-34-
East Wind
“I should have learned some writing when Young Master was writing his love letters…”
Jeonggwan couldn’t read or write. He had thought he would never need to in his life, so he had only dried and delivered the love letters Juhwan wrote. But now, in this situation, he regretted not having learned even a little. He needed to at least leave a short note for the man who would be waiting for him today before going to the private residence, but unfortunately, today was the day the Crown Prince had his evening lecture, meaning the man, as a eunuch of the Donggung Palace, had to attend to him and they couldn’t meet.
Usually on days when the Crown Prince had evening lectures, Jeonggwan would meet the man after the hour of the dog (7-9 PM), meaning that no matter how quickly Jeonggwan returned from Juhwan’s private residence, the man might end up waiting for more than an hour in the cold outside. At times like this, it would be nice if he could write a note and leave it at their usual meeting place, but now Jeonggwan was regretting his past attitude when Juhwan told him to learn to write and he had dismissed it, saying, “What would I use it for?” He couldn’t even ask a court lady at the Donggung Palace to deliver a message, as rumors could spread about a court attendant communicating with a eunuch…
“I need to hurry back.”
The only option left was to not waste time worrying about this and return as quickly as possible. Jeonggwan wrapped honey rice cakes and other food for his parents in a cloth bundle and secretly left through the back door of Juhwan’s quarters. Taekun had said he would wait in the rear garden opposite the Donggung Palace, so he needed to hurry.
Should I have told Juhwan after all? I might see the Lady, and it would be good to deliver at least a letter from the Young Master… Even as he headed toward the rear garden, Jeonggwan considered going back to Juhwan several times, but then pictured the man waiting in the cold outside if he was late, and shook his head. If he stopped by Juhwan’s, it would be too late. If he did meet the Lady, he could simply relay that Juhwan was doing well, he thought, and hurried his steps.
The man was sitting in the office of Bihyeon Pavilion wearing his formal attire, when usually he would change into casual clothes and disappear in the evening because he had to wear his dragon robe when with the royal tutors. These days, the man was incredibly busy as he would officially inherit the throne once the Crown Princess was selected and the royal wedding was held. Amid all this, he still met his lover every night, making it seem like even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough. Yet, even during the evening lecture with the royal tutors, a subtle smile bloomed on his face at the thought of meeting his beloved soon.
“Your Highness, I, the Right Guard Commander, have an urgent matter to report.”
“I will be done with the evening lecture in half an hour, so then—”
“…It’s about the honey rice cake.”
In the midst of this, the Right Guard Commander who protected the man urgently requested an audience using their predetermined code word.
“…Let him in.”
The man immediately closed the book he was reading, quickly stood up, and approached the door of the office. “Honey rice cake” was a term referring to his pale, round lover. It was a code name identical to the name of a dog raised in the Donggung Palace so that even if someone overheard, they couldn’t deduce it was referring to Jeonggwan.
“What is it?”
Knowing that the Right Guard Commander would not request an audience during the evening lecture for trivial matters like Jeonggwan being caught slacking off by a head court lady, the man felt his heart sink. Something must have happened to Jeonggwan.
“About a keeup (20 minutes) ago, that person left the palace with a certain man. Currently, the Left Guard Commander is following them, and I came immediately to report.”
“…Left the palace with a certain man?”
“The man was wearing official attire but was not from the Kyung household, and we haven’t yet identified who he is…”
“…”
“…That person was carrying a small bundle.”
As the Right Guard Commander trailed off and lowered his head, the man’s eye twitched. On the day he had his evening lecture, Jeonggwan had left the palace with an unidentified man in official attire. And with packed belongings.
“…Does Kyung Juhwan know about this?”
“…He left after the lights went out in the quarters.”
He had asked thinking perhaps Jeonggwan had been sent on an errand to the private residence for Kyung Juhwan, but the fact that he left after Kyung Juhwan had gone to sleep meant he had kept it a secret even from her.
“…”
Jeonggwan had met him every day. Without fail. But suddenly he had left the palace with some man? And keeping it secret even from his master? For a moment, he wondered if Jeonggwan had been kidnapped, but the fact that he had packed a small bundle himself was troubling. It meant he had left voluntarily. But why? After looking at him with such loving eyes, why had he left? Could it be that because he had let Jeonggwan mistakenly believe he was a eunuch, Jeonggwan had run away because he disliked eunuchs? It had been just a small lie because he wanted Jeonggwan to love him without feeling burdened…
“I’m leaving the palace immediately.”
