Chapter 2

Upon the flower seller’s carrying pole,

I bought one branch of spring, ready to bloom.

— Li Qingzhao, Jianzi Mulan Hua.

******

A rough wind blew across the silent archery ground.

Flap!

The strong gust violently shook the banners erected across the range. Piercing the fluttering, wailing sound of the flags, an arrow flew. It pierced the fierce wind and lodged itself precisely in the center of the target.

Twaang!

There was not a single attendant near the target to report the hit. He could only gauge the success of his shot by the sound alone, heard from a distance.

The hand that reached for the quiver at his hip simply swept through the air. Yeon-oh, stopping the hand that searched the void, looked back at his quiver.

“Ah…”

The arrows prepared for six rounds were already exhausted. Feeling embarrassed by the gesture of sweeping his hand through empty air, Yeon-oh let out a laugh and walked toward the target.

His hands, as he systematically retrieved the arrows embedded in the target, were precise and proper.

Whoosh.

His long hair, tied up at the crown, scattered wildly in the rough wind.

“Perhaps it will rain.”

The sky was clear, but the wind was unusually strong today. Just as he was holding out his hand to check if raindrops were falling,

Flutter.

A length of vibrant violet silk was carried in on a squall.

Involuntarily, Yeon-oh reached out and snatched the silk ribbon before it could fly into the sky. The deep indigo-tinged violet was a color rarely seen.

By its color alone, the ribbon was precious, and it was further adorned with delicate embroidery in gold and silver thread.

‘Imperial relative?’

A crooked smile appeared on Yeon-oh’s lips as he read the characters written on the ribbon, which was the width of two fingers.

滾滾, 衰衰 Gon-gon, Gon-gon.

The first Gon-gon spoke of ‘great waters flowing endlessly,’ and the second Gon-gon implied ‘limitless in number and without end.’

It was a slightly peculiar phrase.

Viewed a certain way, it read like ‘Much, much, much, much.’

‘Is he a greedy person?’

Yeon-oh intended to ponder the solemn nature of the Imperial Family but instead chuckled at the somewhat juvenile script on the silk ribbon. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The harsh wind tousled Yeon-oh’s hair as he walked back toward the firing line.

Just then, a low voice echoed.

“Young Master.”

As he turned his face toward the sound, his hair scattered chaotically in the wind. His vision was blurred by the strands fluttering before his eyes.

“That silk ribbon, it belongs to me.”

Through his obstructed view, he saw a man standing silhouetted against the sunset.

The man was tall. Yeon-oh, a member of the Gyo Clan, was considered tall for a man himself. Yet, this man appeared a full head taller than Yeon-oh.

The moment the backlight faded and the man’s face was revealed, Yeon-oh’s eyes widened slightly.

Even when shaded, the man’s perfectly straight forehead and sculpted jaw were easily discernible. The face Yeon-oh had simply expected to be neat was distinctly defined yet delicate.

The hairline, where the hair met the forehead, looked meticulously crafted, without a single corner or stray strand. The dark eyebrows, as if etched in one by one, stretched out handsomely.

His long eyes, which looked cold and indifferent at first glance, had slightly upturned ends, scattering an air of languidness.

The line that ran from his prominent, straight nose bridge down to his lips drew a perfect arc.

The man took a step toward Yeon-oh and spoke.

“Give it to me, if you please.”

Yeon-oh instinctively paused.

[Sangnyangjeong]⁽¹⁾.

The master of this vast archery ground was Gyo Yeon-oh. Yet, Yeon-oh felt as though he had suddenly become a strange foreigner on his own range.

The man’s posture as he walked onto the range was bold and unrestrained, and his face was full of composure. It was as if he were the true owner of this place.

Yeon-oh hesitated, flustered, and the man, extending his hand, repeated his request to return the item.

“…”

Yeon-oh stared blankly at the magnificent man, his face bewildered. A long moment passed with their eyes locked. The fierce wind swept the archery ground, roughly tousling Yeon-oh’s and the man’s hair.

Noting Yeon-oh’s gaze, the man gestured with his eyes and asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…”

Only then did Yeon-oh realize he had been staring intently at the man. He quickly averted his gaze, but heat flushed to his cheeks from the embarrassment.

“Young Master?”

The man called Yeon-oh’s name directly in front of him.

Why am I looking at you like that?

Yeon-oh wondered if this man was perhaps unaware of his own appearance.

“Yes? Ah, this.”

Instead of answering, he handed the ribbon of the greedy man he held to the gentleman.

“Thank you.”

He could not lift his eyes due to the man’s earlier comment about his staring. So, he kept his gaze fixed on the man’s shoulder directly in front of him and opened his mouth.

“How did the Young Master find his way to the Gyo General’s Household?”

He wanted to run away on the spot. However, the dignity of the fourth son of the Gyo Clan barely kept him from fleeing. But the heat creeping up his cheeks was beyond his control.

“…”

Waiting for a response, Yeon-oh raised his gaze again at the man’s silence.

“Young Master.”

At Yeon-oh’s address of ‘Young Master,’ the man wore a peculiar expression.

‘Did I make another mistake?’

The man was older than Yeon-oh, but he seemed too young to be the head of a family.

“…Sir…?”

