Chapter Text
There was a choked sob.
A quiet, muted whimper.
Yu Junghyeok froze.
He was on his way back from the great hall, intending to rest in his chamber after a hectic evening full of distress that followed the report of a gruesome demon attack in southern territories. He had been so preoccupied with organizing defenses and planning counterattacks that he hadn't realized the absence of one of his strategists at the end of the meeting.
And at that moment, he saw how said strategist slumped at the end of an empty corridor.
"...Kim Dokja?"
The man didn't hear him. He continued to sob and curl into himself, gripping the front of his shirt tightly as he gasped for air.
"Kim Dokja?"
Cautiously, like he was afraid to spook a small animal, Yu Junghyeok approached the sobbing man.
Oh. He just remembered.
The Seodaemun village in the south.
It was destroyed in the last demon attack. Along with all its residents.
Along with Kim Dokja's mother.
Yu Junghyeok didn't understand much about the relationship between Kim Dokja and his mother. However, he had heard the passing wind enough to know that it wasn't a warm one.
Kim Dokja was born between his baron father and his mother, a mysterious nomadic beta woman from the south, one that the baron forcibly wed as his third wife for her beauty. It wasn't hard to guess that she wasn't happy with her marriage, yet she gave birth to Dokja and raised him under the torture of the rest of their family.
An accident happened when Kim Dokja was barely fifteen, one that involved a bloody sword in the hand of the mother and a puddle of blood around the body of the father.
Ever since then, the baron family collapsed and the third wife, who had turned into a wanted person for her betrayal towards the barony, fled to the southern territories, abandoning Kim Dokja alone among the unforgiving relatives.
The mistreatment of those relatives continued until Kim Dokja gathered enough courage to escape their territory and follow Yu Junghyeok to the north, where he finally found his strength and self-worth under the guidance of Grand Master Rodgraim.
It would be a lie to say that Yu Junghyeok understood Kim Dokja’s emotions. He wouldn't know what to feel towards the death of a mother who had abandoned him.
What Yu Junghyeok could do was only pulling Kim Dokja to his arms and muffling the sound of his cries.
An omega is always born weaker than the other secondary genders, even more so after they start presenting. Their bodies are developed more to carry children and manage a safe home than to brave the world for food and resources. But that doesn't mean that an omega is helpless, as they have innate magic inside them.
The mana they were born with coats them in two layers of barrier, similar to a wall to protect them from the world. The first wall protects them physiologically, to keep their mind stable and steady through extreme hormonal changes. The second wall protects them physically, guarding their body from unwanted pheromones and manifesting as a magic barrier when they're unable to defend themselves during heats and childbirth.
That is why omegas are the easiest to learn magic, as they are the most attuned to mana.
If an omega ever learns to become a mage, they will gain a third wall as they gather nature's mana around their body and manipulate it as a fuel to do their magic.
But Kim Dokja has long since realized that he has a fourth wall.
He has an idea when it first manifested, but he doesn't understand how or why. This foreign but hauntingly familiar mana envelopes his mind like a fortress, giving him abilities to reduce mental attacks and even suppress his hormones to the point of making his heat cycle almost nonexistent. It even helps offset physical pain. Very convenient.
Which is why he has steeled himself to personally carry out this plan.
"You are truly a stupid disciple," Kyrgios Rodgraim scolds from outside the magic circle where Dokja stands.
Dokja just gives him an awkward smile.
"You don't have to personally come with me, Master."
The Grand Mage gives him a slightly furious look. "I can do whatever I wish."
Dokja laughs softly. His Master hasn't changed at all.
Ignoring his thundering heart, Dokja bends down and places his palms on the circle. The mana whirrs alive, heating the air as they run around in the shape of the magic circle. Dokja feels sweat trickle down his face, but he holds on, guiding the mana flow steadily before snapping and instantly reversing the flow back.
A loud crack resounds, and when Dokja stands again, the circle under him is split in two, the surface full of fractures.
His breathing is slightly heavy, but all in all, he's still in a good shape. He doesn't even feel any pain, all of it absorbed by his fourth wall.
"Did you see, Master? I told you it's okay," he boasts towards the Grand Mage. "My mana amount has grown enough already. I don't even feel a twinge!"
Ignoring him, his Master approaches him and taps his forehead with a little more force than necessary. A spark lights up from where their skin touched. Dokja rubs his head, whimpering, but his body suddenly feels way lighter.
"Thank you, Master," he murmurs, a bit shy.
Kyrgios huffs, clearly pleased but still not impressed by his recklessness and stupidity. "I don't see why I can't go with you to destroy the rest of the circles."
Dokja grimaces, explaining for yet the hundredth time. "Master, this is just the weakest of them all. If I'm to destroy larger ones, we need someone in the epicentrum of the whole continent's plate to keep things balanced. If not, we'll risk disrupting the Realms' Walls. Who else can do it but you? Besides, your presence is too great, Master, the demons would certainly—"
"Alright! Alright!" the Master grumbles loudly, stomping away with a disgruntled face. "I'll stay in my tower, but you have to go straight to me whenever you finish your mission!"
Dokja swallows his urge to smile. "Yes, Master."
"What an importunate disciple I have," the Master laments. "At least bring that alpha mage with you when you go to destroy other circles. Don't ever go alone, you hear me?"
Can't hold himself from smiling anymore, Dokja beams, "Yes, Master."
"Have you decided on what to do about your father's offer, Your Highness?"
Dokja peeked at the second princess, who was smiling gently as she swirled her wine glass.
"What do you advise me to do, Dokja-ssi?"
"P-pardon? Me?" Dokja squeaked, feeling his face flushing when the princess leaned into his side.
When he received no answer other than a knowing smile, Dokja cleared his throat. "I guess being a grand duchess would be good for Your Highness. But I'm afraid the power would end up being a double-edged sword considering that it was the Emperor who bestowed the power. We might've kept our involvement a secret, but the Emperor is no fool. He'll find out sooner or later."
"That's one of the reasons why I don't want to take it," the princess nodded, pouring more wine into her glass. There were several empty bottles scattered around them already. Sometimes Dokja was terrified of the Princess's alcohol tolerance. He had a strong suspicion that if the empire ever held a drinking contest, the princess would certainly get the first place.
