# Chapter 2
After sitting lost in thought for a while, I cautiously opened the door and went outside. The training had already ended. The temple I glimpsed appeared quite peaceful. Since I, as Ludin, was being quiet, there were no noisy sounds as described in the novel, nor was there dust rising from people running around. But perhaps because of Ludin’s previous track record, Wimu’s subdued voice reached me.
“What are you plotting now?”
I turned my head with a start to find Wimu sitting quietly in a corner of the courtyard, looking in my direction.
“How long have you been there?”
“Are you planning to starve yourself today too?”
His thick eyebrows curved in what seemed like irritation. His expression made me feel increasingly wronged. Wimu, even if you were suddenly dropped in the middle of Seoul right now, you couldn’t be more composed than me, could you? Contrary to his suspicion, I wasn’t planning to cause trouble—I was just standing still because I was starving but didn’t know where to eat.
However, if I rambled on with such explanations, the perceptive Wimu would surely sense something was wrong. I guessed that since Wimu didn’t take his past friendship with Ludin lightly, I couldn’t predict how he would react if he knew someone else was possessing Ludin’s body. He might try to remove me or even kill me. I had to try my best to act like the original Ludin.
“Who said I’m starving? Give me food.”
Wimu grinned at my words. Although I felt uneasy, like a well-behaved dog, I was hungry so I followed behind him as he walked quickly. Along the way, I made eye contact with soldiers who were organizing tools or resting. They all stared at me, following Wimu, with disapproving gazes. Not a single person nodded or made eye contact in greeting. Feeling embarrassed and worried about the future, I just kept my head down and followed Wimu’s footsteps until we reached the dining hall.
The dining hall was too cramped for the many soldiers to use. Tables and chairs everywhere were worn out, and there wasn’t much proper food except for some vegetables and bread. I almost cried at the thought that I would have to survive on this until this surreal situation ended. As I stared at the food with a wistful expression, Wimu gave me a puzzled look. Afraid his eyes would sharpen, I quickly pretended to enjoy the food and stuffed vegetables into my mouth. Of course, I couldn’t stop thinking about chicken.
While I was eating reluctantly for a while, I suddenly felt nauseous. Even though I was eating vegetables I’d never eaten before, it shouldn’t have made me feel like throwing up. I paused briefly to drink some water, then tried putting lettuce in my mouth again, but my upper abdomen tingled coldly and the food started coming back up.
“Urgh.”
Without even paying attention to Wimu sitting across from me, I jumped up and ran madly out of the dining hall. I felt my legs weaken as I spat food onto the dirt floor and dry heaved. But soon, someone firmly held my body as I was about to collapse.
“Let’s go.”
It wasn’t Wimu. The man who quickly checked my pulse and steadily supported me pulled my body rapidly into a side path. Reaching my room in no time, he took out a bottle from the drawer with familiarity and made me drink it. Having vomited even the strength to doubt someone, I let him do as he pleased. He placed something cool on my eyes as they were closing weakly. As I regained some consciousness, I began to wonder if it was really necessary to throw up like this just from eating vegetables. And my suspicions deepened about this man who appeared quickly and took care of me as if he had been expecting it.
“What exactly is going on here?”
At my question, the man was silent for a moment, then bowed his head deeply and spoke in a small voice.
“Your condition has become more serious. I didn’t expect it to progress this quickly…”
“What?”
“I’ll handle Wimu properly. There was no one in the dining hall except you two, so there should be no witnesses.”
No, that’s not what’s important right now. What? Condition?
I shook my head, denying the situation. I am Ludin. I possessed the body of someone who was once the heir to this kingdom, though fallen from grace, but in less than an hour of possession, I was in a body so weak that eating just bland vegetables made me vomit?
“How bad is it and where?”
“Your respiratory system is still serious, and now it seems to have spread to your digestive system as well… At this rate, the remaining time is less than expected…”
The man couldn’t continue and bowed his head. It was sudden news. There was nothing like this in the novel. I shook my dazed head, trying to assess the situation.
Ludin is sick. So sick that he doesn’t have much time left, and they’ve been hiding his illness from the people at the temple. This man, who said he would handle Wimu, seemed to be acting as my personal physician while keeping the secret. I recalled his hand accurately checking my pulse and his calm movements while treating me. My stomach that settled quickly after taking the medicine.
It was a pain I’d never felt before. I was scared yet it didn’t feel real. I thought that even if this life in the novel might not be real anyway, the illness would eventually end, but I was worried about the immediate pain. On the other hand, I became curious about Ludin’s life before I possessed him. Is this why Ludin went mad? I blurted out something to test the man in front of me.
