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Chapter: 25
‘You’re trying to hit me?’
At this rate, that bastard was definitely going to be struck by heavenly punishment before the day was over.
The problem was that heavenly punishment didn’t descend immediately. Depending on the target’s strength, resistance, or protective charms, it could take longer. So it wasn’t going to help right now.
Even if I got hit, it wasn’t a big deal since I had my protective charm…
[Princess!]
[Ansi, don’t kill him. It’ll become troublesome if you do! Just stop him!]
I hurriedly sent the mental command. Otherwise, Ansi looked ready to snap that man’s neck without hesitation.
But in the end, Ansi did nothing.
“…!”
Because the Crown Prince suddenly stepped in front of me and took the blow instead.
“Your Highness!”
The crack echoed loudly.
I gasped and grabbed the Crown Prince, looking up at him in horror.
Just how hard had that damned bastard hit him? His cheek turned bright red in an instant.
No, Crown Prince, why would you take that hit for me?!
If you’d just left it alone, Ansi would have snapped either that idiot’s ankle, wrist, or actual neck!
‘Ansi must have thought the Crown Prince was going to get hit instead of me, so she deliberately stayed out of it…!’
“Argh!”
Meanwhile, Waneon-gun screamed in fright after delivering the slap himself and stumbled backward.
“H-Hiiik… Hiiik…”
Terrified, he looked back and forth between the Crown Prince and his own hand.
When nothing happened, he finally calmed down.
That jerk was wearing gloves.
Did he deliberately put them on because he was coming to see the Crown Prince?
‘That court eunuch must have reported everything about the Crown Prince’s condition to the Left State Councillor, so this guy probably knows too.’
Once he confirmed that no darkness was spreading onto him, Waneon-gun openly sneered.
“Oh dear, Your Highness. Why did you interfere? You should have let the one who did wrong receive her punishment. At this rate, Your sister-in-law is going to become spoiled.”
Just as I was about to shut his mouth for him, the Crown Prince spoke first.
“Brother… were you trying to strike the Crown Princess?”
The Crown Prince’s eyes flashed.
A shadow rippled beneath his feet.
The sign that darkness was about to spread.
He was furious to the core.
‘No! If he hurts someone with the darkness now, his position will only become worse!’
I hurriedly grabbed his arm.
“No!”
“…!”
“You have to endure it, Your Highness!”
As I desperately stopped him, the darkness that had been spreading around him suddenly paused.
Huh?
Did the Crown Prince just control the power of the Eodukseoni himself?
‘The results of all that practice are showing already…!’
No.
This wasn’t the time to feel proud.
“Your Highness, wait!”
I gently pushed him behind me and immediately activated the Eyes of Heavenly Fate toward Waneon-gun.
“Lord Waneon-gun.”
“Why are you glaring at me like tha— ugh… uh…”
His mocking words abruptly stopped, replaced by painful groans.
Smiling brightly, I continued.
“It seems your health is in very poor condition, Lord. You’re not only spouting nonsense—you’ve even lost the ability to distinguish right from wrong and have started swinging your hands around.”
“Hng… aaah…”
“Look at you. Your legs are shaking, and you’re drenched in cold sweat.”
His face turned deathly pale.
As my gaze remained fixed on him, Waneon-gun collapsed onto the ground.
“M-My lord?”
The people around him began murmuring in alarm at his sudden reaction.
Ignoring them, Waneon-gun frantically scooted backward on his rear, trying to get farther away from me.
But when my gaze never left him…
He burst into tears like a frightened child.
“Waaah… G-Grandfather…!”
He didn’t just cry.
He wet himself.
The surrounding people gasped in horror.
“My goodness…”
“My lord! What’s wrong with you?!”
“Please get a hold of yourself!”
At that point, I closed the Eyes of Heavenly Fate and addressed his attendants.
“What are you all standing around for? Lord Waneon-gun appears to be seriously ill. Hurry and take him away.”
Several of them scrambled to lift him up and support him.
One of them suddenly pointed accusingly at the Crown Prince behind me.
“I-It must have been that monster! He must have done something to our lord! Just like during the Black Curse…”
“His Highness didn’t do anything.”
“T-The Left State Councillor will never overlook this!”
“Ah. Okay.”
I answered casually.
He was glaring at me and grinding his teeth.
Instead of that, he should probably be worrying about the heavenly punishment waiting for him after he got home.
The barking fools finally left, dragging the sobbing Waneon-gun away.
Only then did I turn toward the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness.”
“My Lady… what exactly was that just now…?”
The Crown Prince asked with wide eyes.
Only then did I notice the overturned food tray lying on the floor beneath him.
“…Let’s eat first.”
“Ansi, go to Unyeondang and ask them to bring dinner over to Jamnyongdang. For two people.”
“Yes, Prin— Crown Princess.”
After dinner was brought to Jamnyongdang, I had Ansi dismiss everyone nearby as well.
Honestly, I’d rather eat together at Unyeondang than in the gloomy Jamnyongdang.
But until the Crown Prince could freely control the power of the Eodukseoni, it was too dangerous.
‘Looks like I’ll have to come eat at Jamnyongdang for a while.’
Looking at the Crown Prince’s dinner tray that had been left overturned outside the front gate, it seemed better to have meals prepared together from Unyeondang from now on.
‘I’ve heard Eodukseoni can survive without eating as long as there’s a night sky…’
But surviving and living well were two different things.
No matter what, a growing body needed proper food.
He was still a child.
He should eat well and grow well.
It wasn’t like he disliked eating, either.
“Your Highness, look this way.”
Before picking up my chopsticks, I took out an ointment.
