Vol 1 Chapter 3 – Peony Blossom Part 5

For some reason, the boy’s hand felt unusually large that night. Woo found it a quiet relief. Perhaps his delayed growth had finally begun. Comforted by the thought, he let out a soft breath and slipped back into sleep.

It was a good dream. Or at least, Woo believed so.

Caught in Woo’s grasp, Kang Oh couldn’t bring himself to move. Every time he tried to gently lower the hand, Woo stirred. In truth, Woo had always been sensitive by nature. Even when sleeping on the finest silk bedding, he would often wake in the middle of the night. But now that he had lost most of his martial strength, his ability to sense nearby presence had dulled, which was the only reason he hadn’t fully awakened when Kang Oh opened the window.

Even so, the reflexes ingrained in his body remained. Whenever Kang Oh tried to slip away from the skin-to-skin contact, Woo would react instinctively, his body shifting as if on cue.

With Woo still holding his hand, Kang Oh remained slightly hunched over as he greeted the break of dawn. He couldn’t move or do anything else, yet strangely, he didn’t feel bored. Watching the shadows fall across Woo’s face, then slowly withdraw, turned out to be more absorbing than he expected.

Thankfully, it seemed that night had granted Woo a fair and restful sleep. Seeing someone who always looked so weary by day finally resting with an easy expression brought quiet comfort. Kang Oh gazed at that face without end, eyes fixed on it until the night was fully gone.

By the time the servants began to stir, Kang Oh slowly eased himself free. When Woo’s hand flinched in response, he gently pressed the edge of the rolled blanket into his grasp before quietly slipping out.

The pale morning light had already begun to rise. Just before closing the door, Kang Oh looked back one last time at Woo’s sleeping face. His eyes kept drifting to the hand holding the blanket he had left behind. Something warm and restless stirred in his chest.

Even without a single hour of sleep, Kang Oh’s steps felt strangely light as he made his way back to his room.

—

“Ah.”

Woo rose from his spot, stirred by the tickling sensation of sunlight brushing against his cheek. He felt as though he had slept more deeply than usual. It almost seemed like he had dreamt of his younger days with Kang Oh.

He began folding the blanket, then raised his head absentmindedly. Something felt different. His gaze landed on the ink-black basin by the window.

“A blue-sky peony…?”

Like discovering a word he’d never seen in one of his favorite books, Woo murmured slowly, syllable by syllable.

It was unmistakably the peony that only bloomed in Ilwondang.

The celadon-colored peony, bathed in the gentle glow of morning light, possessed an aura of mystery. Each petal was so lush and elegant, so brimming with beauty, that even Woo, who had once tried to capture every beautiful thing with brush and ink, couldn’t help but marvel.

The celadon peony had once been the symbol of the Mo Yong Clan and was said to bloom only in the ancestral estate in Liaoning. After the Mo Yong Clan was annihilated by Hyeolgyo, the flower vanished as well. It was said that the Lord of Heukcheon had searched far and wide to find its seeds for his first disciple, and now, Heukcheon was the only place where this rare flower still bloomed.

But why was it here?

He was certain he hadn’t seen it before going to sleep. There was no way Yeonjin had come in while he was asleep. Woo was a light sleeper, and even with his core now completely emptied, Woo could still sense the presence of a servant who didn’t practice martial arts.

Then it must’ve been Kang Oh?

He had turned down Kang Oh’s offer to take him to see the flowers, and now felt a touch of unease. He had never treated him kindly. Ever since they first met, all he had done was push him away. And yet, Kang Oh kept approaching, step by step, closing the distance between them. Woo had no idea how to create space between them. Continuing to accept a kindness he could never repay… that in itself felt cruel.

And yet, a faint warmth stirred in the corner of his chest. It was the same gentle warmth he’d felt in the dream last night.

Kang Oh had always unsettled him far too easily.

His principles, his feelings.

It had been that way for a very long time.

What’s a single peony, anyway…

Even ten years ago, Kang Oh would pick whatever flower he found beautiful and offer it to him.

Those memories should have been sealed away by Yae Jinrang’s sorcery. There was no reason they would remain. And yet, it seemed even that couldn’t seal away the warmth Kang Oh had shown him. What bothered him now was that such affection was directed at someone who was little more than a servant.

There was no way the memory seal Yae Jinrang had cast would break. So why did he feel this uneasy?

