Myeonghyeon Ryang awoke as if from a deep slumber. The familiar ceiling greeted him, and the comforting scent of freshly laundered sheets filled his senses. The turbulent emotions that had plagued him, the erratic heartbeat, the searing pain that had consumed his body, the lingering haze of the medicine—all had vanished. Though his limbs felt heavy, a profound sense of peace settled over him as he gazed at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes. He closed them once more, his breath slowing, each inhale drawing in the calming scent of incense. For a fleeting moment, he was lost in the tranquility, the harsh reality momentarily forgotten. Then he turned his head, and his gaze fell upon Dara, sitting vigil by his bedside.
Have I died and descended into hell? No, the sensations were too vivid, too real to deny. He retraced his memories, searching for answers. How have I survived? Why is Dara here? Am I still trapped in the throes of madness, hallucinating? But his mind was clear, his thoughts strangely calm.
"Why didn't you flee?" he asked, his voice hoarse from disuse.
Dara's reply was calm. "I wanted to witness your recovery."
Despite the events of the past few days, the near-fatal consequences of her actions, a flicker of warmth touched Dara's eyes. Ryang's heart clenched. Her tears, her feigned concern, filled him with disgust.
"Did he give you poison to kill me in case of my survival?" he asked coldly.
Dara slid from her chair and knelt on the floor, her voice trembling as she spoke. "My Lord, please, allow me to explain."
Fury surged within Ryang, a tempest of emotions he couldn't control. He struggled to distinguish between his anger towards Dara and the lingering madness that threatened to consume him. Fearful of losing himself again, he forced his breathing to slow, his racing heart to calm.
"Speak," he commanded.
"My father," Dara choked out, "he's Cheon Hwan's captive."
Ryang's blood ran cold. Dara's explanation, though brief, painted a vivid picture. He had heard Hwan's taunts, witnessed his cruelty. Why hadn't I realized it sooner? He had been so preoccupied with Hwan's threats, so consumed by his own turmoil, that he had failed to see the truth.
"So he didn't die that day," Ryang whispered, the realization hitting him like a physical blow.
"I had no choice," Dara sobbed. "He threatened to... to kill my father if I didn't lure you to him. You know he's capable of such cruelty. My love for you, My Lord, has always been true. But... but how could I betray my own father? I had no other option..."
Dara knelt, clutching Ryang's sleeve, her tear-stained face a picture of desperation. Ryang, however, remained unmoved, his voice cutting through her pleas.
"No. You had years. You could've told me the truth, asked for help. Did you think me so incompetent I couldn't handle it?"
Dara's face twisted into a bitter smile. "And what could you have done?" she challenged.
"What?"
"How could you have saved my father? What could you have done while Cheon Hwan stormed here, murdered your father, and escaped unscathed?! He..."
"Enough!" Ryang exploded, his fury ignited by her attempt to deflect blame, to use past wounds as a shield for her own actions. He fought to control his anger.
"Don't say another word you'll regret," he warned.
Dara shook her head, her tears flowing freely. "You don't understand him."
"And you do?"
"My Lord..."
Ryang's voice rose to a shout, his control snapping. "Do you know what he did to me?! Do you have any idea what he was capable of? Do you know who I thought of as I lay dying, struck by that arrow? Do you know who I desperately hoped had escaped when I awoke? Did you even consider it for a moment?"
"I was terrified too!" Dara cried. "After sending you away, returning alone... I was consumed by fear and guilt. I couldn't breathe. I wanted to undo it all. I would've done anything."
"Terrified?" Ryang scoffed. "Do you have any idea what it was like for me, held captive by Cheon Hwan? Do you know what it's like to face death, to feel the water closing in around you? Do you know whose damn face haunted my final suffocating moments?!"
Ryang lunged at Dara, his hands reaching for her slender neck. Dara's eyes widened in fear, her gaze locked with his. He tightened his grip, his fingers digging into her delicate skin. Dara's face flushed crimson, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Ryang, startled by his own actions, released her abruptly, stumbling back. He stared at his trembling hands, his breath coming in short, shallow bursts. Dara crumpled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
"My Lord, please..." she begged.
A single tear escaped Ryang's eye, tracing a path down his cheek. A bitter smile twisted his lips.
"You didn't want to witness my recovery," he said. "You didn't come to offer a final apology. You thought I wouldn't harm you, even after knowing what you did. You thought I might even forgive you. You thought me a fool."
"No, My lord, that's not true," Dara pleaded, her voice choked with sobs.
"Then what was it all for?" Ryang demanded. "Why did you betray me? Why did you pretend to care?"
"I did care," Dara replied. "I just wanted your love."
Ryang's breath hitched in his throat. Dara looked up at him, her eyes filled with a desperate plea.
"Was that so wrong?" she asked. "Was it wrong for me to desire something more?"
Ryang stared at her, his heart aching with a mixture of anger and despair. He'd faced death, endured torture, all because of her selfishness.
"If you truly loved me," he said, "you couldn't have done this. You couldn't have been so cruel. Your love wasn't the condition, Dara. Had you truly trusted me, you wouldn't have become his prisoner, living in fear. I wouldn't have suffered. And most of all, you shouldn't have stayed, forcing me to cast you out with my own hands."
