Toxin Chapter 13

The columns rising around, the floor reflecting light until it blinds, the maidservant with a dangled head weeping desolately on it, and beside her, Grand Chamberlain glaring fiercely at me.

Thunk.

As the platinum door closed, all those sights were shut off. It took time for me to realize that I was inside and his concubine was outside. It also took time to find calm amidst the disgusting sensation still clinging to my body, which had just moments ago been a spectacle. I found it somewhat amusing. I had been the one who had been playing second fiddle to Orumon for years. I had been the one who had sworn to throw my body to the enemy who gruesomely killed my mother, promising to let them gnaw on flesh and blood. If I wavered at such a trivial matter, even a passing dog would laugh. This was nothing. Enduring humiliation was something I was better at than drawing pictures.

Turning inwardly, as I did, the sight of the Black Mu Cheon Wang walking ahead scratched my vision. The maids hurriedly opened the door, clearing the way for the Emperor, who was endlessly revered. The silk road leading to the paradise palace stretched out. I wanted to stab the back of his arrogantly walking figure. I wanted to plunge a knife into his spine and chew up every single organ that came out, without leaving any behind. If it were that guy’s flesh, I could gladly eat it. Sincerely enjoy it.

He entered and stretched out on the couch. I quietly approached and knelt down, bowing my head deeply to the ground.

“I apologize for yesterday. I haven’t had a proper meal for a few days…”

“You said you don’t eat your own kind, but is it true? I thought you would eat even the livestock you live with.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at the fact that he still treated me like livestock. I thought he would have said it naturally. But maybe the bodyguards hadn’t spoken yet… Even if it’s for some other reason, how would he react if he knew Raonhiljo had provided me with a place to stay? Even if they’re strange brothers, blood is blood, so they won’t do anything less than human, but it might be best not to say anything for a while. Lost in such thoughts, a slow voice intervened.

“But you endure remarkably well.”

As he raised his head, Black Mu Cheon Wang tilted a long cigarette into his mouth and leaned over to light it. As the smoke curled slightly from his cheeks, a pungent aroma rose from the end of the sleek cigarette holder. I wondered what he was going to say next. Waiting for his next words, Black Mu Cheon Wang’s eyes gradually turned to me.

“You’re ambiguous. Usually those who pay tribute to my country show two reactions. Either they pretend to be loyal with their mouths while suppressing obvious hostility, like chiefs, or they scatter reckless living like your colleagues.”

Although the bowl for bursting ashes was right beside him, Black Mu Cheon Wang flicked the ashes onto the floor. Putting the cigarette holder to his mouth, he deeply inhaled the strong smoke. Gray smoke flowed from his lips and dispersed from the corners of his eyes, shining with a hungry light as he observed me.

“It seems you don’t understand. Rather, you frustrate me by depicting me as just an ordinary flower garden painter,” the moment when the dancing smoke in the air completely obscured his expression was surreal. “As if you’re deliberately trying to appear that way.”

My heart sank suddenly. I thought all I needed to do was control my impulses and endure the hatred, but it was a big mistake. In the dense space, a red spark glared at me fiercely. What expression am I making right now, what kind of eyes am I showing… I looked at the ember at the end of the cigarette holder before speaking.

“That’s something I’m accustomed to, so it’s fine,” Black Heavenly Emperor stopped flicking the ash, looking at me. I calmly continued, taking out a scroll of paper and laying it out neatly in front of me. “Being hungry, being called a disgusting mongrel, and being treated like livestock are all things I’m accustomed to enduring.”

I felt a gaze piercing into my face, but I ignored it. I grasped a charcoal stick wrapped in paper. “It’s hard to believe that the chief’s son is accustomed to being hungry.” Completely turning over my past as I now serve as the chief’s adopted son.

“There are few in the world who would consider a complete stranger, especially a half-blood like me, as their real child. Still, I managed to sell some paintings from time to time to make ends meet.”

“Was the skill inherited from your father not so great?”

My heart skipped a beat, startled. When I first met the Black Heavenly Emperor, the chief talked about me, but I naturally assumed he wouldn’t remember every detail. But I didn’t expect him to remember everything so vividly. To lull someone into a false sense of security, then suddenly cut off their air supply… What exactly was the that guy thinking?

Without saying a word, Black Heavenly Emperor unfolded the book lying on the table and threw it onto my lap. It was a book with strange writings.

“Well then, shall we finish what we started? Your head seems quite useful compared to your artistic skills,” he seemed to value my imagination more than my drawing skills. But today was not the day for that. I pulled out a sheet of paper from the pile and presented it to the Black Heavenly Emperor. He raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled.

“I’ve already drawn what I remembered from yesterday.”

The Black Heavenly Emperor took time to admire the painting. The paper contained the result of my imagination and observation combined. It was something I had painstakingly completed, staying up all night with bloodshot eyes, tossing away several sheets of paper before finally finishing it.

“What you’ve given me, I’ll continue to draw until we meet again. Today, I’ll draw Eojin first, so please start with Okche…”

“Do you not understand my words? Or are you pretending not to? How do I make you understand that you have no choice?” I clenched the charcoal tightly.

“If you continue to refuse to cooperate like this… I might not be able to draw the weapons your Majesty has devised.”

His eyes, which had been fixed on the drawing, suddenly shifted to me as if sensing a threat.

“If my ears serve me right, it sounds like you’re threatening me.”

“That’s not it. If you’re not going to help like this… Why did you permit it from the beginning?”

“I’m still considering that.”

He ran his fingers through his hair as he muttered softly. Leaving behind a significant answer, the Black Heavenly Emperor returned to observing the painting. His fixed gaze seemed satisfied with the drawing I brought. What is he thinking…? What will he do when he finishes his thoughts…? Before vague unease could grow, I quickly pushed aside the Black Heavenly Emperor’s book. After he directed his gaze towards me to admire the painting, I quickly started outlining on the paper. At that moment, the Black Heavenly Emperor glanced at the book pushed to the side, then slowly stared at me.

