Record of Mad Love

It was the last day of the month when the moon was at its most waning phase. (TN: Lunar calendar)

It was at the death of night when no one’s steps could be heard. Nevertheless, Seoyeob didn’t leave the palace and stayed at a library inside the palace. Even though he had checked Jin Ye entered her room and fallen asleep, Seoyeob didn’t walk out of the imperial palace.

Sitting down after lightning up a lamplight on top of the table located in the corner, Seoyeob didn’t read the book, but rather quietly stared at his arm. The wound shoned by the light wasn’t completely healed yet, but fortunately, it was on a nice healing process.

However, it would leave a scar, and it would not be erased forever. Still, he was fine with it.

“Don’t you dare make a secret from me.”

Although he violated the Imperial Order, and held a secret he could not say out loud.

Seoyeob then unwittingly muttered in low.

“All I do is for your sake, Your Majesty…”

The only one worthy of his loyalty, Jin Ye.

He kept her inside his heart. It was a feeling he started even though he knew it would be unreciprocated, so he was okay with it being one way. Protecting her was the duty given to him, and the reason for Jo Seoyeob to exist.

He didn’t want Jin Ye to shed tears again. What’s more, he would assist her to the end so that she would be recorded as the most powerful emperor amongst the emperors of the Hwan Empire in history. Jin Ye too, with no doubt, was a lord with enough ability to make that come true.

Long after he was deep in such a thought, the one he had been waiting for knocked on the library’s door.

“Marquis Jo.”

It was a voice on alert. Seoyeob then replied after checking the human’s shadow that was subtly casted on the door.

“Come in.”

As he answered, a careful step walked past the threshold. And then, a man’s shadow approached Seoyeob’s side. Seoyeob was the one to speak first.

“Well, how is the movement of Prince Hwa?”

“It’s somewhat quiet. Jung Wi led his family and returned to his fief.”

Seoyeob listened to the report while slowly turning the page of the book.

Even though Jung Wi was said ‘returned,’ in fact, he was no different from being kicked out by Jin Ye. Confiscating the Duke title along with half of his land was the same as saying I won’t trust you as a subject anymore. He probably wouldn’t come closer to the capital for the time being.

Another discovery of the curse charm was indeed upsetting, but it wasn’t a completely bad thing. Seoyeob faintly drew a smile at that, and the low voice continued on.

“However.”

“…?”

Seoyeob’s hand turning the page stopped.

“Recently, there’s someone new staying in the guest quarters at Prince Hwa’s residence.”

“Someone new?”

“I didn’t know the details because they rarely go outside, but according to people there, they were a man.”

“… Not a woman, but man.”

Seoyeob frowned as he heard that. He mumbled low and ruminated over the words. For Prince Hwa, actually there was no particular rumor about he indulging in sex with many women. He surprisingly was clean of rumors, and it was rather troubling that there was nothing to pick fault on him.

However, he had a guest, and it was a man. On top of that, at this kind of time.

Seoyeob strangely felt uneasiness filled his mind. Even so, he didn’t want to expose that fact with his own mouth, so he pressed the man.

“Who do you think it is?”

“…”

The man postponed his answer, hesitating. Seoyeob slowly leaned his head to the side and then side glanced at him. It meant asking what you’re doing, not answering. Then, the man lowered his head.

“Marquis Jo.”

He was only calling him, but Seoyeob knew enough the meaning behind that. Seoyeob raised one of his eyebrows.

“Are you asking if I made a mistake?”

“…”

Confirming that the man’s silence was a positive response, Seoyeob let out a vain laugh. A displeasure strangely surged up and he spoke bluntly.

“This me?”

“Is there anyone else more suitable than you?”

Even though that was right, the man was blatantly expressing he was doubting Seoyeob. That meant the man was sure the said guest in Prince Hwa’s house was Yeon Mugeon.

Seoyeob realized the hidden meaning, and dubious thoughts began to bloom.

But…

Nevertheless, Seoyeob had not assumed the possibility of Yeon Mugeon surviving at all—even at this moment. How could he survive from Eupju? He left him with his limbs binded.

Even if every ikjaes had different characteristics, they basically were creatures with power far superior to humans. They might have lower intelligence, but their power and nerve reflex transcended humans’. Besides, they had special abilities that humans didn’t have.