“So the illness has gotten worse…”
“I’m very worried.”
He had been bowing his head with a troubled face, but momentarily met my eyes. It was the first affectionate gaze I’d encountered in this temple. The man was genuinely saddened by my pain. It was a look that proved his relationship with Ludin was quite deep.
“What should I do?”
“Naturally, I would like to recommend better treatment.”
“You know that’s not possible.”
It was a test since he had mentioned witnesses, but he nodded with a regretful face. To understand the situation more thoroughly, I questioned him about Ludin’s plans. After hesitating briefly at my excuse that my head hurt and I couldn’t organize my thoughts, he began to systematically recite the conversations he had with Ludin. I couldn’t move for a while.
According to him, Ludin had discovered his illness a few years ago. Upon realizing he had less than five years left to live, his goal became to safely pass the throne to his second brother. Although his relationship with the second prince, Luan, wasn’t exceptionally good, he believed Luan had the potential to become an excellent king.
However, knowing that the moment King Zendal learned of his illness, he would obsess over him unreasonably and not easily give opportunities to Luan, Ludin gradually began to act crazy so that Luan could stand out. He wished for a situation where he would disappear in an instant, making Luan the new hope, rather than stepping down honorably and leaving lingering attachments for Zendal and everyone else. His plan actually worked perfectly, greatly helping Luan to seize the new regime. Everyone acclaimed Luan as the new heir without a single “If only it were Ludin…” comment.
Yes, it’s all a good plan. Ludin has a great self-sacrificing attitude, and I understand he’s an excellent politician and brother. But as for me, I didn’t need to worry about such throne issues. Yet the one facing imminent death was me, who had possessed his body for inexplicable reasons. The complex situation made my head hurt.
I pondered what decision would align with my goal of saving Kadilen. I could return to the palace with the possibility of treating the illness. Or I could stop the rascal behavior Ludin had been doing for his brother and pretend to have come to my senses. But both decisions carried great risks. I couldn’t predict what interference Zendal, who still had lingering affection for Ludin, might make. If he got involved, I might never see Kadilen again and consequently be unable to prevent his rebellion. For matters related to the rebellion, the less royal oversight, the better.
For now, maintaining Ludin’s current reputation seemed the most efficient approach. I didn’t have much time left.
My physician, who was almost on the verge of tears, was named Jiman. I obtained his promise to explain the situation well to Wimu and sent him away. I still didn’t feel well, but it wasn’t as painful as before. I’d probably experience it a few more times.
Although I was startled by the unexpected event, ultimately everything was easily resolved by thinking of it as a story within a novel. Perhaps the reason I entered a terminally ill body was because it’s the mechanism for returning to my reality after this life ends.
I felt I needed to meet Kadilen as soon as possible.
* * *
The opportunity to meet him came sooner than I expected. It was because Kadilen personally conducted my swordsmanship lessons. Someone shaking me awake at the crack of dawn was incredibly annoying, but the moment he mentioned that Kadilen was waiting, I became wide awake.
What would it feel like to actually see in person someone I thought I could only meet in the pages of a book, in dreams, or in my imagination? My heart fluttered for the first time in a long while. I pulled out the most splendid clothes from Ludin’s wardrobe and tried my best to look presentable.
It was chilly outside as it was still dawn. In the quiet temple where even a single footstep echoed loudly, my heartbeat stood out prominently. So much so that I worried Kadilen might hear it even from a distance. I could see Wimu standing far away. He stood like a statue beside Kadilen, with a posture that exuded firmness even while just standing still!
Kadilen was exactly as I had imagined him. No, he was even more handsome. His naturally flowing hair fluttered in the wind. His cool eyes looked straight into mine even from a distance. I couldn’t greet him warmly with admiration as I had thought I would. I just stood there, frozen in front of him. His eyes were sharp, as if piercing through my entire body. Soon, he raised his sword and pointed it at my neck.
As I stood there, stunned and motionless, looking at the blade at my neck, Wimu, standing beside him, spoke softly.
“It might be better if you take it easy today.”
Kadilen didn’t respond, nor did he lower his sword. Wimu sighed and continued.
“I heard he secretly ate food from the dining hall yesterday because he was hungry and got indigestion.”
That must be how Jiman covered for me. Even so, how could he say I got sick from sneaking food? Kadilen didn’t bat an eye at Wimu’s words. His straight sword still pointed at my neck. Kadilen’s first words to me were much colder than I had expected.
