CRS | Chapter 4.2

The thought was both amusing and unsettling. Imagining a large man standing alone in a dark room was eerie. Yoongeon shook off the thought and tried to listen for any sounds outside Seo Hwi’s room. But it was deep into the night, and there was no sign of life inside.

‘He might be alert, so I must be cautious.’

Yoongeon carefully opened the door, making sure not to make a sound, and then stopped in his tracks, feeling a sense of futility.

“……”

Seo Hwi was deeply asleep, unaware of anyone outside.

‘Unbelievable. After violating me, he’s sleeping peacefully?’

Anyone else would be too anxious to sleep, not knowing when something might happen to them. But it seemed he was eating well despite the poison and sleeping soundly despite the assassins. He was entirely different from Yoongeon, who was enduring all the physical and mental turmoil. His anger boiled over.

Swallowing his rage, he approached Seo Hwi cautiously. He moved carefully, suspecting Seo Hwi might be pretending to sleep, but he was genuinely in a deep slumber.

‘Hah!’

So, I just need to stab him with the sword… he thought, but then he realized something strange.

‘…The smell of dawn?’

There was a peculiar scent in the room. The smell of dawn itself wasn’t strange. What puzzled Yoongeon was that it was the middle of the night, yet the scent of dawn seemed to be “lingering.” Something that couldn’t linger was lingering… it was truly odd.

He lowered the cloth covering his face slightly. As expected, the room was filled with the scent of dawn. It was as if someone had captured the dawn air and released it in the room, the fragrance so strong it made his head spin. Despite the overwhelming scent, Seo Hwi slept peacefully, indicating he had a strong stomach.

‘There’s no way the scent of dawn could be present when it’s not dawn.’

Unable to understand, he tilted his head. But then he remembered he had more pressing matters and covered his face again. He could solve this mystery later. Yoongeon steeled himself and approached the sleeping Seo Hwi.

‘Finally, I can rid myself of this insolent creature.’

He raised the dagger. It was positioned perfectly to kill him instantly without hesitation. Seo Hwi, unaware of the assassin’s deadly intent, continued to breathe evenly in his sleep.

Yoongeon hesitated for a moment. Something was off, not right… The Seo Hwi he knew wouldn’t sleep so peacefully. He was someone who had fought against him for four months, whether he liked it or not. He was very alert and quick-witted. He should have sensed the assassin’s intent immediately.

Realizing this, Yoongeon lowered the dagger and leaned closer to listen. His breathing was unusually quiet. Had a robust man’s sleeping breath ever been this soft…?

⟡ ⟡ ⟡

Seo Hwi was dreaming.

He dreamed every night, so he immediately recognized that this was a dream. But he didn’t want to wake up by acknowledging it. He wanted to let it flow, to feel the pain he needed to feel, and to constantly drive himself toward death. In his dreams, the past always repeated.

Seo Hwi saw his sister, covered in blood, sitting on the throne. He was kneeling on the floor, held by the Grand King. His sister, Seoryeong, looked at her brother without changing her expression and spoke. Even sitting on a throne higher than the Grand King, who ruled the world, she showed no fear.

[Is there something you desire?]

She asked calmly, not pleading for her brother’s life, but as a king of a nation, as an Inner King, she asked the Grand King. If there was something he wanted, she would gladly negotiate. It was so like her.

[Something I desire… of course. First, I want this country.]

The Grand King’s face was full of innate arrogance. He looked down at him with disdain and spoke.

[And next, I want the life of the King of Seoro Nation.]

[…….]

[Ah, but I’m not so heartless. I’ll give you a choice. I’ll take the life of either the Inner King or the Outer King, just one of you.]

Seo Hwi looked up at the Grand King. He couldn’t see his face clearly. In contrast, he could see his sister’s face very clearly as she looked at the Grand King. She gave a faint smile at his proposal.

