Walking alongside Yu Baek, Danju spoke in a calm tone. Yu Baek looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression.

“You must be emotionally drained. We should first check on your children…”

“We can’t do that when we have guests. My children will be asleep by now anyway.”

“Danju.”

“Don’t worry, come this way.”

As they walked, several exchanges took place between Yu Baek and Danju.

Given that his child was ill, the one who would naturally be most anxious was him. Yet, his attitude of caring for our party revealed how important Hwasan was to him.

Yu Baek seemed to try to persuade Danju, but ultimately, it was Yu Baek who lost.

Danju led us to one corner of the estate without calling any servants. The quarters where the five of us would stay were spacious, complete with a small, carefully tended garden right in front.

“Everything should be ready for you. Rest at ease. I’ll send a servant tomorrow. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

“It’s nothing. Well then…”

Danju finally retreated after bowing his head. Yu Baek let out a light sigh.

“Danju’s courtesy is quite something.”

“It shows how seriously he takes Hwasan.”

Yu Baek replied with a wry smile and then looked at me, Sa Jeo, and Ha Hyun.

“Anyway, since it’s come to this… let’s go in and rest for today. This is Ha Hyun and Ha Heun’s first long journey after all. You’ve had a tough time.”

“It’s fine.”

Perhaps because Ha Hyun was next to him, he added jokingly as he patted Ha Hyun’s back.

“To be honest, I temporarily forgot that it was your first time out because both of you were so well-behaved.”

I don’t know about Ha Hyun, but I simply hadn’t had the leeway to feel excited, preoccupied with lowering my tension.

Finding it hard to respond, I just offered a light smile. Ha Hyun seemed about to say something to Yu Baek.

But at that moment.

I was suddenly distracted by a faint wind that blew in.
The sound of the wind gently rustling the leaves of the garden trees could be heard. For some reason, my attention was fixated on such an insignificant occurrence, one that was truly inconsequential.

However, for some reason, I felt an indescribable strange sensation brushing against the nape of my neck.

‘Is it just my imagination?’

I slightly shook my head.

Stopping my steps unconsciously, the master looked back at me as if questioning why I had paused.

“Ha Hyun?”

“Ah, yes. Let’s go.”

I reflexively replied and resumed my steps.

‘…I did think the atmosphere inside the garden had been downcast since I entered.’

A depressing atmosphere can make people a little edgy. I might have been affected by it without realizing it.

I felt a little uncomfortable as if dust had blown into my eye from the wind. Raising my hand to briefly rub my eyes, I followed behind the master into the temple.

Both the unpleasant atmosphere I had just felt and the unfamiliar scenery coming into view made me realize anew that this place was not Hwasan.

A day in an unfamiliar place was drawing to a close.

As night passed and morning arrived, the masters began to move immediately.

First, after meeting with the governor and hearing the full story, Master Yoo concluded that this matter seemed to be related to a curse.

“In the vicinity, there hasn’t been an outbreak of an epidemic or anything, so it’s rare for someone to fall ill this season, isn’t it?”

“Your words are true, Priest. Even if we investigate immediately, the last time an epidemic broke out was two years ago. And it was quickly dealt with.”

“Hmm. If the doctors have visited but haven’t been able to diagnose a specific illness, it’s factual to consider changing our direction in this manner.”

He asked a servant to bring a wooden box from his belongings. As the servant came with the wooden box, he left with Master Ha to search for traces of the curse.

“Every curse leaves a trace, so we will check and return.”

“Be careful.”

After seeing off Master Yoo, Master Yoo Baek took me and Ha Hyun to examine the patients.