The River Is Cold Today as Well

Prince Cheong Hyeon’s palace was situated just above the Central Palace. Nestled against a serene bamboo forest, it was uniquely surrounded by a vast pond, making it look as though it were floating on water.

As was often the case with lineages stretching back into deep history, children possessing mana were occasionally born into the royal Jeong clan. Fitting the legend that they carried the blood of the Azure Dragon, the magic wielders born of the Jeong line all possessed an innate talent for water. When one of the late kings saw his youngest son awaken his mana at the age of ten, he built this very palace for him with the intention of fostering that magic further. Ji An opened his eyes in the northern room of the west wing of Susimjeon, a place that had since become famous as the residence for princes who manifested mana.

“Oh dear, are you awake?”

A woman who was placing a damp towel on his forehead stopped in surprise. She smiled softly and held him back as he tried to sit up.

“Who are you?”

“I am a court maid of Susimjeon.”

Susimjeon?

Ji An almost bolted upright before remembering the towel on his forehead and restraining himself. If this was Susimjeon, it was his senior martial brother Cheong Hyeon’s palace. It was a place where he had absolutely no reason to stay.

“For what reason am I here?”

“The Master of the Palace brought you here himself, so please remain at ease.”

The Master of the Palace—meaning his senior brother—had brought him to his own palace! Senior Brother, are you furious? Even when I took your head, you didn’t seem to get this angry…

Feeling as though he had choked down three sweet potatoes without a single sip of radish water, Ji An inadvertently gasped and coughed. At that, the maid hastily poured a cup of water from the bedside table and removed the towel from his forehead. She tried to support him with her slender arms, but Ji An pushed himself up on his own strength.

Drinking the water she provided, he surveyed his surroundings.

First, a hanging scroll with calligraphy caught his eye. It was Cheong Hyeon’s handwriting. A foreign envoy from the great empire had once traveled all the way to the Eastern Island just to obtain a single character of his writing, so why hadn’t they just given him this scroll instead?

The river is cold today as well

No, the man who became the master of the Azure Dragon is throwing a tantrum about the water being cold…

Though the room was neat, simple, and devoid of unnecessary luxury, it was not a room meant for a court official. Having worked as a royal mage in the palace before, Ji An recognized instantly that this was a guest room of Susimjeon. In fact, it was glaringly obvious just from the presence of Cheong Hyeon’s scroll. Who would display a Grand Prince’s calligraphy in an ordinary servant’s quarters? Even foreign envoys would beg to take that handwriting.

“You must lie down longer.”

The maid tried to restrain him, but Ji An stood up anyway. Perhaps because he had drunk some water, the memory of what he had done before collapsing slowly rushed back. He also recalled how cold Cheong Hyeon’s eyes had been.

I must have been half-insane back then to think he smiled gently when his head was severed.

If he gets this furious over me slashing my own flesh twice, there is absolutely no way he would have smiled while I was cutting off his head.

“Can I see Senior Brother—no, His Highness the Grand Prince?”

“His Highness stated that we should bring you to him whenever you desire, Guest.”

The maid carefully stepped forward, opened the sliding door, and looked back at Ji An. Ji An asked in sheer bewilderment, “In this attire?”

In an undershirt and underpants? I am a member of the nobility, believe it or not. Even though I resigned, I was an official of the court.

Ji An tried to project ‘I am not this kind of person’ purely through his eyes, but the maid didn’t even blink, maintaining her gentle smile.

“Yes.”

“Where did my outer robe go?”

“His Highness burned it.”

“Burned it?”

“Yes. His Highness personally burned every single piece of your clothing. He claimed it was defiled and forbade any court servants from even coming near it.”

Why are things causing such a terrible curse lately?

He truly must have thought it was a terrible curse.

Ji An felt his mouth go completely dry. Cheong Hyeon was a man of benevolent, noble character, perfectly suited to the title of a ‘virtuous scholar.’ He was someone whose kindness was almost a weakness, often brushing things off with a chuckle, but no human alive is completely devoid of a temper. Once he did lose his temper, he did so with enough fury to tear the Eastern Island apart.

Can’t I just leave for home without greeting him?

As he agonized over the thought, Ji An realized something.

Ah, he didn’t give me an outer coat precisely so I wouldn’t run away.

Cheong Hyeon was entirely one step ahead of him.

Ji An felt like a cow or a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse as he followed behind the maid. He couldn’t fathom just how angry his senior brother—who had always done nothing but cherish him—truly was. The only certainty was that the last expression he saw before losing consciousness was terrifying…

They crossed the corridor and climbed the stairs. A massive pond, large enough to encircle this entire sprawling palace structure, caught his eye. Ji An moved his feet, his gaze drawn to the water as if enchanted.

‘It feels as if I am being held in Senior Brother Cheong Hyeon’s embrace.’

Cheong Hyeon’s mana permeated the entire pond. He surmised that the Azure Dragon was likely resting beneath the water.

‘What need is there for royal mages?’

With such a monstrous presence of mana radiating from the place, what kind of mad creature would dare launch an ambush? Even a rogue mage completely crazed with treasonous intent wouldn’t dare harbor thoughts of harming the palace with spells.

