Chapter Text
Even though an hour had passed by and his confrontation with Uriel was inevitably going to occur any minute now, Lee Hyusung was feeling good.
The fresh haircut he had received and Heewon’s loving presence instilled an acute sense of confidence within him, leaving Hyunsung with the sentiment that, as long as he played his cards right and appealed to the people’s sense of justice, then everything would turn out fine. Granted he never had much of a way with words, but he could explain himself clearly when push came to shove. Heewon would vouch for him surely, and perhaps Gabriel would too.
It was possible that Hyunsung would manage to make it out of this situation with his head intact yet.
You can do this Hyunsung, he said to himself as two guards entered the infirmary. Letting go of the mirror in his hand, he lifted himself off from his cot and stood to meet them.
Explain the situation correctly and let Uriel know you won’t be pushed around. You’ve faced much worse than her, surely!
Hyunsung knew that the last part was a lie, but the thought comforted him nonetheless.
“This is for you, sir,” one of the guards addressed Hyunsung, handing him the slip of paper in her hand. Her polite tone and tall stature stood out to Hyunsung the most as he looked over its contents.
Much to Hyunsung’s surprise, it was a letter addressed to him.
Dear Hyunsung-nim, the letter said, We hope this letter finds you in good health, or at least healthy enough to respond. Yoosung is very worried about you, but I know you’ll make it out alive. It would be lame very sad if you passed away from eating a pie right after kicking a demon king’s butt. You’re way too cool to die like that!
Anyway, I’m sure that someone explained what happened to you by now, but Donghoon-hyung wanted me to tell you just in case. After you passed out, we got on Mister and I summoned some weird looking beetles to guide us out of the Woods. Mister was very sad that he couldn’t leave the forest with us, but Yoosung promised to visit him ever other week. Thankfully there were some guards stationed on the outskirts of the blockade, so we turned you over to them. Last we saw, you were hovering in the air as 5 angels tried to fly you back to the castle. You weren’t making it easy for them.
Lastly, Yoosung told me that you might be worried about what happened to us after you left. Don’t be. Right after we went back into the Wild Woods to destroy the gingerbread house (Donghoon-hyung thought it would be dangerous if it remained up), we returned back to the village. It looks like our uncle and auntie were nowhere to be seen, oh no how terrible so we decided to move in with Donghoon-hyung. He doesn’t seem to mind, except for the fact that a lot of people are asking him what happened. We’re basically super popular now, but Donghoon-hyung doesn’t like it at all. He put up a sign outside our house that says “No visits permitted to this household from sunup to sundown.” Yoosung is still trying to convince him to take it down.
Well, it’s good to catch up, Hyunsung-nim, but that’s about all I have to say. Make sure you write back to us as soon as you recover, and tell us what the Queen thinks about the whole situation. We’re all dying to know what she thinks about you sending that asshole monster back to hell!
From yours truly,
Gilyoung
With his heart overflowing with a warm feeling, Hyunsung couldn’t stop himself from grinning.
“Oh? What’s got you looking so happy, Hyunsung? Did my mother write to tell you that she was so affected by your harrowing recovery that she’s changed her mind and will now gladly accept you as her son-in-law?” Heewon teased.
“Hah, good one, Heewon-ssi,” Hyunsung replied earnestly, “But no. It was just a letter from some of the friends I made during my trial. Yoosung, Gilyoung, and Donghoon saved my life a couple times, so I’m glad to know that they are doing alright.”
“Oh I see. Well I’m happy that at least someone was there to watch your back while I wasn’t.”
She paused for a second.
“Hey, I know this may sound silly,” Heewon said, “But if Uriel decides not to kill you after we talk to her, then… why don’t you invite them to the wedding? I want to thank your friends in person for taking such good care of my Hyunsung— even if you did managed to get yourself into a coma.”
Hyunsung’s eyes widened.
“That’s a great idea, Heewon-ssi,” he replied, “I’m sure Donghoon and the kids would be excited to attend.”
“Ha, it’s decided then. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces once they realize you're marrying into Eden's royal family.”
Next to them, the guard with sandy hair cleared his throat.
