At that moment, Yung felt it in his very bones — that he could not defeat this child, could not harm him no matter what he did. And so he immediately turned away Gong Hwancheol, who had come seeking him out and weighing his worth. The rebellion that Gong Hwancheol later incited only reaffirmed that his choice had been right.

And so, having forcibly let go of his dreams and ambitions, outwardly living at ease while inwardly accumulating a burning resentment, a secret piece of news came to drift into Yung's ears.

'It is said that without sufficient treatment, he will not be able to endure much longer……'

That Hwi had not yet found a Yeongchunhwa to become his mate was a source of grief for the entire nation. The greatest threat to the Yongrin was none other than their own sacred power. Their sacred power led them toward death. Hwi possessed an exceptionally powerful sacred power, and so that threat would be even more fierce.

Through his conversation with the Queen Dowager, Yung had grown fairly certain of that rumor. Fortunately for him, Hwi had no heir. There was not even a hint of one — to the point where idle rumors circulated that the reigning emperor did not sleep with his concubines. Whatever the reason, it was an opportunity for Yung. All he had to do was wait for Hwi to collapse on his own.

'It is said that the guardian star of a newly entered court lady is well-suited to the Emperor, and that they will hold the state wedding immediately.'

The Yeongchunhwa of the So clan, appearing so abruptly, could only be a catastrophic disaster to Yung.

'Aaaaaah!'

The only thing he had been able to do was to pray and curse with all his heart, longing desperately for Hwi — who had stubbornly clung to life well past his prime — to just die. And yet now even that pathetic, threadbare sliver of a possibility was crumbling. Trembling with helplessness and rage, Yung smashed and shattered the furniture around him, reducing his room to a wreck.

It was then that Jeongjoo came to find him again.

'The Empress did not wish to enter the palace, and the reason the date of his entry was delayed was because of his flight. Please help him escape this country. Our Yongrin's reverse scale is the Yeongchunhwa.'

It felt as though fate itself was wagging its tail at him, tempting him. It was difficult for Yung to refuse the proposal Jeongjoo put forward. He had a premonition that this was the last, once-in-a-lifetime chance granted to him.

The Yongrin possessed power that no one needed to fear, and yet their hearts were no more than those of mere humans — when they lost a Yeongchunhwa to whom they had given their affection, they could no longer properly control their sacred power. Take his late father, for instance. Even though the woman had not even been a Yeongchunhwa, after the woman he had cherished dearly passed from this world, he had grown endlessly weak.

But what if that person were a Yeongchunhwa with the most compatible guardian star, the one he had yearned for so desperately? Just as Yung himself had despaired at losing what he held in his hands, Hwi too had to experience that same feeling. The thirst that torments a traveler crossing a long desert, after he has tasted sweet water, would be a pain so terrible that death would be preferable.

However, the doubt and anxiety over whether Hwi — unlike ordinary Yongrin — would truly become so obsessed with a Yeongchunhwa never let Yung go. And so, taking a risk, he cornered the Empress, and to his delight, Hwi proclaimed before all his officials that he would cover every one of the Empress's faults.

It had thus become clear that the Empress had become Hwi's reverse scale. Moreover, quite a few ministers would be stirred and harbor grievances, which would in time become a fine foundation for him.

"Your Highness."

"Is it done?"

As his subordinate stepped inside, Yung pulled himself free from his long, long reverie. His face, colored with anxious anticipation, twitched unnaturally. Yung's gaze did not leave his subordinate's lips.

"Yes. We have secured the target and confirmed his identity."

"Is it him?"

"Yes, Your Highness. It is the same person we saw at the Queen Dowager's birthday banquet."

"Haah……"

A sigh of relief escaped him. Even hearing it, he could not easily make it feel real, and Yung pressed his faintly trembling hand to the corner of his mouth.

Luring out the eldest son of the So clan had not been particularly difficult. Tricking and manipulating a greedy bookworm to do as he wished was easier than taking candy from a child. On the contrary — the Empress, whom he had thought would be no pushover even in their brief meeting, had made things this easy for him!

"However, the Yongrin requests to meet Your Highness in person. He declared that he cannot leave the man behind until he has seen Your Highness himself."

All the plans and agreements between Yung and Jeongjoo had been exchanged verbally only. Now that they were in the same boat, it was essentially a demand to take direct action and show his intent.

He had not trusted Jeongjoo until the Empress was secured, but now there was nothing to be wary of. Yung's subordinate had expressed concern that this might all be a trap, but Yung did not think so. Hwi, of all people, taking his companion hostage to catch him? That man would sooner fabricate false evidence to ensnare him.