Yeon-oh quickly tried to change the title. At Yeon-oh’s new address, the corners of the man’s lips slightly lifted.

“Let’s stick with ‘Young Master’ then.”

It was a smile that viewed Yeon-oh as young, or perhaps insignificant. Yeon-oh did not particularly dwell on the man viewing him as trivial. He did not have the chance.

As a faint smile broke through the man’s expressionless face, the initial coolness vanished, replaced by a warm and tender impression. Once again, Yeon-oh’s gaze was fixed on that face, as if enchanted.

“May I ask the name of the household you are from, Young Master?”

“My name is Seonjae.”

“Young Master Seon. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] I am Gyo Yeon-oh, the fourth son of the Gyo General’s Household. How did you come to the Gyo General’s Household?”

At Yeon-oh’s address of ‘Young Master,’ the man’s mouth curved in a strange manner.

“I came to meet the Second Young Master of the Gyo General’s Household.”

“You are my second brother’s friend?”

Yeon-oh’s second elder brother, Gyo Jin-oh, was twenty-nine this year. Having become a military officer following their grandfather, Gyo Jin-oh was blunt and reserved. The man before him was not very talkative either, making Yeon-oh wonder how the two had become acquainted.

“My second brother received a message from his subordinate and left the house in a rush this morning. Shall I tell him that Young Master Seonjae came to visit?”

“No, I will be staying in Goksan [a rural but wealthy region] for a while.”

Yeon-oh smiled ingenuously at Seonjae’s words.

“Is that so. It must have been difficult enough just coming to this countryside, but to stay here for days in this dull place. My second brother has a devoted friend. If you need anything, please let me know.”

“I wouldn’t call this the countryside.”

The man’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke.

“Although it is close to the Imperial Capital, you have to ride for an hour to just reach the entrance of the Capital, so even if it’s not an isolated wilderness, it’s certainly the countryside.”

Goksan, where the Gyo General’s Household was located, was affluent land.

A large silver mine was situated where the Gyo Marquisate family had established its base. It was also located on the trade route to the East, making resources plentiful.

Yet, as Yeon-oh said, most of the people of Goksan lived a simple, modest life, unlike the citizens of the Imperial Capital.

There were no major aristocratic houses, and it was far removed from complex political affairs. Thanks to the Gyo General’s Household overseeing Goksan, arrogant nobles or Imperial relatives were rare.

“What will the Young Master Gyo be doing now?”

“Me? I’m going to pick jujubes. Uncle Oh is short on hands…”

Yeon-oh felt his voice trail off as he answered. It was nothing to be ashamed of, but answering the man’s question with “picking jujubes” felt slightly unglamorous.

“Jujubes.”

“Yes.”

“Not hunting?”

The imposing man’s gaze fell upon Yeon-oh’s quiver.

“I can buy meat to eat.”

“And you pick jujubes to eat?”

“Uncle Oh said he’d give me one dongi⁽²⁾ if I help him with the work today.”

Yeon-oh spoke with a genuinely happy face. Seeing his bright smile, a clear laugh also rose on the man’s face.

“What if I were to lend a hand as well?”

At Seonjae’s suggestion, Yeon-oh’s smile widened even further.

“That would be great!”

He couldn’t fathom why he was so happy about the addition of one extra hand for work. Ultimately, accepting the man’s offer was a poor choice.

******

This year, the cold arrived early. Because of this, Yeon-oh had returned to the Gyo General’s Household in Goksan sooner than usual. Typically, he would stay in Goksan much later, usually around the time autumn was clearly ending.

It was about one shijin⁽³⁾ away from the Imperial Capital, so many high-status individuals had secondary residences here.

“Ugh, cold.”

Hating the cold, he habitually grumbled about it even before winter began. Yeon-oh’s footsteps, as he entered Doyeongak⁽⁴⁾ after his morning archery practice, halted for a moment.

A visitor was there.

A tall man was leaning against the railing of Doyeongak. His face, even upon seeing it again, drew the eye. It was hard to tell whether his imposing physique enhanced his face, or if his perfectly sculpted face made his build seem even more magnificent.

Perhaps because the man was so tall, Doyeongak, which Yeon-oh had never found particularly noteworthy, seemed especially small and quaint today.

Seonjae was lost in thought.

“…”

Yeon-oh waited silently, not wanting to interrupt the deeply pondering Seonjae. He felt he knew what the man was worrying about. The dark eyebrows twitching in his serious expression drew his gaze.

Seonjae, lost in his thoughts, sensed the gaze and looked up, his eyes widening in surprise as he spotted Yeon-oh watching him. Yeon-oh wondered if he should have made his presence known.

“Young Master Gyo.”

For someone who was startled, the man’s voice was quite calm.

“Young Master Seon, I saw you were deep in thought and waited. What brings you here?”

“I asked a servant where to find Young Master Gyo, and he guided me here.”

“I frequent this place.”

“Well, I came to apologize, as I believe I was quite a hindrance yesterday.”

Deep contemplation was evident in Seonjae’s words. A quiet embarrassment and subtle difficulty could be sensed in his low voice.

‘Indeed.’

Yeon-oh recognized that his guess was correct. His eyes, which had nodded politely while meeting Seonjae’s gaze, suddenly softened and crumpled as he burst into laughter.