Chapter 112
As soon as he recognized who it was, a chill so intense that his whole body stiffened overtook him.
Why? How?
Only questions filled his mind.
He froze, unable to even speak, as the tiny soul butterfly fluttered around him, making his vision spin.
- Did you hear me?
The tone was just as it had always been. Yi-Gyeol had no choice but to fully recognize who the speaker was.
It was the soul that had been possessing the raven that Zair had once controlled. He never imagined he would hear the voice of that childlike soul again in a place like this.
Back when Zair was disappearing in the court, he had vaguely heard the stifled scream of a young boy. The white figure of his soul had flown far away from the raven’s body, disappearing into the distance, and even now, that image faintly resided in Yi-Gyeol’s memory.
“Why are you here...”
Yi-Gyeol muttered before quickly sealing his lips shut. The knights who had been searching nearby had already moved further away, but making any noise was still dangerous.
- So you did hear me.
The soul butterfly’s once harsh voice softened slightly. It fluttered its wings vigorously and took flight.
- You’re running away from Crown Prince Sethian, right? Ah, I guess now he’s Emperor.
It spoke sarcastically before slowly moving forward, as if beckoning Yi-Gyeol to follow.
- I’ll help you escape.
But Yi-Gyeol couldn’t bring himself to move at its words. His wary eyes coldly glared at the butterfly in the air.
Noticing this, the soul butterfly again spoke in an annoyed tone.
- You think I’m helping you because I like you?
“Then why?”
Yi-Gyeol asked in a whisper, and the soul butterfly paused in silence. Then it spoke with an unexpected seriousness, out of place for its childlike voice.
- You think you’re only being chased by Emperor Sethian, don’t you?
The words weren’t quite an answer, but Yi-Gyeol stared intently at the butterfly, waiting for the next words.
- Did you forget? That bastard who used Lord Zair?
Yi-Gyeol felt a surge of hatred in the voice. The soul butterfly didn’t hide its anger at the man who had used Zair.
- He’s looking for you too. Because Emperor Sethian ascended to the throne earlier than expected, he missed his timing, but he’s already started a search for you.
The butterfly flew around, its head turning as if scanning the surroundings.
- Now, not only is Emperor Sethian’s knight order conducting a search, but you also have to avoid the eyes of the souls. Do you realize how seriously dangerous this situation is?
If it had a body, Yi-Gyeol could almost imagine the soul butterfly glaring and clicking its tongue.
Yi-Gyeol, still unable to understand why the soul butterfly was trying to help him, felt enough hatred in the next words to make his shoulders flinch.
- That bastard needs your soul. I heard he’s calling you the key to everything.
“Me?”
Yi-Gyeol asked, bewildered, and the soul butterfly lowered its voice.
- We can’t have a proper conversation here. Let’s get out of here first.
The voice sounded as if it were gritting its teeth while thinking of someone.
- I’ll destroy everything that bastard who caused Lord Zair’s death dreamed of.
A twisted laugh, both sad and joyful, echoed in the air.
Recognizing who the butterfly was referring to, Yi-Gyeol suppressed the pounding in his chest and asked softly.
“How can I trust you? For all I know, you could be on that man’s side too. Honestly, I can’t trust you doing this without expecting anything in return.”
- I understand.
The soul butterfly acknowledged Yi-Gyeol’s lingering suspicion.
- But I didn’t say I’m not expecting anything in return.
The soul butterfly flew closer to Yi-Gyeol’s face.
- Let’s make a deal where we both benefit. I want to destroy that bastard who took Lord Zair away from me, and you probably want to protect Emperor Sethian.
“What...?”
The sudden mention of “protecting Sethian” made Yi-Gyeol blink in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
The soul butterfly chuckled lightly.
- That bastard wants to take your soul and drain all the life force from the master connected to you. If that happens, Sethian, who is linked to you, will naturally lose all his life force and die.
Yi-Gyeol’s body shuddered, as though doused in cold water, at the unexpected words.
Sethian will die?
