YCHW Ch 37

Standing by the window, Yoonso watched the Yongrin moving so swiftly it was hard to follow. There were at least three of them. Typically, a Hwasichung was staffed by two Yongrin and one Yeongchunhwa, so these must have come from another region for support.

It was said Yongrin could move faster than horses, and it seemed true. If such people were after a single Yeongchunhwa, they’d surely succeed.

“Yeohyung.”

Lost in thought, Yoonso snapped back at Hwi’s voice. Leaning against the wall with his head tilted, Hwi was staring at him.

“I didn’t know you’d gotten so close. Quite a sight.”

He’d only called her yeohyung because she was older, not because they were particularly close. Was that worth calling a spectacle? Suppressing the question, Yoonso faced him with a deliberately cheeky expression.

“Are you jealous?”

“…What?”

“You’re the one who didn’t like being called hyung. The chance has passed, so no use regretting it.”

Hwi’s stunned silence was satisfying. Hiding a smile, Yoonso returned to his seat and sipped his tea slowly.

As time passed and the commotion outside subsided, Yoonso stood again to check the window. Priests were being led out of the shrine in ropes. Pushing through the onlookers, Kyungae and the other women ran toward the entrance. Soon, one of the children brought out by a Yongrin rushed into their arms.

The woman who’d desperately searched for the child with a portrait could now return home. Finding a clue by chance in a tavern was truly fortunate. Yoonso’s gaze settled on the dragon figure at the shrine’s roof ridge. Perhaps this entire process was ordained by the gods.

“We should leave now.”

With a faint smile, Yoonso turned from the window. As he packed his belongings, Hwi approached.

“Right away? Not even staying to receive their thanks?”

It’d be nice to exchange farewells, but they needed to hurry since they were already delayed. If the authorities called him to explain the situation, it’d be troublesome. He wanted to linger with them, but wouldn’t that just deepen his attachment?

“Yes. Now that we’ve confirmed it ended well, we should hurry.”

Hwi’s hand rested on Yoonso’s head. Startled by the sudden touch, Yoonso’s eyes widened as Hwi patted his head and turned away. Was it praise or comfort? Dazed, Yoonso touched his hair and finished packing.

Leaving the inn, they took the horses from the stablehand. Stroking the glossy mane of the well-rested, well-fed horse, Yoonso secured his luggage when the sound of hooves striking the ground came from behind.

Turning at the sound of someone riding up, Yoonso’s eyes widened. It was the mute man from the guild hall, approaching quickly.

“What’s the matter…”

“Deokyoon!”

At that moment, Kyungae called from the opposite direction. Turning, Yoonso greeted the approaching women.

“You were going to leave without saying goodbye?”

“I’m sorry. It’s time to go.”

“How can you do that? You should at least give us a chance to repay you!”

“It was just luck, so you don’t have to…”

Trying to soothe Kyungae’s insistence, Yoonso glanced at Hwi and froze at his serious demeanor. Hwi held a small piece of paper, his expression dark as he looked at it. Crumpling the paper, he turned to Yoonso.

“Yoon.”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

“I have urgent business to attend to.”

“Oh… Alright, I’ll be fine.”

The delay due to Yoonso’s insistence on seeing the outcome wouldn’t change much with a bit more time. He nodded lightly, but Hwi gripped his shoulder with a stern face.

“You stay here and wait.”

“…What? What do you mean, I…”

“I can’t take you with me.”

Hwi’s tone, sharp as a blade, left Yoonso blinking blankly, looking between Hwi and the guild hall man. He understood that as an outsider to the guild and not agile, he couldn’t be taken in an urgent situation. But understanding didn’t make it easy to accept. He couldn’t part with Hwi so emptily.

“Sir, I…”

“Three days.”

“…”

“I’ll be back in three days. I promise.”

Three days. Just three days. A short time, just three nights, but his heart raced with unease. Still, with Hwi making a promise, Yoonso couldn’t protest further.

“That works out. Since it’s come to this, we’ll take care of Deokyoon to repay our debt.”

As Yoonso hesitated like a fool, Kyungae stepped beside him. Hwi glanced briefly at her, then looked back at Yoonso as if confirming. Reluctantly, Yoonso nodded.

“Our village is twenty li east of here. If it’s hard to find, visit the teahouse in Suhyang.”

“…Yes, sir. I’ll stay put, so don’t worry and come back.”

His voice trembled slightly, so Yoonso forced a wide smile. He didn’t want to burden Hwi’s journey, but only he didn’t realize his expression grew more forlorn.

Hwi opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it without a word. He lightly brushed Yoonso’s hair with his fingertips and turned away.

Hwi mounted his horse decisively and spurred it forward. With the guild hall man, he rode off swiftly without looking back.

Only when Hwi’s figure became a tiny speck did Yoonso grimace and let out a long sigh.

He couldn’t pinpoint the source of the wild unease in his heart. He could only blindly trust Hwi.

5. Hoemok

The village Kyungae led him to was nestled near a mountain valley, with mulberry fields along the slopes creating a stunning sight. Among the lush green leaves, white, round cocoons rested on branches, fascinating Yoonso. Kyungae explained they were cocoons, and upon hearing they became silk, Yoonso marveled like a child.

“Does everyone in the village raise silkworms?”

“Yes. The berries are used for medicine or sold, and we also make wine from them.”

“So you run the teahouse and raise silkworms? You must be very busy.”

“The teahouse isn’t really work.”

Kyungae replied briefly and led Yoonso to an empty house. Shaded by a zelkova tree, the breeze felt refreshingly cool.

“Stay here in the *donggak. It’s used for discussions or drinking gatherings, so it’s usually empty and shouldn’t be uncomfortable.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry for imposing like this.”

“Imposing? If we had the means, we’d shower you with gold and jewels.”

Her tone was gruff, but Kyungae’s eyes were warm and kind. Feeling like he’d gained a good yeohyung, Yoonso’s smile softened.

“You refused and seemed uncomfortable, so I didn’t introduce you, but everyone in the village is grateful to you. Stay comfortably while you’re here. Tell us if you need anything.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“It’s fine if we have a drinking party, right? You’ve come this far, so you should try the mulberry wine.”

“I’d be grateful for that.”

Soon, the large round table in the donggak was laden with a feast. Yoonso’s eyes widened, waving his hands at each dish, but Kyungae’s determination to show the village’s hospitality left barely any space on the table.

Kyungae, Eunkang, Hyunsong, and Hyungseo sat with Yoonso. Hyungseo called him hyung repeatedly, following him around, and his adorable demeanor made Yoonso want to pinch his soft cheeks.

Fragrant, dark red wine filled their cups. Excluding young Hyungseo, the four clinked glasses and downed the wine in one go. Its rich, smooth flavor drew Yoonso’s praise as he asked.

“Did you hear why the shrine was kidnapping children?”

“Hah, it all comes down to money, doesn’t it? They scare the kids, saying their families sold them for debts, threatening that returning would mean death for their kin. Then they use them cheaply and sell them off as shrine children serving the gods. It’s a mess of money and misery.”

That it was really for such a reason didn’t even warrant a sigh. In a world where people skip meals to pray for rain, a shrine trading children was unthinkable. They deserved harsh punishment to prevent this from happening again.