-24-
East Wind
Jeonggwan’s steps quickened as he crossed through the single-pillared gate. Though he didn’t know why the eldest young master would come looking for him so late at night, his heart beat rapidly at the thought of seeing that beautiful face once more. The Kyung family compound had three gates—the main gate, the side gate, and the back gate—but Jeonggwan ran straight to the main gate without hesitation. While he always used the side gate himself, even when young masters secretly summoned someone, they always did so at the main gate.
Sure enough, in front of the large tree and pond visible as soon as the main gate opened, a large man stood with his back turned, fanning himself. The man wore a lavish purple robe with a yellow vest over it, and this splendor looked so different from yesterday that Jeonggwan’s hurried steps gradually slowed.
“…Eldest young master?”
Finally, when he had almost approached, feeling that this man somehow didn’t seem to be the Park family’s eldest young master, Jeonggwan called out with uncertainty.
“Oh, so you’re Jeonggwan.”
Indeed, the man was not the Park family’s eldest young master. The man was as tall and large as the eldest young master, with a minister-like presence, but his appearance was completely different. If the eldest young master gave the impression of a cold yet beautiful winter with heavy snowfall, this man was more like spring in full bloom—luxurious and extravagant to the point where one didn’t know where to look.
“Who… are you?”
Jeonggwan was deeply disappointed. He had been told that someone from the Park family had come, someone minister-sized, so he naturally thought it was the eldest young master. Who was this young master, and why had he sought him out at such a late hour?
“Ah, ahem. The reason I’ve come is that I’ve been admiring Young Master Juhwan for a long time.”
“What?”
“I heard rumors yesterday and thought I might have a chance, so I came.”
This is like hearing Gildong eating dog poop. Jeonggwan frowned, then quickly lowered his eyes, fearing he would be scolded for looking directly at a high-ranking person. Incidentally, Gildong was the dog raised by the lady in the Kyung family’s inner quarters.
“Here. This is a jade ring. Tell me honestly, is it true that your master and the Park family’s second son are finished? They’re not involved with each other anymore?”
The man seemed to think he might have a chance if the two were really over, and with an excited expression, he held out a jade ring, urging Jeonggwan to answer. Whose young master is he to so casually offer jade rings? Would I get in trouble for accepting this? Jeonggwan stared dubiously at the jade ring resting on the man’s hand.
“Take this and just tell me if there’s truly no affection between them. Just tell me if it’s really over.”
However, the man’s earnest pleading made Jeonggwan wonder, Does he really admire our young master? His hand slowly rose toward the jade ring.
“Yes. Take it. Go ahead.”
The man’s eyes poured into Jeonggwan, saying Take it quickly and tell me the truth. Since there was nothing to say anyway, and since things were indeed over because they couldn’t send any more letters, Jeonggwan made a decision.
“Whether it’s over or not, I don’t want to spread stories about my young master for personal gain. And now that my young master is getting married, I can’t serve you, sir. I’m sorry.”
Jeonggwan gently pushed away the man’s hand and bowed deeply. Then he ran back into the house in a hurry. The jade ring lingered before his eyes, but anything excessive wasn’t good. Besides, his young master had promised to take him along wherever he went, and Jeonggwan didn’t want to gain personal benefits by spreading word of his young master’s failed love. Moreover, he was in a bad mood, greatly disappointed that the person wasn’t the Park family’s eldest young master as he’d expected when he ran out.
“Ah- He must know about becoming the Crown Prince’s consort and is denying everything to the end.”
“…”
“Ah- Lord Chief State Councillor. They said your son was so stubborn he wouldn’t say a word until he was in the sedan chair.”
“…No. Judging by that servant’s reaction, he seems to know only that a marriage has been arranged, not that it’s to the Crown Prince.”
A man who had been standing with his arms crossed on the opposite side of the large tree, listening to the conversation between the other man and Jeonggwan, quickly turned to look as the footsteps faded away. The tree’s shadow created darkness that concealed the man’s body, while the moonlight brightly illuminated the gate.
“Ah- I see… Then why didn’t he take the jade ring? If it were me, I would have taken it and pretended not to know.”
Through the closing gate, that white face he had seen yesterday briefly appeared.
“…Perhaps he truly didn’t want to profit from it.”
“Isn’t that… quite foolish?”
A small smile appeared on the man’s lips as he watched.
“…Indeed foolish.”
Early in the morning, Jeonggwan’s feet hurried as he entered the inner part of the men’s quarters where Juhwan was. This fastidious young master always opened his eyes exactly when the rooster crowed for the third time, and if Jeonggwan was late coming in or not by his side because he was preparing washing water, Juhwan would immediately start devouring him with words like, “You’ve been slacking off lately? Is being a servant too easy?!” Though Jeonggwan knew these words weren’t sincere, they still hurt his feelings, so he quickened his pace.