It didn’t matter if he himself were to die, but hearing that Sethian would die was too shocking.
The soul butterfly had mentioned “the life force of the connected master.” So, because Sethian was connected to him, he would lose his life force and die?
Yi-Gyeol’s mind spun with disbelief.
“Is it... because I left the castle?”
The words spilled from his lips without thinking, as he worried that his leaving had put Sethian in danger again. If that were the case, he couldn’t forgive himself.
- No. In fact, it’s because you left the castle that an opportunity arose.
The soul butterfly’s words made Yi-Gyeol lift his head suddenly.
- I told you, that bastard missed his timing because Emperor Sethian ascended to the throne earlier than expected.
The butterfly fluttered its wings and softly landed on Yi-Gyeol’s shoulder.
- You know that some people in Emerald Castle had already been exposed to possession drugs, right? If you had stayed there, that bastard would have used them to kidnap you on the day of the enthronement, when most of the people were gone. He didn’t expect you to escape first, or the enthronement to be expedited.
The butterfly whispered in his ear as if speaking privately, its wings almost brushing against Yi-Gyeol’s ear.
- I understand why you ran away. Since you decided to give up on life, why not at least make a last-ditch effort for your master?
* * *
Crash-!
The books that had been on the desk crashed to the floor in disarray.
“Ha...”
Eda irritably swept the spilled bangs away from her face and glared fiercely. She could see the white butterflies in the corner of the stone room flinch at her gaze.
“Useless bastards.”
Eda’s face contorted in a fearsome expression.
Among the people assigned to Sethian’s Emerald Castle, some had already been possessed by soul butterflies under her control. That was true of those whom Zair had given possession drugs to use as witnesses, but she had also used the drug on several additional guards.
The following day, the captain and vice-captain of Sethian’s knight order, Renoc and Kirsty, would both have had to attend the enthronement. At that point, less troublesome knights or guards would likely have been posted in the bedroom. Eda had expected to use those possessed individuals to overpower the area in front of the bedroom and easily abduct Joo Yi-Gyeol.
‘An escape and a simplified enthronement? Damn it!’
This was an unexpected variable.
Joo Yi-Gyeol had managed to put the people of Emerald Castle, including those possessed, to sleep and escape. If their physical bodies fell asleep, the possessed individuals would also fall into slumber, leaving them unable to pass on vital information. Only after Joo Yi-Gyeol escaped and Sethian suddenly rushed the enthronement did Eda realize the situation.
Grinding her thumbnail nervously, Eda paced back and forth. The shadows cast on her already dark face by the torches on the stone walls made her expression even more ominous.
‘It’s okay. The souls will find him faster than the knights who are running around.’
By the evening, when Sethian and his knights were still searching for Yi-Gyeol, Eda released the soul butterflies. If Yi-Gyeol could hold out and avoid being caught, any deviations from the plan could be easily corrected.
Reassured, Eda forced her twisted expression into a softer one.
‘Let’s think positively. My plan is just moving faster. In the end, Crown Prince Sethian is already Emperor.’
Since he had ascended to the throne, once she got Joo Yi-Gyeol, it would be easy to forcefully draw out and extract all of his life force whenever needed.
Shivering in anticipation at the thought that the day her dream would be realized was not far off, Eda turned at the sound of the stone door sliding open.
“Eda, we’ve found him.”
“Where?!”
Eda exclaimed excitedly, her voice rising. The man with an emotionless face, who had just entered through the door, looked at Eda rushing toward him.
“There’s still some distance. If we’re using a horse, it’ll be about three to four hours away.”
“Will he stay there that long? We need to know where he plans to go so we can ambush him.”
Since he was running away from Sethian, Yi-Gyeol wouldn’t stay in one place for long. Even with a weak body, he would clearly keep running without resting.
It would have been better if he were in his soul form.
“That... he actually noticed us first and spoke to us.”
“What...?!”
Joo Yi-Gyeol had recognized and spoken to the soul butterflies sent to search for him?
