If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 9

It was nearing sunset.

Yuseol, sitting on a large rock she used as a chair, tucked her cold hands into the folds of her skirt.

It seemed she wouldn’t see Haneul even if she waited any longer. Perhaps he hadn’t found the right medicine, or he’d met his mother along the way and completely forgotten about it. Like children his age do.

A long sigh escaped her lips. Why was she waiting, knowing there was no such cure in the first place? Did she need a reason to remain here? Even though she had lost everything she had, and even her purpose in life….

…Was it time to go her own way now?

She stood up and brushed off her skirt. Her chapped hands stung in the winter wind.

Just then, she heard a child’s call from somewhere. It was Haneul. A proud, sweet voice, as if he had finally found the medicine, filled the forest.

“I’m here! I found the cure!”

Life returned to Yuseol’s clouded eyes. Her gaze meticulously swept over the forest entrance, between the trees, and deep within the lush greenery. The frantic thumping of her heart echoed in her ears. She swept her hair, scattered by the wind, behind her ear and pressed her hand gently to her ear.

Rustle. She felt a presence behind her.

But it was only fallen leaves pushed by the wind. Haneul was nowhere to be seen.

Had it been a hallucination? The after-effects of the potent poison did muddle her mind….

Yuseol, her hand on her forehead from dizziness, let out a breathless sigh. As she slightly opened her eyes, the dusk scene of the forest sharpened. The sunset filtering through the trees felt warm. The wind, full of the scent of pine, was fragrant, and the chirping of larks was exceptionally gentle.

It was an incomparably radiant moment.

…Would she never see such a world again?

Tears flowed again. Her already swollen eyes stung, but they wouldn’t stop. She wiped the tears running down her lips with her sleeve, again and again. She had to find a suitable place before the sun set…. It felt difficult to even move her legs.

She painstakingly took a step. The tip of her straw sandal caught on a stone, and her body swayed.

Then, from afar, she heard Myoyeon’s voice. His breathing was heavy, as if he had been moving constantly.

“Lady Yuseol! Are you there?! Lady?!”

The sounds of people running here and there followed.

Yuseol held her breath and simply sank to the ground. The hand clutching her daenggi began to tremble uncontrollably. Her thoughts, spiraling wildly, left her at a loss.

“Lady Yuseol, if you’re lost, please follow my voice! If you make a sound, I’ll come to you. Can you hear my voice?!”

Yuseol’s eyes followed Myoyeon’s voice. It felt as if people, who were always busy with their own affairs, were especially reaching out to her today. A warm, unseen comfort seemed to emanate towards her.

She felt ashamed, but she wanted to grasp that warmth. Yuseol’s hands, which had been resting on the cold ground, trembled with hesitation.

She knew she had to obey the royal decree, which was why she had come this far, but the truth was, she was uncontrollably afraid. It had always been like this whenever she imagined herself disappearing from this beautiful world.

With both hands on the ground, tears silently falling, she slowly lifted herself. Was it selfish to want to live again? What… what in the world should she do? She didn’t want to ignore the hands that people had extended to her.

Desire shimmered in Yuseol’s eyes as she looked towards the source of the sound. Her hands, which had been aimlessly gripping the ground, slowly lifted.

As if to grasp the extended hand, her own hand reached into the air. A tired voice flowed from between her trembling lips.

“I….”

“…….”

“I’m here.”

Once unleashed, her voice showed no sign of diminishing. She squeezed out her remaining strength and shouted with all her might.

“I-I’m here! In the forest!”

At the exhilarating feeling of her chest clearing, the world spun. She released the ribbon she had been clutching tightly and began to walk towards Myoyeon’s voice.

* * *

When she lost consciousness and then opened her eyes, she was back in her room. Yuseol, opening her heavy eyes, spoke carefully to Myoyeon, who was pouring tea into a teacup.

“…I went out for some air and got lost.”

Myoyeon nodded understandingly and said,

“You must have struggled alone, wandering in the forest, as you slept all day. Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”

She remembered seeing the sunset sky last, but now it was a bright morning. It seemed it would take time for her body to return to normal. Yuseol calmly replied,

“Thankfully, nothing hurts. It’s all thanks to your diligent care.”

A happy smile briefly flickered across Myoyeon’s face.

“I thought you might not feel well right now, so I prepared some rice porridge. I’ll bring it right away, so please wait a moment.”

He rose from his seat, opened the door, and gestured to a servant. Yuseol, quietly watching him, glanced at the main gate and opened her mouth.

“I….”

“…….”

“Yesterday, I met a boy in the forest who said he would bring me medicine. His name was Haneul…. If you happen to meet him, please tell him I’m waiting here.”

Myoyeon listened intently to her words, then made a puzzled face.

“A boy named Haneul…. I don’t understand what you mean, but there are no boys in this village.”

Yuseol’s eyes took on a blank look.