Chapter 5

To Yeon-oh, the rain, though rough, was nothing more than rain. It wasn’t a situation that demanded desperate help from a stranger.

Yet, he felt strangely bewildered, as though he had received an enormous kindness for a single large oiled paper umbrella.

The truly odd thing was that even though Seonjae’s face, as he looked down and pointed out Yeon-oh was soaked, was exceedingly stern and severe, it did not feel cold at all. The man looked accustomed to giving commands to others.

Perhaps this was why Yeon-oh followed the man’s instruction without objection. There wasn’t much of an alternative to the solution Seonjae offered, either.

The Cheongyeongan steward saw Yeon-oh, drenched by the rain and brought in by Seonjae, and immediately brought a brazier into Gwanhaedae. He also fetched warm tea and spare clothes that the Cheongyeongan loaned to guests.

“If you leave your wet clothes, this humble servant will attend to the laundry.”

The steward repeated the words he had spoken several times as he left Gwanhaedae.

“I’ll take care of it myself.”

Yeon-oh spoke toward the closed door and took off his wet clothes. He removed his outer garment, which was completely soaked, wrung it out roughly, and draped it over the window frame. Next, he took off his inner tunic and hung it on a chair near the brazier. He removed his trousers and placed them on the same chair.

Seonjae watched Yeon-oh intently as he stripped off his wet clothes without reservation.

When their eyes met, Seonjae turned his gaze away, and Yeon-oh continued to take off his wet clothes as if nothing was amiss. He didn’t forget to fully extend his arms out the open window and vigorously shake the wet clothes to expel the water. When Seonjae turned his attention back at the industrious and independent sound, Yeon-oh was already dressed in the guest clothes provided by the steward.

Seonjae had seen many people wearing those clothes during his stay at Cheongyeongan. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] The rough, plain, faded ochre-colored garments were rated very poorly by the guests. Everyone grumbled, complaining that the dye was blotchy and the ochre color made them look as if they had rolled in a mud field.

Yeon-oh lightly patted the clothes, which, though a bit coarse, were dry and soft to the touch.

“These are nice.”

This was a comment that would unfairly disappoint many people.

“Everyone else thinks differently.”

Seonjae remarked casually, casting a glance at Yeon-oh’s expensive long robe, which was tightly wrung and set aside. The true feeling that had accidentally slipped out made the man hastily turn his eyes away, pretending not to notice.

“Yes…?”

At Yeon-oh’s blank question, Seonjae smoothed out his creased brows and spoke.

“Do you know how poorly the guests of Cheongyeongan rate those clothes?”

“They are just for temporary wear; they’re good enough.”

At Yeon-oh’s words, the man couldn’t hide his creased brows this time.

“You would think so, Young Master Gyo.”

Yeon-oh stumbled over his words under the man’s gaze, which watched him intently as if he was an object of curiosity. He belatedly worried that perhaps following the man so readily when he was called over was a mistake.

“Did I… do something wrong…?”

“No. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Have some warm tea. You were very exposed to the rain. Do you look in the mirror often, Young Master Gyo?”

Seonjae carefully reached out a finger and touched the strands of Yeon-oh’s wet hair. Although it was just a gesture to gauge how soaked it was, Yeon-oh was careful even in his breathing.

The man’s long fingers slid out of Yeon-oh’s hair.

“As for a mirror, I look when necessary…”

Yeon-oh struggled to articulate his muffled words clearly. The large hand gently smoothed over his damp hair.

“Then why don’t you know?”

Seonjae placed a thick cotton towel into Yeon-oh’s rain-chilled hand.

“Know… know what…?”

“Your hands are still cold. Sit closer to the brazier.”

Instead of answering, Seonjae seated Yeon-oh near the brazier. He then gathered the wet clothes hanging around the room.

“Oh, they’ll dry quickly.”

The man closed and bolted all the windows Yeon-oh had left open.

“I will request the steward to come back later. Stay here tonight. It is already dark outside. Walking home in the wet and the dark is bad for your health.”

Unbeknownst to Yeon-oh, it had already grown dusky outside. The sky, which had been dark due to the rain, was now simply swallowed by the evening gloom.

Realizing the time, Yeon-oh hesitated. The Cheongyeongan steward would have contacted the Gyo General’s Household, so there was no cause for worry.

But this room belonged to the man.

“I can take an outer room…”

Gwanhaedae was the largest building in Cheongyeongan. There was an inner chamber connected to a side room furnished for leisure, and an outer room also used as a bedroom.

“The hallway outside that room connects to the path leading to other buildings. The lock is also flimsy.”

“I am not comfortable with it. I do not wish to invite misunderstanding, nor do I wish to give you time for careless thoughts. Rest, Young Master Gyo. When I close the door, please lock it from the inside.”

