-23-
East Wind
The man’s footsteps leaving the Hall of Lectures were very different from usual. Normally, after having a meal before the royal lecture and to aid digestion, he would always maintain dignified but quick steps as he headed to practice archery. But today, for some reason, his pace toward the archery field was noticeably sluggish.
Though he was walking forward slowly with his gaze directed ahead, his eyes were slightly unfocused, as if deep in thought about something. Eventually, the eunuch walking behind him remarked that at this rate, they would barely touch the threshold of the archery field before returning. This brought the man back to his senses, and he immediately resumed his usual striding pace, but by the time they reached the archery field, his steps had slowed again.
“Your Highness. Are you well?”
A man who had been waiting at the archery field approached and greeted him. This man was Uian, his study companion and longtime friend, the grandson of Oh Byungan, the former Chief State Councillor.
“…Yes.”
“Did you go yesterday? The rumor was false, right?”
“…Yes. It wasn’t true.”
Uian entered the palace once every seven days to coincide with the man’s archery practice. Although his grandfather had retired from office, he still had many followers and was always well-informed about current rumors. Because of this, when rumors circulated that the second son of the Kyung family, who was virtually designated to be the Crown Princess, was communicating secretly with the second son of the Military Minister, Uian had reported this to the Crown Prince ten days ago. The Crown Prince had gone to the Military Minister’s house yesterday, pretending to be the eldest son, to test that servant personally.
“Isn’t that right? I know Minister Park well, and he’s not the type to raise his children that way. Even if the two were genuinely attracted to each other, they wouldn’t secretly communicate behind people’s backs. If anything, they would proudly declare themselves as lovers.”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
“Then the Crown Princess will be the second son of the Kyung family as planned.”
“…Yes. That’s right.”
But after going to see that servant yesterday, the Crown Prince seemed possessed or obsessed today, his condition clearly abnormal.
“…”
He would stop shooting his bow and stare at the target for a long time, or suddenly pause mid-stride while walking, lost in thought. When Uian was seriously beginning to wonder if he was possessed by a ghost:
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“Is there a character… ‘gwan’?”
“What? You mean ‘gwang’?”
“Is ‘jeong’ the character for ‘straight’ or ‘righteous’?”
“…What? What are you…”
“It could also be the ‘jeong’ for ‘bright.'”
“…Whose name is Gwang-jeong?”
The Crown Prince was suddenly spewing incomprehensible words, as if he had heard some name, but since Uian couldn’t dare ask the Crown Prince to explain more clearly, he tried to guess and ask questions. Though he clearly heard “gwan,” as far as he knew, there was no such character, so thinking it must be “gwang” and that the Crown Prince had misspoken, he corrected it.
“…It’s Jeonggwan.”
But the character “gwan” really came from the Crown Prince’s mouth, and from that moment, Uian wracked his brain again. After all, he had been the Crown Prince’s study companion since childhood because he was considered the most intelligent among the children of officials—how could he not know a single character? Uian even rolled his eyes upward, trying to recall every character he knew.
“There’s ‘goe’ and ‘gwang,’ but no ‘gwan’…”
“But he clearly said ‘gwan.'”
“Who are you talking about…?”
“…That servant.”
Servant? What servant? The servant he pretended to test at the Military Minister’s house yesterday? The servant of the Kyung family’s second son? Why suddenly the name of that servant? Uian frowned deeply as if he’d heard something bizarre, but then, as if he’d realized something unrelated, he slapped his thigh and spoke.
“Your Highness. If he’s a servant, he’s a lowborn, and lowborns’ names have no meaning!”
“…No meaning?”
“Commoners are just given any random name. Usually, they’re named after their birthplace or birth date, so there’s no meaning to the characters.”
Commoners’ names truly had no meaning. Those born in a drought year would be named Drought, and those who cleaned up dog droppings would be called Dog Dung. Because of this, there were many characters without meaning, and Jeonggwan was one such case.
“…What did you say?”
However, the man who learned this fact looked quite shocked. In this country where meaning was attached to everything, whether precious or trivial, how could a person’s name have no meaning? His expression conveyed this, but separately, as if he had realized something else, his face contorted even more. So he had been thinking all day about a lowly servant whose name had no meaning? All day long.
Indeed. Since visiting the Park family, the man had been recalling that pale face, round cheeks, and round eyes all day. The eyelashes on those closed eyes were long and dark as if painted with ink, and he kept remembering the moment when those eyes opened and he met the amber pupils inside. Even the mouth that dared to babble about protecting its master was so temptingly formed.
“But why are you thinking about that lowborn? Do you suspect he noticed and gave false information? Should I go directly to that servant and probe him this time?”
“…Directly?”
