Yeong Chunhwa

Chapter 9

If he wasn’t a fugitive, he would have explored every corner and recorded the scenery of this place… Yun-seo pressed down his rising regret as he gripped the hem of his clothes and asked.

“Are you planning to rest for a while?”

“We’ll stay at an inn for the night.”

“What? But that’s too… We have a long way to go, won’t that delay us?”

“It’s best to avoid traveling at night. We’ll leave the carriage behind, so mobility will improve. That is, if you’re truly a quick learner.”

Although the carriage was more comfortable, traveling on horseback would allow them to depart promptly as he suggested. In fact, Yun-seo had planned to spend much of his money on renting horses, so traveling with Hwi seemed like it would save him considerable expenses.

“Yes, I will learn diligently.”

After Yun-seo answered earnestly with shining eyes, Hwi gave him an indifferent glance and strode forward with his long legs. Yun-seo quickly followed behind him to avoid getting lost in the crowded area.

Hwi walked confidently, as if he frequently visited this place on merchant business. Even while following Hwi, Yun-seo couldn’t help but look around eagerly, taking in all the sights with curious eyes.

As they walked for some time, the number of passersby increased. Strangely, while Yun-seo was jostled here and there, Hwi moved comfortably through the crowd without bumping into anyone, like he was walking along a part in people’s hair.

Though he seemed well over six feet tall, his head was indeed higher than others. Yun-seo found himself surveying Hwi’s broad shoulders and wide back before pressing close behind him, using him as a shield.

Soon after, the street noise grew even more bustling. As soon as Yun-seo peeked out from behind Hwi’s body, red lanterns came into view. He stepped out and stared blankly at the scene before him.

“Wow…”

Red lanterns stretched along a row of shops. The twilight sky, not yet fully dark, met countless lanterns creating a soft atmosphere. Below, crowds sold, bought, called to customers, and bargained, painting a picture of daily life.

Yun-seo stood motionless, staring at the dreamlike scene, forgetting to take another step. It was a sight he had only seen in picture books since his eighth birthday. Yet even the finest artist’s illustrations couldn’t capture this vibrant movement.

Someone bumped into Yun-seo’s shoulder, disturbing his view. After bowing his head in apology, he noticed a merchant selling various candied fruits piled on a cart.

The moment he spotted the glossy, sweet-looking candied fruits, Yun-seo flinched. His heart raced anxiously and he took a deep breath, but couldn’t smell anything from himself.

All he could smell was the scent of meat from somewhere, not the fresh grass scent. Yun-seo buried his nose in his forearm, sniffing several times until he felt a quiet guardian spirit within him, finally exhaling in relief.

It wouldn’t escape uncontrollably like that day when he was eight years old.

Yeong Chunhwa scatters its fragrance twice – during “sprouting,” when the guardian spirit first manifests, and “blooming,” when one can control that guardian spirit at will. However, Yun-seo had barely managed to contain his guardian spirit as it tried to escape during his blooming period, which allowed him to avoid entering the palace before coming of age.

There was no precedent for a Yeong Chunhwa who could hide their blooming. Though history might have concealed such cases, if it were true, it was evidence of Yun-seo’s exceptional power.

Yes, that’s why they called me potential timber. The Emperor wouldn’t speak falsely.

Yun-seo bit back a bitter smile as he comforted himself. As long as he controlled his guardian spirit well, it wouldn’t scatter its fragrance uncontrollably.

As the tension eased, saliva pooled under his tongue. He realized he hadn’t eaten anything on the journey here. Having fasted for nearly two days, his stomach was demanding food. Yun-seo swallowed and looked at the neatly arranged candied fruits.

Is that wild grape? That looks like plum. Ah, that is…

“Do you want that?”

A low voice clearly reached his ears amid the noisy crowd. Startled by the sudden presence, Yun-seo jumped, his shoulders shaking as he turned. Hwi was already beside him.

“Ah, I apologize. I was momentarily distracted…”

“What would you like to eat?”

Hwi’s gaze lightly swept over the cart. Yun-seo nervously fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, thinking of the emergency funds in his money pouch.

