Absolute Regression Chapter 93

Episode 93: The villains get along well with each other.

Instead of going to his own residence, Mabul went back to find Geommuyang.

After seeing Geommu-geuk, I wanted to see Geommu-yang again. I thought I would fall asleep if I watched it one more time.

“Are you here?”

He was always neat and polite.

Since we met and parted ways earlier, I should have asked why you came again, but Geommuyang did not reveal personal curiosity or feelings.

It’s to the point where I think maybe he has an obsession with having to do that in order to become a Heavenly Horse.

There has never been a day when that distance has been felt more clearly than today, but I was not the type to be shaken by such things.

“A scholar came to see me.”

“Is it Mugeuk?”

“yes.”

“okay.”

Geommuyang didn’t ask what they talked about when they met. He just nodded once.

“Why don’t you ask? Why did you come? What did we talk about?”

“It’s okay. I trust you, sir.”

Mabul thought that he had come to the right place to find Geommuyang.

‘Yes, the Grand Duke is originally like this. He is not delicate and blunt, but he is a true person. Yes, believe me. This is how it all works out.’

Mabul tried to release all the pent-up emotions.

I shook off all the things I had done, including meeting the leader of the Pungcheon sect and offering the position of Jeil Majon to Hyeolcheon Doma.

“Then take a rest.”

Mabul stood up from his seat. If only it had ended here. If only he had simply left it up to himself to discard all this emotional dregs.

The black sheep spoke from behind.

“The reason I offered the position of Jeilmajon to Hyeolcheon Doma was to persuade him.”

Mabul flinched and stopped moving.

‘Why now? Why now? Why are you telling me this after meeting Geommugeuk when you didn’t do it when you wanted it so badly?’

Mabul didn’t turn around right away, afraid that his hidden feelings would show on his face.

From behind, the black sheep spoke again.

“When I become a Heavenly Demon, the first demon lord will naturally be you.”

Mabul was angry.

I thought that he was saying this because he was anxious and worried that Geommugeuk might try to persuade him while handling the fish he had caught so far.

‘Why do you make me feel this way? You said you trusted me?’

I guess it’s a cognitive dissonance, but it’s still frustrating even if you try to understand it.

‘Your Highness, weren’t you the one who ignored your younger brother? Weren’t you the one who was proud and looked down on someone like Moo-geuk?’

But he couldn’t get angry. He was the one who had tried to show how much the sword dance had changed by mobilizing even the Yunnan Twins.

That’s right, your brother is someone you have to be nervous about.

But it didn’t have to lead to distrust in oneself… … .

Ma-Bul turned around, trying to smile.

“I knew you would do that.”

“I’m worried that you might misunderstand what I’m saying since I just met my younger brother.”

Oh, I shouldn’t have said that. If I had, it would have been just a coincidence, or my inattention, or my own misunderstanding. I would have forced myself to think that way.

“How could I misunderstand? I am grateful that you value me.”

“That’s a given. Don’t say that.”

“Then I will take my leave now.”

So Ma-bul politely greeted him and left Geommu-yang’s residence.

When he returned to his residence alone along the dark road without moonlight today, Mabul gathered his thoughts like this.

‘It’s because he’s still young. If he’s perfect like Lee Gongja, why would he need me? A Grand Prince with weaknesses is better than a Lee Gongja who’s like a snake. I’ll just take good care of him.’

His loyalty to Geommuyang was as bright as the light radiating from his body.

* * *

Ilhwageomjon came to see me in the Hwangcheon-gak office.

“Okay, this is a gift.”

She held out a pot full of flowers.

“Thank you. It’s pretty.”

I put the flower pot on the windowsill.

While I was exchanging a few words with her about flowers, Seo Dae-ryong came in with his car. My playful spirit kicked in and I spoke to Seo Dae-ryong solemnly.

“From now on, when I’m not around, that flower is the responsibility of Inspector Seo. It’s a special gift from the Inspector, but do you know what will happen if you kill it?”

If it were just the two of them, all kinds of sad yet funny words would have come out, but because Ilhwageomjon was there, Seodaeryong simply answered yes and left.

Although they had all gone together to see the leader of the Pungcheon Sect before, Ilhwageomjon was still a very difficult person for Seodaeryong.

“I wonder if you came looking for me when you’re busy.”

“No, the investigators are doing the work, I’m just slacking off.”

For that to be the case, there were just too many papers piled up on my desk.

There was a lot of work to do at Hwangcheon-gak.

No matter how many times I put them in, the villains kept coming out. The number of villains may have been fixed from the beginning. I even thought that when one person vacates the position, it may be automatically filled.

But no matter how busy he was, the Hwangcheon Pavilion work was just as important as becoming a successor.

I was faced with the task of a lifetime to kill the Fire Weapon, but at the same time, I was living in this era.

“Did your older brother go to see you too, senior?”

I guessed exactly why she came to visit today.

“Yeah. You came looking for me.”

“Wow, you’re so diligent, my brother.”

“That’s why it’s popular.”

I nodded as if I acknowledged it. He had been mean and cruel to me, but it seemed different to the outside world.

He never had any arrogance or complacency, thinking that he should naturally become the successor because he was the grand duke. He thought a lot about it, worried a lot, and above all, he was a diligent person.

“I know there are many people who like you.”

“The Archduke is someone who fits well with our school. If you leave him in charge, you have a sense of stability that he will lead you well.”

“Me?”

“You really are a mismatch. Where on earth will you lead us? You make us anxious. And yet, seeing as you are so popular… … .”

After a moment, Ilhwageomjon continued speaking.

“I feel like there is hope for us too.”

“What hope?”

