The head of the Southern Manchuria Do clan and a giant standing over seven feet (210 cm) tall, as well as the elder brother of the Protector Do Hyul, Do Seokhwi.

It was certainly surprising that he had come to find me out of the blue. I nodded my head as if to say I was okay in response to Joo Hwarin’s piercing gaze, as if asking me what to do.

When Joo Hwarin, who had been blocking the door, stepped aside, the man who entered with a bent waist, as Joo Hwarin had said, was indeed enormous.

She said he was nearly seven feet tall, and it was true. As he straightened his back after entering, my neck naturally bent back to look up at him.

As soon as he entered, he fixed his gaze on me. Then he slowly approached and spoke lightly.

“Do Hyul’s words were true.”

“…?”

“He said you had snow-white hair like a colorless person, and he wasn’t mistaken.”

Do Seokhwi stared intently at my hair, then met my gaze and opened his mouth.

“I am Do Seokhwi, the master of the Southern Manchuria Do clan. From the look of your hair, are you the woman from the Moyong clan that those rascals from the Righteous Sect sent this time?”

Those rascals from the Righteous Sect…

“Elder Do Seokhwi. You should watch your words. This person is…”

“Joo Hwarin, children should stay out when adults are talking. Didn’t Joo Jonghak teach you that infants should not meddle in adult affairs?”

At his low, gruff voice, Joo Hwarin’s face flushed, but her eyes grew intense in contrast. Despite the obvious size difference between the two, enough that there could be another Joo Hwarin on top of her head, she fiercely opened her mouth as if she wouldn’t back down.

“This is the palace of the Young Cult Leader. And soon after the wedding ceremony, Lady Moyong Sowol will become the Young Cult Leader’s wife…”

“Yes, soon. Soon. That means not yet.”

Do Seokhwi chuckled and lightly pushed Joo Hwarin, who was shouting in front of him. Reacting to Do Seokhwi’s response, Joo Hwarin seemed angered and bared her teeth.

“You must observe proper etiquette. No matter that you are the master of the Southern Manchuria Do clan and an Elder of the Demon Cult, there are rules that must be followed here!”

At her bold words, Do Seokhwi stared blankly at Joo Hwarin before bursting into laughter.

“Hah, hahaha! Amusing, Joo Hwarin. Observe etiquette? Follow rules? I’m even getting such nonsense from a young girl.”

His hand slowly rose and pressed down on Joo Hwarin’s head. Joo Hwarin’s head looked so small and vulnerable compared to Do Seokhwi’s massive hand.

“You dare speak such words to me without showing any respect, acting so arrogantly? Do you think I won’t tear off your head just because you’re Joo Jonghak’s daughter? Huh?”

“Observe… proper…”

“This girl, to the end.”

The saying about his hot temper seemed true. Although it didn’t seem like they had much conversation, he flashed his eyes as if angered.

Unlike the Elder Do Hyul who laughed heartily, Do Seokhwi’s rough demeanor exuded an overwhelming presence.

It looked like he could crush Joo Hwarin with his bare hands at any moment. Do Seokhwi’s act of using violence against a child not even half his size was appalling.

But on the other hand, perhaps the way he presented himself was the true nature of the Demon Cult? Do Seokhwi was properly showing me the Demon Cult that I had heard and learned about until now.

They were lawless, merciless ruffians who didn’t hesitate to lay their hands on children. Shameless people.

“That’s enough.”

I opened my mouth with a sigh. Do Seokhwi, who had been boasting his strength by grabbing Joo Hwarin, turned his eyes toward my voice. He licked his wrinkled lips and raised his eyebrows.

“What did you just say…?”

“I told you to stop.”

As I spoke again while looking at Do Seokhwi, his expression slowly hardened.

“Mi… miss…!”

“Ha, haha.”

He released Joo Hwarin from his grip and stood upright. Then he slowly approached and looked down at me.

The closer Do Seokhwi got, the more burdensome it became to tilt my head back and look up at him. Do Seokhwi opened his mouth while looking at me with an even more vicious gaze than when he had looked at Joo Hwarin.

“Did a wench from the Righteous Sect just… give me an order?”

“If that’s how it sounded, I won’t deny it. Frankly, it didn’t look good to see the Elder showing off his strength to a child. So I had to stop you.”