Eda stopped in surprise at the unexpected turn of events.
Why? How?
Only questions filled his mind.
He froze, unable to even speak, as the tiny soul butterfly fluttered around him, making his vision spin.
- Did you hear me?
The tone was just as it had always been. Yi-Gyeol had no choice but to fully recognize who the speaker was.
It was the soul that had been possessing the raven that Zair had once controlled. He never imagined he would hear the voice of that childlike soul again in a place like this.
Back when Zair was disappearing in the court, he had vaguely heard the stifled scream of a young boy. The white figure of his soul had flown far away from the raven’s body, disappearing into the distance, and even now, that image faintly resided in Yi-Gyeol’s memory.
“Why are you here...”
Yi-Gyeol muttered before quickly sealing his lips shut. The knights who had been searching nearby had already moved further away, but making any noise was still dangerous.
- So you did hear me.
The soul butterfly’s once harsh voice softened slightly. It fluttered its wings vigorously and took flight.
- You’re running away from Crown Prince Sethian, right? Ah, I guess now he’s Emperor.
It spoke sarcastically before slowly moving forward, as if beckoning Yi-Gyeol to follow.
- I’ll help you escape.
But Yi-Gyeol couldn’t bring himself to move at its words. His wary eyes coldly glared at the butterfly in the air.
Noticing this, the soul butterfly again spoke in an annoyed tone.
- You think I’m helping you because I like you?
“Then why?”
Yi-Gyeol asked in a whisper, and the soul butterfly paused in silence. Then it spoke with an unexpected seriousness, out of place for its childlike voice.
- You think you’re only being chased by Emperor Sethian, don’t you?
The words weren’t quite an answer, but Yi-Gyeol stared intently at the butterfly, waiting for the next words.
- Did you forget? That bastard who used Lord Zair?
Yi-Gyeol felt a surge of hatred in the voice. The soul butterfly didn’t hide its anger at the man who had used Zair.
- He’s looking for you too. Because Emperor Sethian ascended to the throne earlier than expected, he missed his timing, but he’s already started a search for you.
The butterfly flew around, its head turning as if scanning the surroundings.
- Now, not only is Emperor Sethian’s knight order conducting a search, but you also have to avoid the eyes of the souls. Do you realize how seriously dangerous this situation is?
If it had a body, Yi-Gyeol could almost imagine the soul butterfly glaring and clicking its tongue.
Yi-Gyeol, still unable to understand why the soul butterfly was trying to help him, felt enough hatred in the next words to make his shoulders flinch.
- That bastard needs your soul. I heard he’s calling you the key to everything.
“Me?”
Yi-Gyeol asked, bewildered, and the soul butterfly lowered its voice.
- We can’t have a proper conversation here. Let’s get out of here first.
The voice sounded as if it were gritting its teeth while thinking of someone.
- I’ll destroy everything that bastard who caused Lord Zair’s death dreamed of.
A twisted laugh, both sad and joyful, echoed in the air.
Recognizing who the butterfly was referring to, Yi-Gyeol suppressed the pounding in his chest and asked softly.
“How can I trust you? For all I know, you could be on that man’s side too. Honestly, I can’t trust you doing this without expecting anything in return.”
- I understand.
The soul butterfly acknowledged Yi-Gyeol’s lingering suspicion.
- But I didn’t say I’m not expecting anything in return.
The soul butterfly flew closer to Yi-Gyeol’s face.
- Let’s make a deal where we both benefit. I want to destroy that bastard who took Lord Zair away from me, and you probably want to protect Emperor Sethian.
“What...?”
The sudden mention of “protecting Sethian” made Yi-Gyeol blink in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
The soul butterfly chuckled lightly.
- That bastard wants to take your soul and drain all the life force from the master connected to you. If that happens, Sethian, who is linked to you, will naturally lose all his life force and die.
Yi-Gyeol’s body shuddered, as though doused in cold water, at the unexpected words.
Sethian will die?
It didn’t matter if he himself were to die, but hearing that Sethian would die was too shocking.
