TGHD Ch 17

Cheon Ryubeom didn’t miss the path and chased after it. His consciousness kept flickering, and he almost collapsed several times, but he managed to hold on and continue stumbling forward. He believed there was a reason he briefly saw them.

And finally, Cheon Ryubeom realized what he had to do.

Upon reaching the barrier, Cheon Ryubeom knelt.

“…Young master?”

[…]

Yeohwi looked at Ryubeom in confusion, and the mermaids, who had been in a defensive stance, hesitated. The large blue mermaid, too, stopped absorbing the core and gazed at him quietly.

In a space thick with hostility and murderous intent that made the air crackle, Cheon Ryubeom, breathing steadily, spoke.

“Let me help you—or rather, let me help all of you.”

[…What?]

“I understand why your anger started. So… give me the chance to make it right.”

Cheon Ryubeom’s tone was incredibly sincere.

“I will find all those involved with this lab and make sure they are punished. I will ensure that something like this never happens again. And although they said that the abducted demi-humans are beyond saving due to the drugs… there is a way. My family cultivates Yeongyahua, which will surely expel the poison.”

As Cheon Ryubeom spoke about the Yeongyahua, a flower that blooms only at night on Yeonggok Peak, his face was filled with earnestness. He laid out his plan as if making a vow, and his demeanor inspired a brief sense of trust, but…

The expressions of those watching him were cold. Ryeong looked at Yeohwi with a gaze that seemed to say, “Is he really that naïve?” Yeohwi narrowed his eyes. Given what had happened in Hyojomyeon, it wasn’t just pride driving Ryubeom’s actions. Yeohwi decided to silently observe what Ryubeom was up to for now.

However, the beings in the water didn’t seem to want to continue the conversation. The green mermaid shouted sharply.

[Are you trying to tell us that revenge only breeds more revenge? That we must forgive to be free from suffering? Why must we forgive the humans who cruelly killed us out of their greed?]

The large mermaid, too, looked down at Ryubeom with a chilling gaze.

[Your pledge is a deception. Your words make us out to be beings who must rely on mercy and pity. Do you expect us to shed tears, moved by your generosity?]

“No, I…”

Before Ryubeom could finish, the blue mermaid fired its energy at him. It shot out like a thin line and wrapped around Ryubeom’s body like seaweed, lifting him into the air. The mermaid, having absorbed half of the core, exuded a menacing aura. The grudge it bore was so deep and dark that just hearing its voice made one’s entire body tense.

The mermaid twisted its lips into a smile as it watched Ryubeom struggle.

[Very well. If you feel pity for the kidnapped demi-humans, I shall release them. But in return, you must become our meal. If you truly empathize with our grudge, you should help us exact our revenge.]

The mermaid opened its mouth wide. Inside, it was as dark as a hollow cavern.

“Ryeong!”

Yeohwi moved urgently. He had only intended to watch Ryubeom to see what he was up to, but the situation had suddenly spiraled into disaster. Why on earth had that naïve and reckless cub done such a thing? Even now, he was trapped in the mermaid’s grip, unable to escape. Yeohwi swiftly flew into the air, while behind him, Ryeong clicked his tongue, as if he had expected this, and jumped.

But before they could reach the mermaid, Cheon Ryubeom acted. Though he was completely caught in the mermaid’s restraints and was on the verge of being swallowed, he had been drawing something all along. As if he had been waiting for this moment.

A flash of silver passed by. Before the mermaid could even realize it, Ryubeom’s spell entered its mouth, and it immediately flung Ryubeom away. Thud! Ryubeom was hurled across the lab, rolling onto the floor.

[You…! You waited for the moment I let my guard down…!]

