“Geum Soso…”

That name felt a bit distant to me.

She was Hyuk Dojin’s mother and Man Do’s niece, in other words, the Cult Leader’s wife.

Undoubtedly an important figure, but she was no longer alive and didn’t exist now.

Also, since I hadn’t personally met her, the name Geum Soso was indeed unfamiliar to me.

As I hesitated, unsure how to react, Man Do’s voice reached me once more.

“Miss Moyong, while staying here, you’ll probably see and experience many things. And you’ll likely hear a lot about Geum Soso… my niece.”

Man Do stared intently at the carp before slowly smiling.

“If it were up to me, I wouldn’t want to show Miss Moyong the dark side of the Demon Cult, let alone matters related to her. But becoming the Young Cult Leader’s wife means you’ve now reached a position where even the higher-ups of the Demon Cult can’t easily touch you. That’s why I inevitably bring this up.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and slowly lifted his head to look at the sky. The clouds sailing through the blue sky were remarkably clear and pure.

“Even the highest-ranking person here, if their power weakens or becomes useless, they are ruthlessly discarded. Geum Soso was such a child. She was also… innately frail and her martial arts were insignificant. Her family background was humble too. For such a child to become the Cult Leader’s wife was only possible due to the Cult Leader’s devotion and love.”

Man Do slowly closed his eyes that had been gazing at the sky. Above his closed eyelids, his lips parted slowly, as if drawing clouds.

“However, the Cult Leader failed to protect the frail Geum Soso and ultimately had to abandon his wife. It wasn’t simply a change of heart or whim on his part, but a means of survival.”

He opened his eyes and lowered his head.

As he turned his gaze towards me, Man Do’s voice slowly resonated.

“…In a way, Miss Moyong resembles Geum Soso. I think the reason the Young Cult Leader pours his sincerity and devotion into Miss Moyong might lie there. I also feel that way.”

“That’s…”

“But I don’t think it’s wrong. The Young Cult Leader is wise and intelligent. He would never make the mistake of viewing the two of you as the same. So, you don’t need to worry.”

It didn’t really matter. Even if he saw someone else in me, what did it matter? It was a short-lived connection that wouldn’t last more than half a year anyway. If Hyuk Dojin could find solace in me, it would be fortunate instead.

“And it’s not just me or the Young Cult Leader who sees Geum Soso reflected in Miss Moyong.”

Man Do gently erased his smiling expression and spoke softly:

“The Cult Leader may also see Geum Soso in Miss Moyong.”

“…The Cult Leader?”

“Even if the Cult Leader abandoned Geum Soso, his wife, it doesn’t change the fact that she was a woman he deeply cherished in his heart. Although, it’s true that since that day, a deep resentment has grown between the Cult Leader and the Young Cult Leader, creating an unbridgeable rift.”

He glanced to the side.

Hyuk Dojin, who had said he would return soon, was indeed coming back from somewhere. From behind me, Man Do’s voice continued.

“I believe only Miss Moyong can fill the rift between the two that hasn’t been mended for ten years.”

“Why is that? Because I resemble this person named Geum Soso?”

“If it was simply a resemblance, I wouldn’t have such expectations.”

I turned my head and looked at Man Do. He smiled slowly. Narrowing my eyes at his enigmatic smile, I couldn’t quite grasp its meaning.

Man Do took a couple of steps back, bowed in greeting, and walked away in the opposite direction.

As I quietly watched his retreating figure, Hyuk Dojin approached and stood beside me, following Man Do with his eyes.

“What were you talking about?”

Should I tell him we talked about Geum Soso?

After a brief thought, I shook my head.

“We didn’t talk about much. Did things go well with your urgent matter, Dojin? It seemed like they were urgently looking for you, but you returned quickly.”

“I thought it was a big issue and went to check, but it turned out to be nothing, so I delegated it and came back.”

“Is it alright to do that?”

“It’s alright. It hasn’t even been a day since our wedding ceremony, so I don’t want to leave my wife alone and work. By the way, how is your condition? If you’re feeling tired or fatigued, please let me know. We’ll go back.”

I smiled slightly at his words, showing concern for me, and shook my head.

“I’m fine. Shall we walk a bit more?”

At my suggestion, Hyuk Dojin nodded and took the lead.

Walking slowly beside him, matching my pace, I gently trod on the stone path.

It was quiet. Only the sound of our footsteps on the stones and the rustling of our clothes echoed in the tranquil garden.

The serenity of being able to be with someone simply felt delightful. I slightly lifted my gaze. Hyuk Dojin’s eyes, surveying the garden, seemed a bit calmer than usual. Seeing his appearance, Man Do’s words came to mind.

“Do you come here often?”

It was my voice that broke the tranquility. Hyuk Dojin, who had been looking around the garden, turned his head at my question.

I looked up at him.

