Record of Mad Love

A rotten smell came out of the big mouth adorned with white teeth, and black sap dropped down. Looking at that, Mugeon followed his subconscious lead and fiercely shoved his hand that was holding the knife inside the ikjae’s mouth. Then, as soon as he focused all his senses and stabbed the knife in the throat of the ikjae, something unbelievable happened.

“Shrieeeek!”

A monstrous cry that could blow out an eardrum broke the air. White smoke rose from the mouth where Mugeon’s hand was shoved, and in an instant, heat rushed up. And then, the ikjae was burned by the white light that came from there and cried in pain.

Hearing the wail of the young ikjae, the others hesitated for a moment. The ikjaes knew the phenomenon which Mugeon just emitted.

It was the same as the ability owned by the emperor of the Hwan Empire, Jin Ye.

As they had expected, the young ikjae couldn’t avoid its death. Mugeon wounded the ikjae’s tongue root with his knife and then pulled the tongue as hard as he could. The young ikjae that was about to enjoy eating a weak human after a long time sprayed its black blood in the air and went to the perfect death.

After looking down on the young ikjae’s body that immediately decayed while letting out black smoke, Mugeon tossed the tongue that was dripping blood, and then looked at the other ikjaes. Mugeon’s eyes flashed the same red light as Jin Ye.

The manifestation of identicality between fated individuals.

It was God’s choice to return Yeon Mugeon to Jin Ye.

***

Sploosh.

The tea brewed in a small teapot was poured into the cup, steaming. Seoyeob, who stood next to her and brewed the tea instead of the eunuch, was telling about the situations that had happened so far.

“Therefore, it is rumored that quite a lot of people are flocking to the merchant guild led by Prince Hwa.”

Prince Hwa was the only relative of Jin Ye still alive. As she listened to the unpleasant news that he was gradually expanding his force in silence, Jin Ye slowly savored the tea that was glowing in red.

Jin Ye was about to put the cup down after emptying it.

Crash!

Her arms suddenly stiffened, and she ended up dropping the cup. Jin Ye’s eyebrows raised as the cup fell to the floor and cracked, causing a noise.

Recognizing that she had turned into a foul mood, Seoyeob quickly lowered himself to pick up the pieces that fell under her feet.

“Are you okay, Your Majesty?”

Seoyeob asked Jin Ye, worried because she normally didn’t make such a mistake. Jin Ye nodded and replied nonchalantly.

“Go and tell them to bring in a new cup.”

“Are you feeling unwell…”

“That is impossible, isn’t it?”

“…”

As she answered firmly, Seoyeob hesitantly moved his lips as if he was caught on something. However, because Jin Ye kept looking down at him, he soon got up and stepped outside to find the eunuch.

Listening, Jin Ye closed her eyes for a moment. Not long after, her fingertips that were grabbing the armrests turned white. Without knowing it, she was crumpling her face. It was an expression that she couldn’t show in front of Seoyeob.

The pain in her shoulder grew stronger. Right where Yeon Mugeon’s name was engraved.

She had been in this condition ever since Yeon Mugeon left. The pain that she thought would subside had rather gone worse. Jin Ye bit her lip as she felt the pain.

“I will return.”

Yeon Mugeon was only in her view for a day.

Nevertheless, he left a very strong impression in just a single day. Even though she forgot the appearance of the eunuch that came to her room every day, characteristics of his—his voice, gaze, words…—no matter what it was, it didn’t seem like it would leave her head.

“That insolent fellow…”

He was a man that messed up her head whether he was present or not.

An existence was more troubling than Seoyeob’s.

She didn’t like him as her fated person, and he still disturbed her even after he left. It was as if he was worried she would forget his existence.

Just then,

“Your Majesty.”

Instead of the eunuch bringing another cup, Seoyeob called her in an oddly low voice.

Jin Ye slowly lifted her eyelids. She saw a dark shadow linger outside the door. It was late at dawn, so even if it was already past the time to wake up, it was still dark. Observing, Jin Ye asked weakly.

“What is it?”

“Your Majesty, you have to leave right away.”

Where? She decided to put off that question. There was no way Seoyeob, who knew about her temper better than anyone else, would make her annoyed with a trivial thing.

As she went outside, she saw Seoyeob with his head lowered down. However, next to him was Eunuch Park with somewhat of a dark face. Looking at the eunuch’s expression, Jin Ye knew by intuition that something bad had happened.

Seoyeob bowed his back low and told her the destination.

“Please go to the backyard.”

To the backyard in this tranquil dawn.

Jin Ye tried to think about what happened for a moment as she heard that.

“I’m sure Sir Jo isn’t asking me to play.”

“It is just like what you guess, Your Majesty.”

There wasn’t much implied behind Seoyeob’s reply, but Jin Ye got the answer to her question.

Her lips smiled beautifully. Cold sweat formed on the forehead of the eunuch who was looking at her from the side.