Opening his eyes, Yoo Joonghyuk found himself in a place he'd never seen before. It seemed to be the study of a manor. He spotted an old man sitting at a worktable, looking anxious as he grabbed his head with both hands in frustration, lost.
Trying to identify the man, Yoo Joonghyuk remembered the events that transpired before he found himself here. The old man had the same face as the spatial projection of the headless knight.
Upon scanning the lavish office, Joonghyuk couldn't help but soak in the extravagant surroundings. Opulence was evident in every detail – from the grand glass windows to the assortment of paintings and relics lining the room's walls. In the center of the room, a plush set of velvet sofas beckoned, providing an air of sophistication and comfort.
Though, what caught his eye the most was the insignia of the Kaizenix Ducal. Not only did the old man have it sewn onto the breast of his jacket, but it hung proudly behind him on a large flag.
The door to the study swung open and another man entered the room, his demeanor fraught with distress as he made his way towards the room's other occupant.
"Your Grace, Lady Celine is here to speak with you..." the man stated, bowing respectfully.
The atmosphere in the room seemed to shift as the newcomer's arrival added a layer of tension to the already palpable unease. Joonghyuk observed silently, his curiosity piqued by the unfolding scene before him. Who exactly were these people, and why was this being shown to him?
The old man sighed heavily, his voice tinged with annoyance, "Tell her that I'm not in the mood to talk to her."
"But, Your Grace, she insists that it's of utmost importance," the man pleaded.
"Important?" the old man muttered before erupting into an annoyed snort. "Oh, it's important to all of them, is it? Now let me guess, it's about the title inheritance, isn't it," he spat out with disdain.
"But, Your Grace," the messenger persisted, "Lady Celine mentioned that she urgently needs to speak with you regarding your daughter, The Empress..."
The messenger's words echoed in the room. Joonghyuk's mind raced after processing them. An empress of the Seoul Empire from the Kaizenix Ducal? That had to be his mother they were referring to… which would make this man his grandfather.
Yoo Joonghyuk took in a sharp breath when the realization struck him and whipped his head over to the old man, carefully observing his supposed grandfather. The place he found himself was the corridors of the Kaizenix dukedom – the very domain his mother once called home. His grandfather's angry voice resonated in the room, "Tch, please, I know she's not here for that! She's just here to say nonsense about the next heir!" He harshly slammed his fists onto the table, his breathing heavy.
The revelation that his mother was an only child had sparked intense competition among distant relatives eager to claim the title and power associated with the dukedom. However, his grandfather adamantly refused to entertain any discussions regarding the next heir for some reason.
Joonghyuk's grappled with the weight of his family's legacy. The once-proud Kaizenix dukedom, now reduced to ruins, bore witness to the scars of past conflicts and the burden of unfulfilled ambitions.
After that, he found himself in a different setting, this time a forest. He looked around and saw his grandfather, gaping, unnerved at a figure in front of him. Said figure was wearing a long white veil that concealed their face.
Joonghyuk observed the unfolding scene with a growing sense of intrigue, the dense forest around them adding an air of mystique. The veiled figure, shrouded in secrecy, posed an assertion.
"You don't want any of your relatives to become the next heir." The deep, masculine voice sent a chill down Joonghyuk's spine. He furrowed his brow, the voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't pinpoint where he had heard it before.
The inquiry hung in the air, leaving an unspoken tension. Joonghyuk turned his attention back to his grandfather, who nodded, his anxiety palpable. "Yes, that's right, but... who are you?"
The stranger didn't bother answering the question. "You expected your daughter to be the next heir, but it's no longer possible with her becoming the empress. " Each of the man's words were spoken with unwavering certainty.
His grandfather stared at the veiled figure before him, steeling his gaze at the man before him. Joonghyuk remained hidden from their view, even though he was aware that he was merely an invisible spectator. "… I fail to see how any of this concerns you," his grandfather responded, his voice more resolute than it had been previously.
The veiled figure let out a low hum. "That may be, but I am certain it is of great importance to you..."
His grandfather maintained a stern expression, trying to analyze the man for any hint of his true intentions. Despite the weight of the conversation, he remained silent, acknowledging the truth in the veiled figure's words. The matter at hand was undeniably important to him; they were discussing his daughter, after all.
"She is currently pregnant with a child—"
"How do you know that!?" his grandfather roared, a sheen of sweat appearing on his head. News of the impending baby's existence was a tightly guarded secret, known only to those closest to his daughter.
The veiled figure waved off his query once more, "I have my ways... But allow me to share some insight, unknown to anyone else. Your first grandchild will be the one to rule over this dukedom one day."
His grandfather scoffed, unbelieving.
