The carriage that departed from Liaoning moved leisurely at a speed less than half of the average.

Although we set off in spring, when I opened my eyes again, the scenery had changed, and the thickness of the clothes I was wearing had also changed.

Passing through the mountains where the scent of spring flowers drifted and the late spring rain fell, we could reach Hanam.

But the road to Guangxi was still halfway there, and during the journey, people had changed shifts.

The coachmen, maids, and the guards escorting me had all changed, but I still sat in the carriage.

Like luggage waiting for its owner, I sat alone in the carriage, endlessly waiting for where I would arrive.

Eventually, spring passed, and when the atmosphere of summer began to sting my nose, we reached Honam, and when the heavy summer rain began to drizzle, we finally arrived in Guangxi.

It had been about six months. It was a slow and tedious journey.

After waiting twice as long,, I finally reached the place where I would be buried.

“Please wait. The Elder Protector said he would come out in person.”

After a simple-dressed servant delivered the message, he disappeared.

A little while later, an old man with a long beard came in and sat casually, then spoke.

“I’m the Protector, My name is Do Hyul.”

“I’m Moyong Sowol.”

The old man, who called himself Do Hyul, stroked his beard and then tilted his head after gazing at me intently.

“Are you an albino?”

Do Hyul brought up the question I expected.

I shook my head.

“My hair turned white due to illness when I was young.”

“Huh, the disease of white hair… You look exactly like an old man.”

To be precise, my hair was even whiter than that of old men. If there were no signs of life left in my hair, it would have been believable even if it grew out of a corpse.

Do Hyul wriggled his lips and glanced at me before turning his head to look behind me.

“From now on, everything related to young lady Sowol will be handled by the main hall, so you may leave.”

When I looked back, the guards and servants nodded after discreetly surveying the situation.

The man who was in charge stepped forward and bowed his head respectfully.

“Elder Moyong Danli requested me to bring the documents confirming the completion of young lady Sowol’s accompanying. Or…”

“I’ll give instructions for that myself.”

“Understood.”

As Do Hyul spoke again, the captain of the guards dismissed all the guards and servants before bidding me a final farewell and turning away.

Now, in the room alone, when I turned back to Do Hyul, he took a deep breath, then rose from his seat calmly.

“First, I’ll guide you to your residence.”

I followed quietly behind him as he moved first.

I could feel the gazes of people sneaking glances at me along the way.

Even here, I seemed to be nothing more than a rare animal, neither more nor less.

I walked quietly with my head down. I didn’t know what kind of treatment I would receive here, what kind of future I would experience.

But it was inevitable that my time was running out in just six months. I had nothing to fear.

“We’re here.”

Following him into the room after opening the door, he stiffened suddenly as if surprised, then quickly bent his knees and bowed his head.

When I turned to see what had happened, surprised, I heard a voice from the front.

“You’re late, Do Hyul.”

I lifted my head at the voice penetrating my ears. A man in neat attire, resembling a young scholar, entered the room.

Even at a glance, he was quite handsome. Instead of being overly dressed, he exuded a sense of simplicity, which gave off a gentle feeling.

“I didn’t know you were here. I apologize, Young Cult Master!”

Young Cult Master?

My mind cleared up at the title that Do Hyul urgently mentioned. The beginning of the novel where Hyuk Dojin met Moyong Sowol flashed through my mind.

As he rose slowly from the chair where he was leaning, I noticed his white skin peeking through the slightly open clothes.

But he walked slowly, seemingly unconcerned, and as he looked at me, he smiled slightly. His teeth were as white as his appearance.

He approached me, passing by Do Hyul. Suddenly, I remembered the first words the young master had spoken when he met Moyong Sowol in the novel.

Watching his slowly opening mouth, I spoke first.

[Like a snow lady.]

“Like a snow lady…”

His mouth, which was about to open, stopped, and his gaze hardened as he stared at me. I smiled calmly as I faced him.

“…You were going to say that, right?”

It was the first thing he said as soon as we met.

He stood still like a tree rooted in the ground, looking at me and gently lifting the corners of his mouth.

He was a very calm and quiet man like a novice scholar, who could hardly be considered as the Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, which was full of vicious rumors.

“I am Young Cult Master Hyuk Dojin.”

I responded calmly to his introduction.

“I am Moyong Sowol.”

His name was already familiar to me, both from hearing it before and encountering it in the novel.

After Moyong Sowol’s death, Moyong Do, who had left the family after Moyong Sowol’s death, and his first target of wrath was the Demon Cult.

However, Moyong Do, who had just started to grow, couldn’t surpass the high gate of the Demon Cult. And when the Sect Master Hyuk Muhyul stepped down due to a long-term illness, Hyuk Dojin took his place.

