Chapter 01
At night, spirits grow restless.
As with all unclean things, they hide themselves during the day, when warm and bright sunlight fills the world. But once night falls and shadows cover everything, they begin to crawl out, one by one.
“Tonight, the moon is unusually bright.”
It was a full moon.
Another half month has already passed.
Hearing Soa mutter to herself, Yeonwoo picked up a rice dumpling and placed it into her mouth.
Soa complained that eating sweets late at night made her feel heavy, but she still chewed and swallowed the dumpling properly.
“Is there still no news of His Majesty?”
“They say he has just crossed the border between Hongguk and Yeonguk. It should take less than seven days for him to reach the capital.”
“That’s a relief. He finished another subjugation without any major trouble. His Majesty is truly amazing. How does he defeat those vicious beasts, the so-called ‘Hyung,’ so bravely?”
“I heard he showed exceptional talent in swordsmanship from a very young age.”
“Really?”
The two sat close together on the wooden veranda, flower petals just beginning to bloom above them, chatting quietly. Their warm, intimate 모습 looked just like that of newlyweds.
Yeonwoo poured more hot water into his half-empty teacup, then glanced at Soa’s cup.
She drinks bitter tea easily now.
When she was young, Soa couldn’t drink anything but mild tea. She had grown up.
Come to think of it, they were already nineteen years old.
Considering she had been only four when they first met, they had spent fifteen years together.
The thought filled Yeonwoo with sudden emotion.
Unaware of his thoughts, Soa drained her teacup with a soft slurp.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is very different from you. He learned swordsmanship slowly, didn’t he? He was better with the bow, and even then, because he stayed close to books, it took him a long time to build the strength to draw the string.”
“Are you not remembering things from far too long ago? I can hit distant targets now. You wrong me.”
Only then did Soa grin widely. From the start, she had clearly intended to tease him.
And seeing how well he accepted even such playful jabs, it seemed the rumors were true.
Among all the Crown Princes of Yeonguk, Yeonwoo was said to be the most generous, the warmest.
“You’re no fun. You should at least get angry and say it’s unfair.”
“How could I do that to someone who kindly comes to see me every night?”
“Are the spirits still bothering you these days? I told them firmly to keep quiet.”
Soa rose slightly and looked around warily.
Not only the lanterns but also the unusually bright moonlight illuminated the tranquil scenery around them beautifully. Other than the occasional rustling of bamboo leaves in the wind, Yeonwoo’s residence was silent. At night, it became even more still.
After scanning their surroundings once, Yeonwoo spoke.
“Soa, you can speak freely. There’s no one here. I told everyone to leave.”
“You said that last time too, and we got caught and scolded badly. You know how scary Lady Hwang is.”
“I’m serious. This time I strictly ordered them not to come.”
“Why would you do that? What if you get a fever again at night like before…”
“Shh. It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Yeonwoo met Soa’s eyes gently, as if to calm her.
Her clear eyes trembled.
There were words rising to the tip of her tongue, but she barely held them back.
Since childhood, the shadows of the dead had clung especially tightly to Yeonwoo.
It was Soa who had once found him being strangled by a long-haired ghost.
‘Get away from His Highness at once!’
Without fear, Soa had shouted thunderously and charged at the ghost.
After that, Yeonwoo, who had gone three days without sleep and suffered nosebleeds, was finally able to rest peacefully.
That was how he had managed to keep this secret until now.
If rumors spread that the future king attracted the hatred of spirits, it would cause problems in many ways.
“Your Highness, look at that child over there. Doesn’t he seem unusually fixated on this place?”
Ah…
Only then did Soa sigh.
The boy she saw while standing guard for spirits, a boy with one sunken eye and wounds on his leg from being bitten by a wild animal, was something Yeonwoo obviously could not see.
People who could see spirits were extremely rare.
“There’s a child?”
“Yes. He keeps staring this way. It feels like he might cause trouble…”
“He’s probably not a bad one. You told me yourself that not all spirits are evil.”
“That’s true, but still. Your Highness, you’re too soft. That’s why spirits keep bothering you.”
“And that’s why you stay by my side. Because spirits bother me, you sit with me like this, drink tea with me, and protect me.”
“Huh?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected direction of his words, Soa widened her eyes and looked at Yeonwoo.
Yeonwoo, seemingly embarrassed, turned his head, the tips of his ears turning red.
