Chapter 23
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Yun-seo looked out the window with a calm expression at the gently falling rain.
Two weeks had already passed. Today was his birthday, and according to the original plan, it would have been the day of his coming-of-age ceremony and his entry into the palace. In other words, it meant the time had come when the So family could no longer deceive the imperial family.
He could delay entering the palace by claiming illness or some other reason, but still. The imperial palace wouldn’t be so careless as to simply accept that. So it was certain that before the day was over, or even before it ended, the news would spread far and wide.
Although his journey had been delayed because he fell ill along the way, if he had been alone, he wouldn’t have gotten this far from the capital within two weeks. Now that the day had actually arrived, his mind felt surprisingly detached and calm.
From the moment his plan to escape a month before entering the palace had failed—that is, from before he escaped from his family residence—he had gradually lowered his expectations. From now on, neither optimistic expectations nor pessimistic disappointments would be of any use. He just wanted to spend each moment without regret.
“Um… will my lord not be coming today?”
It had been a day and a half since he had seen Hwi. He had briefly sensed someone’s presence while half-asleep, but by the time he opened his eyes, Hwi was already gone. He was concerned that Hwi might be so busy that he couldn’t even get a proper night’s sleep.
The man watching over the guild hall heard Yun-seo’s question but merely smiled without showing any reaction. It was impossible to tell whether he didn’t know or simply didn’t want to reveal his master’s whereabouts.
“I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”
The man finally nodded as Yun-seo put on a rain hat. Fortunately, it was raining. If he had worn a rain hat on a clear day, it would have drawn attention, but most people passing by were covering themselves with something to avoid the rain, so he could naturally blend in among them.
The sound of rain falling heavily under the eaves was charming. Yun-seo lowered his head to cover his face as much as possible and headed to the marketplace near the bridge where the most people gathered. As the murmuring grew closer, his heart pounded despite his firm resolve.
Yun-seo stood in a sparsely populated alley and observed people’s movements. Despite the rain, the marketplace was bustling with people buying and selling goods, but there was no sign of anything suspicious.
Judging by the absence of wanted posters or notices on the walls, it seemed urgent news had not yet been delivered. Or perhaps his father had done something to prevent it.
Maybe I can relax, at least for today. Yun-seo stood there for a while, taking in the vibrant street atmosphere before turning back. Having resolved to live without regrets, he felt a bold impulse to explore this beautiful village, but he wasn’t particularly excited about it and returned directly to the guild hall.
As it reached Yushi (5-7 PM), the day grew considerably darker. Being cooped up inside for two whole days made him restless. Having lived his entire life that way, yet feeling this way after just two weeks of wandering around was truly a remarkable change of perspective. Yun-seo let out a slight laugh and quietly went downstairs.
Even before he finished descending the stairs, his eyes met with those of the same man who seemed to have been watching him. Feeling somewhat awkward, Yun-seo fidgeted with his fingers and asked.
“Is there anything enjoyable here? Like books…”
The man rolled his eyes briefly, then guided Yun-seo to a room. It appeared to be a space for storing antiques, with various items piled up. There were writing implements, but what caught his eye was a geomungo leaning against the wall.
“Thank you.”
After the man left the room, Yun-seo picked up the geomungo and placed it on a table. After roughly dusting it off, he plucked the strings and an elegant sound resonated.
Yun-seo touched each string one by one, recalling when he first learned to play the geomungo. In truth, he didn’t particularly enjoy playing instruments. Perhaps lacking artistic talent, he found it difficult, and his fingertips hurt until he developed calluses.
Now he could finish a piece with his eyes closed. Not because he enjoyed it, but because he had practiced diligently.
Even when he thought his skills had improved considerably, his father never once praised him.
It had been an instrument he only wanted to avoid, but seeing it before him now brought new feelings. Yun-seo slowly moved his hands, creating one note at a time, then plucked the strings gracefully.
On days when he played the geomungo, Yeondeok would always sit in a corner of the room, listening attentively, and when a piece ended, he would applaud until his palms turned red. He was very curious about what Yeondeok might be doing now.
