-26-
East Wind
“…What are you staring at?”
“Ah…! I’m sorry…!”
“…How impertinent.”
“It’s just that… young master is so beautiful…”
Thinking he might never see this face again, Jeonggwan stared blatantly at the man. The man, flustered by Jeonggwan’s gaze, darted his eyes around before finally reprimanding him. He was clearly confused as to why he felt so discomposed by a mere servant.
“…Ahem. Light my way to the entrance.”
Affected by Jeonggwan’s honestly sparkling eyes, the man felt his ears growing hot and hastily ordered Jeonggwan to lead the way. “Yes~” Jeonggwan, oblivious to the man’s confusion, picked up the lantern at his feet and started walking, while the man, unable to take his eyes off Jeonggwan for even a moment, slowly followed.
Being a full head taller than Jeonggwan, the man could look down and see his plump white cheeks and long eyelashes, which continuously caught his attention. The round back of his head and round cheeks. Following the up and down movement of those eyelashes, the man’s heart seemed to flutter.
After seeing Jeonggwan yesterday, the man had been unable to sleep until the roosters crowed at dawn. Even when he went to pay his respects at Gangnyeongjeon in the morning, or listened to his tutors’ teachings at Sigangwon, he had been drawing that face all day. Feeling that he couldn’t continue like this with a servant boy ruining his entire day, he had sneaked out of the palace again to determine the cause, but now face to face, he only felt strange emotions rising within him.
The man felt breathless, unsure of what to do. Though he had scolded Jeonggwan for being impertinent and told him not to look, he wanted Jeonggwan to turn back to him, wanted to exchange words, and wanted to make eye contact again.
“By the way, do you eat your master’s leftovers?”
“Pardon…?”
“Why haven’t you grown taller?”
So he ended up teasing the servant. But the man seemed to regret his words as soon as they left his mouth, sighing at himself. He worried that the servant might have been hurt by his words. And then he was startled again by his own thoughts. Why should it matter if a mere servant’s feelings were hurt…
“But I’ve grown strong and sturdy sideways…”
However, Jeonggwan seemed used to such teasing and calmly responded while continuing to walk forward without hesitation. Yet his white cheeks twitched, suggesting he might indeed be upset. The man’s lips curved upward involuntarily at how bewitching it looked.
“Young master. Please go in safely…”
Why was the entrance so short? They had already reached the Kyung family’s gateway, and Jeonggwan, perhaps sulking a bit, spoke rather curtly but offered the lantern to the man with both hands, gesturing for him to take the handle. Seeing Jeonggwan eager to send him away, the man felt somewhat disappointed, but unable to accept such feelings for a mere servant, he took the lantern as if it were nothing.
“Then this one will take his leave…”
With a final greeting, Jeonggwan impolitely turned around first and headed back the way they had come. The man, though thinking Jeonggwan was presumptuous, still felt regretful and stood in place for a long time, watching until that round back disappeared from view.
“…”
The man felt he would spend another night without sleep.
But he wasn’t the only one lying awake. Drrrng- Drrrng-. Lying with his eyes closed next to his snoring father, Jeonggwan had his eyes closed but couldn’t easily fall asleep. Whether it was because of his father’s thunderous snores or because of the Park family’s eldest young master he had just met, he wasn’t sure.
Today again, that sweet and fresh scent, along with that surprisingly beautiful face that startled him each time he saw it, stirred Jeonggwan’s heart. But it wasn’t that face keeping him from sleep. It was his own lowly status that prevented him from freely gazing at the young master’s face, his circumstances that meant he couldn’t send even a single love letter expressing his feelings like his own young master did—these troubled thoughts kept him from sleep. If he had been born a child of the Kyung family, he would have sent hundreds of love letters to the eldest young master by now… As the night grew colder, Jeonggwan sniffled and squeezed his eyes shut.
“…Young master?”
“…”
“What brings you here again…?”
“…I was just passing by.”
“…Pardon?”
Jeonggwan’s round eyes blinked rapidly. In the dark night, the man who had kept him from sleeping was standing again under the tree in front of the Kyung family’s main gate.
