The 415th drinking party is permitted.
Geommugeuk got up from his bed.
“I see you often these days.”
At the end of the sword dance, Seo-nak stood there blankly for a while before speaking softly.
“I guess there was some mistake.”
Unlike when he had been pushing forward with great momentum, he was calm.
“I think someone is trying to embarrass Elder Seo with misinformation.”
‘That’s you!’
Seonak felt his heart about to explode.
‘That’s not like me.’
I’ve been having trouble controlling my emotions lately because I’ve been getting involved with a cult leader.
Even when I barged in here, I should have checked under the blanket more calmly and politely. And even if I saw him in bed, I shouldn’t have been so surprised.
“I’m sorry for being rude.”
Seo-nak disciplined his mind by setting an example.
“This isn’t something that can be resolved with a simple apology, so I will formally protest to the palace maid today.”
“Okay then.”
Seonak left the room with the unmanned personnel he had brought.
As they left, Ian shouted at the swordsman.
“When on earth did you come?”
“A little while ago. When you opened the door to Elder Seo.”
“Through the window?”
The swordsman nodded. Ian looked at the horse.
‘Oh my, I wonder who you are, you knew I was coming but pretended not to notice!’
Ian sighed in relief and cleared his chest.
“Ah! I was so surprised! I thought my heart was going to burst earlier.”
Chwima took her word for it.
“He must have been hanging on the window to make that heart burst. He must have come in at just the right time to startle me.”
Ian nodded in agreement with Chwima’s joke.
“Yes, you’re the kind of person who would hang around in the snow and wind if you could surprise people. Okay, since you surprised people like this, you must have had some results.”
It was a word that was used to attack the sword dance.
“I found the mastermind.”
Ian screamed, “Oh my!” He was even more surprised than when he had pulled back the covers earlier.
“Really?”
“I was lucky.”
“You are truly the best at surprising people!”
Geommugeuk secretly infiltrated the Bukhyeolmun Gate and saw Hanseol meeting Yangseok.
While everyone was concentrating on the meeting, they planned to investigate the inside of the Bukhyeolmun Gate. However, they saw the guard who had been following Yangseok leave the place.
It was not an ordinary thing, so I followed him and witnessed him using blood to heal Sibi. He pretended to take care of her, but in an instant, he used blood to heal her, so I couldn’t help him even if I wanted to.
“Who is that person?”
“He is in charge of protecting the successor to the Bukhyeolmun clan.”
Chwima and Ian nodded with stern faces. As expected, the guys were hiding in a completely unexpected place.
“Then did you reveal your identity to him on purpose?”
Earlier, Seonak was certain that there was no swordplay here.
Indeed, Geommugeuk nodded.
“I wanted to find out what his level of martial arts was, and also to check if the Bukhyeolmun and the West Elder were connected.”
“Did you check both of them?”
The sword dance nodded.
“There’s one more thing. We’ll also be released from our captivity here. Since Seonak has shown great disrespect to the new sect’s leader, the Ice Palace Lord has a reason to release us.”
Ian asked the swordsman with a blank expression.
“Do you know what comes to mind at times like this?”
“What do you think?”
“Ah! How fortunate I am to be on your side! How fortunate I am not to be your enemy!”
Do you know what I’m thinking?
How lucky I am to have you by my side with such a bright face!
“I was so surprised, it made my heart stronger.”
Now Geommu-geuk looked at Chwi-ma. He was staring out the window without saying a word.
What is he thinking about? Alcohol? Or the dead Wonju? Or the concubine he left behind?
But they were all wrong. Right now, Chuma was thinking about the sword dance. How could he be so smart? How could he handle things without panicking?
If there were no Sword Dance Theater, I would have to handle everything myself, but would I be able to produce such results? I had this thought again after a long time that he really felt like an older brother to me, even though he was my younger brother.
“brother.”
No, not brother. You might as well call me younger brother.
I looked back at the sword dance with such pointless thoughts.
The words he had been waiting for so long came out of his brother’s mouth, who was like an older brother to him.
“It’s finally time to start drinking.”
* * *
Hanseol, who returned to the Ice Palace, headed to the Palace Master.
“I came to drink tea.”
Although he said he would come back and drink, Binggungju was flustered because he didn’t know that he would come looking for him as soon as he got back.
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“Come here.”
Hanseol sat at the table set up in the palace, and the princess herself rode in the tea.
“I’ll ride.”
“Okay, just sit there.”
The Ice Palace Master started making tea himself.
Meanwhile, Hanseol watched her mother’s back in silence.