Hyuk Dojin seemed to ponder for a moment before lightly nodding his head in affirmation.

“I rarely come to this area because I’m usually busy.”

“Still, it seems like a good place to occasionally come and relax when you’re taking a break.”

“…Relax.”

He repeated my words under his breath and glanced around the garden before slowly speaking.

“My mother really loved this place. Since she couldn’t go far due to her poor health, the back of the pavilion was cultivated into a garden. The flowers, trees, and growing grass you see over there, and even this stone path. She hoped to personally choose and nurture everything. As a result, many traces of my mother remain here.”

“She seems like she was a good person.”

“She was kind. Always putting me before herself. That’s why I was very attached to her, but… after my mother passed away, I tried my best to refrain from coming here. I forcibly avoided it because thinking of my mother made me feel depressed and my heart ache. I’m fine now, but the memories from back then still linger, so I think I instinctively avoid it.”

The flowing breeze caused Hyuk Dojin’s hair, tied tightly into one, to flutter.

With a gentle smile, he surveyed his surroundings before turning his gaze back to me.

“Coming here forcibly because of me…”

“No. It’s not forceful. I wanted to show Sowol a place like this, and on the contrary, I thought it would be sad if a beautifully cultivated garden didn’t have a single visitor, so if anything, I think I’m the one being forceful.”

“Not at all. I was feeling suffocated staying only inside the building, so it’s alright now that I know there’s a place where I can get some fresh air and take a walk. I just mentioned it because I thought you might be pushing yourself for my sake when you were reluctant to come here.”

At my words, Dojin smiled brightly. He turned his head and looked towards the pond. His arm slowly rose.

I shifted my gaze to where he was pointing.

Next to the pond, beautiful flowers and trees were blooming in rows, but in the direction he pointed, nothing was planted.

“Do you see over there?”

“The empty lot?”

“Yes. Nothing is planted in that empty space. No flowers, trees, or anything else.”

He lowered his arm and smiled.

“I’ll give that to you as a gift.”

“A gift? That place?”

Tilting my head, not understanding his meaning, Dojin’s explanation followed.

“You can plant whatever you want there. Whether it’s flowers, trees, or anything else, it doesn’t matter. If there’s something you desire, Sowol, plant it there.”

“Flowers…”

I hesitated for a moment, as it was something I had never considered before.

Flowers? Trees? Is there something I want to plant? As I was about to shake my head and say it’s alright, that I don’t have anything like that, a fleeting memory made me pause.

“…”

“Sowol?”

At the voice calling out to me as I stood frozen, I narrowed my eyes.

“Why are you…”

“I’d like hydrangeas.”

“Pardon?”

“To plant.”

I took my eyes off the empty lot and looked at Hyuk Dojin. To him, who had a puzzled expression, I spoke again.

“I want to plant hydrangeas in that empty space. The color doesn’t matter. Red would be nice, but even if it’s not, white, yellow, or blue is fine too. As long as it’s hydrangeas.”

“Hydrangeas…”

Hyuk Dojin rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment before rolling his eyes and opening his mouth again.

“Aren’t hydrangeas flowers that bloom in summer?”

“That’s right. They bloom in summer.”

And very briefly at that. Unlike other flowers that bloom throughout the season, hydrangeas bloom in early summer and wither away in the summer rain, falling gracefully.

The name ‘hydrangea’ was given because they don’t fall off becoming dirty and unsightly, but rather, they fall beautifully, drenched in rainwater.

“Is it possible?”

“It’s possible. But are you sure you’re alright with it? Winter is approaching now, so for the flowers to bloom, you’ll have to wait about a year.”

At Hyuk Dojin’s words, the time I had left suddenly came to mind again. Surprised, I slightly parted my lips, and Hyuk Dojin gazed at me silently before chuckling.

“We should plant them in various colors. Since Sowol mentioned it, I’m certain beautiful hydrangeas will bloom. So, Sowol, you must see those flowers in person.”

Hyuk Dojin spoke briefly.

“In the summer, let’s have meals and take walks next to the pond. And when the hydrangeas bloom, we’ll admire them, and when they fall, drenched in rain, we’ll watch that sight together.”

However, the time I had left was never leisurely enough to see the hydrangeas.

Because for me, whose last season was this winter, next year’s summer didn’t remain.

As I pressed my lips tightly together, Hyuk Dojin spoke again with a smile.

“Don’t worry too much.”

His hand descended and gently grasped my hand that was hovering near my clothes.

“As I said before, I have no intention of ever letting Sowol go. The fact that this winter is the end is a future that hasn’t been determined or revealed yet. So, no matter what it takes, I will show Sowol the blooming hydrangeas in person next year. Therefore…”

Hyuk Dojin lightly kissed the back of my clenched fingers and smiled brightly.

“Sowol, don’t give up either.”