Hellfire Oasis

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

UNVEILED

The room was eerily silent, with no one else stirring except for their speaking eyes. Yet, Seulgi felt more nervous than ever, every move she made was under the intense scrutiny of the queen, who sat beautifully before her, gazing at her with unwavering intensity.

Seulgi couldn't even count how many times she sighed deeply when the moment she settled into the high chair. Her mind was in chaos, and the pressure weighed heavily on her. Her hands trembled as they continued to move, her eyes darting back and forth between the wooden canvas and the woman behind it, the subject of her painting.

When the queen demanded that she must paint her on the spot, Seulgi, of course, couldn't refuse. She could only hope that she wouldn't make any mistakes and that she would finish the portrait to the queen's satisfaction.

“Can you tell me stories about my daughter when she was still a baby?” the queen asked seriously, causing Seulgi to pause in her work and simply look at the woman.

Seulgi still didn't understand what was happening, why the queen had shown her this beautiful art room, her most favorite in this palace, or why she wanted to be drawn. But she couldn't help but notice the queen's demeanor; she didn't smile, still enveloped in her cold aura, yet there was something gentle and soft about her.

Meanwhile, Irene herself didn't understand why she had demanded Seulgi to draw her. Perhaps she was simply missing someone she longed for, and Seulgi reminded her of him.

Seulgi cleared her throat, her eyes twinkling with fond memories, before she began to speak.

“Yerim, of course, was a happy baby,” Seulgi said, her smile growing as she continued to paint. “But she also had her moments of whining and sulking, especially when she didn't get attention. She was quite the clingy little one.”

Irene's lips curved into a faint smile. Though she already knew much about her daughter's life, but she also wanted to hear from the person who had been taking care of her daughter since the very beginning.

"What's her first word?" Irene asked softly, her voice carrying a mix of longing and regret. Yerim was so baby when the war happened, and Irene regretted missing out her daughter, baby milestones.

Seulgi's smile widened, sensing the tension in the air dissipating as they delved into conversation about Yerim. The atmosphere shifted, becoming gentle and warm.

"Her first word is Mama," Seulgi answered, her gaze softening as she met Irene's eyes.

The queen's smile in response was like a beacon of warmth, illuminating the room with its beauty. Seulgi couldn't help but admire her, her heart fluttering at the sight of the queen's captivating smile. Irene was already a vision of regal elegance, but when she smiled, she was truly breathtaking, and Seulgi found herself drawn to her even more.

“I still have all of Yerim's baby pictures, but they're back in my apartment in the human world, but I don't know how to retrieve all of that because I'm already dead now.” Seulgi explained with a wistful smile, a touch of amusement coloring her tone before she caught herself, remembering she is talking to a queen right now.

"I mean, I would love to show you all of Yerim's baby pictures, but I don't know how, Your Majesty," she quickly amended, her focus returning to her drawing.

“I will retrieve all of my daughter's pictures,” Irene stated simply. Seulgi felt a surge of curiosity about how the queen would manage to obtain the pictures from the human world while they were in hell. Then, she remembered– the woman standing before her was the queen of hell, possessing formidable powers including the ability to teleport anywhere she desired.