Sobs wracked Dara's body, her words lost in the torrent of grief. Ryang, unable to bear the sight of her tears any longer, turned his face away and shouted towards the door.
"Is there no one out there?!"
Seon and U'nso, unaware of his recovery, rushed in, startled by the unexpected outburst. Seon's face lit up at the sight of Ryang sitting up in bed.
"Brother?! You're awake?!"
But Ryang, ignoring her joyful exclamation, issued a harsh command.
"Seize this traitor and throw her in the storeroom."
"Traitor?" Seon's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Now!" Ryang roared.
Seon, startled by his outburst, exchanged a worried glance with U'nso. Dara, dragged away by U'nso, continued to plead with Ryang, her voice echoing.
"My lord! Please! I had no choice! Believe me!"
Ryang couldn't bring himself to cover his ears, but he squeezed his eyes shut, the sound of her pleas a painful reminder of her betrayal.
Once Dara was escorted out and the commotion subsided, Seon approached Ryang, her hand gently resting on his sleeve.
"Brother, what happened?" she inquired, her voice laced with concern. "Why'd you call her a traitor?"
"Leave me be," Ryang mumbled, turning away from her.
"But you've only just..." Seon began, but Ryang cut her off with a sharp retort.
"Get out!"
Ryang gasped for breath, his body trembling with a mixture of anger and confusion. Is this outburst a consequence of the poison, or simply the weight of the situation bearing down on me? He had sent Dara away, yet her face seemed to linger before him, superimposed on Seon's. Ryang shook his head, trying to dispel the phantom image. Seon, noticing the tension in his neck, the way his pulse throbbed visibly beneath his skin, wisely chose not to press further. She quietly excused herself, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Ryang's eyes burned with unshed tears. He covered his face with his hand, stifling a sob. Guilt gnawed at him. If he'd been more observant, more attentive, he could have uncovered the truth sooner. Perhaps he could have saved Dara's father, prevented his own suffering, and even averted the deaths of the Emissaries and the laborers. Why hadn't I seen it? Had love blinded me, or had I sought love as a refuge from the truth?
He searched his memories, seeking the point where everything went wrong. Was it when Mahnry first arrived with his young daughter? Or the night Hwan ravaged our home and left us in ruins? Was it when our merchant vessel fell prey to Hwan's pirates? Or those stolen moments when I found myself captivated by Dara's youthful energy, her sun-kissed skin, her slender neck? Was it when I first tasted her lips, surrendered to her touch? Or that night when I failed to resist her advances, my own desire mirroring hers as I pulled her close? Each memory was a shard of glass, piercing his heart with renewed pain.
A wave of conflicted emotions washed over Ryang, a tempest of anger, longing, and regret. He desperately wanted to believe Dara's tearful pleas, to convince himself that her betrayal stemmed solely from a desperate attempt to save her father's life. But the truth was bitter to swallow. He was disgusted by his own lingering hope, his foolish desire to believe in her sincerity. He yearned to forgive her, to erase the pain and move on, but the weight of her betrayal was too heavy to shrug off.
Seon, after a prolonged hesitation, finally knocked on the door. The silence within prompted her to enter. Ryang sat slumped on the bed, his face a mask of despair. Seon settled beside him, taking his hand in hers.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft with concern.
"I'm fine," Ryang replied curtly.
Seon hesitated, then pressed gently. "Can you tell me what happened? Why'd you call Dara a traitor?"
Ryang sighed, a heavy weight settling on his chest. "What do you know?"
"Joon told me everything that happened after you'd left for Wicheong," Seon explained. "But what happened before that? Why is Dara a traitor?"
Ryang struggled to find the words. He knew Seon wouldn't take the news well, especially if he revealed Dara's role in his capture. Seon had always harbored a certain resentment towards Dara, a jealousy that had intensified after she and Ryang had grown close. But he could not hide the truth any longer. Taking a deep breath, he recounted the events, his voice heavy with regret.
Seon's reaction was as explosive as he'd feared. "That fucking bitch!" she spat. "How dare she repay us like this!"
Seon, unable to stomach the revelation, rushed out of the room and retched onto the dirt path. Her eyes were bloodshot, her body wracked with sobs. When she finally returned, her face was pale, her features drawn. Ryang, his own face etched with exhaustion, looked at her with concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly.
Seon scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. Even now, after everything, he was worried about her. His kindness, his unwavering loyalty—it was what had brought them to this point. Anger surged within Seon, directed not at Dara, but at her own brother.
"I told you!" she cried. "I told you to be careful! You're not a fool, so why are you so blind?! Look at what she's done! You were almost killed!"
"Enough," Ryang said.
Seon, momentarily silenced by his reaction, took a step back. Her anger subsided, replaced by a wave of concern.
"When did it start?" she asked. "How long has this been going on?"
Ryang remained silent, his gaze fixed on some distant point in the room.
"Brother, are you alright?" Seon asked.
Ryang turned to face her. "Seon," he said calmly.
"Yes?"
"Bring me the ledgers. The ones from the merchant company and the inn."
Seon's heart sank, but she kept her voice steady. "Why the ledgers?"
"Traitors aren't often caught the first time."