"Why is he still sleeping?"
Hana glanced at her brother, who was sleeping soundly. Just yesterday, he had been nervous and reluctant, yet now he slept peacefully, looking nothing like the anxious person from the day before.
Without saying anything further, she strode over and kicked him. She didn't hold back, and a loud thud echoed through the room.
"Argh!" Hwi startled awake and groaned in pain, clutching the spot his sister had kicked.
"Are you insane?! Why are you kicking me?!" He glared at Hana.
"Then get up." Hana let out a huff as she turned away from him.
"Why would I get up? It's only..." Hwi stopped, realizing that he had to wake up this early for their departure. He closed his mouth and silently endured the ache in his waist.
"You didn't have to kick so hard."
"Whatever." Hana flipped her loosely bound hair. "Everyone is gathered by the gate. They want to say goodbye, so hurry up."
Hwi simply nodded and let out a sigh.
"Saha."
"Good morning, Young Master." As if on cue, Saha immediately opened the door and entered, bowing slightly in greeting.
"Dress me," Hwi lazily ordered. He was still tired, rubbing his eyes while yawning.
"Young Master, how about red?" Saha presented a set of black pants with an overlayered black skirt and a garnet outer robe.
"Isn't that a bit..." Although Hwi liked to dress flamboyantly, he didn't usually wear red, a color that quickly attracted attention. He didn't want to come across as tacky.
"Trust me, Young Master." Saha placed a hand over her chest, looking utterly convinced of her choice. "It's the hottest trend among young noblemen in the capital."
Hearing that, he nodded.
"Then it shall be red."
****
Once I arrived at the gates, my parents were already standing in front of the carriage.
My mother, unlike yesterday, wasn't dressed lavishly but in simple white robes. Yet the commanding aura she naturally carried remained unchanged.
"Hwi-ah."
Her stoic expression softened as she pulled me into her arms. Her embrace was warm and comforting. Ever since I was a child, I had loved moments like this.
My father stepped forward as well, resting a hand on my shoulder.
"Promise Mother and Father that you'll always be cautious and look after yourself. Don't get hurt, and don't suffer pointlessly. If it becomes too much, nothing can be done. Come home whenever you wish."
My mother nodded in agreement.
"Your father is right. We will always await your return. Stay safe. Think about your family. And write letters to us."
She fussed over me, straightening my sleeves and making sure everything was in place.
I smiled at my parents.
Mother and Father cared deeply for me. Their protectiveness had often held me back, preventing me from exploring the kingdom and witnessing both its wonders and its ugliness. Yet at the same time, I could feel the immense love behind their actions.
That was why I could never resent them, even when I found their restrictions unfair.
It warmed my heart.
"Tsk. Make sure you come back alive. I don't want to collect your corpse from somewhere outside."
A familiar sneering voice interrupted the heartfelt moment.It was Jubok.
He clicked his tongue while staring at me, yet the furrow of his brows betrayed the sincerity behind his words.
"Of course I'll come back! All in one piece." I said arrogantly and bumped my shoulder against his.
We held each other's gaze for a few moments before breaking into laughter.
Jubok pulled me into a rough embrace.
"You better not do anything reckless. My family's main branch is in the capital. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask."
I nodded gratefully.
Although Jubok and I were often at odds, constantly bickering and fighting, we were still childhood friends who had grown up together. We argued often, but that never changed the bond between us.
"Take good care of Hana. Don't upset her. It'll only end with you suffering by yourself."
I stepped back and turned toward my sister.
Beautiful and heroic as always, Hana stood beside Jubok with her back straight. Her aura and demeanor were extraordinary. She definitely wouldn't be the one suffering in their relationship.
"Sister." I pulled her into a tight embrace.
Maybe it was because we were twins, but saying goodbye felt especially difficult. I had never been apart from her for longer than a month, yet this time I wouldn't return for at least a year.
Who knew how long it would take me to find that man's fated partner?
"Hwi-ah. Don't go causing problems wherever you go, and don't let anyone push you around. No matter their status, you are still a respected Young Master of the Baek Clan."
Hana's words, much like her stance, were firm and unwavering.
'Her temperament really is just like Mother's', I thought.
"Don't worry. I won't let anyone humiliate me out there," I replied reassuringly.
"Goodbye, Brother."
A faint smile appeared on her face as she squeezed me tightly one last time before stepping away.
My mother, father, Hana, and Jubok remained where they stood, watching me with smiles and waves as I prepared to board the carriage.
'A pity Jaeyeong-ah isn't here. I wanted to say goodbye to him too.'
Just as I took a step forward, someone gently caught my hand. It was Jongmu.
"Young Master, let me help you up," he said softly.
He wore his usual playful smirk, yet there was something subtly different about it today.
Under normal circumstances, I would have shaken off his offered hand, refusing to be helped into a carriage like some delicate noble lady. But my family was watching, and it was finally time to leave.
Besides, I would be working under His Highness for a long time from now on. Constantly opposing him wouldn't do me any favors.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
I smiled and accepted his hand.
****
"Hayeon."
I studied the records spread across my desk. They contained all the information regarding the Baek Clan, particularly the main branch.
"Has the reply been sent?"
"Yes, Your Highness. My brother should have read the letter by now." Hayeon emerged from the shadows, approaching soundlessly.
"Good."
I carelessly flipped through the pages.
"The Baek Clan was once a family of renowned generals who served in the imperial army."
My eyes narrowed.
"It was only in the previous generation that this long-standing tradition came to an end."
Hayeon shook her head.
"Lord Baek's father, the previous patriarch, was the last general of the clan. Once Lord Baek inherited the title, he forbade anyone from joining the imperial army or accepting official positions."
"But why..."
It made no sense for such a powerful family to willingly weaken itself.
In only forty years, the once influential clan had faded into relative obscurity, shifting its focus toward commerce.
As I pondered the matter, Hayeon tilted her head slightly. She moved nearer and lowered her voice.
"Forty years ago, the day General Baek died was the same day the Demon Lord ordered his armies to retreat and entered seclusion."
I raised a brow.
The implications were so absurd that they bordered on insanity. Yet considering the clan's abrupt withdrawal from military and governmental affairs, it wasn't unreasonable to suspect a connection.
"It's either an extraordinary coincidence or... something that would cost many people their heads."
For several seconds, I stared silently at the document before me.
The suspicion that had just formed in my mind was one that could change everything, especially when considered alongside the recent movements of the unorthodox and demon factions.
'Something terrible is going to happen soon.'
"Hayeon, investigate thoroughly."
"Understood."
With that, she vanished once more without another sound.
I massaged my stiff neck and rose from my seat.Hwi was surely already at the gate.
It was time to depart.
I had spent enough time at the Baek Estate.
"Don't let anyone push you around."
"Don't worry. I won't let anyone humiliate me."
"Goodbye, Brother."
The voices of Hwi and the Young Miss drifted faintly through the air as they exchanged their farewells.
That was when my steps faltered.
Hwi stood before the carriage dressed in garnet robes.I couldn't help but stare.
Draped in rich red fabric, he stood out like a flame among the crowd. Against the vibrant color, his fair skin appeared almost luminous.
From the very first moment I had laid eyes on him, he had captured my attention in a way few people ever could.
He was everything I found appealing.
Slowly, I approached and stopped beside him. Reaching out, I offered him my hand.
"Young Master, let me help you up."
As his fingers settled into my palm, my gaze lingered for a brief moment.
'...They're soft.'