At the Empress Dowager's unexpected words, Princess Hwijeong's gaze sank endlessly.
Now, after all this time, she was urging the Princess to sever her connection with Bu Eunseol, the man to whom she had given the Dragon-Phoenix Ring, with a single stroke?
"I am fine."
"There is no need to refuse."
The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea and continued slowly.
"I am only asking you to meet him. Surely that is not so difficult."
A smile hung on her lips, but her eyes were frozen as cold as ice.
"Or do you believe the man this grandmother recommends is inferior to some lowly martial brute?"
Princess Hwijeong bit her lip.
If she refused to the very end, the Empress Dowager would act as though she had been waiting for it.
She would spread rumors that after consorting with a martial brute, the Princess had abandoned even the laws of the Imperial Family and the consideration of her elders.
That would hand the Empress Dowager the sharp justification of unfilial conduct with which to attack the Emperor.
"Of course not."
The Princess shook her head, her expression stiff.
"Who is this person?"
"He is a descendant of the Gyeju Regional Commander who once held sway over the northern border. His is an illustrious family whose ancestors rendered great service to the Imperial Family by repelling the barbarians."
The Empress Dowager continued.
"However, I hear he has no interest in official rank. He is a refined man who studies alone and devotes himself solely to poetry and literature."
Princess Hwijeong found it absurd.
In other words, his family had enjoyed immense glory in the past.
But now he was nothing more than an impressive shell with neither real strength nor power.
"I see."
Princess Hwijeong suppressed her emotions and nodded.
"You will like him once you meet."
The Empress Dowager slowly rose from her seat.
"Meet him at the Imperial Garden three days from now. You need only share a cup of tea, so do not feel burdened."
She departed without waiting for an answer.
The Princess narrowed her eyes as she watched the Empress Dowager leave.
'What is she plotting this time?'
As far as the Princess knew, no one possessed deeper schemes or employed more sinister and unscrupulous stratagems than the Empress Dowager.
Nothing she did was ever ordinary.
Her schemes were always layered two or three deep.
The fact that she had raised this matter meant an unfathomably complex conspiracy had begun.
Three days later, at the Imperial Garden.
It was considered the most beautiful garden in the entire palace.
When spring arrived, flowers of every kind bloomed until the place resembled an immortal paradise in the mortal world.
A beautiful pond, winding paths between the waters, and exquisitely constructed pavilions like scenes from a painting filled the garden.
Princess Hwijeong arrived with only two palace maids.
'I need only pass the time and leave.'
As she reassured herself and walked onward, she noticed a lone figure inside a pavilion.
When the Princess drew closer, the man slowly turned.
At that moment, she stopped walking.
No, she had no choice but to stop.
It felt as though her breath had ceased.
'How can someone like that exist?'
His features were flawless, as if sculpted by Heaven, and his skin was as pure as fresh snow.
Hair as black as ink was neatly gathered beneath a white crown.
Clad in a scholar's long white robe, he looked like a figure within an ink-wash painting.
His posture was unwaveringly upright, yet he possessed a gentle elegance.
But his face was the most astonishing of all.
Soft brows, clear and profound eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips.
Every feature existed in exquisite harmony.
Together, they created the illusion that a god had descended into the mortal world.
'Beautiful.'
Calling him handsome was not enough.
Beautiful was truly the more fitting word.
The Princess suddenly thought of Majeon's Martial Soul Command Lord, Bu Eunseol.
He too was a peerless beauty.
But his beauty was cold and desolate as moonlight, steeped in sorrow.
He possessed an air that made it difficult for women to approach him.
The man before her was different.
If Bu Eunseol evoked a sorrow that seemed to bind one's heart, this man evoked a joy that threatened to make it burst.
His beauty made it impossible to look away once one had seen him.
Yet he also possessed a warmth that invited anyone to open their heart and approach him without fear.
"Your Highness."
The man bowed respectfully and spoke.
"I heard Your Highness's noble name, and it is the honor of my family to behold your precious countenance."
His voice was like a clear spring, soothing the heart merely by being heard.
"This humble scholar is called Cheong Yeon."
Cheong Yeon.
Even his name, meaning a deep blue pool, suited his appearance and presence perfectly.
'Hmm.'
Princess Hwijeong struggled to regain her composure.
But it was not easy.