“I hate to interrupt your conversation,” he stated dryly, “But Her Majesty told us to summon both you and Her Highness to the throne room. She wants to discuss the outcome of the current trial. Evelyn here will escort Hyunsung while I take Her Highness to see her Majesty beforehand, as per her request.”
Heewon clenched her jaw as the words left his mouth. Of course Uriel felt the need to separate them.
“Well it looks like the moment has finally arrived,” she grumbled. Her eyes looked weary, but her fists were set firm.
“Thank you for the notice, Raphael. Let’s just get this shit show on the road.”
Before she exited the room, however, Heewon reached over and took one last squeeze of Hyunsung’s hand.
“Don’t worry, Hyunsung,” his fiancee assured him, the smile on her lips similar to the one he gave her right before leaving for his quest.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll get Uriel to change her mind about the technicality— or die trying. In fact, she’ll have to fight me off herself if she thinks she can condemn you for this.”
Jung Heewon took a confident step forward as she followed Raphael out of the infirmary. Hyunsung wished he could look half as collected as she did.
“Well then,” Heewon sighed, her face set with a look of absolute resolve, “Ready to face the terrible wrath of the Demon-like Judge of Fire?”
_________________
The answer to that question, which Hyunsung would soon come to learn, was a resounding no.
All that confidence, all that bravado that had previously built up inside of him when he was with Heewon in the infirmary dissipated the second Hyunsung entered the throne room and made eye contact with the Queen. Her eyes burned with the same contempt that had been there before, of course, but there was something new there too.
Victory, Hyunsung realized. Uriel’s face, though decorated with the charming smile she always wore for her people, was now adorned with a slick look of satisfaction that had not been there the last time they met. Her posture was relaxed and lazy, one leg crossed over the other beneath her black star-patterned gown, reminding Hyunsung of the way a lioness looks when handed its prey on a silver platter.
She thinks she’s won, Hyunsung thought to himself with pursed lips. She knows I've failed my trial, and thinks that she’ll never have to see my face again.
Deciding that he didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire by demonstrating his clear frustration, Hyunsung got down on one knee. He forced his unsteady legs to stay balanced and his heart to cease its heavy thrashing, even as Uriel broke the silence between them.
“So Hyunsung,” the lioness said to him after a considerable pause. Her gaze was terrifyingly calm.
“I’m sure you know that by now my Archangels have reported the events of your trial to me, but I wanted to hear what happened in your own words. Heewon tried to tell me herself before you came in here,” Uriel waved her hand dismissively, ”But I decided that it was best to hear from you directly before coming up with my final verdict.”
Turning to her daughter who was seated next to her, the Queen gave Heewon an amused look.
“Though, I’ll admit what she told me was rather interesting. Care to explain the full story, Lee Hyunsung?”
“Of course Your Majesty,” he bowed his head further to the ground. The mercenary didn’t quite have the conviction yet to fully look Uriel in the eyes.
“I don’t know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but… it turns out the monster you sent me to hunt down in the Wild Woods wasn’t a simple demon like we previously thought.”
“Oh?” The Queen mused, clearly already in the know, “Then… what exactly was behind the disappearances?”
Hyunsung took a deep breath in.
“It– it was… a demon king, Your Majesty,” he stuttered, the words fumbling out his mouth, “It was– Asmodeus. He somehow managed to enter the Woods, and possessed an old mage as his host. He… he used her magic to create the gingerbread house, and lured the village children to him so that he could find an even younger, even stronger vessel. When I found him, Asmodeus was in the process of trying to possess a young girl and her brother. We barely managed to subdue him with our lives intact.”
As the words left his mouth, Hyunsung braced himself for a reaction. However, not even he could prepare for the level of disbelief that occurred next.
Uriel, who had previously looked so indifferent to Hyunsung’s story, straightened her back as she shifted forward in her seat. The tips of her fingers went from the edge of her armrests straight into her palms, digging into them so tightly that they looked like they would draw blood. Dear stars, Hyunsung thought, Uriel’s left eye is twitching.
“Asmodeus,” she repeated, trying (and failing) to regain her composure,“Asmodeus, as in the Demon King of Wrath and Lust, Ruler of the 32nd Demon Realm, 13th Demon King of Hell? That Asmodeus? Are you sure?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he professed, “I’m certain.”
