YCHW Ch 13

By the time they reached the village, the sun had fully set, and it was growing dark.

After stopping at a small eatery to have a meal and heading back to the guesthouse, Yoonso noticed a woman holding a piece of paper, stopping passersby. Seeing someone closely examining the paper, Yoonso froze in alarm.

It looked like she was searching for someone with a wanted poster.

Had he let his guard down too much? Nothing had happened in the bustling city of Seonjuseong, but to be caught in a small village like this?

As his face paled, the woman glanced his way, and Yoonso hurriedly lowered his head, steadying his ragged breath.

No, this woman looked like an ordinary villager by anyone’s measure. It was possible she was disguised, but what reason would there be for that? More importantly, it was dark now, and Hwi was by his side. He shouldn’t panic. Acting rashly would only ruin things. If he behaved calmly, he could surely navigate the situation.

But if that paper was truly a wanted poster of him, what would happen if Hwi saw it?

Yoonso covered his mouth with his sleeve and deliberately coughed. Hwi’s gaze turned toward him.

“I thought I was fine, but it seems the water got to me after all.”

Hwi reached out and touched Yoonso’s forehead. Trying not to flinch, Yoonso held his breath and waited for Hwi’s hand to withdraw.

“No fever.”

“My body’s strong, so I don’t catch colds easily, but just in case, it’s best we head inside quickly.”

The woman was approaching them. Yoonso kept up the pretense of coughing and quickened his pace. Just as he was about to pass her, she held out the paper.

“My lords, please take a look at this.”

Yoonso gave a slight bow and tried to move on, but she persistently followed alongside him.

“I’m looking for someone. Just one look…!”

Yoonso coughed loudly on purpose, checking to see if Hwi was keeping up. He was half-prepared to collapse if needed. Suddenly, his body was pulled back, and a heavy arm rested on his shoulder.

“Let’s have a look.”

Hwi stopped Yoonso and took the paper from the woman. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Yoonso stiffened, clenching his teeth. Without letting out a single breath, he alternated between looking at the paper in Hwi’s hand and Hwi’s face.

Thump, thump, thump, thump…

His heart raced like a dog excited to see snow. As Hwi scanned the paper, Yoonso closely observed his expression for any change, but he could discern nothing. Anxiety and hope surged alternately, twisting his insides.

When Hwi suddenly turned to look at him, Yoonso had to muster all his strength to maintain a calm expression.

Hwi handed the paper to Yoonso. Exhaling slowly, Yoonso shifted his gaze to the paper. It depicted the face of a child.

A child. An unfamiliar face.

“It’s my child. He disappeared seven days ago, and we can’t find him anywhere. Someone must have taken him! The authorities said they’d look, but there’s been no word…! Have you seen him?”

Yoonso could finally let some of his tension go. His legs nearly gave out from relief, but he planted his feet firmly. Then, he felt a pang of guilt for the anxious mother before him, desperate to find her child.

“I’m sorry. I haven’t seen a child like this on our way.”

“Please, just look again…!”

Out of consideration for her feelings, Yoonso carefully examined the poster again, but it was indeed an unfamiliar child. He glanced at Hwi, who shook his head. The woman let out a weary sigh, visibly heartbroken.

“If we see the child later, we’ll make sure to bring him back. Do you live here?”

“No. I’m from Ocheon, over there. The village with many paulownia trees.”

“I see. I’m sure… you’ll find him.”

Though sincere, his words felt hollow to a mother who’d lost her child, and Yoonso felt ashamed. He politely bowed to see her off, swallowing a sigh.

“It doesn’t feel good.”

With a faint smile, he resumed walking. Completely drained, he had no energy to speak, and Hwi, too, remained silent as they quietly returned to the guesthouse.

“We should call a physician.”

“What?”

As soon as they entered the room, Hwi’s words caught Yoonso off guard, and he hid his surprise. Since his coughing had been feigned, there was no need for a physician.

