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Chapter 48

There was no more time to leisurely step around.

Hwa Gyeom prostrated himself on the ground and frantically scrubbed the characters with both hands.

He urgently gestured to the startled guards who came running not to approach, and rubbed the sandy ground frantically, heedless of his disheveled clothes.

"Huff, huff…"

As he gasped for breath, the voice murmured as if elated.

—How dare those whelps of the divine beast families interfere with me? Call them back immediately…!

Damn it…

Hwa Gyeom felt nauseous and staggered along.

Whoever had detached it from the Crown Prince, he would not forgive them either.

He would surely punish them…!

---

About a month after returning from the imperial capital.

Huirim, who had come to the master's chamber, handed over a letter with a gloomy expression.

"My lord, you need to see this."

At Huirim's grave expression, Cheongun quickly unfolded the letter. It was from a spy planted in the imperial capital.

「A fire broke out at the Crown Prince's palace.

Fortunately, His Highness was not injured, but the peace he had seemed to find after the Divine Beast Festival has vanished—he has become violent again.

The sounds of breaking objects and screaming have not ceased in the Crown Prince's palace…」

"Sigh… of all things."

Just as Cheongun lamented, a presence was felt outside, followed by a voice.

"Father, may I come in for a moment?"

It was Aran.

Cheongun called Aran in and folded away the letter he'd been reading, while Huirim bowed politely and withdrew.

"My daughter is here?"

Aran smiled bashfully and held out two letters.

"I'd like to ask you to send these."

The envelopes were addressed to Hyeon Taeo and Baek Sa-heum, respectively.

He'd been about to deliver another letter from Taeo, but it seemed Aran had belatedly written her replies.

"They'll be delighted."

As he spoke, Cheongun's gaze fell on the spy's letter still on the desk.

He asked in a careful tone.

"You didn't get to talk much with the Crown Prince at the imperial palace, did you?"

Aran thought back to Je Geon-u.

She had spent the whole night showing him an illusion, but that could hardly be called a conversation.

And at the banquet hall, well…

"But aren't you all my subjects?"

For such a small child possessed by an evil spirit, he sure was arrogant.

Aran furrowed her brow slightly and answered.

"No, not really. The Crown Prince seemed difficult to befriend."

"That's how you felt?"

Cheongun smiled and added.

"Still, I heard that after meeting you all, the Crown Prince seemed to find considerable stability. I was glad to hear it—but then a fire broke out at the imperial palace."

"A fire? Wh-where?"

At Aran's urgent question, Cheongun sighed.

"The Crown Prince's palace."

Aran swallowed dryly.

Surely Je Geon-u hadn't been hurt?

No…

If left alone, Je Geon-u would ascend the throne safely, just like in the previous life, wouldn't he?

Even if he'd become a tyrant again…

"Fortunately, His Highness wasn't injured—but he seems to have lost his sense of security. Such a pity."

In fact, ever since returning from the imperial palace, Aran had been holed up in the library, pondering how to expel the evil spirit lodged in the Crown Prince.

But the books at the Blue Dragon Palace alone couldn't provide an answer, and she felt that this matter required the help of the White Tiger Palace.

That was why she'd written to Sa-heum, asking how his efforts to persuade the White Tiger clan head were progressing.

Of course, since Sa-heum couldn't write well yet and anyone might see the letter in between, she'd had to write only content that wouldn't matter if read by others.

No matter how great a Vermilion Bird she was, Aran didn't have spiritual eyes to see souls.

If Sa-heum ultimately failed to convince his father, shouldn't she seek Cheongun's help to save the Crown Prince?

With that thought, Aran broached the subject.

"By the way, Father—I read in a book that the White Tiger clan can see ghosts and souls. Is that true?"

Though Aran had suddenly changed the subject, Cheongun smiled warmly and listened.

"Of course it's true. Just as I can summon rain, seeing souls is an ability passed down through the White Tiger Palace."

"Then… could there have been another reason Sa-heum collapsed at the Divine Beast Festival? Like, maybe he saw something?"

"Hm?"

Cheongun tilted his head and asked back.

"Aran, did Sa-heum tell you something special?"

She couldn't get the young Sa-heum scolded for revealing a clan secret—not yet.

"No, I just thought of it while reading."

When Aran quickly evaded, Cheongun smiled wryly and stroked her hair.