Moreover, this wasn’t a marketplace home that one could casually drop by while passing. The homes of high officials were all located on the outskirts, so to drop by while passing, one’s destination would have had to be here from the start. Jeonggwan tilted his head at the man’s implausible words, but the man seemed to have no further excuses, simply standing with his hands behind his back, looking at distant mountains.
So Jeonggwan had a thought. Could it be that the man was coming because there was someone here he wanted to see? Feeling that he might be acting tactlessly, he asked the man directly.
“Could it be that you’ve come to see our young master…?”
“What…!”
Sure enough, the man raised his voice in great surprise, and Jeonggwan’s mood plummeted instantly, thinking his guess was correct. He had rushed out excitedly when Sukhee told him that a seven-cheok-tall man was looking for him again today, but now it occurred to him that there was no way such a young master would come looking for a lowly person like him.
“…I’ll bring our young master right away.”
Jeonggwan let out a small sigh, drooping his shoulders as he turned away from the man. Even if he didn’t wake the sleeping Juhwan to bring him, he thought he should at least ask what to do about the Park family’s eldest young master visiting. In fact, he should have reported yesterday’s incident to Juhwan this morning, but somehow he hadn’t wanted to bring it up. Now, seeing the man seemingly looking for Juhwan, Jeonggwan was reminded of his place.
Tak-. But before Jeonggwan could fully turn around, the man grabbed his arm.
“…You don’t need to call your master.”
“Pardon…?”
“I came… to see you.”
Unbelievable words came from the man’s mouth.
Came to see me? Me, a mere lowly servant? Jeonggwan couldn’t believe it, but his previously dimmed eyes began to come alive. Though he tried not to hope, his heart trembled greatly.
“How could you possibly…”
The man also seemed nervous after grabbing Jeonggwan, his lips quivering as he hesitated, which only made Jeonggwan hope more. Could it be that this young master was also thinking of him? Was he also losing sleep over him? Was that why he had come to see him?
“…Well,”
“…”
“I came to see if you would secretly deliver another letter to my brother.”
But the man cleared his throat and gave an answer contrary to Jeonggwan’s expectations.
“…”
Jeonggwan felt disappointment wash over him, but seeing the man’s hand still firmly holding his arm and his wavering gaze, he had some doubts and somehow wanted to confirm something.
“You needn’t worry about that anymore, young master.”
“…”
“Then I’ll be going now.”
Jeonggwan pulled his arm from the man’s grasp and turned again toward the gate. The man could have scolded him for being extremely presumptuous, but Jeonggwan needed to do this to find out. Whether he was misunderstanding, or whether the young master really…
“Wait a bit…”
“…”
“…Stay a little longer.”
…Whether the young master really had feelings for him.
Jung Taekun’s footsteps crossing the main hall were quick with anger. Today, just like any other day, he had met an old friend on his way home after finishing his duties, but had heard preposterous words from him.
Bang-.
Taekun roughly opened the door to his father Yunsik’s room, and Yunsik, who had been working inside, shot him a sharp glance.
“What are you doing?”
“Father. Didn’t you… didn’t you promise me?”
Taekun’s voice trembled. He seemed to have much to say, but appeared too angry to speak. Frowning and glaring at Taekun, Yunsik seemed to understand why his son was acting this way, and soon withdrew his gaze, speaking as if it were nothing.
“I said you could bring that child, not that you could place him in the inner quarters.”
“Father…!”
“Talk sense. A mere servant boy?”
Tsk. Yunsik clicked his tongue, his cold voice suggesting Taekun should say no more. Taekun’s clenched fist trembled violently. His father had clearly promised. When Taekun became a 6th rank Jwarang official, he would allow him to bring that child. Allow him to be by his side. Trusting his father’s words, Taekun had gritted his teeth and passed the civil service examination, and had even complied with the Chief State Councillor’s unreasonable demands, going back and forth between his house and the palace to handle affairs.
He had done all that just for Jeonggwan. Though having him as a wife might be impossible, he had lived so fiercely to at least bring him in as a concubine, but now suddenly he was being told to marry the daughter of the Right State Councillor. The Right State Councillor was the most close-minded person Taekun knew. If he were to form a connection with such a person, he could never bring in Jeonggwan, of lowly birth, as a concubine.
Resentment poured from Taekun’s eyes as he left the room.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
