If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 3

She returned feeling entranced. She hastily chased after the man, but there was no trace of him.

It was like the fog. The words he had left before disappearing echoed vaguely in her mind.

“More than that, I’m curious. You said you felt like you’d seen me somewhere, right?”

“Yes. Did I?”

“I’d like you to answer that. Then I’ll return that dog to you. Alive.”

He must have said that because they had met somewhere. Perhaps it was the royal palace. His lips did feel familiar….

She slowly retraced her memories. The man, who she thought would appear if she took her time, was nowhere in her memory. He was like the fog, too.

She felt a desire to meet him again. He was a little strange, peculiar, and he had taken Geon.

But she couldn’t even properly recall his face, let alone any memory of him. Were his lips plump and pretty? His jawline seemed incredibly delicate for a man….

Soon, his wet, toned body shimmered before her eyes.

It was intense. It wasn’t her fault alone for continually recalling him. The more she thought about it, the more exasperating it felt. Did he find a woman wandering alone in the dark hours amusing?

No, she shouldn’t think about it anymore….

Even though it was a contract, she only wanted to think of Kim Seon, who had promised marriage. He would soon call her back to the palace, and before that, she would find Geon. She just didn’t know when that would be….

The white raven in the cage spread its wings. Yeon, the bird she had cherished since she found and treated him in a palace tree. She took out barley from a small wooden container, fed him, and then looked at Yeon with an apologetic gaze.

“When the weather gets warmer, I’ll definitely get you other food.”

Since coming here, making promises had become frequent. It felt as if she had become so incompetent that she could barely carry out tasks immediately.

However, she couldn’t despair like this, so she steeled her resolve. Since she had promised this, she really had to catch a big, beautiful insect for Yeon. She hoped the weather would be clear tomorrow.

She tossed and turned countless times, unable to sleep.

Meanwhile, a strong wind blew, and then it stopped after the rain. Just from the sounds, it felt as if countless seasons were passing.

By the way, how was the royal palace doing now? Had the rumors that Grand Minister Han, her father, had poisoned the former king and committed suicide evolved much? What happened to the ministers who had sided with him…?

Suddenly, an anxious and unpleasant feeling rose. It was due to the fact that the loyalty of the ministers who had worked with her father to build the government had been nothing more than an illusion.

Yuseol sighed deeply and looked back at the past. So many events had occurred in the two months since her father’s death. Her eldest sister’s marital relationship became strained, and a large fire broke out at the Han family’s main residence. To make matters worse, a small plague also spread among the servants.

From that point on, people began avoiding the Han family, whispering that they were cursed for the crime of treason. Yuseol, sensing something was deeply wrong, went around seeking out the ministers, but proving their innocence was no easy task.

Kim Seon, who had promised marriage to her and ascended the throne, claimed to be busy and hadn’t shown his face for over two months.

The youngest princess from Nishin, a neighboring country, came to offer condolences. It was Meisa, who had often visited before.

Rumors began to spread that the nineteen-year-old young king spent most of his time with Meisa. It was probably around that time that he became even colder than before. When he visited her quarters after a long time, he ordered her to leave the palace until he investigated and dealt with those involved, as Grand Minister Han was suspected of assassinating the king.

So, had it been about ten days since she departed for Museolwon with only Geon, the wolfdog she had lived with for eight years?

They faced a crisis from a snowstorm at the entrance of Museolwon. The palanquin bearers suffered frostbite and could not go further, so they abandoned the palanquin and fled.

The world seen from outside the palanquin was entirely white. The wind, laden with heavy snow, was clearly visible.

Frightened, she hugged Geon and repeatedly told herself it would be okay. It felt as if her lips had frozen around the time she lost consciousness.

A pitch-black man appeared in her blurring vision. A strong scent of fog emanated from him. For some reason, he didn’t feel unfamiliar. It was the feeling of something she had known for a long time.

When she came to her senses, she had been moved to a dazzlingly beautiful mountain lodge. Uniquely adorned people were occasionally seen passing through the courtyard.

The owner of the mountain lodge was said to be a former royal family that had handed over the throne to Kim Seon’s family a very long time ago. They were a family that had grown tired of royal life and had passed on the throne to the Kim family, who were loyal subjects, before leaving.

Thanks to their consideration, she was fortunately being cared for and staying here. However, even though her body had recovered, the anxiety in her heart did not subside.

Yuseol sat huddled in a corner, feeling like an outcast. Still, Kim Seon, who had promised marriage, would surely come for her soon.

Kim Seon’s words, spoken sometime ago, echoed in her ears. It also felt as if the sound of rain she had heard that day was repeating.

“Regrettably, I have never seen you as a woman.”

She swallowed the surging emptiness with a lump in her throat and bowed her head deeply.