“Brother.”

Yujo cried out when she saw her brother released from his prison cell.

He was a mess. He had lost a lot of weight and looked like a famished tiger.

“Yujo.”

However, his eyes were still piercing and his voice was still gruff. Yujo raced over to her brother and gave him a hug. He gave off a horrible stench, but she didn’t care.

“What happened? Did you find the Heukra? That damned bastard… Ouch!”

He was covered in wounds, and his limp was worse than ever. Yujo carefully supported him and helped him into the carriage.

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but you sure look pretty.”

This was the first time Yuha had seen Yujo in a dress.

“Haa… If you can still crack jokes, I’m glad your condition isn’t anything serious.”

Because of the guibin, Yujo and her brother had no choice but to stay at Princess Muyeo’s residence. However, it was a bed of thorns. As soon as Muyeo saw her, she managed to slap Yujo’s cheek before being restrained by Seol Joon.

On top of that, when she was told that the guibin would have to depart for Yeha, Muyeo cried and made a fuss about joining her. Seol Joon was again put to the task of reigning her in.

And when she heard that the girl who had shot her brother with an arrow was Yujo, she leaped up once again. Therefore, having to stay at Princess Muyeo’s residence was a type of punishment.

Princess Muyeo was probably not the only one who wanted to kill Yujo. Princess Yeowa’s household was basically in a state of mourning. Yujo wanted to leave as soon as possible.

As soon as Brother Yuha recovered and was healthy enough for travel, they’d receive the emperor’s royal decree. After that, they’d leave YeonSung.

Yujo diligently took care of the guibin and her brother. At this moment, that was all she could focus on.

Four days had passed since Brother Yuha had been released. The place where she was staying was a building that was the furthest away from the main residence where the princess dwelled.

The guibin stayed at the princess’s residence, but Yujo and Yuha were kept together. Everything was quiet and peaceful. However, in order to forget the pain in her heart, Yujo only focused on her work.

Yuha was very sick. While he was detained, he had starved and slept in the cold. Once he started coughing, he wouldn’t stop until the next morning. His whole body was wracked by coughs as if he was going to rip apart. And although he tried to hide it from her, he was also coughing up blood.

Whenever Yuha began coughing in the middle of the night, Yujo would quickly rush over to the brazier and grab the teapot of medicinal tea. Then she’d pour him a cup and make him drink it.

In his current condition, would he be able to pass over Mount Paran this winter?

The emperor wasn’t showing any mercy and had ordered them to depart for Yeha. Due to Yuha’s condition, Yujo had wanted to leave in the spring when he had fully recovered, but that would be too dangerous.

The Crown Prince’s influence would soon become the empress’s. If the truth about her identity was leaked, a great turbulence would shake the Silver Nation. She couldn’t even imagine the aftermath of such a revelation. Leaving for Yeha as fast as possible was the right thing to do.

“Cough, ugh, I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about, Brother.”

She carefully laid him down as she whispered. Yuha gazed at her before closing his eyes. A shadow was cast over his gaunt face.

“Jewol……”

“Don’t speak of that, Brother.”

Yujo quickly cut off his words and gave him a smile.

“You’re condition will get worse from all the anger.”

“I need to kill that son of a bitch…”

A fierce spirit blazed behind his eyes as he stared off into the distance.

“We shouldn’t have taken in that black beast…”

“Brother, rest for now. Let’s think about that once we’re all better.”

She didn’t want to think about any of this until some time had passed and the pain had lessened.

“I want to go home.”

Yuha murmured as he closed his eyes. He had probably muttered this countless times in his jail cell. Yujo held back her tears and turned her head away.

“Yeah. Let’s go home, Brother. Let’s go home together.”

She should have been happy… She should definitely be feeling joy… So why did her chest hurt?

She recalled the man who had gazed at her. He was like the wind and fire. Like the cold snow. Whenever the wind of Yeha blew against her back, whenever she looked into a fire, whenever she watched the snow fall from the sky, she’d always think of him. She’d always see him when the sun rose over the hills at dawn. When she looked into the rushing waters of the river.

Yujo grit her teeth. He was the man she had abandoned. The man she had fooled. She had left scars in his heart as if she had shot an arrow into his chest.

How shameless. Why did she miss him so much?

He would soon become the emperor. He would receive a beautiful wife, and he would hold the nation in his hands. He would suppress the sadness and pain. He would bury the pitiful yearning deep within his heart and walk down the path that was before him.

And she would walk down the path that was before her.

While she was staying at this residence, she had seen no sign of Garan. Of course not. Didn’t he tell her that it would all be over once he found his mother?

Is this how it ends? Without a goodbye?

She heard that the Crown Prince would soon be dethroned. She had also heard that he would be demoted to a commoner. She heard that the empress’s faction wore hemp clothes and were kowtowing in front of the emperor’s residence in protest. In the fierce winds of winter, the palace welcomed the new year.

No one knew when their throats would be slit next.

Because of this, the Red King wouldn’t be able to leave his post for a while.

“Once we return to Yeha, let’s ride some horses.”

Yeha mumbled as if he were talking in his sleep.

“Let’s go far away until we reach the Black River. I want to do that.”

Yujo looked at him and smiled softly. She brought the blanket up to his neck and whispered.

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Yujo lowered her head onto her brother’s bony chest and closed her eyes. Let’s do what Brother said. Although the roads to Yeha were perilous, it was the path leading to home.

Once we return home, let’s forget about all this chaos that happened in the Silver Nation. And then let’s begin anew. Let’s run… far away… freely.

The morning of their departure had finally come.

Although they had packed up in a rush, Seol Joon had given them a sturdy carriage and some powerful horses. Additionally, he gave them about twenty guards, a doctor, and some servants. He even gave them a large sum of money for any other costs they might come across.

