mindwomanjigrave
(The Witch's Cat)
-The Witch's Cat-
W. Seolha
Trigger Warning,
There are numerous scenes of violence and some graphic depictions of gore that some viewers may find offensive.
Please be careful.
"Your Majesty, Lord Kim of the Dojejo has returned."
The emperor twisted his hunched body from side to side, shrugging off the pile of petitions that were so tall they easily surpassed his sitting height. Having spent the entire day poring over letters, this news was truly welcome. "Come on," the court lady who had informed the Emperor of his arrival quickly retreated and announced his approval.
When news reached the emperor that a band of bandits on the border between the two countries was causing chaos even in the border villages of the two countries, he dispatched the imperial army immediately. They were disrupting the country's borders, not only taking away food but also capturing everyone, regardless of gender or age, in the villages near the border. As the situation became increasingly serious, he sent several letters to the imperial palace of the two countries, but received no response. Then, his old friend, the Emperor Dojejo, personally intervened and eradicated them. Even the troops stationed along the border were helpless and had to ask for help. He had expected the extermination to take nearly a month, but word arrived that the bandits had been eradicated in just ten days, and with not a single casualty, the result was truly satisfying. He could not help but welcome him as the leader of the army.
"Your Majesty, I greet you."
Seokjin bowed deeply, politely greeting the Emperor and Yoongi, and then smiled at him without anyone noticing. The Emperor, who had ordered everyone except the Dojejo to leave, waited for everyone except Seokjin to leave the room. With a thud, the door closed, and Seokjin slowly straightened his bent back.
"How have you been?"
"You can get by, right?"
"What could possibly go wrong, even if I were buried in petitions all day?"
Yoongi picked up the petition and spoke. Seokjin's eyes widened as he watched Yoongi unfold the petition and quickly read it. "Well, I don't think so," he said, and Yoongi's gaze returned to Seokjin. Feeling as if no one was watching, Seokjin sat back down on the counter, smiling innocently, looking up at him.
"I wonder what happened while I was gone. As soon as I entered the capital, all the rumors that were ringing in my ears were so interesting."
"rumor?"
"Pretending not to know,"
Yoongi's hand, which had been scanning the petition, reached his lips. Watching this, Seokjin couldn't help but chuckle. He was the emperor, and he was better at hiding his expressions than anyone else. But the years they'd spent together since childhood couldn't be ignored. He could immediately tell from the way he chewed and gnawed his fingernails that he was trying to hide something.
"The witch you captured, the witch."
"...."
"There are a lot of rumors about witches in the capital right now, really."
"...What exactly is the rumor?"
Look at this—, Yoongi frowned in annoyance at Seokjin, who was looking up at him with an expression like that. "Stop thinking nonsense and speak quickly," Seokjin reluctantly opened his mouth at his urging.
The capital was teeming with rumors. On his way back from the subjugation, he walked through the streets, his robe overturned, and 80% of the rumors he heard were about the witch. Seokjin, who had been whispering about the buildings on the outskirts of the capital, found nothing but charred remains. The woman who had created all this was the "witch." From those who had actually seen the witch to those who had heard all sorts of rumors, the rumors that circulated from mouth to mouth were all about the red-eyed woman. Seokjin opened his mouth, recalling the rumors he had heard.
"One, there is a rumor that the emperor caught the witch and executed her immediately, so the evil witch was killed in an instant."
"...."
"Two, there's a rumor that the witch who was actually executed is still alive."
"...."
"Three, there's a rumor that the emperor hides a witch in a corner of the palace and goes to find her as soon as the sun sets, right?"
"Is that all?"
"Uh, well... I wasn't going to say this..."
"It's such a ridiculous rumor," Seokjin added, avoiding Yoongi's gaze as he looked down at him. That last rumor was,
"...the emperor had a witch as his concubine, something like that..."
"...."
"...right?"
"...."
"...Hey, really? No, right?"
Thinking it was an obvious rumor, he let it slip, but Seokjin was startled when Yoongi covered his face with his large hand without denying it. "Hey, is it true?" Yoongi, who had been half-listening to Seokjin's shouts that resonated throughout Daejeon, reluctantly wiped the smile from his face and said, "No."