As the man shifted his gaze from the Right Guard Commander to stare into space, a frosty wind seemed to blow across his face. Even if Jeonggwan now knew his true identity and grew distant due to feeling burdened, the man’s mind was filled only with the selfish desire to keep Jeonggwan by his side without hiding anything.
Until he got out of the palace and boarded the carriage Taekun had prepared, Jeonggwan hadn’t sensed anything strange. He had only wondered why they needed to take a carriage just to go to the private residence. But as quite some time seemed to have passed and the carriage was still moving quickly, Jeonggwan instinctively realized something was wrong.
“Young Master, the carriage…”
“…”
And seeing a certain emotion on Taekun’s face, Jeonggwan stopped what he was about to say and closed his mouth. The look in Taekun’s eyes as he gazed at Jeonggwan was similar to the eyes of the man who saw him every night. No, it seemed similar but was also different. While the man had eyes full of desire that he suppressed, Taekun had eyes overflowing with desire as if he might pounce at any moment. Eyes that contained the desire to do something to him as soon as this carriage stopped.
“…The carriage is rattling so much, I need to relieve myself.”
So Jeonggwan calmly changed his words without showing any signs of panic. It seemed the priority now was to stop this carriage. He felt that confronting Taekun, whose eyes were half-crazed, about where he was taking him wouldn’t make him stop the carriage.
“…Hold it a little longer.”
“It’s very urgent! I’m really about to soil myself…!”
“…”
If it had been the usual Taekun, he would have smiled kindly and stopped the carriage, but the current Taekun was like someone being chased, reluctant to stop the moving carriage.
“Young Masterrr…”
“…Stop for a moment.”
But seeing Jeonggwan looking at him with such an urgent expression, Taekun finally stopped the carriage, and then followed Jeonggwan out as if to keep watch and told him to hurry. Jeonggwan nodded with a smile and, as if truly desperate to relieve himself, stamped his feet and walked into the deep darkness of the mountain forest, a little distance away from Taekun.
As expected, this mountain path was a place beyond the Kyung household’s home. As Juhwan’s body servant, Jeonggwan had walked around so much that he was familiar with most of the terrain, and he knew that at the end of this path was a place where large ships docked. Large ships? Why was he being taken there? Jeonggwan couldn’t guess why Taekun had brought him here.
And he couldn’t guess since when Taekun had been looking at him with such lustful eyes. Could it be that even when he had suggested they run away to avoid the wedding, he had such intentions? But then Jeonggwan had gone into the palace… Ah?
“…Could it be.”
Jeonggwan pretended to relieve himself and glanced back slightly. Taekun was staring at this place intently, and at that moment, Jeonggwan realized why they were on this path. Taekun was trying to run away with him. To take a large ship to somewhere no one could follow.
Jeonggwan’s hands began to tremble. He had thought at worst Taekun’s eyes were clouded with desire and wanted to take him somewhere far to violate him, but that wasn’t it. He was planning to leave the country entirely. That would mean Jeonggwan would never see Juhwan again, nor his parents, nor his friends.
“…”
And he would never see that man again. The man who loved him so generously. Jeonggwan, whose hands were trembling, clutched them tightly and looked at the deep forest. If he went into this forest, he would reach the large lake where he and the man had spent nights together. If he ran to the opposite side of that lake, he would reach Juhwan’s house. If he could just get into Juhwan’s house, he could return to the palace.
“…Jeonggwan!”
Having made up his mind, Jeonggwan began running into the deep forest without hesitation. Surprised by Jeonggwan’s sudden escape, Taekun called after him and Jeonggwan could hear him giving chase.
Usually sitting beside Juhwan and spending nights playing with the man had made Jeonggwan’s body heavy, so he soon grew tired and thought about giving up, wondering if he could make it to Juhwan’s house. But then he recalled the lakeside with its thick fog, and with the thought of at least hiding his body there, he continued running with truly all his might.
“Huff… Huff…”
Fortunately, since it wasn’t a slope, Jeonggwan’s feet gained speed, and at some point, Taekun’s voice and the sound of his footsteps could no longer be heard, allowing Jeonggwan to safely reach the lakeside. As the fog by the lake was thicker than usual in the cooling weather, Jeonggwan was catching his breath with relief when he thought he saw a bright light in the distance.
Taekun, whom he had thought had given up the chase, had brought a torch to find him. Jeonggwan panicked, looking around to find a place to hide, but seeing the light getting closer and closer through the fog, he finally closed his eyes tightly and jumped into the lake before him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