They were not creatures that an untrained normal man like Yeon Mugeon could fight. In addition, it was winter outside. It was a weather in which he could die not necessarily from ikjaes’ attack, but from frostbite.

“Do you know that you are talking nonsense? How could that person stay alive?”

“What if someone went there and saved him?”

“Even that is impossible. When I walked out the entrance after leaving him, I confirmed that ikjaes smelled his smell and were coming his way.”

“But you can’t be sure, right, sir?”

The conversation only went on round and round. They both were frustrated, but still continued the talk. Seoyeob, who had fought numerous battles against ikjaes along with Jin Ye, had  his own opinion, but the other man couldn’t understand him.

Not many of those who did not participate in the war could clearly understand the absolute ‘evil’ and the power of that absolute evil that appeared like myths. When they appeared in the Hwan Empire 300 years ago, a great disaster swept over and burned the land, but that was a story from a few years ago.

Time passed, and the endless war against ikjaes became the responsibility of the one ruled over the empire, and for years ago, the ikjaes in the Hwan Empire were able to get controlled effectively.

All was thanks to Jin Ye’s ‘ability’.

Her exceptional ability that couldn’t be explained except for a gift from heaven.

“Eliminating those disasters isn’t something that can be done by anybody. Even I could only take care of about four or five with my full power. But, you’re saying that person survived from the place with dozens of ikjaes?”

Seoyeob turned sharp at the continuing provocation. The other man then faltered, but he said the thing that he shouldn’t say.

“But Her Majesty the Emperor—”

Before he could finish off his words, Seoyeob pulled out the sword from his waist. In the blink of an eye, he got up from his seat and put the sword into the neck of the other person who was talking recklessly.

“…!”

A sound of gasp rang inside the quiet library. Seoyeob glared as though he was pressuring the man who turned pale to death. He slowly walked step by step to the other person.

“Are you trying to say that that lowly person has the same ability like Her Majesty the Emperor?”

How dare he put Jin Ye and Yeon Mugeon in the same category; Seoyeob was sure the other man was out of his mind. Seoyeob could never forgive the words insulting Jin Ye. That also applied to people that were like his arms and feet.

The man had already thought far that he could lose his head if he gave a wrong answer here.

“Then, if so.”

Suddenly, the voice of the third party meddled in.

As soon as the familiar voice struck his ears, Seoyeob turned his head in surprise. The library’s door was already open, and there was a woman with a smile drawn standing there.

She was Jin Ye.

“Isn’t there a possibility for that man to survive?”

The flustered Seoyeob suddenly couldn’t take his eyes off her face. His brain stopped and he couldn’t understand what he was hearing for a moment, and then he belatedly came to his senses. Seoyeob quickly sheathed back his sword and bowed his head.

“Your Majesty, why are you here…?”

Jin Ye lightly sent people following her with her gesture and then closed the library’s door. With light steps, she walked past the bookshelf filled with books and approached Seoyeob.

Jin Ye glanced at the man next to Seoyeob, and then she walked to the desk where Seoyeob sat earlier. She took the book that was spread open on the table. Rather than content, she was curious about what kind of book it was, so Jin Ye flatly scanned over the book’s title. Then, she gave an adequate answer to Seoyeon who was asking why she was here through his eyes.

“I heard a loud voice when I was walking past, so I stopped by. As this is the place you often spend the night staying awake.”

Seoyeob didn’t reply to her. Correction, it was hard for him to reply, precisely.

His heart beat for no reason. Jin Ye, she knew. He never met her even for once here, so he thought she didn’t know he was frequently here, and he wondered if she actually always paid attention to him.

Seoyeob always ended up with an expecting heart to Jin Ye because of this very side of her. This odd tug-of-war. That attitude of claiming her possession over Seoyeob without hesitation, yet she still hadn’t given even a piece of her heart to him.

However, just like how it had been this far, it was only a string of hope that passed by. Not more than stroking hair for a millisecond.

Jin Ye put back the book and returned to the topic.

“So, it seems like that person is in Prince Hwa’s house? … That Yeon Mugeon?”

A thick anger was imbued inside her voice.