“I hope that the new magic you mentioned can be established.”

“Thank you for a good look.”

“But don’t forget. There are still many people in our school who hate change. There are many who believe that evil is our strength and our essence.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“By the way, the Archduke is moving so quickly, are you just going to watch?”

“I don’t know much about the other demons besides you two, Elder Doma and Senior. I don’t know who to bring to our side.”

I pretended not to know anything because I was curious about what Ilhwageomjon was thinking.

Then she said something unexpected.

“Do you know who voted for Cheongseon instead of me and Doma when they were electing the Lord of the Underworld? It was the person Doma persuaded.”

“I don’t know. The old man didn’t tell me.”

“Shall I tell you?”

Originally, the affairs and decisions among the Amazons were kept strictly secret from the outside world. She was trying to break that rule for me.

“Can you tell me?”

“No way.”

“But why?”

“I too want to try living by breaking the rules.”

He smiled as he did so. How could he be halfway there?

“Actually, I’m an old-fashioned and inflexible person. If there’s a rule, I don’t break it easily. If I have an appointment with someone, I have to arrive early, and if I’m misunderstood, I’m the type of person who can’t sleep because I’m nervous. I worry a lot that I don’t need to, and I’m sensitive to what the world thinks of me. Either way, I’m a tiring person.”

“Isn’t that fatigue what created your current reputation?”

Ilhwageomjon smiled bitterly.

“In some ways, that may have been the case. Anyway, I’m trying to be a little more flexible now. How about breaking some rules? If it helps you, it’s worth it.”

“Is there any reason why you changed your mind?”

“I’m getting older, so I keep looking back on my life. I regret this, I regret that, I regret everything in my life, but of all of them, this is the one I regret the most.”

Chaaang.

She gently drew her sword. Her gaze turned to the blade.

“I have spent my entire life trying to make sure that this sword will never be broken by anyone. But in return, my life has become just as hard.”

She lifted her gaze from the sword to me and spoke.

“It’s such a shame that I’ve lived my life so rigidly.”

I felt that she was truly remorseful.

I spoke softly to comfort her.

“Are you upset because it seems like no one knows your life? You’ve lived so thoroughly, but you feel like no one really understands it. You feel like everyone else is living their lives just fine, but you’re the only one who’s been feeling foolish?”

Then, a look of surprise appeared on Ilhwageomjeon’s face.

“How do you know my heart so well?”

Because it’s an emotion I’ve felt at least once.

“It’s because I respect you so much, senior.”

Ilhwageomjon said with a big smile.

“Yes, I should tell you. There is someone who knows my heart so well and respects me, so why would I hide that rule? The person who voted in favor is the worst of the worst.”

I was surprised by her words.

“Isn’t it surprising?”

“Yes. Isn’t the evil Soma one of your brother’s people?”

“That’s right.”

It was unexpected.

It was surprising that the evil Soma took our side, and it was even more surprising that it was the Bloodthirsty Demon who persuaded him.

Ilhwageomjeon interpreted this part as follows.

“They both got along well since they’re both villains.”

I chuckled, but she was serious.

“I don’t know if it was someone else, but I’m telling you that the evil Soma is involved. He’s not someone you can take lightly. Doma might be harboring other thoughts.”

I asked with a smile.

“Do you hate Elder Toma that much?”

“I don’t hate it. Hate means having a strong emotion. I just don’t like it.”

She stood up, trying hard to push the chopping board out of her life.

“Then I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Thank you for the important information.”

“Think of it as a gift from a close friend.”

As she was leaving, Seo Dae-ryong was standing in the hallway holding a water bottle for a flower pot.

It was an effort to look good to Ilhwageomjon, but the problem was that she became slightly sensitive when he mentioned Doma.

Ilhwageomjon spoke coldly to Seo Daeryong, who had now become the disciple of the villain Doma from the investigator of Hwangcheongak.

“That flower is my favorite. If someone dies because of a mistake, I will be very sad.”

When she left like that, Seo Dae-ryong became sad.

“From now on, I am the third most important person in this office. The name of that flower is now Second Person.”

I left the office laughing at his self-deprecating banter.

“Where are you going?”

“To meet the evil Soma.”

“Oh my! You say such scary things as if you were going out to eat?”

“Are you afraid of the evil Soma?”

Seo Dae-ryong asked with his eyes wide open in surprise.

“Then you’re not scared? Of all the demons in our school, I’m most scared of the evil Soma.”

“You said before that the Demon Lord was the scariest?”

“Because he’s dead now.”

“Why is the evil Soma scary? Because it’s called the evil one?”

“Haven’t you heard? When the evil Soma gets angry, he’s really scary.”

“I’m scared when I’m angry. I think you’re the scariest.”

“Please leave me out. I’m the kind of person who just lets it go when I get angry. My dream is to live without ever getting angry. I used to be that kind of person… … .”

We both knew that things had changed quite a bit by now, so we looked at each other and smiled.

“Are you really not scared?”

“Why am I scared when I go see a funny person?”

“A funny person?”

“Isn’t that a joke?”

Because of the extreme evil that preceded him, people often forget that he was Soma. The same was true for Seo Dae-ryong.

“It’s not something to laugh about. If you peel off the laughing part, it will say things like “burn to death,” “tear to death,” and “explode to death.” Huh? You’re not trying to bring the evil soma to our side, are you? Please tell me no.”

“Are you afraid of him being your enemy? Or are you afraid of him being your ally?”

“Of course… … but the worst Soma won’t do!”

That’s what I said, but I know better than anyone else that the evil Soma is someone who can never be an ally.

Still, the reason I go to see him is to make him neither an ally nor an enemy.