Chapter Sixteen

After brief comfort in town, Tiyung and Hana resume their rain-soaked journey along Yusan’s coast toward Qali, unable to hire a carriage during monsoon season. Hana periodically scans the sea with a spyglass; the Weian ships have vanished from sight but likely continue south, raising fears of inter-realm war.

Tiyung considers the stakes: if King Joon lives and still wields the Immortal Crown, Seok will be targeted, but Qali Palace is nearly impregnable, implying a devastating siege. Tiyung concludes Seok would never surrender, accepting that countless lives could be lost.

Chilled and uneasy, Tiyung attempts small talk, asking about Hana’s origins. Hana, initially resistant, reveals she is from the far west near the Tangun foothills, drier and poorer than Sora’s mountains, almost to Fallow—one of the places Seok scoured for girls to turn into poison maidens.

Tiyung recalls how Seok procured Sora and Nayo after threatening their family, claiming “all men can be bought,” a memory that deepens Tiyung’s shame. Expecting mockery, Tiyung instead asks why Hana is being kind; Hana admits she now sees Tiyung as genuine, though she keeps her edge.

Tiyung apologizes for what was done to Hana, Nayo, Sora, and Daysum, blaming himself for not stopping Seok. Hana rejects his self-blame, noting he was a child and has acted to right wrongs. The exchange eases tensions, and the two ride on with a fragile camaraderie as war clouds gather.