Be the Sacrifice – Chapter 17

Author: Nikss

For a moment, the thought crossed my mind that monsters might be better than humans.

What kind of outrageous idea is this?

As a shaman, I’d have nothing to say even if my head were cut off for it.

“I don’t believe a word that comes out of a monster’s mouth. I have to see with my own eyes whether you’re pulling some trick right in front of me, so don’t even think about disappearing.”

Don’t try any clever little games.

Saying that, Hong Yeomrang cursed Heesa. He pressed down harder with the hand covering her eyes. She shrank her shoulders again slightly and obediently nodded her head.

Between Hong Yeomrang’s fingers, Heesa blinked.

Could even the wingbeats of a butterfly caught in a hand be this powerless?

Hong Yeomrang had forgotten that he had been offering his thigh to a monster for quite a long time already.

The sunlight was too warm, and the sound of the waterfall was loud.

The noise that struck his ears was still better than the selfish clamor of people, so for the first time, Hong Yeomrang actually liked this place.

That didn’t mean he had completely given up on going down the mountain.

The day the servant was supposed to come up had clearly arrived, yet not only did he not appear, but Hong Yeomrang had even planned to go out and follow him when he arrived, but when he came out, there were only bundles left abandoned in front of the cave.

And among the three bundles, one was completely empty.

He sniffed and detected traces of buckwheat jelly, pork, and sorghum rice cake.

“These damn goblins…”

They had clearly stolen what he had requested in the letter.

— Lord Kim, ate well.

— Lord Kim, ate really well.

The moment Hong Yeomrang ground his teeth, cackling laughter came from somewhere.

— From now on, we’ll pretend to be Lord Kim and receive it ourselves.

— From now on, we’ll pretend to be Lord Kim and take it all.

They were saying they wouldn’t even let the servant come all the way up here, and would just impersonate him and take whatever food they liked for themselves.

Hong Yeomrang picked up only the bundle of dried jerky strips, books, and clothes, and went back into the cave.

Heesa must have heard the noise outside; she was already up on the mat, rubbing sleepy eyes.

She glances cautiously at his expression.

“Looks like the goblins were messing around.”

He had asked for some simple snacks along with the jerky, but the tea leaves, teapot, and sweets had been left untouched. He handed the entire snack box to Heesa.

“Eat.”

Now that he looked, she wasn’t completely unable to eat human food.

Especially sweet things, she liked them as a child would. Heesa opened the box with an indifferent face, then quickly picked one up and popped it into her mouth, narrowing her eyes in satisfaction.

“But why am I Lord Kim?”

“They call everyone Lord Kim.”

Heesa shrugged. To the goblins, every person was Lord Kim, and they even called each other Kim.

The only exception was the female goblin, whom they called by name. Heesa finished off the snacks in an instant. Hong Yeomrang crooked his finger at her.

She had just eaten the sweets and now swallowed dryly.

He scooped water from the small puddle inside the cave and lit a fire.

The water was already heating up to brew tea. Heesa crawled over on her knees, but the moment she left the mat, she swallowed a groan.

Hong Yeomrang clicked his tongue when he saw her forget about her injured knee and do something so foolish.

Heesa stood up from her spot and walked over to him.

Hong Yeomrang was looking down at the kettle, checking whether the water was boiling too quickly. He maintained an attitude as though he didn’t care whether Heesa approached or not.

Even so, every nerve in his body was focused on the presence drawing near.

A hand covered in calluses grabbed the front of his jeogori.

Only then would Hong Yeomrang bend down for her. Pretending he couldn’t win against her, he lowered his waist.

Soft lips and a slow sigh brushed languidly against his ear. He had told her not to breathe, but the maddening sight she presented made him take those words back.

One side of the hair beneath his ear is pulled, just enough that it doesn’t hurt. Her slightly parted lips took only one modest bite of the hair, without any greed.

The hair melted at her lips and slowly vanished.

“Haa…”

A satisfied moan escaped naturally from the hunger that had eased, even if just for a moment. She knew Hong Yeomrang would hate it, yet it was hard to suppress the exclamation.

