Chapter 29
Ah, if the escape of the Yeong Chunhwa became known, it would greatly damage the honor of both the imperial family and the Yeong Chunhwa, so they might be pursuing silently. But Yongrim would be mobilized to track the Yeong Chunhwa, and it was hard to believe that things would remain this quiet.
In the end, either his father was still hiding it well, or perhaps they wouldn’t waste manpower just to catch one Yeong Chunhwa.
Yun-seo pondered the latter possibility carefully, and suddenly recalled the heated argument he had with Hwi at the tavern. That memory brought a premonition rushing in like a flood.
A Yongson who had become discerning at an unprecedentedly young age. A Yeong Chunhwa who had sprouted at an unprecedentedly young age. Just as he pitied him, might he also pity Yun-seo? Despite not having met since he was eight years old, there seemed to be a sense of kinship binding their fingertips.
Perhaps, did you show me mercy? Did you give me the chance to leave?
If so, I might still have enough time.
As hope took hold, a thin breath escaped and his eyelids grew heavy. Before his eyes closed for the last time, Hwi’s gaze seemed to turn toward him. Yun-seo fell asleep with a smile on his lips.
-
- Bondage of Love (애박/Aeback)
While eating breakfast alone, he suddenly recalled what had happened at the marketplace yesterday. Because of that incident, he hadn’t been able to buy the pouch he intended to and returned empty-handed. Yun-seo let out a soft sigh and fell into contemplation.
Would it be alright to go back and buy it? Surely he wouldn’t meet that scoundrel again?
Having been thoroughly frightened to the point of wetting himself in public, the man probably wouldn’t be roaming the streets for a while. Caution was necessary, but Yun-seo didn’t want to cower because of such a person. He finished his meal and went outside.
The marketplace was peaceful today as well, with no sign of trouble. Watching people go about their daily lives often brought a sense of calm, like a quiet lake. Yun-seo stood in place for a moment, observing passersby, then headed to the shop selling pouches.
Considering Hwi’s usual attire, it was clear he wouldn’t use anything too colorful. Yet, too dark a color didn’t appeal either. After looking at various pouches, he picked up one that caught his eye.
“How much is this?”
The base was woven with light blue fabric and the ties were a deep blue—exactly to his liking. The merchant watching the shop glanced at Yun-seo and tossed out an answer.
“Five jeon.”
“Pardon? Five jeon?”
Surprised at the higher-than-expected price, Yun-seo fidgeted with the pouch. Though it was made of silk, it wasn’t of high quality, making him wonder if prices were high in this area.
Since it was a gift for Hwi, he shouldn’t begrudge even twice this amount, but with limited money on hand, he couldn’t help but hesitate. While mentally counting the money in his pouch and pondering, the merchant waved his hand.
“If you’re not buying it, put it down. Getting it all dirty with your hands, really.”
His face burned at the curt and impolite response. Yun-seo was about to put the pouch down with a dejected face.
“Ha, five jeon? What a swindler I’ve found. Even though they say commerce is about people, how can you name such a ridiculous price?”
A woman interjected, gesturing accusingly. Her face seemed familiar, and as Yun-seo searched his memory, the plum tree hill flashed before his eyes. Recognizing her as the woman who had told him the story about the swing, he exclaimed in surprise.
“What? The seller decides the price in business. If you don’t like it, don’t buy.”
“Oh really? Then I suppose it would be fine if I spread the word throughout the neighborhood. Would there be many fools who would buy at that price?”
As the woman proudly made her threat, the merchant’s face instantly contorted. Looking as if she might actually shout out the price for all to hear, the merchant lowered his voice and offered the pouch to Yun-seo.
“Just give me two jeon.”
“Hmm?”
“Ah, really, why are you doing this? Every time I try to do some business…”
The merchant grumbled but lowered the price a bit more, and only then did the woman signal to Yun-seo. He quickly took the pouch and paid.
If not for the woman, he would have been overcharged. Yun-seo looked at her with admiring eyes and expressed his gratitude. She then made a small gesture and began walking, with Yun-seo following behind.
Only when they reached an arched stone bridge spanning the river did the woman stop and turn to look at him. Her appearance was quite different from when they first met at the plum tree hill, seemingly due to her different attire.
