Chapter 11
“Just because I’m… too happy.”
Yun-seo quickly wiped away his tears with his sleeve and gave an awkward smile. Crying after hearing someone play the string instrument—perhaps he appeared too sensitive. But he couldn’t help it. These tears had welled up from a mix of emotions he couldn’t control.
Joy, anxiety, hope, fear, excitement, nostalgia… All these feelings surged through the melody. It must have been because of the performer’s exceptional skill.
“So the man’s heart was moved by a beauty’s string performance, I see.”
Yun-seo sniffled with his reddened nose and looked up. Though the teasing remark was quite mischievous, it seemed intended to ease the awkwardness, so he simply shrugged his shoulders.
“Are there men who dislike beautiful women?”
Hwi stared at Yun-seo intently, then picked up his teacup and replied casually before taking a sip.
“That’s true enough.”
The man’s response was so unexpected that Yun-seo looked at him again. Judging by his appearance alone, Hwi seemed like the coldest of cold-blooded men, so Yun-seo had assumed he would have no interest in women. Though being indifferent to women would be a different matter altogether.
While Yun-seo was making these assumptions, Hwi spoke again.
“If you like beauty so much, you should just look in a mirror.”
“Pardon?”
When Yun-seo asked in confusion, Hwi casually nodded his chin as if to say, “I’m talking about you.”
Yun-seo was flustered, his eyes wide open while his lips moved wordlessly. He had always been aware of compliments about his appearance since childhood, but hearing it from Hwi’s lips felt remarkably different.
“If you’re done eating, let’s go.”
While Yun-seo was still dumbfounded and staring blankly, Hwi stood up without hesitation. Yun-seo hurriedly followed behind him.
The two headed to an inn not far from the tavern. The inn gave them the top floor, which had a layout allowing them to use the entire floor with two separate bedrooms. It was comfortable and nice for Yun-seo, but he was also amazed at how much money it must cost to rent such a place for just one night.
On one side of the room lay Hwi’s luggage, which had been sent ahead, but it was too sparse to look like belongings of someone traveling a long distance. Hwi took out a pouch from there, tucked it into his chest, and turned to Yun-seo.
“I’m going to send a letter. Go to sleep first.”
“Yes.”
Before leaving, he tapped on the wall of the bath chamber that was located near the entrance.
After Hwi left, Yun-seo paced aimlessly around the room before stepping over the curtain at the bath entrance and going inside.
The wooden bathtub, large enough for one person, was already filled with warm water. It seemed they had timed the water delivery well, though carrying it up to the top floor must have required considerable strength.
Tapping on the wall must have been his way of telling me to wash up. Having been covered in dust all day, the thought of finally being able to clean up brought a smile to Yun-seo’s face.
Yun-seo couldn’t bring himself to get into the tub, so he scooped out water to thoroughly wash his body before changing clothes.
He sat on the bed, drying his wet hair with a special cloth. Looking around the quiet room, he reached out to open the window, and the star-filled night sky framed itself in the window like a painting.
The moonlight was elegant, making for a truly clear night. It was his first time sleeping somewhere other than his own home, and the reality that he had successfully escaped finally sank in.
Hoping to reach Araksa without incident…
Yun-seo clasped his hands together and made his wish for a long moment before closing his increasingly heavy eyes.
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- Traveling Companions
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When he woke in the morning, his entire body ached, and the inside of his thighs throbbed from riding a horse for the first time in his life.
Despite this, having to ride again for quite some time was torturous. However, he couldn’t show even the slightest complaint as such pain was bearable and shouldn’t delay their journey. Fortunately, as he had boasted earlier, he quickly became accustomed to horseback riding and could keep pace with Hwi’s horse.
He had thought that traveling by horse would be quick and straightforward, but that wasn’t entirely the case. They had to feed the horses along the way and let them rest considering the long journey. However, when the horses took breaks, Yun-seo also got to rest, so these stops were actually welcome.
The journey would be much easier than in the bitter cold of midwinter or under the oppressive heat of midsummer. Though the cold hadn’t fully subsided yet, flower buds could be seen forming in various places.
As they went a bit further, they came across mountain cornelian cherries with their small yellow petals in bloom and magnolias displaying their large, pure white leaves abundantly. It seemed unusual for them to be in full bloom at this time. Come to think of it, the breeze had become noticeably warmer.
While Yun-seo was still puzzled, Hwi stopped at the summit of the hill. Yun-seo quickly urged his horse forward to stand beside him, then couldn’t help but gasp at the view below the hill.
