Chapter 4

Here was someone who was not a Maru, yet could cool his blood just like one. Or perhaps he was a Maru whose mark was hidden somewhere other than his neck. Ye-hwi had never heard of a mark existing anywhere else, but this was the Kingdom of Ansi—the land where the first Marus had settled and their descendants thrived. In this place, the impossible might just be the reality.

​”So, what is your name?”

​”……”

​”Do you not have one?”

​”Hwi.”

​”Hwi?”

​”Yes. Hwi.”

​”That’s an unusual name. Well, I look forward to our time together, Hwi.”

​Hwi—a direct descendant of the first Mir and a prince of the Emperor, bearing the imperial surname Ye. Ye-hwi. Rarely did anyone address him by the name bestowed upon him at birth. In truth, the only people who ever spoke it aloud were his own kin, and their tone was invariably stiff and formal.

​As Hwi stood there, quietly studying Yoo-ha’s face—noticing the small, genuine flicker of joy as the boy spoke his name so softly, so affectionately—he found himself offering a small smile in return before he even realized it.

​”Likewise. I look forward to it… Master.”

​2. A Maru’s Essence Cools a Mir’s Heat

​Hwi followed closely behind Yoo-ha, surveying the estate they had entered. Judging by the boy’s threadbare clothing, Hwi had assumed he was the scion of a fallen house, but the grounds were larger and more imposing than he had anticipated.

​However, Hwi tilted his head in silent confusion as Yoo-ha bypassed the magnificent main residence. Instead, they slipped through a small side gate, continuing toward a remote corner of the property.

​He’s not entering the main house?

​He agreed to share a room with me. Is he breaking that promise before the sun has even set? If so, this will be no fun at all.

​The place they eventually reached was a dilapidated quarter.

​”Only Yong-rae, the nanny, and I live here in the annex,” Yoo-ha explained.

​Hwi scoffed inwardly as he surveyed the weathered, unsightly building. So he isn’t the descendant of a fallen family, but an outcast within his own. There is no other reason for him to be relegated to a ruin like this.

​”Nanny.”

​As they rounded the side of the annex, a row of cramped rooms came into view. When Yoo-ha slid open the door to one, a frail woman, clearly ravaged by illness, peeked out.

​”You don’t need to come out. It’s fine. I just wanted to introduce you to the person who will be helping us from now on. Hwi, say hello. Nanny, this is Hwi. He’ll be staying with us.”

​The woman offered Hwi a weak, trembling smile. She looked so ghastly that it would have been no surprise if she drew her last breath the very next day. Every movement seemed a struggle, as if she were enduring an indescribable pain inside.

​Despite Yoo-ha’s prompt to exchange greetings, Hwi remained motionless, staring down at the nanny in stony silence. When the woman glanced up at Yoo-ha in confusion, the boy gently spoke up on Hwi’s behalf.

​”Hwi is just a bit… shy around strangers.”

​”Ah… yes. It is a pleas— cough, cough.”

​As the nanny dissolved into a fit of dry, racking coughs, Yoo-ha supported her fragile frame, gently rubbing her back to soothe the tremors.

​”It isn’t contagious, so please don’t worry,” Yoo-ha said, looking at Hwi.

​The nanny frantically waved a hand in Hwi’s direction as she spoke, well aware that most people recoiled from a sickly woman in fear of catching their death. However, Hwi remained utterly silent, watching her as if she weren’t even worth a response.

​”Are you mute or something?! Someone is greeting you—why are you just standing there like a statue?”

​Unable to bite his tongue any longer, Yong-rae snapped, his voice rising in a sharp yell. Hwi, however, ignored him with blatant indifference. Infuriated by the total lack of regard, Yong-rae puffed out his chest, looking ready to charge, but Yoo-ha stepped in before he could move.

​”Yong-rae. He’s simply not used to this place yet. Have you forgotten how you scowled all day when you first arrived? I was so intimidated by you that I couldn’t even bring myself to ask for a cup of water. Remember?”

​”Come now, Young Master. Why bring up such an old story…?”

​Yong-rae scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, let out a huffed sigh, and fell silent.

​”Well then, now that the introductions are finished… Yong-rae, hand it over.”

​”Sir? Hand what over?”

​”Did you forget? The letter I asked you to retrieve from the market.”