I slowly stood up from my seat. Continuing to look up would strain my neck.

I stepped back to create some distance between us and faced Do Seokhwi. He stared intently as I moved, then eventually opened his mouth.

“Do you know what I hate the most?”

“No. But I think I can guess.”

“Say it.”

Calmly facing him as he arrogantly clicked his tongue, I spoke.

“The Righteous Sect.”

Satisfied with my answer, a deep smile formed on his lips. He rolled his eyes toward the chair I had been sitting in and sat there, looking up at me.

Oddly enough, it was only then that our eye levels matched. Do Seokhwi stroked his chin with an awkward posture.

“And?”

“Is there more?”

“There’s plenty more. For example, that little mosquito buzzing behind is annoying, and a stray dog barking like it owns the master’s house is unpleasant too.”

A stray dog, am I?

“I thought you’d be more easygoing, but you’re unexpectedly sensitive.”

“The older you get, the more stubborn you become.”

Looking at the grinning Do Seokhwi, I shifted my gaze to Joo Hwarin. There was a red mark on her jaw from when Do Seokhwi had grabbed her earlier.

From the outside, it didn’t seem like he had used much force. But the flushed skin looked like it would bruise any moment.

“What are you looking at?”

Do Seokhwi let out an annoyed voice, perhaps displeased by my averted gaze. I turned my eyes back to Do Seokhwi.

He was looking at me with fierce, beast-like eyes. It seemed he thought I was ignoring him, as he had his teeth clenched tightly, making his cheek muscles bulge.

Do Seokhwi’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

“I don’t like this.”

“Is that so?”

But it didn’t really matter. Regardless of whether he disliked or hated me, his displeasure had an expiration date, just like my remaining life.

So no matter how much he disliked me or took it further and hated me, I didn’t care. Whether he disliked it or not.

“It’s a pity.”

He glared at me and leaned his upper body forward. To distance myself from Do Seokhwi, I took a step back.

Then, I felt a warmth on my back. Turning my head, I saw that the sun had shifted, and the light was refracting through the window I had opened.

…It’s a bit hot.

But as soon as I stepped back, Do Seokhwi followed closely, preventing me from moving forward. I bit my lip and spoke calmly.

“But please understand. I didn’t come here of my own will either.”

I wanted to end this conversation quickly. The sunlight on my back and neck was hot. Although it wasn’t an extreme temperature, my skin felt like it was burning.

But contrary to my thoughts, Do Seokhwi spoke with an extremely dissatisfied expression on his face.

“From what I’ve been hearing, you seem to be acting like you’re someone important, but aren’t you mistaken? You’re just a lowly concubine of the cult who has only been here for three days and haven’t even had your wedding ceremony with the Young Cult Leader yet. In this situation, your status here means nothing. Do you really think anyone could say anything to me if I were to kill you?”

Do Seokhwi opened his eyes wide. His creased expression relaxed, and he let out a snicker as if pleased with my expression.

“If I kill you wench, the Righteous Sect will just send another woman to replace you. Those stupid brats are acting as if they’re going to get something for showing respect… Unfortunately, you’re still nothing. Nothing at all.”

His hand rose slowly toward my forehead. I bit my lip and took a step back.

The sunlight was covering my whole body from behind. I wanted to retreat from this place immediately, but Do Seokhwi seemed to notice my discomfort and stepped even closer.

“So from now on, when you meet this Elder, don’t walk around with your stiff neck held high, but bow your head down low. Don’t dare spread the foul stench of your dirty Righteous Sect in this sacred inner palace of the Demon Cult.”

Do Seokhwi stood up from his seat, pretending to block his nose.

“The smell alone makes me want to throw up.”

I wanted to shoot back some retort. In this situation where I had nothing to fear, his threat posed no danger to me whatsoever.

But the sunlight hitting my back was so hot that it seemed to freeze my thoughts.

Do Seokhwi stared at my silence, then let out a snicker.

“Yeah, it seems like you understand well. And it’s quite nice to see your face drained of color like those cowardly Righteous Sect people. I’d appreciate it if you made that face every time you see me from now on. Hmm? I get excited every time those sect bastards make faces like that.”