During this time, Moyong Do, who had settled his dispute with the clan, once again pressured the cult, leading to a confrontation between Moyong Do and Hyuk Dojin.

In other words, the reason the two men pointed their swords at each other was my, Moyong Sowol’s, death.

“Is there something on my face?”

I felt like the smiling man’s pupils were soaked with emotions.

As I shook my head lightly, Hyuk Dojin withdrew his gaze from staring at me and turned it towards Do Hyul.

“Get up, Do Hyul. How long do you intend to bow?”

At Hyuk Dojin’s words, Do Hyul rose from his seat and stepped aside.

As he moved aside, Hyuk Dojin stepped back, clasping his hands behind his back, then sat slantedly at the table.

Do Hyul, as Hyuk Dojin stepped back, approached him, then spoke.

“But Young Cult Master, is there any matter in the external hall? Wasn’t there something important today?”

“There was. But I canceled it.”

As Hyuk Dojin spoke, his eyes flickered between me and Do Hyul before focusing on Do Hyul again.

“There is someone who has invested half a year from Liaoning to this place to meet me, so shouldn’t I show my respect as well?”

“But…”

“Anyway, Do Hyul.”

Hyuk Dojin interrupted Do Hyul, who made a perplexed expression.

He fixed his eyes on Do Hyul, whose shoulders stiffened like a mouse in front of an eagle.

“I distinctly told you. She is the one who will be my bride, so guide her to the inner hall, not the outer hall.”

Do Hyul flinched as he listened to his voice.

“Are you ignoring my words?”

“Is that possible? I would not dare…”

“Then, is Do Hyul getting old and senile? To forget what I said?”

“That’s…”

“Whatever the case may be, forgetting the words I entrusted you with is unforgivable.”

Hyuk Dojin snapped his fingers.

As he sat with his arms crossed, he tapped his forearm rhythmically. His eyebrows rose slightly.

For no reason, I was stuck between the two of them, unable to do anything.

I was hesitant to intervene because my position was unstable, so it was difficult to take sides.

That’s why, when I was watching the situation and quietly keeping my mouth shut, Hyuk Dojin spoke softly.

“We’ll discuss this later. For now, guide young lady Sowol to her room, and we’ll address this matter later.”

“…Understood.”

Looking at him with a gloomy face, Hyuk Dojin rose from his seat and approached me.

He clicked his tongue as he looked around his room.

“While this room isn’t too bad, it’s a bit small and shabby for the young lady to stay in. I’ll guide you to the internal hall.”

To me, it didn’t seem like a bad room at all.

It was even bigger and more luxurious than the room I used in the clan, definitely not a shabby room.

But my thoughts didn’t matter here.

I was a hostage brought under the pretext of a strategic marriage. Hyuk Dojin was the man who held such words.

As I stared at him, Hyuk Dojin raised his head, nodding lightly.

“Let’s go. I’ll guide you.”

He’s guiding me personally? I was surprised at his words.

Hyuk Dojin opened the closed door and turned his gaze towards me.

As his gaze seemed to urge me to come out quickly, he escorted Do Hyul, who was looking at me, with a scrutinizing gaze, guiding him out under his arm.

As we stepped out of the door, Hyuk Dojin quietly took the lead and walked ahead.

Watching his back as he led the way, I tilted my head.

Hyuk Dojin and Moyong Sowol.

The relationship between the two wasntt deeply explored in the original work.

Their interactions were brief and sporadic throughout the novel, so there was very little content related to Hyuk Dojin and Moyong Sowol.

In the novel, Hyuk Dojin was cold and showed little interest in Moyong Sowol. It was not a marriage he desired, and a woman with white hair couldn’t be interesting to him.

And Moyong Sowol wasn’t a woman begging someone to recognize her or love her.

So the relationship between the two was inferior to others.

But the Hyuk Dojin I met in person was more considerate and courteous than I thought.

He was a tidy man who couldn’t be called the ruthless young master of the Demon Cult.

“There isn’t much luggage, I heard.”

I opened my mouth as the voice approached from the front.

“It’s just clothes to change into.”

“Is there nothing else you brought separately? Things that were carefully kept or necessities?”

“There’s nothing.”

I shook my head firmly.

As I responded, Hyuk Dojin turned his head slantedly, staring at me. He raised his gaze towards me.

“You said there is nothing?”

“Yes. There is nothing.”

Precious items or necessities. Such things were the rights of those who had the most important things in life.

I couldn’t have the most important thing, so I couldn’t attach meaning to anything else.

“Jewelry, accessories, or gifts from your parents for marriage…”

“I don’t have any of those.”

I replied calmly, smiling dryly.

“I only brought myself.”

“…”

“Are you disappointed?”