Camellia 103

It was a silent night. For the first time in a long while, Tang Yujae had prepared a bouquet for his sister. Yuwon had always been the kind of girl who laughed or cried over a single flower.

Hayeon had been the sort to light up when handed a well-forged dagger, but Yuwon had always smiled at things like a delicate blossom or a simple ring.

Yujae couldn’t help but know what kind of life his sister truly wanted. So now and then, he would prepare modest gifts, just like in the old days, when little Yuwon used to tug at his sleeve asking for pumpkin candy, and he would rush out to the market without a second thought.

“Ha… My shoulders are stiff.”

After carefully seeing the hostages off and making sure they descended Yeonhu safely, Yuwon finally allowed herself to relax as she returned to the medicine hall. She went up to the second floor to look through the books she’d left unfinished the night before, only to find an unexpected visitor waiting.

“…Yujae?”

A candle lit up the previously dark room.

“Hello, sister.”

The man wore simple clothing. Maybe it was the soft greenish silk, but Yuwon was suddenly overcome by a sense of nostalgia. Dressed like that, he looked just like one of the young warriors from the Tang family.

The gentle candlelight lit up his face.

Yuwon had planned to seek him out at daybreak. Somehow, she sensed that he had expected as much. That must be why he had come first, holding out that bouquet.

“What are you waiting for?”

The hand offering the bouquet no longer looked anything like the small, clumsy hands from his boyhood. The boy who’d always lacked talent in martial arts, who’d often been scolded by their father, now forced the bouquet into her arms.

“If you stand there frozen, it’ll make me feel like I’m bullying my sister. It’s really embarrassing.”

His tone was teasing. Yuwon, still staring at the bright red camellias, finally opened her mouth.

“…Do you really think your sister wouldn’t know you offer flowers every time you feel guilty?”

Yuwon was not the girl who’d once leapt with joy at a simple gift. What she’d truly liked was the heart behind it, the younger brother who, unable to learn martial arts because of the family rules, used to bring her armfuls of flowers in apology.

Her eyes grew cold as she turned to face Tang Yujae.

“If you thought some useless bouquet could silence me, you were mistaken. Where are you hiding Si Pungjae?”

She tossed the pretty bouquet to the floor unceremoniously. She had been certain of it from the start. He’d brought this gift out of guilt, after what he’d done.

Yujae quietly picked up the fallen flowers and held them out again.

“Take it.”

When Yuwon didn’t react, his voice dropped, gentle yet cold.

“It’ll be the last flower I ever give you. Take it.”

Her hand twitched. Pale moonlight slowly crept into the room. Only the faint sound of the candle burning filled the silence.

Yujae spoke with deliberate calm.

“If you leave now, you’ll catch up to him. I heard he was starting with Mount Hwang, one of the few places he still vaguely remembers. He thinks he might be able to recover his memories there.”

Yuwon’s expression twisted with confusion. Every sentence struck her like a blow. She couldn’t make sense of them.

“I erased Si Pungjae’s memories. Everything that made him live like a shadow. If you fill in that blank, maybe you’ll be able to make him yours.”

Before he could even finis the sentence. Slap! Her palm moved towards Tang Yujae with a sharp sound.

But even after being slapped in the face, Yujae’s head didn’t move. He simply stared at his sister with a calm expression.

“…You might be able to make him yours, so get ready and leave. I’ve destroyed his martial arts. He’s practically just a civilian now. He can’t even use his gyeonggong. You’ll catch up to him within half a day.”

“You call that an explanation? You erased the memories of someone who worshipped you like a god his whole life?”

“He was a useless talent. You know he didn’t belong in the Cheonma Divine Sect, noona. It would be better for him to wander the world in search of those lost memories.”

“Tang Yujae, you…!”

Her hand rose again.

“Do you even understand what you’ve taken from him?”

It looked like she was about to slap him again, but something made her hesitate. She saw the indifference in the way he looked down at her, as if to say , “Hit me to your heart’s content.”

Tang Yujae was no longer the boy she used to know. The sweet and gentle child had been shattered along with the rise of the demonic sect.

He took a step forward and murmured,

“Ahwon.”

Even the way he said her old nickname felt strange now. Yuwon exhaled, defeated.

“I’m… afraid that I’ll really come to hate you, Yujae.”

“…..”

“I’m scared I’ll end up despising you even more. That I’ll start to feel nothing but disgust… and I don’t know if I can bear that.”

The darkness of the room, at least, helped her hide the tears threatening to fall.

She had loved Si Pungjae. She had wanted his love in return. But she hadn’t wanted to destroy his life over that desire. The foundation of someone’s whole existence, torn apart just because he was deemed a useless asset, how could that be right?

“…Was it because of me?”

Her voice trembled with emotion.

“Did you erase his memories because of me? Because I… because I was greedy for his love?”

“Who knows.”

The answer was vague. Yuwon bit her lip. The shadow of her younger brother, drawing closer, felt cruel.

“If noona had left Yeonhu earlier, maybe none of this would’ve happened. But what good is that kind of speculation? It’s already done.”

In truth, the real reason Yujae tampered with Si Pungjae’s memories had to do with the mad bride. That man had been overstepping more and more, interfering in matters that weren’t his. Yujae had cast the spell to prevent further trouble.

But he made it sound like it was for Yuwon’s sake.

“Noona, you’ve already made a mistake.”

“…..”

“Don’t let another bad decision make you miss your chance again.”

He hoped she would hate him with everything she had. That she’d find him disgusting and horrifying.

It was the best gift he could give her while still holding on to some shred of his soul. After he died, he didn’t want her returning to Yeonhu or mourning his absence.

She needed to live a normal life, far away from the Cheonma Divine Sect. Maybe she could find her estranged master again. Maybe she could delve deeper into medicine. That would be enough.

“Live well, and take care of yourself.”

He brushed a hand over her hair as he said goodbye, wearing a faint smile. Yuwon felt regret clawing up her throat.

And then, just as suddenly as he had appeared, Tang Yujae vanished. Only the discarded bouquet remained by Yuwon’s side.

Moonlight quietly swept over her trembling shoulders as if to comfort her. The night was deep. In that darkness, Yuwon wept silently, wishing it could bury her grief, her rage, and her longing.

Her brother’s frozen life weighed on her, and his cold rejection stung. That once-gentle boy had lost his humanity, and the thought of not knowing how it happened crushed her chest.

“Hayeon…”

In moments like this, she found herself longing helplessly for those days on Gyehong Mountain, playing with Hayeon. That girl’s death had dragged so many lives into the mud.

Yuwon collapsed to the floor, picturing the small back that had walked away to find Hayeon.

Maybe she should have stayed by her brother’s side, even if it meant risking her life. The regret, too late to change anything, now wrapped around her like chains.

She shouldn’t have let him leave on such a hard path alone.

But regret that comes too late is nothing but empty sorrow.

Yuwon’s tears could no longer change Sahyeol Amje’s fate.