The moment Cheong Yeon's eyes met hers, one corner of her heart surged violently.
'What is this feeling?'
She was bewildered.
Since childhood, she had seen so many handsome men that she had grown sick of them.
There were many fine-looking men among the Imperial Family's military officers and the imperial relatives who attended banquets.
That was why she had not been particularly surprised even upon seeing Bu Eunseol, who was praised as the most handsome man under heaven.
But she had never experienced such a feeling before.
Their eyes had met only once.
Yet her heart pounded, her breathing quickened, and her face burned hot.
"Your Highness, are you well?"
Cheong Yeon stepped closer with a worried expression.
"I am fine."
Princess Hwijeong hurriedly retreated one step.
If he came any closer, she felt she would no longer be able to control herself.
"Let us sit first."
She waved a hand dismissively.
With a dazed expression, as though walking through a dream, she entered the pavilion.
Cheong Yeon personally poured her tea with elegant movements and offered it to her.
"As Your Highness already knows..."
He spoke with apparent embarrassment.
"My family has declined, leaving me with nowhere to rely upon. I also prefer scholarship to martial arts, and I have spent my life keeping company with poetry and literature."
His voice was calm, but a trace of loneliness permeated it.
"Her Majesty summoned me because of a bond from our ancestors' generation, but this subject is of humble standing..."
"That is not so."
The Princess spoke courteously.
"What concern is high or low birth?"
Cheong Yeon stared at the Princess in surprise.
Joy and sorrow seemed to cross his face at once.
"Princess..."
"I... do not care. So refrain from saying such things."
In truth, Princess Hwijeong did not even know what she was saying.
She simply did not want to send this man away.
She wanted to gaze into his eyes a little longer, hear his voice, and see his smile.
At that moment, she understood.
At first sight, in the space of a single meeting, she had fallen deeply for this man.
Far beyond the pavilion, a black shadow watching the scene bared white teeth in the darkness and smiled.
The Empress Dowager had been exactly right.
In the past, no sorcerous power had been capable of conquering the Princess.
But once a man named Bu Eunseol opened the gates of her heart to affection...
The Heart-Captivating Secret Art, created from the Heart-Breaking Soul-Swaying knowledge passed down through the True Demon Palace, was finally taking effect.
* * *
Majeon, Suppressed Demon Pavilion.
The midday sunlight filtered gently through the paper windows.
The office was silent.
Reports and letters from every region were piled upon the desk like a mountain.
Holding a brush, Bu Eunseol examined them one by one with meticulous care.
Only the occasional whisper of the brush tip crossing paper broke the silence.
A deep furrow marked his brow.
The position of a commander standing above ten thousand people was never an easy one.
He had to handle dozens of matters each day, and every choice determined the fates of his members and martial artists.
To ensure that not a single mistake occurred, he had to focus his mind and consider each matter again and again.
Then it happened.
Rattle.
The door opened and Yoo Unryong rushed inside, panting.
"We have a serious problem."
He dispensed with knocking and greetings and spoke urgently.
"Something seems to have gone wrong."
"What do you mean?"
Yoo Unryong struggled for breath and spoke in a low voice.
"I heard Princess Hwijeong is openly courting some other bastard."
Bu Eunseol's hand stopped.
He stared at Yoo Unryong, wondering what in the world he meant.
"Explain yourself clearly."
"Her plans keep being ruined, so it seems the enraged Empress Dowager has made her move. She means to steal away your position as Imperial Son-in-law."
"You are saying the Princess is meeting someone introduced by the Empress Dowager?"
"Yes."
Countless possibilities flashed through Bu Eunseol's mind.
If the Empress Dowager had arranged it, this could not be a simple matter of marriage.
She must be employing some kind of scheme.
"I suspect the Empress Dowager used the Mind-Seizing Secret Art or Soul Demon Dharma Energy."
Bu Eunseol firmly shook his head at Yoo Unryong's words.
"Every member of the Imperial Family possesses Dragon Qi."
Then he continued in a low voice.
"If the Empress Dowager possessed the power to eliminate Dragon Qi, she would have seized the Imperial Palace long ago. She would have no need for such an indirect method."
"That is true, of course, but..."
Yoo Unryong looked out the window and shook his head.
"I have a bad feeling. Something about this does not sit right."
"Hmm."
Bu Eunseol swallowed a low groan.
