ETHTKE chapter 54

* * *

“We should get going.”

“Huh? Where?”

“Where we need to go.”

Baek Yigang, gazing up at the darkened sky, his violet eyes glowing brightly, grabbed my hand again.

Clutching the incongruous teddy bear in my other hand, I followed him.

Soon, I would deeply regret following him without question.

“Wait, wait… slow down… huff, huff…”

“Cheong Dowoon, is your stamina really this bad? Was it always this terrible?”

“Did… did you just say… ‘this terrible’?”

I was too out of breath to finish my sentence.

Whatever, fine.

My stamina’s terrible, okay?

“Seems like I’ll have to get you some herbal medicine when we get back.”

“Shut up, you jerk…”

Baek Yigang’s soft laughter stung my ears.

Ugh, he’s got a talent for being annoying.

Still, Baek Yigang stubbornly dragged me higher and higher.

Where he led me was a steep hill that felt like a towering mountain.

It didn’t look like much from below, but once we were climbing, it was ridiculously steep.

And the peak seemed miles away! It wasn’t even a mountain, just a hill!

“We’re almost there, hang in there.”

“Normally, this is where you’d say ‘stay strong,’ you know?”

“Hmm? That’s a given.”

“Ugh, seriously.”

Damn Baek Yigang!

After mentally cursing him several more times, Baek Yigang finally stopped.

Is this the end? Is it over?

Panting for breath, I looked up and saw scattered twinkling lights in the distance.

“Come here.”

“Ugh…”

Groaning, I shuffled closer to Baek Yigang.

Seeing how exhausted I was, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me forward.

“…Whoa.”

I was speechless at the breathtaking view before me.

No wonder we climbed so high—this view was the reward.

Before me lay a sea of lights, beautiful beyond words. It was nothing short of a fantasy.

“This is one of the few spots where you can see the whole capital,” Baek Yigang’s relaxed voice blended with the night.

Just as he said, I could see not only the royal capital but several villages as well.

It felt like the entire city was spreading its arms out to me.

Baek Yigang sat down comfortably at the edge of the hill.

As I sat beside him, the muscle pain that had been screaming at me started to ease.

The crescent moon in the black night sky shone brightly, and the stars surrounding it twinkled as if competing to outshine each other.

Below us, the lights of the festival scattered a warm glow, like a field of blooming flowers in spring.

It was a magnificent sight.

“Wow… it was a rough climb, but how did you know about this place?”

“I came here often as a kid. It’s been a while for me too.”

The flickering lights reflected in Baek Yigang’s eyes like shimmering waves.

The scene was so surreal that even he seemed mysterious.

“Is this the place you were talking about?”

It wasn’t a question fueled by hope for something different.

It was a genuine inquiry, asking if he had really brought me here to show me such a spectacular place.

Baek Yigang nodded silently, as if he understood.

There was something unfamiliar about the way he quietly gazed down at the breathtaking view, but at the same time, it suited him better than anyone else.

This was the world he was meant to have—brilliant and dazzling.

The land and sky were so magnificent, it seemed impossible that they wouldn’t suit him.

Watching him like this, he didn’t seem like the villain he was rumored to be.

I’d thought so before, but if Baek Yigang just softened his expression a little, he could easily pass for a virtuous king.

With a face that handsome, who would dare think of him as a villain?

And now, I’ve just discovered another side of Baek Yigang that I didn’t know existed.

So he is human, after all. He’s been coming here since he was a child…

Maybe this place brings him peace.

The thought of him seeking refuge here to clear his mind made him seem more human.

It was almost touching.

“When I come here, I can see exactly how to position my troops.”

…What?

I heard a crashing sound inside my mind.

Whether Baek Yigang noticed my reaction or not, he stretched out his arm toward the distant view.

“See that? If troops advance from the east, it’s an easy spot to overrun. That’s why it’s best to hide soldiers near the cliffs. I know this terrain better than anyone, so I’d have the advantage.”

Baek Yigang, having completely shattered the touching moment, continued to rattle off his war strategies.

Seriously?!

