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.
"What brings you here? I never thought I'd see Hoseok here again!"
Hongwol said with a hearty laugh. "Is that so?" Hoseok grinned and took out the handkerchief he had in his arms and wiped Hongwol's stained hands. Only after seeing the sticky liquid staining Hoseok's handkerchief did Hongwol remember what had just happened, and a faint blush crept across his pale face. "Thank you, Hoseok," Hongwol said, to which Hoseok simply smiled and replied.
"How are you, Baekhwa? Oh, and Pungwol too. How are you, Pungwol?"
Despite Hoseok's dissuasion that they had to go soon, Hongwol held Hoseok's hand tightly and headed to Hwabindang, her quarters. Hongwol, who seemed to have changed so little, looked unusually cute as she named each of those who were clearly her only close friends, her eyes sparkling. Hoseok burst out laughing and patted Hongwol's hand. "Of course, they're doing well," Hoseok replied, needless to say, Hongwol smiled brighter than usual.
As for how Hoseok, the youngest son of the Jeong family, a vassal family that protected the country, became acquainted with Hongwol, a witch who lived a semi-permanent life? This relationship must have started quite a long time ago, when Hoseok was indebted to Hongwol's close friend Baekhwa. It was only natural that Hoseok, who had followed Baekhwa, who was working in Sahwaguk, out of great favor, would become friends with Hongwol, Baekhwa's old friend. It was also quite natural that Hoseok personally went to Baekhwa's aid, who had been suffering from worry about Hongwol ever since Hongwol left to find the 'Witch's Grave'. Of course, Hongwol's bright smile, which had once asked how he could hate someone Baekhwa cherished, could also have been the reason. Hoseok stared quietly at Hongwol. The weight had gone down his face since he hadn't seen her. The sight of half his face made me feel uneasy.
"Aside from worrying about Hongwol quite often these days, they are doing very well."
"Are you worried about me?"
"Yes, even now, you've lost so much weight. If Baekhwa-nim had come here in person instead of me, you would have been furious. Just as they are precious to Hongwol, Hongwol is also precious to them, which remains unchanged."
"iced coffee..."
"I was worried too, Hongwol. If it weren't for Jimin, we might have had to wander the continent for even longer to find Hongwol."
"... Have you been looking for me?"
Hoseok smiled broadly. The meaning behind his smile, which replaced his answer, was more than enough to convey, and Hongwol smiled brightly.
“Even then and now, Hongwol never ceases to amaze me in so many ways.”
"What do you think surprised Hoseok so much?"
"I had to hear from Jimin that Hongwol was in Hoguk, but who would have thought it would be in the palace of Hoguk? Do you know how hard I tried not to scream when I met Hongwol earlier?"
"...Was that really that surprising...?"
"Besides, you came up with a really cute idea,"
As Hongwol trailed off, saying, "What...", Hoseok recalled the day he had set foot in the marketplace of Hoguk. At first, he hadn't even considered that Hongwol was near the palace of Hoguk, so he had no high expectations and was walking towards the capital of Hoguk with the sole goal of receiving the emperor's call. However, in the marketplace that always brought countless stories, how could he not be curious when it was filled with just one story? Even if you grabbed a child who was running around the marketplace as if it were his own yard and asked him about the story, he would easily tell it, so it was impossible for Hoseok not to hear the rumor that 'the witch and the emperor made a bet on their lives-'
So, Hoseok had been searching the palace like a mouse. Strangely enough, there were many rumors about a bet between a witch and the emperor, but no one could give a proper answer to the question of where the witch was now. Where did she hide after making the bet? It was as if someone had kept the witch's existence completely hidden. Until then, Hoseok had not known that Hongwol would still be staying in the palace after her bet with the emperor. So, as a way of repaying those who had told him the rumor about the 'bet between the witch and the emperor,' Hoseok had told them a short story.
“...Have you ever heard the story of the witch named ‘Dongbaek’?”
"Ah! The best storyteller in the capital, was talking about Ho-seok?"
"You're a storyteller, so the rumors are spreading like wildfire."
