Editor: bodyinthefreezer
But things weren’t that simple. If a person was chosen, they had to sign a contract in the palace and accept the Dragon. It was said that if the chosen one refused and failed to develop their strength, it would harm their body. Eunhan was no exception.
“I was sick most of the time because I couldn’t sign the contract. My mother used to cook for me every day.”
Eunhan calmly explained the situation. The more he spoke, the calmer his voice became.
“But I was eventually discovered. My father was furious and ordered to kill me and my mom. Eventually, my mom died, and only I, the seed of misfortune, escaped.”
“Eunhan, it’s not your fault.”
“I expected you’d say so, Your Highness.”
“It’s true.”
He smiled bitterly. He was still blaming himself.
“Then why did Baekhan come to see you?”
“Baekhan was chosen by the White Dragon shortly after I left.”
He told me about Baekhan.
“The White Dragon is the most sacred Dragon. A person would be respected by all if they were chosen by the White Dragon. They're the only one that has the authority to choose the Emperor.”
Baekhan said he would choose Eunhan as his master, and he asked him to become the Emperor of Chang.
“Then do you want to become the Emperor?”
“No, I promised to be loyal to Tenstheon only.”
Eunhan shook his head firmly.
“But Baekhan chose you.”
Baekhan came all the way here for his brother, whom he used to be close to when they were kids. Although he tried to attack me, I didn’t think he was a bad kid.
“How did he find you?”
Baekhan had never appeared in the original story. The Chang empire couldn’t even find Eunhan. Even if Eunhan had made his existence known to the world now, how did Baekhan find him so quickly?
“He said he’s been searching for a long time. He felt vaguely that I was in the West, and he felt my strength on the day I went to Tenlarn Palace.”
Eunhan had used his powers several times to avoid the Macul in Tenlarn Palace, so deviating from the original story, Baekhan found him and came to visit.
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”
“No. This is my mistake. The previous high priests were so incompetent that they could not even recognize my powers even when I was right in front of them. I didn’t know that the high priests would’ve changed over the years.”
“Baekhan must be very capable.”
“He is way too good….”
An expression of regret came over his face for a moment. He was worried about his brother, but his expression returned to indifference soon.
“I’ve given him a good scolding, so he’ll be going back to Chang sometime today.”
“You haven’t seen him in a long time. Are you going to send him back just like that?”
“The one who is more important than the Emperor in the Chang Empire is the High Priest. Now that Baekhan disappeared, the Empire must be in an uproar.”
Eunhan’s expression, which was calm, suddenly became cold.
“That bastard…”
“Eunhan, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid Baekhan followed after me.”
“Baekhan?”
I looked around, but I couldn’t see Baekhan. Then, I heard Blake’s scream from upstairs.
Eunhan and I rushed to Blake’s room.
***
Blake’s scream rang out loudly the moment I opened the door.
“What are you doing?”
Blake was lying on the floor, and Baekhan was sitting on his waist.
“Oho, you’re an amazing man.”
“Blake!”
What was he doing to my husband?! I ran to Blake right away, while Baekhan looked on in astonishment.
“Blake, are you all right?”
“Yes….”
Blake nodded his head. When a person suddenly appeared and spoke in a language he had never heard before, he was alarmed.
While I went to check on Blake, Eunhan yelled at Baekhan. Of course it was in the language of Chang.
“Baekhan! How dare you do this?!”
“I was following you, but I made a small mistake and fell here.”
“Say sorry to the Crown Prince now!”
“I won’t bow down to someone who is not the Emperor of Chang.”
“You are their guest, Baekhan!”
Eunhan shouted, but Baekhan raised his head proudly, as if he had done nothing wrong.
I could see why Collin said that.
Baekhan looked at Blake with unfocused eyes. His mysterious eyes were indescribable.
Baekhan was interested in Blake, and he showed no sign of reluctance due to his curse.
Come to think of it, the White Dragon was said to be a sacred creature in the Chang Empire. Wouldn’t it be like the Goddess of Light in the West? Perhaps he could help Blake.
“What are you doing?”
“It was mixed up,” said Baekhan lightly.
“What? What’s mixed up?”
Was it about Blake’s curse?
“Do you want to know?”
“Yes, I want to know.”
Baekhan opened his mouth when I nodded desperately.
“It’s a secret.”
“Baekhan, don’t be rude. Tell us everything you know!”
Eunhan scolded Baekhan, as Baekhan looked at me.
“Crown Princess of Asteric, won’t you make a deal with me?”
***
Despite Blake and Eunhan’s opposition, in the end, they left me alone with Baekhan.
“Tell me your terms.”
“I heard that my brother is staying here to treat the prince.”
“Yes. He mainly stays here these days.”
“Then I’ll be staying here too. I want to stay with my brother.”
I was worried about him making unreasonable demands, but it was a surprisingly easy condition. If he stayed at the Crown Prince’s palace, it could help Blake too.
“Okay, I’ll get your room ready.”
“Also, please persuade my brother to come back to Chang.”
He fearlessly put forward another unreasonable condition.
“That’s too hard. I am not capable of that, and whether or not he returns to Chang, it is his choice.”
“If you help me, I’ll let you know what you’re curious about.”
“And what’s that?”
Why was he so confident about what I was looking for? It was suspicious of him to say so without hesitation. However, before the spark of doubt could even arise, Baekhan’s lips moved leisurely.
“I’ll decipher the rest of the stone plate.”
I looked at him in astonishment
“Can you decrypt it? How did you know I wanted to decipher the stone plate?”
“You must’ve touched it because you wanted to decipher it.”
“How did you….”
How did he know that I had touched the stone plate often?
“I saw you.”
Baekhan smiled leisurely and brought up his condition again.
“Try to persuade my brother. If my brother goes to Chang, I will tell you about the Crown Prince and decipher the stone plate.”
“……Really?”
“Yes, but the deal’s a secret. I don’t want him to hate me.”
Didn’t he realize he was asking for too much? It was ridiculous, but Baekhan added.
“If you tell this to someone else, I won’t tell you anything.”
***
I had a place arranged for Baekhan at the Imperial Palace.
Baekhan clearly knew something. Honestly, I felt like just grabbing him by the collar and demanding he read the stone plate immediately, but if he decided to keep his mouth shut, everything would be over.
But I couldn’t even tell Eunhan to go back to Chang for Blake.
Ten years later, Chang would fall into great chaos. When the country became divided, the civil war would reach its peak, and the people who had been defeated in the power struggle would rush to the Western continent.
At that time, Richard would succeed in removing his half-brother, Frank, using the people of Chang.
The Chang Empire would soon be destroyed.
I couldn’t push someone else over the edge for Blake. He was a Black Dragon. No matter what, the Black Dragon that was prophesied to destroy the country could not become the Emperor.
But I couldn’t let go of it like this.
“Baekhan, try this.”
I went into Baekhan’s room with a tray of dumplings that I had made.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a dumpling. I worked hard to make it for you, Baekhan.”
I especially made vegetable dumplings for him after hearing that he couldn’t eat meat.
Wasn’t food the best way to attract kittens?
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