The glorious day when my disciple ascended to the throne as Emperor. What he gave me, his teacher, was poison.

At first, there was nothing suspicious. The civil and military officials knelt and bowed to my disciple, and he walked proudly to the brilliant jade throne.

His numerous siblings who had survived the quiet and cruel competition had to watch with wide eyes as the thirteenth prince they had ignored claimed victory.

Once on the throne, he was no longer the ignored and despised illegitimate child born of a lowly court lady. Now, those who dared to look down on him as a bastard would have to forfeit their lives and those of their families.

Seated on the throne, he smiled at me, and people murmured softly. I smiled faintly in return and nodded to him.

As the banquet began and the atmosphere loosened a bit, the sharp-eyed ones came to flatter me.

“Now Master Yo has only to soar high.”

“You are His Majesty’s only teacher, and His Majesty is known to respect his teacher.”

“Of course. His Majesty has always treated Master Yo well.”

“Master Yo’s future is the brightest among us all. I envy you.”

Looking at history, most imperial tutors were very old, so even if given the title of State Preceptor, they lacked the energy to wield it.

But my disciple and I were a bit different. We were both not that old. I was even younger than most of the ministers crowding around me, so it made sense for them to flatter me.

It was in the midst of enjoying the banquet while receiving everyone’s praise that my disciple called for me.

“Master Yo. His Majesty wishes to see you privately.”

My disciple sent his close eunuch to summon me, and I followed him. The close eunuch led me to an empty room not far from the banquet hall.

It was a strange place. There was no other furniture, just a single table.

On that table was a white bowl containing what looked like a dark brown medicine.

My disciple, now Emperor, stood in front of that table.

“You called for me, Your Majesty.”

Though wondering why he had called me to such a place, I asked politely. The Emperor smiled gently and handed me the medicine bowl.

“Please drink this, Teacher. Your disciple has prepared this medicine especially for you.”

There was no other explanation. Why he had called me, why he was suddenly giving me medicine.

But the moment I saw that medicine bowl, I immediately felt an ominous sensation.

How much blood had been spilled for my disciple to ascend to the throne? How many families that were fine one day were completely ruined the next?

Each time, I had criticized my disciple. How could I not sense something amiss in this situation?

If it were a tonic or elixir, there would be no need to prepare it separately in a place like this. Then…

Instead of taking the medicine bowl, I looked at my disciple.

“Is this…”

Poison? I couldn’t spit out those words and trailed off.

But my disciple seemed to understand. As our eyes met, he smiled gently and answered.

“Yes. It’s poison.”

At those words, a chill ran down my spine and the urge to turn and flee surged up. I actually looked at the door.

But I knew. I couldn’t escape. Absolutely not. This palace was as good as in the palm of his hand.

My hands began to tremble. As I looked at him with disbelieving eyes, my disciple spoke in a kind voice unlike someone offering death poison.

“Come now. Drink quickly, Teacher. You are the only State Preceptor after all. Shouldn’t you maintain some dignity on your final journey? What an unseemly sight it would be if you tried to flee and were dragged back.”

When I still didn’t take the medicine, my disciple took a few steps closer and brought it right up to my nose. The bitter smell of death entered my nostrils first.

“Our teacher requires much effort. Must your disciple feed this to you as well?”

“…Your Majesty.”

“Drink quickly.”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

My voice trembled pathetically. I took the medicine bowl while looking up at him.

My disciple, who was at least three heads taller than me, seemed ready to force it down my throat if I didn’t drink it willingly.

Though his expression was kind, I could see his resolve in his cold eyes. Seeing that expression, an indignant feeling welled up in my chest and I asked.

“Why are you trying to kill me?”

My disciple asked in return.

“Why do you think?”

“Is it because… I’m too young? Because as a young State Preceptor, I might be an obstacle to Your Majesty’s rule?”

I had always been the one to criticize my disciple’s cruel and cold decisions. When he was a prince, he had forcibly endured my nagging.

But now that he’s Emperor, does he think he no longer needs to endure it?

My disciple burst out laughing at my words and said.

“First, drink this. After you drink the medicine, I’ll tell you the story leisurely as you journey to the afterlife.”

“Your Majesty…”

“Though I can’t accompany you, shouldn’t I at least see my teacher off to eternal rest as your disciple?”

Tears welled up in my eyes. But once he had decided on my death, I didn’t have many options.