“My throat was just dry, so I coughed a bit. It’s better now that we’re in a warm place. I’ll be fine after some sleep, so please don’t worry.”

He belatedly worried if he’d seemed suspicious, but Hwi nodded casually. Yoonso took a breath and looked around the room.

Unlike the previous inn, this room was small, with only one bed. In truth, the sleeping arrangements from the night before were a stroke of luck, and he’d likely have to endure worse in the future.

“You must be tired. Please rest.”

There was a long chair in one corner, too short to lie down fully but decent enough for sleeping. As Yoonso was rolling up his outer robe to use as a pillow, Hwi approached.

“Sleep on the bed.”

“What? Then what about you, my lord?”

“I don’t sleep much, so I don’t need it.”

Offering the bed to him was excessive for a servant. Yoonso furrowed his brow slightly and looked at Hwi, but there was no trace of sleepiness on his face.

“Do you sleep little, or can you not sleep?”

Hwi merely glanced at Yoonso without responding. Yoonso shrugged, laid the robe down, and stretched out on the chair.

“Even if you can’t sleep, lie on the bed. You’ll fall asleep eventually.”

Hwi ignored Yoonso’s suggestion, put out the candle, and sat in a nearby chair.

As the room grew completely dark, Yoonso let his troubled expression show. He couldn’t guarantee that something like today wouldn’t happen again. This time, it was fortunately unrelated to him, but next time…

Excessive worry wouldn’t help. Soothing his restless mind, he closed his eyes.

But perhaps because he’d been so on edge, he kept slipping into shallow sleep, waking repeatedly. Each time, he instinctively looked for Hwi, who sat in the same position, staring somewhere. He seemed lost in thought, almost troubled.

It appeared he suffered from insomnia. Feeling sorry for him, Yoonso let out a soft sigh, and Hwi’s gaze met his. Yoonso nodded slightly, as if urging him to sleep.

Hwi, who had been staring at Yoonso, stood and approached. He slowly reached out and placed his fingertips on Yoonso’s forehead, as if checking for a fever.

Then, a sudden wave of drowsiness crashed over Yoonso, and Hwi’s gaze didn’t waver until he closed his eyes again.

𓇢𓆸

“Did you manage to sleep a little?”

Hwi had been up and preparing to leave before Yoonso awoke, and Yoonso wondered if he’d slept at all. But Hwi only glanced at him without answering.

Despite the concern, Hwi’s posture on the horse was upright, his eyes clear. No matter how strong someone was, they couldn’t look this alert without sleep. Yoonso studied Hwi’s face, then raised his hand to shield his eyes from the piercing sunlight. The breeze was cool, but the sun was warm, signaling that spring had truly arrived.

Once the late spring chill passed, it would be full spring. Could they reach their destination before then? Resolving to move quickly without distractions, Yoonso spotted a small village at the end of the path.

As they reached the village’s entrance, they saw old, rundown houses that seemed poorly maintained. The place felt desolate, eerily quiet with no signs of life, and the few children standing idly near the houses looked gaunt, their faces thin and unhealthy.

“The atmosphere feels… strange.”

The only sound was the clopping of the horses’ hooves echoing quietly through the village. Hwi scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.

“This area’s been hit by a long drought.”

“If it’s like this because of the drought… does that mean they’ll starve until it rains? Doesn’t the state help?”

“When a drought persists, it’s usual to waive taxes and distribute grain for relief. But looking at this, someone’s clearly intercepted the aid.”

Yoonso couldn’t easily tear his eyes away from the emaciated children. It was hard to believe that someone would divert resources meant for people on the brink of starvation for personal gain.

“Can something like that just be taken?”

“It’s not just one petty thief at work.”

“Then… those higher up don’t know about this?”

“There are things you miss if you don’t see them firsthand.”

Hwi’s voice was icy, and Yoonso instinctively glanced at him. Having single-handedly dealt with bandits on the road and even smoked them out, Hwi didn’t seem to take this lightly. It was surprising, in a way, since it was often difficult for the privileged to care for those less fortunate.