Chapter 199
“Mother, please travel safely.”
“Yes, take care. Let’s see each other again in… about ten years. If anything happens in the meantime, send a messenger to the Saam Estate.”
“I will. Though that estate is now entirely covered in vines.”
The now fully grown Shasei looked at her and smiled gently.
With both hands neatly clasped and her back held straight,
Her eyes, shining like the sun, were filled with strength, and confidence and self-respect flowed through her entire being like the Milky Way.
A presence that radiated light just by standing still.
A being who needed no help, depended on no one, and was complete in herself.
There is always an inner brilliance that only such people can exude.
Siren took in the sight of her daughter carefully.
As a goddess, she did not age. Her daughter, too, would stop changing once she reached full maturity, never to grow older.
Thus, the two of them now looked almost the same age.
“My proud daughter. You will rule this nation in peace.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I bless you. May all things of this land bow before you, and may you be loved by your people.”
The blessing of the divine descended upon Shasei’s head.
Feeling the weight of Raksha, Shasei respectfully bent her knee before rising again.
Then Yasamin pulled his daughter into a tight embrace, patting her back.
“If anyone gives you trouble, call your father.”
“Oh, Father, honestly. I’m the king now! I have to handle things myself.”
“If you really can’t, then I’ll take care of it for you.”
Shasei burst into laughter like a child.
She was always composed, but the only time she ever laughed so freely and without resistance was when she was with Yasamin.
Finally, Seimin stepped forward and hugged his newly crowned sister.
Then, fumbling through his coat, he pulled out something—adorably, a handwritten letter and two roses.
“These flowers, I grew them. You know that, right?”
“Of course. You practically lived in the garden all of last year.”
“Yeah. I placed a spell on them so they won’t wither. But… if anything happens to either you or me, they’ll wilt.”
“You’re clever, my little brother.”
Shasei reached out and ruffled Seimin’s hair.
Despite his height and broad frame, Seimin lowered himself willingly, allowing her to pat his head.
His eyes squeezed shut—as if he were holding back tears.
Now, they would depart for the south.
After staying at the Saam Estate for about two weeks, Seimin would ascend as the king of the south. He would no longer be able to live as a child.
Unlike Shasei, who had yearned for the throne since childhood, Seimin felt some fear in the weight of ruling a nation and its people.
That was why Yasamin would take the position of Retired King and support him.
Once Seimin became a man truly worthy of the crown, only then would the couple finally set off on their journey.
Yasamin had already chosen the hotels and sightseeing spots.
The travel routes were planned; all that was left was to leave.
“Mom, do you think Nuna will be okay on her own?”
“More than okay—she’s probably hoping we leave as soon as possible.”
“Gasp, really?”
“Of course, Shasei loves her family. But as long as we’re around, she won’t be able to rule the country exactly as she wishes.”
That was why she had abdicated the throne the moment she came of age.
Besides, they were also curious about the nation Shasei would build.
“Now, let’s get in the carriage.”
They bid farewell to Idoros, the land they had grown attached to.
The wheels turned slowly, and Seimin waved until Shasei became a small dot in the distance and disappeared from sight.
For the first time in his life, he was parting from the sister who had always been by his side.
Seimin shed a few tears but quickly regained his spirits as soon as they crossed into the South.
After all, despite being more rural, the South suited him far better than Idoros, where the political landscape was crowded with people and constant factional strife.
No—rather, it was precisely this pure and less-developed land that Seimin could truly come to love.
“Welcome, Your Majesties. And Your Highness, the Prince.”
The journey to the Saam Estate was brief.
Though it had once stood in the middle of a desert, the surroundings were now lush and green.
A dense forest filled with the chirping of birds stretched around them, and the mansion, once covered in sand, was now so thickly overgrown with ivy that almost no trace of Saam remained.
Jin was already waiting there, and the moment Seimin saw him, he beamed and practically rolled out of the carriage.
“Gramps!”
“I’ve been waiting for you. Smell that? Doesn’t it make your mouth water?”
“Yeah!”
Yasamin stepped down next and reached out toward Siren.
The moment Siren lightly took his hand and her feet touched the ground—
The forest trembled and roared.
Welcoming the goddess’s return, every leaf quivered. Buds that had been holding their breath suddenly burst into bloom, covering the land with vibrant flowers, and even the wind carried its joy as it brushed through the trees.
A rabbit came hopping over, followed by a deer peeking out from behind the foliage. White snakes slithered out and coiled gently around Siren’s ankles, while birds shyly landed on her shoulders.
They recognized the one who had breathed life back into the land of death.
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