Chapter 17
Feeling dazed as if struck on the head, Yun-seo found it difficult to speak. He licked his dry lips and barely managed to compose his expression.
“What do you mean by conscription? Isn’t it a rightful service one must fulfill for the country? They do it to perform a glorious duty…”
“What meaning is there in glory that erases oneself?”
“They receive special privileges, so they must bear responsibilities as well.”
“Taking someone’s precious gift and giving money in return is closer to a transaction. This country is making a profitable business.”
Hwi sneered lightly. Yun-seo found it difficult to keep his hands still, so he lowered them beneath the round table and vigorously rubbed his fingers together.
He had never met anyone who spoke like this before. Everyone agreed that emerging as a Yeong Chunhwa was a gift from the dragon deity. Entering the palace to protect the dragon scale was considered the most honorable duty, and being entrusted with such an important responsibility was truly a blessing to be grateful for.
Even Yeondeok, who was closest to him and understood his heart better than anyone, had said so.
When he grew older, he found it impossible to accept this destiny of living such a life forever. When he cried and confessed to Yeondeok that he wanted to run away, Yeondeok was greatly surprised and dissuaded him, saying that while he understood the hardship, how could he abandon such an honorable duty?
Now Yun-seo understood Yeondeok, but at that time, he felt resentful that even Yeondeok didn’t understand his feelings, and he didn’t speak to him for three whole days. Yet he never expected to hear such an answer from a man who was merely a traveling companion he had met on the road.
He had always agonized, wondering if he was strange for not accepting his duty despite emerging as a Yeong Chunhwa, and if he was the only person in the world who harbored such feelings. Occasionally, he was overcome with guilt, feeling like he wasn’t a proper human being.
“But… as long as there are those who rightfully dedicate themselves to protecting the country, I’m just a runaway and a coward.”
“They merely conform to fate. Rejecting fate is actually the courageous thing to do.”
Rejecting fate is the courageous thing? Even he had never thought of it that way. Tears threatened to well up, so Yun-seo lowered his head and needlessly fiddled with his teacup. He wasn’t usually prone to tears, but lately he kept wanting to cry.
Perhaps due to his intense emotions, the protective energy pooled in his lower abdomen began to boil. Yun-seo tried to breathe calmly to settle the scattered energies peacefully.
As his mind calmed and tension eased, he felt hungry. While serving himself some food, a question suddenly occurred to him.
“But I find it strange. Those bandits we encountered earlier, and those men too… they seem to look down on Yeong Chunhwa.”
Changsicheong. Spreading legs. They referred to Yeong Chunhwa with words typically used for prostitutes, which was extremely disrespectful and incomprehensible.
He knew that Yeong Chunhwa sometimes engaged in intercourse to exert powerful strength when protecting the dragon scale, but that was fundamentally different from physical relations in the ordinary world.
It was about saving and healing the dragon scale, not simple pleasure, so why degrade it in such a way? Or did everyone view it that way, and he was the only one who didn’t know?
“The gates of hell opened hundreds of years ago. Since then, this country has achieved peace through the power of the dragon scale and Yeong Chunhwa, but paradoxically, the peace they protected has bred insensitivity. Have you ever actually seen the dragon scale or Yeong Chunhwa?”
“…No.”
“There’s a saying that if you want to see them, you should watch a play. The most popular genre in theater is heroic epics, but what comes next?”
“Um… I don’t know much about theater, but in novels, romance stories are quite popular.”
“Right. Tales of passion and jealousy.”
Hwi looked Yun-seo in the eye and curled up one corner of his mouth. Tales of passion between the dragon scale and Yeong Chunhwa? They were bound by national policy, not entangled in passionate affairs beyond affection…
However, stories flashed through his mind—tales of two dragon scales harming each other to possess a single Yeong Chunhwa, or incidents where a dragon scale had harmed a Yeong Chunhwa due to excessive jealousy.
Of course, he couldn’t know whether these were actual history or unofficial stories mixed with falsehoods and exaggerations, but they were widespread enough for him to know about them, giving him an idea of how public perception had been formed.
“I see. Hearing you say that, I think I understand. It’s understandable that people would let their imaginations run wild about beings they rarely encounter, but still, it’s too much.”
“We don’t know how they struggle. We have no way of knowing if they receive excessive benefits at the expense of tax revenue relative to what they do.”