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you know how anxious I was when I heard the rumor about that 'Dongbaek' story spreading..."
"There are not many people who know the story of 'Dongbaek', so I thought that if Hongwol heard about it, someone would definitely find out that Hongwol was looking for her, but it seems I made a mistake."
"I've thought about that, but-,"
Hongwol smiled brightly. Taking a sip of tea from the court lady guarding the front of the residence, Hongwol continued speaking.
"If that rumor reaches the Emperor's ears, I will definitely be the one at a disadvantage in this bet."
Hongwol's gaze rested on the tea in her cup. It was no wonder Hoseok frowned in puzzlement at her constant shifting gaze, as if deeply uneasy. Hongwol was a brilliant witch, and whether the Emperor won or lost, or whether Hongwol won or lost, it would clearly have no effect on her. Yet, she acted as if she absolutely had to win. If the Emperor won, Hongwol would achieve the "death" she so desperately desired. If Hongwol won, she could leave the kingdom and find another "witch's grave." And yet, why was she so unstable?
"...I guess my dull mind can't keep up with Hongwol's thoughts."
"...Huh? Hoseok, what is that..."
"Hongwol, why do you look so anxious?"
"...."
"This bet doesn't mean much to Hongwol. Those who only vaguely know about the existence of witches would surely spout out some stupid nonsense about the witches' desperate desire to die, but in my view, these are conditions that Hongwol won't lose no matter who wins. And since Hongwol personally proposed the bet, there's no way she wouldn't know this."
"...."
“But why do you act like you absolutely have to win the bet?”
Why are you so anxious? The brief silence must have felt incredibly long for both Hoseok and Hongwol. Hongwol's reply, breaking the silence, was enough to make Hoseok's face turn pale.
"The reasons are numerous. Hoseok, I realized I was wrong. When I finally found the first piece of the tombstone, I thought that creating a 'Witch's Grave' was always possible. The first time I tried, I got results that could almost be considered a success."
"... Hongwol..."
"And when I found the second tombstone, I finally realized that my thoughts were wrong. I learned that the 'Witch's Grave' was meant for witches, but it was very difficult for a witch to create one. I realized that my first attempt had been a fluke. So, I did think about stopping everything I was doing and returning to Sahwakuk."
"...If so, if so, why didn't you come back?"
"I'm just so tired now, Hoseok. It'll take decades to create the next 'Witch's Grave,' and that'll only be a fraction of my lifetime, but I can't stand to wait that long any longer."
"....“
"And, I've already come too far. If I hadn't found the second piece of the stone, my choice might have been different, but now that I've found it, my choice won't change."
"....“
"...I can guarantee it."
"...what are you talking about?"
"Min Yoongi, this emperor of this nation, he whose bloodline was born with the aura of favor I bestowed upon him, harbors even the slightest bit of affection for me."
Hoseok couldn't say anything. Hongwol only smiled bitterly, looking at Hoseok's pale face. Love, he didn't know when he'd last felt such a feeling. A feeling he wouldn't mind giving his all to someone. Couldn't Hongwol, who had lived for hundreds of years, rubbing shoulders with thousands of people, know this? Couldn't she know that the countless, entangled emotions glimpsed between the sharp features of the emperor all stemmed from her love for him? Even if it all started with nothing more than a small interest, could his current feelings truly be considered nothing more than that "interest"?
"So, I absolutely have to make Min Yoongi into a 'witch's grave'."
"....“
"There's no going back. Once he's come to love me even a little, it's not hard for me to bring him despair."
"...there must be another way, another way..."
"It's easier for me to make someone hate me than to make someone love me, Hoseok."
The existence of 'Witch's Grave' must have its meaning through witches.
That being will surely love and hate its master.
Hoseok squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do for the witch before him. It felt like the tales, passed down only by word of mouth, were beginning again. The already tangled red strings seemed to flicker faintly before Hoseok's eyes.
Witch's Cat
Once suspicions arose, they never easily faded. Thoughts trailed one after another, and even though the sun had long since set and the moon had long since peeped out from behind the clouds, Emperor Min Yoongi couldn't easily fall asleep. An empty wine glass rolled across the floor. The drops that had once filled his glass were gone, meaning that the conversation with his longtime friend, Hoseok, had been enough to upset his mind.
