Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Rosa sighed, thinking about her own circumstances. She was sold off to pay her parents’ debt and was forced to work in a place where she was overworked and underpaid. Unlike Yanghwa, who was too trusting, Rosa was more realistic and understood the harsh realities of the world.

She tried to convince Yanghwa to escape with her, but Yanghwa was still too naive. Rosa grew frustrated with Yanghwa’s lack of understanding about their situation.

“You trust people too easily, Yanghwa. You need to be more careful. People aren’t always as kind as they seem, especially in a place like this. If you escape, remember this,” Rosa warned.

But Yanghwa was still unsure about why she needed to escape. “Why do I have to escape? And why aren’t you coming with me?” she asked.

Rosa’s anger boiled over. “Are you serious, Yanghwa? Do you think it’s normal to be in a place where we work all day and don’t get paid? They give us moldy bread for meals and we sleep in a stable where horses sleep in the winter!”

“…Then why aren’t you coming with me?”

Rosa sighed and looked at Yanghwa. “I’ve got a mark on me, so I can’t leave. But you, you’re still safe.”

“But why can’t I trust anyone here?” Yanghwa asked, confusion etched on her face.

“You’re too trusting. People around here are not like the ones back in your hometown. They’ll take advantage of you in a heartbeat. And the thing is, they know it too. That’s why they’ll brand you soon. So, you need to go now,” Rosa warned.

With that, Rosa rose early the next morning and helped Yanghwa escape without a trace.

Before they parted ways, Rosa hugged Yanghwa and whispered, “Don’t be too trusting, okay? You said you wanted to go back to your family, right? Maybe, just maybe, trust in yourself a little more. Kindness is never a bad thing, but it’s easily exploited by the wrong people. Don’t let them fool you again.”

Yanghwa trudged through the scorching sun. The memory of Rosa’s tight grip on her hand as she cried every night made her long to return. Rosa’s warning not to come back, even if it meant death, echoed in Yanghwa’s mind.

As she walked, Yanghwa saw a forest in the distance and felt a glimmer of hope. The forest radiated a warm, clean energy that was in stark contrast to the oppressive heat of the sun. Yanghwa felt a sense of purity wash over her, cleansing away all the pain and hardships she had experienced so far. This was the first time she had ever felt such peace.

Yanghwa stumbled towards the forest, drawn by a mysterious pull.

“Ah, I see it was worth the wait,” a woman spoke, sending chills down Yanghwa’s spine.

She froze as she caught sight of the woman shrouded in a thick robe, standing a few paces away from her. The dark magic emanating from the stranger made her feel ill, and before she knew it, she was retching and gasping for air.

“Oh! What’s wrong? Did you feel my magic?” The woman’s joyful laughter echoed through the air as Yanghwa struggled to regain control of her body.

Her stomach was empty, leaving only bitter bile to spill out of her mouth. Yanghwa felt a cold sweat break out all over her body as she looked up at the stranger with wide eyes, still feeling the goosebumps all over her skin.

“Yes, how does my magic feel?” the woman asked, her voice as bright as ever despite Yanghwa’s reaction.

“Huk… ooh… ack!” Yanghwa managed to choke out, her body still convulsing.

“Oh, is it that terrible?” The woman’s tone turned slightly hurt as she watched Yanghwa heave, but her voice was still as beautiful as before.

Yanghwa couldn’t bring herself to appreciate the beauty of her voice, overwhelmed by the sheer terror of the situation.

She was facing the most vile, repulsive thing she had ever encountered. Not even coming face to face with a murderer who took the lives of countless individuals made her feel this overwhelmed.

She used to sob and retch in her father’s embrace, but now she was paralyzed with fear, unable to even shed a tear.

This was not just dozens of lives lost. It was far worse than that.

The sheer terror was almost too much to bear, leaving her with the desire to lose consciousness and escape the sensation of bugs crawling all over her skin.

The woman standing before her was the source of these horrific feelings, wielding powerful magic.

“You’re the third one to experience this, but I won’t kill you yet. How about you come with me instead?”

“N-no…g-go away!” Yanghwa stammered, her voice barely audible.

“Interesting,” the woman mused, snapping her fingers. “You must be special.”

And with that, Yanghwa lost consciousness, her hand reaching out towards the forest in a desperate attempt to escape, but her body refusing to respond.

She had tasted a glimpse of heaven, only to be plunged into the depths of hell.

She never had a desire to be kind and never fully trusted others.

She relied on her ability to sense the aura of magic, believing that those with pure magic wouldn’t do harm, following Rosa’s words that evil people take advantage of the good.

But Rosa…

‘I believed in my power, yet I was betrayed like a fool. That’s why I made the decision to never trust it again. But what if you, Rosa, tell me to believe in it once more? What am I to do now?’

In this world, there are no inherently good or bad people, just everyday individuals who turn out to be one or the other.

***

As Yanghwa emerged from unconsciousness, she found herself in a mysterious and unfamiliar mansion.