Furthermore, it was obvious Cheong Hyeon had allowed this mana to seep in over a long period. Even if Cheong Hyeon weren’t present, this pond would protect the palace while harboring his magic.

But why on earth had he done such a thing?

Of course, if a problem ever arose with Cheong Hyeon’s physical body and he became unable to manifest magic, he could instantly draw upon the mana that was multiplying on its own within this pond. It was an excellent mechanism. Having once ruined his own body by excessively drawing upon non-existent mana, Ji An thought Cheong Hyeon was incredibly wise.

Yet on the other hand, it was puzzling. Unlike Ji An, Cheong Hyeon had no reason to excessively strain his magic. He was one of the King’s only two legitimate sons, a precious body who would have to ascend the throne if anything went wrong with the Crown Prince. Who would ever demand him to exhaust his mana to such an extent?

Reaching the second floor, Ji An let out a soft groan. He could see the Central Palace across the way. Cheong Hyeon hadn’t left a portion of his magic behind to multiply in preparation for his own crisis. He had set up a device to protect his mother even if he were to vanish.

‘Senior Brother, I killed you.’

And your mother probably died because of me as well.

Ji An struggled to suppress the emotions surging within him. He felt like he was going to cry again. He had spent two years trying to master his mind. In fact, he thought he had adapted to this reality somewhat. But whenever his inner turmoil flared, the tears threatened to spill over.

The maid opened the door to the second floor. The moment she did, what appeared was a library packed to the brim with countless volumes. Judging by how every single book exuded mana, every volume here was a spellbook. To possess this many magical texts—it truly was the royal palace.

The maid announced in a low voice, “Your Highness, the guest has arrived.”

[You have worked hard.]

Even though Cheong Hyeon wasn’t in sight, the maid smiled happily at his single message of acknowledgment. Then, she stared intently at Ji An.

Knowing she would continue to watch him until he went inside, Ji An reluctantly took a step forward. The moment Ji An entered the library, the maid exited and slid the paper screen doors shut behind him.

It was just as the sound of the maid’s footsteps fading down the stairs echoed.

[Kneel.]

Cheong Hyeon commanded.

Ji An was startled for an instant.

Cheong Hyeon had never demanded such a thing from Ji An before. He had always been a gentle senior brother who acted as if he would take care of everything in the world on his behalf.

However, it was an order from his senior martial brother, whose authority was as absolute as the heavens. Ji An knelt immediately.

Cheong Hyeon remained silent and did not show himself.

During the silence, Ji An quietly observed his surroundings. Countless spellbooks. Most of them carried the attribute of water, but there were also those carrying earth and fire. The books in this room were likely gathered bit by bit by mages born into the palace over generations and passed down to their descendants. The descendants must have cherished these volumes out of respect for their ancestors, handing them down in turn.

Though he had never entered this room in his past life, he knew what had become of Susimjeon. Hae Won had burned this place to the ground. Once the core was completely destroyed, the mana within the pond scattered, and Susimjeon vanished into mere ash while no one cared to save it.

Whose fault had that been?

[I cherished you so much that I never once reprimanded you.]

It was true. Cheong Hyeon had never blamed Ji An until the very end. Tears finally spilled from Ji An’s eyes, striking the floor.

[Because I treated you so, you have become incredibly arrogant and reckless today. How dare you harm the body granted to you by your parents? That too, right before your father’s eyes? If you throw a tantrum and explode your mana whenever your desires are not met, can you truly claim to study the path of magic?]

Seeking to master his emotions, Cheong Hyeon slotted the book he had been reading back into the shelf and appeared before Ji An. He feared he would lose his temper if he looked at Ji An the moment he entered, so he had tried to soothe his anger by focusing on the text, but it was entirely futile. He found it strange even to himself that he couldn’t calm his rage even after burning every single item Ji An had been wearing.

Thus, he had intended to scold Ji An very severely today. However, seeing Ji An kneeling by the doorway with tears pattering down, that intention completely vanished.

[Do you acknowledge your fault?]

Ji An nodded his head repeatedly. He remained silent, as if speaking would only make him sob more pitifully. Cheong Hyeon let out a sigh, approached Ji An, dropped to one knee, and gently lifted Ji An’s chin.

[Will you promise never to do it again?]

Ji An’s eyes wavered. He couldn’t bring himself to say he wouldn’t do it again, merely staring back at Cheong Hyeon. The sunlight filtering through the lattice windows cast a light that made Ji An’s eyes appear even paler than usual.

Cheong Hyeon could no longer feign ignorance.

[Just what is causing you such profound agony? Is it Prince Hae Won?]

In that exact instant, Ji An’s eyes went wide. He began to shake his head violently side to side, sending tears flying in every direction.

“How could this junior—how could I possibly know His Highness Prince Hae Won? I do not know him. That is a misunderstanding on your part, Senior Brother. I am,”

I am, I am…

Ji An couldn’t finish his sentence. Fresh tears streamed down his face. Cheong Hyeon silently observed the display, let go of Ji An’s chin, and instead pulled the boy’s head into his embrace.

[Very well, let us leave it at that.]

Within his embrace, Cheong Hyeon could feel Ji An desperately trying to swallow his sobs. Cheong Hyeon looked down at the magical crest visible on the back of Ji An’s neck and let out a heavy sigh.