Ryang dismissed Hwan's words. "Don't talk nonsense."

  "Does it really sound like nonsense?" Hwan countered.

  Despite meeting his question with composure, Ryang's voice wavered. "You have no truth in you." Ryang said, his derision failed to mask his desperation.

  Hwan scoffed. "Whether you deny it or not, there's only one truth."

  "He would never..."

  "And Dara would?"

  The veins in Ryang's shackled hands stood out. He couldn't speak for a long time. He desperately told himself not to be deceived, but the image of Seong holding a sword and slitting his father's throat, along with Hwan's curt words, was stuck in his mind. Ryang, who had never once believed a word that came from Hwan's lips, couldn't dismiss his words now. A cry welled up inside him, a refusal to know the truth. But the louder the cry echoed, the more Ryang succumbed to the truth Hwan offered.

  Before that night, Seong was a beautiful boy. With his bright, gentle smile that reflected his kind nature, everyone loved him. Although he wasn't exceptionally skilled like Ryang with his sharp brush or Hwan with his swift sword, Seong enjoyed learning without deficiency and never envied others' talents.

  But after that night, Seong's life withered. Ryang and Seon carried on with their lives, bearing their unhealed wounds. However, Seong couldn't escape the deep, dark sorrow that even his own son, Ryang, couldn't understand. His wounds showed no sign of healing. Is it because of this terrifying secret? Only now did Ryang begin to truly see the lonely pain that Seong must have endured. And Hwan's cruel game became clear before his eyes.

  Facing Ryang, who was barely catching his breath, Hwan spoke again. "You've always seemed to like truth and righteousness, but as you know, the truth isn't always sweet."

  "Then tell me the truth. Tell me everything you haven't said."

  "I told you earlier. Everyone has to make choices. Both Seong and I simply made our choices."

  As if sensing something, Ryang's eyes widened. "What have you done to us?!"

  With a violent struggle, the chains binding Ryang's wrists rattled with a cold sound. Hwan's sneer remained calm.

  "I simply threw the sword at him," Hwan replied. "There were four people he could have kill. Me, you and Seon, or Uncle... It must have been a difficult choice. He thought about it for a long time. In the end, you and Seon survived because Uncle died. I was sincere when I said I would spare the rest if someone's blood was shed."

  "You crazy bastard!!!" Ryang shouted.

  Hwan glanced at the chains pulled taut from Ryang's wrists and replied leisurely, "Don't lose yourself and listen calmly. You know what? Seong could have fought me with that sword instead of killing Uncle. Maybe he could have miraculously defeated me and saved everyone. But he chose the path where he could definitely survive. Whether he gave up Uncle or you and Seon, he chose to save his own life."

  Ryang glared at him with bloodshot eyes but didn't answer. Hwan scoffed at his unwavering loyalty.

  "That's the pathetic lord you're risking your life to serve. If it were my people, I might kill them down with my own hands, but I would never let them die by someone else's. Because I'm confident I can save anyone, no matter who it is."

  Ryang retorted, "Do you think it was because he was cowardly? Seong just couldn't fight you. Because he considered even a piece of trash like you his brother!"

  "That's not entirely wrong. I met Seong a few days ago. He knows I'm alive, that I killed the Emissaries, that I was the one who let the Guardian Crimson into Wicheong, that I informed the Princess about House Myeonghyeon, that I'm after you... Seong knew everything. Did he tell you any of this?"

  Ryang's heart continued to crumble. Hwan continued, "Seong can't give me up. Even if he abandons you, he can't abandon me. He and I were born from the same womb, sharing the same blood. No matter what you do, you can't separate us. We are one, even when apart. That's why you've crumbled. And Seong will crumble eventually too."

  Ryang's spirit was drained as he listened to Hwan's words, a mix of delusion and truth. He asked with a sigh, "Do you enjoy toying with your brother like that?"

  Hwan remained silent, his sneer hardening. A single tear rolled down Ryang's cheek.

  "Someday, you will cry tears of blood too. You will."

  Hwan looked down at Ryang with a cold gaze, devoid of even a sneer. "You don't truly know what it means to cry tears of blood."

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  After a long, chilling glare, Hwan shook off his grim expression and stood up. "When you meet your father in the afterlife, ask him if he truly has no regrets about causing all this and leaving."

  "What are you going to do with me?"

  "You're a valuable person, Ryang. I won't just kill you."

  "Seong is stronger than you. Whatever you're thinking, it won't go your way. Don't even think about using me."

  "Wouldn't that make me want to use you even more? Seong will desperately want to save you. But he won't be able to. If he tries to save you, he'll become a reckless lord. But what if he fails to save you? He'll become an incompetent lord who can't even protect his right-hand man."

  Ryang said in a venomous voice, "What kind of king do you think you'll be, after destroying the house that saved the royal house?"

  "What kind of king? To whom? All I need now is Sahngjon's choice. All I'll demand from the rest is obedience."

