Free Web Novel“Leave the one they captured behind. At least get the others out. That’s an order.”
Seok Juryeon returned to the head of the Exorcism Unit’s office and slowly lowered the phone from her ear, her face stiff. The spacious office was silent. Time itself seemed to have stopped inside it.
Rubbing a dry hand over her face, she bowed her head.
Juryeon. This is a direct order from the Commissioner.
Ever since hearing Choi Wonyoung’s report, her thoughts had gone completely blank.
Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?
The Commissioner ordered me to proceed without your knowledge.
The shock of learning the truth had felt like being struck from behind. The Commissioner had secretly instructed Choi Wonyoung to offer up one member of the Exorcism Unit. To carry that out, he had fabricated a mission, isolated an Exorcism Unit Naja, and driven them into a trap.
All as a “sacrifice.”
Only now did everything finally make sense.
The reason they had avoided handling it internally and instead lured the target outside, where non-Naja could deal with it, was obvious. It was because of the taboo against Naja harming one another.
Seok Juryeon had assumed Choi Wonyoung was scheming for his own benefit. Never once had she imagined the Commissioner herself was involved. The shock hit even harder because it had been completely unforeseen.
And above all else—
The person trapped there now, on the verge of becoming that sacrifice, was Yoon Taehee.
Do you know who got caught?
What?
It’s Yoon Taehee. You offered up Chief Yoon as a sacrifice.
Choi Wonyoung had looked genuinely horrified. He had cornered an Exorcism Unit Naja under the Commissioner’s orders, but he had never imagined the target would be Yoon Taehee.
Yoon Taehee was far too important to be discarded that way.
Afterward, Choi Wonyoung admitted the original target had been Kang Ibin. He had ordered her to head out alone, but she had gone to the scene together with Chief Yoon, and everything had spiraled away from the original plan.
No matter how she looked at it, it was a disaster.
If the order had truly come from the Commissioner, then even Seok Juryeon had no power to stop it. Yes. This had been the Commissioner’s command. Someone had to become the sacrifice.
If not Yoon Taehee, then someone else.
“......”
After sitting there numbly in the chief’s office for a long while, Seok Juryeon slowly rose to her feet.
Her head swam.
But she couldn’t just remain sitting there.
Staggering toward the elevator, she entered alone. The moment the doors closed, she pressed several hidden floor buttons in sequence.
Unreadable symbols flickered across the digital display. Then the elevator continued upward for a long time without stopping once.
Ding.
The doors slid open onto a dark corridor with no lights.
Seok Juryeon stepped out and stared ahead.
At the end of the tunnel-like darkness, only one thing was illuminated—a lone door standing at the very end of the corridor.
The Commissioner’s office.
Seok Juryeon walked slowly down the hallway.
When she finally arrived, she turned the doorknob without knocking.
Inside, the office itself looked little different from any other executive office, aside from being somewhat larger than the office of the head of the Exorcism Unit.
But unlike other offices, this place felt utterly devoid of warmth.
She moved through it with practiced familiarity.
Beyond the Commissioner’s office was another door leading into a study. And beyond the study was yet another door.
An old, heavy wooden door.
The instant she opened it, a broad courtyard unfolded before her eyes.
Bright sunlight spilled across green grass. A magnificent hanok stood beyond it, grand enough to look as though it had been lifted straight out of an ancient palace.
The entire scene felt warm and peaceful, like stepping into another world altogether.
Seok Juryeon crossed the garden toward the main building.
“Is someone there?”
A gentle voice drifted out from behind a paper door.
“Commissioner... it’s Juryeon.”
“Hm. Juryeon. What brings you here?”
Seok Juryeon slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the wooden floor.
“I heard you gave orders to Department Head Choi Wonyoung.”
Standing before the paper door, she lowered her head.
For a moment, there was no response.
Then warm laughter sounded from beyond the door. frёewebnoѵēl.com
“Yes, that’s right. I told him to proceed without your knowledge, but it seems he got caught in the end. Wonyoung has never been able to fool you, Juryeon.”
