Free Web NovelSand spread out before her like the sea.
The desert where the Sun Palace was located had hardly any terrain to speak of, and even that changed whenever the wind blew, so there was no need to consult a map.
No—most of the Great Desert was probably like that.
Yehwa, who used to trade with the Western Regions, had often complained that for that reason you had to pay whatever price the desert folk who guided the way demanded.
Sohwa climbed the high sand hill in front of her.
When she reached the top, she saw a massive rocky mountain beneath the turquoise sky. The rocky mass bore a broad flat land on its head as if someone had laid planks across it. The Sun Palace sat atop it.
When he had first given her the casting, Namgung Hyun had said that because of the distance there might be some margin of error, but that she would not arrive far from a point where the palace would be visible.
Looking out over the desert that stretched like a boundless sea, Sohwa thought:
If those who guide the way are worth a fortune, then how priceless must those who can create paths be? fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The Vice Hall Lord had been right. Those the Blood Demon valued had stepped beyond the bounds of human standards.
Tang Sohwa slipped the Han Cheol she held into her sleeve.
She felt some regret, but believed this was the best course. The deed was already done, so there was no use in regrets.
As she made her way toward the cliff where the Sun Palace stood, she tried not to linger on her choice.
Crunch.
With every step up the stone stairs, Sohwa forgot a little more of the affairs of the Central Plains. It was because she felt no sound, no presence at all from the Sun Palace.
Either nothing had happened yet, or everything was already over. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Crunch.
At the top, Sohwa faced a white building. Its exterior, worn as if carved away by sand, was oddly shaped, but the palace itself was monochrome. Any paint would only be stripped away by the sandstorms, so there was little point in adding color.
Inside, however, the palace was nothing like its outer appearance.
The floor was as smooth as glazed porcelain, flaunting vivid hues, while gilded pillars and richly embroidered textiles on the walls increased the splendor.
It looked like a palace where those who enjoyed wealth had nothing better to do than grind their time away on ornamentation.
She could truly feel that she had left the Central Plains. The Sun Palace’s aesthetics were completely different.
For a structure standing alone in the middle of an empty desert, it had an unexpectedly diverse array of colors and forms. Numerous objects with a strong sense of presence were mixed together, yet somehow achieved a strange harmony.
Lowering her gaze again, Sohwa stared toward the end of the corridor. Seen from outside, it had looked like a two-story building, but there was no obvious way up.
She walked along the corridor searching for stairs, and only after quite some time did she find a very shabby set of stairs.
When Sohwa climbed to the second floor, the darkness stabbed at her eyes and halted her steps.
Not a single point of light entered, yet perhaps because the ceiling held captured sunlight, the interior temperature was high. The air was humid and smelled of grass. No—she could not tell whether it was the scent of grass or of blood. There was more staleness than freshness to it.
Trickle.
Somewhere, she heard the faint sound of water.
Sohwa moved toward the wall, intending to open a window. At that moment, stench surged up from the stairway.
Her body went rigid. It was the same stench she had smelled at the Blood Demon’s Geumeunsan.
She immediately turned and went down toward the source of the smell.
In the distance, a small sound reached her. The rustling of cotton cloth. It sounded like someone who had just woken from a nap stepping down from their bed.
The Blood Demon seemed to have sensed her approach as well. For an instant, all scent vanished.
Swish.
As cloth was drawn aside, the colors of the corridor changed.
As if cut on a diagonal, the flooding sunlight washed away the brilliant hues of the porcelain. Entering the domain of light, Sohwa turned her body toward the now-open door.
The Blood Demon, who had just woken, stretched his arms upward and asked,
“Did you come alone?”
Sohwa let her eyes move and looked around without answering.
There was no sign of the Crimson Blood Hall Lord. All she saw was a brilliant scene that did not suit the man who looked like a living shadow.
Everything—from the carving on the window frames and pillars to the decorations affixed to the chairs—was gold. To keep from being outdone by that splendor, turquoise porcelain filled the floor like a sea, while cloth interwoven with red, yellow, black, and other threads clamored for attention here and there.
They were things that might easily have looked disorderly, yet they formed a curious harmony.
Lying on something that could be called either a chair or a bed, the Blood Demon gave a brief chuckle.
“No need to worry. I put him to sleep elsewhere.”
His viscous gaze slid over her eyes, her cheeks, and her brow.
While matching his gaze, Sohwa noticed something odd about the Blood Demon’s clothes.