The celadon-colored peony, blooming in elegant stillness atop the basin, knew nothing of Woo’s unrest. As he gently stroked its soft petals, he forced himself to swallow down his worries.

He had been staring at the peony for a while when Yeonjin arrived with breakfast.

“You’re awake. I brought you something to eat.”

“Would it be alright if I waited a bit before eating?”

As Woo reached for his outer robe, Yeonjin tilted her head, puzzled, but still answered.

“That’s fine, but the food will get cold.”

“I was thinking of taking a walk.”

Yeonjin didn’t stop him. Her silence served as quiet permission. With that unspoken approval, Woo slowly stepped out of the room.

It was the first time Woo had left his quarters without being summoned. What even he hadn’t expected was that his reason for doing so would be Kang Oh.

He knew more or less where Kang Oh would be at any given time. Heedowon moved entirely around him. Simply observing the servants going about their tasks was enough to piece together his daily routine.

Around this hour, Kang Oh usually took a short walk before heading to the training grounds. Woo had timed his steps to match that.

Woo stepped into the courtyard. When he saw Kang Oh approaching from afar, tension crept into his body.

He had come out because he wanted to thank him. But was it really alright to do so?

“Out for a walk?”

It was Kang Oh who spoke first.

“Yes.”

The two walked in silence. Kang Oh had strode right up to him, but then adjusted his pace to match Woo’s. Woo had intended to offer his thanks, but now that he was here, he didn’t know where to begin and kept his mouth shut. Kang Oh, on the other hand, couldn’t help the jolt in his chest. Woo, who had never once stepped outside, was suddenly standing here beside him. Could it really be because of the peony?

New pale green shoots, damp with morning dew, swayed gently with the breeze. The flower, perhaps chilled by the cool night, remained slightly closed. But its fragrance, richer than usual with moisture, lingered in the air and made passersby slow their steps. The birdsong of morning was as clear as the air itself, brushing softly against the ears.

Woo swept aside a strand of hair that had fallen in the wind, and in doing so, noticed the gaze of the one walking beside him.

Kang Oh glanced at him, then turned his head away as if nothing had happened. He acted like they were simply out for a quiet walk, but there was a trace of curiosity in his eyes, as if wondering whether Woo had liked the peony. But he didn’t ask. He only watched his face.

Woo hurried to stifle the laugh that almost escaped. He was used to seeing Kang Oh like this, cautiously watching for a reaction. He had been the same as a child. He would pick a pretty wildflower from somewhere and quietly leave it for him, then wonder what Woo thought of it. Never once asking directly, just brooding over it alone while watching his face. Woo had once thought that boy had grown into someone much more reserved, but at his core, nothing had really changed.

By the time Kang Oh looked like he might combust from nervous anticipation, Woo would finally give in and say the flower was lovely. He had always liked seeing that bright smile bloom on the boy’s face, as if the weight of the world had suddenly been lifted. That smile had always been more radiant and beautiful than any flower Kang Oh had ever brought him.

Like golden grains of sand warmed by the midday sun, those days had slipped through his fingers.

“The one who placed the peony there… it was the Third Disciple, wasn’t it?”

Woo asked, though he already knew the answer. Kang Oh paused for a moment before replying.

“Yes. I left it there. Did you… not like it?”

“N-no. I came to thank Third Disciple for the kind gesture.”

“I see. That’s a relief.”

Kang Oh murmured, fingers brushing the corner of his lips. Woo couldn’t quite see his expression with his hand in the way. Just as he was beginning to feel a little disappointed, Kang Oh lowered his hand. A smile bloomed on his face, more radiant than any peony.

Just like long ago, Kang Oh still knew how to smile more beautifully than any flower he brought.

“Ah…”

Woo’s voice trembled faintly at the sight of Kang Oh’s honest joy. That face, usually so blunt and stoic, softened into a smile, and just looking at it was enough to make him melt. It was beautiful in a way that felt helpless and unguarded.

Though the memories belonged to the past, he now fully realized how far removed he was from them. Kang Oh was no longer just a boy. He had grown into an adult.

“Would it be alright if I occasionally left a flower by your window?”

“N-no. There’s no need to go through the trouble. I was simply… grateful. That’s why…”

Woo shook his head and mumbled the words. He sounded like someone who wasn’t sure what to say or how to say it.