The mermaid raged. It had been strange that Ryubeom hadn’t resisted the restraints with his spiritual power as he had earlier. Now, it became clear why he had allowed himself to be captured. The large mermaid and the smaller ones were connected through energy, and Ryubeom’s spell had spread to the smaller mermaids’ bodies as well. As one of the smaller mermaids furiously moved to attack—

A soft glow spread across its scales. The silver light rippled between each scale, a change that occurred just after the glow passed through them. The once dark, almost black scales, like those of a black pearl, now shimmered with various colors.

The memories of the demi-humans contained within the scales sparkled.

“…Resonance?”

Yeohwi, who had finally recognized the nature of the spell Ryubeom had cast, muttered softly. Resonance (共鳴). To empathize with another’s emotions and actions, to harmonize with their sound, and finally, to respond to their cries.

“Ugh, aagh…”

Countless wounds repeatedly appeared and disappeared on Cheon Ryubeom’s body. He seemed to be experiencing the same pain the demi-humans had suffered. Groaning and struggling, he eventually managed to prop himself up on the floor, supporting his upper body. Tears fell from his bloodshot eyes.

Their resentment had pierced deeply into Ryubeom.

The clues had always been around him. The scenes he had witnessed after leaving the tiger family had shown him the truth. The discrimination demi-humans faced at school, the way people looked at them on the streets, and even the events in Hyojomyeon.

But Ryubeom hadn’t connected those experiences to himself. In the Cheon family, such things didn’t happen. Even though Ryubeom was considered an outsider in his family, he was still a tiger, and no one dared look down on him.

So, Ryubeom had only found the reality of others’ lives curious. He simply observed how other demi-humans lived, storing the knowledge in a corner of his mind as a detached impression. He had focused on which culture the Han River mermaid myth stemmed from and studied historical texts instead.

After all, solving the Sagwido problem was more important to him. Or rather, his father was always his top priority.

“I’m not saying that we should forgive the bad people,” Ryubeom said, wiping away the blood trickling from his lips. His speech was interrupted by pain, but he forced himself to continue.

“I’m not asking you to show mercy either. I’m just…”

Cheon Ryubeom trailed off, but then opened his mouth again, despite the pain.

“I know that you’ve been killing the researchers because you pitied the demi-humans who died here.”

[…]

“You’ve tried to break down this place, to stop even more from suffering.”

The reason the mermaid kept lingering around the Han River, the reason it endlessly hurled its body against the walls of the lab despite knowing they wouldn’t break. The reason it cut off the path from the animal hospital to this place and killed the other researchers—all of it.

“Because they knew the sorrow of dying unjustly.”

They had been trampled upon and exploited simply because they were different and weak. They were the ones who didn’t want others to suffer the same miserable pain.

“So opening the Guimun… ugh… it would only grow that sorrow…”

Cheon Ryubeom spoke with difficulty, locking eyes with the mermaid. The eyes of the mermaid, who had absorbed the core, were terrifying to meet, but Ryubeom didn’t avert his gaze.

Two emotions kept him going. The responsibility he had learned from the Cheon family, as a tiger symbolizing this land. And… part of his life had also resembled ‘theirs.’ Because he was rejected as a human, never accepted by his father, he had lived feeling chased by something all his life. Even if only a small part of their experiences were similar, Ryubeom had known loneliness.

That’s why he wanted to act.

“Give me a chance to set things right.”

[Do you think we’ll be moved by your worthless mercy…]

“No, it’s not mercy. This… is an apology.”

An apology from someone who had realized the truth too late, and a remorse for his shallow hypocrisy when he had scolded the mermaid not to open the Sagwido without even knowing the true nature of the grudge they held.

The mermaid silently gazed down at Ryubeom. Even the mermaid had writhed in the aftermath of the resonance earlier. The process of reliving each memory that made up its body was unpleasant, even for a being born from that grudge. It only sharpened the clarity of past pains.

But because of that, it allowed them to confront the emotions hidden within that suffering.

“You asked me to free you.”

