The women I set free are obsessed with me

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Those who ascend to exalted heights often acquire a myriad of epithets, and Yuhwa was no exception.

The Fox of Heaven.

The Witch of Fate.

The Lord of the Celestial Pavilion.

Each title bore its own significance, yet all converged towards a single truth: Yuhwa's ability.

The Heavenly Eye.

It was said that with the Heavenly Eye, one could understand the principles of heaven by looking at the sky, the principles of earth by looking at the ground, and the principles of humanity by looking at people.

Yuhwa could discern many things with her Heavenly Eye, which allowed her to grow her merchant group.

She was truly a fox embodying the will of heaven.

Recently, however, there was one thing that even Yuhwa's Heavenly Eye couldn't read, no matter how intently she gazed into her fox orb.

A gumiho.

A fox yokai that had escaped from the Valley of Heavenly Fortune.

While part of her thought the gumiho's energy appearing in the fox orb might be a mistake, it was too significant to ignore.

She tried to observe the gumiho, but couldn't see anything. The leaves of the World Tree obscured her Heavenly Eye's vision.

She couldn't tell if her powers were truly weakening and she was seeing things, or if she was seeing correctly but misinterpreting. Not knowing was frustrating.

If a gumiho really has appeared…

She needed to find it as soon as possible.

It had to be sent back to the Valley of Heavenly Fortune while its tails were still few. Otherwise, the world would be distorted.

The problem was that there was no way to find it. Yuhwa let out a long, worried sigh. Just then, her fox orb lit up. It was an incoming call.

"It's Hoyeon."

The voice from the orb belonged to Hoyeon, the administrator of the Celestial Pavilion. Yuhwa cleared her throat with a cough.

Her voice was that of a young woman.

"What is it?"

"A guest has arrived."

Yuhwa's eyes narrowed.

"I thought I told you to turn everyone away for the time being."

"I did send them away, but the message he insisted I relay… No, I must have momentarily lost my mind."

On the other side of the orb, Hoyeon shook his head. It was strange.

Normally, Hoyeon would have flatly refused such a request from an unknown human. To think he'd relay nonsense to the revered head of the merchant group.

But the moment he heard the request, the option to refuse didn't even cross his mind. As if hypnotized, he reported to Yuhwa in a daze.

Hoyeon would never know that Karami's persuasive words, stemming from his [Master of Negotiation] skill, had burrowed into his mind.

"I apologize, Elder. I will take my leave."

"Wait."

Yuhwa stopped Hoyeon as he was about to close the connection.

There's a saying in the world.

The two things people hate the most: one is stopping mid-explanation, and the second is…

"If you've started speaking, finish what you were saying. What was the message he wanted relayed?"

"It's nothing really… Well… He said a gumiho had come to visit…"

"A gumiho?"

Yuhwa's eyes flashed.

Her mind was already full of thoughts about the gumiho, and now, with perfect timing, someone claiming to be a gumiho had arrived?

"But it wasn't a gumiho. It only had three tails."

Yuhwa's eyes shook.

Already three tails?

"Where are they…"

"Pardon?"

"Where are those two right now?!"

Yuhwa's shout thundered from the other side of the orb.

Even Hoyeon, who had served Yuhwa for many years, had never seen her so agitated. He replied with a tense voice.

"I-I sent them away earlier!"

"Bring them here immediately!"

***

"Huff, huff… My apologies. The Elder… wishes to see you."

Hoyeon guided Karami's group, his voice deflated.

In fact, Karami had anticipated this summons and was already waiting outside. Hoyeon found them with little effort, but a shadow hung over his complexion. It wasn't from physical exhaustion, but psychological strain.

His superior, the usually composed Yuhwa, had shown such urgency that Hoyeon's heart raced in response.

"Just follow this corridor straight ahead."

Where Hoyeon stopped guiding them was not a room, but a corridor.

Yuhwa, Lord of the Celestial Pavilion, was a person shrouded in mystery. Some described her as a wrinkled old woman, while others claimed she was a beautiful lady.

Even Hoyeon, the administrator, had never clearly seen her face.

They communicated through an orb she'd given him, and when she ventured out, she always wore a veil. It never stirred, even in the wind, and if one caught a glimpse of her face, a hazy cloud obscured her features.

So even if one wanted to see her, it was impossible.

"Thank you for guiding us."

"Haah… It's nothing. Have a good time."

Hoyeon, his face etched with fatigue, muttered that today was a strange day as he left.

Karami took Rin's hand and started down the corridor.

It felt strange walking through the corridor—like an endless staircase in a vast building. No matter how far they walked or which corner they turned, an unending straight path stretched behind them.

It was a space beyond the principles of the world.

This was Yuhwa's magic at work.

What a pointless trick.

Rin, growing irritated, shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Rin doesn't like it hereeee!"

