Chapter 22
A faint smile flashed briefly across Hwi’s lips before disappearing. While it had seemed excessive when he rented the top floor for just one night, Yun-seo’s assumptions were nothing compared to reality.
“And I plan to stay there for five days.”
“What?”
The shocking announcement made Yun-seo’s neck stiffen. He pulled the reins to stop his horse and asked, “Why do you need to rest there?”
“I intend to handle business matters for the merchant group that I haven’t been able to attend to. If I finish early, we might leave sooner, but five days should be reasonable.”
Hwi glanced at Yun-seo as he replied, but Yun-seo couldn’t respond. While delays of a few hours might be expected during travel, five days seemed much too long. Especially at this point, with only two days remaining before the palace entry date, if they were delayed any further…
Hwi rode ahead without waiting for Yun-seo’s answer, assuming he would accept. Yun-seo gazed at Hwi’s perfectly straight back, which hadn’t slouched once during their long journey on horseback, and fell into deep thought.
Should he part ways with him here?
If he left first, he could reach Yehang that much sooner, but it was difficult to guarantee such an arrival. If the imperial palace discovered his absence after the entry date passed, they would certainly send soldiers, making him an easy target if traveling alone.
Unable to reach any conclusion, he arrived at the inn in a confused state. A well-groomed man was guarding the entrance on the first floor, and he respectfully greeted Hwi.
“If you need anything during your stay, you can ask this person.”
“Yes.”
The tall man with a friendly appearance bowed his head to Yun-seo, revealing a deep dimple on his right cheek. Surprised by the unexpected courtesy, Yun-seo hastily returned the bow.
Though hesitating about whether to mention his name, the man didn’t speak either, just standing quietly with his eyes lowered.
“He cannot speak.”
“Ah, I see.”
Yun-seo gave the man a nod, though he wasn’t looking at him, and followed Hwi up to the second floor.
After unpacking, he looked out the window and saw a narrow canal separating this inn from the building across from it. Perhaps because it was near water, the village had an unusually peaceful atmosphere.
“I’m going out. Stay put.”
“What? You don’t need me to accompany you?”
“You’re bothersome.”
Hwi tossed out the curt remark and left the room. Come to think of it, despite saying he needed someone to attend to him, he was a man who handled everything efficiently by himself. Even his solo trip to the islands was because he disliked keeping up appearances. Really, what a free-loader he was.
Seeing that there was a subordinate guarding the inn, Hwi could surely find people to serve him if necessary. Even if Yun-seo left first, he wouldn’t miss him.
The problem was himself. Thanks to meeting Hwi by chance, he had fortunately been able to travel this far with him. Otherwise, it would have been quite difficult.
Yun-seo sighed deeply and leaned against the window. A damp smell from somewhere made his already troubled mind even more unsettled.
Suddenly, his eyes opened. It seemed that whenever his mind was restless before sleep, he would wake up like this. As he let out a small sigh, he noticed a large silhouette sitting in the middle of the room.
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out who it was. Hwi was sitting quietly in a chair with his arms crossed, staring into empty space.
It seemed he suffered from insomnia. Throughout their journey, Yun-seo had never seen him sleep. Of course, it could be that he fell asleep later and woke earlier than Yun-seo, but even then, it would be an extremely short amount of sleep.
Yun-seo got up from his bed and roughly tied up his hair. As he grabbed the hairpin he had placed nearby, a sharp sensation grazed his fingertip.
“Ah.”
The splinter from the worn wooden hairpin left a scratch on his finger. With his fingertip stinging, Yun-seo swallowed a sigh, finished arranging his hair, and sat across from Hwi. Hwi’s gaze shifted toward him.
“Can’t you sleep?”
“Why are you up?”
“How could I sleep comfortably when you can’t rest, my lord?”
“Wipe the sleep from your eyes before you speak.”