You’re going on about war strategies like this?! I thought you came here to relax!

Give me back my emotional moment!

“…Well, aside from that, coming here does help me breathe easier.”

“Now you’re saying that?”

“Always gotta finish with a flourish.”

Baek Yigang noticed the incredulous look in my eyes and gave a slight smirk as he polished off his sentence.

I was already stunned earlier, so his words didn’t fully register.

But knowing his personality, it wasn’t all that surprising anymore.

“It’s about to start.”

“What’s?”

I didn’t understand his cryptic statement and looked at him quizzically.

He nodded toward the view in front of us.

What does he want me to see?

There’s nothing out there but the twinkling lights of the village.

As I tilted my head in confusion, a single blue streak of light suddenly shot up into the sky from the middle of the horizon.

Bang!

It exploded with a familiar sound, scattering into fragments.

Bang! Bang!

The shimmering, multicolored lights flashed and sparkled like mother-of-pearl in the ocean, slowly dissolving into the cool night air.

Following that, a series of vibrant colors began lighting up the sky.

The sight was so overwhelming that I couldn’t stop my mouth from falling open in awe.

“Th-That’s… a fireworks display!”

“This spot has the best view. People call it a ‘prime location.'”

Baek Yigang chuckled smoothly, clearly pleased with my reaction.

“How did you know?”

Without thinking, I blurted out my question, and he simply looked at me in response.

“How did you know I wanted to see that? I don’t remember telling you.”

I knew there was no point in saying anything since I was aware that I wouldn’t get to see fireworks anyway.

So I never mentioned it.

I hadn’t even dropped any hints.

Sure, I’d said I wanted to go to the festival, but I’d never specifically brought up the fireworks.

Baek Yigang’s violet eyes stayed on me for a moment before he finally opened his mouth.

“You like things like that. Shiny, glamorous things.”

“…Do I look like a magpie to you?”

“Am I wrong?”

His knowing gaze made me want to deny it, but I didn’t mind. At least, not right now.

“I like them. Yeah, I like them.”

Forget it, there’s no point in hiding it. When I answered casually, Baek Yigang’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

Bang!

Another large firework burst into the sky, waiting for its moment to dazzle.

And at that moment—

“Cheong Dowoon, marry me.”

I heard something unbelievable.

Did my ears go deaf from all the firework noise? But if that wasn’t the case, there’s only one answer I could give.

“No…”

“Say yes, if you don’t want to die.”

His sharp eyes glinted dangerously close to mine, more menacing than ever before.

Is that something you say when proposing marriage?!

“What are you talking about?! Weren’t you going to marry the princess?”

“I will. It’s inevitable, so I have to.”

“Then…!”

“But there’s no reason it has to be her.”

In an instant, Baek Yigang’s demeanor shifted.

He had seemed playful moments ago, but now he was completely serious.

His firm gaze pierced straight through me.

“Isn’t the point to unite with the Arthe Empire?”

Of course, I knew it wasn’t really about unity, but I couldn’t act like I did.

So I feigned ignorance and asked the question.

“Unity? The emperor is greedy. And Pendum can satisfy that greed. We could crush the Arthe Empire anytime, even without the excuse of marriage.”

Baek Yigang wasn’t bragging.

He spoke as though it were a simple fact.

It wasn’t easy to speak so lightly about taking on an empire, not just a small kingdom.

“Then why bother with the marriage?”

“Like I said, it’s for appearances. It’s a good image to project. Anyway, if I want to keep my position, I have to marry.”

He seemed quite different from a few days ago when he had looked like he wanted nothing to do with marriage.

It seemed like his thoughts had changed without my knowing, but I couldn’t recall anything that would have triggered such a shift.

What happened to make this unpredictable guy suddenly so eager to marry?

“Why not just marry the princess?”

Bang!

No sooner had I finished speaking than a purple firework exploded in the sky.

At the same time, Baek Yigang’s sharp eyes narrowed.

“Are you sure?”

His curt question followed.

His intense violet gaze never wavered from me.

“Is that what you want?”

* * *

*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*