The Stern Emperor of the Fairy Land
The sky above the Fairy land was awash in a haunting, ethereal glow. Yet, atop the celestial throne, the figure seated there bore a face devoid of any warmth. To the mortal world, he was 'Min'—the cheerful, sun-kissed youth. But here, he was Yeon Hu, a sovereign of chilling gravity. Every step he took radiated regal authority; every glance carried the crushing weight of a kingdom's destiny. His mere presence seemed to still the very winds of the realm. He was not just a ruler; he was its iron-willed protector. Yet, beneath the heavy embroidery of his imperial robes, a heart beat with a frantic, human rhythm—aching for a girl in a world far below.
Mending Broken Memories
The moment his royal obligations were fulfilled, Yeon Hu did not linger for a second. With a flick of his wrist, a spiritual portal tore through the fabric of reality, and he stepped back into the mortal world. He hurried to Saoji's shop, but his heart sank when he found the doors open to an empty room. The silence was deafening. Then, his eyes fell upon the counter—there lay the shattered remains of Saoji's favorite hairpiece.
A sharp pang of guilt struck him. It was his hand that had broken it. Approaching slowly, he extended his fingers, a soft, cerulean spiritual energy dancing at his tips. As if responding to a silent command, the fragments hovered in the air, weaving themselves back together with a celestial hum. Within seconds, the hairpiece was whole again—more lustrous and exquisite than it had ever been. But the void left by Saoji's absence remained. For the first time, anxiety cracked his imperial mask.
A Cold Encounter at Jilan's
After searching through the winding, lantern-lit alleys, Yeon Hu finally found her. Saoji was sitting alone in Jilan's sushi shop, her shoulders slumped in quiet melancholy. A heavy sigh escaped Yeon Hu's chest. He approached silently, his shadow falling over her table like a protective shroud.
Saoji looked up, her eyes still burning with lingering resentment. "Why are you here?" she asked, her voice clipped and cold.
Without a word, Yeon Hu opened his palm to reveal the restored hairpiece. Saoji gasped. As she took it, she felt a strange, humming warmth radiating from the metal—it felt more alive than before. Her anger began to thaw, though she refused to let her guard down just yet.
"You were the one who broke it, so it's only right that you fixed it," she said, pouting defiantly. "Don't think this makes you a hero! I'm still furious with you. As punishment, you're staying behind to manage the shop alone tonight. I'm going home."
From Chaos to Perfection
Yeon Hu watched her go with a faint, tender smile. The powerful monarch of the Faerie Realm was now a mere shopkeeper, and he accepted the role gladly. Turning toward the cluttered shop, he snapped his fingers. Instantly, a whirlwind of spiritual energy swept through the room. Dust vanished into thin air, and furniture glided across the floor into perfect alignment. In a heartbeat, he had transformed the humble shop into a sanctuary of pristine order.
Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the corner. It was Dian, his loyal servant, his face etched with uncharacteristic dread. Dian leaned in, whispering a secret message into Yeon Hu's ear. As the words sank in, Yeon Hu's jaw tightened. A dark cloud of worry crossed his features. What news could be dire enough to shake the composure of the Faerie Emperor?
The Vow Beneath the Moonlight
Meanwhile, Saoji returned home and sought comfort from her grandmother. "Grandma, Min is taking care of the shop tonight. I'm exhausted; I just want a good meal and sleep," she sighed. Her grandmother smiled warmly, but deep down, Saoji felt a strange, nagging unease she couldn't quite name.
Back at the shop, bathed in the stillness of the night, Yeon Hu sat alone. Dian had vanished back into the shadows, but his message echoed in the silence like a death knell. Looking up at the silver moon, Yeon Hu whispered a vow to the stars:
"Saoji, I have lost you once, and I will never let the heavens take you again. No celestial law, no ancient curse, and no dark force will ever tear us apart. I will protect you, even if it means staking my throne—or my very life."
In the eyes of the Faerie King, there was now a fierce, unbreakable resolve. Inside that humble little shop, the first lines of an epic, timeless tragedy were being rewritten into a legend of love.