Cheon Ryubeom’s eyes gleamed silver. The resonance had connected him with the mermaid, helping him understand even more clearly. The words he had heard a few days ago when he fell into the river:

[…Take me out…]

It wasn’t just his father’s apparition trying to lure him… It was the whisper of the vengeful souls that made up the mermaid. They had been asking him to take the demi-humans trapped in the lab out, to release them from the cycle of suffering.

The very existence of the mermaid meant that their souls were still in pain.

Cheon Ryubeom limped forward and slowly extended his hand toward the mermaid.

“…Let me free you.”

Cheon Ryubeom’s hand was in ruins. Blood flowed from the wounds on his palm, where his nails had dug into it during his earlier struggles, and his knuckles were scraped raw from hitting the walls. It was far from a trustworthy-looking hand.

But the blue mermaid couldn’t tear its gaze away from it.

[…Why…]

This wasn’t the will of the mermaid. The grudges and souls of the demi-humans contained within the scales were responding. Though the mermaid, born from their despair, only sought destruction, its purpose could never override the wishes of the souls that made up its body.

Cheon Ryubeom’s heart, reaching out to them, had stirred them into motion.

A fragment of the core dropped to the floor with a thud.

[How insolent of you, your ploy has worked.]

The blue mermaid muttered quietly. Though his words conveyed annoyance, his tone was not angry. Instead, it sounded weary, as if drained, likely because the vengeful spirits were breaking down his existence—an unusual sight. Still, the mermaid made no effort to suppress the spirits’ cries.

If Cheon Ryubeom had merely spoken about justice and the need to save the world, the mermaid wouldn’t have reacted. But Ryubeom said he wanted to save the spirits. He felt their every pain and understood the hidden sorrow within their despair.

A tiger cub, bloodied and battered, didn’t inspire confidence, yet the spirits responded in the end.

[Is this what makes you the leader of the beastfolk, after all?]

The mermaid murmured to himself as he coolly looked down at the tiger. Despite the spirits breaking down his form, the mermaid, who had wandered the river for years, still held onto his deeply entrenched sense of self.

[However, I do not trust you. So, I shall lay a curse upon you.]

“…Anything.”

Though the mention of a curse should have startled him, Cheon Ryubeom calmly extended his hand. He even dispelled the protective barrier around his body, making the mermaid chuckle in disbelief. Was this confidence as a tiger? Or did Ryubeom see this as part of his apology?

What a ridiculous cub.

The mermaid narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized Cheon Ryubeom, then placed his finger on Ryubeom’s wrist. Using the last of his remaining spiritual energy, the mermaid cast a curse.

Countless symbols appeared on Ryubeom’s wrist. He couldn’t fully understand them, but he grasped their meaning.

It was a curse that would punish him if he failed to heal the kidnapped beastfolk or lead the effort to resolve the situation. A curse so powerful it could even take his life.

“….”

Ryubeom made no resistance until the curse was complete. The symbol for “kill” was being inscribed upon him, something most would reflexively avoid, but he calmly endured it.

At that, the blue mermaid finally let out a soft laugh.

[Now, it’s all over…]

With a weary voice, the mermaid stepped onto the silver array. Moments before, Cheon Ryubeom’s blood had dripped down to form the sacred circle.

It was absurd. Here was a tiger calmly receiving a curse while secretly drawing the ritual circle behind his back. Should the mermaid laugh at the absurdity, or at Ryubeom’s determination to prioritize others, even while neglecting his own safety?

But the process of disappearing didn’t end peacefully. A smaller mermaid, freed from the aftershocks of resonance, thrashed violently. Consumed with a rising grudge, he was overwhelmed with fury.

[I cannot disappear like this!]

Moreover, they had killed his comrade! Though the smaller mermen and the larger one were part of the same entity, they perceived each other as separate. After consuming the body of the yellow mermaid, the smaller one inherited his grudge, unable to accept the current situation. The malice that formed his body resonated with Ryubeom’s spirit ritual, but it wasn’t enough. One of them still had to die.