While he had wandered through the martial world, Yoo Unryong had managed the affairs of the Death Shadow Corps and overcome every manner of conspiracy and tribulation.
His intuition was particularly accurate, so Bu Eunseol could not dismiss it.
"Why not meet the Princess? If you examine her directly, you may discover something."
"Is that truly necessary?"
"You are already embroiled in the struggle between the Emperor and the Empress Dowager."
Yoo Unryong spoke with a grave expression.
"We must discover their intentions in advance."
Bu Eunseol fell silent for a moment.
'Come to think of it, I have dealt with imperial affairs without pause lately.'
He tapped a finger against the desk as he sank into thought.
Then he slowly nodded.
"Very well."
Dazzling sunlight poured beneath the palace eaves.
Tree peonies and peonies bloomed throughout the garden, filling the air with fragrance, while brocade carp swam leisurely through the pond.
Guided by a palace maid, Bu Eunseol entered the garden.
A faint sandalwood fragrance brushed the tip of his nose.
'They use it even in the Imperial Palace now.'
The Four Star Merchant Guild's sandalwood had captured the hearts not only of Cheonchuk's nobles, but now even those of the Imperial Family of the Central Plains.
"Commander Bu."
A clear voice sounded.
Bu Eunseol raised his head.
A beautiful woman entered, dressed in pale pink palace robes with an elaborate headdress of pearls and jade.
It was Princess Hwijeong.
'Hmm.'
He carefully examined her for cloudy eyes or a vacant air, signs that she might have fallen victim to a mind-seizing art or an aphrodisiac.
'She is fine.'
The Princess's eyes were as clear and intelligent as ever.
They even contained a measure of excitement and happiness.
It was the expression and gaze one would naturally expect from a woman in love.
'Has she truly given her heart to another man?'
There was no sign whatsoever that an external power was controlling her.
Having ordered his thoughts, Bu Eunseol bowed.
"This subject, Bu Eunseol, greets Your Highness."
"What brings you here so suddenly?"
"I recently heard a strange rumor."
The Princess's cheeks reddened faintly at his direct words.
"Rumors are always distorted."
Bu Eunseol's eyes narrowed sharply.
Princess Hwijeong's gaze unquestionably belonged to someone in love.
And it was directed not at him, but toward someone else entirely.
"You came all this way because of that?"
"I stopped by while attending to other matters. There are several things I must handle as Commander of the Dragon Scale Guard."
Bu Eunseol bowed courteously once more.
"Forgive my intrusion."
There was nothing more to ask.
Genuine affection permeated the Princess's eyes and voice.
She was deeply in love with someone.
"As for the Dragon-Phoenix Ring..."
The Princess continued with a somewhat apologetic expression.
"I may speak to Imperial Father and have it reclaimed."
Halt.
Bu Eunseol stopped without realizing it.
Her tone had been calm.
But did those words not amount to breaking their betrothal?
"I heard he is a descendant of the Gyeju Regional Commander."
Bu Eunseol asked directly once more.
"Do you truly favor him?"
When she met Bu Eunseol's gaze, Princess Hwijeong pressed a hand to her forehead and shook her head.
"In truth... I do not know. But I..."
She attempted to say something, but eventually closed her mouth.
"I will send word again later."
"Understood."
Bu Eunseol bowed once more.
"Then I shall withdraw."
Bu Eunseol's eyes narrowed as he returned to Majeon.
The Princess had unquestionably been in her right mind.
Rather than being controlled by an external force, she felt genuine interest and affection toward that man.
That made the problem even more serious.
It meant the Empress Dowager possessed a secret capable of capturing the iron-walled Princess's heart in a single stroke.
'A secret.'
Bu Eunseol described the Princess's change of heart as the work of a secret method.
Her temperament might be somewhat impatient.
But as the Princess of a nation, Princess Hwijeong had cultivated impeccable judgment and refinement.
Perhaps that man's qualifications were vastly superior to Bu Eunseol's, causing her to choose him for strategic reasons.
If so, he would not have harbored the slightest doubt.
'A descendant of the Gyeju Regional Commander?'
It would have been different if the man were descended from the Great General currently guarding the Great Wall.
His family might be called illustrious, but in truth, he was merely the descendant of a fallen house.
That the Princess had fallen deeply for such a man made no sense given her character.