I wanted to say something, but it wouldn’t come out of my mouth. Should I ask what kind of car it was? Or should I start talking about the Bukhyeolmun? Or at least talk about the weather?
It had been so long since we had exchanged only official words that I had no idea what to say.
I thought that speaking was similar to martial arts. No matter how great the recipe is in your head, if it is not in your body, it is useless. No matter how earnest your heart is, if the words do not stick to your mouth, they will not come out.
It was a moment when I realized once again that words are not spoken with the head or the heart, but with the mouth.
In the meantime, Binggungju came and brewed tea.
“How does the tea taste?”
“great.”
The conversation didn’t continue and only awkward silence flowed.
The awkwardness of the Ice Palace was not much different.
What should I say to my daughter? Even the Ice Palace Princess is having a worry that she has never had in her life.
So the two of them just drank tea in silence. They say that you can tell how close a relationship is by how comfortable they are with silence, but the two of them still had a long way to go. The suffocating silence made you wonder what would have happened if there hadn’t been tea in front of them.
But that doesn’t mean that the Ice Palace Lord wants to break the silence by saying anything.
In a way, I liked this awkwardness because it felt like a new relationship was starting.
The person who broke the long silence was Hanseol.
“Your Majesty, who do you think will survive longer, a cruel person or a kind person?”
It was a random question, but I answered it anyway.
“A ruthless person.”
Then Hanseol smiled faintly.
“Your answer is the same as mine.”
“If it’s unmanned, wouldn’t they all think the same way?”
“Ian, who came with the cult leader, said that he thought that people who are kind to him would survive for a long time.”
Ian, for some reason, he was the kid that caught my eye when I first met him.
“I was just curious. What is your Majesty thinking?”
Was it because of that question? For the first time, Binggungju brought up the words that were on his mind.
“I wanted to raise you to be strong. A child who would not waver even in the raging north wind.”
The tea in Hanseol’s teacup vibrated and created waves.
So? How is it now? Do you think you grew up to be that kind of child?
After talking to my daughter, I was finally able to understand the Ice Palace Ju.
I’m trying to create this kind of space, and the reason I said that a little while ago wasn’t because of a sudden change of heart or a swordplay.
Her instincts knew that if things continued this way, she would lose her daughter. She had already lost most of her. She was just ignoring it with the excuse that she was busy. If things continued this way, she would only be a princess who would inherit the Ice Palace, and would no longer be a mother.
Maybe I was living with the thought that maybe it was already too late. I tried to ignore it because I didn’t want to confirm it.
At that moment, Geommu-geuk appeared. The words that he would still be standing behind flew into my heart and pierced my heart, and I ended up coming to this place.
And I really wanted to tell you this. It’s a little embarrassing, but I really wanted to tell you this.
“You grew up to be such a good child.”
Silence fell.
It was just a single word. Hanseol felt as if a part of the ice wall that had been frozen solid inside her heart was breaking and pouring down. The wall was still huge, but it was significant in that it had been broken for the first time.
Hanseol put down her teacup after finishing the tea she was holding.
“I’ll ride it next time.”
* * *
If you want to have a drinking party at someone else’s house, you need the owner’s permission.
“You look happy.”
At my words, Binggungju smiled faintly.
“My daughter has been there.”
The expression on Binggungju’s face told him what the place was like.
“Congratulations.”
“It’s thanks to you.”
“I was just saying the words, and it was you, Your Majesty, who turned around.”
The Ice Palace Lord felt great gratitude towards Geommu-geuk. Now he understands. In the report on Geommu-geuk, those unbelievable heart movements.
“But what should I do? I might have to ruin the princess’s good mood.”
“What’s going on?”
Geommugeuk said seriously.
“I would like to deal with Elder Seo. Please allow me.”
Binggungju was speechless at the shocking remark. Perhaps he had expected things to turn out like this.
“I saw a master using blood attack at Bukhyeolmun.”
The eyes of the Ice Palace Master turned cold at the mention of blood energy. As far as he knew, there was no master in the North Sea who used blood energy. In other words, it meant that there was some kind of conspiracy going on in the North Blood Gate.
“He was connected to Elder Seo.”
“What’s the evidence?”
“doesn’t exist.”
“So you’re saying you’re going to kill the elder of the Ice Palace based on the circumstances alone?”
“I think this is enough. I have to add in some of the mistakes and lies that Elder Seo has made before to make a judgment.”
In particular, it was crucial that he lied to Binggungju until the end about asking the dead Wonju to bring him Hyangseol Bingju. In the process, Binggungju also saw a different side of Seo-nak.