“Why... didn’t you tell me yourself?”
“Because I know how deeply you care for those children. How could I tell you directly when I knew it would upset you? That’s why I asked Wonyoung instead.”
A deep sigh followed from behind the paper door.
“You ordered one member of the Exorcism Unit to be offered as a sacrifice.”
“Yes.”
“Why do you need a sacrifice?”
“As you know, Juryeon, the Teacher’s condition has worsened these past few years. They said they needed sustenance to recover their strength.”
Seok Juryeon’s head snapped up.
Her gaze, fixed on the paper door, shook violently.
After a long silence, she slowly sank to her knees.
“Commissioner... the one who was captured...”
Her pale hands tightened around her knees.
“The child they caught is...”
Her voice had been trembling for some time now.
After hesitating again ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) and again, Seok Juryeon squeezed her eyes shut, lowered her head, and finally forced the words out.
“It’s Taehee...”
Silence fell on the other side of the paper door.
Not a single sound came from within.
It seemed the Commissioner finally understood why Seok Juryeon had come.
“As you know, Commissioner, Taehee is irreplaceable. A child with abilities unlike anyone else’s.”
At that moment—
Rattle.
The paper door slid open.
The Commissioner finally revealed herself.
She was a small elderly woman dressed in hemp-cloth traditional robes. Her short white hair was combed neatly in place, and despite her age, her features were strikingly sharp.
Looking down at Seok Juryeon, she smiled faintly.
“Oh dear. What a shame. Of all people, it had to be Taehee. Such unfortunate luck.”
“If that child disappears, the loss to headquarters will be immeasurable. In the current situation, there’s no one who can replace him.”
Seok Juryeon lowered herself until her forehead nearly touched the floor.
“He’s a child I’ve watched over for more than ten years... ever since he was young.”
The Commissioner’s voice sharpened as though scolding her.
“Juryeon. Get up. I told you never to lower yourself carelessly.”
But despite the reprimand, Seok Juryeon kept her head bowed.
“Yes. Taehee is far too valuable to sacrifice. You’ve always said so yourself. And I know he’s the child you cherish more than anyone.”
The Commissioner fell silent for a brief moment before speaking again.
“You don’t want to lose him. And yes, it pains me as well that Taehee became the sacrifice. But Juryeon... haven’t I always told you?”
She looked down at Seok Juryeon’s deeply bowed head.
“Even a single flower petal falls exactly where it was always meant to fall.”
“......”
“Everything in this world happens according to fate.”
“......”
“The fact that Taehee ended up there must also have meaning.”
Drops of water struck the floor beneath Seok Juryeon’s face.
“Juryeon... are you crying?”
Chuckling softly, the Commissioner cupped Seok Juryeon’s cheeks and lifted her face.
Her lips were pressed tightly together, her expression blank even as tears streamed silently down her face. freewebnøvel.coɱ
The Commissioner gently stroked her cheek with warm hands before bending down to wipe away the tears herself. Then she slowly extended a hand toward her.
“Child. Get up.”
Seok Juryeon stared blankly at the wrinkled hand held out before her.
A freezing winter day.
A night cold enough to tear through skin.
She had seen this hand once before.
Back when she escaped from the shaman’s house she had been sold to—after being locked away in a lightless room.
The young Seok Juryeon had run endlessly through the dark winter streets before collapsing in a garbage-filled alleyway.
And then this woman had appeared before her eyes.
Dressed in elegant traditional robes and a beautiful quilted coat, the Commissioner had extended her hand toward the shivering child exactly like this.
Child. Get up. This is not where you belong.
“Juryeon. Remember this.”
Juryeon.
Never bow your head carelessly. Always stand above others.
Never kneel before anyone.
Hold your head high in front of everyone.
Always fight to win.
Do not follow the words of others. Make others follow yours.
And—
“Never go against the principles of the world.”