​”Ah… about that…”

​Yong-rae had intended to head to the market early that morning, but the Madam of the main house had intercepted him, swamping him with chores. By the time he finally finished and reached the market, he had ended up preoccupied with bringing back this slave bastard. Even as he walked toward the stalls, he had reminded himself to complete Yoo-ha’s errand, but somehow, it had slipped his mind entirely.

​As Yong-rae bowed his head in dismay, loss for words, Yoo-ha watched him quietly, choosing not to press the matter.

​”Yong-rae, please prepare a meal for Nanny. Hwi and I will go and fetch the letter.”

​”I can run back right now and be quick about it—”

​”No, it’s fine. I’ll be back soon, so just stay and look after Nanny.”

​”…Yes, sir.”

​With that, Yoo-ha headed back toward the market, Hwi following close behind.

​Hwi strolled around, as if he were out on a mere excursion. His posture was perfectly straight, his chin held high, and his gaze remained sharp and clear, sweeping over his surroundings with the air of an overseer just watching the place. As they walked, Yoo-ha carefully studied Hwi’s demeanor. He had assumed he’d made a contract with a slave—given the man was wearing the correct garments near the auction block—but watching him now, a thought crossed Yoo-ha’s mind: this man might not be a slave at all.

​”Hwi, do you have any family here?”

​”No.”

​”Then where are they? Did something happen to them?”

​Hwi simply stared at Yoo-ha, offering no answer. Does he not want to talk about it? Yoo-ha, who had been on the verge of offering whatever help he could, fell silent instead.

​Given that he himself was still trapped living under the Seong family’s thumb, it was difficult to overstep and offer aid. Furthermore, there was no way the main house would ever pay Hwi’s wages. For someone who couldn’t even guarantee a monthly salary to offer help… the idea sounded ridiculous even to his own ears.

​”Please, help me… have mercy…”

​As they walked along the path, an old beggar called out to Yoo-ha. The man was a wretched sight, looking as though he had been surviving on nothing but dirt. Deep wrinkles were etched into a face where dust had accumulated so thickly it resembled black grime. A bony, trembling hand reached out toward Yoo-ha.

​”Just a single coin…”

​Hwi gazed down at the man, then scanned their surroundings. Every alley in the market was lined with beggars. This was the reality of the Kingdom of Ansi—a nation built on mineral resources rather than agriculture. With its narrow trade routes, the country was forced to rely heavily on aid from the Kingdom of Mir.

​Hwi glanced at Yoo-ha, who stood silently looking down at the old man. Despite his insignificant position within his own house, Yoo-ha was still a descendant of a reputable clan; surely, such a filthy beggar would make him uncomfortable.

​Regardless, I need to leave a mark for Geonseo.

​Hwi quickly lost interest in the beggar and let out a small, bored sigh. But then—

​”Wait a moment. Come this way…”

​Yoo-ha took the old beggar’s hand and helped him up, leading him toward the shelter of an alley. Mud, dust, and a sticky fluid of unknown origin smeared from the beggar’s skin onto Yoo-ha’s hand, but the young master inspected the old man’s condition as if the filth didn’t matter at all.

​”You have a granddaughter, don’t you?”

​”What? How do you…”

​”I saw you coming to the merchant guild to scavenge for food.”

​The old man’s eyes widened at Yoo-ha’s words. He suddenly bowed his head, his voice thick with gratitude.

​”Oh, no wonder you looked familiar! Thank you… thank you so much for your kindness back then.”

​”Where is your granddaughter now?”

​”…”

​The old man’s composure broke, and he began to weep. Having starved for days, he lacked the energy to cry aloud; he simply let a few silent tears fall, answering in a voice that sounded as though it might shatter at any moment.

​”She passed. That was as far as her luck ran. Still, at least she no longer has to beg…”

​The old man could not go on.

​”I heard she was being seen by a doctor. Did the treatment fail?”

​”No. She… she begged from someone she shouldn’t have. That was the end of it.”

​Hwi maintained an indifferent expression as the old man spoke of his granddaughter being beaten to death for the crime of begging as if it were a mundane affair. It reminded Hwi of his own kin—people connected by blood but colder than strangers. Theirs was a relationship where a relative’s misfortune was treated like a withered flower in a vase: if you didn’t care to look at it, you simply threw it away.

​Bored by a scene he had witnessed a thousand times before in the imperial court, Hwi stepped out of the alley and surveyed the market.

​After a short wait, Yoo-ha emerged from the shadows and began heading toward a specific destination. Hwi followed. They reached a small shop, where Yoo-ha spoke briefly with the owner before resuming his walk down the path.