The emperor had been pressuring the princess to take on the title of Grand Duchess of Ariadne, following the death of the former grand duchess, which might or might not be orchestrated by the emperor himself.
If the princess accepted the title of a grand duchess, she would go down the succession line below Prince Yu Junghyeok, as the law of the empire stated that, to ensure that its power wouldn't be devoured by the imperial family, the grand duchy could not be owned by an imperial heir, hence why the princess should give up her right to the throne if she was to inherit it. But as a grand duchess, she would have a higher authority and political power than a crown prince.
Dokja deduced that the current emperor didn't care that much about which place his daughter was in the line of succession, since he planned to kill both of his brother's children anyway. He had succeeded to kill the youngest sister, and it wouldn't be long until he openly tried to do the older brother in.
Besides, Dokja had long since gotten the suspicion that the emperor didn't plan to step down from the throne for a really long time. Perhaps he would even plan to skip Yu Sangah entirely and abduct her future children to be his heir instead, as he was not that blind to see that she and Yu Junghyeok had an amicable relationship, which showed that Yu Sangah didn't share his greed for the throne. He just wanted Princess Sangah to be his obedient puppet and kept out of Yu Junghyeok's reach. On the surface, she would appear to be excluded from the race of succession, but in reality, the emperor would gain a new pillar of power in his secret war against his nephew.
That would also cause a rift between the cousins, if they've ever established any siblinghood.
"But I have another reason," Yu Sangah sighed, a bit helpless.
The princess fiddled with a bracelet on her wrist, letting the light from the campfire illuminate the purple gems on the jewelry. Dokja recalled the accessory as one of the survival magic bracelets Han Suyeong had made in her spare time.
Ah, of course.
What the emperor didn't know was that Yu Sangah only wanted to be an ordinary woman, with people that could see her worth past her beautiful face, to be with someone who could see her for who she truly was, regardless of her façade, regardless of her background, regardless of her gender.
She wanted a simple life to fall in love with Han Suyeong.
That wish would be a mere dream if she was to be a grand duchess. She would be sent far away from the capital, and Han Suyeong wouldn't be able to go with her, as the emperor's people would always circle around her.
Yu Sangah tilted her head and smiled at Kim Dokja, her eyes looking sorrowful despite the curve of her lips.
Dokja swiped the mouth of his glass with a thumb.
Often, he would also daydream. What would it be like if their lives were simpler? What would it be like if Junghyeok wasn't a prince? If he wasn't a child of Yu bloodline?
Would their story be different?
Would they be allowed to fall in love normally?
Dokja raised his head and gave the princess a weak smile.
"I understand, Sangah-ssi."
"What exactly is your goal?" Yu Junghyeok growls at the deceptively innocent omega in front of him.
Said deceptively innocent omega blinks his deceptively innocent lashes with a deceptively innocent confusion, surely gaining sympathy from the murmuring crowd around them. "I do not follow, my Prince…"
The murmurs around them increase the longer Yu Junghyeok holds the deceptively innocent omega captive. Normally, he wouldn't even bother thinking about what other people would say about him, but as what Yu Sangah and Lee Seolhwa had often kindly reminded him, his current station as the imperial heir does demand him to maintain a favorable impression from his subjects.
And unfortunately, a tall and strong dominant alpha capturing the neck of a deceptively innocent omega—with earrings on his ears, no less—and interrogating him fiercely in broad daylight isn't exactly good for maintaining a favorable impression.
Feeling his face muscle twitch, Yu Junghyeok lets go of the dainty neck, catches the deceptively innocent omega's wrist and leads them to a more secluded place, away from distant murmurs and prying eyes.
"You follow just fine. You know what you've done, Kim Dokja," Yu Junghyeok starts. "You were the one who froze that monster!"
The story was like this; that week, with painstaking efforts, Yu Junghyeok's intel had finally managed to gather a more comprehensive report about this deceptively innocent omega. Even though the credibility was questionable at best, something in Yu Junghyeok's chest believed that what the report said was true.
His intel had basically confirmed that the one who helped Count Kim rise up the peerage was none other than this man.
Count Kim is a greedy and tyrant ruler. His territory had suffered greatly because of his incompetence. He is also rumored to be cruel towards his family, especially towards his third wife and his youngest omega son. From what the citizens of the territory had testified, the servants of the estate don't even treat the youngest son as a noble, let alone as a young master of the house.
This is a strange situation. Any normal and sane family would surely cherish and treasure a son as talented as Kim Dokja, who is so gifted that he could be the direct disciple of the Imperial Tower Master.
Instead, none of Count Kim's subjects seem to be aware that Kim Dokja is a mage, let alone one as outstanding as a disciple of Master Rodgraim. Indeed the matters of the Imperial Magic Tower are hardly known to ordinary people, but still, this is too bizarre. People only know Kim Dokja as a meek and disgraceful son of the Count, who had been tainted by an unknown alpha and even got his ears pierced. More sinister rumors even suggested that the count used his omega son's body as a payment to get resources.
Truly an anathema.
Perhaps Lee Seolhwa was right. It was Kim Dokja himself who deliberately hid his talents, silently enduring unfair treatments, abuse, and insults thrown at him.
Yet Yu Junghyeok's intel told him that it was Kim Dokja who had planned for his tyrant father to grow in power, and in turn, letting the people of their territory be more prosperous. This path was so meticulously arranged that even the Count himself had seemingly forgotten that the increasing prosperity of his county wasn't his own doing.
But what for?
He doesn't understand Kim Dokja.
What catches his attention the most is that silent and perfect control behind the curtains. Kim Dokja's strange behavior to help his abusive father aside, this point of seamless planning is uncomfortably similar to what Yu Junghyeok himself had experienced.
What if Kim Dokja was the one who had meticulously arranged his life as well?
It seems too far-fetched. How could an unknown omega son of a barely influential noble had that much reach and understanding of everything happening in this empire?