While the maids were setting the table, I’d retrieved it from the treasure vault using the Eight-Jewel Bell.
It was an ointment made from the oil of the divine beast Bulgasari.
It was surely far superior to anything in the mortal world.
Seeing the ointment, the Crown Prince hurriedly shook his head.
“I-I’ll apply it myself.”
“It’s your face. It would be better if I did it.”
“But how could I trouble you with something like this, My Lady…”
“Because I’m your wife. If I don’t do it, then who will?”
I moved closer and gently rubbed the ointment onto his cheek.
At present, only Ansi and I could touch the Crown Prince’s bare skin without being affected by the darkness.
And frankly…
I didn’t trust Ansi with this.
‘Well, expecting a proud phoenix to serve just any human is asking too much.’
A phoenix never bowed its head to anyone unless it acknowledged them first.
They barely even respected immortals.
For a human to earn a phoenix’s recognition, they had to be either a sage king revered by all or a Taoist on the verge of ascending to immortality.
‘Still, not stopping the Crown Prince from getting hit was too much. He got hit in my place.’
I’d have to talk to Ansi about that later.
As I was making up my mind, I noticed that the Crown Prince’s face had somehow become just as red as the cheek he’d been slapped on.
“Your Highness, does it hurt here?”
“…No. I-I’m fine.”
If he said he was fine, then fine.
I simply continued applying the ointment.
The Crown Prince silently accepted the treatment with a bright red face.
‘It’s already swollen.’
How could someone do this to such a beautiful face?
Closing the ointment container, I sighed.
“Why did you stop him? I would’ve been fine.”
“Fine? If someone as small and delicate as you had been struck like that, it would have been terrible.”
“I had Ansi protecting me. Did you really think I would’ve just stood there and taken the hit?”
“Whether you have a guard or not is beside the point.”
“How is it beside the point?”
The Crown Prince hesitated before answering, his ears turning crimson.
“A-A husband protecting his wife… is only natural. It is both… my duty… and my right. Whether you have guards or not… I am your husband…”
Unlike his usual clear and confident voice, his words grew quieter and quieter until the end was almost inaudible.
Was he…
Embarrassed?
Why?
“Your Highness, are you feeling embarrassed right now?”
“No.”
“Then why is your face so red?”
“Because I was hit.”
“But even the side that wasn’t hit is red.”
“The candlelight is deceiving you.”
“You can’t even look me in the eyes.”
“…”
“If you’re not embarrassed, then that’s even more concerning… Should I call the royal physician?”
His neck flushed scarlet as he shot me a sidelong glance.
“My Lady… are you making fun of me?”
“Hmm. At first I was genuinely curious, but after seeing your reaction… now I kind of want to tease you.”
“You’re too much.”
The bright-red boy let out a long sigh, his brows drooping.
Now he actually looks his age.
He was so adorable that I almost laughed.
Holding it back, I asked again,
“But seriously… why are you embarrassed?”
“You’ll only tease me even more, so I’m not telling you.”
“What? I won’t tease you!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Weren’t you the one who apologized before for not trusting me?”
“…Which is why I’m apologizing again now.”
“Wow. That’s unfair.”
I pouted.
The Crown Prince smiled gently.
At some point, his expression had become completely relaxed.
It was a smile so beautiful it looked painted.
‘Now he’s not embarrassed anymore. What on earth is going on?’
Giving up, I put away the ointment and finally picked up my chopsticks.
“Oh, right, Your Highness. Earlier, you asked what I did to Waneon-gun.”
“Yes.”
“That was…”
I was about to use the Seol Tribe as my all-purpose excuse.
But then I changed my mind.
“…It’s a secret!”
“…What?”
“I still don’t completely trust you yet.”
Although I said it playfully, I meant it to some extent.
The truth was, I couldn’t be completely honest because I still couldn’t fully trust him.
The Crown Prince quietly looked at me for a moment.
Then he smiled softly.
“I understand.”
“That’s it? You’re not going to ask any more questions?”
“I also said that I don’t fully trust you yet. In that case, what right do I have to question you?”
His eyes curved warmly as he added,
“But we both said ‘not yet.’
That means… someday, we’ll be able to trust each other sincerely.
Wouldn’t you agree?”
His words caught me slightly off guard.
I looked away and answered with a slight pout.
“Who knows? That depends on you, Your Highness. I’ll prove myself soon enough.”
“Then I suppose I’ll have to work hard as well.”
The Crown Prince chuckled quietly.
The boy who had once seemed as though he had given up on everything now smiled with genuine ease.
‘He looks much better like this.’
I glanced toward the window.
The sun had completely set, leaving only twilight filtering through the paper windows.
And yet…
The wedding candle between us remained lit.
The Crown Prince hadn’t even realized that he was no longer spreading darkness.
‘The more an Eodukseoni fears, the stronger it becomes.’
That rule applied not only to those touched by the darkness…
…but also to the Crown Prince himself, who spread it.
On the other hand, when I thought back to the times he had successfully calmed the darkness…
There was one thing they all had in common.
‘Whenever the Crown Prince smiled.’
Over the past few days we’d tried all sorts of methods while practicing together.
Smiling had produced the best results.
Even now, because he was smiling so peacefully…
The darkness wasn’t spreading at all.
‘If fear makes it grow stronger… then happiness naturally makes it weaker.’
The possibility was becoming clear much sooner than I’d expected.
Smiling, I spoke.
“Your Highness, look outside.”
“…!”
“The sun has set.”
“But… the candle hasn’t gone out.”
The Crown Prince stared blankly at the candle.
Then he looked down at his own hands.
At his shadow.
And finally…
Back at me.