"If he wishes it, I ought to go. The preparations are in order, I trust?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Yung curled his lips into a smile filled with hidden scheming, and stepped straight outside.

Riding his horse at a light gallop for a short while, a lone house came into view, sitting isolated at the entrance of a forest. Jeongjoo and four men stood guard before it.

He slowed his horse and dismounted, and Jeongjoo approached. Eager to confirm things first, Yung pressed him, and Jeongjoo opened the door to show him inside. Atop a messy pile of straw, the Empress lay sleeping with his hands and feet bound.

It was a familiar face. A fair and neat countenance that seemed to know nothing of the world's hardships. And yet his gaze had been more firmly hardened than expected. Yung swallowed the saliva pooling beneath his tongue and gave a nod.

"Good."

"Keep your end of the bargain."

"Everything is prepared — take them away."

The plan was this: once Yung confirmed the Empress was secured, he would hand over his private soldiers; while those soldiers launched a surprise raid on Manguwon to create a diversion, Jeongjoo would extract the Yeongchunhwa. The Yeongchunhwa who wished to escape numbered only one or two at most, they had said — yet Jeongjoo, who was prepared to lay down his very life for them, was entirely beyond Yung's comprehension.

Then again, a Yongrin who wished for a Yeongchunhwa to be free from a Yongrin was already not right in the head.

"Let us step outside."

Once they were outside, Jeongjoo gave a look to the men guarding the house. The men straightened their postures even further. They appeared to be mercenaries Jeongjoo had hired, seemingly for the purpose of protecting the Empress from him. Yung swallowed a laugh at his futile struggles.

"Well then — good luck."

Jeongjoo gazed at Yung for a moment before turning away.

He kicked off the ground and vanished in an instant, and no matter how many times Yung witnessed it, it was difficult to grow accustomed to and altogether bizarre. Yung knitted his brows and turned his gaze away from the spot where Jeongjoo had disappeared.

This should be enough by now. Yung raised one hand, and his subordinate let out a whistle.

Immediately after, the sound of footsteps rang out as warriors burst from the forest, and the mercenaries drew their swords and took up a defensive stance.

Jeongjoo had assured him that the Emperor would be dealt a blow by the Empress's absence alone, but Yung had never had any intention of keeping the Empress alive from the very beginning. In fact, after coming face to face with him at the Queen Dowager's birthday banquet, he had resolved all the more firmly that he must be killed.

The Empress had looked at Hwi with eyes full of longing the entire time, and yet when dealing with others he was sharp-minded. He was not a naive, pitiable, harmless, and irresponsible child simply yearning for freedom. If left alive, he would without fail become a future threat — and so the Empress had to die. So that Hwi would be left with not a single shred of hope or possibility. And thus Hwi had to crumble utterly and completely.

Sword clashed against sword. He did not know what skilled fighters Jeongjoo had hired, but the men he himself had brought were also carefully selected elite soldiers. Once they began to be pushed on the defensive, there would be no opening to escape. Yung walked leisurely through the tangle of warriors locked in chaotic battle and stepped inside the house.

Then he drew a dagger from his breast and approached the Empress, who lay sleeping peacefully.

Yung recalled the gaze with which Hwi had looked at the Empress. That endlessly tender, precious, deeply cherished look. The human emotion he had believed could never, ever be found in Hwi.

Ah — to what could he compare the joy of personally killing the one his younger brother truly and desperately yearned for?

Deliberating on how to end his life so that Hwi would sink into the deepest mire, he knelt on one knee. Should he rake that fair face apart? Carve ten thousand holes into his belly? Or should he tear apart the place that Hwi had handled so tenderly?

Lost in an exquisite dilemma and savoring this moment just a little longer, Yung suddenly faltered and slowly turned his head to look behind him. It was because he had realized that the clamor of steel, which had been deafening just moments before, had at some point gone silent.

Silence. Not a single sound could be heard. This was surely an abnormal situation.

Creak — the closed door opened, and the figure of a man was revealed, shadow falling across him. Behind him, strewn figures could be seen.

"You did not keep your promise."

Jeongjoo's somber voice echoed through the small space. Yung hastily raised his dagger and tried to plunge it down toward the Empress, but before the blade could even reach the Empress's body, his shoulder was struck with tremendous force and he was sent tumbling sideways.

Even as he rolled across the floor, he screamed.

"Do you think the escape will succeed! That man must be killed!"

"The deal is over."

Ignoring him, just as he was about to snatch up the dropped dagger and lunge again, a powerful blow struck the back of his neck and his vision blurred. I cannot end it like this……. Yung struggled desperately to hold onto his consciousness, but regrettably, before he could do anything, he collapsed.