Rumble! Using the last of his spiritual energy, the mermaid stirred the waters into a massive whirlpool, large enough to shake the ground.

[You…!]

At last, the mermaid charged at Cheon Ryubeom. Though it was the fox beastfolk who had killed his companion, the mermaid, overcome by instinctual fear, couldn’t approach him. So instead, he targeted Cheon Ryubeom. After all, the tiger cub had caused all of this. It was Ryubeom’s intrusion that threw everything off course. Moreover, the mermaid was furious that Ryubeom had used them in his infiltration of the laboratory.

Cheon Ryubeom was in such a battered state that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was bleeding from every part of his body. Now was his chance. If he killed the tiger cub, the spirit circle would be erased, and the vengeful spirits making up his form would calm down.

Whoosh! The water, spinning like blades, rushed toward Ryubeom. Ryubeom, focused on drawing the spirit circle, realized the attack too late.

Ah. I can’t dodge this.

As Ryubeom braced for the pain to come, his arm was suddenly yanked backward.

“When will our young master stop overexerting himself…?”

Startled by the warmth that enveloped him, Ryubeom froze. Someone had tightly wrapped their arms around his back. He couldn’t even blink. His heart plummeted. Ryubeom slowly turned his head, inhaling sharply.

A beautiful face filled his vision, with dusky eyes gazing down at him. He couldn’t decipher the emotion resting quietly in those eyes, like the sunset.

[Not everything will willingly accept the spirit ritual.]

Across from them, a white fox tossed the green mermaid onto the silver circle. The mermaid rolled across the ground, engulfed in the light, and screamed as bubbles erupted from his form.

[No…!]

The mermaid struggled desperately to escape the circle, but the blue mermaid pressed him down gently. Born from them, it was only right to follow their fate.

With a soft whisper, they finally dissolved into foam. Scales that shimmered like black pearls, each reflecting its own color, slowly scattered into the river. It felt like witnessing a dreamlike vision.

What fairy tale foam could resemble this? Only after they abandoned the regrets that bound them to this life did they truly find freedom, their light filling Ryubeom’s view.

Ryubeom blinked slowly. Drawing the spirit circle had drained him, leaving him dizzy and dazed. At some point, he was startled by the sensation of wetness soaking his shoulder.

It wasn’t his own blood.

“Yeohwi! You’re… you’re hurt…!”

Ryubeom’s voice trembled—something that hadn’t happened even in front of the mermaid. The blood pouring from the wound Yeohwi had received while saving him from the green mermaid’s attack soaked through Yeohwi’s torn black robe.

The spiritual energy in the mermaid’s attack was no small thing. That the wound remained even after the mermaid disappeared spoke to its severity.

Though Ryubeom was panicked, Yeohwi remained silent. Ryubeom hesitated, unnerved by Yeohwi’s calm stare. It felt as though Yeohwi was quietly observing everything, unaware of his injury until Ryubeom spoke.

Have I overreacted?

The Yeohwi that Cheon Ryubeom saw here was completely different from the one he had known until now. Not only did he use powerful spells, but he also maintained a calm demeanor in front of the mermaid.

As Ryubeom awkwardly tried to move Yeohwi’s hand away, Yeohwi suddenly staggered. A soft sigh escaped his lips.

“It hurts so much, young master.”

“What? No, I mean, why did you come to me?!”

“I saved you, young master, and this is what I get… Ah…”

“No, no, I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

The mood shifted in an instant. Cheon Ryubeom, flustered, hurriedly apologized to Yeohwi, who then pressed a hand to his forehead as though he were developing a headache. He swayed, and Ryubeom, pale with worry, quickly supported him. As their bodies drew closer, more blood smeared onto Ryubeom.

Ryubeom turned his gaze to the white fox behind them. A gumiho. When he first encountered this being, he was shocked, and even now, many things about the fox remained mysterious… but there was something more pressing at the moment.