"My clever daughter—what are you going to become, being this bright?"

What indeed.

This body is going to become a great Vermilion Bird, Great Lord.

Aran murmured inwardly like an old woman, but smiled brightly.

"The White Tiger Palace stories were interesting—could you get me more books about them?"

---

Around the same time, at the imperial palace.

"Kyaaaah…!"

Academician Hwa, who had visited the Crown Prince's palace upon entering the palace, barely suppressed a smile at the screams erupting from within.

"What now. I should see His Highness myself today."

During the fire at the Crown Prince's palace, the only portrait of the late Empress had burned.

After that, the Crown Prince's composure had crumbled once again.

At the same time, Hwa Gyeom had regained his peace.

Because the entity, deeply engrossed in tormenting the young Crown Prince, had completely ignored the Academician.

So how grateful he was to his only nephew.

Head Nanny Nam bowed her head in panic.

"It—it would be difficult to see His Highness right now…"

The ease and relief she'd shown not long ago had completely vanished.

Hwa Gyeom was inwardly satisfied, but frowned in pretense.

"On what grounds?"

"W-well, that is…"

Nam hesitated and continued.

"His Highness has been tearing his clothes and rolling about the room since early morning…"

"Has—has he taken his medicine?"

The Crown Prince's medicine was mainly meant to calm his mind, but in truth, it was of no help at all.

If the Crown Prince grew docile, that would actually help the entity control its host.

So this was a pointless question, asked despite knowing the answer.

Nanny Nam shook her head.

"I couldn't get him to take it at all… I'm sorry."

"Understood. Keep up the good work."

Hwa Gyeom left the Crown Prince's palace, thoroughly satisfied.

He went straight to the emperor and reported that the Crown Prince's condition had severely worsened—and the emperor was grieved.

"Why must such misfortune keep befalling the Crown Prince… At the Divine Beast Festival, I clearly saw him walking and speaking properly…!"

The emperor's own headaches were also showing no signs of improvement.

Having been significantly affected by the entity during the time he'd shared the empress's bed before her death.

Unlike the Crown Prince, the fully grown yellow dragon's blood was somehow holding on—but it had no strength left to care for the young.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid…"

Hwa Gyeom, as if he'd been waiting, petitioned.

"For the Crown Prince's sake, would it not be good to revive the Divine Beast Courtly Assembly?"

The Divine Beast Courtly Assembly was an old imperial tradition, in which direct-line beastmen of the divine beast families, of similar age to the Crown Prince, were summoned to the palace to receive education alongside him.

"Revive the Courtly Assembly?"

Originally, it was tradition for the Crown Prince to undergo the assembly every year from age five to fourteen—ten years in total—but considering the distances to each divine beast palace, it had long been reduced to once or twice around age ten.

Hwa Gyeom knew this full well, yet spoke shamelessly.

"Yes. If His Highness received such a good influence at the Divine Beast Festival, then summoning the divine beast palaces again would be beneficial. Especially since he seems to have been influenced well by the other children…"

"Hmm."

"His Highness has just turned five, and there are quite many peers in the divine beast palaces—isn't that convenient? We could start this autumn."

The emperor hesitated, even with the hope that the Crown Prince might improve.

"Academician, do you think the Crown Prince will be able to attend the assembly? He didn't show his face much at the last Divine Beast Festival either—if he misses the assembly due to illness again, everyone will find it strange."

The rumors of the Crown Prince's cruelty had already spread beyond the imperial capital throughout the empire, but the emperor was unaware.

Because Hwa Gyeom had sealed them off completely.

"I, Hwa Gyeom, will somehow persuade His Highness to ensure he attends the assembly…!"

The direct-line members of the divine beast families who had come to the Divine Beast Festival were still young.

If there was a seditious seed among them, they needed to find it quickly and eliminate it, just as the voice had said.

Hwa Gyeom, pretending to be deeply concerned for his only nephew, prostrated himself before the emperor and repeatedly petitioned for the revival of the Courtly Assembly.

---

When Aran scratched her ear, So-rim tilted her head and asked.

"Do your ears hurt, young miss?"

"No, they just itch a little."

Some madman, with no fear at all, dares to curse this body, Training Master.

Aran chuckled as she unfolded a new letter from Taeo.

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