The air between them heated instantly.
They were no longer children.
The young Yeonwoo who once held her hand and slept was gone. In his place stood a man with broad shoulders and a solid build.
With calm amber eyes, a straight nose, and lips tinted like apricot blossoms, tall enough to look over walls, it was obvious what kind of feelings he would hold toward Soa, his only salvation.
“What are you saying? It sounds like I only come to see you because of spirits.”
“You’re not climbing over the wall anymore, right?”
“What?”
“You said last time that you don’t need to climb the wall anymore. That you found another way.”
“Ah… of course. I don’t move around dangerously anymore, so don’t worry.”
“When His Majesty returns, I will ask him to appoint a Crown Princess.”
There was firm resolve in Yeonwoo’s voice.
Crown Princess.
Hearing those words, Soa felt a strange sensation and lowered her head.
When they were alone, they were close enough to speak casually. But hearing such tender words made her unsure how to react.
Looking down at the round, pretty back of her head, like a well-ripened apple, Yeonwoo carefully reached out his hand.
I want to stroke her.
To cherish her.
To adore her.
Fighting that impulse was becoming harder and harder.
She was not yet the Crown Princess.
Everyone believed Soa would become one, and Yeonwoo himself could not imagine anyone else in that position.
“Then this hardship will finally end, Soa.”
“I’ve never thought of it as hardship. Walking in the cold night air is nice. When the flowers bloom soon, we can go see them together. I like the night.”
It was a lie.
In truth, Soa liked the daytime.
The warm sunlight and lively atmosphere suited her perfectly.
Yeonwoo knew that too.
“…If that’s the case, then I’m glad.”
Still, both Yeonwoo and Soa closed their eyes.
If Soa became Crown Princess, they could be together day and night.
They only needed to wait a little longer. Just a little.
From afar, the sound of a bell rang.
Soon, the guards would begin their patrol.
“You should sleep now. Lie down, quickly. I’ll just go talk to that child and then leave.”
“I will inform Lady Hwang. Since it’s a full moon, I’m worried a Hyung might appear.”
“A Hyung? Come on. That’s impossible. The Hyung were driven all the way to the far northern lands by His Majesty. How could one appear in the palace?”
“Still, you never know.”
“If rumors spread that a girl is coming and going here before the Crown Princess is even appointed, both you and I will be in serious trouble. You know that.”
Soa smiled reassuringly and waved at Yeonwoo, who watched her leave with lingering reluctance.
Then she turned away without hesitation.
If she stayed any longer, she might run into Lady Hwang.
“Hey.”
“……”
“You’ve been staring for a while now. You want to eat this, don’t you?”
Of course, she didn’t forget to bring two rice dumplings.
She had already noticed that the child spirit hiding behind the tree had been eyeing them.
“I’ll give you these, so make sure no one comes near that place tonight. And don’t bother His Highness.”
The spirit quietly nodded.
After exchanging a trusting look, Soa handed over the dumplings and walked away again.
Behind Yeonwoo’s residence was a small garden.
Beyond the wall was a forest path, and beneath the largest and oldest nutmeg tree, Jeongi and Giri, who always attended Soa, were waiting.
“The wind feels especially chilly tonight.”
Wearing a veil to hide her identity, Soa suddenly stopped.
She felt as though someone was watching her from behind.
Had she been discovered?
As if on cue, a strong gust of wind blew, sending her skirt fluttering.
A cold sensation ran down her spine.
A spirit?
A strange, sharp scent rode the wind.
It was different from the fishy smell spirits usually had.
“…!”
Instinct told her to run.
Soa hurried to the wall.
What she had told Yeonwoo was a lie.
She had been climbing the wall every night.
Because she did it so often, she knew exactly where to place her feet.
The moment she stepped onto the first foothold, something violently grabbed her ankle.
She barely held back a scream and tried to step up again.
Something damp and rough, like it was covered in scales, crawled up her leg.
A sharp chill ran through her.
It felt like a beast’s tongue wrapping around her body, trying to drag her down.
‘I want to scream for help, but my voice won’t come out.’
Her body trembled with fear.
Desperately, she looked around.
At that moment, the moon, which had been briefly hidden by clouds, fully revealed itself.
And Soa saw it.
Glowing black eyes gleaming beneath the shadows.
From afar, someone was watching her.
