Before I End Up as Rabbit Stew - Chapter 14

“Let’s go.”

Heukryong led her through the door. It was as natural a movement as crossing a room. With a single step, they crossed the boundary between the Red Soil Realm and the Celestial Realm. As soon as the two of them passed through the door, the doorknob and the Dragon Pearl disappeared.

“Truly, it’s quite a convenient ability.”

Yimae suddenly grumbled.

“If the Moon Palace had a chief guard, I wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

Her heart had nearly stopped from being lowered in a bucket. She wouldn’t have had to immerse herself in the icy lake. While she grumbled in a disgruntled voice, Heukryong went to a nearby stall and settled some accounts.

“Take this.”

What he handed her was a veil with thin fabric hanging down from a small conical hat. Yimae looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

“No one would recognize me even if I transformed into a human, would they?”

“We’re going to a place where it’s better not to have your face exposed.”

As he said that, Heukryong also put on a long conical hat that covered up to the bridge of his nose. Yimae, who had been carefully watching him tie the hat strings under his chin, followed suit and put on the veil.

“It’s easier to see than I thought.”

She had thought that the black fabric would obstruct her vision, but it had a function where she could see out clearly while others couldn’t see in. Yimae, fascinated, looked around in all directions. The veil fabric fluttered like wings following her movements.

“Follow me.”

After confirming that Yimae’s face was well-covered, Heukryong walked ahead. Bipamung, the largest night market in the Celestial Realm, was always crowded with people. The streets, densely lit with softly glowing crimson lanterns, were bustling with people and spirits alike, each busy with their own affairs.

The sky was dark, and cold stars shone. Only this street, created under the guise of a night market, was always night without sunlight. Yimae inevitably thought of another place without sunlight, the Moon Palace.

‘I wonder how things are.’

With not just one, but two moon rabbits having escaped, not only would all of Da-won’s work be paralyzed, but Heng-a might even be questioned for neglecting her duties. Knowing that no one would recognize her in her human form, Yimae felt uneasy for no reason. Bipamung was too close to the Celestial Emperor’s Palace.

“Heukryong.”

She instinctively looked for Heukryong. Although she often didn’t want to admit it, the person closest to her right now was Heukryong. He knew her appearance both as a rabbit and as a human without any pretense.

“Heukryong?”

She had lost track of Heukryong while her mind was wandering. It should have been more difficult not to notice him, as he was huge and tall and wearing a black conical hat, but he was nowhere to be seen. Yimae’s heart pounded.

“Heukryong!”

At the same time as she shouted, her mouth was covered. A large, cold hand that had come inside the veil fabric covered Yimae.

Heukryong, who was firmly blocking her mouth, bent down. He whispered in her ear through the thin fabric.

“Don’t call me that.”

How could the person who was ahead be behind her? Yimae was curious, but she didn’t bother to ask. It was enough that she had found him in her sight again. When she grabbed the fingertips of Heukryong’s hand that was covering her mouth, he immediately removed his hand.

“Then what should I call you?”

Yimae gently turned her head and looked at Heukryong.

“Anything but that title. It’ll be troublesome if it gets out that I’m Heukryong.”

He really didn’t seem to see himself objectively. From the black robe and black conical hat, he already looked suspicious to anyone who saw him. Moreover, his size was so large that even four people couldn’t surround him to hide him. There were few Celestial Emperor’s Palace warriors with such a large build. And what about his black hair that fluttered like a waterfall every time he walked, and the dragon patterns embroidered with gold thread on the front of his shoes?

Anyone who knew even a little about the Four Guardian Gods would recognize Heukryong.

“Let’s move discreetly.”

However, he seemed very confident in his disguise. He acted as if his entire appearance was invisible to others just because he wore a conical hat. Yimae didn’t want to poke at him for no reason, but she deeply felt that he sometimes seemed like a showy but incompetent person.

He crossed the most crowded street. Behind the main street were rows of taverns and inns, and across from them was the red-light district alley.

Heukryong occasionally looked back while walking ahead to guide the way. He seemed to be checking if Yimae was following well. Each time, people’s attention was drawn to the huge man, so the discreet movement was a complete failure. Yimae thought it was fortunate that the veil hid her laughter.