"No, don't worry."
"...What's that reaction? Huh?"
"what,"
"What is that awkward reaction?"
"Didn't I say no? There are ridiculous rumors going around."
Yoongi brushed his hand down his face, ignoring Seokjin's suspicious gaze. "A concubine," the rumor couldn't have been more absurd. Anyone who had witnessed the witch's aggression and the horrors of Hodugak with their own eyes would have scoffed at the rumor. It was just that ridiculous.
Yoongi spoke, picking up the petition he had briefly put down while listening to rumors and talk about witches. "Aren't you going to report on the subjugation?" At that remark, Seokjin, who had been glaring at Yoongi, averted his gaze. His playful expression was gone, replaced only by a sharp gaze. The subjugation was a success. No, it wasn't even a success. By the time I arrived, the bandits were nowhere to be found, only a few thieves left.
"The bandits have been wiped out, but there are still some suspicious aspects."
Yoongi's gaze fell on Seokjin as his tone of voice suddenly shifted to that of a lord and subject. "What do you mean, 'suspicious?'" At the question, Seokjin straightened, straightened his back, and continued speaking.
"...I reported to Your Majesty that all the bandits were wiped out in ten days, but that was not true."
"underneath?"
"I'm sorry, but when I arrived, all the bandits had already been wiped out."
Yoongi lowered the hand that had been resting his chin. He straightened his languid body and looked straight at Seokjin. His eyes felt like those of a tiger. "Tell me more," Yoongi said, and Seokjin, who had been silent for a moment, opened his mouth again.
"I asked the villagers nearby, and they said the bandits stopped coming a day or two before the imperial army arrived. They kept coming every other day, and then one day they suddenly disappeared. So, just in case, I waited near the village..."
"...."
"After a few days, some bandits began to appear. However, they weren't strong enough to warrant the intervention of the Imperial Army. They were enough to subdue even the troops stationed along the border. When I asked them, they said that there used to be a group of bandits far stronger than them."
“The power suddenly weakened?”
“Yes, I stayed a few more days, but now I couldn’t find even a single thief.”
“Didn’t Gyeongguk intervene?”
“I’m not sure, but it seems unlikely. According to those who went on the reconnaissance mission, it’s more likely.”
It seemed right to see it as the work of a monster. At Seokjin's words, Yoongi's eyes were filled with murderous intent. The sound of his straight fingers repeatedly tapping the throne echoed throughout the hall, and Yoongi's murderous intent, unknowingly spilling out, made Seokjin swallow dryly.
It was the work of a monster. There was no doubt that a single bandit, a single trained soldier, was a formidable opponent, so it was only natural to conclude, as Seokjin had said, that it was the work of a monster. But why? Why? What difference was the work of a monster, exactly, a monster helping a human? Yoongi's frown deepened. "How annoying," Yoongi said, and Seokjin looked up at him.
Those dark eyes, their gaze reflecting the sunset, resembled Hongwol's, so Yoongi's eyes widened. Yoongi, who had been blankly staring at those eyes, rose in an instant, and Seokjin's eyes widened as he watched Yoongi quickly descend from the throne. Paying no attention to Seokjin's question, "Your Majesty, where are you going?", Yoongi continued on. There was something incredibly restless about his steps, and Seokjin unconsciously followed behind Yoongi.
“...How long has it been since the witch came to the country?”
“Yes, yes? As for the witch... Oh, it's been five days since that red-eyed woman entered the palace.”
At the palace maid's answer, Seokjin frowned and Yoongi stepped out of the main hall. Ignoring the palace maids' shouts of "Your Majesty, where are you going!", Yoongi quickened his pace, and his footsteps were undoubtedly heading to Hwabindang.
The witch entered the palace five days ago, and the capital was set on fire six days ago. There's no news of her staying in Hoguk. So, what if she's established herself in Gyeongguk, has entered Hoguk? Doesn't that seem like a perfect fit? She'd have more than enough strength to wipe out a gang of thieves. If she's the one who wiped out this gang...
