Chapter: 12
The Black Snake
Overcome by an unconscious compulsion to catch it, Jusielia called out loudly to the white tiger.
‘Right, this is the same dream as that day.’
Jusielia had awakened her supernatural ability after seeing that white tiger in a dream, so she judged this to be more than just a simple dream.
“Are you the Divine Beast Anash?”
The white tiger glanced at Jusielia, then leaped down the mountainside and vanished without a word.
‘Gasp!’
And on the mountaintop where only Jusielia remained, a blue flame flickered to life.
Jusielia instinctively realized that the azure flame wasn’t threatening her, but protecting her.
“Kyaak! Keeeuk!”
A horrifying scream snapped her back to her senses. When Jusielia turned around, goosebumps erupted all over her skin.
The pitch-black creature she had seen in her previous dream had appeared again.
It seemed to be trying to approach her.
But it couldn’t get close, tormented by the blue flames that blazed in a protective circle around Jusielia.
‘What in the world is that?’
Just then, the creature, writhing in agony, looked at Jusielia.
‘Crimson eyes.’
Today, she could see its eyes clearly.
A madness stained with blood.
The damp, sinister energy plunged Jusielia into overwhelming terror.
“Ah…”
Her limbs trembled.
Eventually, her legs gave out, and Jusielia collapsed to the ground.
Long, silvery-white human hair cascaded down, pooling on the ground.
But Jusielia had no time to think about her hair or her appearance.
“Kikikik!”
The creature let out a chilling sound.
It felt like a greedy laugh, gruesome and repulsive.
She needed to tell it to go away, but her throat was tight.
She instinctively knew she was too weak to be its opponent.
‘It’s on a completely different level from Father or Ijeten…’
Just then, the creature pushed through the blue flames, reaching for Jusielia.
It was determined to reach her, even if it meant burning its own flesh.
“No…!”
This was a dream, but it wasn’t an ordinary one.
‘I can’t let it get me.’
She didn’t know why, but a strong premonition washed over her that if the creature attacked her, everything would be ‘for nothing.’
But there was nothing she could do.
Frustrated, Jusielia bit her lip and scanned her surroundings, trying to find a way to escape.
“Kyaaaaaaaak!”
“Move.”
In that instant, dozens of golden chains flew toward the pitch-black creature, binding and tightening around it.
Startled, Jusielia looked in the direction the golden chains had come from.
It was that child.
Looking closely today, he looked like a boy.
While Jusielia was still bewildered, the boy who had instantly subdued the creature glanced at her with his scarlet eyes.
And he spoke gently.
“Go on.”
“Kraaaak! Kyaaaaaak!”
‘What about you?’
She tried to ask, but her voice seemed to be stuck.
To leave such a wicked creature to a child and run away.
Jusielia hesitated, wondering if this was really okay.
But surprisingly, the pitch-black creature couldn’t move an inch against the small child.
“Don’t worry, just go. This thing is ‘poison’ to you.”
The boy furrowed his neat brow and tightened the golden chains, pressing the pitch-black creature.
The creature’s agonized screams grew louder.
“Hurry.”
“Okay… But what is that? Poison to me?”
“Yes. As you can see, it’s a ‘black snake’.”
Hearing the boy’s words, she looked at the creature again and could indeed see the form of a black snake.
Its gleaming black scales were horrifying.
The black snake’s red eyes were glaring at her.
“I’m holding it for now, but it’s not enough. Run away. And always be careful. It might come looking for you.”
“…Ah, okay. Thank you.”
As Jusielia, who had been staring into the black snake’s eyes, came to her senses and managed to reply, the boy’s eyes curved as he waved his hand.
“Goodbye, my white tiger. I’ll come see you soon.”
At his gesture, Jusielia’s body flew into the air.
‘Ah!’
Jusielia plummeted down the cliff.
***
Jusielia’s eyes flew open.
Looking around, she saw she was still on the terrace of the Princess’s Palace.
“You’re awake?”
She saw the Head Maid, Sophie Langrasse, the maid Uni, and the royal guard on duty watching over her as she napped.
A dream.
Jusielia was certain it wasn’t just a simple dream.
The white tiger she saw in the dream was definitely Anash. Her instincts told her so.
