Requiem of Subdued Souls

The two Princesses were just six years old and didn’t understand what the people’s reactions were about.

But some things are better because you don’t understand them.

Moreover, the children were sensitive to spiritual power. They knew that some spirits tried to harm them and that someone tried to save them.

“Seol Young-rang is a good person.”

Princess Ajin tightly held Seol Young’s hand with her little fingers.

Seol Young was very nervous. However, when the Princess didn’t forget him and treated him kindly, a corner of his heart felt warm.

The evil spirits that tormented them were strong, and Princess Ara’s possession lasted so long. But thanks to the Queen calming the spirits down and sending them off without any major incidents, her two kids were safe.

‘I was lucky.’

He went to great lengths to solve the case, and one of them was still worrying him.

Still, this felt rewarding.

Seol Young looked down at the Princess with a smile on his lips. But then,

“Don’t you all know? It was really fun then. Seol Young-rang took me out of my body and put me inside a doll. I was waiting inside there, and when I went out….”

The Princess began to boast loudly, and the Queen stiffened, as did Seol Young.

He almost reached out to shut her mouth, and if it weren’t for the control he had gained through training, he would have done so.

“Right, Princess. You remember everything?”

Zaha quickly stepped in to settle the situation.

“During that time, I became a doll and played with Seol Young-rang, an elephant in the West, and a child picking peaches in….”

Afraid that Princess Ajin would say more, Zaha picked her up and hugged her, and seeing that, Princess Ara sulked.

“I know better! You will never be able to hug me again! How much strength did you put in your arms?”

Recalling the incident when she was possessed, she was angry with Zaha.

“Really, I hid behind the child and saw everything.”

She told her Royal Guard Hwarang. And the guy who didn’t know about all this replied moderately,

“Ah, yes. I see…”

Seol Young was already breaking out in a sweat. The Queen was smiling, but she looked stiff.

Fortunately, no one took her words seriously, and the front yard was cheerful at the sound of the Princesses talking.

Shortly after,

“Your Highness is coming!”

A booming sound was heard.

Seol Young was nervous again. He saw the King walking in swiftly, wearing a dazzling golden crown and a crimson robe.

The nine-year-old Crown Prince came after him, along with the attendants, and then the Heavenly Pavilion officials.

“We greet the Great Highness!”

Everyone exclaimed.

And the King, who seemed to have kept his youthful appearance, ascended the throne looking strict.

His mere presence, with his serious face, was suffocating.

“The Princesses said they were finishing up the preparations for the festival, so I came to take a look.”

He glanced at everyone and then stopped at Seol Young.

After the revelation of the Heavenly Pavilion, he only gave orders and never had the chance to meet him in person. When they met here, he seemed fine and said,

“Come closer.”

Seol Young nervously stepped forward, and the King said, 𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗻𝐨𝐯𝗲𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

“I heard you are working tirelessly to carry out my orders? Then the changes that have been happening will go back to normal soon, right?”

He seemed to be asking why the supernatural calamities hadn’t been stopped yet.

That was how Seol Young took it, but in a situation where many people’s attention was focused on him, even if he tried to make an excuse, he couldn’t get away.

So he said,

“Yes.”

“Then good.”

The King beckoned him to go.

And behind him stood the head of the Heavenly Pavilion.

So far, everything had gone her way. Just the things about Seol Young haven’t.

‘But in the end, everything will go my way.’

She looked at Seol Young with such thoughts. The look in her eyes seemed to be saying that she had regained her hands from the mud. At this opportunity, she might even try to find out what she could use against him.

“Good. Since everyone is working hard with one heart and mind, we will soon be able to realize the teachings of heaven through the divine flute.”

The King finished his speech and looked at the Princesses.

“Are you guys really preparing well? You weren’t just playing?”

“No.”

The two Princesses answered in unison.

“Good. Then…”

The King looked around.

In the midst of preparing the targets, the King arrived, and everything came to a standstill.

The large piece of paper that the soldiers opened caught his eye. It had huge letters on it.

‘In order for two people to keep a secret, one person has to die.’

The King pointed to it,

“Then tell me what that means.”

The two Princesses hesitated, and the Prince, who was watching them, said,

“Lady, you answer.”

“I asked the Princesses.”

The King stopped him.

“Now, come. The one who answers first will get a reward.”

And Princess Ara said,

“It means two people die… and then it means one person dies.”

She stuttered, as she only recognized the Chinese characters for their words and not their meanings.

“Who cannot read those easy letters? The meaning is important!”

The King scolded her.

“Ajin is always playing around, but Ara, didn’t you always ask about this and that? Especially about the explanation last year? And yet you cannot remember!”

Seol young watched them in silence,

‘It isn’t Princess Ara’s fault, though.’