He had given Yeondeok eighty percent of the money he earned from copying manuscripts and the valuables he owned. That money would have allowed him to live well without So’s help. Yun-seo was left with twenty percent. It was barely enough for travel expenses and settling in Araksa, so he couldn’t waste money frivolously.

“It’s nothing. I was just looking.”

Though he felt embarrassed for being caught staring at the candied fruits like a hungry child, he forced a smile and shrugged. Hwi looked at Yun-seo’s face, then took out money from his pocket and handed it to the merchant.

“One of each kind.”

“Thank you, sir!”

The merchant happily took the money and began wrapping each type of candied fruit in thick paper. Yun-seo opened his eyes wide and grabbed Hwi’s arm. Hwi’s gaze fell on the spot.

“I’m fine, really.”

“What do you mean, fine? You were drooling with desire just now.”

Yun-seo quickly wiped his mouth, but there was nothing there. Hwi snorted through his nose and handed Yun-seo the package of various candied fruits the merchant had prepared. Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, Yun-seo’s lips trembled as he held the package.

“A servant’s appearance reflects on the master.”

When Yun-seo hesitated to eat, Hwi’s voice came from above. Although it sounded indifferent and cold, his actions suggested otherwise. While talking about the master’s appearance, he was actually preserving Yun-seo’s dignity.

Yun-seo looked up at Hwi. Though he appeared to be a very cold person judging by his appearance, he might actually be warmer than Yun-seo had assumed. Meeting this man while fleeing might be a stroke of luck he’d never experience again.

“Thank you. Since you bought them, I’ll enjoy them.”

He bowed deeply, then opened the well-wrapped paper and picked up a sweet-looking candied fruit. Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he glanced at Hwi and hesitantly offered it to him.

“Um, please have the first one.”

Just as he was wondering if Hwi might not eat such street food, Hwi slowly lowered his head. His reddish lips parted and took in the small candied fruit. His closing lips brushed against Yun-seo’s fingertips as he withdrew.

Yun-seo curled his fingers as if hiding them, concealing his surprise. His fingertips felt strangely warm, forcing him to clench and unclench his fist.

“W-what do you think?”

Stuttering foolishly, he cleared his throat while Hwi slowly chewed the candied fruit, then wrinkled one eye.

“Sweet.”

It seemed not to suit his taste. But the assessment of sweetness only increased Yun-seo’s anticipation. He picked up a wild grape candy and put it in his mouth.

“Ah…”

The sweet coating around the wild grape crumbled, followed by tart juice wetting his tongue. It was deliciously balanced—sour yet sweet without leaning too far either way.

“It’s really delicious!”

This wasn’t his first time eating candied fruits. Sometimes Yeondeok would bring back food from outside. But eating directly from the street like this was worlds apart from eating while confined in what felt like a prison cell.

As he was immersed in excitement, his eyes sparkling, he distinctly felt a gaze tracing from his eyes down his nose to his lips. Thinking something might be stuck there, he wiped his mouth, but his lips were only sticky with no other residue.

“Eat as we walk.”

“Yes.”

Filling his stomach with sweets improved his mood, instantly dispelling the dark thoughts lurking in the corner of his mind. Yun-seo followed behind Hwi with light steps.

By the time they reached the center of the market street, people had gathered around something. There were especially many children, and when Yun-seo looked to see what they were watching, he could see small human-shaped shadows moving behind a white cloth.

A shadow play! Yun-seo’s eyes brightened just as they had when he first tasted the candied fruit. Shadow plays, which were often held at night markets, were something he had always wanted to see. If he had enough time, he would have watched it from beginning to end…

As he was about to hurry along, suppressing his regret, his eyes met Hwi’s. Hwi slightly raised his left eyebrow and asked:

“Would you like to watch?”

“No. I was just wondering why people were gathered… Let’s go.”

Hwi looked back and forth between the performance and Yun-seo, then nodded.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these myself.”

Then he grabbed Yun-seo’s shoulder and headed toward the performance area, giving Yun-seo no choice but to be pulled along.