Furthermore, the ‘black snake’ that had threatened her was clearly a real danger to come.
In the legends, the black snake refers to the Dark Divine Beast.
Could the oracle really have been right?
Jusielia accepted that she was the white tiger blessed by Anash.
But Anash was dead.
Did that mean she was alive somewhere?
Or could it be that I really am…
‘Who was that boy?’
If only there was a way to find out.
His words, “I’ll come see you soon,” remained vivid in her memory, making her heart pound.
“Your Highness! A welcome visitor has arrived!”
“Kyahang?!”
Jusielia shot up from her spot. Could it be that the boy had already come?
She found herself wagging her tail in delight, when she saw a familiar figure walking briskly, almost running, down the garden path.
“Daddy’s here!”
As Emperor Ritain spread his arms with a bright smile, Jusielia unconsciously let her wagging tail droop.
‘How disappointing.’
However, Emperor Ritain’s expression soured, shocked by Jusielia’s reaction.
He was quick on the uptake.
“My daughter… seems to have been waiting for someone else.”
The emperor smiled gently as he gripped the hilt of his sword.
***
A commotion erupted in the Princess’s Palace.
Jusielia had a hard time calming down the mad emperor, who had switched into combat mode and was brandishing his sword, scanning the area.
‘Father is such a fool. Why make such a fuss just because I was thinking of something else for a moment?’
“Jusielia.”
Ritain was now sitting with Jusielia on his lap, grinning foolishly.
“So, you missed your daddy very much?”
“Kyaahang!”
“Can you do it again? A kiss.”
Ritain made the cheesy request without a hint of embarrassment.
“Kyahng?”
Jusielia looked up at the shameless emperor.
Her father had been making a scene, tormenting the innocent attendants and servants, demanding to know ‘which bastard bewitched the princess,’ so she had used her ultimate move and given him a kiss on the cheek…
The rampaging Ritain had dropped his sword, looking like he was about to faint from joy.
While Ritain was away on inspection, he had missed his daughter so much he felt sick.
That’s why he had rushed back, only to be deeply hurt when Jusielia didn’t welcome him and seemed to be waiting for someone else.
But his daughter’s super-cute gesture melted away all his hurt, and Ritain completely forgot his disappointment.
‘Does he like it that much? Honestly, Father.’
Sighing softly, Jusielia pressed her snout against Emperor Ritain’s sharp, angled jaw.
“Haha.”
His sharp, imposing eyes crinkled beautifully as he smiled.
The gently smiling Emperor Ritain didn’t seem scary at all.
‘Hmph. I missed you quite a bit too, so I’ll do it again.’
As Jusielia pulled away, Ritain’s golden eyes deepened.
He whispered softly in his daughter’s ear.
“I love you too, Jusielia.”
‘…I didn’t say I loved you.’
Jusielia grumbled inwardly but leaned obediently against Ritain as he pulled her into a tight hug.
‘Then again, maybe I do love him.’
Her chest felt ticklish.
Won over by her father’s endless affection, Jusielia snuggled into his embrace.
‘Love…’
Ritain, having returned from a long inspection, smelled deeply of earth and wood, unlike before.
What could he have been doing to only return now?
Noticing an adorable white tiger pendant on the hilt of his sword, Jusielia pondered.
‘Father returned right after I had that dream today. Last time, Ijeten came right after I had the dream, too.’
It could be a coincidence.
But it was certain that the dream was more than just a dream.
“Ahaha, that tickles.”
“Krahng.”
Jusielia kneaded Ritain’s hard stomach.
While playing with her father, Jusielia continued to mull over her dream.
The ominous black snake that threatened her in the dream.
And this time, the Divine Beast Anash had disappeared without helping her to the end.
‘Why, though?’
It was baffling.
And who was that boy to appear in her dream?
‘Does he even exist in reality? Or is he just my imagination? A child I met in my past life?’
“Jusielia, I heard you awakened your supernatural ability?”
At that moment, Ritain’s serious question brought Jusielia to full alertness.
She had to show off to her father.
“Kyahang!” (That’s right, I’m super amazing now!)
Jusielia slipped out of Ritain’s embrace, leaped onto the table, and stood proudly with her chin held high.