Her cry echoed loudly.

Crack!

A sound like shattering glass pierced the air.

The corridor's magical veil split. Its endless shape twisted, revealing a large sliding door.

"Well done."

"Hmph!"

Karami patted Rin's head as she raised her nose proudly, then opened the door.

Whoosh.

A cool breeze blew in.

The scene that unfolded before their very eyes was white and blue. Beneath them, pure white clouds stretched endlessly, and above them was a clear blue sky, dotted with more clouds and yet another sky beyond that.

A world of clouds floating in the heavens.

"Mastah! We opened the door and it's the sky!"

"Indeed. It's just like the realm of the immortals."

Looking back, only the door they had entered through remained visible, with no walls of a building in sight.

This too was a separate space created by Yuhwa's magic.

"I have been waiting for you."

An elegant, beautiful voice rang out from above.

The shimmering clouds parted, and a white light descended through the gap.

Mist spread gently, like fog from a stage machine, and surrounded by a soft glow, a snow-white fox appeared.

White tails swayed like fairy wings, and flowing silk robes billowed like air-borne waves.

Yuhwa descended gracefully, hovering with her toes barely touching the ground, then…

Tap.

She landed lightly.

The staging is fucking terrible.

Karami thought irreverently, despite the awe-inspiring scene.

"Are you the guests Hoyeon mentioned?"

"That's right."

"Welcome. I am Yuhwa, the Lord of the Celestial Pavilion."

The sacred atmosphere suggested one shouldn't speak carelessly.

Her beautiful appearance seemed beyond that of earthly creatures.

One might worry about being enchanted by the fox and having their liver torn out, but Karami's expression remained indifferent.

This old hag is using transformation magic again.

An old woman who's lived for a thousand years yet can't act her age, cosplaying as a young beauty.

She's like a VTuber with a cute avatar but is actually a middle-aged man inside. To Karami, who had swallowed barrels of red pills, she looked like nothing more than a senile old woman.

"Fox Gwanny!"

"Gwanny…?"

Yuhwa looked down at Rin, who came running up to her.

Pink fur.

Three tails.

From the outside, she was indeed a three-tailed fox, but Yuhwa's Heavenly Eye couldn't be deceived. She could see six powerful energies writhing within.

This girl was undoubtedly a gumiho.

And then there was Karami who had come with her. The blessing of the World Tree flowed around him. He was the one she had mistaken for an elf.

Though she didn't know why the World Tree had blessed him, it felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest.

As expected, her powers hadn't weakened after all.

"What brings you to seek me out?"

"I apologize, but I really cannot bear it anymore. Could you please drop that transformation magic?"

"How did you…"

There weren't many in the world who could see through Yuhwa's transformation magic.

Yuhwa narrowed her Heavenly Eye, glaring at Karami. He shrugged lightly.

Once her identity was exposed, the transformation magic lost much of its effect. Yuhwa sighed and dispelled her magic.

Wrinkles appeared on her flawless skin, her back hunched. The beautiful woman vanished, leaving only an old woman.

"Is this better?"

"Whew, now I can breathe."

"Hmm, I thought it was quite cute though."

"Urgh…"

Seeing Karami's expression turn sour as if he might retch, she decided to stop joking.

"How did you know?"

"I'm a slave trader. I have confidence in my ability to read people."

He could see through her transformation magic for such a trivial reason?

This human is no ordinary person.

Yuhwa's wariness towards Karami increased twofold.

"It seems you know more than I expected. That's why you've come to me, I presume."

Just bringing a gumiho with him was enough to tell.

"I'll take responsibility for sending this child back to White Cloud Valley. I'll also remind the fox spirits there of their role. You've done well."

Yuhwa reached out her hand towards Rin, who quickly dodged and clung to Karami.

"Hm?"

Yuhwa's hand cut through empty air.

Rin, hugging Karami's leg, glared at Yuhwa.

"I'm sorry, but this child is my slave."

"What did you say?"

"Rin is Mastah's slave!"

"Rin…?"

There was an obvious strong bond between the two.

Had he really named a gumiho and formed a master-slave relationship? What kind of madman would do such a thing?

"Do you know how much trouble I went through to bring this child here? I can't just send her back."

"What nonsense are you spouting?! She already has three tails. If they increase any further, many people will be in danger!"

"I don't know about that, but I'm going to raise Rin until she becomes a full gumiho. That's why I came to ask for the Celestial Fox's help."

His words were clearly sincere.

He intended to raise Rin to become a full gumiho.

At that moment, Yuhwa's Heavenly Eye began to see.

The pitch-black light enveloping Karami.

The heavenly mandate bestowed upon him.

Yuhwa knew what that light meant.

"You are destined to die soon."

You are fated to bear all of the gumiho's misfortune and die.