Yet there is a stubborn part of him that refuses to let go of this suspicion. He convinces himself that this was for the sake of the empire. Which was true. As a future ruler, having a hidden pillar of power that wasn't clear which side it leaned to, in addition to its concealed strength and wide webs of connections, is akin to having a huge sword hanging above his head.
A certain rumor that said Kim Dokja sold himself for resources for the Kim Family happened because there were too many powerful alphas around him, like the mage Han Suyeong, the mercenary knight Jeong Huiwon, the Ruyi Bang Guild's leader Sun Wukong, the Order of Nemesis's young knights Lee Jihye and Kim Namwoon, and many others. Despite his low-keyness, Kim Dokja was too close to so many influential and talented figures in his empire. And most worryingly, many of those figures were close to Yu Junghyeok himself.
Yu Junghyeok didn't trust Kim Dokja.
So in true Yu Junghyeok fashion, he mounted his steed and galloped towards Kim County, intending to grill that damned omega for a decent explanation.
However, as he just stepped into the Kim County territory, his aura blared with alertness as it picked up a dangerous disturbance in the surrounding natural mana. When he urged his horse towards the danger, imperatively leaving his loyal knights behind, he was faced with a humongous demon realm creature that was about to destroy an orphanage, with trembling villagers shouting all over the place and a deceptively innocent omega seemingly trying to lure the hideous creature away from the orphans.
For one stupefying moment, Yu Junghyeok's eyes met a pair of dark, bottomless, star-filled ones. Their irises vast, calm and collected, no trace of panic or fear despite the situation they were in. As if they were merely a bystander. As if everything that happened in the world was merely a story and they were but a reader.
The next thing Yu Junghyeok knew, he was flying towards the hideous creature with an aura-coated sword in hand. In that one hundredth milliseconds before his attack could reach the monster, a sliver of magic slithered towards the creature and froze it in its tracks, keeping it still with its chest completely exposed at the exact position where Yu Junghyeok's sword would pierce its heart in one breath.
Time seemed to stand still when Yu Junghyeok caught the bottomless eyes of that deceptively innocent omega for the second time as he landed on top of the monster's corpse. This time, he didn't let go of his glare.
The villagers broke into an overwhelming cheer, amazedly praising the First Star of the Empire, who was so strong and mighty he could slay a ferocious demonic beast with one easy strike.
An ordinary alpha might not realize what had just happened. But Yu Junghyeok is not an ordinary alpha.
His aura is so intense, despotic and hypersensitive.
He could feel that one sliver of mana, as well as its source. It brings him a little shudder how accurately that spell was controlled down to the milliseconds of its casting time and how precise the very path of its trajectory to reach the monster just when and where Yu Junghyeok needed it the most. And with just that tiny amount of mana, it could actually immobilize a demonic creature the size of a two-story building.
The oddness of why a demonic creature could appear in an ordinary little town aside, Yu Junghyeok was baffled. He could definitely see that this man was indeed a disciple of the Grand Mage.
And so, ignoring the constant cheers, Yu Junghyeok strode forward and clamped his fingers onto that deceptively innocent omega's neck.
Which brings them to this moment.
"Why did you do that?" Yu Junghyeok growls, not really realizing that their faces are only inches apart.
Why are you doing all of this?
Their close distance allows Yu Junghyeok to witness a spark of strange fondness that flies inside Kim Dokja's irises. Though his expression remains deceptively innocent, Yu Junghyeok could see that Kim Dokja has shed his pretense. Or at least part of it.
Kim Dokja dresses very plainly, unlike those noble children Yu Junghyeok usually sees. However, this plainness makes the gleaming red jewels on his earrings more striking. It pairs unusually well with the starry light in the deceptively innocent omega's eyes.
"For the benefit of the empire," the man finally says.
An unreasonable part of Yu Junghyeok heard the unspoken words.
It's for you.
If their minds were a bit clearer, they would realize the strangeness of how they could understand each other's underlying meanings so easily, as if they shared something. A bond. A connection.
An old companionship.
Unfortunately, their walls were too tall and neither were ready to see through what was written on the other side.
So Yu Junghyeok takes back his hand and squints. "I don't trust you."
The deceptively innocent omega smiles craftily. "Good. It'd do you well to not to, Your Highness."
A time to breathe had become increasingly scarce those days. Maybe that was why Yu Junghyeok agreed to be dragged by Kim Dokja everywhere that afternoon.
There was a fair in the little town where they stayed that week, a celebration preceding the Star's Day. Even though their homeland was far from peaceful, it was still a religious holiday after all, and so, in the name of their God, the townsfolk would forget the horrible reality and indulge in temporary happiness just for a little while.
Of course, that meant Yu Junghyeok's army had to work harder in defending the borders and giving them a slight sense of security, but well, not that they had been doing anything different for the past few years.
Yu Junghyeok had zero interest in this kind of public space, yet he couldn't help but be swayed by Kim Dokja's eager eyes. After casting a simple disguise spell on the both of them, the mage wasted no time dragging Junghyeok all over the fair—and instantly forgetting about the grumpy prince whenever he saw something that caught his eyes.
Which was many. Too many.
This was a fair to celebrate the descent of their god, the Most Ancient Dream, onto their heartland after all, and as His statues depicted, the God was very fond of books and stories. Hence, almost all of the stalls there had books.
And Kim Dokja, as his name suggested, was crazy for books.
Kim Dokja seemed determined to buy as many of them as possible. Yu Junghyeok wondered just how many books he had stuffed inside his spatial pocket in just one afternoon. Perhaps, if not for Junghyeok's gentle reminder that they were trying to not be conspicuous, the mage would certainly try to buy the entire fair.
When Kim Dokja was busy scrutinizing a book titled [King of A Kingless World], Yu Junghyeok caught a twinkle of silver in the next stall.
It was a plain, simple bookmark with a star-shaped silver charm hanging from one of its ends. The design on the bookmark was simple, foiled with silver on the starry dark blue background.
His eyebrow ticked.
Kim Dokja liked star-themed things.
Perhaps Junghyeok could slip it into one of Kim Dokja's favorite books later. His eyes unknowingly softened when he pictured the silly smile on Kim Dokja's face when he found the bookmark. He could already hear Kim Dokja's excited chatter, pestering him endlessly to force Junghyeok to admit that it was him who gifted it.