“These are for the inns you will be staying at along the way. I’ve already contacted them, and they’ve agreed to reject any other customers for the time being, so only stay at those inns. You must never lower your guard. The Red King is currently holding the empress back, but please do not relax for an instant until you leave the Silver Nation.”

The Red King?

Yujo raised her eyes and looked at him, but Duke HyoEun had already turned his head away.

“I’ve also arranged for two other parties to leave with you. We want to be prepared for the unknown, so please pretend to move with them for now. They may be able to fool the eyes of our enemies.”

Yujo was in awe. Seol Joon had always seemed so harmless, but she could now see his true self. He was actually a very rational and meticulous man.

All this time, he had been been very good at calming down the bawling Muyeo. Pregnant with their second child, Muyeo was incredibly sensitive, but he continued to treat her like a precious treasure. Seeing him take such great care of her, Yujo couldn’t help but think…

Although it was impossible, how nice would it have been if she and Garan could have been like that? Just a normal marriage without any heavy baggage or duties that came with such a cruel position of authority. How happy would they have been? Despite not receiving the emperor’s affection, wasn’t Princess Muyeo the happiest right now?

Yujo couldn’t believe she had such ridiculous thoughts. She scoffed at herself.

He would become the emperor. He was going to have bigger and better things in the future. Wouldn’t she merely become a memory of the past?

After helping Yuha into the carriage, she needed to go inside and bring the guibin out. However, the guibin showed no sign of leaving Muyeo’s room anytime soon.

Seol Joon let out a sigh. Yujo assessed the situation and followed him inside. Inside, Princess Muyeo was wailing at the guibin’s feet.

“Just once, Mother… Just once…”

Muyeo cried as she repeated those words. Having separated from her mother at such a young age, she had come to resent the fact that her mother couldn’t remember her. It brought her so much pain.

If they separated like this, she had no idea when she’d see her again. She couldn’t stand bidding her farewell as if they were strangers.

Muyeo buried her face in the guibin’s lap. Seeing her in total tears, Yujo couldn’t say anything and merely stood still.

She needed to pry her away. They needed to leave as soon as possible. This was for the best. However, they were family. They were mother and daughter. How could their parting be easy?

No matter how much Seol Joon tried to convince her, Muyeo remained stubborn. She continued to shake the guibin, but the guibin merely shook like a trembling leaf and did not look at her daughter.

Suddenly, Yujo saw the guibin’s morin khuur. The instrument that Muyeo had treasured in memory of her mother.

In the desert, the camels that transported its masters’ baggage didn’t let their young nurse. In the tough, painful environment of the desert, it didn’t want to feed its young.

At times like this, the desert nomads would grab their morin khuur. Then the camel’s wretched and bitter heart would be soothed, and it would finally allow their young into its embrace.

Yujo decided to give it a shot and took the morin khuur. As a way of apologizing and consoling Muyeo, Yujo began to play.

A sad and beautiful melody filled the room. Muyeo stopped crying and raised her head to look at Yujo.

All her short and long memories of YeonSung flowed out of her heart, and only an unexplainable yearning remained.

YeonSung, the place she had been itching to leave. She had once declared that she’d forget everything about this city once she obtained what she wanted. And now, a piece of her heart would always remain here.

The man in a black mask. The man who had given her an annoying smile before pressing his lips down on hers at the ChiHwaRu. His back as he ran away with the bamboo slip. His deep eyes as he gazed at her underneath the fireworks. His scorching body and lips. His cold back as they parted. The way he pulled her wrist in anger. Even their painful kiss in the bamboo forest.

It was the end. This was truly the last of it.

Everyone froze as they listened to the music. Muyeo’s blank face was suddenly filled with shock. The guibin had reached out and began to caress Muyeo’s cheek.

When Muyeo turned her face to the guibin, she saw that her mother was staring at her.

She wasn’t sure if she recognized her or not, but no one said anything. The warm and intense motherly love pierced through Muyeo’s body.

Tears began to flow out of Mueyo’s eyes once again. She couldn’t speak. She hugged her mother, and she felt her mother’s warm arm wind around her.

Aah, how could she have forgotten? It was merely deep within her heart. How could she have abandoned her own daughter?

The guibin was still staring blankly in the distance, but she hugged her daughter. For Muyeo, that was enough. She was filled with joy and sadness.

“Take this with you.”

When Yujo shut the carriage door, Muyeo held out the morin khuur to her. Startled, Yujo look at her. Her swollen face was still a mess, but she still looked young and beautiful.

“Take good care of her, and if something happens to her, I’ll make sure you pay.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Yujo answered softly and received the morin khuur.

Neither of them spoke after that. They didn’t need to. Yujo entered the carriage.

“I’ll miss you, too.”

Muyeo said in a brash tone before slamming the carriage door shut.

Yujo remained silent in the dark interior of the carriage.

With a jolt, the carriage began to move. They were finally leaving. Yuha gave her a pale, tired smile. Yujo pressed her lips together and brought the morin khuur tightly against her chest.

Suddenly, she saw a strange light coming from the fingerboard of the morin khuur. It could only be seen in the dark. She narrowed her eyes and brought it closer to her face. She was shocked to see that it was in the shape of the three-legged crow.

No way…

Yujo pressed down on the fingerboard.

The tenth seal held by Paran’s priestess. The final key that the Crown Prince had been desperately searching for. It had been hidden in the morin khuur all along.

Yujo’s mouth widened in shock. She didn’t know how things had turned out like this. To think that it was so close all along! And now it was in her hands!

She gazed at the guibin in disbelief. The woman remained blank and silent.