Chapter 219
Chapter 219
I had been thinking about starting fresh in Acrab and building a friendly relationship with the Suran Empire, and had considered the Suran Princess as a potential female lead. But I never expected her to show up like this.
In the original story, Julius meets Yanghwa long before the Acrab riots, thinking she’s the princess from the Eastern continent.
The first encounter goes like this: Julius is out searching for Kaichen, who has been holed up in the willow house for months, researching magic. He comes across Yanghwa, who is lost and wandering near the forest. Her small frame and fragile appearance moved Julius to help her and take care of her.
Yanghwa falls for the handsome, kind, and honorable Julius, and follows him around like a lost puppy. But Kaichen won’t allow a stranger to stay in his house, so Julius takes Yanghwa to the Imperial Palace.
It didn’t take Julius long to figure out Yanghwa’s true identity. Despite her unfamiliarity with Imperial Palace etiquette, her quick wit gave her away. She didn’t even try to hide it.
When she revealed her identity, she simply said she was the youngest of the Suran. At the time, I wasn’t sure if Suran was a kingdom or an empire. But it didn’t take me long to realize that she was the princess of the Eastern Continent.
As I reread the original work, I realized that Julius’ meeting with Yanghwa was right before time magic manifested in Acrab. Kaichen had always known that there was a road leading to the Suran Empire in Acrab, so he must have confided that fact to Julius.
The appearance of Yanghwa and the time magic incident in Acrab could have been the steppingstone for a change in the overland connection with the Suran Empire.
I couldn’t help but smile as I guessed that the later part of the story might unfold this way.
The appearance of Yanghwa made me think that the overall story of the original work might still be going on, even though it had been completely destroyed. After all, I was still alive and a significant part of the original work had already been altered.
I was ready to scrap my original plan, but the sudden appearance of another person made me question everything. Could it be that the overall story was still unfolding, but with slight variations in timing? The appearance of Ja Yanghwa had me questioning the possibility of that.
As I approached where Azel was talking, I couldn’t help but notice the small figure hiding behind some haphazardly stacked wooden boxes. I put on a smile and called out to Azel, pretending as if I knew nothing of the situation.
“What’s the deal? I heard the new owner doesn’t want to sell fruit to me,” I asked, feigning ignorance.
“Of course not,” Azel said, looking embarrassed. “It’s because she’s shy and can’t face other people. Count, could you please understand?”
I could tell that the attitude being shown now was not the same as what would be shown in front of nobility.
“How are you going to run a fruit shop when you’re so shy? I want to buy fruit here in the future. What do you say, new boss?” I said, stepping over the stacked boxes and sitting down, crossing my legs.
I took my coat off, but it was a completely different material from the clothes I wore in Sharatan, and no matter how cold it was, I was still sweating. My hair was swept to one side because of my sweat.
“I know that you knew I was eavesdropping on the conversation earlier. Hm? Shy miss,” I said, resting my head on my hands. Only Azel was embarassed as she was caught in the middle. She thumped her feet and knocked on the box where Yanghwa was hiding behind, but she didn’t budge.
“Azel, let me talk to her. Could you go out for a while?”
“She’s a good kid…I know the Count isn’t the kind of person who gives scoldings, but…she’s a kid who has many scars after coming to an unfamiliar place, so…”
“I know, don’t worry,” I replied.
Azel hesitated but left. A quiet silence hovered between Yanghwa and me. I thought about how to get her on my side, but I was a little confused because her personality was completely different from what I had thought.
‘Since the timing of our meeting was off, maybe…she might’ve been through a lot.’
Having those thoughts, I realized that it would be useless if I pressed her like this.
“I heard you came from the Eastern Continent. When did you arrive?”
“……”
“Why did you take over the fruit store?”
“……”
“How did you come up with the idea of settling down in Sharatan?”
“……”
Ja Yanghwa remained tight-lipped, her silence impenetrable.
I felt like I was trying to unclog a sink drain, but no matter what I did, it wouldn’t budge. I’ve had this happen before and sometimes it took a contractor and a lot of money to break through, other times it was just a small obstruction that I could clear easily. But this was not the time to dwell on that.
Feeling a bit frustrated, I scratched my cheek, unsure of what to say next.
“Why don’t you want to talk to me? Is it because I’m a noble? Because I’m the lord of Acrab? Or do ayou just hate me?”
Yanghwa’s body trembled slightly, catching my attention. I narrowed my eyes, puzzled by her reaction as it was different from before.
“So, you do know me.”