Yeong Chunhwa

Chapter 4

When the moment he had dreamed of and imagined hundreds, thousands of times finally arrived, he found it difficult to take that first step. He was Yeong Chunhwa, obligated to protect Yongrim. Yongrim was the hero who would save the empire from hell, and he was meant to be their guardian. That was the will of the dragon god, a heavenly mandate that shouldn’t be defied.

Moreover, Yeong Chunhwa’s escape would be high treason. If dawn broke and his escape was discovered…

The faces of his father, mother, and older brother passed before his eyes one by one. But Yun-seo closed his eyes tightly, then opened them to shake away those lingering images.

It had been ten years. He had been confined here for a full decade, and in fifteen days, he was destined to enter the palace and build his life there. If fate continued to play tricks on him and he truly became the timber his father hoped for…

He hated it. He truly hated it more than death itself.

Yeong Chunhwa wasn’t only him in the empire. Numerous Yeong Chunhwas were fulfilling their duties. Though he felt terribly apologetic thinking about them, Yun-seo decided to close his eyes to the fact that losing just one like him wouldn’t matter.

Everyone said that Yeong Chunhwa performed honorable work. They said it was good fortune to sprout as Yeong Chunhwa and later bloom to work for this country, enjoying considerable wealth and glory. All the scholars dispatched from the imperial palace took pride in and boasted of their mission.

But what about himself? Not once since sprouting as Yeong Chunhwa had he considered it glorious. If there were any way to remove the guardian star, he would do anything. A Yeong Chunhwa harboring such impious thoughts would be better off disappearing.

Anyway, once he left this place, these anxieties would vanish. Yun-seo took a step, shaking off the guilt that clutched at his ankles.

He opened the door with his head bowed and his body hunched. The guard outside the door glanced at him. His gaze moved to the blue spots blooming on Yun-seo’s cheeks, then quickly turned away.

This was the most negligent guard among those protecting this place, a recent arrival. And since his body had matured, he had maintained that he would guard himself and stay modest, wearing a thin silk veil below his eyes whenever he left his room. Thus, these guards had never properly seen his bare face.

Yun-seo calmly bowed his head in greeting and left.

He didn’t encounter anyone on his way through the middle gate toward the living quarters. It was the time when the steward gathered the servants to check and organize the day’s work, so this was expected.

After placing the tea tray in the kitchen, he packed only his belongings and without any delay circled around the living quarters. However, as soon as he reached the side gate, he hurriedly hid behind the wall.

A guard was watching the side gate. His shallow hope that it might be empty collapsed, but he gathered himself. The shift change wasn’t far off, so waiting was the best strategy.

Time flowed like the slow steps of an ox.

By the time a thousand anxieties had passed through his mind, he heard movement from the opposite direction. The guard turned his head toward it and took a step. Yun-seo held his breath and moved stealthily toward the side gate, matching the guard’s stride.

As the relieving guard came around the corner, Yun-seo arrived at the gate. Biting his lips firmly, he peered through the doorpost to observe their movements. Now, while the two guards were facing each other and talking, was his chance.

He gripped the door handle firmly and opened the door very carefully. After creating just enough space to slip his body through, he pulled the handle closed. When the hinges finally locked, a sigh escaped him. Cold sweat poured down and his heartbeat thundered so loudly that he felt he might faint if he relaxed his tension even slightly.

The surroundings were quiet. Yun-seo slowly raised his head to survey the area. Because the city gates were about to close, the road was silent with no passersby.

I’ve succeeded… I’ve succeeded.

Yun-seo swallowed the exclamation that tried to escape through his lips and opened his eyes wide. He could see the night sky with the gentle flow of moonlight and the brilliant starlight. It had been so long since he’d seen the sky unbound by high walls.

A complex mixture of emotions swept through him, but there was no time to linger. Just as he hurriedly took a few steps—

Whoosh! Yun-seo quickly stepped backward and bit the soft flesh inside his mouth as something flew from somewhere and landed right in front of him. Fortunately, he managed not to scream, though the taste of blood indicated he’d bitten hard enough to draw blood.