If everything succeeded, after a long time, would they be able to exchange even a single letter? A sad smile formed on Yun-seo’s lips as he thought of Yeondeok.
Just then, the melody flowed sorrowfully. He had chosen any piece his body remembered, but as it seemed to calm his mind, he was about to stop in the middle when suddenly a hand reached out from behind and continued the unfinished note.
Yun-seo startled and turned his head, but upon confirming it was Hwi, he set aside his surprise. How he could appear so suddenly without making a sound—truly, he was like a ghost.
Before Yun-seo could speak, Hwi placed his other hand on the geomungo and continued plucking the strings to carry on the melody.
His fingers moved effortlessly between the strings. Yet the melody of the piece was delicate, like looking at a painting that boldly drew lines but meticulously depicted landscapes. The sorrowful and plaintive tune flowing from beneath Hwi’s hands sounded momentarily tragic yet detached.
It was a level of skill that couldn’t come from ordinary men unless they had considerable interest in the geomungo. Yun-seo let out an admiring sigh, then suddenly felt his ear tickle and hunched his shoulders. Hwi’s breath was touching his ear, melting his skin.
Moreover, every time Hwi moved his hands, his chest lightly brushed against Yun-seo’s back, then pulled away. Once he became conscious of this, he couldn’t shift his attention at all. Perhaps because he had just come from outside, Hwi carried the damp, cool smell of wind and rain.
With all his senses standing on end behind him, he licked his inexplicably dry lips when finally one piece came to an end.
“…”
As silence followed the end, Hwi’s right hand, which had settled quietly, immediately plucked one string again. Staring blankly at the meaningless finger play, Yun-seo’s face gradually turned pale.
Thump, thump, thump, thump…
Ding, ding, ding, ding…
As if his rapidly beating heart wasn’t enough, the geomungo rang out clear sounds as if racing alongside that pulse. Almost as if mimicking the heartbeat!
Yun-seo stepped backward in dismay, and Hwi, standing behind him, also moved, causing his fingers to leave the strings and the sound to naturally cease.
“…Can you hear it?”
With his heart pounding so hard in his ears that he couldn’t gather his thoughts, Yun-seo waited for Hwi’s answer with an astonished face, as Hwi tilted his head and casually tossed out a comment.
“I could hear it as soon as I came in.”
Hwi’s voice didn’t immediately sink in, and only after mulling it over for a while could Yun-seo finally calm his surprise. He meant that he had heard the sound of the geomungo being played as soon as he entered.
Indeed, no matter how loudly one’s heart might beat, would it be audible to another person? He had panicked prematurely over what was simply idle finger play.
“Don’t you get startled when you enter so quietly without making any sound?”
“Your skills were quite good.”
Though Hwi responded nonchalantly, Yun-seo worried momentarily that his skills might seem unusually accomplished for a mere servant and hastily replied.
“The young lady taught me diligently. It was a kind of game for us.”
The pounding still left such a lingering effect that his chest felt tight. As he caught his breath, Hwi stared at Yun-seo intently and suddenly reached out his hand. When Hwi’s hand touched his forehead, Yun-seo drew in his neck.
The fingers that brushed back his fallen hair grazed his ear as they moved away, and Hwi’s eyes, which had been meeting his gaze, subtly curved downward.
Yun-seo blinked in a daze before hurriedly fixing his hair. His hair seemed to have become disheveled from wearing the rain hat earlier. Even as he twisted his hair back up, the pounding didn’t subside at all, causing him to bite his lips anxiously.
“What have you been doing?”
“Nothing… special. I was feeling a bit bored, so I tried playing the geomungo.”
“Then, let’s go out.”
“Do you have time now?”
“Yes.”
Despite saying he had time, weariness was faintly visible on Hwi’s face. Although he was like an iron man who could travel long distances without sufficient sleep, perhaps because they had spent considerable time together, Yun-seo could faintly notice the change in him.
However, Hwi must have had a reason for suggesting they go out, so Yun-seo silently followed behind him.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