The soul butterfly had mentioned “the life force of the connected master.” So, because Sethian was connected to him, he would lose his life force and die?
Yi-Gyeol’s mind spun with disbelief.
“Is it... because I left the castle?”
The words spilled from his lips without thinking, as he worried that his leaving had put Sethian in danger again. If that were the case, he couldn’t forgive himself.
- No. In fact, it’s because you left the castle that an opportunity arose.
The soul butterfly’s words made Yi-Gyeol lift his head suddenly.
- I told you, that bastard missed his timing because Emperor Sethian ascended to the throne earlier than expected.
The butterfly fluttered its wings and softly landed on Yi-Gyeol’s shoulder.
- You know that some people in Emerald Castle had already been exposed to possession drugs, right? If you had stayed there, that bastard would have used them to kidnap you on the day of the enthronement, when most of the people were gone. He didn’t expect you to escape first, or the enthronement to be expedited.
The butterfly whispered in his ear as if speaking privately, its wings almost brushing against Yi-Gyeol’s ear.
- I understand why you ran away. Since you decided to give up on life, why not at least make a last-ditch effort for your master?
* * *
Crash-!
The books that had been on the desk crashed to the floor in disarray.
“Ha...”
Eda irritably swept the spilled bangs away from her face and glared fiercely. She could see the white butterflies in the corner of the stone room flinch at her gaze.
“Useless bastards.”
Eda’s face contorted in a fearsome expression.
Among the people assigned to Sethian’s Emerald Castle, some had already been possessed by soul butterflies under her control. That was true of those whom Zair had given possession drugs to use as witnesses, but she had also used the drug on several additional guards.
The following day, the captain and vice-captain of Sethian’s knight order, Renoc and Kirsty, would both have had to attend the enthronement. At that point, less troublesome knights or guards would likely have been posted in the bedroom. Eda had expected to use those possessed individuals to overpower the area in front of the bedroom and easily abduct Joo Yi-Gyeol.
‘An escape and a simplified enthronement? Damn it!’
This was an unexpected variable.
Joo Yi-Gyeol had managed to put the people of Emerald Castle, including those possessed, to sleep and escape. If their physical bodies fell asleep, the possessed individuals would also fall into slumber, leaving them unable to pass on vital information. Only after Joo Yi-Gyeol escaped and Sethian suddenly rushed the enthronement did Eda realize the situation.
Grinding her thumbnail nervously, Eda paced back and forth. The shadows cast on her already dark face by the torches on the stone walls made her expression even more ominous.
‘It’s okay. The souls will find him faster than the knights who are running around.’
By the evening, when Sethian and his knights were still searching for Yi-Gyeol, Eda released the soul butterflies. If Yi-Gyeol could hold out and avoid being caught, any deviations from the plan could be easily corrected.
Reassured, Eda forced her twisted expression into a softer one.
‘Let’s think positively. My plan is just moving faster. In the end, Crown Prince Sethian is already Emperor.’
Since he had ascended to the throne, once she got Joo Yi-Gyeol, it would be easy to forcefully draw out and extract all of his life force whenever needed.
Shivering in anticipation at the thought that the day her dream would be realized was not far off, Eda turned at the sound of the stone door sliding open.
“Eda, we’ve found him.”
“Where?!”
Eda exclaimed excitedly, her voice rising. The man with an emotionless face, who had just entered through the door, looked at Eda rushing toward him.
“There’s still some distance. If we’re using a horse, it’ll be about three to four hours away.”
“Will he stay there that long? We need to know where he plans to go so we can ambush him.”
Since he was running away from Sethian, Yi-Gyeol wouldn’t stay in one place for long. Even with a weak body, he would clearly keep running without resting.
It would have been better if he were in his soul form.
“That... he actually noticed us first and spoke to us.”
“What...?!”
Joo Yi-Gyeol had recognized and spoken to the soul butterflies sent to search for him?
Eda stopped in surprise at the unexpected turn of events.
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