It would seem like Princess Ara was the one who asked questions, but it wasn’t actually her. However, the King wouldn’t know that.

“Have the Queen teach the Princesses more strictly.”

“Yes.”

“Each of you will learn from your escorts and then come back to me.”

“Yes.”

The King turned around and immediately went away. Meanwhile, the Prince looked at his younger siblings, then rushed to his mother to say goodbye and followed after his father.

At that time, more heavenly officials appeared.

While carrying the harp box that had been kept in the shrine, they hurriedly moved away to make way for the King’s procession.

“Oh, you brought it!”

The Great Heavenly Pavilion’s head stopped.

“Be careful. It is a precious treasure, and it cannot be scratched or broken.”

And then the procession continued again.

“Seol Young-rang.”

Princess Ajin pulled his hand.

“Explain what that word means.”

“That means that two people will die if you open it, and one person will die if you don’t.”

“Open what, though?”

“The box.”

Seol Young began to explain.

“Once upon a time, during the time of the 21st King, he went to the…”

However, he was blocked right from the start. It seemed that the first words were difficult for the Princesses already, and his eyes widened in shock.

‘You do it.’

Seol Young looked at Yeon Je, the other Royal Guard Hwarang.

Yeon Je smiled and said,

“It is called the Tale of a Goldsmith…”

The eyes of the Princesses widened.

“I don’t know how they did it without me for eight years.”

Zaha clicked his tongue.

“Princesses. Isn’t there a time when you eat sticky rice on an early winter day of the year?”

“Yes.”

Ajin blankly answered. She didn’t remember much, but the memory of eating it was clear.

“Did you know that sticky rice is made for ancestral rituals?”

“I have heard of it.”

“That is right. Once upon a time, there was this King named Soji walking on a road… What was the King’s name?”

“King Soji.”

“But there were crows and mice on the road. The mice told him to follow where the crows go, and so he had his soldier follow them… but he missed it because of pigs that were fighting.”

“Pigs fighting?”

“Yes, then an old man came out of a pond and gave him a letter. The words written on the cover were, ‘Two people will die if you open it, and one will die if you don’t.’”

“Then don’t open it.”

“King Soji also thought about that, and he tried not to open it. However, the aide, whom the King trusted, said, ‘Two people represent the people, and one represents the King, so we need to open it.’ So he opened the letter, and it said, ‘Shoot the harp box.’”

“That one?”

Seol Young, who was listening, turned his gaze to the harp box.

There was a bit of room for one more person, but it would be impossible unless they sat too close.

“You want it here?”

As soon as the heavenly officials set the harp box on the ground, it tottered.

The head of the Great Heavenly Pavilion pushed them.

“It shouldn’t be like that. What disgrace would it be if it collapsed in the middle? Find a flat, nice spot and mark it.”

“Yes, we understand.”

“Did you check the inside? There must be something like a rat in there, right?”

It was strange, and as he watched them, it felt even stranger.

“Shoot an arrow at the top, and there is a monk and a concubine inside.”

The story continued.

“Why were they inside it?”

“They were hiding inside to harm the King. In order to thank the crows for informing him of this, the custom of making sticky rice and holding a ritual on the fifteenth day of the first month was made. And in the Moon Palace, according to the story, once a year, we shoot that thing to blow away the bad things…. The one who wins between the two of you will do that tomorrow.”

“Aha…”

The Princesses finally understood.

“Now, even if the King asks, we can answer. Mother, we will go.”

As if they wanted to show off what they had learned to their father, they urged her on.

“Right.”

The Queen, who was listening with a smile, took the Princesses. And everyone greeted them. The officials also stepped back and greeted them.

“Let’s go too.”

At Zaha’s words, Seol Young and Yeon Je turned around.

The voices of the officials setting things up could be heard from behind.

“It shouldn’t look messy when someone opens it.”

“Ah, the spiderwebs…’

They were talking, and then….

Bang!

Everyone gasped. There were about three people who wanted to leave but had to look back.

The top of the harp box was rattling. The person trapped inside tried to open it, but it didn’t open.

“What?”

The three ran and tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. It was like a great force was blocking it.

“Look out.”

Zaha tried to break the top, but his sword just bounced back.

Bang! Bang!

The guy who was trapped inside hurriedly knocked on the door, and a short scream was heard next.

“Hwan Jong!”

The Great Heavenly Pavilion head shouted, and the door finally opened.

Something fell from inside.

It was a cold body.

There was a huge wound on his chest, and red blood flowed from it.

“…!”

All the heavenly officials covered their mouths and suppressed their screams.

Everyone was stunned.

TL/N: It is like a Chinese idiom. When the King read it, it was just a small adjacent, and Yeon Je gave the actual explanation in this part.