He opened his large mouth wide, baring his teeth in a grin, let out a boisterous laugh, and turned his body away.

After finishing his words and turning his back to leave the room, the moment his figure disappeared through the door gap, I collapsed limply to the floor.

“M-Miss!”

I turned my gaze toward Joo Hwarin, who came running over with a flustered voice. My vision was blurry. I had just barely recovered my strength after resting for a few days, and now I was collapsing again.

The morning’s tranquility and peace seemed like just a dream. In that brief moment of peace, I had thought that perhaps the remaining six months here could be a good chance to experience things I hadn’t been able to before.

But was that an illusion?

Do Seokhwi tore that dream to shreds, as if issuing a warning. He was the nightmare reminding me of what kind of place this is. In my fading consciousness, I muttered quietly.

Yeah, what was you expecting, Moyong Sowol?

For a woman unable to use even a shred of martial arts, this place could only be hell.
No matter how well people treated me, this was the Demon Cult.

And it was my grave.

* * *

“…”

Hyuk Dojin kept silent, his lips tightly sealed as he looked at Moyong Sowol lying motionless on the bed like a corpse.

Behind him, Joo Hwarin and Geum Baekcheon kept their heads bowed, watching their master’s movements while repeatedly glancing worriedly at Moyong Sowol’s worsening condition.

Hyuk Dojin slowly reached out his hand. The white strands of hair sticking to Moyong Sowol’s cheek clung to her as if tormenting her. As he brushed those strands of hair away, his hand slowly descended until it reached her slender wrist.

Hyuk Dojin’s tightly shut mouth slowly opened. A deep breath flowed out, and at the same time, an unrestrained killing intent filled the room.

His bone-chillingly cold killing intent, unrestricted, enveloped Joo Hwarin and Geum Baekcheon. But in that situation, not even a shred of that killing intent reached Moyong Sowol.

“So you just watched this happen.”

“…I’m sorry.”

At Hyuk Dojin’s chilling words, Geum Baekcheon deeply lowered his head. When Hyuk Dojin turned to glare at him, Geum Baekcheon immediately kneeled down, bringing his head to the floor.

Seeing Geum Baekcheon prostrate himself on the floor with a thud, Hyuk Dojin clenched his teeth, though he soon opened his mouth again.

His gaze returned to Moyong Sowol.

It had only been half a day. What greeted him upon his return after rushing to complete his schedule to be back by evening time was Moyong Sowol, collapsed again in just half a day.

He already knew what had happened, who had caused this situation.

But right now, those details weren’t important. What was more important was why no one had intervened before Moyong Sowol collapsed.

“Eun Do.”

[You called…]

“Why didn’t you step in? I ordered you to stay by Sowol’s side and eliminate any threats.”

[The Elder didn’t directly threaten her, so I observed the situation first. Since it seemed like just a conversation without any immediate danger, I thought…]

“I guess your eyes don’t see Sowol lying collapsed on this bed right now.”

[…]

The voice resounding from the darkness fell silent.

Hyuk Dojin’s hand slowly moved to grasp Moyong Sowol’s wrist.

Since arriving here, she had been unable to leave this bed, as if trapped in a spider’s web.

Hyuk Dojin took a shallow breath, then slowly opened his mouth.

“From now on, block anyone trying to approach Sowol. And not just direct or indirect threats, but any situation that seems like it could potentially harm Sowol, block it as well.”

[I will follow your orders.]

“Also, I need to hold someone responsible for this situation.”

At Hyuk Dojin’s words, Joo Hwarin and Geum Baekcheon, who had only been listening to his voice from behind, stiffened their faces in surprise. Not just them, even Eun Do tensed up and urgently spoke.

[Forgive my insolence, Young Cult Leader, but Elder Do Seokhwi is one of the Demon Cult’s leadership. According to the cult’s laws, even if he harms the as-yet-unwedded Moyong Sowol, there would be no issue…]

“How laughable, Eun Do.”

[…]

“You say that according to your words, in this place where power is law, there would be an issue with me holding him accountable?”

Hyuk Dojin cast his gaze into the darkness and spoke coldly.

“Bring him to me.”

His chilling voice pierced Eun Do’s throat like a sharp blade hidden in the darkness.

“I am the law here, Eun Do.”