"What was I doing?"
That was the thought that came to me the moment I opened my eyes.
What had I been doing until now?
"Certainlyâ¦"
I decided to enter my inner mind and eliminate my hesitation. How long had it been since I closed my eyes with that thought?
For some reason, I let my dazed mind wander and shifted my gaze.
The environment hadn't changed much from before I closed my eyes. I could still see the Ice Essence.
"Palace Lord."
As I looked around, I saw the Palace Lord gazing at me as well.
Butâ
"What is it?"
Why was she wearing that expression? Surprise and bewilderment.
The Palace Lord, whose demeanor was usually as cold as ice, now wore an expression brimming with emotion.
Why was her face like that? As I wonderedâ
"Why are you crying?"
The words she uttered made me tilt my head.
Crying? I raised a hand to touch the corners of my eyes.
"What?"
To my surprise, I was indeed crying.
What on earth was going on?
"What is this?"
Why was I crying?
"What is this?"
The tears that had suddenly started flowing made it hard to grasp the situation. Forget how long it had been since I last shed tears; I needed to figure out why they were falling now.
I hadn't been through anything particularly extraordinary.
"Hmm?"
I tried to recall the previous events.
But strangely, I couldn't remember anything.
"Surelyâ¦"
After entering my mental space to eliminate my younger self's hesitationâright after that.
And then what?
And thenâ
"What was it?"
I couldn't remember. It felt as though someone had painted over my memories, leaving only murky traces.
"Annoying."
And frustrating.
I frowned deeply, trying hard to remember, but all that surfaced was a fleeting image, blurry and unclear.
Someone holding a child. That was the extent of what I could recall.
"I donât know."
What had I seen? What had I experienced to feel this lingering unease?
"Young Master Gu? Are you alright?"
"Ahâ¦"
The Palace Lordâs voice prompted me to wipe away my tears.
"â¦How much time has passed?"
"Only a few seconds."