Back then, she had been dressed up in a beautiful skirt with vibrant colors, but now she wore a coat that reached her knees and pants underneath—practical clothing typically worn by young girls or working women.
“So we meet again?”
“Yes. Do you live here?”
“Well, it’s one of the places I stay. What are you doing here?”
Her manner of speaking was completely different from before, as if she felt no need to be polite without Hwi present. But it didn’t bother him. She appeared to be older than him, and she had helped him with the negotiation.
“I’m staying briefly while passing through.”
“And what do you do while staying?”
“Uh… My master handles his business and I just…”
“Business? What business?”
Yun-seo started to speak but then hesitated. The woman’s attitude seemed probing. So instead of responding, he cautiously asked:
“Why do you ask?”
The woman folded her arms tightly and looked him up and down. While he offered an awkward smile under her sharp gaze, she clicked her tongue.
“From what I can see, you haven’t been serving your master for long.”
“…”
“And you weren’t born a servant either. Right?”
It was an accurate guess that made his toes stiffen, but Yun-seo tried not to show it and simply gazed steadily at the woman. She tapped her arm with her fingertips and narrowed her brow.
“Your family must have collapsed, and you were sold. In the end, all problems come down to money.”
At her bitter tone, Yun-seo quietly sighed. He wasn’t sure how she had figured out his background, but it seemed she wasn’t probing out of concern for him.
“Does your master practice usury?”
“What? No! He’s a good person. He’s just involved with a merchant guild.”
“Are you sure?”
When he nodded vigorously with determined eyes, the woman smirked.
“For someone who almost got swindled, you defend him well. If he’s so good, why does he keep you as a servant?”
“He… rescued me from a dangerous place. Serving him is an honor for me.”
To be precise, he had actually handled the group of bandits Yun-seo was about to encounter, but without Hwi, he wouldn’t have made it this far, so saying he’d been rescued wasn’t entirely wrong.
The woman narrowed her eyes and scrutinized Yun-seo’s face as if trying to determine the truth. Soon, she took out a piece of paper from inside her garment.
“Then, have you seen this child on your journey?”
Caught off guard by the sudden change of topic, Yun-seo examined the wanted poster the woman held out. The paper had a drawing of a child’s face that seemed somewhat familiar.
“Um… No. But I did meet someone searching for a child on my way here. Though it wasn’t the same child.”
“Really? Where?”
After Yun-seo told her where he had seen the woman, she listened attentively, then sighed and put the paper away. Yun-seo noticed a fragment of distress on her face and cautiously asked:
“Is it your child?”
“My family’s younger brother.”
Younger brother would already mean family, so what did “family’s younger brother” mean? In any case, this was the second person who had lost a child, which wasn’t comforting. Yun-seo offered his sincere consolation and thought of Hwi.
“Were you suspicious of my master?”
“Yes. He seems like the sort of person who could easily kidnap a child and use them. Though there wasn’t much to see when I followed him.”
“What? You followed my lord?”
It was truly surprising to learn when she had trailed Hwi. Had she been watching him since their encounter at the plum tree hill?
“That man moves so quickly, it was difficult to follow him.”
“…My lord isn’t that kind of person, so you needn’t worry.”
“Well. Isn’t there nothing in this world that can be certain? Especially if your master is doing this ‘business’ of his while keeping you separate.”
Yun-seo was confident that Hwi wasn’t the kind of villain who would kidnap children. However, this was based on his impression gained while staying by Hwi’s side, and since he couldn’t prove it to the woman, he refrained from saying more. Besides, pleading someone’s innocence to a person in distress might not be helpful.
“Anyway, if you learn anything new or see anyone suspicious, I’d appreciate it if you could send word to the teahouse with the red Chinese knot.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
The reason she confided in him despite suspecting Hwi must be that she at least found him trustworthy. Or perhaps she was desperate enough to approach the servant of a man she suspected.
He wanted to ask her name, but hesitated since he would then have to give a fake name himself. In the meantime, she left after a brief farewell.
A strange aftertaste lingered, and Yun-seo stood in place for a long time, looking down at the area beneath the bridge before moving on.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