They were not Central Plains attire, and the fabric was coarse and thin, like hemp. She had not realized it at first because of the oppressive presence he gave off, but the simple clothing was something a servant might wear.
Staring at him, Sohwa asked,
“Did you change clothes?”
The Blood Demon gave a small laugh and affirmed her question.
“So you noticed.”
“Where is Min Hae-rak?”
“And what will you do if I tell you?”
She did not enter the room, instead turning her body to remain in the corridor.
“If you don’t intend to tell me, you can go back to sleep.”
When Sohwa turned to leave without further conversation, the Blood Demon sounded almost flustered.
“Mm? Don’t you have things to discuss with me?”
“I heard the gist of what you said from the Vice Hall Lord. You said that if the Crimson Blood Hall Lord and I create a frame and hand it over, you’ll return the Sun Palace to the Crimson Blood Hall.”
The Blood Demon did not deny it. In a calm voice, Sohwa added,
“If you want something done, you first check whether the other party is dead or alive. Wait. We’ll talk after I’ve confirmed that.”
Realizing that Sohwa was putting on a show, the Blood Demon let out a small laugh. Propping his chin on his hand, he rolled his crimson eyes.
“I thought you’d be furious, but seeing you go along so readily is curious. If I were you, I’d be suspicious too.”
“Is there any reason to refuse? For you, it’s an unusually rational proposal. The Palace Lord of the Sun Palace would not be a bad match. It wouldn’t be so bad to marry and have a child with him either.”
“I never said anything about a marriage.”
“If I stay with the Palace Lord in the Sun Palace and bear children, how would that be any different from a marital relationship?”
Without a hint of agitation, Sohwa continued,
“I’ve already seen the records of what you’ve done to frames, so I know perfectly well how it works. There’s no way you’d be satisfied with a single child; you’d keep me at the Sun Palace, having me stay with the Palace Lord. Compared to being locked up at Geumeunsan, staying with the Palace Lord at the Sun Palace would be better, and it’s still a better option than remaining by your side.”
Only then did the Blood Demon sit up.
“Have you heard the news from the Tang manor?”
A strange gleam appeared in his eyes. He was trying to provoke her, and Sohwa’s lips curved.
“Contrary to your hopes, the Tang manor is safe.”
“Tsks, I figured as much. When I saw you cross into the Great Desert so soon after I sent the Vice Hall Lord, I had a feeling he’d failed...”
The Blood Demon clicked his tongue, but his face looked pleased.
“If the Tang manor had been half-destroyed, I was going to take the surviving Clan Head and Young Clan Head hostage and throw you to Hae-rak... The outcome is the same either way, but somehow it feels like a pity.”
With an impassive face, Sohwa watched the Blood Demon feign regret.
“If I make as many frames as you want, will you leave the Tang manor alone from now on?”
Drawing out his last word, the Blood Demon gave her an ambiguous answer.
“It’s true I wanted a frame from you. But it’s a pity I had to skip so much—after seeing you in despair, I’d planned to hand you over to the Palace Lord in exchange for rebuilding... And on top of that, for whatever reason, the Tang manor is just fine, and you still came all this way so easily, didn’t you? As you know, I dislike lies. Tell me honestly what you’re thinking.”
“There’s nothing so elaborate to it. The Palace Lord of the Sun Palace is not a bad person, so what grand sacrifice is there in becoming his partner?”
“I thought that Namgung boy was your type. This is unexpected.”
Sohwa let out a faint, mocking laugh. Irritated, the Blood Demon frowned and asked,
“Why are you laughing?”
“I just find it amusing that someone who acts like he knows everything doesn’t know a single thing about me.”
She added,
“You say my body holds your blood, yet our thinking is so different that it’s strange enough to make me laugh.”
Concealing her true feelings from the Blood Demon, Sohwa spoke evenly.
“Still, you’re not entirely wrong. I didn’t come without any plan.”
At her words, the Blood Demon’s mouth twisted crookedly, but Sohwa went on.
“I also have something I want from you. To be frank, returning the Sun Palace to the Crimson Blood Hall isn’t an offer that would move me to action, is it?”
“Didn’t you hear that I intend to forgive you?”
“I’ve never asked for your forgiveness, and I never will, so that sort of thing is useless.”
The Blood Demon was offended by her insolent words, yet at the same time, her attitude pleased him greatly. The way she showed her disgust without fear tickled one corner of his heart.
With his tone loosening, the Blood Demon asked,
“So then, what is it you want to gain?”
