Chapter 151
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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Chapter 151
The earliest memory Tae Irim possessed.
He was not the Son of Heaven who ruled the earth as he did now, but the sole legitimate heir of the Imperial House—a powerless Fifth Prince who, after his mother's death, had grown apathetic to all matters and been pushed aside even in the struggle for imperial authority.
And Jeok Soya of that time was the celebrated daughter of the Jeok Family, her hair blazing like flames in brilliant crimson, having safely completed her first transformation into human form and showered with the love of her family.
War with the demonic beasts erupted due to Hyun Rabaek's collusion with Evil, and as the prolonged conflict dragged on, the lives of the Empire's people gradually withered.
And this in turn bred resentment toward the Imperial House.
Exactly ten years after the war began.
The Imperial Court, relying on ancient prophecies, summoned young women from each noble family to the Imperial Palace under the pretext of finding a bride for the Yellow Dragon.
Jeok Soya was among them.
The day I first encountered her was utterly ordinary.
Walking through the Imperial Palace Garden, I lifted my head at the sound of rustling grass beneath my feet.
A small girl who appeared to be about ten years old was approaching from the opposite direction.
'Hair gleaming like flames in brilliant red... Could she be a daughter of the Jujak Family?'
I passed her by without much thought.
I had no intention of paying her any attention.
At that time, Jeok Soya was the most promising candidate to become the bride of the Yellow Dragon as the legitimate daughter of the Jujak Family.
There was nothing to gain from becoming entangled with her as merely a Fifth Prince.
And so our first encounter passed without incident.
I thought it would remain that way thereafter.
But the world did not flow according to my wishes.
In the Imperial Palace Garden stood one great Ancient Zelkova Tree, three hundred years old.
Climbing into its quiet branches to read books and pass the time was one of my long-standing habits.
But one day, a small bird trespassed into my domain.
At the chirping song, I unconsciously shifted my gaze and discovered a tiny bird flitting between the branches, singing with bright trills.
I stopped reading my book and gave my full attention to the small bird's flight.
The little bird, singing and dancing with cheerful chirps, seemed to notice my gaze upon it only belatedly and startled in alarm.
The embarrassed bird glanced about, discovered a hollow in the tree, and quickly scurried inside.
"Chirp."
But immediately, a pained bird cry rang out.
When I carefully approached, I found the small bird's wing scraped and bleeding from a splinter of wood that had jutted out.
"Chirp, chirp..."
Tears began to well up in its tiny, bead-like black eyes.
"Oh dear. Are you alright?"
"Chirp..."
"I didn't mean to startle you. I'm sorry."
I apologized and carefully extended my hand.
The bird, which had been watching my hand warily, soon fluttered down and perched upon my palm.
A soft tremor.
At the small, light weight of the bird, my palm naturally stiffened.
I gently drew the bird to my chest and examined its wounded injury.
It didn't seem like a particularly serious wound, but I kept that thought to myself and spoke gently.
I didn't let it show as I addressed the creature.
"That must have hurt."
"Chirp!"
The small bird nodded its head.
A beast-human, then.
I had been uncertain, but seeing how clearly it understood my words, it was definitely a beast-human.
"Let me apply some medicine. Can you lift your wing?"
"Chirp..."
The bird whimpered and slowly lifted its wing.
At that adorable, pitiful sight, Tae Irim chuckled softly and retrieved an ointment to apply the medicine.
Each time the medicated fingertip brushed against it, the wing trembled delicately—a sight that left quite an impression.
Red feathers...
From the color of those feathers alone, I could guess who this small beast-human was.
"I've heard that direct descendants of the Phoenix are all quite large."
"Oh, that's because I've only completed my first growth stage so far!"
Jeok Soya, who had been chirping until now, spoke up indignantly in human language.
Seeing her speak clearly in human tongue rather than bird sounds confirmed that her claim about completing the first growth stage wasn't false.
Beast-humans in their infancy cannot speak human languages.
"Once I complete my second growth stage, the Phoenix's power will fully bloom and I'll become as large as Father and my older brothers!"
"I see."
