Chapter 8
“No! It’s not the mermaids that are the problem!”
Just as if he’d been waiting for the moment, Pilhwan radiated murderous intent, causing Yeonggwi to flail his hands in fright.
“The problem is what the mermaids taught the young lady over and over again! That she should always be wary of strangers, that anyone with a smooth tongue or face should be avoided at all costs! Like that.”
“…Ah.”
“Because she was taught so thoroughly, the young lady won’t easily entrust herself to a stranger. Which means we need to find a way. According to the mermaids’ teaching, she’ll especially be wary of someone exactly like you.”
Pilhwan, whose face had turned serious, tilted his lips into a crooked smile.
Long ago, when Onju doted on young Pilhwan, the mermaids would constantly nag her with such warnings.
But Onju, while keeping the mermaids’ teachings in mind, was never one to act as she was taught. Pilhwan, who had stayed close by her side for years, knew this better than anyone.
‘If that’s all the old man is worried about, then it’s not really a problem.’
Feeling pleased by how things were unfolding, Pilhwan looked down at Yeonggwi with satisfaction.
“You may be able to see the future, but not very clearly, huh.”
“What did you say, punk?”
Thanks to his good mood, Pilhwan’s tone toward Yeong-gwi softened considerably.
“Whether I need it or not, I appreciate the advice.”
Having gotten all he needed out of Yeong-gwi, Pilhwan gave a cocky farewell and turned away with a snort.
Yeonggwi stared blankly after the young man, who looked like he might burst into song as he walked away.
“Just a minute ago he looked like he was ready to bury himself into the ground, and now what’s gotten into him…?”
While Yeonggwi muttered, Pilhwan was already striding away with his long legs, quickly putting distance between them. Yeong-gwi chased after him in a hurry.
“Damn brat! You’re supposed to take me with you!”
“What would I do with a shriveled old man like you? You’re useless now, so get lost.”
“You arrogant thing! Do you think foresight and prophecy are common powers?”
“Whether rare or common, I don’t need them. Quit clinging.”
Just as Yeonggwi caught up to him, Pilhwan tried to shove him off. But Yeonggwi clung tightly to his hand and suddenly transformed into a bracelet.
“We Yeonggwi never forget a grudge or a favor! You freed me from the cursed talisman, so I’ll stick by your side to repay the debt!”
“I said I don’t need it!”
“You’ll see!”
Yeong-gwi mimicked Pilhwan’s tone and tightened around his wrist. The golden bracelet, etched with a turtle pattern, bobbed mockingly.
Pilhwan looked down at his wrist and gritted his teeth. No matter how hard he shook or pulled, the bracelet stayed firmly in place.
“Ugh, Your Highness. What are you doing in the street? So embarrassing.”
As Pilhwan scratched at his wrist until it turned red, a man’s voice called out from ahead. Pilhwan turned toward it.
A man built like a stone wall bowed respectfully. His long, sharp eyes slanted upward like blades.
Pilhwan’s tense face melted into a relaxed smile.
“Oh, it’s you, Junghyo.”
“Yes, sir, it’s me. I was watching you mumbling to yourself for a while. I seriously thought you’d finally gone mad.”
“You’re saying… I was mumbling… alone?”
Junghyo nodded solemnly. Pilhwan quickly looked back toward the alley he had come from with Yeong-gwi.
Only his own footprints were clearly visible in the dusty ground.
Realizing what had happened, Junghyo paled and waved his hands.
“Ugh… It’s obvious something was visible to you that I couldn’t see. Please don’t tell me. I won’t be able to sleep.”
“You don’t look like the type to be afraid of low-level spirits.”
Angered by the term “low-level spirit”, Yeong-gwi squeezed Pilhwan’s wrist tighter. Ignoring the pain, Pilhwan kept his gaze on Junghyo.
Junghyo was the younger brother of a bodyguard who had died saving Pilhwan from a fire. Though not blood-related, they’d been raised together and called each other brothers, as was tradition in Baekho House.
He was one of the few people who had helped Pilhwan escape—a second lifesaver. Pilhwan once described him as the most cunning coward he’d ever met.
“Fine. I won’t say anything, so stop shaking your head like that.”
Junghyo stopped his frantic gestures and stepped closer to Pilhwan. As always, he stood on Pilhwan’s left.
Then he gasped again.
“Your Highness… have you been drinking already?”
“I want to. Haven’t yet. Why?”
“So you’re saying you’re sober… and you’re still wearing that bracelet?”
“…….”
“When you’re drunk, you sometimes waste tons of money on crap you wouldn’t even look at sober. That bracelet looks exactly like one of those impulsive buys.”
The bracelet grew warm with offense, but Pilhwan ignored it and muttered:
“I picked it up on the way.”
“You, of all people, wearing a gaudy gold bracelet like that? Doesn’t suit you at all.”
“I’d love to toss it into the middle of the western desert.”
“Well, as long as you didn’t pay for it. Gold’s good for emergencies, at least. So? How did it go?”
Junghyo playfully teased, then smoothly moved to the real topic.
“Did you finally meet Onju, the lady of your dreams? The one whose name you couldn’t even say without tearing up?”
“…….”
“Your first love and your savior, whom you thought was dead. You rushed here without eating or sleeping, remember?”
Pilhwan shoved him lightly in annoyance. Junghyo didn’t budge.
He was slightly shorter than Pilhwan, but much stockier—like a solid rock, standing even closer with a friendly grin.
“Did anyone catch you sneaking into the repair shop with that torn talisman? If the empire’s crown prince gets caught acting like a lunatic, your image is doomed.”
“Shut up.”
“Come on, I’m curious. I saw you grabbing that dog and monkey by the neck and shaking them before I left. They ran off to tattle, so I was worried.”
Pilhwan sighed deeply instead of answering. Seeing his dark expression, Junghyo sobered up and asked seriously:
“Don’t tell me… did Onju marry someone else?”
Pilhwan was about to say that would’ve been better, but he swallowed down the wave of nausea.
Whether Onju couldn’t walk or had become someone else’s lover, both thoughts turned his stomach.
‘If I had to choose, I’d rather she became someone else’s lover. At least I could just kill that bastard.’
Choking down his disgust, Pilhwan swallowed dryly several times before answering.
“Onju… hasn’t been able to walk or move for thirteen years. She’s been shut away in a room all this time.”
“What? That’s totally different from what I heard. According to my sources, the mermaids protected her like she was made of glass—like a treasure.”
“So much so, they sealed her inside a barrier to keep her hidden away.”
Junghyo, Pilhwan’s mentor, advisor, and protector, furrowed his brow.
Pilhwan, who had been glaring at the bracelet on his wrist, finally started ranting at his closest confidant with full force.