As a hush silence fell over the throne room, every guard, servant, and advisor halted their idle conversations and froze in place. Within the gothic styled room, most of the castle’s residents stood off somewhere to the sides, going about their daily business and weaving between the rows of marble busts that depicted their important patrons. The only source of light came from the large stained glass window above the 3 thrones, illuminating the sides of people’s profiles and alarmed expressions.
From where Hyunsung was standing, only Gabriel and Jung Heewon looked unsurprised, but their visages were far from unconcerned. Heewon’s hands were clenched tightly in her lap, her knees folded inwards. Gabriel rested one hand on her throne while the other cupped the side of her face. She looked deep in thought, like she was deciding whether or not to weigh in.
“Lee Hyunsung… do you understand what you just told me?” Uriel interrupted his train of thought. Her wings fluttered indignantly around her, a sign of absent-minded worry.
“Do you honestly expect me to believe that not only did Asmodeus manage to make his way into the Mortal Realm in an attempt to kidnap my people’s children, but also that you—” she put a lot of emphasis on that word, “Were able to slay him? I don’t suppose you have a demon stone as proof?”
“Ummm, well no, not exactly,” Hyunsung murmured under his breath.
He wasn’t quite sure how to bring up Asmodeus’s defeat without revealing too many of the more… questionable aspects of his quest. Though Uriel probably already knew how he had endangered multiple children over the duration of his journey, he didn’t want her to know just how big a role they had played in the battle, for both Hyunsung’s safety and theirs.
“Sorry, what was that? I couldn’t quite hear you, Hyunsung.”
“What he's trying to say,” Heewon quickly answered for him, “Is that he doesn’t have a demon stone because he didn’t kill Asmodeus. Hyunsung just stalled him until probability overtook his true form and he was sent back to the Demon Realm— which, BY THE WAY— is extremely reasonable because not all of us are the Queen of Eden and can kill a demon king by ourselves.”
Uriel rolled her eyes at her daughter.
“Wow Heewon-ah, you act like it was such an easy thing for me to do!” she exclaimed. A small rant was building on her lips.
“While I’m happy you have such confidence in me, we both know how many people sacrificed their lives in the battle against the 57th demon king. Even though it only took the death of one of their own for the rest of them to surrender, who knows what could have happened if the other demon kings hadn’t given up so easily? We just barely managed to finish off Ose. How am I supposed to believe that Hyunsung survived an encounter with the 13th demon king, of all people?”
Gabriel crossed her arms. Would she finally step in for Hyunsung’s defense?
“In all fairness, it’s not like Eden has much proof either regarding Ose’s death,” the queen consort shrugged.
“That’s why Olympus is currently in possession of his demon stone, and why you and Athena argue to this day about who landed the killing blow. It doesn’t help that it happened on their soil too.”
“Ahhh!” Uriel yelled in frustration, “Don’t talk to me about that ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️ ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️! She and that ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️ they have the gall to call a king are just a bunch of lying, no good, power hungry thieves!”
“Ah yes, my love,” Gabriel smirked slightly. She clearly enjoyed how heated her spouse was getting about the topic. “We all know how you feel about Olympus. Why if it wasn’t for the Metatron’s intervention, I feared you would have started another war right then and there.”
Uriel groaned out loud, inviting Hyunsung to raise his eyebrow in surprise.
“Alright, quit teasing me, Gabriel!” she snapped at her wife, “And quit trying to get me off topic! You know that’s not what we’re here to discuss.”
“Right, right, my bad,” Gabriel sighed. “Let’s stop beating around the bush then. We’re here to discuss your technicality, are we not?”
“Hmph. Exactly so.”
“Well if I may, Your Majesty—” Heewon started. The words rolled off her tongue like she had been preparing them this entire time.
“Uh, uh, uh. You may not.”
“I— wait what?”
“Did I not say earlier that I wanted to hear from Hyunsung himself?” Uriel pouted. “Heewon-ah, I’m afraid that if you keep speaking for him, then he’ll never be able to form a backbone of his own. Why don’t we let the man present his own defense for once, hmm? I mean, it’s not like his life depends on it or anything.”