Tae Irim nodded absently.
Seeing his response showed no real belief in her words, Jeok Soya launched into an elaborate explanation of just how magnificently she had completed her first growth stage.
Ordinarily, Tae Irim disliked having his contemplation interrupted.
Yet strangely, on this day, Jeok Soya's cheerful chirping seemed remarkably pleasant to his ears.
Before I knew it, a faint smile had crossed my face.
Then at some point, Jeok Soya's voice trailed off.
Glancing to the side, I discovered the small bird sleeping on a branch, blinking drowsily.
Do all birds really sleep so uncomfortably on tree branches like that?
To my eyes, that posture looked terribly awkward.
What if she falls?
After a moment's consideration, I carefully lifted her up.
The small bird's body was so tiny and light that a breath would send her flying.
I settled her on my lap and picked up my book again.
Rustle, rustle—
Upon the Ancient Zelkova Tree, silence returned, and only the sound of turning pages whispered softly.
Jeok Soya visited Tae Irim's Ancient Zelkova Tree frequently after that, and gradually the two drew closer.
"Look at this, Your Highness! From the design, these must belong to men. See, there's a tiger here."
Then one day, Jeok Soya showed me a silver hairpin she had found in a hollow of the tree.
It had been rolled up in blue cloth and hidden so well that I hadn't noticed it all this time, despite spending so much time in this tree—and as she chattered away about her discovery, I found her rather endearing.
"Here, this is my gift for you."
Jeok Soya handed over the object with a bright smile, and Tae Irim's face suddenly flushed crimson.
"W-what...?"
His face reddened like a persimmon, and he stammered in a way most unlike himself.
"Do you know what it means when a woman gives a man a silver hairpin as a gift?"
"What does it mean?"
Jeok Soya tilted her head with an innocent expression.
At that time, when Tae Irim was merely twelve years old, he had no idea how to respond in such moments.
"...I don't know either."
So he simply turned his head away sharply, as if he were angry.
Though Jeok Soya found his unusual behavior peculiar, she refrained from pressing further, sensing his discomfort.
Instead, she smiled softly and offered him a suggestion.
"Don't be upset, Your Highness. Let me put the hairpin in for you."
"That's not necessary..."
Rustle—
Before he could finish speaking, her hand drew near and gently brushed through his platinum-colored hair.
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll make it look really beautiful."
Tae Irim found himself holding his breath without realizing it.
"When I was at the Jeok Family Estate, Father and my Older Brother used to play like this, brushing each other's hair."
Jeok Soya chattered on like a chirping bird, but her voice barely registered.
My ears felt numb, and my breath kept catching.
'How much longer must I hold my breath like this?'
The thought suddenly occurred to me.
Acting so awkwardly and stiffly seemed unlike me.
So the moment I tried to exhale as naturally as possible—
Whisper—
Her fingertips brushed against the nape of my neck.
I had to hold my breath again.
At the same time, heat rushed up to the back of my neck.
That day was when I first felt that strange flutter in my heart from Jeok Soya.
Thump, thump, thump, thump...
It was a feeling I had never experienced before—utterly unfamiliar and strange.
I didn't know it then.
That I was slowly opening my heart to her.
All the time I spent with Jeok Soya remained vivid, but among those moments, there were several that stood out with particular clarity in my memory.
The day I first felt the weight of a small bird.
The day I first felt that strange flutter in my heart.
The day I first discovered that a small bird's gentle pecks could be so ticklish.
The day I first thought someone's smile was so beautiful...
That day was one of those particularly vivid days.
That day marked the first time he confronted the terror that she might abandon him.
While exchanging idle conversation with Jeok Soya as usual, he noticed something amiss in her physical condition.
At some point, dark circles had begun to shadow beneath her eyes, and there were moments when she would suddenly fall silent mid-conversation while smiling, or her fingertips would tremble slightly, or she would shrink away from chills wracking her body.
Her condition was deteriorating with each passing day.
Though the symptoms were subtle, he was certain.
Because when he was very young... his Mother had been the same way....
The moment realization struck, dread seized him.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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