Yun-seo quickly raised his hand to check his eyes, but there was nothing there. He gave Hwi a sidelong glance and looked at the tea set on the table.
“They say drinking tea is good when you can’t sleep.”
When he lit a candle, the area around the table became softly illuminated. Hwi’s eyes were clear, as if he hadn’t slept at all. Yun-seo, aware that his own eyes must look puffy by comparison, roughly wiped them and placed the teapot on the brazier to heat the water.
As he brewed the tea with the hot water, a bitter yet fragrant aroma spread gently through the room. It had been a long time since he had brewed tea himself. The scent made him feel at ease, and Yun-seo took a deep breath.
“The fragrance is wonderful. It must be very high-quality tea.”
“That’s enough. Go back to sleep now.”
“You must be bored alone, so I’ll keep you company.”
He poured the properly brewed tea into a cup and placed it in front of Hwi. After pouring his own share and taking a sip, his drowsy mind immediately became refreshed.
“Did your business go well?”
“Are you trying to impress me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Yun-seo stared at Hwi while holding his teacup. Somehow, he felt like laughing, and with the skin under his eyes bulging as he curved his eyes downward, he spoke.
“What would I gain by impressing you, my lord?”
Hwi remained silent for a moment before answering.
“You could gain many things. Not only quality tea, but also the comfortable inns you’ve slept in, and countless gold coins.”
These seemed far too extravagant to be given just for making a good impression. Is this how the wealthy operate? Although he had grown up without material want, there seemed to be quite a large gap between himself and Hwi.
“What would I do with such wealth and status?”
“You must know that the things wealth and honor can achieve are limitless.”
“I know there are things that can never be obtained even with those.”
Yun-seo answered without the slightest hesitation, his eyes clear and firm.
He had been told that becoming a Yeong Chunhwa would bring wealth and honor. So it wouldn’t be difficult to obtain once he entered the palace. But what he desired and longed for most was freedom. Something he could never grasp despite growing up in a well-off household.
Hwi stared steadily at Yun-seo, then picked up his teacup. After taking a sip, he set it down and slowly traced the round edge with his fingertip.
The soft candlelight, the subtle fragrance of tea, the rhythmic repetition of his gesture, the comfortable silence. Suddenly, Yun-seo had the vague feeling that this moment might never come again. He let out a breath that was somewhere between a gasp and a sigh, and a faint smile formed on his lips.
“Not everything has an intention behind it. Just like how you’ve been kind to me all this time.”
The hand circling the teacup stopped. Though he had only stated the truth, Yun-seo’s cheeks flushed, and he couldn’t help but laugh like a dandelion seed scattered in the wind. Hwi’s fingers left the cup and curled into his palm.
When Yun-seo opened his eyes again, he realized he had dozed off. When did I fall asleep? As he tried to recall, he rolled his eyes to survey his surroundings and discovered he was sitting in a chair, not lying in bed.
What he was resting on was someone’s shoulder. Looking down, he saw Hwi’s hand—a large hand with long fingers and blue veins prominent on the back.
How had he ended up falling asleep on Hwi’s shoulder? Perhaps Hwi had come to his side and offered his shoulder when he saw Yun-seo nodding off. If so, why hadn’t he awakened him and taken him to bed?
Strangely, he felt he knew the reason. Perhaps Hwi also found this moment appealing. Perhaps he had sacrificed his own sleep to preserve this time rather than waking him.
With that thought, tears welled up for some reason. Though he was just sitting still, his heart was stirred. At the same time, a sudden desire not to leave this night behind surged within him.
Yes, he would wait the five days and go with Hwi. Since he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of being caught if he traveled to Yehang alone, he wanted to do everything he wished without regret before reaching Yehang. At Hwi’s side.
Despite having firmly made up his mind, his heart still churned violently like a boat capsized in a downpour. Unable to identify the nature of this emotion, Yun-seo squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to fall asleep quickly and preserve this moment intact forever.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