"That's impossible! That child will be the crown prince and succeed to the throne. How could he possibly become the next duke?"
The veiled figure fell silent for a moment before speaking again, saying, "That's right... that baby will be the crown prince, but someone will seek to disrupt that future." They fixed their gaze on the old man, continuing, "And that person will stop at nothing to achieve her desires."
Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes on the stranger. He had never been one to believe in any type of superstition or strange phenomena, but this man was too suspicious. These events were supposed to be taking place in the past, yet the man described Yoo Joonghyuk's current position with a disturbing amount of accuracy. Even if he was a seer, it didn't make sense how he knew so many details about an event that would happen decades from then.
The duke fell into a contemplative silence, uncertain of how to respond, while the veiled figure maintained his poised posture. Finally, the veiled figure spoke again , "In essence, you're adamant about preserving the integrity of the dukedom. Your sole consideration for the succession was your daughter, who currently holds the title of empress." He then proposed a baffling possibility, "But, what if her child is the one who succeeds in becoming the new duke?"
The duke maintained his stance, insisting, "As I said before, that baby will succeed to the throne. There's no way that could happen, unless..." The old man trailed off, a speculative tilt of his voice as he did.
"Unless?" The figure repeated, with a subtle hint of amusement in their voice.
"If the emperor stripped their title…"
The figure bowed their head slightly, "It is precisely for that reason that you should consider my offer."
"And that is...?"
The stranger laid down his proposal in no uncertain terms.
"Rather than permanently dismantling your dukedom, it will simply be rendered to a dysfunctional state. If the time comes that the emperor strips your grandchild from their title, the dukedom will be restored in full only to the one fit to rule it. In exchange, you will cast away your physical form to become the guardian of this forest until such time arises," the veiled figure said.
"There's no way you have the power to do that..." the duke's eyes were wide, uncomprehending of the unbelievable scenario presented to him.
"Oh, you don't think so...?" the veiled figure questioned, raising their hand. Suddenly, a series of lightning strikes pierced down from the heavens, striking the forest around the two with tremendous power as they thunderously cracked through the air. Yet, no animals cried out and no fire was sparked. It ended as soon as it started. The duke gasped and stepped back as he took in the sight around him, not knowing what to do in the face of such overwhelming power. One could only imagine the amount of control needed to pull out a feat like that without even disturbing the surrounding environment. The figure showed no hint of being worn out.
The duke looked at the stranger with hard eyes, panting in slight fear. Gathering his bearings, he swallowed and questioned them once more. "Fine, let's entertain the idea that you can do that, but how can we be sure the emperor will strip the title away?"
"I cannot provide proof that it will happen, I can only hope you place your trust in me... I've already done this before. Now come, surely you must have realized I have insight into the future," the veiled figure confidently stated, assured in their claims.
The duke pondered his options. While he indeed desired to secure the title for his daughter or her child, he couldn't help but wonder about the veiled figure's intentions. Despite the veiled figure's promises, the duke chose to remain cautious, weighing the potential consequences of accepting their offer and the implications for the future of his family's legacy.
"Then let me ask you this... why are you doing this? Just what is your purpose?"
The veiled figure fell silent for a moment before responding. " I have no concern for you or your ducal… I'm simply doing this for him..." The man murmured that last part under his breath, in a hushed voice. Both the old man and Joonghyuk pondered who he could possibly be referring to.
"So, have you come to a decision?"
For the duke, even if the stranger's cryptic answer didn't reveal the exact reason for their actions, it was appeasing to know that they had some personal gain from this exchange. It would've been much more suspicious if the figure had stated that they were simply doing this from a whim. Of course, that didn't overshadow the duke's uncertainty about the complexity of the situation. This needed careful consideration before reaching a decision.
The duke closed his eyes briefly and inhaled deeply before stating his choice.
"I accept."
Perhaps driven by a combination of pragmatism and a desire to safeguard his interests from the uncertain future, the duke was willing to entertain the veiled figure's proposal, acknowledging the potential benefits it could offer for his family's legacy and the dukedom. Despite the lingering questions, the duke chose to proceed. Even if this were a trick, there would be no greater honor for him than to die for his family.
"Well, then..." the veiled figure extended their hands to the duke and uttered an incantation. Suddenly, a magical aura surrounded the duke, transforming his clothes into armor, now holding his own head in his hands as he looked at the veiled figure.
Joonghyuk watched in disbelief as his grandfather underwent the transformation, rendering him unrecognizable from the man he was before.
"For selflessly accepting this service, I shall impart on you one last piece of information" Both the duke and Yoo Joonghyuk listened in silence, but the anticipation for his next words were palpable, suffocating the air around them. .
"My title is Secretive Plotter."