[ Excerpt from the Original Covenant of the Joseon Era ]

As long as the bloodline continues, the calamity shall also be inherited; therefore, let the two families mix their blood and move as one life. One side shall hold the wealth of the world to support the shield, and the other shall offer their noble blood and flesh to wash away the calamity that shackles the Lord.

The murky energy disperses only through touching skin and mingling body heat; thus, as the calamity deepens, the two bodies shall overlap as one to achieve a deep union of Yin and Yang.

The Shield shall become the Lord's only sanctuary and companion, confining the Lord within his embrace until the day his breath fails, never to leave their side for even a moment.

[ 2026 Revision: Confidential Agreement on Special Purification Obligations and Fated Binding ]

This agreement is a document re-establishing the original covenant between the two families, first formed in 14XX, according to modern standards. The contents of this document are strictly confidential, known only to the heads of both families and the parties involved. The ultimate purpose of this covenant lies in the complete survival of the Subject, the perfect purification of the curse, and the absolute belonging between the parties.

Article 1 (Definition of Terms and Designation of Parties)

• Subject (The Afflicted): Refers to the direct successor (Guest) in whom the current generation's curse has manifested or is expected to manifest according to family history.

• Purifier (The Ward): Refers to the sole individual (Yeo Hae-il) born with the blood of purification, designated as the Subject's only savior and fated partner.

• Purification Ritual: Refers to the essential and continuous physical union and bodily contact between the two parties to disperse the calamity consuming the Subject.

Article 2 (Mutual Obligations and Transfer of Power)

• The Subject's family shall provide, without condition, the vast capital and power necessary for the Purifier's foundation operations and internal/external activities.

• In return, the Purifier shall devote his entire life, reason, and body to remain by the Subject's side, bearing the obligation to perfectly protect the Subject by any means necessary.

Article 3 (Purification Ritual and Right of Physical Control)

• The murky energy of the curse is purified only through the Purifier's blood and body heat—specifically, direct and intimate physical contact.

• The Purifier has the exclusive right to demand constant physical contact for the Subject's well-being, and the Subject must not refuse this under any circumstances for their own survival.

• In the event of worsening weather, the Subject's accumulated fatigue, or premonitory symptoms of the curse, the Purifier may immediately control the Subject's physical movements and enforce the highest level of physical union (Purification Ritual) for an extended period. This is to ensure the fastest and most stable effect during the purification process.

Article 4 (Exclusive Belonging and Blocking of External Factors)

• The curse targets the person most precious to the Subject, leading them to misfortune and loss.

• To fundamentally block this, the Purifier is obligated to strictly monitor and control the Subject to prevent them from harboring private feelings or attachments toward outsiders.

• Only the Purifier must remain as the safest refuge in the Subject's world; eye contact or unnecessary contact with others is strictly prohibited.

Article 5 (Lifelong Validity and Prohibition of Departure)

• This agreement remains valid until the physical life of either the Subject or the Purifier ends and cannot be terminated or modified by any secular laws or external factors.

• The Subject cannot escape the Purifier's control under any circumstances, and the Purifier must bind the Subject to his side for life and never let them go.