Stealing a glance at the still occupied mage, Yu Junghyeok swiftly paid for the bookmark and hid it in his coat pocket.
"What did you buy?" Kim Dokja's voice nearly jolted his heart out of his ribcage.
With a smooth tone of a dignified and aloof prince, Yu Junghyeok blinked and turned away. "Nothing. Let’s go."
"Ah! Ah! Wait! Wait!" Kim Dokja scrambled around, hastily stuffing yet another newly-bought book into his spatial pocket while running after Junghyeok.
"We've to go back."
"Heyyy, what's the hurry? We still have a couple hours until sundown! I haven't taken a look at the stalls on the west side yet!"
Yu Junghyeok ignored Kim Dokja's protests and strode lazily to the direction of their army's camps. His hand unconsciously rested on his sword handle, lowering the holster on his hips so that the tip of the sword lightly dragged on the ground.
It wasn't until a few steps later that Junghyeok realized there wasn't anyone walking by his side. When he turned back, he found Kim Dokja transfixed by a dusty little poster at the front of a shop.
"Kim Dokja?"
There was a certain sparkle in the mage's eyes that Junghyeok recognized to be the one present whenever Kim Dokja found a book or story he particularly loved.
Furrowing his brows, Yu Junghyeok followed Kim Dokja's sight to see a poster of a theater play, about the adventure of Yu Junghyeok the First—the Great Plotter, that would be held on the Star's Day after the sun was set. It was an outdoor performance, taking place in the town hall's amphitheater.
"Junghyeok-ah, can we see this?" Kim Dokja eagerly asked, flaunting those damned sparkly eyes that were wide in enthusiasm.
Something inside Yu Junghyeok's chest felt sour. What was so good about that story?
"Ridiculous."
Kim Dokja actually pouted. "Oh, come on! It's just for one night! Yeah? I promise to put a reeeeally thick barrier on the front line the entire night!"
Yu Junghyeok flung away Kim Dokja's hands that had been clinging obstinately to his arm at some point.
"I don't like crowds."
Without any further ado, he resumed his walk, leaving Kim Dokja wilting in his place.
Really. He just indulged the mage for one afternoon and now he had become impudent. Didn't that fool know how busy they were at the moment? They needed to organize the troops for the West Expedition in two weeks, and there was still the aftermath of the plague in the north they had to take care. Where did they find the time to watch a dumb play?
Besides, why would he even want to see the story of that stupid king? Hadn't Kim Dokja already collected every book ever written about him anyway? What was the use of watching something that had already happened nearly two millennia before? Yu Junghyeok didn't understand why. If that fool wanted to watch a story about a Yu Junghyeok that much, wasn't there one perfectly standing next to h—
"Fine," Kim Dokja's answer came suddenly. His voice was low and pitiful, as if he was wrongly bullied, even the vibration of the mana surrounding him felt a little droopy. "I will just ask Sangah-ssi, then."
Instantly, the sourness inside Yu Junghyeok's chest bubbled up, mixing with anger and urgency.
"I didn't say we won't go."
Turning away and grumbling, Yu Junghyeok didn't stay to see Kim Dokja's ecstatic eyes. Maybe he shouldn't buy that damn bookmark after all.
"A long, long time ago, when demons still rampaged on earth, when the boundary between realms were still blurry, when humans were still living in fear, when evil still roamed all over the heartland, there was a young knight named Yu Junghyeok."
"His name is the same as my orabeoni!"
Dokja pauses his storytelling to smile at the youngest princess who is sitting beside him. "Indeed, Your Highness. The Crown Prince is the second imperial heir to be named after the first king who founded our empire. When he ascends the throne, he will be Yu Junghyeok the Third."
"Hmph. He's not cool enough for that name, that sooty bastard!" another kid quips, throwing a demeaning smirk at the princess from his perch on the sofa's arm.
"Yah, Lee Gilyeong! I'll throw you into the dungeon if you keep insulting my brother!"
"Princess Mia, you can't abuse your authority like that. Remember that a princess should always handle things gracefully. And Gilyeong-ah, it's not nice to say things like that about our prince," Dokja pacifies the arguing children with a practiced ease, not even glancing up from the children's storybook in his hands. This is the hundredth time he heard the exact same argument.
"But hyeong, you didn't say that I was wrong! He really is a sooty bastard!"
"Why you—!"
"Ahjussiiiii!" another voice drowns out the princess and the boy's bickering. It comes from another young girl who sticks close to Dokja's other side, tugging his sleeve to get his attention. "Ignore them and please just continue reading the story!"
Dokja chuckles lightly, patting the girl's head. "Sorry, sorry. Ah, if only those two can be as good and well-behaved as our Yuseung-ie."
His little comment instantly shuts the other two kids up, as intended. From the corner of his eyes, he can see how the princess and Gilyeong glare at Yuseung in betrayal.
Truly, these rascals are very cute.
"Then I'll continue our story. Can you three be good for me?"
The princess huffs. "Just read the book, ahjussi."
This princess's behavior is amusingly similar to a certain prince, indeed.
Their routine began when Dokja's group went to prevent an attempt of kidnapping the youngest princess and several other noble children a year ago, way before Kim Dokja first met the crown prince at his 25th birthday ball.
Although Dokja had intended to save the children anonymously and flee the scene before the crown prince came to their rescue, circumstances said otherwise. He hadn't known that the culprits would hire a strong mage—one that turned out to be a high demon noble, of all things—to guard the children, or rather, to guard the youngest child of the Yu bloodline. The fight was fierce, even for him as the disciple of Grand Mage Rodgraim, ending up with his disguise magic slipping for a few seconds and the kids to see his real face.
Unfortunately, Imperial Princess Yu Mia and her two friends, Young Lady Yuseung of House Shin and Young Master Gilyeong of House Lee, were astounding children with sharp memories. Those few seconds were enough for them to carve Dokja's face into their little minds. When they saw Dokja innocently browsing some books in a capital city bookstore three months later, they cornered him immediately.
It's rather embarrassing to admit, but Kim Dokja is quite weak against children. Perhaps it's like all the old sayings. An alpha protects, a beta provides, an omega nurtures, or something like that.