“Then he should be punished.”
My eyes narrowed automatically, fearing he might thrust the sword at any moment. But Wimu extended his hand and lightly grasped the sharp blade.
“I’ve already punished him sufficiently.”
Still looking straight into my eyes, Kadilen quietly lowered his sword. Finally able to breathe, I exhaled heavily and gently averted my gaze from him. As I was hesitating about what to say, Kadilen pointed to a wooden pillar placed a step away from me. Wimu’s eyes seemed to be telling me something, but I had no idea what I was supposed to do with the wooden pillar. I heard Wimu sigh.
“It seems you’ve forgotten the movements after taking a long break from training.”
Kadilen scanned me with a cold gaze. I drew my sword and tried my best to move as Wimu demonstrated. The fancy, flowing clothes I had worn to impress Kadilen made movement very uncomfortable. I could imagine what expression Kadilen would have while watching me, even without looking.
Perhaps because it was still dawn and chilly, my movements were sluggish, but Ludin’s body, honed by long experience, maintained quite a correct posture once I started moving. Even though these were movements I had never done in my life, my body seemed to remember them. I gradually followed Wimu’s movements, feeling like I was pouring water into an already-formed mold. Once I became immersed in the training, it was more enjoyable than expected and easier to follow. I was also excited by the fact that I could perform movements that would have been impossible for my normal self.
However, as the training progressed, more intense movements were added. While there was no problem with maintaining the posture, I felt a shortage of breath. Kadilen stood silently, watching Wimu and me train. Wimu, noticing that I was trying to gauge the situation and cut corners, gave me a short break.
Even though the movements had only become slightly more intense, my breathing was excessively rapid. I sat down and focused all my concentration on breathing regularly. By the time I had managed to calm my lungs, Wimu and Kadilen were staring at me with unreadable expressions. Wimu was the first to speak.
“You’re taking it seriously today. That’s good to see. But…”
As I was waiting for the rest of his words, Wimu shook his head as if it was nothing. I couldn’t stop my eyes from constantly going to Kadilen. Kadilen, standing like a wooden statue, seemingly angry at me with his breathtakingly handsome face. It felt like watching a movie or having a dream. The fact that he had pointed a sword at me was long forgotten.
However, I gradually understood why Ludin had been avoiding training all this time. To receive training suited to Ludin’s previous swordsmanship skills required a lot of stamina, but with Ludin’s current body, even breathing was challenging. As I was fumbling around, unsure how to position myself for the next stance, Kadilen, who had been watching from a distance, slowly walked toward me.
“Lower your hands more.”
His finger gently pressed down on the back of my hand. My eyes naturally went to him.
“Keep your gaze forward.”
My face suddenly flushed. Awkwardly regulating my breathing, I forcibly tore my eyes away from him and fixed my gaze ahead. Wimu was watching Kadilen and me with a somewhat confused expression. Kadilen speaking to me as a mentor and me as a disciple was probably a sight he had never seen before.
Kadilen quickly assumed a stance and lightly demonstrated. His fluid movements seemed like a dance, but instantly transitioned into a posture that could strike an opponent’s vital point. His swordsmanship was delicate and smooth. The sound of his clothes brushing against each other was acutely audible. Wimu’s subsequent demonstration had a slightly different feel. His movements were more robust and disciplined. After their demonstrations, it was my turn.
I thought I would be fine since I had taken many breaths, but with the continuous movements, my shoulders naturally drooped. Trying to hold my breath as I lost tempo and it became irregular made it difficult to focus on my posture. I tried to imitate Kadilen’s sword that swung smoothly and Wimu’s sword that rotated nimbly, but soon my body tilted.
“Ludin!”
My breath was severely blocked. Wimu was patting my back in panic. I calmed my breathing by slowly counting in my head. The cold rose from the ground wet with dawn frost. I hunched my body against the air that pierced my lungs sharply, deliberately ignoring my trembling hands.
“…Your stamina has decreased.”
Unlike Wimu, who frantically grabbed me in surprise, Kadilen quietly observed my symptoms with scrutinizing eyes. With my breath somewhat stabilized, I raised my head to face him. Kadilen did not avoid my gaze and remained there for a moment, then tilted his head as if contemplating something.
“Starting tomorrow, train with the other soldiers.”
After briefly spitting out these words, he quickly disappeared behind me. Wimu was examining my complexion with a perplexed expression. Only as I collapsed in front of Kadilen did it finally sink in. Ah, Ludin is going to die soon.
