Chapter 45: Because I love you.

Rustle.

How did things end up like this?

“…”

Buried in thick blankets, Baek Yeon rubbed her stinging eyes, raw from crying.

‘Disappointed…’

The only thing echoing in her mind was the single word Seoran left behind.

Seoran was disappointed in her.

Baek Yeon felt so wronged.

There was a reason for everything she did.

‘I just… wanted you to look only at me…’

Was that so wrong?

I only did it because I love you.

The fragments of thoughts she couldn’t voice consumed her mind.

The air in the quiet room felt colder today, the chill seeping into her bones, making her curl up instinctively.

Resentment crept into a corner of her heart.

It’s cold. I’m struggling. It hurts.

You said you were mine. You’re supposed to stay by my side.

How could you leave me, saying you’re disappointed? You promised to stay with me.

So why aren’t you here?

But—

Amidst the flood of sensations and emotions, one truth emerged.

“I miss you…”

She missed Seoran.

She wished Seoran would come running and hold her.

If she did, Baek Yeon could forgive everything…

Biting her lip, she curled up tighter.

She knew these thoughts were meaningless.

But her head throbbed from crying, making clear thinking impossible.

Just as her eyes began to close—

Knock, knock.

“Yeon-unnie…”

“…”

A gentle voice accompanied the cautious knock.

A flicker of hope that it might be Seoran vanished instantly.

“Are you still unwell today?”

“…”

“I just… want to see your face…”

Unaware of Baek Yeon’s feelings, Zhuge Bin continued in a tender voice.

To be honest…

Baek Yeon felt nothing.

Everything except Seoran was an annoyance, something she didn’t want to deal with.

‘…Come to think of it.’

Seoran’s parting words flashed through her mind.

‘She told me to apologize.’

To apologize for dragging Zhuge Bin into our matters, for using her sincere feelings.

Truthfully, Baek Yeon still didn’t fully understand Seoran’s words.

She didn’t see what was so wrong with what she did.

But then she bit her lip.

‘Maybe…’

If she apologized to Zhuge Bin, Seoran might forgive her.

If that’s what Seoran wanted… Baek Yeon could play the part.

“…You can come in.”

Her hoarse voice cracked through dry lips.

At her permission, the door swung open.

Baek Yeon, with effort, lifted her heavy body and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Goodness… unnie.”

Zhuge Bin, entering the room, gasped, her eyes wide.

Baek Yeon’s appearance was shocking.

And understandably so.

She hadn’t eaten properly for days, just locking herself in her room and crying.

Zhuge Bin set a tray of snacks on a nearby table and hurried to her side.

Kneeling before her, she looked up with tearful eyes.

“Unnie, are you in a lot of pain? What do we do…?”

“…”

Pain…

It seemed the people of Baekryu Hall had been using that as an excuse to turn Zhuge Bin away.

Her heart did ache, but it wasn’t physical pain.

“…I’m fine.”

Feeling no need to explain, Baek Yeon brushed it off.

Zhuge Bin, crestfallen at the curt reply, stared at her briefly.

“…Oh, right.”

She returned to the table, pouring a cup of tea from the tray.

“Unnie, I told you I brought a gift, right?”

“Yeah…”

“It’s this. Tea brewed with flowers good for your health.”

“…”

Baek Yeon stared blankly at the cup.

“Your throat sounds hoarse—try a sip.”

Without thinking, she took a sip.

She needed to wet her throat to speak anyway.

Hwaaa—

‘…!’

The moment she drank, a warm sensation spread through her body.

An oddly intense warmth.

Her eyes widened.

This wasn’t the warmth of ordinary tea.

“…What… is this?”

Her voice trembled with unease.

Zhuge Bin, delighted that Baek Yeon accepted her gift, smiled without noticing the shift.

“It’s tea brewed with the root of the Thousand-Year Sunflower. I went through a lot to get it.”

The Thousand-Year Sunflower.

A mystical flower imbued with extreme yang energy, a rare elixir.

Zhuge Bin had gone to great lengths to acquire it for Baek Yeon’s Nine Yin Severed Meridians.

But—

Baek Yeon’s reaction wasn’t what she expected.

“…Hrk.”

For an ordinary case of Nine Yin Severed Meridians, this tea would’ve been beneficial.

But Baek Yeon’s condition was different.

“Hrk… gasp…”

Her body reacted violently to artificial yang energy.

Clutching her chest, she struggled to breathe.

The yin energy in her body, reacting to the sudden influx of yang, began to rage uncontrollably.

“…Unnie?”

Only then did Zhuge Bin sense something was wrong, her voice filled with panic.

But Baek Yeon had no strength to respond.

The cold energy coursing through her burrowed deeper, spiraling out of control.

Shhh—!

As the rampant yin energy surged through her meridians to her head—

Thud!

“…Ugh.”

“Unnie!!!”

Baek Yeon collapsed, losing consciousness.

—

So this is love.

“Ugh…”

I rubbed my flushed face.

I was embarrassed.

I thought I was angry because Baek Yeon used Zhuge Bin’s feelings… but that wasn’t it.

It was because she let someone else intrude on us.

“This is so… childish…”

I muttered, groaning.

To think my first real anger toward Baek Yeon came from such a ridiculous reason…

And to realize I love her in the midst of this absurd situation.

“…Seriously.”

The whole situation was so absurd, I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“Youth is wonderful, isn’t it?”

The Divine Mother cackled with a sly grin.

But then her gaze softened with a hint of pity.

“You’ve chosen a difficult path, falling for someone with the fate of Nine Yin Severed Meridians.”

“…Haha.”

“Don’t invest too much of your heart.”

She looked up at the sky.

“Losing someone you love with all your heart forever… it’s a heavy burden.”

Her words carried the weight of experience.

With centuries in that small body, she must’ve faced countless farewells.

Everyone around her, unable to undergo Rejuvenation, would’ve passed away.

“…I’m already prepared.”

But I had promised to stay by Baek Yeon’s side, even knowing that future.

‘…Right, I promised.’

Realizing this, I shot to my feet.

I couldn’t waste time here.

Every second was precious.

Time to be together, to be happy, was far too short.

‘I need to apologize.’

For being too harsh a few days ago.

For being jealous because someone intruded on us… because it felt so unbearable.

Why?

‘…Because I love you.’

I swallowed the words at the tip of my tongue.

This was something to say to Baek Yeon’s face.

I was certain.

If I spoke my feelings honestly, she’d smile with joy.

Just imagining that smile pushed my embarrassment aside, filling me with new emotions.

Joy, affection, longing…

And love.

Realizing this, I couldn’t bear not seeing her.

But at that moment—

“Ran! Ran! Are you there?!”

Song Hwa’s voice echoed across the hill.

‘…What’s wrong?’

Sensing the urgency in her tone, I raised my voice to answer.

“Yes! I’m here!”

“…Thank goodness.”

Song Hwa burst through the grass, rushing toward me.

Her face was unnaturally pale.

“We need to go down… now. Come on.”

As if something had happened.

‘…’

My heart sank.

I tried to ask what was wrong, but anxiety choked me, leaving my mouth agape.

“The Young Lady… she collapsed.”

“!”

The words I dreaded most spilled from Song Hwa’s lips.