Their reunion resulted in this new routine. The kids promised—or rather blackmailed—him to keep his involvement in the kidnapping case a secret if he agreed to meet them each week for a rather unusual book club meeting.
So that's what he's been doing each week this past year.
Perhaps it's a bit too childish for them to have an adult reading them books and fairytales, but for some reason, these children are obsessed with Dokja's reading. Today, they're in Marchioness Shin's mansion; Yuseung's home. Princess Mia has brought a storybook about the history of their empire from the imperial library. Of course it's only the child-friendly version. Dokja has no doubt that the imperial library would have a darker and much more detailed version of the history book.
"This man fought tirelessly to survive, bravely battling the demons with only a sword in his hand," Dokja resumes. The children flock to him, instantly silent when they hear Dokja's voice. So cute.
"Human lands were almost eradicated by the demons. Countless lives were lost. But Yu Junghyeok didn't lose hope. He kept walking forward, swinging his sword without fear. He always believed in himself because he knew his god was watching, making sure that he could never give up."
Shin Yuseung claps her hands and whispers, "My favorite character is coming!"
"Don't you think it's rude to refer to our God as a 'character'?" says Dokja.
Yuseung just shrugs. Dokja exhales.
"Ever since he was a child, Yu Junghyeok had no purpose in his life. He only fought and fought to survive. When a battle ended, there would be another waiting at its tail, without rest, without break, only endless hell that seemed to continue for eternity.
"But at some point in his life, an unknown god appeared in his dream and blessed his existence, taking Yu Junghyeok as his incarnation. A most ancient, yet forgotten god, because there were no temples nor churches that contained the blessing of this being in all the heartland.
"There was nothing this being would gain from blessing Yu Junghyeok, yet this being gave him strength, a purpose, a meaning to his existence. He made the frozen clock of Yu Junghyeok's life move forward once again. He blessed Yu Junghyeok with a land to call home, with a family to return to, with people to call his own.
"Yu Junghyeok would call this being the Most Ancient Dream, and from there on, he became a devoted believer of the forgotten god.
"The Most Ancient Dream watched each of Yu Junghyeok's steps from his place in the sky, following every win and loses in Yu Junghyeok's life, never ceasing his gaze day or night. Even in the darkest times of Yu Junghyeok's life, this star was still shining brightly. Because of this, Yu Junghyeok gave his god another name; the Watcher of Light and Darkness, he who was omniscient and all-knowing, he whomst light never dimmed, he who was the sole guide in Yu Junghyeok's life.
"Under his god's blessing, Yu Junghyeok succeeded to grow as a knight and a ruler. He built a human kingdom on the land his god had blessed him with, the N'Gai Kingdom, to celebrate the only precious star in the night sky. Eventually, the Most Ancient Dream became the cherished god of the small kingdom. People would tell his story and spread his greatness, praising him as the One Who's Loved by All. Yu Junghyeok had never been happier for his beloved god.
"Because of his amazing strategic mind, Yu Junghyeok came to be known as the Great Plotter. Many came to follow Yu Junghyeok as their leader, working together to drive the evil away and protect their land from the cruelty of the demon race. Over time, along with his brilliant achievements, Yu Junghyeok gained many names and titles, such as the Punisher, the Horror of the Stars, and the Iron Blood Supreme King."
"My orabeoni also has the same title! The Iron Blood Supreme King!" Princess Mia squeals excitedly.
"It's knight! Knight!" Lee Gilyeong snides. "He is no king!"
"But he's the imperial heir! He will be the emperor in the future so that means he'll be greater than a king!" the little princess puffs boastfully, crossing her arms like she had won the best argument in history.
Gilyeong fumes, "That just means he's unoriginal!"
Against his better judgement, Dokja snorts. Luckily, he succeeds to mask it as a light sneeze.
"Are you alright, ahjussi? Are you cold? You should've dressed more warmly!" Yuseung frets over him, bringing a little hand to touch his forehead. Such a kind and caring girl she is.
"Hyeong, you can't get sick!" Gilyeong immediately forgets his argument when he hears Yuseung's words.
"Ahjussi, you're an adult. Take better care of yourself," even the princess joins in chiding him.
Dokja swallows a chuckle. "I'm okay, I'm okay. It was just a little dust. Shall we continue the story?"
The kids don't look convinced, but they agree anyway. Sometimes, Dokja has the thought that these three children think of him as the one who should be looked after, not the other way around.
Oh, well.
Dokja clears his throat. "There are four generals by Yu Junghyeok's side. The Living Flame, who had the divine fire magic that could bring judgement upon the living. The Master of the Sunken Island, who commanded a fleet that dominated the sea. The King of Silverlight Heart, who was both the strongest shield and the sharpest sword. And the Monarch of the Great Abyss, who was an incarnation of the great Abyssal Black Flame Dragon.
"Yu Junghyeok kept fighting with these loyal generals by his side, winning and losing numerous battles to defend their kingdom, to protect what their god had given them. But even then, it was impossible to drive away all demons from the heartland.
"It was because the demons had managed to acquire the power of the Ancient Evil, a being that could destroy human lands just by existing.
"With great difficulty and countless sacrifices, Yu Junghyeok and his people managed to destroy the Ancient Evil and shatter it into 73 pieces. But their battle hadn't ended yet, as they failed to seal the Ancient Evil's power. Seeing this, the strongest demons fought to possess the shards, absorbing their power and turning them into demon kings.
"Yu Junghyeok and his people had no strength left, they could do nothing as the shards got possessed and demon kings were born one by one.
"It was the point where all hopes seemed to fade. In his dying breath, Yu Junghyeok staggered towards the 73rd shard, the biggest of them, hoping to use it to drive the other demon kings away before finally dying with it, to prevent the Ancient Evil from being reborn again and protect the land where his god's blessing resided. He pleaded for forgiveness, because he hadn't been able to protect the life given by his beloved god. He despaired, because if he died as a demon, he could never be allowed to ascend to the sky and meet his most precious god. He was filled with sorrow as he was deprived of the right to serve his god for eternity.