“Where are you going?”

A stranger dressed in black clothes blocked Yun-seo’s path. Yun-seo looked around in confusion, but couldn’t determine where this man had appeared from. Moreover, his movements just now…

“I’m on an urgent errand for the master.”

He answered rather composedly with his head bowed, but his heart was racing again. He had the intuition that this person was Yongrim. After all, someone appearing like a ghost outside Yeong Chunhwa’s residence couldn’t be anyone else.

He knew that Yongrim protected Yeong Chunhwa who hadn’t yet entered the palace, but since this place was in the capital with the imperial palace and good security, he understood they didn’t provide constant protection. Just patrolling from time to time should have been sufficient. Why then…

Perhaps he was conducting some surveillance or protection with only fifteen days left before entering the palace. It was unfortunate. Though he had trained his body as well, he had to accept there was no chance of outmaneuvering Yongrim, who possessed superhuman strength. He could only hope this would pass without incident…

“A man?”

Yongrim slowly examined Yun-seo’s attire with suspicion. Yun-seo ran his tongue over the flesh inside his cheek, tasting the metallic flavor as he focused intently. Showing signs of dismay would be as good as asking to be caught, so he managed to lift the corners of his mouth.

“Yes. I’m on an urgent errand, may I proceed now?”

“What is that luggage?”

“Items the master ordered to be sent to the young master who is on duty today.”

“May I see it?”

Yun-seo maintained his smile while observing Yongrim’s demeanor. It seemed he was already suspicious, and refusing would cause a commotion. Yet he couldn’t openly show the contents of his luggage either. While he could explain away clothing as items for the duty administrator, the jewelry he had prepared as emergency funds was problematic.

And not just the jewelry. From maps to compass and various other items, it was clearly luggage, the bundle of a fugitive.

But there was no other choice. He had to show it first. He had placed important items between clothing, so if luck was on his side, he might evade the situation.

Yun-seo slowly unwrapped the bundle he was holding. His heart was pounding so violently that his ears were ringing. Yongrim’s sharp gaze turned to the pile of belongings. With one swift movement, he reached between the clothes and pulled out a pouch.

It was the silk pouch containing the jewelry. It seemed luck was not on his side. Yun-seo tried to maintain a calm face, but his heart was crumbling.

Is this the end? Yes, even getting this far was lucky. I didn’t expect it to end so miserably, but you did well. The attempt was quite good. Yeondeok would faint if he heard about it. He’d be terrified and chattering, but before going to sleep, he might also marvel at how I came up with such a clever plan.

If I’m dragged back like this, father will be furious. This incident is different from my childhood. Although I have two escape experiences, those were simple escapades born from a child’s desire to play outside, but this is a perfectly planned escape.

I don’t mind being cursed or beaten. But Yeondeok… I hope he checks the letter and money pouch I left in his luggage and doesn’t come back.

Yongrim glanced at Yun-seo and opened the pouch to check its contents. When he finished checking and tossed the pouch down, Yun-seo’s heartbeat actually slowed. With a pale and detached face, he waited for what would happen next.

“There’s no one sneaking out the door at this hour without ill intent.”

Yongrim roughly grabbed Yun-seo’s wrist, causing the bundle in his hand to fall. Yun-seo looked down at the scattered contents of his luggage that he had prepared bit by bit over the years.

Yeondeok’s old clothes that he had acquired by having new ones made for him, money earned by selling manuscripts he had written by reducing his sleep, items Yeondeok had bought when he went to the marketplace, maps he had memorized and visualized in his mind, and all that time…

What he thought was resignation suddenly boiled up in defiance.

Why? Why must I end like this without accomplishing anything?

I can’t end like this. I’ve only taken one step forward. I can’t go back now. An opportunity like this will never come again.

Yun-seo grabbed Yongrim’s forearm. He applied pressure, ready to engage in a physical struggle if necessary to create an opening to escape. Yongrim frowned.

* Compass.