The Queen turned her head back to the mercenary. “Please go ahead, Hyunsung, the floor is yours.”
Externally, there was nothing Hyunsung wanted to do more than let out a groan. Internally, however, he recalled the specifics of Gabriel’s advice.
Remind Uriel she has bigger fish to fry.
It is possible she will fold under the people’s scrutiny.
Well, it was now or never.
“Your Majesty,” Hyunsung bowed, his voice taking on a new sense of elevation, “I understand that you think I didn’t complete the trial because I failed to kill the demon and bring back its head. You said those words exactly when you gave me the quest a few days ago, right?”
The queen nodded as she leaned back into her seat. Her right hand now rested lightly on the hilt of her sword like she was contemplating a similar thought about Hyunsung’s own head.
“Yes, I did, but what exactly are you getting at?”
“Well it’s just… if you’re going to hold me to your exact words, then, uh, shouldn’t you do the same for yourself?”
Dear constellations, that was a mistake. Uriel’s eyes narrowed menacingly, but Hyunsung turned his face away so he could focus on the crowd. He raised his voice hesitantly, wanting everyone in the room to hear him.
“You told me that this would be an easy trial, and that the person behind the incident was simply a low-ranking demon. Oh, um, I’m not accusing you of lying or that you purposefully set me up to fail knowing that the culprit would be too difficult for me to handle—!” who was he kidding, that's exactly what he was thinking, “But… maybe we can both take a step back and agree that we failed each other in some way? I-I’m willing to put the situation behind me if you are, Your Majesty,” Hyunsung squeaked out towards the end.
Instantly, hardened black pupils met his own.
“Are you calling me a hypocrite, Lee Hyunsung?” Uriel asked lightly. Her tone was nonchalant, but he knew he knew an accusation when he heard one.
“...In my own castle? In front of my own people? With my family sitting right next to me? Are you really so audacious?”
Every one of Uriel’s questions hit Hyunsung like stones to the face. Panicking, the mercenary realized that all eyes had landed upon him, waiting to see just how badly he would manage to screw up his next words. A nervous cough echoed across the room, and Hyunsung was surprised to find that it came from his own mouth.
Damn it. Think of something to say, you idiot! His brain screamed at him.
“Why, of-of course not, Your Majesty!” Hyunsung brilliantly choked out.
“I would never spread such a…such a deeply disgusting lie! I just… wanted you to see my perspective on the situation, ahahaha. Because, I, uh, know how much fairness is important to you, and how you value the opinions of those beneath you!”
Did anyone even believe a single word coming out of his mouth?
Hyunsung looked around. Catching Raphael’s eyes to his far right, he could see that the angel was visibly frowning. The sentiment seemed to be shared by the rest of the soldiers too, whose wings hung loosely around them like they had forgotten standard military procedure. The only thing that mattered to them right now was the battle of wits occurring right in front of them, the one between a hopeless fool in love and a prideful mother bear out for blood.
Thankfully, Gabriel was there once again to be the voice of reason.
“I mean, he does have a point here, Uriel,” the queen consort insisted.
“I specifically remember you promising to take it easy on him this time, but look how that turned out. Is it really fair to expect this feeble excuse of a soldier—” she pointed at Hyunsung, “No offense by the way— to be able to decapitate a demon king? Not to mention that we have a way bigger problem on our hands now.”
Creases formed on Uriel’s otherwise perfectly smooth skin.
“Do you think I don’t know that, Gabriel?” she muttered, crossing her arms.
“I’m perfectly aware what Asmodeus’s presence in the Wild Woods means. It means that someone broke their contract with us in a major way— but just what exactly would you have me do? Launch a retaliation? Send more of our people to die in those trees? Burn down the Woods and take control of their portal, just to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again?”
Uriel shook her head. The motion displaced the ruby crown sitting across her brow, shifting it lower in position. It was only now that Hyunsung realized just how much authority Uriel held, not just over his life, but the thousands of others within her kingdom– it must have been a heavy weight to bear.
“I don’t want another war when we haven’t even reached ten years of peace!” she exclaimed, her bangs dangling precariously into her eyes, “But I can’t just let this offense go by unpunished. They broke a promise, and it’s my job as Eden’s protector to see my people’s justice through— or did Raguel's death truly mean nothing?”