Yunki paused, a voiceless emotion welling up inside him. So, what if the witch was the one who wiped out the bandits? What would I do after that? Did I want to believe that the witch had taken down the bandits for the people, especially for the people of a small village on the outskirts of the nation? Was the emotion bubbling up from deep within me simply a relief that the witch wasn't as vicious as rumored? My brow furrowed in confusion. My stomach churned.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
Even when Seokjin noticed something strange in Yoongi's suddenly slowed footsteps and went to check on him, Yoongi was still clutching his chest. What on earth did this fluttering feeling mean? He felt like he wanted to tear out his chest out of frustration.
* * *
“Where were you before you came to the country?”
Hongwol groaned as the guests barged in out of nowhere, rising to her feet. "What brings you here at this late hour?" her voice was filled with drowsiness. Seokjin couldn't help but be startled by her youthful appearance. Unlike the rumors of a witch filled with vicious rumors and vicious behavior, the girl he met in person was nothing more than a normal girl with red eyes. Seokjin found himself relaxing. No matter how he looked at her, he couldn't believe that little girl was a witch.
“...Why do you ask that?”
Hongwol, facing the Emperor, answered blankly. Judging by the commotion within the palace, the Emperor and the Crown Prince's arrival had caused a commotion in the Hwabin Hall. The mere fact that they had welcomed the lord of the nation unprepared made the murderous intent directed at Hongwol sting.
A young court lady skillfully brought out the tea. At the Emperor's command, "Sit down," Hongwol finally sat down on the floor. The court lady, with practiced hands, brewed tea and filled both the Emperor and Hongwol's cups. Hongwol frowned at the pungent aroma, but since she was the only one who could sense it, she examined the teacups with sharp red eyes. Nothing unusual, the pristine white porcelain cups.
“I ask again, where were you before you came to the country?”
“....”
“By any chance, weren’t you in Gyeongguk?”
“...I hate foxes.”
The emperor frowned at the answer, which was completely out of place with the question. Seokjin was no different. "There's no such thing as rudeness. What kind of attitude is that in front of the emperor of a nation?" However, as long as Emperor Yunki remained silent, there was no room for Seokjin to step forward. Yunki stared intently at Hongwol, who was carefully holding her teacup with both hands and sipping the water.
“There are many bandits in Gyeongguk.”
“....”
“The bandits were rampant and invaded the borders of the country, so the villages near the borders of Gyeongguk and Hoguk were completely devastated.”
“....”
“And then one day, all of a sudden, the bandits disappeared.”
“....”
"The Dojejo believes this is the work of a monster. I think so too, and—"
“....”
“Coincidentally, that period coincided with the exact moment before you showed up at the National Guard.”
“What answer do you want from me?”
Red eyes, those straight gazes, were fixed on the emperor. "Is that you?" At Yoon-gi's question, his gaze plummeted once again to the bottom of the clean teacup.
“I really hate foxes.”
“...Why have you been talking about the fox all this time?”
Hongwol slowly raised her gaze. She smiled faintly at the sound of footsteps streaming in through the crack in the door, and the Emperor's eyes twitched. Her stomach churned. It was as if it had been set on fire, burning with unparalleled intensity.
“Beware of the King of Gyeongguk.”
“...Why?”
“He doesn’t welcome those who protect his country. He considers them his enemies.”
"While it's not possible to say that Hoguk's relationship with Gyeongguk is good, it's not either. How can you say something like that?"
“The reason Gyeongguk has remained quiet until now is because the current king of Gyeongguk is more lenient than others.”
“....”
“Therefore, be even more careful of the King of Gyeongguk. Be on guard. Do not let him near you.”
“....”
“If I were to die and disappear, I would have to do so even more so.”
He groaned and puffed. Clumps of blood fell with a thud, soaking the hem of his clothes. He smiled, his eyes as red as the blood, closing them. With a pale, emaciated face, he smiled. By the time Seokjin reached out, by the time Yoongi opened his eyes wide in surprise, it would have been too late.
“Hwang-ui, bring Hwang-ui!”
“What all of a sudden...”
Hongwol's body fell. A thick, bloody smell wafted across the floor of the Hwabindang.
-
Sorry for being late :(
Thank you again for waiting! :)♥️
I'm not feeling well, so the serialization has been delayed.
I'm feeling better now, so I'll try my best to run😊
Everyone, be careful of Corona!