“Could you possibly help us? We need to get back to the surface, but there are many beastfolk…”

He was too exhausted, and Yeohwi was injured, making it difficult for them to escape the river. So, Ryubeom asked for help from the being known as “Ryeong.” The fox looked down at them, his expression filled with reluctance.

Especially when he glanced briefly at Yeohwi, there was a strange, almost baffled look in his eyes.

“…?”

Ryubeom looked back at Yeohwi in confusion. Yeohwi, resting against Ryubeom’s chest, gazed up at him pitifully, his long lashes fluttering delicately, giving him an almost ethereal appearance.

Ryubeom, feeling the urgency again, pleaded once more for the fox’s assistance. After staring at them with his red eyes for a moment, the fox clicked his tongue and turned his head.

[…Fine, let’s go.]

With a great splash, the water parted, revealing a path. Ryubeom marveled for a moment before his attention quickly shifted back to Yeohwi, who was moaning about his pain. Focusing on supporting him, Ryubeom helped him along.

Above the surface, the moonlight shimmered chaotically on the water.

The Next Day.

All eyes were on the Han River. The previous night, dark blue energy had surged near the Wonjeung Dock, causing the water to ripple intermittently, and at times, it even shot upward. The strange phenomenon unsettled those who had witnessed it, even from a distance.

However, as dawn approached, the commotion took a positive turn when certain figures arrived at the dock. These were employees from the Cheonho Foundation. The foundation, run by the tiger clan, held immense trust, and word spread quickly that even a tiger beastfolk had been on-site, leading to speculation that the tiger clan might have hunted a merman.

While the bustling morning passed, the house where the fox triplets lived was thrown into its own chaos.

“Hoo, to think the children almost went through something like that. What should we do about our little ones?”

“Stop crying, Guil. It’s not like the kids are going to die.”

“They say traumatic memories from childhood can stay in the unconscious for life! What if they carry that burden forever?”

“If you keep crying, I might give you another kind of trauma. So, could you be quiet?”

Guil was sobbing next to the sleeping triplets, while Yeohwi shook his head in frustration. From the moment they brought the children out at dawn, Guil had been on the verge of tears, and as soon as they got home, he’d broken down completely.

While Cheon Ryubeom contacted his family to have the kidnapped beastfolk sent to the hospital, Yeohwi took care of the triplets. He was starting to regret not going to the hospital himself, considering how noisy things had become.

“I think we named you wrong. When you were a cub, you cried day and night, so we named you Guil, but you’re still a crybaby even now that you’re over a hundred years old.”

“It’s because I can empathize with the sorrowful things that happen in childhood!”

Yeohwi paused for a moment at Guil’s outburst, then let out a sigh. He remembers things from when he was a cub. Muttering to himself, Yeohwi shook his head again.

“The kids are fine, so stop making a fuss. You’ll disturb their sleep.”

It was only when the triplets were mentioned that Guil finally stopped crying. Feeling embarrassed after crying for hours, he adjusted his glasses and straightened his clothes, clearing his throat.

But Guil was still dissatisfied.

“How could something like this happen while we were rehearsing? The kids were put in danger, and even the head of the family got hurt.”

Yeohwi had received treatment for the wound on his shoulder, but the merman’s energy had been too strong for a full recovery. Even though they had poured rare medicine into the wound, it hadn’t fully healed, and he only kept it bandaged.

“It’s really strange. The head of the family getting hurt while protecting someone… especially a tiger…”

“Why is it so strange that I protect someone? Shouldn’t you be more surprised about the second part?”

“Could it be that an evil spirit from abroad has possessed you…?”

“Now you’re just being cheeky. I got hurt for a reason, so stop overthinking it.”

Although Yeohwi tried to explain, Guil didn’t seem convinced at all.

“Even Ryeong is looking at you like you’re acting strange!”

Ryeong, who had shrunk in size, was sitting by the veranda window, basking in the sunlight. Though he appeared peaceful, his occasional glances at Yeohwi were filled with reluctance, and Guil pointed this out as evidence, as if to say he wasn’t the only one who thought Yeohwi’s behavior was odd.

