Chapter 399
It was like a scene from so old dating sim—except it was happening for real.
And my own heart’s left and right atria were literally going thump-thump too.
So, after spending thirty minutes with Go Yori reading the scriptures—while feeling like a spy infiltrating the enemy’s intelligence agency—
‘What…?’
I was flustered.
‘This is… a completely normal lesson, isn’t it?’
Ah, the reason my inner monologue was in polite speech was because I was fully imrsing myself in the role of Cheon Hwa, a well-bred young lady from a prestigious household.
But even aside from my dedicated thod acting, Go Yori’s private tutoring session was… genuinely normal.
The twin sisters were still young, with soft, undeveloped minds. I’d been terrified of what kind of bizarre doctrines she might try to brainwash into them—but that fear turned out to be quite unfounded.
“So, Lady Cheon Hwa.”
“Yes?”
“You say your very na feels empty, but there’s no need to erase your own identity as well.”
“……”
“Parents hold absolute authority over a child. But you, Lady Cheon Hwa, are wise—you think for yourself and take responsibility for your actions. In my eyes, you’re already a fine adult.”
“Is that… so, Teacher?”
“Yes!”
Go Yori bead brightly.
“To be honest, I’ve never t anyone your age as intelligent as you. You should be proud of that. Oh—of course…”
With a playful smile, Go Yori crossed her index finger in front of her lips.
“It would be troubleso if the High Priest learned how clever you are, Lady Cheon Hwa.”
“……”
“Freedom is power. It’s a natural right granted to every human since the beginning. But until you’ve gained enough strength, I’m sorry to say this—but I hope you’ll suppress that freedom for now.”
Go Yori’s advice—
Her words as a tutor—were entirely appropriate.
I forced the muscles of Cheon Hwa’s face to move, carefully suppressing any stiffness, and instead turned it into a natural smile.
“Thank you, Teacher. I’ll keep that in mind.”
This isn’t brainwashing.
My mind was running on two levels at once.
My face and tongue were dealing with the “teacher” in front of , but my thoughts were sinking deeper and deeper inward.
“But, Teacher, this mansion is like my father’s fortress. The servants may seem like ordinary maids, but in truth, they’re all my father’s most fervent followers. How could soone as young as I gain any power here?”
“Oh, co now. You have , don’t you, my lady?”
This isn’t brainwashing… This feels more like—
More like she was trying to free the twin sisters, Cheon Hwa and Yo Hwa, from the chains of this cult.
“You an… you’ll be on my side, Teacher?”
“Yes. Haha. With such adorable young ladies—twin sisters, no less! How could I, as an adult, possibly not help you?”
“……”
I turned my head slightly.
“Mnyaa… unnieee, I don’t like green chocolate…”
Beside , my lovely little sister, Yo Hwa, was drooling on her arm as she dozed.
I couldn’t bla her. How many children her age could read the Tao Te Ching and truly stay focused?
I gently stroked my sister’s soft hair once, then looked back to Go Yori.
“Teacher, I’ve heard a lot of rumors about you.”
“Oh? What kind of rumors?”
“That you were an outsider, yet managed to win Father’s favor and rise all the way to an executive position in the cult.”
Outsider (外出) and Insider (內出)—terms unique to this old cult.
Those born and raised within the cult were called Insiders, while newcors were Outsiders.
The cult’s history supposedly dated back to the Imjin War. Whether that was true or re propaganda was unclear, but there really were officials who claid to have served the cult for twelve generations.
There were perverts in this world—those who valued the ti they hadn’t lived more than the ti they had.
It was into such a fortress of warped ti that this Outsider had suddenly seeped in.
And the being before was undeniably strange—just like always.
“You plan to steal Father’s favor, seize the cult’s power and wealth, don’t you?”
“Oh my.”
“And by earning my trust, the successor’s trust, you’ll secure authority for decades to co?”
“Haha.”
Even when faced with such sharp hostility, Go Yori didn’t flinch. Instead, her smile softened.
“Power, authority… ah, such sweet words.”
“……?”
“It would be nice if they could last even twenty years—or ten.”
“…….”
A chill raced up my spine.
She knows.
At this mont—this exact ti—when modern civilization still believes unshakably in the laws of physics—
This person already knows.
She knows the world is going to end.
How?
Is she the cause of the Void’s advent? A prophet? No… if she were a prophet, why is her mind the only one unaffected?
If she truly knew the future, every second would be precious. Even I—Shon and the others—how many tis have we lanted not returning to the past just a bit earlier than the Void’s arrival?
Ti is priceless.
So why—why spend that ti tutoring two cultist twin girls?
“Hmm.”
Go Yori half-opened her eyes and looked straight at .
“Why do you look so surprised, my lady?”
“……”
“I only told a very ordinary story.”
The gears in my mind whirred frantically.
I scrubbed away the gri between my thoughts, the residue of the Undertaker.
I poured in the oil of acting to keep the marionette called Cheon Hwa running smoothly.
“Ordinary, Teacher? You just said our family’s glory—and our cult’s future—won’t last more than ten years.”
“Ah?”
“I may dislike my father, but I don’t hate everyone in our cult.”
“Hmm…”
Go Yori’s eyes narrowed.
“—You’re right. From your point of view, it must’ve sounded like that. I’m sorry! I spoke too carelessly.”
