Chapter 37
Standing by the window, Yun-seo observed the Yongrim moving so quickly that they were difficult to follow. There appeared to be at least three Yongrim. Since a single Hwasicheong was usually guarded by two Yongrim and one Yeong Chunhwa, these must have come as reinforcements from other regions.
It was said that Yongrim could move faster than horses, and that story seemed to be true. Such men would certainly be capable of capturing a single Yeong Chunhwa if they set their minds to it.
“Sister-in-law, huh.”
Absorbed in his thoughts, Yun-seo was startled by a sudden voice. Hwi was leaning against the wall, his head tilted at an angle, staring at him.
“I didn’t realize you had become so close. How amusing.”
He had only called her that because she was an older woman, not because they were actually close. Suppressing his questions about why that would be considered amusing, Yun-seo faced him with a deliberately haughty expression.
“Are you jealous?”
“…What?”
“You were the one who said you didn’t want to be called ‘older brother.’ That opportunity has passed, so there’s no use regretting it now.”
When Hwi said nothing, as if caught off guard, Yun-seo felt triumphant. He hid his smile and returned to his seat, sipping his tea leisurely.
As time passed and the commotion outside began to subside, Yun-seo stood again to check outside the window. The priests were being led out of the shrine in bindings, one after another. Pushing through the crowd of onlookers surrounding the shrine, Gyeong-ae and other women rushed toward the entrance. Soon, one of the children brought out by the Yongrim ran to them and was embraced.
That woman who had been desperately searching for her child with a drawing would also be able to return home now. It was truly fortunate that they had found a clue at the tavern they had entered by chance. Yun-seo glanced at the dragon figure adorning the edge of the shrine’s roof. Could all of this have been arranged by the divine?
“We should leave now.”
Yun-seo turned away from the window with a faint smile. As he was packing their belongings, Hwi approached.
“Right now? Don’t you plan to receive their thanks?”
While exchanging pleasantries would be nice, they needed to hurry given the delay. Moreover, it would be troublesome if they were summoned by the magistrate’s office to explain the circumstances. Though he wished to share in their joy, getting attached would serve no purpose.
“Yes. Now that we’ve confirmed things went well, we should hurry on our way.”
Hwi’s hand settled on Yun-seo’s head. Startled by the sudden contact, Yun-seo widened his eyes, and Hwi stroked his head as if patting it before turning away. Was it praise or comfort? Feeling dazed, Yun-seo touched his hair before gathering the rest of their belongings.
Leaving the inn, they received their horses from the stable keeper. Yun-seo stroked the glossy mane of his horse, well-rested and well-fed, and began securing their luggage when the sound of hooves striking the ground came from behind.
Turning around to see who was approaching on horseback, Yun-seo’s eyes widened. It was that mute man from the guesthouse, rapidly approaching.
“What is the mat—”
“Deok-yun!”
Just then, Gyeong-ae called out to Yun-seo from the opposite direction. Turning his head, Yun-seo quickly greeted them as they ran toward him.
“Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?”
“I’m sorry. It’s time for us to depart.”
“How could you? We need a chance to repay our debt to you!”
“It was just good luck, so you don’t need to—”
While trying to placate Gyeong-ae, who seemed determined not to let him leave, Yun-seo glanced at Hwi and hesitated at his ominous demeanor. Hwi was holding a small piece of paper, and his expression was dark as he looked at it. Soon, he crumpled the paper in his hand and turned to Yun-seo.
“Yun.”
“Yes, what’s the matter?”
“I have an urgent matter to attend to and must go.”
“Ah… yes, that’s fine with me.”
Their schedule had already been delayed due to his insistence on seeing the outcome, and a little more delay wouldn’t change anything. Yun-seo nodded lightly, but Hwi gripped his shoulder with a stern face.
“You’ll stay here and wait.”
“…What? What do you mean? I should also—”
“I can’t take you with me.”
Faced with such a resolute attitude, as if cutting with a knife, Yun-seo blinked blankly, looking between Hwi and the man from the guesthouse. He understood that as an outsider to the trading company and not being particularly nimble, he couldn’t be taken along in an urgent situation. However, understanding didn’t make it any easier to accept. He couldn’t bear to part from Hwi so abruptly.
“My lord, I—”
“Three days.”