"But as he reached for the last shard of the Ancient Evil, a force stopped its power from corrupting Yu Junghyeok's mind. Yu Junghyeok raised his head to see the most beautiful being in existence descending to his side, a man with eyes sparkling like stars smiling at him.
"'Rest, Yu Junghyeok. I shall finish your story,' the being said as a foreign but familiar power possessed his body.
"'Ah,' Yu Junghyeok thought, 'I have finally met my beloved god.'
"Devastated by Yu Junghyeok's resolve and weeping from Yu Junghyeok's devotion, the Most Ancient Dream abandoned his godhood and incarnated into earth to save his beloved one. He possessed Yu Junghyeok's body to take over the corruption and spared Yu Junghyeok from the terrible death.
"One of the demon kings took advantage of this moment to stab Yu Junghyeok with their claws, but a divine yet terrifying roar came from Yu Junghyeok's mouth, with a voice that didn't belong to the king.
"'Do not touch my incarnation, Asmodeus!' the voice thundered viciously, sending the demons away just by the force of its wrath.
"The rest of Yu Junghyeok's soldiers watched in amazement as their king's body morphed into an ethereal being. All knees fell down to the ground as a pair of otherworldly eyes filled with stars gazed upon them. They wept as the god's light shone on their exhausted faces, healing their bodies and minds.
"The power of the Ancient Evil tainted the god's divine power, turning him into a demon king. The rest of them could only shed tears, finally realizing what a humongous amount of a sacrifice it was, as a set of dark horns sprouted from the god's forehead and jet black wings erupted from behind him with sprays of blood and torn flesh—are they sure this is the child-friendly version?" Dokja mumbles at the end of the sentence.
Princess Mia just shrugs, not even looking the least bit disturbed by the gruesome details. Dokja exhales. Must be a thing with the Yu descendants.
"Nevertheless, the god used this power to gather Yu Junghyeok's unbroken faith for him and molded it into a sword, one that would later be known as the Unbreakable Faith, using it to drive the 72 demon kings away from the human land. Then the god used Yu Junghyeok's blood to separate the realms and close the gates to the demon world. Ever since then, the demons could hardly roam around the human realm, and they couldn't even step into the N'Gai Kingdom anymore. The heartland was safe, and the kingdom cried in joy, praising their god.
"But as he was tainted and drained of most of his power, the Most Ancient Dream could never return back to his divine place. Yet never did he regret his decision. With his Falling, he could save the one he loved most and protect the kingdom his incarnation cherished. As he left Yu Junghyeok's body, the fallen god wept in joy and smiled in sorrow. After this battle, he would be imprisoned in the Realm of Eternity, even further outwith the Realm of Outer Gods, beyond the Final Wall, forever wandering, lost among the stars where all the fallen gods ceased to exist. From there on, the punishing form of the kingdom's most cherished god gained the name Demon King of Salvation."
"That sounds like something stupid ahjussi would do," comments Princess Mia.
"…Did you just call our God's sacrifice 'stupid', Princess?"
"Hyeong really is the type to do needless sacrifice." Gilyeong crosses his arms pensively.
Hey, why are these two suddenly in sync now.
"Ahjussi does have the tendency to act stupid, sometimes," Yuseung nods gravely in agreement. Dokja can't believe the betrayal.
"Yuseung-ah, not you too…"
Of course, Dokja is absolutely the most certain that these comments aren't referring to that one moment in the kidnapping incident, where Dokja took the final hit meant for the children and ended up with three broken ribs and his disguise magic slipping away, resulting in the children getting a glimpse of his real face. Mm-hmm. Certainly not.
"See? Everyone agrees you're stupid, ahjussi," Princess Mia jives. "This is why we can't leave you alone."
"You know, if we're talking about stupid sacrificial tendencies, actually the Great Plotter was stupider, wasn't he? He was the one who wanted to take the last shard and die as a demon king," Dokja retorts in defense.
Princess Mia stares at him with pitying eyes. "But the Great Plotter was a great warrior, ahjussi. You're just a walking stick."
"I seem to remember a certain incident where I saved you guys from an evil mage? I am a disciple of Grand Mage Rodgraim, you know?"
The three kids suddenly pretend to be deaf.
Gilyeong pats his chest proudly. "Don't worry, hyeong, I will protect you! Just wait until I present to be the strongest alpha!"
"You? An alpha? As if…" Yuseung sends the boy a mocking smirk.
"If there's someone who will be the strongest alpha here, it's me!" the princess interjects smugly.
"Hah! Just because you're a Yu—"
"Okay! Okay!" Dokja raises his voice and claps his hand. "While we're at the topic, let's just continue the story to learn about the origin of the alpha bloodline of the imperial family, shall we?"
Not waiting for any answer despite sensing all kinds of protests about to pour out of the children's mouths, Dokja reads, "The evil was defeated. The kingdom was safe. And the humans could now breathe freely without the constant fear of demon attacks. But instead of rejoicing, Yu Junghyeok was falling into a deep mourning."
"See, that's what happens when you do stupid and unnecessary sacrifices, ahjussi."
Dokja pointedly ignores the princess's comment.
"Seeing the great sorrow of their liege, the generals urged their king to follow his heart, promising him that their kingdom would be safe and always be there awaiting his return, for it was not only the king who grieved the loss of their god.
"And so began the king's journey to reach the Realm of Eternity. It was truly an arduous path, for a mere human to go to a place beyond the realm of the gods. But never did Yu Junghyeok cease his will. With the last light of his star's blessing still residing in his heart, Yu Junghyeok tread the path of Transcendence. He let go of all of his worldly attachments and eventually faced the Final Wall.
"The guardian of the Final Wall, a strange creature called the Dokkaebi King, said to Yu Junghyeok, 'Go back, Transcender. You don't belong here.'
"But Yu Junghyeok was firm. 'I am here to get back what I have lost,' he declared.
"The Dokkaebi King laughed. 'There is nothing for you beyond this Wall, Transcender.'
"With that sentence, the form of the Dokkaebi King morphed into that of whom Yu Junghyeok dearly longed for, the face of the star he once saw at the edge of his existence. Yu Junghyeok trembled, when the Dokkaebi King spoke with the faux voice of his god, 'Yu Junghyeok, have you protected all that you wanted to protect?'