A vast blue lake sparkled in the sunlight. Around it, willows with gently hanging branches and fully bloomed flowering trees blended with the lake to create a breathtaking scene.
“This is… Yongyu Lake, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The lake was indeed beautiful, worthy of being a favorite spot of the dragon deity. The shimmering reflections on the water were almost blinding. He had heard that dragon territories had milder climates than other places, and now he understood that it was true—it was simply mysterious and amazing.
“We should water the horses here.”
Yun-seo descended the hill with Hwi. As they approached the lake, he noticed a flower garden surrounded by fences and trifoliate orange trees. Yun-seo dismounted and peered carefully at the flower garden through the fence.
“Are these Yeong Chunhwa flowers?”
“Yes. First time seeing them?”
“It’s my first time seeing them in person.”
Yeong Chunhwa wasn’t a common flower. It was extremely difficult to cultivate in ordinary soil, so it essentially only grew in dragon territories. When brewed as tea, it had the effect of stabilizing dragon energy, which was why it was managed by the state and offered exclusively to the imperial palace.
He had only been able to imagine what they looked like based on written descriptions, but their appearance was more modest than he had pictured. The small white petals bloomed like a fluffy rabbit’s tail, looking quite adorable.
So this is the flower that the dragon deity stole—no, took from the flower realm.
“Looking at it like this, I’m not sure what makes it so special.”
“Why? Did you expect something more extravagant?”
“No, that’s not it… But if I had seen it on the road, I might have just passed it by thinking it was a wildflower.”
“Often, such simple things possess greater power.”
A scent carried by the wind wafted through the fence and brushed against his nose. It was similar to the scent that had emanated from his body when he first awakened, which gave him an odd feeling. He found himself unconsciously checking his protective energy, wondering if it might be his own scent.
“I wonder what Yeong Chunhwa tea tastes like?”
“I hear it has a good aroma. The taste isn’t much different from other flower teas.”
“Ah…”
“Do you want to try it? I can pick one for you.”
“That would be terrible!”
Yun-seo backed away from the fence in alarm. He noticed a subtle hint of amusement in Hwi’s seemingly indifferent eyes. He’s quite mischievous in his own way. Shaking his head, Yun-seo approached his horse, which was drinking water.
The lake that had appeared blue from the hilltop was actually transparent up close. As he dipped his hand in the cool water and pulled it out, he heard boisterous sounds not far away.
Three young-looking men, bare-chested, jumped into the lake. They splashed water on each other and swam, cutting through the water—they looked incredibly free. While Yun-seo was staring absentmindedly with his mouth open, a hand extended from beside him and tapped under his chin, making him close his mouth. Having accidentally bitten his tongue, Yun-seo frowned and turned to Hwi.
“How rude.”
“…What do you mean?”
After giving Hwi a glance, he quietly looked down at the transparent water. The water temperature wasn’t cold, which must be why those men had jumped in without hesitation. After a moment’s hesitation, Yun-seo asked:
“May we rest a bit longer?”
“What do you want to do?”
The tone of his question was quite gentle, indicating permission. Yun-seo removed his shoes and rolled up his trouser legs to his knees before entering the lake. As the cool water splashed against his skin, a smile naturally formed on his face.
He lifted his foot high, causing water droplets to splash and fall, leaving small ripples. After playing with his feet several times, he found himself wanting to swim like those men. Though the only time in his life he had immersed himself in water was when bathing…
“What are you doing?”
As Yun-seo suddenly untied the strings of his clothes, Hwi frowned and grabbed his forearm.
“I want to get in the water too.”
“Undressed?”
“If I wear clothes, they’ll get wet.”
“You can dry them.”
“That will take too long.”
Yun-seo shook his arm to indicate he wanted to be released, but Hwi looked at him with a somehow displeased expression before nodding.
“Leave one layer on.”
What a busybody, Yun-seo thought. When Hwi released his arm, Yun-seo removed his clothes one by one, leaving only the pure white inner garment. In truth, he had intended to ignore Hwi’s words and remove this too, but once he was down to just the inner garment, he felt too embarrassed to do so.
Standing in just a thin garment in front of fully-dressed Hwi made him feel practically naked. Even though they were both men and there should be nothing to be ashamed of… Perhaps he still hadn’t shed the young master’s dignity that came from being raised in a family that valued propriety. Deliberately squaring his shoulders, Yun-seo plunged into the water.