[Could you give us time to say goodbye? I’d like to have a cup of tea with my only brother.]

[Very well.]

Moments later, the scene changed instantly. Seo Hwi was now sitting across from his sister, dressed in clean clothes. His sister, Seoryeong, poured him a cup of tea and spoke.

[You’re quite an indifferent brother. I thought you’d visit at least once every six months. You only came when I called.]

“……”

[Hwi, you need to reflect. You shouldn’t be so harsh to your sister.]

She spoke with a mischievous smile. Hwi nodded and took a sip of the tea she poured. But it wasn’t the tea she usually enjoyed. The tea had a faint scent of the dawn breeze. This scent… Seo Hwi was startled and looked at his sister.

[Take it with you. I have some well-dried in my chamber. I thought you might want it. But I hope you don’t use it, my brother.]

“Have you been drinking this tea all along?”

Seoryeong smiled and shook her head. But even a year after her death, Seo Hwi didn’t believe her words.

“I’m going to die. I’ve decided.”

He repeated the same words as back then. The familiar words of his decision to die.

[Hwi. As you know, brothers usually do a lot for their sisters. Since childhood, you’ve always given up a lot for me.]

“Yes, so I…”

He couldn’t let his only sister die. Seo Hwi didn’t want her to bear the consequences of his mistakes. It was enough for him to disappear from the world. The Grand King of Cheongwolmok had said he wouldn’t take both their lives, even if they were the defeated nation’s royalty, and Seo Hwi was willing to sacrifice himself. But Seoryeong just smiled.

[Hwi, instead of me, you should feel the humiliation and beg for your life in this hell.]

“……”

[Think of the sister who will survive and endure all the scorn and humiliation, Hwi. So if you pity me, let me die respected as the last king of Seoro Nation, not as a mere surviving lord.]

The indifferent brother’s face twisted as his sister told him to endure all the humiliation. Her mouth still smiled kindly, but tears fell from her eyes.

Knowing she was trying to save him with her twisted logic, Seo Hwi couldn’t hold back and grabbed her hand. But as the promised time passed and the Grand King entered with a sword, Seoryeong closed her eyes and spoke. This might become a curse that binds you, Hwi….

“…Even if it’s a curse…”

Hwi muttered in a sunken voice and opened his eyes. He met the gaze of Yoongeon, who had been staring at him. No matter how much he covered his face, Seo Hwi would always recognize him. Seeing his startled face, he almost let out a laugh. If he came to kill him, he should just do it quickly. What was he doing here?

Seo Hwi swallowed his disappointment. He had been so close to an inevitable death, only to be interrupted again. Ah, that’s why my sister came to my dream. To wake me from this deep sleep. To pull me out of the endless slumber.

“…Truly cruel.”

My sister… As Seo Hwi swallowed his words, Yoongeon hurriedly pointed the dagger at his neck. Seo Hwi grabbed the dagger with his hand and pointed it at his own neck. The blade was so sharp that blood began to flow as soon as he touched it.

“Seems like you don’t want to do as I wish.”

“…What nonsense are you spouting? Have you gone mad? All this talk of curses and whatnot.”

Yoongeon spoke with a puzzled expression. Seo Hwi chuckled.

“Revealing your voice means you’re not a skilled assassin.”

“I’m not someone who needs to be.”

“Well, that’s true. Then, why not fulfill your purpose properly?”

Blood began to flow down his hand as he held the dagger barehanded. Yoongeon, flustered, tried to pull the dagger away, but Seo Hwi only tightened his grip.

“What is this…!”

As Yoongeon staggered back in surprise, Seo Hwi quickly got up, grabbed him, and pulled him onto the bed.

“Ugh!”

With a thud, Yoongeon hit his head, but Seo Hwi, unfazed, pinned him down and began to strip him.

“It seems you’ve forgotten the humiliation of the first night, so I thought I’d remind you. We’re not exactly on friendly terms for a chat.”