As he said, it was either die in an unseemly manner or accept it quietly.

In the end, I drank the poison gulp by gulp with trembling hands. Unlike its appearance, the poison tasted sweet.

As I lowered the empty bowl after drinking all the poison, my disciple smiled and told me.

“I know you dislike bitter things, Teacher, so I added extra sugar on purpose.”

How very kind of you. Even after drinking poison, I don’t have the nerve to spit out those words.

I don’t know how potent the poison was, but before I could even take a few breaths after drinking it, my insides began to churn and blood flowed from my nose.

Something seemed to rise up in my throat, and finally blood burst from my mouth as well. As blood dripped from my nose and mouth, tears flowed from my eyes.

As I cried in that state while looking at my disciple, for the first time his eyes wavered slightly. Or was that my imagination?

“The pain will be brief.”

My disciple whispered in a low voice as he watched me.

“Your disciple knows because he has tasted it too.”

Then he said something absurd while meeting my eyes and wiping the blood from my mouth onto my cheek.

Though I wasn’t crying on purpose, the tears kept flowing.

After my disciple entered the succession struggle, I was unwillingly dragged into crisis as well.

To attack my disciple, his political opponents tormented me, his only teacher, terribly.

But after overcoming all of that, to receive poison from my disciple… It felt too unfair.

It’s true that I didn’t like my disciple. Perhaps I wasn’t an affectionate teacher. I tried to draw a line with him until I was forced to be in the same boat.

But that was all. It’s not like I betrayed him, right? Though I was forced onto the same boat, once I realized how extraordinary he was, I rowed that boat with him while crying!

“Why. Why are you killing me?”

Feeling like I might turn back from the afterlife out of resentment if I didn’t know this, I asked even as blood churned in my throat.

As soon as I spoke, strength left my legs and my vision rapidly darkened. Someone caught my body. When my sight returned slightly, I realized I was lying supported by my disciple’s body.

My disciple whispered as he brushed back my hair, which was probably a complete mess by now.

“As promised, I’ll tell you, Teacher. Teacher, I have lived this same life many times before.”

What?

“Do you know what’s strange? Each time, you killed me. Always. This poison I gave you, Teacher, is the same poison you fed me in previous lives.”

“That’s nonsense…”

“You don’t have to believe it if it’s hard to. But I have certainly died many times. Each time, I regress to my childhood and live the same life again.”

It sounds absurd, but hearing his words, I’m reminded of how my disciple avoided all adversity and hardship as if he knew the future.

At the time, even his enemies were astonished, wondering if the 13th prince might have some kind of precognitive ability.

Blood gushed out again. But the feeling of resentment wouldn’t subside. Whatever I did in his past life, wasn’t I just an ordinary teacher this time?

“Do you hate me?”

“I was curious too, Teacher. Did you hate your disciple?”

“!”

A short sigh fell on my head.

“You forced the medicine bowl into my mouth, Teacher. Even as I clung to you crying, begging you not to do this because you were all I had, you killed me in the end. I still wonder. Teacher. Did you hate your disciple that much?”

* * *

I’m not sure if the teacher heard those last words. After confirming that the teacher’s movements had ceased without even closing his eyes, Hwa Ryeo quietly gazed down at the blood-stained face.

“In the end, I won’t be able to hear this answer.”

He set down the corpse he was holding and stood up. Though his ceremonial robes were ruined with blood splattered on his chest, he didn’t care at all.

“Well. It’s an unnecessary answer now. Farewell, Teacher. Don’t feel too resentful. To repay you equally, I have forty-nine more times left.”

When Hwa Ryeo opened the door himself, the shadows standing guard in case of emergency lined up on both sides.

“The State Preceptor…”

“Remove the corpse.”

“Yes.”

Without leaving a trace of emotion, Hwa Ryeo did not return to the banquet hall. Instead, he began walking in the opposite direction.

“Finally, I’ll be able to take revenge on my enemy.”

Hwa Ryeo muttered as he walked quietly down the long corridor in his blood-stained ceremonial robes.

The long fabric of his red ceremonial robes crept along the floor like blood with each step he took.

The shadows followed quietly behind, wondering what enemy the Emperor who had only known victory could possibly have.

Hwa Ryeo raised the corners of his mouth as he recalled the events before his regression.

