The boy—who had been treated like a corpse for years, who had skulked around like a starving rat—had passed the main state examinations at just nineteen. And not just passed—he’d taken first place.
The preliminary exams alone were notoriously difficult, a lifelong struggle for most. Yet this bastard had aced them in one go, and as the top scholar.
“Seon’s exam answers were so brilliant that His Majesty personally summoned him to bestow the imperial decree and even granted him the title of Royal Inspector. And that’s not all—the assembled ministers at court passed his papers around in admiration.”
His father, Grand Secretary Choi, was beside himself with pride, forgetting all decorum as he boasted to anyone who would listen. He threw a grand feast for the entire village, distributing rice cakes, brewing wine, and singing praises. Relatives, in-laws, even distant connections—all were invited to the main house to celebrate this triumph.
Around that time, Jihan abandoned his books and brushes once more, drowning himself in drink.
He had thought the boy was just some odd mutt—but no. He was a tiger cub, biding his time. The memory of that ten-year-old, who hadn’t so much as flinched when his hand was burned, resurfaced. It wouldn’t have been strange at all if that monstrous child had spent all these years in the secluded annex, honing his ambition to devour the entire clan.
“Pathetic.”
“……”
“Your own brother passes the exams, and instead of celebrating, you’re holed up in your room drinking? How long do you intend to waste your life like this?”
His father’s scolding grated on his nerves. He wanted to rip his own ears off. Jihan sat like a corpse in his wrecked room—scattered bottles, torn books—before lifting his hollow, sunken gaze.
“So my suspicions were right.”
“Suspicions?”
“No matter how I thought about it, something was off. Why would you treat that bloodless bastard like gold or jade…”
“What did you say?”
“What’s there to hesitate about now? Register him. Kim Seon—that bastard is your flesh and blood, isn’t he? Not some dead friend’s son, but a lowborn whore’s bastard you sired and passed off as legitimate.”
SLAP!
The sound of leather striking flesh echoed as Jihan’s head jerked to the side, his topknot coming undone. The sting wasn’t so much painful as it was numb, a dull throb spreading across his cheek.
“To think I’d have a son like this… worm.”
Grand Secretary Choi stared at his own trembling hand—the first time he had ever struck his child. Watching him, Jihan felt the storm inside him settle like sand sinking to the ocean floor. His rage, once at its peak, now congealed into a cold, heavy mass in his chest.
He shoved the curtain aside and stepped out—only to see a figure in the courtyard. Beneath the plum blossom tree.
“……”
When had he grown so tall? A sharp, chisel-like jaw. A frame that now dwarfed his own. The elegant curve of his neck and broad shoulders made the folds of his dopo drape gracefully.
Seon reached up and stroked Jihan’s beloved plum tree—deliberately. He inhaled deeply, savoring the rich scent, then ran his calloused fingers along the trunk. This time, Jihan thought he understood the meaning behind that smile.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been in the small annex. The plum tree looks even lusher… more seductive.”
“……”
“Have you been well, Hyung?”
When he called him Hyung—
The smirk on his lips was unmistakably mocking.
***
Rumors, as they do, always reach their subject last.
“Wait, so the daughter of that Left Minister—the one who was supposed to be Young Master Jihan’s fiancée—broke off her engagement with him to marry the Young Master of the Annex instead?”
“With Young Master Seon’s government appointment coming soon, the Grand Secretary must’ve seen it coming. Since the eldest son is in such a state, he had to settle for the next best option.”
“Oh dear, this is going to be a mess. You think Young Master Jihan’s going to take this lying down with that temper of his?”
The plum tea in Jihan’s hand had long gone cold.
That temper of his. True. In the past, he would’ve smashed the teacup over a servant’s head for such insolence and had them scrubbing floors all night. But now, he lacked the energy. Half-mad from repeated misfortunes was a more accurate description.
The marriage alliance with the Left Minister’s family had originally been promised to him. Though it had only been a verbal agreement, the six rites had progressed as far as the exchange of formal letters, and he had even shared tea with the lady and the family elders in a formal gathering.