"An indescribable pain came through Yu Junghyeok's mind, forcing him to relive the numerous failures and losses he had experienced. But none of them was as bitter and excruciating as the day he lost his god.
"The Dokkaebi King forced him to fall into depression, tormenting him by making him think about how useless he—is this really appropriate for children?" Dokja abruptly pauses his reading, scrunching his nose at the book.
"Of course it is," Princess Mia shoots. "It won't be in the children's shelves of the imperial library otherwise."
Dokja slumps a little in his seat. "But Princess, I don't think this much detail is necessary for—"
"What's the big deal, hyeong?" says Lee Gilyeong, looking genuinely confused.
Dokja is about to open his mouth, about to argue that a detailed narration of depression and mental torture is unsuitable for children, that it isn't good for their young minds to read about self-blame and the intense grief of loss, but in the end, he just exhales tiredly.
"Let's… let's just skip right to the part where the Great Plotter passed the Final Wall…"
Gilyeong shrugs.
Yuseung pats Dokja's sleeve with a solemn air. "Ahjussi is really soft-hearted."
The Princess quips, "You mean he's a wimp."
None of them disagreed. It feels like Dokja's dignity as an adult diminishes more with each of their little book club meetings.
"Ahem! Anyway, Yu Junghyeok finally overcame the trial set by Dokkaebi King and passed the Final Wall, entering the Realm of Eternity. It was a beautiful realm far beyond what human speech could describe, but in reality, it was only a graveyard for all the dying stars.
"Yu Junghyeok traveled the realm far and wide, losing count of the time as he searched for his beloved one. Was he unable to find his most beloved because there were too many stars? Yu Junghyeok did not know, but never did he tarry.
"Eventually, at the brink of infinity, he found his most treasured being curling up in a cradle of cosmic dust, sleeping listlessly in the form of a child, having lost nearly all of his power to ensure the safety of Yu Junghyeok's land.
"With trembling hands, Yu Junghyeok held the child and cried at the weak pulse he felt in his god's body.
"'My beloved god,' Yu Junghyeok bitterly whispered. 'What was the use of this life you saved if I couldn't even protect you?'
"With determination, Yu Junghyeok declared, 'I shall share your burden and suffering, I shall bring an end to your eternity.'
“Unfortunately, as he was about to step out of the Realm of Eternity, Yu Junghyeok was once again stopped by the Dokkaebi King. However great Yu Junghyeok's determination was, the Most Ancient Dream had no ties left to tether him to another realm. If he insisted on taking his god away, then the already feeble being would disintegrate into nothing, dissolving into tiny little particles and fading from existence.
“‘Then I shall exchange my soul to give him a tether,’ declared Yu Junghyeok. ‘As long as I can always be by my God's side, I am content. My God had given me his Life and Death. Therefore, I shall also accompany Him in Life and Death.’
“The Dokkaebi King stared at Yu Junghyeok for a long time, but finally, he bowed and said, ‘Then I shall be the one to make sure you fulfill that promise to the very end.’
“With the Dokkaebi King as the witness, Yu Junghyeok sacrificed his Transcendence and made an Oath of Existence to be the Life and Death Companion of his most beloved god. He took the Light of Transcendence out of his own eyes and put it on the god's ears. This gave the dying god a new life, a path to leave the Realm of Eternity. It was said that the entire realm shook with the weight of this oath, and soon, Yu Junghyeok stepped out of the realm together with a newly reawakened Most Ancient Dream.”
“Oooh, so that's why alphas give their omegas earrings at weddings!” exclaims Yuseung, clapping her hands.
“Correct, our Yuseung-ie is so smart!” Dokja rubs her head affectionately.
“But what about alphas tattooing a mark around their eyes?” Gilyeong asks, clearly not wanting to fall behind in receiving Dokja's attention.
“Stupid,” Princess Mia snorts, “Have you never seen statues of the Great Plotter? He clearly has marks on his eyes!”
“Yeah, but that doesn't answer my question!”
Dokja silently rubs Gilyeong's head to placate the kid while explaining patiently, “It is said that the Great Plotter was wounded when he took the Light of Transcendence out of his eyes, and that left a big scar around his eyes. So that's why tattooing a mark around their eyes symbolizes the love and devotion of an alpha to their omega.”
“Wow! So your earrings also symbolize your alpha's love for you, ahjussi?” Yuseung excitedly swoons.
At that, the light in Dokja's eyes becomes a little wistful.
“Mm-hmm.”
Perhaps noticing the change in his expression, the three children suddenly fall silent and not ask any more questions, which makes Dokja feel a little funny. Children are really perceptive sometimes.
He fixes his sitting position and resumes the story.
“Overwhelmed by Yu Junghyeok's oath, the God cried and returned the devotion just as strongly. Their souls hence intertwined forever. With his Transcendence gone, Yu Junghyeok could never climb to a higher realm when he died and lost the chance to reincarnate, he could only follow whichever realm his God would go, as they were now anchors for each other. And so, the Most Ancient Dream also sacrificed his chance to return to the Realm of Stars. He chose to be tethered to both his current realm in Eternity, and to Yu Junghyeok's land in the mortal world. Finally, the God followed Yu Junghyeok back to their little kingdom.
“The kingdom was overjoyed by the return of their God and their king, and from there on, they celebrated that day as the Star's day, where their beloved God descended and took shape in their mortal world.
“Little by little, reverence and devotion turned into affection and love. The King and the God started courting each other, and finally, they wed.
“The Most Ancient Dream knew how much Yu Junghyeok loved his land, and it pained him that Yu Junghyeok could never be reborn in this land again. With the love for his incarnation deep in his heart, at the day of their wedding, the Most Ancient Dream transformed his mortal body into an omega to bear his incarnation's children. He would make it so that even when their mortal bodies had decayed and they must return back to the Realm of Eternity, Yu Junghyeok's blood would still be here in their cherished kingdom, strong and pure for thousands of years.