Yeohwi shrugged.

“Ryeong carried a tiger on his back a few hours ago. Isn’t that even more shocking?”

[Nonsense]

Ryeong snapped, glaring at Yeohwi before letting out a sigh. Although he knew why Yeohwi was doing this…

[You… you’re too selfless. Is there really a need to take care of the tiger cub to that extent? You could be more moderate.]

“Exactly! You even gave them our family’s precious medicine…”

Guil chimed in again.

“And now, this Han River incident is going to be credited entirely to the tiger clan.”

“Well, the young master did resolve it, didn’t he? Who would’ve thought he’d perform a requiem for a merman?”

“Master!”

“In order to achieve great plans, you need to make great investments.”

Yeohwi’s calm response made Guil sigh deeply. He looked as though he was trying to suppress his rising frustration, exhaling a long, deep breath from his chest, while Yeohwi chuckled softly at the sight.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang just in time. Instinctively, Ryeong quickly hid in the adjacent room, and Guil, caught off guard, moved with him. Yeohwi opened the door, only to stop when he saw who it was.

“…Are the kids alright?”

Cheon Ryubeom stood there, his clothing slightly disheveled as if he had rushed to get here. While he brushed back his hair, Yeohwi quietly looked at him. He had expected Ryubeom to be busy dealing with the aftermath of the incident and thought he wouldn’t see him again for a few days.

“Yes, they’ve all been treated and are resting. But don’t you need to return to your family’s estate, young master?”

“Yeah. But I had something I wanted to say…”

Yeohwi’s eyes narrowed slightly. The employees of the Cheonho Foundation must have offered to escort Ryubeom back to the Cheon family’s residence, so why had he declined and come all the way here?

Several possibilities ran through Yeohwi’s mind. Could it be that Ryubeom remembered everything that happened at the research center? In fact, Yeohwi had initially considered erasing his memories, but it wasn’t easy to cast mental spells on members of the Cheon family. It would’ve been possible if he had removed the bracelet, but even then, there was no guarantee that no trace would remain. There was a chance that Cheon Ryubeom’s mind could be damaged, and, more importantly, the fox’s traces left on him might be detected by the Cheon family.

So, in the end, he hadn’t cast the spell, but had Ryubeom started to piece together the strange events? Was it because he’d seen Ryeong? After resolving the immediate crisis, had doubt begun to take root in his mind? Yeohwi wondered whether he should take the risk and erase Ryubeom’s memories now. If he could keep Ryubeom away from the Cheon family for a few days, he could cover up his traces of magic… Yeohwi began to plan, unconcerned about the potential harm to Ryubeom’s mind.

But then, Cheon Ryubeom bowed his head.

“Thank you for coming to help that day.”

“…”

“And I’m sorry. Because of my incompetence, the kids were kidnapped, and you got hurt.”

Yeohwi blinked slowly. He tried his best to remain composed, but a hint of surprise flickered across his face at the completely unexpected response.

“…Did you really run all the way here just to say that?”

“I thought… you might leave soon.”

“Leave? Me?”

“Well, maybe you’d move since this isn’t the best environment for the kids anymore. And… maybe you wouldn’t want to see me anymore either.”

Ryubeom answered hesitantly, watching for a reaction. His voice was cautious, clearly worried that after everything that had happened, they might want to cut ties with him.

Yeohwi stood in silence for a long time, his expression unreadable. When their eyes finally met, he managed to pull up a picture-perfect smile.

“Why would I leave you, young master? You saved the kids this time.”

“No, it’s because I was careless in the first place…”

“Don’t focus on the cause. We all remember that you risked your life to save them.”

“…”

Cheon Ryubeom didn’t seem convinced by Yeohwi’s words, but judging by his frequent glances at the clock, he had clearly squeezed in just a moment to run over. Yeohwi gently nudged him, saying they could talk more after Ryubeom visited the clan, and at the mention of “after,” Ryubeom hesitated briefly before nodding slightly.