Though it was always his teacher who killed him, the teacher was not behind everything each time. The person behind the teacher changed each time. No matter which enemy he went to, it was amazing how they always joined hands with that enemy to come kill him.

And in the very last time, the one behind the teacher was the 5th Princess.

That oh-so-great 5th Princess whom the teacher wanted to follow instead of the “loser 13th Prince”.

A smile bloomed on Hwa Ryeo’s lips. Though he should have killed her earlier, he had deliberately kept the 5th Princess alive to kill her last.

‘Sister will not die peacefully.’

Just then. A shadow who came running urgently stopped him as he was walking pleasantly and said.

“Your Majesty. About the State Preceptor.”

Hwa Ryeo stopped, frowning as he turned around.

“Did he come back to life?”

“No. We found out while changing the State Preceptor’s clothes, but…”

When the shadow hesitated uncharacteristically, Hwa Ryeo’s eyes grew cold.

As the close eunuch standing next to the Emperor gestured to speak quickly, the shadow hurriedly reported.

“The State Preceptor was a woman.”

“I see.”

But unlike the shadow, Hwa Ryeo was not greatly surprised. He had lived 51 lives and died 50 times. Many things had happened. He already knew that his teacher was a woman in men’s clothing.

“What use is it whether the corpse is male or female.”

Just because the teacher became a woman doesn’t mean the fact that she killed him before his regression disappears.

When Hwa Ryeo was indifferent, the shadow bowed and quietly retreated.

Hwa Ryeo turned back and walked down the corridor, opening the door to the room where the 5th Princess was confined.

Inside the room sat an exceptionally beautiful tiger-like woman, her hands tied behind her back on a chair.

In the world, the 13th Prince Hwa Ryeo and 5th Princess Seo Ryeo were called the “Two Jades of Hwaeum”. It was a term praising the most beautiful prince and princess of Hwaeum.

But the lives of the two were completely different.

The 5th Princess Seo Ryeo was the first child born to the Empress, and as the legitimate eldest daughter, she received the love of the entire country.

In contrast, Hwa Ryeo was an illegitimate child with a lowest 9th rank court lady as his mother. Because the court lady died immediately after giving birth to Hwa Ryeo, he was looked down upon his whole life as the illegitimate child with the “mother of lowest status”.

But victory ended up belonging to that illegitimate 13th Prince. The corners of Hwa Ryeo’s mouth turned up in satisfaction.

At that moment.

Hwa Ryeo frowned at the sound of bells ringing in the distance.

‘This sound…?’

This was the sound he had heard each time he was dying in his past lives.

The bell sound he heard just before waking up after each regression, as if ringing from some far-off place, from some palace in the afterlife.

“Who is ringing the bells?”

Hwa Ryeo asked coldly, but the shadows just looked puzzled, saying “Pardon?”

The 5th Princess Seo Ryeo, who had been silent all along, looked at him strangely.

For the first time, a look of confusion appeared in Hwa Ryeo’s eyes that had been calm until now.

‘It can’t be!’

* * *

“Did you do it on purpose?”

“…”

“Unni! I’m asking you!”

“…”

“Hey! Yo Yohwa! Are you listening to me?”

I snapped back to my senses at the sharp voice yelling angrily.

Coming to, I saw my younger sister Lin Hwa standing in front of me, shouting loudly.

I stared at her blankly before looking around in confusion.

“Where’s my disciple?”

Where did my disciple in ceremonial robes go, and why is Lin Hwa here?

My disciple was nowhere to be seen. Moreover, this wasn’t that empty palace room with the poison. This was just our house’s courtyard.

I looked at Lin Hwa in confusion, and come to think of it, Lin Hwa’s age… had gotten younger?

As I stared in bewilderment, Lin Hwa spoke in a harsh voice.

“Your disciple? That idiot 13th Prince? Are you trying to use him as a shield against me now too?”

Idiot 13th Prince? Not the terrifying Emperor who killed all his troublesome siblings and ascended the throne, but idiot 13th Prince?

Idiot 13th Prince was a nickname I only heard back when he was hiding his ambitions…

I stared blankly at Lin Hwa, recalling the story my disciple had told me as I was dying. How he had died repeatedly in his past lives, and each time he died, he woke up back in the past.

Right. He definitely said he regressed after dying. Could it be! Could this be… that?

‘Was the regression real?’