“A young master who doesn’t know the ways of the world.”

Even if they didn’t recognize him as one of the Four Guardian Gods, the expensive silk clothes with a glossy sheen drew attention to him. People probably thought of him as a son of a great god of the Celestial Realm or a high-ranking official of the Celestial Emperor’s Palace. Just the fact that no one blocked his path even though the crowd was so dense showed that.

“Young lady! Have you heard about the hand mirror? We also have crescent combs!”

But Yimae was also wearing high-quality silk clothes. The stall merchants, seeing her as a daughter of a wealthy family, grabbed her one by one.

“Come and see our fur shoes!”

“We have sweets, sweets.”

Women’s accessories and cosmetics were displayed in various colors. There were also neatly tied knot ornaments and fans for covering the face.

Was it because she had become human that she had a desire for luxury? Yimae’s eyes, which had never been interested in such things, were drawn to them. How could they make them so intricately? Without realizing it, Yimae picked up a comb with an elegant plum blossom decoration.

“You have a good eye, young lady. This comb goes well with these shoes.”

The merchant showed her a pair of danghye shoes from the lower stall. They were white danghye shoes with the same plum blossom decoration as the comb.

“Ah, just a moment! Yimae, who had been absentmindedly admiring the danghye shoes, was startled as if pricked by a needle. She had forgotten about Heukryong for a moment. She hurriedly turned back to the path she had been on. However, Heukryong was not in the street where people were layered like waves. Yimae’s face turned dark.

She hesitated, about to call out to Heukryong loudly. She remembered his request not to use the title Heukryong. Yimae hesitated with her mouth slightly open.

She knew Heukryong’s original name exactly. But even if she knew it, she couldn’t call it out. The names of the Four Guardian Gods could not be mentioned privately.

Among the many people crossing paths, she saw Heukryong’s black conical hat standing tall. Yimae breathed out a sigh of relief and walked towards the black conical hat. The street was so crowded that she was pushed around and her steps were slow.

The conical hat did not move as if it had become a statue. Even so, Yimae was anxious that he would disappear again soon. She had to call him. She had to let him know that she was here.

But what should she call him?

“I like this brush, husband.”

“If you want it, dear, let’s get it.”

A couple who seemed to be married were standing in front of a stall selling various stationery items. They were choosing a fine-tipped brush with a jade handle. Yimae, who had glanced at the couple’s conversation, made up her mind. And as she went a little further, she shouted loudly towards the conical hat.

“Husband!!!!!!!”

What kind of woman called her husband so flippantly? The stall merchants and the people coming and going all looked at Yimae at once. Because of that, the flow of people stopped for a moment. Yimae shouted again towards the conical hat.

“Husband!!!!!!!”

Yimae jumped up and down and waved her hand. She almost fell because of the uneven road and ran towards Heukryong. Heukryong, who had been unmoving like a small island in the middle of the sea, stretched out his arms. And he caught the dangling Yimae accurately.

“Try to keep pace.”

Yimae was being unreasonable, even though she had been distracted by looking at the stalls and had lost him. She stepped away from Heukryong and stood up straight. The white face visible under the conical hat was as cold as ever, but it also seemed a little gentle. However, as Yimae leaned in to see more closely, the gentle light disappeared in a flash.

“I won’t wait if I lose you again.”

“Huh? But since we’ve come to Bipamung anyway, we should also…”

This time, Yimae showed interest in a stall full of snacks. Heukryong sighed softly and walked forward. Then, as if to say, “Look at me,” Yimae called him to a stop in one go.

“Husband! Let’s go together!”

Heukryong, who had stopped like a stone Buddha, turned to look at Yimae. Somehow, the gaze under the conical hat was subtly avoiding her eyes.

“Don’t call me that.”

“No, Heukryong is not allowed, and neither is ‘husband.'”

Yimae chattered and stood next to Heukryong.

“Then what on earth should I call you?”

He moved his lips as if he was about to say something, but he stopped in the end. Yimae, who had been waiting silently for an answer, shook her head with a deflated expression.

The two soon entered the inn alley. It was much quieter and more secluded than the main street because only people who needed a place to stay came and went there.

Support Before I End Up as Rabbit Stew