“Ime is quite different from what I heard. I didn’t expect such a fearless tribe to lose their nerve like this.”

Though his expression was unreadable like the back of that paper, his eyes held an intense color of vitality and hatred. Thanks to that, his face was directly facing me. I probably lost my nerve literally.

“Oh, you’re doing very well now. Please stay just like that.”

The Black Heavenly Emperor’s eyes slightly narrowed. Ah, that expression is really nice. I loosened my grip on the charcoal quickly. Somehow, I felt slightly relieved.

As soon as I grasped the charcoal, he ignored my presence completely and fell into a deep sleep. He looked like a crazy dog enjoying a nap in peace. It’s an immutable fact that you shouldn’t disturb a crazy dog, so I didn’t dare to wake him up hastily. Though he still seemed uncooperative with the Eojin task, he didn’t explicitly drive me away. Even though he seemed deeply asleep, occasionally he would abruptly wake up and scribble something in the book, his gaze serious and completely focused. Of course, he fell asleep again soon after.

From his demeanor, it seemed the attack by the assassins had been quite serious. It was an attitude of willingly bearing the consequences of his own actions. No, it seemed he even enjoyed the danger. He pretended to break down all defenses, but it became clear to me after a few hours of experiencing it firsthand just how sensitive he was. If I made even the slightest move, he would detect it and immediately open his eyes to pierce me with his gaze. Just like now…

For a moment, I shifted my body slightly, causing his eyes, which had been closed, to slowly open. Then, he reached out and groped the floor, picking up the cigarette holder by his head. He lit it while facing the candlestick, then noticed me and gave me a look as if to ask why I hadn’t left yet. He then leisurely leaned back against the thick backrest and sat down. While he seemed to be partially asleep, his posture indicated that one leg was bent inward while the other stretched outward. If my memory served me right, the leg stretching outward had been injured by the dragon. If I could do something about that leg, his crooked posture might be corrected.

“Is your leg still not fully healed? If it’s not uncomfortable, could you move your leg a bit more inward…”

His eyes still carried traces of sleepiness directed towards me, but that was it. Dealing with author always gave rise to strange whims. His nonchalance kept irritating my nerves. When drawing portraits, there were times when I couldn’t get the pose right, and in those cases, I would adjust it myself. The only problem was how that guy would turn out. Quietly approaching him, the moment I started to tidy up the leg that had slipped out from under the blanket, his rough grip seized my wrist. As my hand twisted backward, I felt the bones and tendons misaligning, causing excruciating pain. I bit my lips tightly to suppress the urge to cry out as a sharp voice penetrated the air.

“Ah…!”

Like a bird of prey snatching its prey, his rough grip seized my wrist. Simultaneously, as my hand twisted backward, I felt bones and tendons misaligning, causing excruciating pain. I bit my lips tightly to suppress the urge to cry out. The harsh voice echoed sharply.

“It’s better not to touch with dirty hands.”

Though his eyes were still heavy with sleep, they were filled with deep contempt and vitality. I even felt my throat constricting under the intense grip on my wrist. And for a moment, I was slightly startled by the rough texture of his palm. The calloused, hardened skin in places was something only a lazy person would never have. But thoughts about the sensation quickly fled from my mind. The pain intensified as my joints were bent in the opposite direction over time. Suppressing both pain and groans, I spoke with difficulty.

“If necessary… there are times when I assist with posture. If you dislike me touching, please cooperate.”

The Black Heavenly Emperor glanced briefly at his own leg before fixing his gaze back on me.

“Hey. It smells even worse now.”

“…It’s neither dirty nor disgusting. Your Majesty always treats Ime as if I were a patient, but those are baseless words.”

One of his eyebrows arched arrogantly.

“No, it’s dirty.”

“It’s not. We are a race who values cleanliness more than anyone else. We start each day by thoroughly cleansing our bodies and minds, and we end each day by washing away the dirt and worries accumulated throughout the day…”

“But that doesn’t make the dirt disappear. Dirty is dirty.”

“Not quite. I heard that even during the plague that wiped out entire kingdoms, our tribe remained unscathed…”

“Dirty.”

“Your Majesty’s thoughts are not necessarily…”

“Dirty.”

After stating his point succinctly, he reclined back on the divan. The wings of the phoenix, which had been frolicking in the red fabric, snapped under his massive body. As his oppressive grip loosened, the previously numb wrist regained sensation. The pale wrist showed signs of painful marks and traces of the rough grip, reminiscent of burns. Sometimes, when dealing with that guy, I felt a sense of kinship that wasn’t there before. What on earth caused this endless disgust and disdain? Sometimes, I wondered if it was because he didn’t like my expression, or maybe it was because my eyes bothered him… Whatever it was, it was clear that his mind was twisted. I slowly lowered my gaze and picked up what was hanging from my lips. I cleaned up the cluttered surroundings, wiping off the charcoal stains on my hands with a towel and carefully wrapping today’s drawing in silk. After organizing the tools on the right, I bowed to him.

“Well then… I’ll see you next Mud Day.”

Knowing he wouldn’t respond to greetings, I didn’t wait for a response. My anxious heart urged me to leave this space quickly. Rising from my seat, I took a few steps backward and turned my body. Knowing it was royal etiquette not to show my back to the emperor was thanks to the nagging of the Grand Chamberlain. The time it took to reach the exit felt like an eternity. It was a moment when my hand was about to touch the phoenix-patterned doorknob attached to the middle.

There was no movement to rise from his seat. I didn’t even hear approaching footsteps.

Whoosh—!!!