“Yes. I’ll go to that servant, give him a ring or something, and gently coax information out of him. After all, this concerns someone who will become the Crown Princess—it would be a serious matter if there really was secret communication.”
The man looked Uian up and down as he spoke with enthusiasm, looking ready to go meet that servant right away. Something seemed displeasing to him, and he lowered his gaze.
“I will go tomorrow immediately.”
But not knowing himself what was displeasing, he could only open and close his mouth before giving an answer.
“…Do so.”
Rumors spread in the Kyung household that Jeonggwan, Juhwan’s servant, had been severely scolded by the eldest son of the Park family. They said Jeonggwan’s legs were crushed. They said he walked back pale-faced and limping because his buttocks were completely torn. Such brutal rumors circulated, but no one knew the truth.
“The eldest son said that? That if I send you one more time, he won’t let it slide?”
“Y-yes…”
“Ha-. Who does he think he is to say what I can or cannot do? Is he upset that a perfect beauty like me likes his brother instead of him? Huh?”
Jeonggwan wanted to say that the eldest son of the Park family didn’t seem to mind if Juhwan didn’t like him, but he just kept his mouth shut. Somehow, he felt that if he said the eldest son was more handsome and beautiful, Juhwan might change the recipient of his love letters.
‘That is indeed a fitting name for a servant.’
Although his words weren’t kind, the eldest son of the Park family was extremely beautiful. Even on the way back home, even when his father and mother came to meet him and worried that he had been scolded because of his dirty clothes from them prostrating themselves, Jeonggwan couldn’t explain. He kept thinking of that face.
That’s why he hoped Juhwan didn’t know him. Although Juhwan was the young master he served, Jeonggwan had always envied him. Why couldn’t he eat good food and wear good clothes just because of his lowly birth, despite being a person just like him? Why did his father and mother always have to work? Why shouldn’t he even dream of admiring a handsome nobleman?
Because Juhwan already had everything, that’s why he hoped Juhwan didn’t know that man. Although there was absolutely no chance of a connection between himself and that man, he wanted to remember that face like a secret known only to himself. It was a very small, wicked thought blooming inside Jeonggwan.
“Ah well. The Park family is a lost cause anyway. I’m getting married.”
“…What?!”
“My father says he’s arranging a good marriage for me.”
“Really? Where to? You’ll take me with you, right, young master?”
“Of course. You are my hands and feet. I have to take you wherever I go.”
“Yes! I’ll serve you well!” Jeonggwan nodded eagerly and began massaging Juhwan’s shoulders from behind, showing the height of flattery. As if the leftover food and snacks from Juhwan hadn’t been eaten in vain, his hand pressure was surprisingly strong and precise.
“Your massage skills are incredible. I absolutely cannot leave you behind.”
Although there were times when he envied and resented Juhwan, in the end, Juhwan was the only one who cared about him. So Jeonggwan put away his wicked thoughts and burst into laughter with Juhwan.
“Yes! I’ll massage you diligently even after we go!”
Juhwan pretended it was nothing, but he seemed quite unsettled about not being able to connect with the Park family and instead getting married elsewhere. Jeonggwan checked on Juhwan, who had gone to bed earlier than usual, and was putting on his straw shoes to go to the servants’ quarters when Sukhee, who worked in the kitchen, beckoned to him from afar as soon as she saw him, as if she had been waiting.
“What is it?”
Jeonggwan thought his mother might have summoned him through Sukhee and called out loudly, but Sukhee whispered, putting a finger to her lips as if telling him to be quiet.
“I heard you saw the eldest young master of the Park family yesterday.”
“Huh? Why…?”
“What did you do?”
“…What would I have done? I just got scolded and came back.”
“But… someone from the Park family is looking for you right now.”
“…What?”
Jeonggwan opened his eyes wide and asked, “Right now?” Sukhee nodded and whispered again softly. Some minister-like man had come from the Park family regarding yesterday’s matter and asked for Jeonggwan to be called quietly.
But judging by his appearance, he seemed to be the young master of that house.
“Young master? Minister?”
“Yeah. He was extremely tall, looked to be about 7 feet… Hey!”
Before Sukhee could finish, Jeonggwan began running past the gate of the men’s quarters. Sukhee was startled and called out to Jeonggwan, but quickly closed her mouth, afraid someone might hear. This was because the minister-like young master had given her brass chopsticks in exchange for secretly calling Jeonggwan.
“He seemed quite wealthy. Should I ask for jade next time?”
Since there was usually only one reason why a wealthy nobleman would secretly call someone else’s lowborn servant late at night, Sukhee thought he would definitely come again and considered raising the price next time.
“But Jeonggwan seems to be quite popular.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