“You won’t find more clear evidence from them. They are all too old to do so. Even if you take the time to find it, it will be too late.”
There was silence for a moment. I gave her enough time to think.
“The person you should be concerned about right now, Your Highness, is not Elder Seo. You’ve known him for a long time, so he’s probably the one you’re most concerned about, but he’s just an arm attached to your torso. What you should be concerned about is your head and torso.”
These were the decisive words that moved her.
“It’s not my turn to make this decision.”
“What does it mean?”
“Your Majesty’s bad premonition called us. I am telling you that your premonition was right.”
Finally, the Ice Palace Princess made a decision. It didn’t take long.
“I will take care of Elder Seo myself.”
“Of course you should. However, I hope you give Your Majesty a chance to resolve the issue of Elder Seo first.”
Given the current situation, it was highly likely that the person who killed the head of Baekjuseolwon was Elder Seo.
There was one more round of deliberation, and this time the decision was quick.
“I’ll allow you to have a drink. But, please invite me too.”
* * *
Seo-nak was organizing decorations in the main hall.
Whenever my mind got complicated, I would take out all my decorations and redecorate them.
I lined them up again precisely. There was a thrill of perfection when I lined them up without even an inch of error.
After being absorbed in this for a while, I heard the sound of the main hall door opening behind me.
The sound of the door opening was different than usual.
Normally, there should have been a report from a subordinate that someone had come before the door opened.
But the fact that the door opens by itself like that means that an uninvited guest has come.
All the men guarding outside would have been subdued.
Seo-Nak said without looking back.
“Just wait a moment. It’s almost done.”
Seonak turned around only after lining up every last one perfectly.
The person looking at him from the main hall was none other than Chwima.
When our eyes met, I could tell instinctively.
‘They came to kill me.’
Seonak sat at the table where he greeted guests.
“Thank you for waiting. Now, let’s sit down.”
Chwima sat down across from him.
Seonak placed one of the glasses on the table in front of him and the other on the seat across from him.
“I’m so thirsty, maybe because I’m tired from working. Would you like a drink?”
Chwima lifted the blood clot hanging from his waist and opened the stopper.
The fragrant scent of ice cream wafted through the air. It was the ice cream that the master had made before he died.
The drunkard took a deep breath and poured alcohol into the glass in front of him.
But he didn’t pour alcohol for Seo-nak.
Chwima drank alone. It was the first time in a long time that he had drunk alcohol. As the alcohol spread through his body, he closed his eyes tightly and made a pleasant expression. As he drank the iced drink, he began to miss Wonju.
Even though he closed both his eyes right in front of him, Seonak was unable to attack him. This was because the cycle that rose up like a mist around his body rippled as if it were alive.
Chwima asked, slowly opening his eyes.
“Why did you kill that person?”
Chwima poured the second glass of alcohol only into his own glass.
Seonak spoke while fiddling with the empty glass in front of him.
“Why don’t you give me a drink and ask me something? You have no sense.”
Even in this situation, Seo-Nak was not afraid at all.
“Are you sure you can kill me?”
Chwima just looked at him without saying anything, neither confirming nor denying.
“It’s all because of inertia. I was like that too. There was no one in this North Sea that could make me nervous.”
Heh heh heh heh, Seonak, who had been living with a smile, began to show his true self. He revealed his true prayer. The prayer that stretched out was cold and strong enough to freeze the whole world. He was a master even beyond his original known skills.
“It’s really scary to become accustomed to things. Since you’re a demon, you must have achieved everything while living. You must have defeated enemies that you couldn’t defeat. You win and win again. When you think about it, the enemy isn’t you, but the demonic cult that’s been consumed by fear.”
Chwima was completely unfazed by Seonak’s momentum. He drank another glass of alcohol.
Before they knew it, the cycle of drunkenness had settled around them like fog.
“I’m the one drinking, but you’re the one talking nonsense.”
Seo-Nak showed his teeth and laughed at the leisure of his horse. He, who always had a good-natured smile, laughed like a beast baring its fangs.
“She was weak. If she had made it secretly, it would have been over. She kept worrying about it. One day, she came to see me and said, “I think I should tell the princess the truth. Are you curious now?”
Then, Chwima gave an unexpected answer.
“I never wondered. Isn’t it obvious why people like us kill good people? It must be for petty and selfish reasons.”
“But why did you ask?”
Just as Seo-Nak was making a face of incomprehension, someone’s voice was heard from behind.
“I said I was curious.”
The person who walked through the thick fog and sat down was Binggungju.
She stared at Seonak and asked calmly.
“Was that also for the Ice Palace?”
