Chapter 15: The Unseen Gaze

Fortunately, Hwang Mu-gyeong’s promise to give her time to think was not a lie. Since that day, he had not set foot in the detached palace. However, this did not mean Huiyeon could put her heart at ease.

As she paced the front yard with restless steps, her face brightened when Maeng-so returned from her errand.

“You’re back sooner than I expected. Did you deliver the letter safely?”

“Yes, Lady Huiyeon.”

Feeling uncomfortable being called ‘Princess’ in a foreign land rather than her own, Huiyeon had instructed the servants of the detached palace to call her by her name. Though they had initially refused, they now called her ‘Lady Huiyeon’ with ease.

“Was there any letter or message for me in return?”

Huiyeon looked at Maeng-so with expectant eyes. The distance from the main palace to this detached one was considerable, so she had told Maeng-so to wait as long as possible for a reply.

“There was no letter, but Chief Eunuch Woo said that you are free to enter and exit the Royal Library as you wish.”

Huiyeon had sent a letter to the main palace requesting not only permission to enter the library but also a personal meeting with the King.

“I see… You worked hard. Go and rest.”

Though it wasn’t the answer she had hoped for, Huiyeon forced a smile, telling herself that gaining access to the library was a victory in itself. The Hoye Royal Library, said to house ancient and rare texts, was a place only royalty or those with the King’s explicit permission could enter. Huiyeon knew it was an exceptional favor for a foreign princess.

‘By granting me access to the library, is he telling me to keep my nose in books and stay away from him?’

Sitting in a pavilion by a small pond, Huiyeon gazed blankly at Mount Mureung, which towered behind the palace, and let out a low sigh. Considering the way Cheong-mun had looked at her during their audience, this wasn’t unexpected. The hostility that flickered in his eyes—as if he wanted to end her life then and there—had been all too vivid.

Still, she wondered what he was thinking. Was he letting her wander the library just to watch her fail and eventually fall into despair when she couldn’t find the Dragon?

‘If that’s the case, he has a twisted sense of humor…’

The thought brought a dry chuckle to her lips. As she reached up to tidy her wind-blown hair, she suddenly froze.

She felt a gaze.

The sensation was strikingly similar to when she had been alone with Cheong-mun. The birdsong that had been audible moments ago had vanished. A chilling silence, as if every animal in the vicinity had held its breath in terror, made the hair on her neck stand up.

The feeling came from the direction of the side path leading to Mount Mureung.

Huiyeon narrowed her eyes, focusing on the dense trees bordering the trail. Aside from the leaves swaying in the gentle breeze, there was no movement. But someone was definitely there.

Just as she moved to stand up—

Snap.

The small sound of a breaking twig echoed, and the oppressive aura that had been weighing down on her body vanished instantly.

“Ha…”

She hadn’t been choking, but a ragged breath escaped her lungs the moment the pressure lifted. Her chest throbbed with a dull ache; she pressed her hand against her heart and frowned.

“Lady Huiyeon, are you alright?”

The voice belonged to Maeng-so, whom she had sent away to rest.

“I told you to rest… What brings you back?”

“I came to bring you tea… Your face is very pale, my Lady.”

Maeng-so set down the tray and hurriedly poured a cup of freshly brewed tea. Normally, this was Choyong’s duty, but it seemed Maeng-so had crossed paths with her and taken over. Choyong still limped from her unhealed leg, and Maeng-so was the only servant in the palace who proactively helped her. The others were polite on the surface but did the bare minimum.

“Maeng-so, be careful not to draw the ire of the other servants. I am worried about you.”

“Worried about me?” Maeng-so’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I am someone who will eventually leave… but you are not. I don’t want you to suffer any harm because of me.”

Huiyeon didn’t want anyone else’s life to be ruined by her misfortune, as Jeong-cheon’s had been. Maeng-so tilted her head, observing her as if she were a curious creature.

“Lady Huiyeon, you are a very strange person.”

“Am I?”

Huiyeon laughed softly at the simple remark. The pain that had felt like a hand squeezing her heart was fading. Clutching the warm cup, her gaze drifted back toward the mountain path. No matter how hard she looked, there was nothing, yet the certainty of a presence remained.

“When do you plan to go to the library?”

At Maeng-so’s expectant voice, Huiyeon pulled her gaze away from the path.

“I’m thinking of going tomorrow…”

Finding materials on the Dragon was urgent; had it not been so late, she would have gone today.

“Will you guide me, Maeng-so?”

“Yes, Lady Huiyeon! I’ll go with you.”

Seeing the girl’s eyes sparkle more than usual, Huiyeon couldn’t bring herself to ask anyone else, even though she had just warned the girl to keep a low profile. She swallowed the bitter tea along with her worries, deciding she would just have to be more careful.

The one who received the letter brought by Eunuch Woo was not Cheong-mun, but Yu-on. No one in the room found it strange that Yu-on took the letter as if it were addressed to him.

With his long hair tied loosely, Yu-on opened the envelope with elegant fingers. It didn’t take long to read the short message.

“Grant her access to the library.”

“Pardon?”

Cheong-mun scanned the letter Yu-on had tossed onto the table, his eyes widening. Chief Eunuch Woo Deok-seong, standing nearby, shared the same startled expression.

“Lord Yu-on, in that place…”

As Cheong-mun began to hesitate, Yu-on furrowed his brows with a look of weariness.

“The important items can simply be moved elsewhere.”

Only then did Cheong-mun look relieved. Most of the books in the library were of little consequence, but deep within, vital records were kept. While they could warn her not to enter that section, humans were famously curious. Prohibiting something often acted as a catalyst, and no matter the promise, they eventually broke it.

Had they not experienced the bitter consequences of that very human trait a long time ago?

“Where should we move them?” Cheong-mun asked, considering a place where the books wouldn’t be damaged. He waited for Yu-on’s answer, thinking his own bedchamber might be best to keep them away from human eyes.

However, the answer was unexpected.

“That house. Take them there.”

“Pardon?”

Yu-on clicked his tongue at Cheong-mun’s repeated bewilderment.

“But that place is…”

“It’s within the Forbidden Area anyway, and with the illusion spells in place, even finding the entrance is a challenge. What are you worried about?”

Yu-on’s gaze shifted to the Chief Eunuch. “How about it? Is your skill still reliable?”

“Of course, Lord Yu-on.”

As if delighted to be addressed, a faint, thick tail-like shadow appeared behind the Eunuch’s back, wagging briefly before vanishing.

“And…”

Yu-on’s fingertip traced the ink on the paper. The handwriting was neat and elegant.

“The meeting is denied.”

He pressed his finger down on the words requesting a meeting as if crushing them, his voice turning cold.

“It shall be done,” Cheong-mun replied readily. He had no particular desire to see Huiyeon anyway.

“I will go and inform the child waiting outside,” the quick-witted Eunuch Woo said as he left the room.

Yu-on stood up, watching his departure. He still held Huiyeon’s letter in his hand. Cheong-mun wanted to ask why he was taking it, but decided to remain silent. Whether he used it as kindling or kept it was none of his business.

Yu-on, who had finally gained his freedom after being trapped by Taeseong’s sorcery for ages, was different than he once was. He had always been hard to read, but now, he was a complete enigma.

“I will send Ho-gyeom to help you pack the texts. Afterward, give her some trivial books to throw into the library.”

Cheong-mun flinched at the mention of Ho-gyeom being sent his way, but he eventually bowed his head in resignation.

“I will have them ready.”

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