Chapter 15

​Hwi stood on the narrow wooden space, stretching his limbs as he inhaled the crisp morning air.

​Back in the Mir Kingdom, he had been suppressing his madness with pills manufactured by the imperial physicians, but even that remedy was reaching its limit. The medicine they presented each year grew increasingly potent, and one of the side effects of such a strong concoction was the inability to sleep deeply or for any significant length of time.

​It hadn’t always been this way. There was a time when a single pill would make him feel light for a week. But after years of use, he had built up a staggering tolerance; now, even medicine so concentrated it was practically poison had little effect.

​Despite the heavy dosages, the madness remained unsuppressed, leaving his entire body burning with heat. It felt like being wrapped in layers of explosives on the verge of detonation. Yet now, for the first time in years, he could sleep soundly without those agonizing sensations.

​“I want to sleep more; playing at being a servant is exhausting.”

​With long strides, Hwi crossed the wasteland of the annex garden and headed toward the main house.

​Haa, how tedious.

​Hwi let out a long, loud yawn as he watched the servants and merchants scurrying about the main courtyard. When in the world is that merchant going to arrive?

​“Aren’t you the servant from the annex?”

​A voice tinged with displeasure drifted from behind him. When Hwi didn’t answer—remaining perfectly still with his arms crossed—the owner of the voice spoke again, his volume rising.

​“I’m talking to you! You! You’re the man working at the annex, aren’t you?”

​“And?”

​“’And?’ ‘And?!’ Listen to this bastard! Do you have any idea who I am? How dare you speak to me like that!”

​It was the head butler who managed the Seong estate. Not knowing him—and not particularly caring to—Hwi furrowed his brow in annoyance. Should I know him?

​For a moment, Hwi’s patience wore thin, but he managed to swallow the sharp words that were about to burst from his mouth.

​“Who gave you permission to be here? Was it the young master of the annex?”

​Hwi didn’t bother to answer. He simply shifted his gaze toward the merchants, figuring that since they were all technically servants of the Seong family, it shouldn’t matter where he stood. This silence, however, sent the butler into a mounting rage, his face turning a vivid shade of red.

​“You dare ignore me! I am speaking to you! You’re lurking here to steal something, aren’t you? Get out of my sight this instant!”

​“You’re too loud,” Hwi remarked flatly.

​At the sight of the butler flying into a hysterics over him simply standing there, the corner of Hwi’s mouth twitched with irritation. He spared a brief, meaningful glance at a small stone resting on the ground behind the man.

​“What? What did you say?! Too loud? Someone, seize this man at once—Argh!”

​The butler, who had been in the middle of yelling, was suddenly struck on the back of the head by a stone flying from thin air. He toppled forward with a grunt. Hearing the cry, a nearby servant came running.

​“Butler! What happened?”

​“My head… my head! Some bastard threw a stone at me!”

​“A stone?”

​The servant looked in the direction the butler pointed, but saw nothing but the private pond the family head tended himself. There wasn’t a soul in sight.

​“Over there! It flew from over there! Go and catch them!”

​“But sir, there is no one there…”

​“Are you calling me a liar?!”

​It was a blatant absurdity, yet seeing the blood trickling down the back of the butler’s head, the servant kept his mouth shut. He signaled to another worker nearby.

​“You, over there! Head toward the pond and bring back everyone you find. I must help the butler to his quarters. And you! Go fetch the physician!”

​Hwi, satisfied with the silence that followed the butler’s departure, tilted his head from side to side to work out the stiffness in his neck. He was just beginning to yawn when someone approached.

​“Excuse me… you’re the one who came with him the other day, right?”

​Hwi looked down at the man who had spoken in a hushed, cautious tone. Recognizing the clerk from the market shop, Hwi gave a sharp nod.

​“Here. This is the order.”

​The clerk scanned the courtyard to ensure no eyes were on them, pressed a small basket into Hwi’s hands, and vanished into the crowd. Hwi took the goods and headed straight back to the annex.

​“What is this? Did you steal it?”

​Yong-rae peered into the basket Hwi had tossed down in front of him. When he saw the high-quality charcoal packed inside, he lowered his voice to a fearful whisper.

​“No,” Hwi replied.

​“Then how? Where did you get charcoal of this grade…?”

​“I procured it, so see that it’s placed in Nanny’s room.”

​It wasn’t Hwi who answered, but Yoo-ha. He had pushed open his window and was leaning out, watching them.

​“If Nanny asks where it came from, tell her Father sent it specifically for Grandmother’s birthday,” Yoo-ha continued.

​“But Young Master, if the Master finds out…”

​“Do not worry about that.”

​“…Yes, sir.”

​Yong-rae looked at Yoo-ha with visible concern, as if worried his master was taking too great a risk. Nevertheless, he took the basket and hurried toward the kitchen. Once he was gone, Yoo-ha beckoned to Hwi.

​“Hwi. Come inside.”

​It was a meager amount—just three or four pieces of charcoal sourced from the outside—so Hwi found their agitation baffling. Even accounting for the fact that Hwi had been raised within the Imperial Palace and knew little of common life, Yoo-ha and Yong-rae’s behavior felt extreme. Did the prohibition against outside goods truly extend to such trivialities?

​“Come here and sit.”

​Hwi approached and sat beside him as instructed. Yoo-ha pulled a small table over from the corner and offered him a modest bowl resting upon it.

​Inside were two pieces of sagwatang—apple compote. It was a delicacy made by simmering apples in honey, cinnamon, and ginger. Hwi had tasted it a few times during his childhood, though it had always been far too cloying for his palate.

​“This is your share.”

​“My share?”

​“Today is Grandmother’s birthday. In honor of the occasion, she specially distributed this precious treat to everyone.”

​“This…?”

​This tiny amount? Hwi swallowed the rest of the thought before it could escape.

​“I have already given Yong-rae and Nanny their portions, so this is yours.”

​Since it was the birthday of the family head’s mother—Yoo-ha’s grandmother—it appeared she had sent a bowl of the compote to each of her grandchildren. Judging by Yoo-ha’s claim that this was Hwi’s “share,” a full serving likely consisted of eight pieces. That Yoo-ha would divide such a meager thing among his servants suggested that even this lackluster compote was a luxury in the annex. As always, Yoo-ha shared what little he had.

​Hwi didn’t particularly care to eat it, but moved by Yoo-ha’s thoughtfulness, he picked up a piece and popped it into his mouth. First came a hit of sweetness, followed by the sharp bite of cinnamon and ginger. Finally, the mellow sugar of the apple trailed off at the end. It wasn’t terrible, but the honey was spread too thin; the pungent taste of ginger lingered on the tip of his tongue far too long.

​“They should have used more honey,” Hwi remarked.

​“Wait, what?”

​“The true charm of apple compote lies in the aftertaste, when the honey’s sweetness and the cinnamon’s warmth rise together. Here, the ginger overpowers everything else.”

​When Yoo-ha looked at him with a puzzled expression, Hwi picked up the remaining piece of apple and brought it to Yoo-ha’s lips.

​“Try it.”

​Yoo-ha looked flustered, his eyes darting to the fruit held between Hwi’s fingers. After a moment of hesitation, he opened his red, plump lips to accept the offering. Not since his mother’s passing in his childhood had someone fed him in such a manner.

​It was startling, yet not entirely unpleasant. Is Hwi… accustomed to such intimacy? Yoo-ha wondered.

​As he chewed, Yoo-ha realized the compote tasted much sweeter than the batch he had eaten the year before. Is this truly not how it is supposed to taste? He slowly lifted his gaze to meet Hwi’s.