A Kind Goblin’s Bird - Chapter 84

His heart raced to the point that he thought that he would be able to see it in front of his eyes. Fuhaha, the Crown Prince burst out laughing.

“It would be really fun if he volunteered, isn’t it, Grand Eunuch?”

“This subject is foolish so I don’t know.”

The Grand Eunuch bowed his head. The Crown Prince looked at the Grand Eunuch who was not answering anything with his narrowed eyes.

“You don’t know this, you don’t know that. Anyway, it’s because you’re old, so you’re saving yourself quite a bit. Not fun.”

“…….”

“You seem to believe in the favor of the Emperor, but it would be better not to. One day, when I feel bad.”

“…….”

“You’ll have to die in a pretty way, huh?”

Said the Crown Prince, as he got up. As the Grand Eunuch looked up at the Crown Prince who stood up from the mountain-like scrolls, the Crown Prince nudged his head.

“Do it yourself.”

“Your Highness. How dare this lowly subject,”

“It is said that the Empress was weak in heart and could not cut off Heon-yeong’s wife’s toungue. But I think it’s different, you know.”

“…….”

“Be good. And when you’re done, I’ll put a straw mat in your bed.”

A sense of urgency trembled. Seeing the old man trembling, the Crown Prince laughed childishly. He tapped the Grand Eunuch’s cheek and went out.

***

And that night.

Sa Heon-yeong took off his mask at the Imperial Palace for the first time since becoming the Inspector General. Moonlight poured through the window. In the moonlight, for the first time, he looked down at the mask silently.

It’s hideous.

It was. The mask was like this, so it makes rumors like eating blood or eating human flesh.

This mask is a birthday present from the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince always gave a goblin mask to Sa Heon-yeong’s birthday. It is an important item that touches your body, so can I handle it carelessly? I made it with the utmost care. With that said, the things only got more hideous every year.

‘Would you become the goblin’s bride?’

When he asked Young-Young, Young-Young was drunk on the herbs. At that time, Young-young’s face was still vivid. Young-young looked up at him blankly and her cheeks dyed red. She hesitated, then shrugged her shoulders a little and replied shyly.

‘Our house is shabby.’

“Where…… did you go? Can you see Mang Mountain*?”

Sa Heon-yeong whispered to the mask. As if he does that, his voice can reach Young-young.

“Go slow, Young-ah. Slowly.”

It’s dark at night and your legs are weak, so you have to go slowly.

If he closes his eyes, he can clearly remember Young-young. They’ve only been together for a few weeks, but the memories have become countless blades and cut through his heart.

All the memories were beautiful. It was unbelievably perfect with no blemishes. Was it like that? Or is it that he lost her and the memory of her now is confusing and desperate?

Sa Heon-yeong looked back at his memories several times. He continued to search, but the memories, too close and clear to become memories, were just beautiful.

Crash, Sa Heon-yeong’s hand broke the mask.

“Your Highness, it’s the General.”

General Joo knelt outside the sliding door and said.

“Did you bring them all?”

The bloody smell wafted through the sliding door.

Sa Heon-young chuckled. It was very strange. He tried not to lose something all his life, but when he loses what he has, he comes to know. That he had nothing from the beginning. It was all an illusion and a self-deception.

Like an impossible wish.

It was said that if one falls asleep listening to Young-young’s song, their wishes will come true in their dreams. It was widely believed that any wish was possible.

To confirm that this is true, Sa Heon-young has his subordinate go undercover and make their wish come true. They said that his subordinate’s wish came true in a dream. He met the families lost in the fire and talked about how they are doing.

However, there are some wishes that cannot be fulfilled. His mother wanted to know ‘who put the goblin’s egg in her stomach’. A wish to deceive oneself will not come true.

Young-young’s song is to grant wishes, not slander. She does not grant the wishes of those who are not honest. It cannot be a wish. Those who do not know who they are or where they stand and do not know what they are looking at.

In the end, the only thing he had in his 30 years of life was her.

And he was robbed of it in broad daylight.

The sliding door opened. Then General Joo got down on his knees and held out a bundle, looked at Sa Heon-yeong’s face, and swallowed his breath.

“Cro, Cro, Crown, Crown Prince,”

“Eight. Have all their necks been cut off?”

Note:

북망산 or Mangshan/ Mang Mountain. The mountains have a very beautiful scenery so in ancient times, high ranking people and royalties were buried there.