  Hwan finished his sentence and brought a bronze incense burner he had prepared beforehand to Ryang. He took out a small pouch from his pocket and opened it, revealing a white, shimmering powder inside. Ryang's body stiffened.

  "What are you doing?"

  Hwan replied with a mischievous sneer, "Just as you expect."

  He took out a handful of Crystal Haze from the pouch and examined it at eye level. The white, transparent crystals subtly scattered the light. "Countless people have been ruined, driven mad, and died of fever after being intoxicated by this drug. Wicheong Palace, your noble House of Mirrors or whatever it is, stands on dirty money and blood. Why are you pretending to be noble while dipping your feet in sewage? What makes you so righteous and self-satisfied to talk about killing being forbidden? Savor it properly. It's your thing, so you should have a taste too."

  Ryang's face turned pale with despair. The corners of Hwan's lips curled up further. "I'll remind you how weak and easily your clever mind, which makes your neck so stiff, can crumble. Relax and enjoy it. I'll come down often to play with you for the remaining few days. We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

  Hwan stroked Ryang's cheek with his thumb. Ryang couldn't even struggle. Hwan soon withdrew his hand from Ryang, put a handful of Crystal Haze into the incense burner, and lit it. As the acrid smoke began to fill the cabin, Hwan left with splashing footsteps. He climbed back up and closed the hatch. The cabin was lit only by the dim light of the burning Crystal Haze. And soon, the smoke, filling the darkness, seeped deep into his chest. Ryang began to struggle desperately, but it was no use. The Crystal Haze slowly coiled around his mind like a snake. His consciousness blurred, but his despair remained sharp. Trapped in the thick smoke, Ryang lost consciousness.

  ──────────

  "Where did I go wrong? Where did I mess up?" Seong's gaze and voice, hunched over Yeong's bed, searched the void. Yeong simply sat at the table, watching him from afar. What am I hoping for when I seek out Yeong? He turned his head, urging Yeong for an answer.

  "Answer me, anything."

  Yeong asked with a blank expression, "Do you want comfort, or do you want guidance?"

  "Give me what you can."

  "All I can give you now is the truth. You have to let go of Cheon Hwan. That hope of yours, that he will return, is your arrogance. It's because of that arrogance that you lost the High Councilor."

  "Arrogance?"

  "You think you're the only one who can change him."

  "It's not that I think I'm so great. Everyone has given up on Hwan. Even I..."

  Yeong cut him off. "Have you forgotten those who followed Hwan? There are those who believe in him and rely on him, even if they are few. Your belief that you're the only one who hasn't given up on him is also a delusion."

  Seong lowered his head and bit his lip. Yeong added, "You need to be humble before Sahngjon."

  Seong struggled to find the right words, then grasped at a futile hope. "Is it really Hwan who took Ryang? It could be someone else."

  "You'll find out soon enough. If it's Hwan, he won't kill the High Councilor quietly. He'll find a way to dangle the High Councilor's life before your eyes. That's his way. All you can do until then is wait."

  "And after that?"

  "There's nothing you can do but struggle hopelessly or watch."

  Seong was disheartened by Yeong's heartless reply. He lowered his head again, consumed by self-blame.

  "Can I save Ryang? Could I have saved him? If I had told him everything from the beginning, maybe nothing would have happened to him."

  "Regret is pointless. You can't bring back the missing or resurrect the dead. The High Councilor is already gone, and you couldn't save Myeonghyeon Seung."

  "You know. I didn't fail to save Uncle. I..." Seong's voice trailed off.

  Yeong, who had been sitting at a distance, hesitated, then got up and sat beside Seong. "I know. I know you had no choice."

  "Did I really?"

  "Whatever future you could have chosen that day, it's already in the past. You have to forgive yourself."

  Seong shook his head. "Uncle was like a father to me. Ryang is like Uncle to me. If I can't even protect Ryang, I can't be forgiven by anyone. You know what I couldn't let go of that day. But now I'm ready to let go. If only I could bring Ryang back safely, I can do anything... but I don't see a way."

  "What are you ready to let go of?" At Yeong's question, Seong was speechless and looked up at her. Observing Seong's downcast eyes, Yeong answered for him, "It certainly doesn't seem like Hwan. Then it's not 'anything.' I understand what you're prepared to let go of."

  Seong's resolute gaze served as his answer. Yeong said, "If you're truly prepared, Sahngjon will show you the way."

  Seong asked hopelessly, "Will Sahngjon save Ryang?"

  "If Sahngjon shows you the way, it will be to save you, not the High Councilor."

  Yeong's eyes were so deep that Seong impulsively threw himself into her arms. Yeong's hands froze in midair in surprise. Seong desperately hugged Yeong's waist and buried his face in her chest. His muffled voice could be heard against Yeong's chest.

  "Even if Sahngjon abandons me, it's okay. Please, just tell me how to save him."

  Seong's breath, mixed with sobs, was quiet. Clumsy hands reached out to steady his trembling shoulders, hunched with the effort of holding back his tears.