Even in something as simple as offering thanks, Woo stumbled awkwardly, like a child struggling to speak. Kang Oh felt a strange sense of unease. Even in something as simple as saying thank you, Woo twisted his words like a turtle retreating into its shell. It wasn’t like him. This wasn’t the same as Yae Jinrang’s fickle moods either. It felt more like something buried deep was slipping out in quiet, unintended ways.

Beneath Kang Oh’s calm expression, something else was quietly building. No one had seen it, but it had been there all along, filling that strong frame in silence.

“If you’re truly grateful for the gesture, then perhaps it’s time you stopped sleeping on the floor.”

Woo froze. If Kang Oh had come to place the flower, then he must have seen him sleeping on the floor as well. That realization struck him like a blow. Clutching tightly at his robes, Woo murmured,

“It’s too much for someone like me.”

“You refuse everything. You don’t want silk bedding. You don’t want new clothes. You don’t want a larger room either.”

Though his words sounded like a quiet rebuke of Woo’s refusal of everything, there was still a faint smile lingering on Kang Oh’s lips.

“You’re thanking me… just for a single flower.”

Woo flinched.

To him, even the smallest kindness felt undeserved. How could he possibly want anything more, when he had already once possessed everything? There was nothing among the wealth and splendor of the Central Plains that he had not already experienced. He had once stood at the very peak of the righteous Murim. And that wasn’t all. His mother had been of royal blood, his father the Lord of Baekragung. Even his maternal uncle, the current emperor, had cared for him enough to summon him to the palace from time to time.

That was why everything he ate or wore now felt like sin. It felt like theft, taking what was not his and unknowingly consuming what belonged to someone else. To a sinner, even silk bedding felt like another form of punishment.

What truly comforted him was the modest blanket Kang Oh had given him. What he treasured more was the celadon-colored peony Kang Oh had picked for him.

“N-no. Even if the gift is precious, it’s only because I’m ignorant and unworthy that I fail to appreciate it properly.”

“It’s because you don’t even try to grow accustomed to it. Most people naturally seek comfort when they can. But you… you turn away from that kind of desire completely. If you were truly ignorant, you would have surrendered yourself to the sudden luxury.”

A cold sweat broke across Woo’s back at Kang Oh’s insight.

“O-overstepping one’s place only invites misfortune.”

Woo fumbled for an excuse, but Kang Oh’s eyes only narrowed. Woo kept a close eye on his expression, but Kang Oh waved his hand, dismissing it.

“Enough. There’s no winning against you.”

“T-that wasn’t my intention.”

Woo turned pale and hastily waved his hands in protest. He hadn’t expected Kang Oh to take it that way.

He had tried to present himself as meek and agreeable, but now he wondered if it was this very stubbornness that kept drawing Kang Oh’s attention.

“Let me make one thing clear. There is nothing among the things I’ve given you that is excessive. Everything was chosen to suit your level, and I’ll make sure you can continue to enjoy them for the rest of your life.”

“Th-Third Disciple, surely there’s no reason for that…”

Woo started to protest, but Kang Oh cut him off.

“You do know, don’t you, that it’s rare for me to show interest in anyone?”

“Y-yes…”

It wasn’t just rare. It was nearly unheard of.

“You’re on my mind.”

Kang Oh enunciated each word clearly, as if afraid Woo might misunderstand. Woo couldn’t bring himself to meet that gaze directly, but he couldn’t look away either. He lowered his head halfway.

“If you were a martial artist, I would have placed you in the Honamdan. But your status and circumstances are unique, so I’ve kept you by my side. I haven’t decided on the form it should take yet, but I will take full responsibility. You don’t need to fear what you’re being given now.”

If those words had come from a complete stranger, and if Woo truly had been nothing more than a servant loathed by the Lord of Heukcheon, they would have felt deeply reassuring.

“I…” Woo started to speak, but the words felt heavy in his throat.

But Kang Oh stopped him.

“You’re just going to refuse again, aren’t you?”

“…”

Kang Oh had guessed right. Woo had been about to tell him there was no need for any of this.

“So for now, I won’t hear your answer. Consider how heavy it is for the Third Disciple of Heukcheon to say he will take responsibility. Then you may respond.”

“…I understand.”

When Woo slowly gave his answer, saying he would think it over, a faint smile touched Kang Oh’s face again. It was a smile that suited Heedowon, where the flowers were in full bloom.

In the past, Woo might have reached out and brushed his cheek. But now, he could only suppress the twitch of his hand.

There was nothing good in forcing together a bond that had already come apart on its own.