“Wait. Hold on.”
Seo Jae-ha quickly stopped Hae-hyun, who had been about to rush forward on instinct. The two men they’d already taken down couldn’t be helped, but he couldn’t let Hae-hyun run wild like a loose colt, attacking everyone they came across.
Besides, the voice they’d just heard belonged to a young girl. Letting Hae-hyun handle her in his usual rough way would only look bad.
“We’ve changed clothes, so she’ll think we work here. Let’s just act normal.”
“What do you mean by ‘normal’?”
“Like… solve it by talking?”
Before Hae-hyun could fire back, Jae-ha raised his voice. His guilt from earlier still lingered, so his tone came out more polite than usual.
“No. It’s just us here.”
If she wandered in and found the unconscious men, that’d be a problem. Jae-ha discreetly nudged one man’s outstretched leg back into place and started toward the entrance. Hae-hyun followed reluctantly, wearing a dissatisfied look.
As expected, the newcomer was a small girl, her head barely reaching Jae-ha’s chest. With her hair braided in pigtails, she widened her eyes at the sight of the strangers.
“Who are you?”
“Who are you?”
When it’s hard to answer, the best move is to throw the question back. Startled, the girl introduced herself.
“I’m Hyo-min. I help out in the kitchen…”
“Got it. We’re not usually assigned here, but we were asked for a favor on the way down. Someone wanted us to bring a sack to the kitchen.”
“Oh, that must’ve been Uncle Jung-ho!”
Hyo-min instantly guessed who it was. Clearly familiar with him, her guard melted away.
“Uncle Jung-ho just makes people do things out of the blue, right? Sorry about that. He’s like that sometimes, but he’s not a bad guy.”
“It’s fine. We didn’t have much else to do anyway.”
Spinning the lie, Jae-ha walked toward the pile of sacks. Naturally, Hyo-min followed. She started sweeping spices from the shelves into her basket, so thankfully it looked like she wouldn’t notice the two unconscious men deeper inside.
Before long, her basket was full. Hugging it to her chest, she struck up conversation again, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“Hey, I’ve never seen you before. Are you the new recruits they picked recently?”
She was practically handing him the answer, which made it easier. Without hesitation, Jae-ha nodded.
“Yeah. That obvious?”
“Not really, but I’ve been here the longest. I know all the workers.”
“I see.”
As he reached for a sack, Hae-hyun, who’d been following quietly, stopped him.
“Sunbae, let me carry that.”
“It’s fine. I can handle it.”
Jae-ha didn’t want to dump too much work on Hae-hyun, nor would it look right if he didn’t carry anything himself. Besides, the sacks weren’t that heavy. Each of them took one and stepped out of the storeroom, with Hyo-min tagging along. Did she still have business? Puzzled, Jae-ha glanced back. She beamed and slipped herself between them.
“Let’s go together! I’m headed to the kitchen anyway.”
An unexpected companion. There wasn’t a good excuse to shake her off now, so they walked with her.
“You’ll like it here. The working conditions are good. It’s just crowded because of the festival. Once it’s over, it’s quiet and there’s barely any work.”
Hyo-min chatted freely, without the slightest shyness. Adjusting the sack in his arms, Jae-ha glanced at her round cheeks and nose. Though her clear eyes faced forward, she kept sneaking little glances at Hae-hyun.
“Oppa, you’re really tall. Are you going to watch the tournament tomorrow? I heard it’s going to be amazing. I know a great spot!”
Even though Hae-hyun didn’t respond, she didn’t waver. Her persistence was impressive.
It was impossible not to notice her obvious crush. Ah, to be that young… Still, watching her being so openly cute toward Hae-hyun started to irritate Jae-ha. Feigning cluelessness, he butted in.
“Everyone keeps talking about this tournament. Is it really that great?”
“Of course! It only happens once every hundred years!”
Eyes shining, Hyo-min eagerly explained.
“The winner gets a Baeksa fruit. Do you know how rare that is? That’s why the competition’s so fierce every century. All the most important guests bring their strongest generals. But of course, our General Beomgye will win!”
“General Beomgye?”
The name made Jae-ha react immediately. Wasn’t that the unfortunate general who’d had his entry pass stolen by Hae-hyun?
Excited to have someone respond, Hyo-min’s voice grew even brighter.
“Yeah! He’s the strongest in Myeongheoseong. Our lord trusts him the most! He even won a martial arts tournament in the Celestial Palace. Isn’t that amazing?”
So he really was the fortress’s champion. Hopefully, he wouldn’t discover the stolen pass…
“Impressive.”
She even patted his arm for emphasis, bouncing with excitement. She seemed so young that Jae-ha’s tone softened without him realizing. She didn’t notice his reply lacked real interest.
“Right? The Baeksa fruit is definitely General Beomgye’s this year! …I wish I could taste it. They say it’s delicious.”
So that was why everyone called Lord Yeomjeong stingy—because a powerhouse like Beomgye entering meant the fruit, offered as a prize, would inevitably be reclaimed. To the others, it must’ve looked like an adult going all-out against kids.
From the sound of it, even Myeongheoseong’s own residents had never tasted a Baeksa fruit. That showed just how rare it was. Jae-ha prodded further.
“Then Hwanggwaju must be amazing too, right?”
“Hwanggwaju? How do you know about that?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. Jae-ha smiled smoothly.
“I’m a bit of a drinker. I heard Myeongheoseong’s Hwanggwaju is so good even the Cheonrok loves it, but it’s impossible to find. Don’t tell me there’s something wrong with it? Like maybe that’s why they stopped making it?”
“What? Don’t be ridiculous! As if they’d serve bad liquor to the Cheonrok!”
Hyo-min stomped her foot, thoroughly offended.
“So they do still make it this year?”
“They do, since the Baeksa fruit ripened. But forget it, Oppa. You’ll never get your hands on Hwanggwaju.”
Her tone turned unexpectedly firm. Jae-ha tilted his head slightly.
“Why not? I’d pay anything.”
“Money’s not the issue. The Lord declared that from this year on, neither Hwanggwaju nor the Baeksa fruit would be given to anyone. Even the most prestigious guests were all turned down. Unless you speak directly to the Lord himself, it’s impossible.”
So Tamlang Seonggun hadn’t been lying. The strict warning only made things feel even more suspicious. Jae-ha hid his doubts and feigned disappointment, letting his shoulders droop.
“I see… I was just curious.”
He must have looked pitiful, because Hyo-min fidgeted and quickly tried to comfort him.
“Come on, it’s not like Hwanggwaju’s the only drink. You can just enjoy something else.”
“Actually, I really admire the Cheonrok… I want to experience everything he did. Honestly, the reason I wanted to work here was because I heard he visits sometimes. I’ve always wanted to meet him.”
“Wow, you really like the Cheonrok, huh? Too bad he’s not here this time. I haven’t seen him in decades either.”
“Yeah… it’s fine.”
But his expression was anything but fine.
“Aw, don’t look so down. The Cheonrok loves Hwanggwaju, so I’m sure he’ll come again! If you stick around long enough, you’ll get to meet him. Just wait a little, okay?”
“…Yeah.”
No matter how she tried to cheer him up, his face didn’t brighten. Her voice softened further.
“Oh! I know someone close to the Cheonrok! Actually, the closest among us. He’s a good friend of mine too. I can introduce you. He loves to drink—have a few glasses with him and you can ask about the Cheonrok.”
Got her.
