Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

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I was still in Hoo-ye's arms by the time we reached the main building of the palace. Although I insisted that I could walk on my own, he only tightened his grip and politely refused. I only sighed and resigned to my fate, realizing that he was quite more stubborn than I am.

We eventually arrived to my room, and Hoo-ye placed me on my bed as if I was a delicate piece of china.

"Well, I suppose I should thank you," I said.

Even though it was done completely against my will.

"There is no need to thank me, Soah-nim," he bowed. "I only wish to be of service."

"There's no need to be polite," I suggested, but I knew it would only be in vain.

"I cannot act disrespectful to Habaek's wife," he stated. He then deeply bowed and left my room.

I pulled my knees to my chin and silently gazed out of the window. The title of Habaek's wife sounded empty and hollow to my ears. When you think of a marriage, you think of a bond between two people, and that bond represented love and trust. There was no such thing between Habaek and I.

As I was looking out of the window, I saw a hand snake out of the blinds of the air balloon house. In its grasp was a small bowl filled with liquid. The hand tipped its contents, letting it fall through the air.

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"So in the end, Habaek let the rain fall," Mura mused.

We were standing on a balcony and gazing at the blossoming trees. I reached out to touch the fluttering petals.

"Why, all of a sudden..."

Even though my back was turned away from her, I felt her eyes laying on me.

"Aren't you curious though?" She asked.

I turned to look at her. She was twirling her smoking pipe in her hands.

"About what happened to all of Habaek's previous wives?"

I held a soft pink petal in my hand and let it fly away in the wind.

Is she trying to frighten me? Well she's using no means to hide it.

I chuckled softly and looked straight into her eyes.

"To be honest, I could care less," I replied. "Whether Habaek drowned them, chopped them into pieces, or just turned them into dust, it's none of my business whatsoever."

Her eyebrows lifted in surprise at my bold response, and then she studied me carefully.

"You have a strong gaze, child." She began to turn and walk away. "Just be careful to not let it get you get killed."

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One of the many things I do to kill time is just wander aimlessly around the palace, sometimes finding strange or mysterious rooms. Another thing that I found was a small child curled up on a stone pathway.

"Habaek?" I questioned in surprise. Realizing that it was him, I quickly dashed over and kneeled by his small body. I pulled him into my lap and observed his condition. His face was flushed, and he was panting as if he was suffocating.

"Hey! What's wrong? Can you hear me right now?"

"I'm fine, Yook-Oh," he muttered. He was still gasping for breath, and his eyes fluttered closed

"Yeah, you're really not alright," I said as I held him in my arms.

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"Don't worry," Tae El Jin reassured me. "Habaek is the water god, so he would be weak to sunlight."

I carried Habaek to Tae El Jin as quickly as I could once he started to lose consciousness again. I was informed that he only needed to rest for a while, and he would be back to normal.

"Were you scared, Soah? Do you want me to pour you some tea?"

"Ah, no thanks. Anyway, I was just confused that's all," I explained.

Scared? More like a pain to carry him here. I don't know how Hoo-ye could do it.

I absentmindedly poked his cheek, causing him to stir in his feverish sleep.

"You owe me one."

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