Fortunately, he arrived in front of Juhwan’s room when the rooster began to crow for the first time, and by the second crow, he had poured the fetched water into a basin and could enter the room.
“I had a dream.”
“Yes.”
“But it wasn’t about me, it was about you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. But you… were riding a dragon and escaping?”
This was content that would have earned a severe reprimand from the lord of the household if he heard it, even if it was just a dream. Dragons symbolized the king, so for a mere servant to ride a dragon and escape was deeply irreverent. Jeonggwan just nodded vaguely and held out the washing water to Juhwan.
“It was really strange and mysterious.”
“Why?”
“You were crying. But you also looked happy… while crying.”
“Then I’ll grow hair on my behind.”
If you laugh while crying, hair grows on your behind, right? When Jeonggwan said this without any reaction, Juhwan scolded him again, saying he was being serious while Jeonggwan’s attitude was inappropriate. Jeonggwan just responded with “Yes, yes~” and gradually added cool water to make sure the water wasn’t too hot.
But it really was a strange dream. Suddenly and randomly, he appeared in Juhwan’s dream, flying on a dragon with a happy face while crying… Wait! Could it be that his refusal to accept the jade ring had manifested in Juhwan’s dream? He had almost been late today because he had fallen asleep late, regretting not taking the jade ring before going to bed.
Damn… I missed out on a valuable possession by trying to stay loyal to my young master, and now he’s angry at me first thing in the morning for not listening to his dream story. Jeonggwan realized just how foolish and dull he had been.
“I heard Jung Taekun is coming today.”
“Well, he comes every day.”
“By the way, did I see you that time?”
“See what?”
Juhwan looked up at Jeonggwan, who had stood up holding the basin to clean the floor where water had spilled and to take the used water outside, and spoke in a low voice.
“You riding a horse… Ah!”
“Oh! I’m sorry, young master!”
Startled by Juhwan’s unexpected words, Jeonggwan’s strength suddenly gave way, and he slightly dropped the basin, spilling the water that had been used to wash Juhwan’s face, hands, and feet onto Juhwan’s head and chest. Jeonggwan was alarmed and quickly put down the basin, wiping Juhwan’s head with a cloth, but Juhwan complained that it was the same cloth used to clean the floor earlier, making Jeonggwan smile awkwardly and hurriedly withdraw his hand. So he knew.
“You sometimes do this, don’t you? Ruin everything.”
“I’m sorryyy.”
“Sigh. I let it slide because it’s me! Only a master like me would let this go!”
“Young masterrr.”
Finally, yielding to Jeonggwan’s aegyo, Juhwan grumbled that since things had come to this, he’d have to change clothes early and told Jeonggwan to bring them. Jeonggwan brought Juhwan’s robe that had been hung up the previous day.
“Anyway. I saw you riding a horse with Jung Taekun.”
“…Young Master Taekun offered to let me ride first… Could you please keep it a secret from the lord…?”
“Of course I won’t tell. Father would be furious if he knew. Be more careful in the future.”
“Yes! Thank you!”
Though he had felt wronged and angry at being a servant many times, how fortunate he was to be a personal servant to Juhwan alone. He had heard that servants in other households were routinely beaten, but his master overlooked such incidents. How fortunate. Jeonggwan was truly grateful to Juhwan who, instead of scolding him for something that would have earned a reprimand from another nobleman, merely advised him to be careful.
“But does Jung Taekun talk to you a lot? Usually.”
“Young Master Taekun? He says many kind things to me when we meet.”
“…Was he the eldest son?”
“Yes. Young Master Taekun is the eldest son.”
Then it’s impossible… Juhwan muttered to himself, looking down at the top of Jeonggwan’s head as he busily adjusted the cords on Juhwan’s clothes. Juhwan could see it. The look in Jung Taekun’s eyes when he gazed at Jeonggwan. Jeonggwan, having never met with anyone or shared affection in his life, wouldn’t understand such things… But the look Taekun gave Jeonggwan was of affection. More precisely, desire. If Taekun had been the second or youngest son of the Jung family, Juhwan might have encouraged it first. Take Jeonggwan. Take him and make him a concubine. But since he was the eldest son of a stubborn and old-fashioned State Councillor, it was a bit troublesome and not easy to bring up.
Juhwan had planned to take Jeonggwan with him when he married if at all possible, but since that might not be possible, he had been troubled lately. If he gave Jeonggwan to Taekun of the Jung family, Jeonggwan could live as comfortably there as here, or even more comfortably. However, since Taekun was the eldest son, he might not be able to protect Jeonggwan in that household, so Juhwan couldn’t take any hasty actions.
The best outcome would be for Jeonggwan to follow him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