Creak, slam…

As Yeohwi stood quietly in front of the closed door, Ryeong approached. With a light leap onto Yeohwi’s shoulder, she spoke.

[That tiger always does the most unexpected things and says the most surprising things.]

“…Right? He never fails to surprise me.”

In fact, Yeohwi had thought that after the Hyojomyeon incident, he would’ve completely gained Cheon Ryubeom’s trust. He had planned to gradually lure him in and extract information about the tiger clan, but Ryubeom was more guarded than expected. He was tight-lipped and rarely shared his thoughts. So, Yeohwi continued to watch and wait with patience.

What was Cheon Ryubeom seeking so desperately that he clung to Sagwido? What wish had the clan promised him, driving him to such reckless behavior? Not just during the Hyojomyeon incident, but even in this recent event, Ryubeom’s recklessness had shocked him more than once.

Even when they first searched the Han River, Yeohwi had intended to scare Ryubeom a little with the appearance of a mermaid, hoping to make him depend on his help. He thought Ryubeom would panic and quickly retreat if he fell into the water. But instead, Ryubeom chased after the mermaid, plunging deeper into the river. Yeohwi had been baffled back then, and it only got worse as Ryubeom, as if possessed, threw himself into the search with a frantic intensity.

‘Guh, ugh, no… this can’t be…’

Then, upon seeing Ryubeom crying out for his father in the lab, Yeohwi had a revelation.

He already knew Ryubeom was an outcast within his clan and that his mother, who had once been the heir, had fled. But the details were unclear. He had assumed that Ryubeom’s treatment stemmed from being the child of a runaway heir, and, given his smaller stature, he guessed Ryubeom had been born from a union not approved by the clan, perhaps with a human.

Seeing Ryubeom cry for his father made it clear that there was some unresolved issue tied to his parents’ deaths. His “wish” was likely connected to that problem.

“…”

Learning more about Cheon Ryubeom was all part of Yeohwi’s plan. It wasn’t something that should surprise him, yet Ryubeom’s actions still managed to catch him off guard. All this time, Ryubeom had maintained his distance, full of wariness. But now, he had taken a step closer and shown his true feelings. In the past, he’d only expressed his doubts and mistrust; now, he was showing sincerity.

Yeohwi couldn’t help but picture Cheon Ryubeom as he had been just moments ago, saying goodbye. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps Ryubeom was too naive, but, strangely, it didn’t elicit a smirk.

Guil, who had quietly approached from behind, asked, having overheard Cheon Ryubeom’s words.

“Are you really planning to use that tiger? He seems… rather kind.”

“Haha, seems like you were deeply moved by the young master’s words.”

“Well, he did work hard to save the kids…”

Though Guil didn’t particularly like tigers, he couldn’t help but feel pity for Cheon Ryubeom. The way he clung to Sagwido, isolated from his own clan, and the memory of him looking around in awe at the Hn building, as if he had never experienced anything like it, stuck in his mind. Reflecting on that moment, Guil nervously glanced at Yeohwi’s expression. Since Ryubeom had left, Yeohwi didn’t seem particularly upset. In fact, he was smiling, as if amused.

“I have to admit, it’s fascinating. How could someone like him come from the rotten Cheon clan?”

“Right? So, maybe you should reconsider killing him…”

“Guil. Why do you think the tiger clan became so powerful?”

“…What?”

“Their exceptional healing abilities, their rapid recovery, and now even that ‘blessing’ humans revere. Why is it that only the Cheon clan stands so far above the rest…?”

Yeohwi’s words caused Guil’s face to gradually pale, and Yeohwi’s eyes narrowed with amusement as he watched. He shrugged lightly and turned away.

“We’ll find out soon enough.”

The sunlight streaming into the veranda slowly began to fade away.