Camellia 68

Once the three men who would receive the North Sea delegation, including Hwang Seoik, were selected, the urgent matters wrapped up quickly. Though Seoik was the main candidate to be sent to the Ice Palace, they had appointed two backups in case he wasn’t chosen. Still, since he was the most handsome of the group, the women from the North Sea would likely take him unless something unusual happened.

With time to spare, Tang Yujae downed a vial of Yangcheonju.

To be honest, the bride’s yang energy was still protecting his danjeon, so he could have delayed taking it. But the growing pile of letters left him no choice. Returned to the form of a boy, Yujae didn’t care what kind of look Si Pungjae gave him as he made his way to the bride.

“Yujae!”

The reason he drank the Yangcheonju, the reason he showed up looking like this, all of it, was because of that warm voice. He didn’t know why, but it had echoed in his ears for days, and he wanted to hear it again.

Yeohwa Hall’s garden was still buried under thick snowfall.

The moment his long-awaited disciple appeared, Seolyeong looked overwhelmed. He ran over, breathless, and pulled Yujae’s small body into a tight embrace.

“Yujae, you brat! Do you know how worried I was, thinking something terrible might have happened to you? Why did you take so long to come back, huh? Have you been eating well three meals a day? Like I told you, you have to eat a lot and grow strong if you want to become a great warrior.”

Yujae looked up at him, dumbfounded, as the bride rubbed his cheek against his face.

To see the same brat who used to snap like a wild dog now clinging to him so sweetly, it was enough to make him laugh. Strangely, the warmth of his breath no longer felt unpleasant. Maybe he had simply grown used to it.

A strange change indeed. His bride’s touch no longer made him nauseous.

“Do I have ink on my face or something?”

Seolyeong smiled brightly as he noticed the fixed gaze on him, he asked. The softly crinkled corners of his eyes reminded one of a crescent moon, and the teasing curve of his lips brought to mind a mischievous cat. His striking eyes, vivid against pale skin, were unexpectedly clear and reflected Yujae cleanly.

He had been writing yet another letter to his disciple when Yujae arrived. Rubbing his cheek with the back of his hand, Seolyeong checked for ink stains but found nothing.

“Well… if you want to stare, go ahead, Yujae. I mean, a beauty like me isn’t something you get to see often unless heaven itself has chosen you, so of course you’d be mesmerized.”

Finished with his self-praise, he gently wrapped his hands around Yujae’s. Though his danjeon was broken, he was still a blood fiend. The warmth of yang energy spread from their joined palms to his whole body, and Yujae spoke.

“The delegation will be arriving at Yeonhu soon.”

“Huh?”

Hearing this for the first time, Seolyeong blinked wide-eyed. Yujae laced their fingers together and asked,

“Have you heard of the Bing clan from the North Sea?”

Apparently pleased with the boy’s earnestness, Seolyeong tightened his grip slightly. The flow of yang energy quickened. Seolyeong replied,

“If you mean the warriors who roam the snowy plains, I’ve heard of them every winter. As you know, the winters in the martial world have been getting colder each year. Every time, my younger sister would make a fuss, saying even the Bing clan couldn’t survive this kind of cold.”

“……”

“She probably just worried that the people around her would fall ill in the harsh weather.”

Would I ever get to see that girl again? Seolyeong sometimes wondered.

As Yujae quietly listened, he asked,

“Is your sister like you?”

Seolyeong no longer scolded the boy for using informal speech. He simply felt grateful that Yujae still came to see him.

Yujae had once said he had a place to return to. But Seolyeong had nowhere to go back to. The power balance between them was clear. No matter how many bonds he built while calling himself “master,” the moment Yujae rejected it, their relationship would end.

When he didn’t answer, Yujae pressed him again.

“I asked if your sister’s like you.”

“…We’re both blood fiends, so I suppose we are.”

Seolyeong looked up at the sky, now free of snow.

“But she’s more human and kind than I am. She lives a life completely different from mine.”

Seolhyeon had always blended well with people. It was a talent she was born with. No matter how unsettling her red eyes might have seemed, if their owner gave off warmth, people would eventually open up. Seolhyeon was living proof that blood fiends could coexist with humans, with effort.

“Your master’s made a bit of a mess. Do you want to see it?”

Seolyeong changed the subject and tugged Yujae toward Yeohwa Hall.

But Yujae planted his feet firmly and said,

“I won’t be able to come see you for a while. That’s why I came today.”

Instead of dragging the boy along, Seolyeong quietly released his hand and knelt on one knee.

“Why…? If I’ve done something to disappoint you, tell me. I’ll fix all of it.”

He seemed to think Yujae was cutting him off because he had grown dissatisfied.

Tang Yujae found himself liking the bride more than usual today. That expression, so sorrowful it looked like he might burst into tears if he said something harsh.

Satisfied, Yujae explained,

“When the delegation arrives, all regular sect members have to go down to Chiljeong. After about ten days, once the North Sea women return home, I’ll come back. So wait for me.”

It wasn’t a lie. To welcome the exchange, Yujae planned to bring down a level of cold even harsher than now upon the mountain. Those without martial training, mostly the maids, would be better off away from Yeonhu.

And once the Ice Palace Mistress’ twin sister arrived in Yeonhu, Yujae would have to devote nearly all his time to her. He needed to ensure that, just as planned, they would choose Hwang Seoik. So visiting the bride again while still under the effects of Yangcheonju would be impossible.

The women of the North Sea had pride as tall as mountains. If the sect leader didn’t appear in person, no one could guess how they might twist his words to the Ice Palace Mistress. Yujae, who wanted to maintain a stable alliance with the foreigners, planned to attend to the delegation with utmost sincerity.

“Then I’ll go down the mountain with you.”

Seolyeong, who had been quietly listening, offered the obvious solution like it was no big deal.

Yuhae let out a short laugh.

“You’re supposed to be holed up in the Yurigung. You’re the sect leader’s wife, remember?”

“I’m just a wife in name. No different from a stranger. That man’s wife? Just hearing it makes my skin crawl.”

His resentment toward the sect leader, worsened by the unwanted blood-drinking and sex, cut sharp.

“Your great sect leader doesn’t treat me like a wife. He treats me like a sack of grain he doesn’t know what to do with. He only shows up when he’s bored and tosses insults around for fun. A man who hits his wife is the most pathetic kind, and yet every time he sees me, he just starts swinging. You have no idea how miserable it is.”

Here we go again. Letting all the bitterness pour out, Seolyeong lowered his eyes, his voice softening with frustration.

“Yujae, you still respect the sect leader, don’t you?”

“……”

“No matter how poorly I’m treated, no matter how often I’m beaten like a dog, you’ll still chant his name with devotion, won’t you?”

“……”

“You like the sect leader better than me, don’t y…ow!”

Before Seolyeong could finish, Yujae yanked his hair.

“You keep talking like that and you’re going to get murdered in your sleep.”

“Yujae! My scalp’s going to come off!”

He had noticed before, this skinny little brat had freakishly strong hands. Yujae twisted up Seolyeong’s silky hair and gave it four sharp tugs, one in each direction, as a short punishment.

With tears welling from the pain, Seolyeong glared up at him, eyes reddened.

Meeting that gaze, Yujae offered a kind warning.

“When you greet the delegation, the Eight Pavilion Lords will be with you. If you act that disrespectful, they’ll kill you on the spot. So even if you hate it, at least pretend to like it.”

“Pretend to like who?”

“Your dearly beloved husband.”

His finger lightly brushed Seolyeong’s lashes before dropping away.

“You never know. Maybe then he’ll finally treat you with care.”