YCHW Ch 9

If only he were not a fugitive, he would have explored every nook and cranny and recorded the scenery of this place……. Yoonso asked, clutching the hem of his clothes as if to suppress the rising feeling of regret.

“Are you planning to rest for a while?”

“We will stay the night at an inn.”

“Yes? But if we do that……. won’t we be delayed when we have such a long way to go?”

“It is best to avoid traveling at night. We will leave the carriage behind, so our mobility will improve. That is, if you are truly a fast learner.”

Although a carriage was more comfortable, if they traveled by horse, they would be able to depart promptly, just as he said. In fact, he had planned to spend a large portion of the money he had on renting a horse, but it seemed he could save a considerable amount on travel expenses by accompanying Hwi.

“Yes, I will learn with all my heart.”

When he answered diligently with shining eyes, Hwi gave Yoonso an indifferent glance and then moved his long legs with large strides. Yoonso quickly followed behind him to avoid getting lost in the crowded place.

Hwi’s steps were unhesitating, as if he frequently visited this place for his guild’s business. While following Hwi, Yoonso did not miss the chance to busily look around, his eyes rolling with curiosity.

After walking for a while, the number of passersby increased. Strangely, while Yoonso was being jostled this way and that, Hwi moved comfortably without bumping into anyone, as if he were walking through a part in people’s hair.

He appeared to be well over six feet tall, and indeed his head was higher than those of other people. Yoonso found himself scanning Hwi’s broad shoulders and wide back, then walked closely behind him, using him as a shield.

Before long, the noise from the street grew even louder. As soon as he peeked his head out from behind Hwi’s body, red lanterns came into view. Yoonso took another step out and stared blankly at the scene unfolding before his eyes.

“Wow…….”

Red lanterns were strung along the shops in a long line. The twilight still lingered, and when the faintly dark night sky met the countless lanterns, it created a gentle atmosphere. Below, crowds of people were selling, buying, hawking, and haggling over their respective goods, painting a picture of daily life.

Without realizing his steps had halted, Yoonso stared at the dreamlike sight, not even thinking of moving. It was a picture he had only seen in art books since his eighth birthday. However, even the art books, said to be drawn by the most skilled artists, could not capture such lively movement.

Someone bumped into Yoonso’s shoulder as they passed, and his vision wavered. He bowed his head in apology, and when he raised it, a merchant selling various kinds of candied fruit piled on a cart caught his eye.

The candied fruits, glazed with honey, looked glossy and sweet, and upon discovering them, Yoonso flinched. His chest heaved with anxiety, and he tensed up, taking a deep breath, but he could not smell any scent from himself.

What flowed into his nostrils was not the fresh scent of grass, but merely the faint smell of meat wafting from somewhere. Yoonso buried his nose in his forearm and sniffed several times, and only after feeling the quiet protective energy within him did he let out a sigh of relief.

His protective energy would not escape on its own as it did on that day when he was eight.

A Yeongchunhwa scatters its fragrance twice: during the ‘germination’ period when the protective energy first manifests, and during the ‘blossoming’ period when one can use that protective energy at will. However, Yoonso had barely managed to hold onto the protective energy that was rampaging and trying to escape from his body during his blossoming period, and thanks to that, he was able to avoid entering the palace before he came of age.

A Yeongchunhwa who could hide his blossoming was unprecedented. It was possible that history had concealed it, but if it were indeed true, it was proof that Yoonso’s power was exceptional.

Yes, that must be why they called him a talent. The Son of Heaven wouldn’t speak empty words.

Yoonso admonished himself with a bitter smile. As long as he controlled his protective energy well, there was no way it would scatter its fragrance on its own.

Once his tension eased, saliva pooled under his tongue. Come to think of it, he had not eaten anything on the way here. He had starved for nearly two full days, so his stomach was churning, demanding something. Yoonso swallowed hard and looked over the neatly piled candied fruits.

Is that a wild grape? That one looks like a plum. Ah, that one is…….

“Do you want to eat that?”

Amidst the bustling noise, a low voice came through clearly to his ear. Startled by the sudden presence, Yoonso flinched his shoulders and turned his head. Hwi had come to his side at some point.

“Ah, I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment…….”

“What is it you want to eat.”

Hwi’s gaze lightly swept over the cart. Yoonso needlessly fidgeted with the hem of his clothes with his fingertips, recalling the emergency funds in his money pouch.

