Chapter 26
“What are you looking at?”
The man who bumped Yun-seo’s shoulder was the one starting trouble. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be some young master, so Yun-seo silently averted his eyes. But this apparently offended the man, who grabbed Yun-seo’s arm.
“Are you ignoring me?”
“I apologize. I thought it would be better if I stepped aside.”
As Yun-seo tried to back away submissively, the man’s grip on his arm tightened. Yun-seo, who had been looking down to avoid conflict, had no choice but to look at the man again. When he did, he froze slightly at the suspicious gaze slowly scanning his face.
“You were trying to buy this, weren’t you?”
“…”
“Could you afford it with what you have? Well, I could throw in some pocket money if you need it.”
The man suddenly put on airs. Moreover, his fingers were subtly caressing Yun-seo’s skin on his arm, which was extremely unpleasant. Yun-seo tried to pull his arm away while shaking his head.
“It’s fine. I wasn’t trying to buy it, just looking. I should be on my way…”
“I guess my pocket money isn’t enough to satisfy you? My pocket money is more than you’ll ever touch in your lifetime.”
The man’s other hand touched Yun-seo’s cheek. The sensation, like insects crawling along his fingers, made Yun-seo shudder. The man’s eyes glistened sickeningly, and Yun-seo’s face turned pale as he couldn’t understand why this madman was behaving this way.
“Please let me go.”
“Won’t you spread your legs for your master without receiving a penny? Think about it. One word from me could free you from your master.”
Finally understanding the man’s intentions, Yun-seo’s face hardened with humiliation. He didn’t want to understand how someone could be so vile as to make such a despicable proposition to a stranger met in the marketplace.
In fact, what the man offered wasn’t a proposal or suggestion but close to coercion. He seemed to think that someone of lower status could be treated this way based on Yun-seo’s appearance, but even a child of four or five would know that regardless of someone’s status, there are things one should and shouldn’t do to another person.
“No. Please let me go.”
“Do you know who I am? When I offer you money, you should—AARGH!”
Yun-seo kicked the man’s shin and immediately turned around when the man’s grip loosened. However, before he could take a step, he was grabbed by the neck and pulled back. In response, Yun-seo bit his lip hard and kicked backward with all his might.
“AAAAGH!”
The sensation of his foot hitting something soft was vivid, sending shivers down his spine. Seeing the man collapse with one kick and writhe in pain while screaming, he must have accidentally hit his groin.
Though Yun-seo felt a sympathetic twinge of pain that made his neck shrink, he couldn’t miss this good opportunity. He ran away quickly without looking back.
“HEY! Catch that bastard!”
Catch me? With an ominous feeling, Yun-seo glanced back while running and saw a bear-like man chasing after him.
Right, a young master like that wouldn’t be wandering the marketplace alone.
Damn it, damn it, damn it! Yun-seo ran with all his might, pushing through the crowd. He absolutely couldn’t be caught. That man was clearly a scoundrel, and it was obvious that nothing good would come if he was caught.
Running forward without looking back, Yun-seo felt a chill down his neck as the pursuer seemed to be closing the distance with long strides. Why did he have to encounter someone like that in the marketplace? To make matters worse, the crowd ahead grew thicker, hindering his escape. He felt like crying at how strangely life was unfolding.
It was then, while he was looking for an alley to escape through, that the crowded space suddenly darkened like an ink painting, and only one person walking toward him possessed color and shimmered brightly. Though he was noticeable for being a head taller than others, his dark blue clothes shouldn’t have been able to shine so colorfully.
“Brother!”
Yun-seo raised his hand and shouted toward Hwi. Hwi’s brow, who had been approaching Yun-seo from the beginning, instantly narrowed.
Yun-seo never dreamed he would call Hwi by such a familiar term. Though Hwi must be dumbfounded to be suddenly addressed as “brother,” Yun-seo believed his quick-wittedness in this brief moment was correct.
When someone’s servant hits a person, the responsibility falls on the master, but if a noble person’s younger brother hits someone, wouldn’t they ask for the reason rather than assigning blame? Especially if it was in response to harassment. Above all, the person was Hwi. Even that scoundrel would probably recognize at first glance that he was no ordinary person.