Indeed, even he, a Yeong Chunhwa himself, had only heard about their efforts through secondhand accounts until entering the palace. The only Yeong Chunhwa he knew were the instructors dispatched to the province once a week, and thinking of them made his mouth taste bitter.
Yun-seo clenched his fist to dispel the thought.
“Aren’t you eating?”
Seeing no point in continuing the conversation, he tried to change the subject, but Hwi silently stared at Yun-seo before turning his head away again.
“You eat plenty.”
Perhaps the food doesn’t suit his taste? Given his build, he didn’t seem to eat much. Though Yun-seo himself had no appetite, he needed to hurry on their journey now that he clearly knew his father was pursuing him. To hurry, he needed to conserve energy.
Yun-seo was stuffing various foods into his mouth when, concerned about Hwi not eating anything, he placed a tender piece of lamb on Hwi’s plate. Hwi glanced at Yun-seo and picked up his chopsticks. Yun-seo smiled faintly and chewed what was in his mouth thoroughly.
Perhaps he had indigestion? But they had eaten quite some time ago, so he couldn’t understand why his stomach felt so uncomfortable. Yun-seo gently rubbed his solar plexus and swallowed.
Though he had thought it was manageable, nausea welled up as time passed. Feeling cold sweat forming on the back of his neck, Yun-seo took out a medicinal pill from his luggage and swallowed it. However, even after taking the medicine, there was no sign of improvement.
He couldn’t be sick here and now… Just as he was cursing his body for hindering rather than helping him, closing his eyes tightly—
“What’s wrong?”
Detecting something amiss, Hwi approached Yun-seo. He had been the one to suggest they hurry, even if it meant sleeping outdoors again, and he couldn’t delay them because of himself. Yun-seo tried to appear unaffected and shook his head.
“I think I’m getting motion sickness again. Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
As he tried to look composed by widening his eyes, Hwi suddenly reached out and touched Yun-seo’s forehead. His fingertips were very cold, making Yun-seo flinch, and Hwi’s expression hardened.
“You have a fever.”
“This much is…”
“This much? Your forehead is burning.”
“That’s because your hands are cold…”
Yun-seo touched the back of his neck and was surprised by the heat, withdrawing his fingers. When had he become so feverish? He had only thought he felt unwell…
“I think I’m just a bit sick to my stomach. It will get better with time.”
“There’s a village just two hours away. Let’s call for a physician and stay there.”
“No. If we move quickly, we can go further…”
“Quiet.”
Yun-seo closed his mouth at the cold interruption. It was the first time since meeting Hwi that he had seen such a stern face, causing him to fall silent and watch cautiously.
“We’re not going anywhere until you’re completely better. So abandon any foolish thoughts.”
Hwi stared at Yun-seo with sharp eyes, as if warning him. It was frustrating that they couldn’t continue their journey just because he was a little sick. However, fearing Hwi might find it strange if he insisted further, Yun-seo could only nod.
It was already impossible to reach Yehang before his scheduled palace entry date. It would be better to take care of his health for future considerations, even if it meant resting more. Yun-seo soothed his anxious heart and glanced sideways at Hwi, who was following behind him.
Though they weren’t as close as he and Yeondeok, he was grateful that Hwi was considerate of his condition, despite their urgent circumstances. If he treated even a mere servant like this, he must be even more devoted to people he truly cared about. Though he had seemed like a cold-blooded person at first glance…
‘Rejecting fate is actually the courageous thing to do.’
If he discovered the truth that Yun-seo was a Yeong Chunhwa, would he understand? Would he hide him while he was being pursued? Though he knew that thoughts and actual actions could differ, he couldn’t help but hope. It would be a great comfort if at least this one person viewed him kindly, even if everyone else in the world cast stones at him.
After traveling for two hours, his vision began to blur. His breathing became rough through his lips, and he could physically feel the heat rising from within. He wasn’t sure if his body was complaining of accumulated fatigue, or if he was unconsciously affected by the news he had heard at the inn that morning. Yun-seo shook his head to clear his mind and looked back.
“My lord, I…”
As soon as he opened his mouth, Hwi’s face hardened and he reached out his arm. The fleeting thought—so he knows how to look dismayed too—crossed his mind before his vision went black.
NOTES:
*Unofficial history (yasa): History privately recorded by the general public. National Institute of the Korean Language, Standard Korean Dictionary.