He had given eighty percent of the money he earned from transcription and the valuables he possessed to Yeondeok. With that money, he would be able to live well without seeking help from the So family. What was given to Yoonso was the remaining twenty percent. It was a tight budget for not only travel expenses but also for settling down after crossing over to Araksa, so he could not spend money in vain.

“No, sir. I was just looking.”

He was belatedly embarrassed that someone had seen him staring blankly at the candied fruit like a starving child, but he forced a smile and shrugged his shoulders. Hwi glanced at Yoonso’s face, then took some money out from his robes and handed it to the merchant.

“One of each kind.”

“Thank you, my lord!”

The merchant, overjoyed, took the money and began to wrap the candied fruits one by one in thick paper. Yoonso, with his eyes wide, grabbed Hwi’s forearm. At that, Hwi’s gaze fell upon it.

“I am fine, sir.”

“What do you mean, fine. You were drooling, desperate to eat.”

Yoonso quickly wiped his mouth with his hand, but there was nothing there. Hwi scoffed through his nose and placed the candied fruits, which the merchant had packed full with every flavor, into Yoonso’s arms. Yoonso, who had taken the candied fruits in a daze, felt a mix of emotions and his lips parted.

“The face of a servant is the face of his master.”

As he hesitated, unable to eat readily, Hwi’s voice fell from above his head. At a glance, it was an indifferent and cold voice, but his actions were not. While talking about the master’s face, wasn’t he, on the contrary, saving his face?

Yoonso raised his eyes to meet Hwi’s. Judging by his appearance alone, he seemed like a very cold person, but perhaps he was a warmer person than he had guessed. Meeting this man on his path of escape might be a once in a lifetime stroke of luck for him.

“Thank you. Since you bought them for me, I will eat them well.”

He bowed his head deeply, then raised it, opened the well-wrapped paper, and picked up a candied fruit that looked sweet. He was about to put it in his mouth, but he glanced at Hwi, then hesitated and held the candied fruit out towards him.

“You, you should have some first.”

Just as he was guessing that Hwi probably would not eat such food sold on the market floor, Hwi slowly lowered his head. His light red lips parted and took the small candied fruit. The lips that closed soon after brushed against Yoonso’s fingertips as they moved away.

Yoonso curled his fingers as if to hide them and concealed his surprise. His fingertips somehow felt warmly flushed, and for no reason, he had to clench and unclench his fist tightly.

“How, how is it?”

He stuttered foolishly and let out a dry cough, while Hwi slowly chewed the candied fruit, then finally furrowed one of his brows.

“Sweet.”

It seemed it was not to his taste. But the comment that it was sweet only raised his expectations. Yoonso picked up a candied wild grape and put it in his mouth.

“Ah…….”

The sweet shell covering the wild grape broke, and then the sour juice wet his tongue. It was sour yet sweet, not leaning to one side, and was incredibly delicious.

“It tastes really good!”

It was not his first time eating candied fruit. Sometimes, Yeondeok would buy food from outside and bring it to him. But eating it directly on the street like this and eating it while confined in a house that was like a prison were worlds apart.

As he was lost in the welling emotion with sparkling eyes, he clearly felt the trajectory of a gaze traveling from his eyes, down his nose, and to his lips. Thinking something might be on his mouth, he wiped his mouth, but it was just sticky, nothing else.

“Eat as we go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Filling his stomach with something sweet improved his mood, and the thoughts lurking in a corner of his mind scattered in an instant. Yoonso followed behind Hwi with light footsteps, trotting along.

By the time they reached the center of the market street, people were gathered and surrounding one spot. There were especially many children, and curious as to what it was, he checked the forefront of the crowd and saw the small shadow of a person moving behind a white cloth.

A shadow play! Yoonso’s eyes became as brilliant as when he first ate the candied fruit. The shadow play, said to be held often at the night market, was one of the things he had always wanted to see. If he had been given enough time, he would have watched it from beginning to end…….

Suppressing his regret, he was about to hurry his steps when his eyes met Hwi’s. Hwi raised his left eyebrow slightly and asked.

“Do you want to see it?”

“No, sir. It is just that people were gathered……. Let us go quickly.”

Hwi glanced back and forth between the performance screen and Yoonso, then gave a nod.

“It has been a while for me as well with things like that.”

Then, he grabbed Yoonso’s shoulder and headed towards the seating area, and Yoonso had no choice but to be dragged along.