Chapter 141 (2/2)

She proceeded to climb on top of an old chair and grasp a rope tied to the ceiling.

Without any hesitation, she slung the noose over her neck and making a freakish smile, she kicked out the chair underneath her.

The moment he held his breath, the screen disappeared like a lie after an unmistakable creaking noise.

Seol Jihu was left in a daze. He had witnessed such a shocking scene that his soul left him.

“h.e.l.lo? What's with this guy all of a sudden?”

Seol Jihu regained his senses hearing the clear voice. Whether it was because of the Choice of Destiny, but his head felt dizzy and dazed.

“Now, now, don't hurry him. Mister Seol Jihu? You don't have to give an immediate reply so please talk it over with your teammates.”

“There's no need for that.”

Seol Jihu reflexively replied.

“I'll have to refuse.”

Seol Jihu turned them down with a tired voice.

“Huh..? What?”

“You won't partic.i.p.ate?”

Bok Jungsik and Phi Sora cried out at the same time. They were astonished as if they had never thought he would refuse.

“Is there a condition you aren't satisfied with… Sir?”

Bok Jungsik hastily asked, but Jang Maldong quietly shut his eyes on the side.

“But why? Why don't you want to partic.i.p.ate?”

There were two reasons why.

The first reason was that Bok Jungsik s.h.i.+ned yellow. The second reason was…

“I think it's a place we shouldn't go.”

“What?”

Phi Sora's eyebrows shot up.

“Shouldn't go…? What nonsense are you spouting?”

“It's dangerous.”

Seol Jihu who was calming his breath resolutely shook his head.

“If… If we go, we might die. No, we all will die.”

“Wha… What did you say?”

Phi Sora's face scrunched up.

“We'll die if we go? Old man! What is this guy saying? Grandpa! Who is this guy?”

Phi Sora was evidently p.i.s.sed off.

“What's up with him!”

Preparing for the expedition was hard enough, not to mention she was already irritated by Bok Jungsik's almost philanthropic conditions, so hearing what was basically a curse made her furious.

“Wow! Very funny! Fine! If you don't want to, then don't. Did you think we would get on the ground, begging 'Please change your mind!' or something?”

“S-Sora!”

“Shut up!”

Drrrk. The sound of a chair sc.r.a.ping against the floor rang out.

“Then again. It was stupid of me to expect anything from someone who hangs around with the two idiots in the first place. I thought you'd be different based on your rumors, but it seems I wasted my time. Okay then. Don't bother. We won't ever ask you again so don't you dare come back spitting bulls.h.i.+t about how you've suddenly changed your mind or something!”

Phi Sora fired away like a machine gun after standing up.

“Carefully choose who to reach out to before arranging a meeting next time! What is this nonsense, really?”

Spewing all sorts for profanities, Phi Sora kicked the door open and stormed out.

Bok Jungsik cupped his face in his hands, and Jang Maldong lowered the tip of his fedora.

After receiving Bok Jungsik's polite apologies, Seol Jihu and Jang Maldong left White Rose.

He had told them to contact him once they had money or items to exchange, and that he'd still welcome them if they ever decided to change their minds. In conclusion, the meeting produced no results.

“You did well.”

Jang Maldong spoke after climbing into the carriage.

“I thought you'd scold me.”

“You did make some mistakes. Just what made you say that they'll die if they went?”

Seol Jihu scratched his cheeks with his thumb. Jang Maldong continued.

“It would have been better if you had refused them more gently…. But it's your choice, isn't it?”

Hearing the word 'choice' gave him a strange feeling.

“I may give you advice, but I don't plan to go against your decision. You refused them, and that's that.”

The intensity of the scratching increased.

“You're going to bleed at that rate, you little b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

Smirking, Jang Maldong shook his head.

“Anyways, you did well enduring. If I had taken Chohong instead of you…”

Jang Maldong s.h.i.+vered at the thought.

“What would have happened if I hadn't endured?”

“You would have gotten beaten black and blue. One-sidedly.”

Of course! Seol Jihu smiled bitterly.

“She must be strong.”

“She is. She's skilled and has great talent, but her personality… tsk.”

“She doesn't seem that way from how she treats you though.”

“Hmm… it still doesn't change that she has a terrible personality… Well, you're right. She has an eccentric personality. She divides people into friend or foe, and she judges based on these two criteria alone.”

“A black and white logic?”

“Yes. Exactly that. I've constantly tried to fix it, but she's still like that.”

They suddenly felt a jolt. The carriage started moving following the sound of whips.

Jang Maldong clicked his tongue and breathed deeply.

“Let's get some shut-eye. I'm a bit sleepy after going through all that.”

“Please rest first.”

“Alright.”

Jang Maldong closed his eyes.

Seol Jihu quietly looked out of the window and got lost in thoughts. The scene he saw at White Rose was still vivid in his mind.

'Why was she smiling when she hung herself?'

Ian had compared destiny to something natural like breathing and something unavoidable that people had to ultimately accept, like fatality.

Then was it correct to view Phi Sora as being born with the fate of hanging herself?

'I don't know.”

Neither did he want to get involved.

The one thing that worried him at the moment was the Yi siblings. The fact that he had come with big expectations, only to leave empty-handed left a bitter taste in his mouth.

As always, he felt that there was nothing easy in life. And as he thought this, his head and shoulders seemed to grow heavier.

'The crown's weight…'

As he was pondering over Ian's words, Seol Jihu suddenly felt something tickle him. It was the black smoke.

Confirming that Jang Maldong was deep in slumber through the side of his vision, he whispered.

“Flone. You're back?”

[I suddenly felt your presence moving away while I was flying around.]

“I'm sorry. I'll let you take your time sightseeing the next time we visit.”

[Sure. I was going to complain, but I guess I can't.]

“Why not?”

[You look exhausted.]

Seol Jihu rubbed his face.

[Did something happen?]

[Want me to beat them up?]

“N-No.”

Seol Jihu hastily shook his head.

[It's fine so tell me.]

“It's nothing big.”

[Why? What happened. I'm curious. Tell me.]

Seol Jihu pursed his lips as Flone clung onto him persistently.

“It's about work. About an expedition.”

[An expedition? To where?]

“I don't know for sure. They said it was some ancient emperor's villa…”

[An ancient emperor? A villa?]

The black smoke swayed before turning into a question mark. As Seol Jihu stared at it with amazement…

[Ah!]

…it transformed into an exclamation point.

[No way… Is it the Sacrificium?]

“Sacrificium? What's that?”

[The villa's name.]

Flone replied quickly.

[You said it was an emperor's?]

“Yes.”

[The t.i.tle of an emperor is only given to one that rules over an empire.]

“And?”

Seol Jihu tilted his head in confusion as he couldn't follow the conversation.

“Flone. Why did you suddenly say the name of the villa?”

There weren't just one or two emperors in the past. Also, it wouldn't be strange for an emperor to own a villa in a resort area.

Why did Flone immediately respond after hearing what he said?

[That's because the story of the emperor's villa is an extremely famous tale. I thought of it as soon as I heard.]

“Come again?”

[Speaking of which, how did you know? I heard the story from when I was a child.]

It was only now that Seol Jihu remembered that Flone was someone from hundreds of years ago and that she was from an empire.

“Flone, can you tell me this tale in detail?”

[Hmm…Only if you make a promise.]

Flone made a condition after pondering for a bit.

“A promise?”

[Yep. It's not hard to tell you, but I don't want you to go to the Sacrificium.]

And what was this now?

“Why not?”

[Because it's a place you shouldn't go.]

Flone repeatedly emphasized in a warning tone.

[That's a place you should never go. Especially living people.]