”
“…?”
Did I hear something off? Was that the sound of a tongue clicking?
“It can’t be real.”
Having probably received the proper introduction, it seemed the last shred of hope she held onto vanished.
Seeing this, I asked,
“Why on earth is my story spreading around the North Sea?”
A distant place.
How could the bloodline of a ruler even know about me?
Especially with that ridiculous name, Red Feather.
As I asked, Yuri hesitated before she answered.
“Well… it’s because of the White Fox…”
“White Fox?”
A fox?
What’s with the sudden mention of a fox?
As I frowned at that word, she continued.
“…No, never mind. This isn’t a significant matter.”
“It sounds like it’s a significant matter to me…”
“If you are indeed ‘the one,’ then… I have something I’d like to ask.”
Yuri sidestepped the topic, shifting to a different subject.
I didn’t press it further.
The main point had been her wanting to see me in regards to the North Sea affairs.
Yuri looked me in the eye and asked,
“Is it true that you lifted Moyong Hi-ah’s curse?”
“…?”
I already knew the word ‘curse.’
I expected it to refer to the ailment she had.
But what was crucial was how Yuri referred to Moyong Hi-ah.
‘Hi-ah?’
That name sounded oddly familiar, as if it were close to me.
I glanced at Moyong Hi-ah as she seemed flustered.
“…I never lowered my speech level.”
“Hmm?”
As Moyong Hi-ah sighed and spoke, Yuri continued, explaining the situation.
“Well, we’re cousins, after all, and we’re the same age, right? So I thought we could get along… but she wouldn’t lower her speech.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Identical appearance and the same age.
Not to mention—
‘Cousins.’
Moyong Hi-ah’s mother was an ice palace princess, and Yuri was also a princess of the ice palace.
This meant the previous ruler had stepped down, replaced by a new figure.
‘If the ice lord has stepped down, then who could it be?’
It was likely one of Moyong Hi-ah’s mother’s siblings.
Of course, it was impossible to know just by thinking about it.
I didn’t know a single thing about the figures of the ice palace.
‘Let’s put that aside for now.’
I had something far more pressing to inquire.
“If by curse, are you referring to Cold Pulse Syndrome?”
I asked about the curse referred to by Moyong Hi-ah.
“Oh, is that what it’s called here?”
“Isn’t that referring to the chill within the body?”
“Exactly. We refer to it as a curse.”
“That doesn’t make much sense.”
A curse.
What did they call it? The curse of the Ice Spirit?
It certainly sounded ominous.
Moreover, it really was quite dangerous.
In her previous life, Moyong Hi-ah was said to have lost her life to that ailment.
However—
“Aren’t you from the North Sea?”
Moyong Hi-ah’s curse stemmed from inheriting her mother’s constitution.
Half of it came from the Central Plains.
Since Baek Cheon-gyeom’s blood was mixed in, the ice of the North Sea caused her body to develop this ailment.
I wondered why they also referred to it as a curse.
As I posed this question, Yuri tilted her head.
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Hmm?”
“No, rather the fact you’re from the North Sea makes it even riskier.”
“…What does that mean?”
“A curse… is a curse that anyone from the bloodline of the Ice Palace can get. Those who guard the Ice Spirit naturally carry that burden.”
Hearing Yuri’s words, both mine and Moyong Hi-ah’s eyes widened.
“…So everyone in the bloodline has Cold Pulse Syndrome?”
Saying that anyone from the bloodline would have a cold, gradually freezing to death through its grasp.
“How is that possible?”
How is it that these people are still alive? I wanted to voice that doubt, but—
“On the other hand, it’s also an important source. To use Ice Techniques, you must inherently have that constitution.”
Only then did I understand what she said.
‘So rather than cure the physique, it’s being used in the form of meditation.’
One could leverage the chill inside their body using specific meditative practices.
It meant living one’s life with such a risk.
Just as I tried to wrap my mind around it—
“Imagine that…!”
Moyong Hi-ah suddenly raised her voice.
“I’ve never heard anything like that from my mother!”
Nodding in response to Moyong Hi-ah’s reaction, I concluded.
That was puzzling, too.
‘If that exists, why didn’t Moyong Hi-ah’s mother…’
Why didn’t she tell her daughter how to keep her life?
Surely she’s from the bloodline and must have known how to soothe her condition.
“This power is only passed down to direct descendants. It’s not something that can carelessly conveyed or shared.”
Yuri explained this part, but Moyong Hi-ah seemed to still be at a loss.
“Moreover…”
Yuri continued, observing Moyong Hi-ah’s expression.
“To refer to it as a curse indeed has its reasons.”
“That’s—!”
Yuri cut off what Moyong Hi-ah was about to say.
Now wasn’t the time for that.
As she intervened, Moyong Hi-ah turned to me with wide eyes.
Then she bit her lip and lowered her head.
Seemingly struggling to hold back her emotions.
I shifted my gaze from Moyong Hi-ah to Yuri.
“What does this have to do with the matter at hand?”