“And whenever the constellations align, the Most Ancient Dream would be back to this mortal world, in this blessed land, and Yu Junghyeok would also be born through the Yu blood still existing in this land to accompany him. And in between, they would also be journeying hand in hand in the Realm of Eternity, forever together, as their Oath of Existence as Life and Death Companions had declared,” Dokja finishes with a satisfied sigh. This is still one of the stories he loves the most.
“So I'm a descendant of god?” Princess Mia asks with an astounded voice.
Dokja chuckles lightly. “Yes, Your Highness. Don't the people from the Church always greet your family as the ‘Esteemed blood of the Ancient Dream’?”
The little princess wrinkles her nose. “I thought that was just boring flowery words.”
Smiling, Dokja closes the book. “It's true, Princess. That's why direct descendants of the Yu family always present as alphas, because they also have the blood of our god to maintain their family line.”
“Tch. You cheated to be an alpha,” grumbles Lee Gilyeong.
“You're just jealous,” the princess scoffs.
Yuseung chimes in, “Does that mean Mia's brother is the reincarnation of the Great Plotter, ahjussi?”
“Hmm? Why do you think so, Yuseung-ah?”
“Well, because he has the same name and is also from the imperial family?”
“Of course he is!” “Of course he's not!” Two responses could be heard at the same time.
Dokja laughs lightly and restrains the two children yet again. “Maybe. We don't know. We don't have any way to prove it, do we?”
Yuseung's eyes brighten. “Then what about the reincarnation of our God?”
“Well, there isn't any news of a new Saint being awoken from the church, so I'm afraid God hasn't taken shape in our world yet.”
Lee Gilyeong grins smugly. “There's no God's reincarnation, that means that sooty bastard isn't the Great Plotter!”
“Who knows, maybe they haven't met yet!” the princess yells.
Before the fight could escalate further, three gentle knocks resound from the door.
“Your Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince is here to take you home,” the Shin Family steward announces from outside the room.
Dokja sighs. Originally, their little book club only agreed to read books in the capital city's public library—in the guarded lounge reserved for the imperial family, or in the back room of Little Planet, a private library and studio run by Dokja's good friend Asuka Ren. The reason was just that Dokja doesn't like to meet other nobles and being forced to put up his mask in the presence of the kids.
Things were great for almost a year. Dokja had never seen or got entangled with other nobles despite hanging out with three of the highest ranked noble children in the empire. And yet, just when he agreed to the change of location, the Crown Prince decides to fetch his sister from her little book club meeting in person, despite never doing that before.
That week, Yuseung had earnestly implored for them to go to her house instead because she wanted Dokja to see her new puppy, and Kim Dokja is a weak man against those pleading eyes.
What an impeccable timing that asshole prince has.
Princess Mia's eyes sparkles at the mention of her brother. Forgetting her petty squabbles with Lee Gilyeong, she jumps off of the couch and runs out of the room, with the rest of them following behind.
When they reach the first floor, Princess Mia is already dangling from her brother's waist, excitedly retelling their little activities that day.
The constantly scowling prince has a rare look of gentleness on his face as he earnestly listens to his sister's tale. However, that gentleness instantly gets switched to a ferocious glare when he catches sight of Dokja, who had just descended the stairs with the two children in each hand.
“What the hell are you doing here?!”
Dokja's smile gets a bit stiff. Ah, what a lovely and amicable tone as always.
“Orabeoni, stop being so mean to Dokja-ahjussi,” Princess Mia disapproves. It should be noted that the Princess rarely contradicts her beloved brother, if her constant bickering with Lee Gilyeong was of any indication, so Dokja can't help but feel a little touched at her protectiveness towards him.
Yu Junghyeok's scowl gets deeper. But of course, because he can't yell at his own beloved baby sister, he shoots Dokja instead, “What are you teaching my sister?”
“With all due respect, Your Highness, the Princess is intelligent enough to pick things up on her own. I do not dare to teach her anything.”
“It's best to not get acquainted with questionable people, Mia,” Yu Junghyeok advises, turning towards his sister after throwing a scathing look at Dokja.
Dokja's nostrils flare as he makes the highest degree of a disgusted look the imperial etiquette could allow. “I beg your pardon, My Prince, but our Gilyeong-ie and Yuseung-ie are very outstanding children with exemplary behaviors.”
The asshole prince fixes him a flat glare. “I was talking about you.”
Kim Dokja's eyelid twitches.
Nevertheless, he decides to be the adult between them, as he clearly has way more life experience and wisdom than this kid. “That wasn't very respectful of you, Your Highness.”
“I wasn't aware that you deserve my respect.”
Be the adult. Be the adult. Kim Dokja chants in his mind.
Fortunately, the little princess and her friends decide that their bickering was boring and they have started to say goodbyes to each other instead. With no little children to see his pettiness, Dokja slips a little perfidy into his smile, displaying a touch of fallaciousness.
“Yet everything turned out for the better, didn't it?”
With glee, he sees Yu Junghyeok's eyes sharpen as he catches the subtext of his words.
Yes, Dokja knows that the prince has been vehemently digging out proof of his involvement in major incidents in the empire. The hunting of Ichthyosaurs, the prosperity of Kim County, the death of Duke Reinheit von Djerba, the growing rift between Zarathustra leaders, the alliance with the Principality of Eden, and many more.
For the record, Dokja has never truly tried to hide that he was behind them from the Prince, but he has no plan to flat out admit it either. It's quite fun to see the Prince struggling to not strangle him because he knows that Kim Dokja is the mastermind, yet no physical proof to catch his tail.
"You said you did all of those for the benefit of the empire," Yu Junghyeok accuses.
"I did say that, yes," Dokja answers, nodding lightly. "But I had never said that I was the mastermind either. Never let your guard down, Your Highness. Keep questioning things. Do not believe easily. Not even the Emperor."
Yu Junghyeok narrows his eyes. Kim Dokja just smiles good-naturedly.
"Of course, do not believe me either, Your Highness."
They stand in silence for an everlasting minute, with Yu Junghyeok seemingly transfixed by Kim Dokja's smile.
"Orabeoni, let's go!" the princess calls.
Like a spell being broken, Yu Junghyeok whips his head away and strides towards the door without looking back.