As expected of any of Mother’s followers, Mai was exceptionally good at covering her tracks. Most people who could even identify her led them to dead ends: Inns she never stayed at and restaurants she never visited. Of course, it would be difficult for her to be around other people with a gift like that. If she misplaced her gloves at any moment, another outbreak would occur. She must be somewhere on the outskirts. That might be the best choice considering her Gift, but it also left her without the cover of Wolgwang City’s crowds.
She had straw on her clothing.
It could’ve been there for a number of reasons, but if there was a chance her location could be tied to it, then Min-jun saw no reason why they should ignore it.
“None of the farms are abandoned,” Eok-gi said, Dae-yeong following on his heels. “They said they haven’t seen anyone matching our description.”
“I see,” Min-jun said. “Not a farm, then.” Perhaps she’d placed it there on purpose?
Hyun-woo checked off a few more buildings on the map. Min-jun’s vision blurred as he stared down at it, his feet stumbling over themselves. The lack of sleep was finally taking its toll on him, wearing down his mind more than his body. Hyun-woo wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
“Maybe you should rest for a bit,” Hyun-woo suggested.
Min-jun pushed him away with a hand to Hyun-woo’s chest. “We’ve got four hours left. I’ll sleep then, whether he lives or dies.”
The map comes back into focus, though now it was more of a mess of black dashes. A gap in the map drew his attention. A road that led nowhere, close to the forest, almost imperceptible.
“Does anyone know what’s on this street?” Min-jun asked, pointing to the gap.
Si-yeol glanced down. “The ruins.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Ruins?”
Vl-sfbi uglccfv. “Yt, rbwfatlcu sbe vbc’a xcbk?” Lf ragjlutafcfv eq, ojg abb qgbev bo tlwrfio. “Pa erfv ab yf j wjcrlbc yfobgf tjio bo la yegcfv vbkc. Rb bcf xcbkr ktja tjqqfcfv.”
Zlc-pec njuefis gfwfwyfgfv rfflcu atfw ogbw j vlrajcmf, atf qlmaegf bo bqeifcmf ifoa ab klatfg jkjs ilxf j mbwwbc oibkfg.
“The mansion isn’t safe enough for anyone to go into,” Eok-gi said. “The last person who went in there died from a falling beam. It’s a death trap.”
Si-yeol hummed, crossing his arms. “I agree. If that little girl went in there, she probably would’ve been crushed to death by now.”
Dangerous. Dangerous enough to dissuade most people from entering, even those searching for a troublesome suspect. If Min-jun was in Mai’s place, that was exactly where he’d go, dangers be damned.
“That’s where she is,” Min-jun said, tapping the place on the map twice. He met their eyes and knew his next words wouldn’t be met with a warm wave of support. “We have to go in after her.”
“What?” Their timing was immaculate, really. Spending so much time together must’ve synchronized their actions.
Min-jun ignored their concerns. He straightened his back, folding his hands on his lap. “How long will it take to get there?”
Si-yeol slowly let out a breath. “Oh my, he’s finally cracked.”
“Son, the chances of her being in that broken-down building are slim,” Ha Jil said, brow furrowing. “If we go in there, we’ll likely be killed by that place before we can even find her.”
“I’ll be the only one going in.” Min-jun took the map off the table, rolling it up tightly. At once, his heart began to pound in his ears. He stood, guided by sheer adrenaline. This was it. It had to be. “But I still need you all to stand outside, in case she tries to escape that way.”
They appeared hesitant, exchanging cautious looks. If they knew that it was the King who had fallen ill, they wouldn’t be so slow to agree. Alas, he couldn’t let them know. The fewer people who know the King was in Wolgwang City the better. One wrong move and this place would be swarming with the King’s enemies.
“I’ll go,” Hyun-woo said, moving closer to him, “but only because you’ll go anyway, and someone needs to be around to hear you scream for help.”
“Not likely,” Min-jun replied, though his heart warmed. With Hyun-woo on his side, the others were also soon convinced, though none of them were particularly eager to join in. Their worries would have to be left at the door. They had four hours, and Min-jun would be damned if they would let them go to waste.
. . .
