Chapter 32.1

Chapter 32.1

“Worry?”

Seok-kyung’s eyes flew open, his furrowed brow etched with disbelief.

“Me?”

“The king,” Seol-do replied simply.

“For whom?”

“For Na-ara,” she answered without hesitation.

Seok-kyung let out a breath, crossing his arms as he shook his head, exasperated. “You’re utterly bewitched, Nam Seol-do. What spell has seized you so strongly…?”

Maybe it was the food, he considered, genuinely troubled by the thought.

Seol-do just chuckled, leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed. “Then why did you storm out of the Great Council? And with that pale face, no less.”

“Storm out? Who stormed out? I excused myself politely for an urgent matter and walked out calmly. You were right there to witness it all,” he retorted. “The pale face is just how this form was crafted,” he added defensively, instantly regretting the over-explanation.

Why am I even explaining myself like this?

Seok-kyung’s narrowed eyes grew sharper, showing his irritation.

“Na-ara being attacked by that demon was such an emergency?” Seol-do smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Enough to ditch the Council, which only convenes twice a year? I don’t get it.”

He bristled at her taunting but then pressed a hand against his temple, reining himself in. A short sigh slipped out, calming his ruffled composure.

“She’s contracted with me. If she gets hurt, it’s only natural that it reflects poorly on my standing.”

“So then, why take it out on Baekseol like she’s some common criminal?”

“It’s Baekseol’s duty to guard the labyrinth.”

“But you had a rough idea it happened outside, didn’t you?”

“A spirit capable of physical force is inherently dangerous. If it happened to be nearby, it should’ve been captured before it could escape. Do you think this is the time to be casually talking about outings? What if it uses this as an excuse to invade the goblin’s territory again…?”

“Then shouldn’t you have already sent the Twin Spirits to track it down? Instead of hiding here in your room, meditating alone.”

“They’re more than capable without my orders… Wait, who said I was hiding?”

Seok-kyung could no longer pretend to be calm and shot up from his seat. Seol-do’s eyes were steady and unwavering as if to say:

Do you know what expression you’re making right now, my king?

“What do you want to say, Nam Seol-do? Stop twisting your words and just say it.”

He finally admitted it: no defensive argument would push Seol-do back.

Seol-do’s arms uncrossed, her stance straightened, ready for her reply.

“Live a little easier.”

Out of all the possible remarks Seok-kyung expected, he hadn’t considered this one.

“You know, we goblins can’t lie to humans. You’re a sharp goblin, my king. I think you know that better than I do.”

“…Know what?”

“That even if you trick everyone, even if you might manage to deceive yourself, there’ll come a time when nothing can be concealed anymore.”

Seok-kyung’s response was silence, his fingers tightening around the chair’s armrest. His hand tensed, veins standing out against his skin as if braced for impact.

Deceive and conceal?

Would I really need to fool myself and my loyal servants over something as trivial as a human woman? What could I possibly have to hide, and for what purpose?

“If you were worried, just say you were,” Seol-do said, her words driving a final wedge into his thoughts, as if reading his quiet, reluctant questions.

“To yourself, my king, and to Na Ara.”

“…”

“It would be the simplest peace for you, and the greatest comfort for her.”

With those words, Seol-do stepped back, her long, white hair trailing a refreshing fragrance as she turned away.

“Make sure to tell her. If you don’t, I’ll do it for you,” she added, a not-so-idle threat hanging in the air just before the door closed.

Thud.

The dull sound marked the line between the quiet world within the room and the one just beyond. Left alone, Seok-kyung could finally allow himself to exhale, pressing his tense body back into the soft embrace of his chair.

The stillness, the empty air around him, pulled him back to a memory from long ago.

***

Back before Seok-kyung ruled as king of the goblins, back when he was the chosen successor to the throne under his predecessor, King Ungeom. He was just a young goblin then, absorbing the world’s order and harmony, learning his way around the intricate webs of power and duty.

“Seok-kyung,” Ungeom had once told him, “a mind, like water, swells and crashes harder when confined too long.”