"...I have no answer for that, Your Majesty."
"There's nothing I can answer?"
"I'm sorry, but the very existence of the 'Witch's Cat' is like that. A cat that exists to kill its master, the witch. There is probably no human who would know more than that."
"Can you say that so easily?"
"...Originally, monsters do not share their possessions with humans. "
You're not even a monster, so what are you hiding? Yoongi's brow furrowed deeply. 'Witch's Grave,' the only being capable of killing witches. That was all he knew. Just in case, he even called in his close friend, Hoseok, who knew all sorts of miscellaneous knowledge and stories, to the country, but the answer he received was unsatisfactory. He'd also known from the moment he'd met Hoseok that his expression wasn't very good. Even the way his gaze shifted, as if anxious, made him conclude that he was hiding something from him, and that it had to be related to the 'Witch's Grave,' which he'd mentioned.
If it's a monster, then "Maenyeojimyo" must mean the only monster capable of killing a witch. Yoongi couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh. He had lived his entire life rejecting monsters. It took him ten full days and two days to even catch a hint that "Maenyeojimyo" was a monster, but there was no way to find it in three days. He was a murderer who killed monsters, not a human who coexisted with them. In the country where he had rejected monsters and slaughtered them indiscriminately, he wouldn't receive any help from anyone regarding that monster. Ah, I'm doomed, Yoongi muttered. It was quite absurd that hollow laughter kept leaking out, but what was even more absurd was that he didn't feel bad even after remembering that he had lost to a witch.
"You're leaving already? Why? Why are you leaving like you're being chased by something, without even recovering from the aftereffects?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, because I have no reason to remain in the kingdom any longer."
"...If that's what you're saying, what can I do to stop you? Still, please leave a greeting for the master and leave."
"...Can I say one last thing?"
"I don't allow it."
"...love that child, love that child as much as you can, as much as you can, and as much as you can."
"...?"
"And when it's all over, don't hate the kid too much."
I still can't fathom the meaning behind those words. Those were the last words my so-called best friend uttered. With a hollow laugh, Yoongi took in the moonlight clearly visible beyond the window. Ah, but can't the years we've spent together be ignored? So, do I already love that girl, as you said? Do I yearn for her, the witch, Hongwol? If this deep, profound emotion could be called love, then so be it.
He threw the empty glass he had been fiddling with far away. A clang, an unpleasant noise echoed for a moment. Yoongi rose from the windowsill he had been leaning on, as if letting his body rest on it. His steps staggered as the alcohol hit him. He dragged his drunken body forward. He didn't know where it was headed, but Yoongi vaguely thought that it definitely wasn't the bed he was about to lie on. The sound of the door to his bedroom opening caught the eyes of several of the palace guards, but they quickly turned their heads away as if they hadn't seen anything at Yoongi's gesture to not follow.
Yes, I will love you. I won't hate you that much, no matter what lies at the end. I have already fallen in love with you, someone I should hate, so how could I hate you? The humming coming from the Emperor's lips secretly fills my heart with excitement. My steps, without knowing where they will go, have long since decided where I will head. Even though no one follows the Emperor, everyone in the palace knows that his footsteps are heading to the Hwabindang.
"Moon-ah, Hongmoon-ah,"
The sound of the words rolling through my mouth is quite delightful. Crossing the empty palace, past the backyard of the emperor's palace, where red roses bloom profusely, to the palace where countless concubines who had been favored by past emperors lived. "Are you like moonlight? That's why you're called Wol?" That thought comes to mind as I look at your pure white face again.
"... Hongwol,“
"Sarur, your eyes are beautiful. Your lips are gently rising. Your hair, like ebony, bathed in moonlight, is beautiful. Are you truly a witch? Are you truly the vicious monster people point their fingers at?
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Ah, yes. You're so captivating, you're making me dizzy, you're giving me such a beautiful smile.
You have me captivated so deeply, you must be a witch.