“…”
“I’ll return within three days. I promise.”
Three days. Just three days. A time span of merely three nights, and yet his heart pounded anxiously for some reason. But since Hwi had made a promise, he couldn’t insist any further.
“This works out well. Since it’s come to this, we’ll take care of Deok-yun to repay our debt.”
As Yun-seo stood hesitating helplessly, Gyeong-ae approached and stood beside him. Hwi gave Gyeong-ae a brief glance before looking back at Yun-seo as if seeking confirmation. Yun-seo had no choice but to nod.
“If you go twenty li east from here, you’ll find our village. If it’s difficult to find, just look for Suhyang’s teahouse.”
“…Yes, my lord. I’ll behave well, so don’t worry and go.”
His voice trembled slightly at the end, so Yun-seo deliberately pulled up the corners of his mouth. He didn’t want to burden Hwi with his feelings, but little did he know that his expression looked even more pitiful.
Hwi opened his lips as if to say something, but closed them again without uttering a word. He simply brushed Yun-seo’s head lightly with his fingertips before turning away.
Hwi mounted his horse smoothly and kicked its flank. Together with the man from the guesthouse, he rode away quickly, quickly, without looking back even once.
Only when Hwi’s figure had become a tiny speck in the distance did Yun-seo grimace and sigh deeply.
He couldn’t tell where the anxiety raging in his heart originated from. He could only blindly trust in Hwi.
## 5. Hoemo
The village Gyeong-ae led him to was located in a remote area near a mountain valley, and the mulberry fields along the mountainside were magnificent. White, round objects nestled between the lush green leaves on the branches looked fascinating, and Gyeong-ae explained they were cocoons. Learning that these would become silk thread, Yun-seo marveled like a child.
“Does everyone in the village raise silkworms?”
“Yes. The fruit is used as medicine, sold, or made into liquor for drinking.”
“So you run a teahouse and raise silkworms too? You must be very busy.”
“The teahouse isn’t really work.”
Gyeong-ae replied briefly and led Yun-seo to an empty house. It was a place where a zelkova tree cast its shade, making the breeze feel even cooler.
“You can stay here in the Donggak*. It’s used for discussions or drinking parties, so there’s usually no one here, so you won’t be uncomfortable.”
“Thank you. How can I repay such kindness?”
“What kindness? If we had the means, we would have showered you with gold and silver treasures.”
Though her tone was deliberately gruff, Gyeong-ae’s eyes were warm and affectionate. Feeling as though he had gained a good sister-in-law, Yun-seo’s lips softened into a smile.
“Everyone in our village is grateful to you, though I didn’t introduce them because you strongly declined and seemed uncomfortable. So feel free to stay comfortably while you’re here. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“It’s alright if we have a drinking party among ourselves, right? Since you’ve come this far, you should taste our mulberry wine at least once.”
“I would be more than delighted if you would.”
Before long, the large round table in the Donggak was filled with a feast. Yun-seo opened his eyes wide and waved his hands in protest as each dish arrived, but Gyeong-ae’s determination to show the village’s hospitality soon left little space for more dishes.
Gyeong-ae, Eun-gang, Hyeon-song, and Hyeongso sat around the table with Yun-seo. Hyeongso called him “Brother” whenever he saw Yun-seo and followed him so adorably that Yun-seo couldn’t help but reach for the child’s fair cheeks.
A fragrant, dark red wine was poured into cups. The four people, excluding the young Hyeongso, clinked their cups and drank in one go. The wine had a deep flavor without being bitter, and Yun-seo expressed his admiration for its taste before asking:
“Did you hear why they kidnapped children from the shrine?”
“Ha, in the end, isn’t every problem about money? They told the children their families were in debt and had sold them, that if they tried to return home their families would be killed. After intimidating them like that and taking them away, they used them cheaply and then sold them at high prices somewhere else, claiming they were children who served the gods at the shrine. It’s truly a case of money being valued above human lives.”
To think it was all for such a trivial reason—Yun-seo couldn’t even sigh. While some people were giving up their own food to pray for rain, the shrine was buying and selling children. Those responsible deserved severe punishment to ensure such a thing would never happen again.
*Donggak: A community hall where villagers gather. National Institute of Korean Language, Standard Korean Dictionary.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
