Urgh— Late evening. Seop Mugwang opened his eyes and pushed himself upright, leaning against the headboard.
"Ugh, my whole body…."
Every inch of him ached and throbbed. But especially his stomach burned so much that a groan escaped his lips unbidden.
"That’s why you shouldn’t have pushed yourself so hard. You really ought to think about your age now."
Seop Mugwang narrowed his eyes and shot a glare at the person seated beside his bed. With a soft trickle, Seolhwa poured water into a cup and handed it to him, her expression utterly composed.
"What, you bragging about being young?"
Seop Mugwang grumbled as he took the cup and drank. The moment the water went down, his stomach burned again.
"Urgh," he groaned.
Seolhwa retrieved the cup with a faint smile.
"Still, I’m glad you weren’t seriously hurt."
Especially during that explosion. Had she and Imwoe been just a little later, Seop Mugwang and Choryeon would have been caught in the blast. They wouldn’t even have found the bodies.
It was sheer fortune that they arrived in time.
Hssss— "…?"
Seop Mugwang glanced toward the foot of the bed. A black snake was slithering up onto the mattress. It climbed brazenly over his legs and flicked its tongue.