That contented sigh. The lips brushing down again.

The hand that had grasped his front collar and then released it.

Everything lasted only a moment, a fleeting instant. Before he could even ask if this much was okay, Heesa had already faltered and stepped back.

“Thank you for the meal. Thanks.”

The more he became aware of time, the shorter it felt. Hong Yeomrang touched with his fingers the exact spot where Heesa’s mouth had just been.

The hot breath she had exhaled still lingered on his nape.

Because she had eaten the sweet snacks, her breath carried a sugary scent. He regretted not tasting at least one himself; the cloying sweetness clung so persistently that he felt a pang of disappointment at having given them all to Heesa.

The goblins had written on his supplies that they would eat some themselves, but they still faithfully brought what they were supposed to.

Whenever Heesa stayed close, that bitter scent she gave off made him think of tea even though he didn’t particularly enjoy it.

Next time, maybe honey would come to mind.

While Hong Yeomrang rubbed his nape for a moment, Heesa picked up the water he had been boiling and poured it into the teapot. Then she arbitrarily added the white tea leaves on top.

“Are you doing that on purpose?”

Heesa, who had been steeping the tea for a moment, looked up at him.

She seemed genuinely puzzled. Hong Yeomrang didn’t particularly enjoy tea, but once he decided to do something, he did it perfectly, so he had been timing it. He gazed at Heesa as if measuring her.

And exactly when the white tea had finished steeping, he filtered the leaves and poured them into the small cups.

Perhaps thinking she would drink too, he quickly filled two.

“I don’t know. Maybe Baksu told me.”

White tea was far too expensive a tea for Baksu to drink.

The image of Heesa enjoying tea side by side with Baksu was unimaginable. He brought the well-steeped tea, brewed just right for drinking, to his lips.

Heesa also made no effort to hide her delighted expression as she raised the tea to her mouth.

It moistened her lips without a sound, then she quietly set it down below her knees.

Since the table was far away, she had no choice but to place it on her lap.

Had someone taught her the proper way to lower the tea leaves?

But it seemed Heesa didn’t remember.

Around the time she had fully savored the tea and finished drinking it, a shadow fell across the entrance.

It was still an early hour when the sky had not yet fully brightened.

Hong Yeomrang extended one hand in front of Heesa and moved her behind him. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

Grrr—

A beast barked once.

What had entered the cave was a red fox. Perhaps wary of Hong Yeomrang, it did not come closer and only barked.

Heesa pushed his hand away and stepped forward.

“You…”

Growl, Grrr—

The fox looked at Heesa and barked something again.

Heesa alternated her gaze between the fox and Hong Yeomrang. It was a face showing clear trouble, an expression he had never seen before.

Before Hong Yeomrang, caught in a strange feeling, could grab her, she dashed out with light, bounding steps.

“Hey!”

It was still dark all around.

And the damned forest closed its paths the moment Heesa ran into it.

Hong Yeomrang, who had rushed out after her, sharply called out just as his foot was about to step onto the path through the forest, right before he could snatch her back.

Without answering, and without even turning to look at the one calling her, Heesa disappeared.

The forest swallowed her.

Once again, only Hong Yeomrang was left alone.

Beside him, the fox that had slowly emerged from the cave trotted past briskly.

— Lord Kim, are you angry?

Hong Yeomrang, swallowing a sense of futility and anger, was staring into the pitch-black forest where dawn had not yet broken, watching Heesa run off without a single word.

At that moment, a playful voice rang in his ear.

And it didn’t take Hong Yeomrang very long to draw his sword from its scabbard.

Swoosh—

— Ouch!

The blade sliced through empty air.

The other party let out a startled sound as if surprised, but nothing was cut.

“What are you?”

— I’m Mirang. The dokkaebi Mirang. A dokkaebi with a name.

“Show yourself.”

Hong Yeomrang said shortly.

The moment the figure appeared, murderous intent surged like waves, ready to strike.

Mirang clicked her tongue as he looked at the bluish, rippling killing aura.