"That bold Princess spent her childhood devising plans to oppose the Empress Dowager in the Emperor's stead, always placing the greater affairs of the nation first... She could not suddenly have fallen in love."
He was certain.
The Empress Dowager had captured the Princess's heart with some strange secret method unknown to him.
If he ignored the situation and allowed it to continue, maintaining his connection to the Emperor would become difficult.
He would also find himself at a disadvantage in the battles to come.
'If this concerns a field of knowledge unknown to me... I need Brother Han.'
Han Sangja.
His wisdom rivaled that of the Heavenly Mechanism Star, Chu So.
He was also thoroughly versed in ancient knowledge and texts.
He was especially knowledgeable about every kind of sorcery and grand method, so he would surely be able to determine what had been done.
Two days later, Bu Eunseol and Yoo Unryong walked through a bamboo grove deep in the mountains.
After walking for some time, they saw a small manor ahead.
It was not large, but every part of it reflected the life of a recluse who had turned his back on the secular world.
Bu Eunseol and Yoo Unryong stood side by side before the main gate.
Flap, flap, flap.
A bird flew in from somewhere and disappeared into the manor.
Creak.
At the same moment, the gate opened and a clear-eyed young man in blue robes appeared.
Though clad in simple hempen clothes, his gaze was deep and sharp.
They were the eyes of someone who had comprehended the affairs of the world and could see through all things.
It was Han Sangja.
Through mysterious ancient sorcery, he had foreseen the arrival of the two men.
"Command Lord, Corps Leader."
He smiled warmly and asked.
"What brings you here so suddenly?"
"Well..."
As Bu Eunseol tried to speak, Han Sangja took his arm and guided him forward.
"Let us go inside and speak first."
The room was filled entirely with books.
Volumes packed every shelf along the walls, while ancient texts lay stacked across the floor. The smell of dust and old paper permeated the room.
"Please, tell me what happened."
"Ahem."
Bu Eunseol cleared his throat.
He described his recent meeting with the Princess in detail.
He also explained the person he had fought earlier in his father's secret vault, for all of this was likely part of the Empress Dowager's scheme.
"The Princess suddenly lost her heart to a man and even said she would reclaim the Dragon-Phoenix Ring bestowed upon the Command Lord?"
Han Sangja looked puzzled for a moment.
"That is very strange."
He closed his eyes and sank into thought.
Only silence flowed through the room, accompanied by the sound of bamboo leaves brushing together beyond the window.
"If my conjecture is correct..."
His gaze became utterly serious.
"The man the Princess met belongs to the same group as the expert of the True Demon Palace whom the Command Lord saw inside the secret vault..."
"And the secret art that conquered the Princess is highly likely to be knowledge left by a True Demon."
"Knowledge of a True Demon?"
Yoo Unryong looked surprised, and Han Sangja nodded.
"That is my conjecture."
"Would a True Demon have left behind such knowledge as well?"
At Yoo Unryong's question, Han Sangja placed a hand upon the table.
"Do you know what subject appears without fail in secret ancient texts passed down to later generations?"
When Yoo Unryong shook his head, Han Sangja smiled meaningfully.
"How to steal a woman's heart."
Yoo Unryong opened his mouth as realization struck him.
"Then that man must have received specialized knowledge or training within the True Demon Palace in how to capture a woman's heart."
"Precisely."
Han Sangja propped his chin upon both thumbs, his expression grave.
"The True Demon must have met countless women throughout his long cycle of reincarnation."
Han Sangja spoke firmly.
"Within the True Demon Palace, his experiences with those countless women must have been accumulated and organized."
"They would then have been passed down as a systematic body of knowledge."
Bu Eunseol furrowed his brow at a possibility he had never once considered.
'But it is plausible.'
The Baekri Family had preserved a True Demon's knowledge, so similar things must naturally have been passed down within the True Demon Palace.
"Then there is no solution."
The knowledge of a True Demon transcended the level of every field in the current age.
If they had seduced Princess Hwijeong with such a secret, there was no way to break it.
At that moment, Yoo Unryong's eyes gleamed.
"No, I think there may be one."
"What do you mean?"
With a resolute expression, Yoo Unryong stared intently at Bu Eunseol's face, which was as beautiful as moonlight yet retained the strength of the sun.
"A way to oppose him."
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