Cold Pulse Syndrome and the curse Yuri was referring to—how were they related?
So I asked.
“…As I mentioned, it’s a curse. Something everyone in the bloodline has. Nobody can escape it.”
“So?”
“But… I’ve heard you lifted it. Is that truly the case?”
The inquiry about whether I lifted the curse made me hesitate for a moment.
I had indeed managed to diminish Moyong Hi-ah’s chill, but I couldn’t affirm that I’d cured it outright.
However—
“Sort of?”
At the very least, the chill that had been in her body no longer felt present.
“…”
Upon hearing my answer, Yuri made a strange expression.
She then turned to Moyong Hi-ah.
“…It’s true. Even when I first saw you, I could sense no signs of the curse. How did you do that?”
“Does that even matter? You’ve said you have a way to control it.”
Moyong Hi-ah didn’t know that.
And that’s why she almost lost her life.
That was another point of confusion.
Seeing Moyong Hi-ah’s reaction, I nodded.
‘If that’s the case, why didn’t Moyong Hi-ah’s mother…’
In my previous life, she had passed away because I hadn’t been able to treat her.
But does that weigh significantly to Yuri?
If they really had a way to manage the chill, it wouldn’t matter much.
As soon as Yuri heard me, she bit her lip.
Her expression was similar to what Moyong Hi-ah had shown earlier.
“That’s—”
“And first of all,”
Just as Yuri began to speak, I interjected with another question.
“How did you know I could treat it?”
“…”
Yuri pressed her lips together at my inquiry.
That I had treated Moyong Hi-ah was a piece of information known only to a select few.
I’d wanted to treat her secretly, which was why I’d kept her by my side.
So how did the Ice Palace come to know about it?
As I expressed my curiosity, Yuri averted her gaze and replied,
“I received some information.”
Does that imply there’s a mole?
‘Well, it’s not too strange.’
It’s no surprise really.
Even though we were not in a hostile relationship, we are still from a different nation.
And I’m, at least partly, of their bloodline.
It wouldn’t be strange if they had some knowledge about Moyong Hi-ah.
‘But the fact they’re nearby is a bit unsettling.’
It’s a rather annoying thought that someone who seems to be a close aide is doing this.
‘I’ll find a chance to deal with them later.’
If they didn’t know, then it wouldn’t have bothered me so much.
That said, it would still be brushed aside for now.
“So, was your reason for wanting to see me to request treatment?”
I needed to clearly understand the affairs of the Ice Palace.
“Yes.”
Yuri answered without hesitation.
“Should you be able to lift ‘our’ curse, I would like to request your healing.”
“Hmm.”
Hearing her words, I stroked my chin.
The curse of the Ice Spirit.
That phrase seemed rather odd, but it referred to Moyong Hi-ah’s condition, which meant a bloodline from the North Sea had come to request my healing.
What she said made sense overall.
‘But it still feels off.’
Something was amiss.
Yuri’s statements felt strange.
The circumstances she displayed also felt unconventional.
There was a story that felt odd alongside all these issues.
For the moment, this was just an impression.
I couldn’t be certain yet.
I needed to confirm a bit more.
“To travel all the way here just to fix a manageable condition… Is that correct?”
“Yes. Even if the symptoms can be managed, since it’s a curse from the bloodline… I wanted to be healed.”
Drop.
As I listened to Yuri’s words, a droplet of water seemed to fall in my mind.
A small shock rippling out.
“Hmm.”
I shifted my gaze to Moyong Hi-ah.
Her face, which had been swayed by emotions just a moment ago, now looked cold and composed.
It seemed, superficially, as if she were merely listening.
But staring at her face, I couldn’t help but feel an unwavering certainty.
You’re thinking the same thing as me.
That’s my conviction.
My belief that my assumptions were indeed correct.
“Then…”
“Ice Palace Lord.”
I paused.
Yuri momentarily stopped upon my sudden words.
It was just a brief moment, but I didn’t miss it.
A smile broke on Yuri’s face, and she managed to ask. Showed a late attempt to mask her expression.
It was already too late.
“What are you suddenly talking about?”
“The Ice Palace Lord seems to be in danger, huh?”
“…”
The smile disappeared from her face.
Looking at her, I finally understood what that sense of discomfort had been from the start.
“That seems to be quite a bit, isn’t it?”
“…”
A chill ran through the air.
Yuri was looking at me with a blank expression.
The playful vibe and the innocent air she had earlier seemed to have completely vanished.
She appeared to be an entirely different person.
As if ice had taken on human form.
Yuri looked at me and spoke.
“You.”
That tone of voice and feeling had changed entirely.
I couldn’t help but smile.
Ah, I see.
Now I understand the reason I felt uncomfortable all along.
‘That’s why I felt nauseous. That was the issue.’
The reason I’d been annoyed and bothered without being able to place it was that—
It was her acting like she was someone else while hiding her true self.
“Who are you really?”
That is what I truly couldn’t stand seeing.
