Episode 9
When Yeonhwa stormed in loudly, a few of the troublemaking girls frowned in annoyance.
“What are you talking about—your necklace?”
Hyejin asked casually, still smiling like she didn’t do anything wrong.
Yeonhwa’s eyes sharpened.
“Hyejin unnie, are you the one who took my necklace?”
“I didn’t take it. I picked it up. If I knew it was yours, I wouldn’t have treated it like that.”
She turned to the girls behind her, trying to get their support.
They gave awkward smiles but quickly went quiet, noticing that Yeonhwa was acting differently than usual.
Yeonhwa stared straight into Hyejin’s eyes and asked again, “Where did you pick it up?”
Strangely, she didn’t feel scared.
For once, Hyejin seemed like she had a weakness.
Even without seeing the future, Yeonhwa felt confident she could handle this.
It’s just Hyejin.
She wasn’t holding a sword aimed at Yeonhwa’s heart. She was just a slightly taller girl.
Hyejin picked up the necklace from the ground and smirked.
“Want it back?”
“Give it to me. Now.”
“Hmmm…”
“If you don’t give it back right now, I’ll attack you.”
“Wow. That’s a funny threat.”
“I said, give it back. That necklace is really important to me.”
Hyejin made a sound like she was thinking, but Yeonhwa was already moving.
She took it too far. Even if she hates me, stealing is wrong.
It only took three steps for Yeonhwa to act.
Step one: Hyejin dangled the necklace over the pond.
Step two: Yeonhwa’s eyes locked onto the red gem in the middle of the necklace.
Step three: Her expression turned serious.
Splash.
Hyejin let go. The necklace fell into the pond.
“No!”
Yeonhwa ran toward Hyejin and shoved her aside, jumping straight into the water.
Cold water wrapped around her.
Please…
She had never learned how to swim.
Even though she grew up near a river, the currents were too dangerous.
Yeonhwa reached out as far as she could and barely caught the necklace as it sank.
But maybe because she didn’t know how to swim, she couldn’t float back up.
No matter how much she kicked, it felt like her ankles were stuck to the bottom.
I can’t breathe…
She lost strength quickly. Her chest started to hurt, and water filled her lungs.
She thought of her family.
Still, she never let go of the necklace.
Mom…
Her whole body felt weak.
Voices echoed above the water, shouting.
“You crazy—where is she—!”
“She jumped—”
“That girl—!”
Someone was crying.
A familiar voice hit her ears and shook her.
Splash!
Someone jumped into the water.
Bubbles filled the pond.
That face—so familiar—was twisted in worry.
It was Sama Yun.
Why is Master here…?
He said something underwater, but the words were unclear.
His expression was desperate as he pulled Yeonhwa into his arms and swam upward.
Is he doing this because of me…?
But she didn’t even have time to think.
“Puhah!”
Yeonhwa gasped for air but couldn’t remember anything clearly.
Sama Yun lay her down by the water and spoke to the people waiting there.
Voices buzzed in her ears.
Someone brought over an old man who checked her pulse and told the others something.
Yeonhwa’s eyelids were heavy. The sounds were muffled.
Just before she lost consciousness, she heard one last thing:
“…You dare touch something that belongs to this Lord?”
It was Sama Yun’s furious voice.
✦ ✦ ✦
Yeonhwa didn’t know how much time had passed.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Where am I…?
She was lying on the ground.
A cold dirt floor. Not even a blanket over her.
It felt familiar.
…This is the house I lived in when I was little.
She realized it by the familiar scent of flowers in the air.
Right behind her… was her mom.
Mom!
…Wait?
Something was off.
She moved her mouth, but no sound came out.
She waved her arms in panic, but her mom didn’t notice her and walked right past.
Mom! Can’t you see me?
She wanted to scream. To hug her mom and cry in her arms and say she loved her.
But she couldn’t do anything.
Yeonhwa reached out, but her hand passed right through her mom like she was a ghost.
…Is this a dream?
She realized it quickly—and it made her feel even sadder.
She pinched her cheek. No pain.
Right. Why would her dead mom be here?
Time couldn’t go backward.
Her chest felt tight. Tears welled up.
Mom, where are you going?
Her mom started walking.
In such a small house, there weren’t many places to go.
Her steps went toward the door.
When the door opened, Yeonhwa couldn’t believe her eyes.
—
“Must I come all the way here myself?”
—
It was the red woman from her mom’s funeral.
Red clothes, black embroidery.
A bright red paper umbrella.
It was Grandmaster of the Sapa, the Matriarch.
Yeonhwa stared, surprised. It felt like their eyes met.
Even though the woman hadn’t lifted the black veil hanging from her wide hat, Yeonhwa felt like she was looking directly at her.
—
“Master,” her mom said, breaking the silence.
Master?
Yeonhwa couldn’t believe what she just heard.
To prove it, her mom even gave the traditional martial greeting.
It was a side of her mom Yeonhwa had never seen.
Is this a memory from the past I don’t remember?
Because of her power, Yeonhwa sometimes saw dreams of memories she didn’t know.
Her mom looked a little younger, and the house was in its old condition before it got fixed.
All of it made her heart ache.
Before she could think more, the Matriarch spoke.
—
“Are you taking good care of that child?”
“Yes. It seems she doesn’t remember anything from when we escaped.”
“That may be for the best. They weren’t good memories.”
—
Escaped? Doesn’t remember?
What were they talking about?
Suddenly, something hit Yeonhwa’s mind.
Wait… I don’t have any memories from when I was really little.
It was true. From around age four or five, her memories just started suddenly.
She woke up one day, and her mom was crying her eyes out.
Like she had gotten her daughter back from the dead.
Back then, her mom said Yeonhwa had lost her memory in an accident.
Was it not just an accident?
Silence returned.
—
“Are you afraid?”
Her mom didn’t answer right away.
Yeonhwa couldn’t see her face.
But then, her mom spoke, and the air felt heavy.
—
“…If you mean revenge from the Demonic Cult, then no. I’m not afraid.”
“Then why do you hesitate to tell her?”
“…Because I’m scared she’ll hate me.”
—
It was unclear who they were talking about.
Yeonhwa heard her mom’s breath hitch before continuing.
—
“She’ll never be able to live a normal life because of me… And if she finds out I’m not her real mom, I’m scared she’ll turn against me.”
—
The Matriarch didn’t say anything. Her cold expression softened.
Yeonhwa felt like her heart had been hit by something huge.
…My mom isn’t my real mother?
She had never even imagined it.
But now that she thought about it, pieces started falling into place like a puzzle.
I don’t look like my siblings at all.
Even compared to her parents, she didn’t resemble them.
Her dad had always pointed at her when he was unstable.
Because I wasn’t their child.
She was scared.
A deep fear gripped her body.
Then… where did I come from?