The man spoke decisively, left the room, and closed the door. Yeon-oh was simply dumbfounded.

“Lock the door.”

A low voice echoed from beyond the closed door.

“Yes? Yes…”

Yeon-oh instinctively locked the door as the man commanded. He remained dazed for a long time afterward. The overprotective behavior of Seonjae reminded him so much of his own family and his two elder brothers that his lips jutted out slightly.

The rainy night passed.

******

The wife of the Gyo General’s Household’s Head Steward, Gwak Jin, possessed an appearance whose age was difficult to discern. Though someone had mentioned she was four years older than the Head Steward, Gwak Jin looked at least ten years younger than him.

Gwak Jin, who took on the Head Steward’s duties when he was absent, was just as resourceful and possessed a temperament that put others at ease.

“Young Master.”

It was the day for repairing the walls of the Gyo General’s Household in preparation for winter. Gwak Jin smiled when she saw Yeon-oh, who had come to lend a hand, and led him aside.

“Many people came to help with the work today.”

Gwak Jin was known to be from the outer maternal family of Yeon-oh’s mother. As she was not born of the main wife but an illegitimate daughter, no one mentioned the precise relationship.

After Yeon-oh’s mother passed away, Gwak Jin had looked after the Gyo General’s Household like a madam, and so Yeon-oh and the Gyo Clan treated her like a respected relative.

“Yes, we have plenty of hands. But why did you bring Young Master Seon along?”

Gwak Jin smiled warmly toward where Seonjae was and spoke to Yeon-oh in a lowered voice.

“Young Master Seon offered to help with the work.”

Yeon-oh replied with an innocent voice.

“It is fine. As you can see, we have many hands, don’t we? Now, Young Master, why don’t you take Young Master Seon, who is from out of town, and go sight-seeing in Goksan?”

“But we were just…”

Gwak Jin quietly slipped a heavy purse of money into Yeon-oh’s hand, continuing her composed smile.

“Young Master, you are doing this on purpose, aren’t you? The youngest Young Master has been widely praised within the Gyo General’s Household for his kind nature in helping with household chores. I am disappointed. Surely, our Young Master is not so unperceptive as to act this way.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean, well…”

“Oh my, Young Master. Have you forgotten the past few days when Young Master Seon offered to help with the work you were doing? He nearly burned down a building when he spilled all the charcoal while moving the brazier. And that’s not all, is it? He smashed a wooden laundry tub while moving laundry. Furthermore, he ruined twenty jujube trees while helping out at the jujube house.”

Unlike her benevolent expression, Gwak Jin’s eyes shone fiercely.

“That was not intentional, I tell you.”

“Enough. Now everyone in Goksan knows. If Young Master Seon comes to help, something will surely be destroyed or expire its use. You had better go out and amuse yourselves. There is a jade ornament that clearly belongs to Young Master Seon placed outside Doyeongak; please take it. Oh, and also take the tortoiseshell ornament made of horn and the jin-sa⁽¹⁾ white porcelain phoenix-patterned incense burner, which also seem to be his.”

Gwak Jin spoke softly, pretending to straighten Yeon-oh’s lapel. Yeon-oh looked at the Head Steward’s wife, who was acting kindly toward him while implicitly ordering him, ‘Take that burden and get lost!’, with a mournful expression.

Today, Seonjae had come to make up for the accidents of the last twenty-odd days.

“…”

The faint smile on Gwak Jin’s lips trembled.

“Looking at me like that is useless. What good is it that his face is so handsome, his shoulders are manly, his back is straight, and his physique is enviable, not unlike a Great General? He is the kind of person who separates the handles from the body of the object while moving things! If Young Master Seon helps with any more work, there will be nothing left in the Gyo General’s Household or Goksan. Do you think this humble servant will just watch that happen? Go and amuse yourselves at once.”

“I heard there would be delicious food for lunch today.”

“Young Master, please kindly ask Young Master Seon if he has lost anything. Since Young Master Seon arrived at the Gyo General’s Household, all sorts of precious items have been brought to me to find their owner. Noble objects bearing every auspicious pattern (gil-sang-mun, symbols or patterns wishing for fortune and longevity) that exists in the world; dragon, phoenix, turtle, bat, and more. I am currently contacting the nearby Imperial relatives first, but if they say no, I will have to contact the Imperial Palace, and contacting the Imperial Family is extremely complicated, is it not?”

Gwak Jin patted Yeon-oh’s regretful back and gave him a clear look, urging him to leave.

“If any items that need an owner are found, put them in front of Doyeongak. I will ask Young Master Seon. If he is not the owner, I will send letters to whoever might be.”

“Our Young Master is so thoughtful.”

Gwak Jin affectionately stroked Yeon-oh’s back and then subtly pushed him away. The smile on her face was gentle, but the hand that ushered him out of the building was utterly firm.