Lady of YeonSung (Lisrene)

Chapter 21

Time passed by as quickly as an arrow. Winter had come to YeonSung. The summer rain had transformed into thick snow. The skies and the earth were covered in it.

Far away, a burgundy horse was racing towards the castle gates. A surprised guard quickly signaled the others.

The man on the horse didn't slow down as he raced through the opened gate. The dozen men following behind him did the same. The hooves caused the snow and dirt to splatter in all directions.

The Red King, who had been in the western provinces by imperial decree, had finally returned.

The war had been mortifying and dreadful. Rivers of blood flowed through the western provinces. Corpses washed up on the shores of its beaches. Dead bodies were buried in the mud flats, and the crabs ate away at its flesh.

For the past half year, the Red King overcame countless crises. He had been stabbed multiple times and struck with many spears, but he ended up defeating his enemies

While he stopped the enemy's invasion, this accomplishment wasn't considered to be a great one, so he returned to YeonSung and received a lukewarm welcome.

In the end, while the imperial prince was wandering around the borders as he escaped many deadly situations, the Crown Prince stayed in the warmth of YeonSung as he drowned in liquor and pleasure.

"Your Highness."

YulMok walked down the stairs and bowed his head. Lisa didn't answer as he jumped off his horse and tossed the reins to one of his subordinates.

YulMok's narrow eyes looked over the Red King's dark animal pelt draped over his shoulders before lowering back down to the stone floor.

"How is Father Emperor?"

Seven days ago, the emperor had fallen off his horse. He had hit his head and was currently in critical condition. Having received the news, Lisa raced back to YeonSung without rest for three days.

"He is in stable condition now, but he still cannot move."

"I'll go and see him after I've washed."

"I'll make the necessary preparations."

Lisa took off his gloves and headed directly for the bathroom. His whole body reeked of sweat. The tub was already filled with hot water. The palace maids quickly walked over and began to take off his armor.

Lisa walked into the tub. His sturdy muscles plunged into the hot water. His whole body was covered in new wounds and scars.

As soon as he entered the water, the palace maids approached him as they tried to wash his body.

"I'm fine."

He pushed away their hands. For a while now, he came to hate the feeling of a woman's touch on his body.

After losing the Heukra, his secret room had been burned to the ground. And as expected, all the evidence and clues he had gathered burned with it. Additionally, the eunuch in charge of the emperor's storeroom was found poisoned to death.

The Heukra might have found out. That clever figure might have found out about the various evidence he had gleaned. But no matter what he told himself, the doubt never went away.

The only person he had told about the icy-fire stone and the only person he had brought to the secret room... It was only her.

That woman did all this.

It didn't make any sense. Lisa covered his forehead with his hand. She was also the one who had given him a golden opportunity to catch the Heukra, the one who had saved Princess Chaeyoung, and the one who had saved his life.