The mansion had been reclaimed by the forest, vines and roots wrapping around the wood and stone corpse as if it were another piece of the earth. Bright red and green paint peeked through, chipped, recalling a time when this place had still been tended to. Much of the mansion had been scorched black, or burned to the ground, with only ashes and blackened rock left behind. The bedrooms, servants’ quarters, and kitchens had all been sacrificed in the fire, but the lord’s study and the main hall had been saved. Min-jun walked up to the ruins, swallowing any remaining doubts and pushing them to the back of his mind. He looked down at his feet. Cracks had formed in the stone steps leading to the entrance.
Stepping inside, the building was dimly lit from the outside, littered with those same vines. Cobwebs hung from every crevice, their owners the only inhabitants of the building until now. Beneath him, the rotting floorboards creaked, shifting under his weight. Patches of the wood had already been torn apart, sinking into the ground below.
“Fantastic,” Min-jun murmured, covering his mouth with the sleeve of his durumagi. The corridor smelled of rot and dampness, his steps kicking up dust that lingered in the air. In the layers of dust and dirt, there were the footsteps of another person, barely visible. He wasn’t alone.
Min-jun walked down the corridor, following the footsteps, and began to call out to the girl. After all, if she wanted him dead so badly, she wouldn’t pass up a chance to face him.
“Mai,” Min-jun called. “It’s dangerous to be in here.”
His only answer was the groaning of the building as a breeze swept against it. He’d have to push some buttons, then.
“I know why you did it,” Min-jun continued, stepping over a hole in the floor. Behind him, a piece of wood broke off from the ceiling and fell through the floor, narrowly missing him. He turned on his heel, walking backward a few steps. A squirrel scurried over the floor, unbothered. Up above, he could see the rotting beams hanging on by a thread. He was suddenly thankful for the team of people waiting for him outside of this mansion.
He took a steady inhale, instantly regretting it as the scent of rot filled his mouth.
“It was for your father, wasn’t it? You wanted to kill me for having a hand in his death.”
Still no answer. Min-jun grimaced. It would appear she left him with no choice.
Min-jun put his hands on his hips, imitating the most irritating person he knew: Si-yeol. “But really, he had put himself in the situation. There is no saving a fool.”
Mai burst out of one of the rooms to his right, her stance aggressive. “You take that back!” A small girl with braided black hair, thin, her cheeks red and her dark eyes narrowed in anger. Her gloves were gone, replaced by persimmon juice that covered her hands.
“I take it back,” Min-jun said. He lifted his arms in a pacifying gesture but did not move an inch. “I’m sorry for what I said. I wasn’t sure how else to bring you out.”
The tension left Mai momentarily as the surprise loosened her face from its angry expression. Then she returned to her stance, feet apart, fists in the air. “You’ve a lot to be sorry for, you . . . you monster.”
Min-jun had called the King that before. It didn’t quite deliver the punch he’d imagined it would, especially not from the mouth of a grieving girl. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding –”
“No misunderstanding,” Mai insisted. “Mother said you’d try to wiggle your way out of admitting it.”
Mother told her that? Why? So she could go off and try to kill him? “What did she tell you?”
“That . . .” She swallowed thickly, blinking tears away. “That you poisoned him because you didn’t want him to tell anyone about who you are.” Mai pointed at him. “That you forced him to take it.” She was shaking with anger, and it filled him with unease to stand across from her. As if he’d been placed in front of a mirror and made to look at his own reflection for a little too long. Look at yourself. See how miserable you are.
. End of Chapter .
A/N: Happy Halloween everyone! You know I’ll be spending the day eating too much candy and watching scary movies. thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please leave a comment down below with your thoughts to let me know.
Am I imagining it or do both of the children resemble an aspect of Min-jun in some way?
Ooh, good eye! They definitely do. Kang Hye is a glimpse of what Min-jun was before his parents died, while Mai is a representation of his current self after the death of his parents. Thank you for commenting!
I’m really confused about Mother’s goal now 👀 and I’m even more hungry for answers 🤔
One day, your questions will be answered. One day.
Hopefully the full realization that Mother manipulate Mai and himself with the same ‘get revenge on your parents’ killer’ Poor Mai she needs someone to care for her and not abuse her Gift
This is all we can hope for 😭. Min-jun adopts Mai and they all live happily in the Palace far from Mother.
Thank you for the release!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
I love the way she acts like a mirror to Min-jun. I’m even more curious now to know what Mother’s endgame is.