But the future father-in-law, that slippery Left Minister, had kept delaying once he heard Jihan had abandoned his studies after passing the preliminary exams. His excuse? “Let’s wait until he properly passes the main exams and secures a good position.”
Marriage wasn’t just about the couple—it was about the families. The adults had their own ambitions, hoping to expand their influence through this union. And now that Seon had passed the exams and was on the verge of entering office, that sly old fox had naturally switched his allegiance.
The gossiping servants under the pavilion soon dispersed. Maki, as if waiting for this moment, began grumbling furiously.
“Have they lost their minds? How dare they flap their gums like that! Should I drag them all to the constabulary, Young Master? Or send them to the military police?”
Maki was the son of the head maid. An only child, he had grown up at Jihan’s side like a shadow, more a friend than a servant. No one knew Jihan’s twisted nature better than him.
“That damn Malssi, Kkeunbok, Chook… Who else was it? Where do these lowlifes get off, stuffing their faces with our rice and spouting nonsense? I won’t stand for it. I’ll drag them all out and beat them black and blue!”
The exaggerated reaction annoyed Jihan. It was obvious Maki was just trying to deflect attention. He drained the cold tea and set the cup down with a sharp clink.
“Enough. It’s only natural for household servants to gossip about family matters now and then. A wise master turns a blind eye.”
“But still—! It’s infuriating! If you ask me, the Grand Secretary’s being heartless. How could he give his own son’s bride to some outsider? Sure, he calls him an ‘adopted son,’ but he’s a complete stranger!”
Jihan tuned out Maki’s ranting and sank into thought.
Until now, he had preferred to isolate Seon rather than attack him outright. But subtle methods wouldn’t work anymore. The man had taken his father, his bride, and now he was coming for the clan itself.
He would take it all back. By any means necessary. If he could reclaim what was stolen, he didn’t care if the methods were unjust.
Jihan pulled a small pouch from his sleeve and handed it to Maki.
“Go into the city. Find someone for me.”
***
“A King’s Fate.”
The blind shaman traced the physiognomy chart of Seon’s features with gnarled fingers before lifting his head.
“A Life Path of Dominance—commanding the elements of Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water.”
“A Life Path of Dominance…”
Jihan repeated the words, frowning.
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“A spirit who wields a sword in its mouth—one who bends ghosts to his will. Touch him the wrong way, and the backlash will be brutal.”
Jihan leaned back slightly, swallowing hard.
“This fate either imprisons others or is imprisoned itself. He’ll fight tooth and nail to survive, and if someone tries to harm him, he won’t stop until he’s ripped out their roots. He won’t retreat.”
“But he’s nothing but a lowborn bastard with unclear origins! How could he—”
The shaman’s milky eyes drifted slowly through the air.
“A noble birth. As precious as yours. Though his family likely fell into ruin in his parents’ generation. He barely survived several life-threatening crises before the age of ten. A powerful patron saved him then—helping him overcome his dire fate. Now his path is paved. All that remains is rise in rank, gain fame, and ascend without obstacle.”
“……”
“Give up. The momentum of one who has overcome misfortune and turned it into blessing cannot be broken by anyone.”
Jihan stared at the paper detailing Seon’s fate, then crushed it in his palm. Ascend without obstacle. If this reading was accurate, the man wouldn’t just take the clan and manipulate the court—he’d devour the nation itself one day.
“Ridiculous.”
He didn’t blindly believe in fortune-telling. But it wasn’t pure superstition, either. This blind shaman was renowned across the region—so much so that even the palace gates opened for him. If his divinations were the most accurate in the land…
“Name your price.”
Anxious, Jihan scooted closer to the low table.
“There has to be a way.”
“A way? You don’t mean… you’re not asking me to cast a curse, are you?”
Notes:
Dopo – Traditional Korean outer robe
Physiognomy Chart – Face-reading diagram used in fortune-telling
Life Path of Dominance – A fate that either imprisons others or is imprisoned itself
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
