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Chapter 22
“Doi-nim!”
At the identity of the suddenly arrived guest, Baeksa abruptly sprang to her feet.
With a puzzled expression, Baeksa quickly walked over and stood before Doi.
“A favor? What do you mean?”
Doi hesitated as if deep in thought, then finally spoke in a small voice.
“…I want to hold your hand just once.”
Baeksa blinked.
“My hand…?”
“There’s something I want to confirm. It’s nothing bad, I’ll just check for a moment and let go right away.”
Doi added that last part.
It seemed he thought his earlier words might have sounded misleading.
But Baeksa was simply curious.
Why does he want to hold my hand?
Until now, no one had ever told her they wanted to hold her hand.
So it simply felt unfamiliar, not troublesome.
That was why she held out her hand without hesitation.
“Here, Doi-nim.”
Baeksa carefully extended her small hand.
As the tiny hand stretched out toward him, Doi hesitantly grasped it.
And a moment later—
“…It’s true.”
The boy muttered with an expression of disbelief.
“I really can’t hear it.”
“You can’t hear it?”
What couldn’t he hear?
Tilting her head, the girl looked at Doi.
The hand gripping Baeksa’s small one somehow looked desperate.
As if letting go would make him fall into some terrible abyss.
Since she had never seen him like this before, Baeksa quietly waited for him to explain.
After a moment, Doi finally spoke again.
“Ghost voices.”
The boy muttered.
“I can’t hear the ghost voices.”
Then he blankly murmured:
“You… just what exactly are you?”
Doi could see ghosts.
That was because he was a boy carrying the bloodline of the Hyunmu family.
This wasn’t exactly a secret.
The only people in this land capable of possessing abilities related to ghosts were the descendants of Hyunmu.
Whether direct lineage or collateral branch didn’t matter—those who could see ghosts and made shamanism their profession all had at least a faint trace of Hyunmu blood flowing through them.
So anyone who knew of Doi’s ability could easily guess it.
The problem was that every member of the Hyunmu family suffered from headaches for their entire lives because of this cursed ability.
Being able to see ghosts naturally meant being able to hear them as well.
And ghosts were not quiet beings.
They talked endlessly and tempted people without pause.
To endure all of that and live a normal life required mental strength far beyond ordinary people.
The stronger one’s ability, the more clearly they could see and hear ghosts, and the more severe the headaches became.
Doi’s ability was not weak.
So since childhood, he had suffered from terrible headaches.
That was why the Hyunmu family used special divine artifacts that reduced ghostly resonance.
But naturally, such things did not exist in this Zhuque family.
And the Hyunmu family certainly wasn’t going to share them for Doi’s sake.
So until now, Doi had no choice but to silently endure it alone.
Until now.
The boy’s eyes shook.
What exactly is this kid?
Doi stared at Baeksa.
This tiny baby snake that had suddenly appeared kept displaying astonishing abilities unlike anything he had ever seen.
Not only could she absorb the contamination of this land…
She can even block ghost voices?
Could that be why the ghosts had targeted her too?
He couldn’t believe it.
Doi regretted coming here.
The silence and peace he had felt while holding Baeksa’s hand—
The sound of insects chirping and the quiet flow of pond water—
It had felt so wonderful that he couldn’t forget it.
I shouldn’t have checked.
Then he could have lived without knowing.
Because of the peace he had experienced, even if only briefly, it suddenly felt like enduring the ghost voices he had heard his entire life would become even harder.
He couldn’t spend his entire life holding Baeksa’s hand.
How had he ended up learning something like this?
If only he had never known.
If only he had spent his entire life never realizing such a peaceful world existed.
Doi’s face twisted.
Baeksa looked at him anxiously, her two hands clasped together.
“Doi-nim… are you okay?”
“Is this your ability too? When I hold your hand, I can’t hear the ghost voices.”
“Ghost voices?”
“Yeah. Because of my ability, I hear ghosts every moment I’m awake, and I suffer terrible headaches.”
“Ah…”
Baeksa’s lips parted slightly.
Doi continued.
“But when I hold your hand… I can’t hear them at all. I’m starting to think maybe the ghosts targeted you for a similar reason.”
“Then… can you hear them right now?”
Baeksa asked carefully.
Doi closed his eyes briefly and opened them again.
The usual horrible ghost voices rang sharply around his ears.
The boy nodded.
“Yes.”
“If you hold my hand… do you feel okay?”
He nodded once more.
Baeksa stared at him with wide eyes.
Doi, confused, asked:
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“N-no! It’s just… you said you’ve always suffered from headaches, but holding my hand makes you feel better…”
Baeksa’s round eyes sparkled brightly.
“I’m just really glad!”
“…”
“I-I’ll hold your hand often for you. Ah—or!”
The girl suddenly dashed away as though she had just remembered something and shoved her hand beneath her pillow.
Then she returned with her face bright red, her hands cupped together shyly.
“Um… this.”
Baeksa carefully opened her tiny hands.
“Doi-nim, would you try holding this?”
It was a small scale.
The same type of scale Baeksa had dropped into the pond earlier.
Though this one was slightly smaller and less glossy, it was obviously a divine artifact.
“I-it’s one I failed while making… but divine artifacts contain at least a little of the owner’s ability power…”
While Baeksa stumbled through her explanation, Doi carefully picked up the scale.
And at that moment—
Saa—
The surroundings suddenly grew quiet, and the ghost voices that had been endlessly chattering moments ago faded away.
He could still sense them talking somewhere far away, but they had become quiet enough that he wouldn’t hear them unless he deliberately listened.
Baeksa nervously swallowed.
“H-how is it? Since my ability is one that devours anything, maybe it ate your ghost voices too…”
That probably wasn’t it.
Doi knew.
Ghost voices weren’t something anyone could devour.
But there was no doubt that this baby snake’s ability was preventing him from hearing them.
As if…
It’s protecting me.
Protecting him so he wouldn’t hear unpleasant things.
Still stunned, Doi slowly looked toward Baeksa.
“They sound quieter.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. This has never happened before.”
Doi muttered in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Baeksa tightly grabbed his sleeve and smiled brightly.
“That’s such a relief! Then i-if you don’t mind, I’ll give that scale to you as a gift, Doi-nim.”
Then she hurriedly added:
“I-I’ll make a better one for you soon. Just wait a little…”
“This is your divine artifact. Is it really okay to give it to me?”
“Of course, it is… if someone needs it, I want to give it to them.”
Baeksa nodded carefully.
“I’m really happy that I can help.”
The baby snake’s eyes curved into soft crescents.
Doi quietly stared at her.
Divine artifacts were precious things.
Giving one to another person was no different from giving away a part of one’s own ability.
Yet the baby snake had placed the small scale into his hand without the slightest hesitation.
Something precious enough that she had hidden it carefully beneath her pillow.
How could someone be like this?
Who in the world could look at others with such a kind heart?
Part of him wanted to refuse it.
Divine artifacts were that precious.
But—
I need this.
He already knew now.
With Baeksa’s ability, he would no longer have to suffer from headaches or hear ghost voices.
That such a sweet world existed.
Clutching the scale tightly, Doi tucked it into the inner pocket closest to his heart.
Then he looked at Baeksa.
“I won’t forget this kindness, baby snake.”
The night breeze blew, causing Baeksa’s white hair to gently scatter.
Doi stared blankly at the strands fluttering like snowflakes.
Then he spoke once more.
“I’ll definitely repay this debt someday.”
And with that, he abruptly left.
Left standing there alone, the baby snake watched Doi’s retreating figure disappear into the distance.