“Uriel…” Heewon began softly, but Gabriel motioned for her to stay silent. She knew what a sensitive topic the man’s passing was to the Queen.
They had lost a good angel that day, and what’s worse, at the hands of someone they had previously called their own. Uriel’s own.
Reaching over to wife, Gabriel readjusted her crown with a warm expression.
“I’m not saying that I don’t agree, Uriel,” she asserted gently, lightly brushing the side of her wife’s face, “But what good is there in punishing the person who helped us discover the situation? Especially when you’ve broken a promise yourself? Let him live, my love— he’s done more than we asked of him.”
“Yes, Uriel, please,” Jung Heewon pleaded, “Let Hyunsung pass this trial. I won’t even complain about the one you give him next, just that you promise it’s fair. In the meantime, we can help you figure out what Eden’s next course of action is. Don’t you think that's the best thing to do?”
“…”
“Uh, if it helps, Your Majesty,” Hyunsung added, “The Spirits of the Woods, they turned on Asmodeus in the end. Honestly, It was only with their help that I survived my battle with him. I— I too want to avoid another war as much as possible… I know the amount of pain it can cause.”
“Mhmm, do you now?” Uriel murmured under her breath, “Thank you for your input, Hyunsung. Duly noted.”
“Ah sorry, what did you say?”
Tired of his general good nature, Uriel pressed her hand to her forehead. She could feel the start of a royal sized headache forming just beneath her fingertips, its emergence no doubt due to the man kneeling before her. Ugh. Was there really no other option here?
Begrudgingly, Uriel felt her tenacity begin to dissolve like steel. It was a slow, arduous process, but one that eventually came to pass as she was faced with the burning heat of three unyielding furnaces— her wife, her daughter, and the half-wit she called a fiancee.
“Y’know what? Fine,” Uriel sighed. She glanced around the throne room, making sure to meet every one of her subject’s eyes.
“With you all as my witnesses, I decree that Lee Hyunsung has– just barely – passed the Trial of Gluttony. Although he didn’t exactly complete the objective, I suppose we both made some mistakes. It’d be wrong to hold him to a standard I haven’t upheld myself.”
Pulling her sword from its sheath, Uriel’s blade was upon Hyunsung’s neck in an instant. While the tip rested lightly upon the inner crook of his shoulder, the angel’s face stared spitefully back at him; her eyes practically screamed, Give me a reason to push it further.
Uh, no thank you. Hyunsung fixed his gaze on the ground. He prayed to the great stars above, using whatever names he could think of. Would it be offensive to the Queen if he prayed to Christ on her soil?
Uriel cleared her throat. “That being said, there is no time to delay. Lee Hyunsung, I shall issue your next trial right now.”
“Oh, uh— really?” he blurted out.
“I just thought that, ummm… that I could—” but the blade dug deeper into his shoulder. Hyunsung winced.
“Ahaha, actually... I’m feel much better already. Please tell me my next trial, Your Majesty.”
Uriel let out a small laugh, “You’re really eager, hmm? Good— I like that.”
Heewon, on the other hand, did not.
“Aghh seriously, Uriel?” she groaned. Though the princess didn’t really feel like pushing her luck right now, even she couldn’t let this injustice pass by.
“Hyunsung just got out of a coma less than an hour ago, and you want to send him out on another death quest straight away? Where’s your sense of fairness?”
“Whaah, who said anything about a death quest, Heewon-ah?” Uriel retorted, releasing Hyunsung from his terror as she sheathed her sword. Uriel paced around the room, her hands hanging low behind her back.
“Since you all complained so much about the last trial, allow me to make it up to you with this one, Hyunsung. You wanted something easier, right? Well, I have just the thing in mind…”
Confused, Hyunsung rotated his chin over his shoulder to see what Uriel was staring at. Like the majority of the castle, petite golden crosses decorated the corners of the room, reflecting Eden’s cardinal ideology and the symbol of their strength. Just what exactly did Uriel have in mind?
“Lee Hyunsung…how do you feel about taking on the Trial of Greed?”