Morning sunlight pierced through the thick canopy of the forest, casting patterns of light across the floor of the small cabin on its edge. Areum slowly opened her eyes, her head still heavy from everything that had happened the night before. The cabin was quiet, save for the soft breathing of Ji Seong, who still lay weak in the corner.
"He's still breathing," Areum whispered, clutching the guard's hand in relief.
"He'll recover. Ji Seong is strong."
The voice came from the woman in the deep blue robe, who stood by the open window, gazing out into the morning mist. Areum turned toward her, studying the woman — calm, exuding a powerful presence, yet her sharp eyes held something far deeper.
"I didn't get the chance to ask your name," Areum said quietly.
The woman turned to face her. "My name is Yoon Ah-in. I was once the personal guard of a woman the entire palace wishes to forget — Queen Seol Hwa."
Areum froze. The name struck like lightning from a clear sky. Seol Hwa — a name that had only surfaced in whispered fragments of erased history.
Yoon Ah-in stepped slowly toward Areum and drew something from the folds of her robe. A necklace dangled in her hand — an old silver chain with a pendant shaped like a bleeding lotus flower.
"This belonged to Queen Seol Hwa," she said. "A symbol of the blood oath she left behind — passed only to her true descendants."
Areum stared at the necklace, her chest tightening. "Why are you showing this to me?"
"Because this necklace glows red only when it touches the blood of her true heir," Ah-in replied, and without another word, she placed the pendant into Areum's palm.
In an instant, the lotus flower emitted a faint red glow. Areum stood frozen, her hand trembling, her breath caught in her throat.
"No… This can't be…"
Ah-in nodded slowly. "You're not just a cook from the future, Areum. You are the last living heir of Seol Hwa. Noble blood runs through your veins."
Areum stumbled back, trying to process it all. Her mind drifted to her life in the modern world, to her adoptive father who often spoke of "courage in your blood," of a destiny that couldn't be denied.
"My whole life… I thought I failed as a chef. I didn't even know who I was… and now this?" Her voice quivered.
"Sometimes, failure is how time opens the door to truth," Ji Seong spoke softly, surprising them both. He had opened his eyes weakly, but his face was calm.
Areum rushed to his side. "Don't talk too much. You're still not strong."
Ji Seong gave her a faint smile. "I'm strong because you're still alive."
Ah-in handed over a worn scroll. "Areum, the time for hiding is over. The palace holds ancient archives — full genealogy records, blood oaths, betrayal logs. You must go there and reclaim your truth."
Areum looked at the map. "I won't let history erase Seol Hwa and her bloodline. I'll return to the palace."
"Use this hidden path," Ah-in pointed to a fine line on the map. "It leads straight to the underground level of the royal library. That's where the truth awaits."
Areum gripped the bleeding lotus necklace tightly. Her breath deepened. Her eyes shone with new resolve.
"I'll go. I'll uncover everything."
At the palace, in a shadowy room atop a tall tower, Lord Baek sat silently, reading a report in his hand. His expression darkened as he read:
> "The bleeding lotus necklace has appeared."
He crushed the paper in his fist.
"So… Seol Hwa's blood still lives. That girl… she's not just a threat. She's the heir."
His eyes glowed red, filled with vengeance long frozen.
"If she's truly the heir… then the throne is still not safe. I'll destroy her, just as I destroyed Seol Hwa."
To be continued in Chapter 35...