Chapter 64.2

Chapter 64.2

Ara nodded awkwardly, her fingers brushing the jewel at her collarbone.

Seok-kyung had left for the royal palace right after dinner, saying work called him away. But even hearing someone mention him now was enough to make Ara’s stomach twist with the memory of that morning.

‘Whenever, wherever, I’ll come right away.’

She hadn’t realized it then, but thinking about it now, that line was almost embarrangly romantic; sweet enough to melt right through her.

Seriously, how many women has he charmed like that…

“Stop fiddling with it. No one’s going to take it.”

As Ara flushed and silently blamed Seok-kyung’s shameless charm, Seol-do clicked his tongue and lightly smacked her hand.

“Here. The Peach Blossom Blade.”

He picked up the silver dagger from the table and placed it firmly in her hand.

“The Peach Blossom Blade?”

“Yeah. Peachwood is the best material for driving out spirits.”

Ara followed his cue and pulled the blade from its sheath.

What emerged from the finely engraved silver case was a small, double-edged dagger—slender yet sharp. The raw grain of the wood gave it a rustic texture, while the ornate silver hilt added an almost sacred air to it.

“You’re good with kitchen knives, right? Catching ghosts isn’t that different. Hold it tight, then stab it like this.”

Seol-do grabbed her hand and mimed a stabbing motion through the air.

Baekseol immediately scowled. “Watch your wording. ‘Stab it’ sounds awful.”

“Why? You want me to stab you too?”

“Oh, how barbaric!”

While the two bickered like sisters again, Ara quickly slid the dagger back into its sheath and changed the subject.

“Thank you, Seol-do-. But…”

“You’re wondering what to do if that thing notices you carrying it, right?”

Ara blinked in surprise. “How did you know?”

“I told you. You and the king might as well walk around with your thoughts written on your foreheads.”

Seol-do smirked and tapped his own forehead with his fingertip.

“Anyway, what do you take me for? Of course I made sure it can’t be detected. I carved concealment spells all over the sheath. As long as it stays in there, no one will notice. Promise.”

“You made this yourself?”

“Sure did. You can tell, right? Not just anyone could make something this good.”

Ara nodded, tracing the smooth curve of the sheath with her fingers. Thinking of the care it must have taken, picking the wood, carving it, engraving the silver, made her throat tighten.

“Here. Mine’s the foxtail hairpin.”

Before she could dwell on her emotions, Baekseol slid a small hairpin toward her.

“If you need my help, just brush it hard. The scattered florets will return to me and show me where you are.”

So the tiny foxtail tuft had a built-in tracker and danger detector.

Ara’s eyes widened as if she’d just witnessed magic. She carefully picked up the hairpin and slipped it into her hair.

“And now, our final star.”

Cheongseon clapped loudly to gather everyone’s attention.

“This is a smoke bomb made with Spirit Orbs. What’s inside might look like water, but it’s more like condensed energy. Think of it as magical mist.”

Ara leaned forward to study the keychain swaying from Cheongseon’s hand.

“This red one erases heat from living beings.”

Cheongseon pointed to the crimson orb.

“And this blue one erases sound from living beings.”

Her finger moved to the blue orb beside it.

“You’ve heard the saying about running being the best of thirty-six strategies, right? For when you don’t have the strength to use Seol-do’s Peach Blossom Blade, or when there’s no time to wait for our Princess Baekseol to arrive.”

With a confident flick, Cheongseon stood and placed the keychain squarely into Ara’s open palm.

“When that happens, pop them one after the other and run. Not even a ghost’s great-grandfather will be able to find you.”

She added a playful wink for good measure.

“You guys are just…”

Ara bit her lip, clutching the gifts tightly in both hands.

“Thank you. Really. Thank you so much.”

Her voice trembled at first, then steadied into a bright, deliberate smile.

“Then Ara, how about braised short ribs tomorrow?”

“I want kimchi stew with aged kimchi and pork.”

“What are you talking about? Meat tastes best grilled. Get some premium sirloin and cook it for us.”

“I prefer tenderloin. Much lighter.”

The goblins and Baekseol quickly shifted the mood, laughing and chatting away. It was as if they were saying this was all normal, that there was no need to carry any heavy thoughts.

Just as they wished, Ara joined in their laughter.

The trials ahead would surely be harsh, but for some reason, she wasn’t afraid at all.

Because she now carried the courage given to her by the people dearest to her. They gave her strong, shining gifts she could never lose.