As True as a Dream Chapter 157

“Haah…!”

 

Hae-Joo gripped Yi-Ho’s arm as he held her. She hadn’t noticed when it had happened, but his skin was slick with sweat.

 

Turning her head, she saw Yi-Ho lying beside her, his eyes fixed on her.

 

When their gazes met, he pulled her close and kissed her. Hae-Joo smiled shyly, leaning into him.

 

Long ago, when she first learned about intimacy between men and women, she had thought it was merely a duty married couples had to perform.

 

But she was wrong.

 

This wasn’t just a procedure or an obligation.

 

Hae-Joo couldn’t imagine sharing this with anyone but Yi-Ho.

 

Only with him was it possible. She wanted more—to give more, to take more.

 

Wasn’t this the ultimate expression of love between two people? She kissed him again.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you too,” Yi-Ho replied, his voice rough as he pulled her hips closer.

 

She could feel him, hard and eager again. Hae-Joo parted her slick thighs, welcoming him eagerly.

 

They melted into one another once more, his breath and warmth enveloping her completely.

 

At that moment, her entire world was Ban Yi-Ho. 

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Same Time – Governor-General’s Hospital

 

 

[“Are you truly insisting on this, Your Excellency? If we move Miss Mao to your residence, it will be difficult to respond swiftly in case of an emergency,”] the doctor urged anxiously, his tone pleading.

 

[“Will keeping her here change anything?”] The Governor-General’s icy voice dripped with disdain, and the doctor bowed his head even lower.

 

[“Mao will be more comfortable at home. Stop arguing and make the preparations.”]

 

[“B-But, Your Excellency… Before that, there is a doctor who wishes to examine her condition. He arrived in Joseon just two days ago.”]

 

[“A newcomer?”] Governor Saito’s eyebrow arched as the doctor hurriedly continued.

 

[“Dr. Matsudaka, whom I mentioned before. A renowned researcher who has made significant medical advancements under His Majesty the Emperor’s orders. We requested his visit to Gyeongseong specifically for Miss Mao’s case.”]

 

Saito pursed his lips. The doctor had mentioned Matsudaka shortly after Mao’s hospitalization, but Saito never expected the elderly physician—already well past seventy—to actually come to Joseon.

 

[“Your Excellency.”]

 

The doctor’s voice pulled Saito from his thoughts, his brow furrowing.

 

The final stages of the Ten Thousand Bloodstone required only 180 more lives.

 

His plan was simple: take Mao home and use her the moment the ritual was complete.

 

Now, with the Bloodstone nearly finished, the arrival of some doctor meant nothing to him.

 

Yet, for appearances’ sake, he couldn’t outright refuse the examination.

 

[“How long will the tests take?”]

 

[“One day. Just tomorrow, Your Excellency. Once completed, we will escort Miss Mao to your residence, and Dr. Matsudaka will personally visit to explain the results.”]

 

[“Very well.”]

 

Saito cast one last glance at Mao’s pale, lifeless form on the bed before leaving.

 

The doctor also exited the room, tidied his office, and departed the hospital.

 

The moment he stepped into his home in central Gyeongseong, the cold barrel of a gun pressed against his neck.

 

Swallowing hard, the doctor stiffened. [“I did as you asked. Now, will you let my wife and child go?”]

 

[“They’ll be safe. I give you my word. Once this is over, they’ll be returned. We’re not like you. We keep our promises.”]

 

The gruff voice behind him was unfamiliar. The doctor’s hands trembled, cold sweat trickling down his temples.

 

It was all a lie.

 

The story about Dr. Matsudaka had been fabricated—every word forced by the man now holding him at gunpoint.

 

The real Matsudaka, an elderly man in his seventies, would never have boarded a ship to Joseon.

 

The doctor didn’t even know if the letter begging for help had ever reached him.

 

The gun withdrew, and the man vanished over the low wall as silently as a shadow.

 

 

* * *

 

Shortly After – A Dim Alleyway

 

“How did it go?”

 

Another man stepped forward as the first emerged into the cramped alley.

 

“Report to Comrade Kim—the plan is set. Tomorrow, under the guise of an examination, we’ll take Saito Mao. By the time the Governor-General realizes, it’ll be too late.”

 

“The risk was worth it.”

 

“Risk? That doctor deserved worse. How many of our people died as test subjects for Japan’s new drugs? Don’t forget that.”

 

“I haven’t. But his family is innocent. We can’t become monsters like them, Comrade Kim.”

 

“I know.”

 

With that, the two men disappeared into the darkness.

 

 

* * *

 

Two Days Later – A Remote Rice Warehouse on the Outskirts of Gyeongseong

 

The area around the isolated warehouse was desolate.

 

Until a week ago, migrants from the countryside had lived here in makeshift huts, but recent fires had reduced everything to ashes, leaving behind only eerie ruins.

 

Even in the lush green of summer, this place felt unnaturally cold—as if ghosts might appear at any moment.

 

Even the Japanese police avoided patrols here.

 

Unintentionally, this neglect made it the perfect location for Yongzhou’s printing operation.

 

After finishing target practice with Yi-Ho, Hae-Joo rushed to the warehouse at dusk to check on the freshly printed newspapers.

 

Yongzhou, brimming with energy, greeted them warmly and quickly put them to work.

 

All night, Hae-Joo and Yi-Ho fed paper into the press and folded the printed sheets. By dawn, stacks of newspapers stood neatly in the corner.

 

“Are you sure about hiring new distributors?” Yongzhou asked uneasily.

 

“Given the nature of this work, the less we’re exposed, the better Don’t worry, Brother. You’ve seen for yourself—the people following the publisher are highly capable.”

 

Hae-Joo spoke with pride, as if it were her own achievement. Yongzhou glanced at the stoic middle-aged man who had been assisting him.

 

Distribution had been his biggest concern.

 

Unlike regular newspapers, this one had to spread anonymously—no traces, no leads. Yet Hae-Joo and Yi-Ho had assured him they had a solution.

 

His worries faded as he nodded.

 

“Thank you, Brother.”

 

“Don’t mention it. Thanks to you, I finally feel like a real journalist again.”

 

Yongzhou’s eyes lingered on the headline:

 

“The Sinister Shadow Cast by Governor Saito: How Far Will the Sacrifice of Joseon’s People Go?”

 

The article chronicled everything—from the blood-drained murders after Saito’s appointment to the recent massacre in Tokmak Village.

 

“It’s a brilliant piece,” Hae-Joo said, smiling as she read alongside him. Yongzhou grinned back.

 

Meanwhile, several men—disguised as crows—carried the newspapers outside.

 

Dawn had yet to break. The key was spreading these papers across Gyeongseong before the city woke up.

 

Hae-Joo glanced at Yi-Ho, then led Yongzhou aside to discuss contacting foreign journalists.

 

Yi-Ho stepped outside, where the warehouse was surrounded by a flock of crows.

 

“Spread as many as you can.”

 

At his command, the crows took flight, newspapers clutched in their beaks, vanishing into the dark sky.

 

Soon, Hae-Joo and Yongzhou emerged, ready for the next step.