“……”
“Adults tend to pretend they know everything, you see. Especially around soone as bright as you. I’m really sorry. Will you forgive ?”
“…Yes.”
“Thank you. I always feel sorry toward you, my lady.”
Buzz.
Her smartphone vibrated. Go Yori picked it up as if she’d been expecting it.
She glanced at the screen.
“Oh my, it’s already ti.”
She clapped her hands together.
“Huueh?!”
Yo Hwa, who’d been fast asleep, shot up in surprise. Smiling warmly, Go Yori took out a handkerchief.
Not the one she’d used earlier to wipe away chocolate before class, but a fresh one—this ti to wipe the drool off Yo Hwa’s cheek.
“Heep—ah, ahh, ah…”
“Then let’s review the Tao Te Ching verse we studied today.”
She whispered softly.
“Tao follows Nature (道法自然). You’ve heard that before, haven’t you? It’s the line our High Priest recites most often.”
“Yes, Teacher!”
“All things in the world are imitations. Ah—no, maybe ‘unfinished works’ is better. ‘Imitation’ sounds too Platonic, doesn’t it?”
Go Yori nodded to herself.
Yo Hwa nodded too, just mimicking her teacher’s movent.
“Why unfinished? Because naming itself is incomplete.”
“……”
“Man follows Earth (人法地). We receive imperfect nas from our tis and surroundings—‘You are a student,’ ‘You are your parents’ child.’ Earth follows Heaven (地法天). The environnt reflects the flow of fate. Heaven follows the Tao (天法道). And even fate itself originates from the Way.”
“Tao follows Nature (道法自然).”
“Yes. The Way relies on nothing—it simply becos itself.”
Go Yori smiled faintly.
“Your father believes that by abandoning his na, he can beco one with the Way. But I interpret that verse in reverse.”
“In reverse?”
“If even the Way ultimately ends in a single human being—then tell , why shouldn’t that human be able to change the Way?”
“……”
Tao. The Way.
The Route.
As Cheon Hwa, I tilted my head innocently.
But as the Undertaker, I trembled.
Why was Go Yori here?
Why had she deliberately infiltrated this cult?
I didn’t know.
But one thing was clear—this mansion was an indispensable stepping stone on the route she’d charted in her mind.
“That path can only be reached one way—by becoming as vast as nature, as boundless as the universe itself.”
She rose smoothly to her feet.
“If I had to phrase it, I’d call it Tao follows Humanity—humanity as in both ‘being human’ and ‘causality.’ Haha, I really do love these old-fashioned turns of phrase.”
“……”
“Then, until next ti, Lady Cheon Hwa, Lady Yo Hwa.”
Yo Hwa jumped up and bowed deeply.
“Y-yes! Goodbye, Teacher!”
“…Goodbye, Teacher.”
I too stepped out to see her off, bowing at the doorway.
Step, step, step.
Her footsteps receded down the long wooden hallway of the grand mansion.
‘Finally over.’
I sighed inwardly in relief.
Since my head was still lowered, I didn’t have to worry much about maintaining my expression.
Still, SG-Net’s guides were a huge help. By rging my ego with Cheon Hwa’s, I could interact with Go Yori naturally. Yes… proving that alone makes this loop a success…
“Ah, right.”
Step.
Her footsteps stopped.
Her gaze fixed on the top of my head.
I could feel it—
Even though she’d already stepped out of the room, even though she was halfway down the hall—
Go Yori’s eyes were still on .
Smiling.
“Co to think of it—” she said softly, “you didn’t call by my na even once today, Lady Cheon Hwa.”
“……”
“You used to say it so warmly every day. It feels a bit lonely now. ‘Teacher’ is fine, but… I really do love hearing you say my na, you know?”
“……”
“My na,” she whispered.
“Won’t you say it for , just once?”
My heart pounded violently.
She’s suspicious.
Dozens of possible replies branched through my mind, each ending in a dead end.
“Go Yori”? Wrong.
■■■? Wrong.
Because—
“Yes?”
I slowly raised my head, tilted it sweetly like Cheon Hwa, and smiled.
“I’m sorry, Teacher! You said sothing just now, but I didn’t quite catch it. What was that?”
“……”
The correct answer—I didn’t hear you.
It wasn’t that I was pretending to be hard of hearing. She really had whispered softly from far down the hall.
There was no way a young girl like Cheon Hwa, who hadn’t yet awakened any aura or supernatural sense, could have heard it.
“Oh—never mind~.”
Go Yori waved her arm cheerfully and raised her voice slightly.
“It’s nothing, my lady! See you next week!”
“Yes, Teacher! Goodbye!”
Only when her back disappeared completely around the corner did I lower my hand.
…If I’d answered carelessly just now…
I didn’t even want to imagine what would’ve happened.
Leaving the maids—those shadowy cult followers—behind in the corridor, I stepped back into the room and hugged Yo Hwa tightly.
“Unnie?”
“……”
“What’s wrong, unnie?”
Yo Hwa reached up and patted my head.
Her hand was the sa size as mine, yet it felt so small.
I whispered softly.
“I’ll protect you, Yo Hwa.”
“Huh?”
“From Father. From the believers. From that Outsider we can’t read. Even if the world goes mad—I’ll protect you.”
“……”
Please, co soon, Senpai.
Because for —for Cheon Hwa—
this world is still far too vast,
and far too dark.
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