“Brother! Brother!”
Finally face-to-face with Hwi, Yun-seo grabbed his arm and caught his breath. Hwi’s gaze lingered on Yun-seo before shifting to the manservant who had followed him. When the bear-sized man hesitated and couldn’t advance further in front of Hwi, Yun-seo let out a sigh of relief.
“Did you catch him? Did you catch him?!”
Soon after, the scoundrel approached, limping. It must have been quite painful, but his determination to catch one person was impressive.
“Hey, you…!”
“Brother!”
Yun-seo looked up at Hwi, almost clinging to him, and shot him a meaningful glance. It was meant to ask him to play along, but with Hwi’s usually indifferent expression, it was impossible to tell if he understood.
“This man grabbed me and harassed me. He touched me here, and here… He treated me terribly!”
Hwi’s gaze moved from Yun-seo’s indicated arm and cheek to the scoundrel. The man who met his eyes flinched for a moment but quickly raised his chin and became haughty again.
“Excuse me. Is this fellow your brother? This guy damaged my precious… ahem, ahem. He damaged a precious part of me, so I can’t just let this go…”
“Brother! You could end someone like him with just one word, couldn’t you?”
Yun-seo raised his chin as high as the man did and glared, like a small animal puffing itself up in front of a predator. Then he fiddled with the precious hairpin that Hwi had given him, which was stuck in his hair, as if showing it off.
He had no intention of standing still and arguing with the man. It was obvious that such a person would disregard Hwi as a commoner, even if he was a wealthy merchant. He needed to emphasize that Hwi was someone untouchable with meaningful words.
Sure enough, the scoundrel’s momentum diminished compared to before, and he seemed to be examining Hwi’s attire. Thinking a final blow was needed, Yun-seo wracked his brain. He would subtly hint that he had sneaked out wearing servant’s clothes because he disliked studying, and then graciously forgive the man after acknowledging his own mistake…
“Yes.”
Hwi’s low voice cut through Yun-seo’s thoughts. A cold smile, like a crescent moon torn from midwinter, hung on his lips.
“I can do it right now.”
In an instant, Hwi drew the long sword from his waist and approached the man without hesitation. Flustered, Yun-seo quickly followed behind him, grabbed his clothing, and whispered.
“You’re just trying to scare him, right? Right?”
Perhaps Hwi judged that intimidation through force would be more efficient than words. However, when Hwi grabbed the neck of the manservant blocking his way and tossed him aside in the blink of an eye, Yun-seo was stunned.
“W-who are you? Do y-you know who I am? If you k-knew, AGH!”
The scoundrel, terrified and backing away, tripped over his own feet and screamed. Everyone in the marketplace turned their attention toward them. Yun-seo lowered his head to avoid their gazes and pulled on Hwi’s clothing.
“That’s enough…!”
“AAAH!”
Suddenly, Hwi raised his sharp sword and thrust it downward. Yun-seo closed his eyes tightly in shock. After the final death scream, he heard the muffled sounds of people murmuring.
His hand holding Hwi’s clothing trembled. Did he really kill him? It was hard to believe that someone who faced thieves without drawing his sword would kill someone in this crowded street. If this disaster happened because of him…
Yun-seo bit his quivering lips firmly and collected himself. If the man was truly dead, he couldn’t just stand there stupidly terrified. Murder was a serious crime, so he needed to find a way to protect Hwi.
“Hnngh, ugh…”
As soon as he opened his eyes, Yun-seo discovered the man sobbing, his face tear-stained. The sword was embedded in the ground right next to his cheek as he lay curled up, and the man’s crotch and the ground beneath were getting wet.
After assessing the situation, dozens of complex emotions tangled and tumbled in his mind. Yun-seo let out a sigh drawn from deep within.
Hwi easily pulled out the sword and sheathed it. Then, as he seemed about to turn away, Yun-seo felt relieved that the incident was over. But suddenly, Hwi pulled out the sword in its sheath, raised it, and forcefully thrust it down toward the palm of the man’s hand that lay on the ground.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
