Chapter 3
Arin’s eyes and mouth fell wide open at Hyeon’s answer. As her mind raced, she realized there was only one thing she should do.
“You… Your Highne— mmpf!”
Before she could offer a grand bow, Hyeon quickly covered her mouth with his hand. Her small, cherry-like lips were pressed shut against his palm. Yul, watching from a step away, approached and whispered to Hyeon.
“There are too many eyes here. It would be best to move to another location.”
Hyeon nodded and placed his index finger against his lips, signaling Arin to be silent. His stern gaze exerted a silent pressure, warning her that any noise would lead to trouble. Arin nodded obediently, her lips held tight.
“Follow me.”
Hyeon led the way, with Arin and Yul following him out of the marketplace. After a short walk, they reached a hill overlooking the market. Yellow flowers bloomed in profusion along the path, emitting a sweet fragrance. When Hyeon finally stopped, Arin immediately prostrated herself on the ground.
“I greet His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!”
Reproaching herself for acting so flippantly toward the Crown Prince, Arin quickly added another word.
“Your Highness, I beg your forgiveness for not recognizing you… If this lowly subject has committed a great discourtesy, please understand with a generous heart.”
“That is enough. It is only natural that you did not recognize me.”
Hyeon stood with his hands behind his back and spoke in a low voice. Arin peeked up from the ground to look at his face; he somehow looked much more dignified now.
“Normally, when a person dies, their soul attains Buddhahood and goes to the afterlife. However, I have heard that souls who cannot do so become ghosts and wander the world. I intended to take you to the Han River to the north, where the yin energy is strong, to test if spirits truly exist there—but since you saw my mother just now, that test is unnecessary.”
Arin swallowed hard. As he finished speaking, she rose, tidied her disheveled clothes, and folded her hands neatly over her stomach, keeping her head bowed low.
“So, can you speak with my mother immediately?”
As if the matter were urgent, Hyeon went straight to the point. Arin shook her head slightly and opened her lips.
“About that… there are several things to prepare in order to converse with a spirit.” “Preparations?” “Agarwood powder, evening primroses, and it must be the night of the full moon.”
Hyeon asked again to confirm.
“Is that truly all? Is nothing else required?”
In truth, there was a fifth step, but since she didn’t know the content, she doubted if the ritual would work even with everything else in place. However, now that she knew he was the Crown Prince, telling him she couldn’t perform the ritual felt like a death sentence—she could almost feel the phantom pain of a flogging.
“And… I need one item that was cherished by the late Queen!”
Whatever happens, happens, Arin thought, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. She didn’t know exactly why she asked for a cherished item, but she figured a personal object might help her hear the spirit better.
“Something she cherished…”
Hyeon fell into thought. While organizing his mother’s belongings, he had found a hairpin in a small box, but he couldn’t be certain if it was truly precious to her. A sudden doubt struck him.
“And how do you confirm if the item is truly the cherished one?”
Arin’s eyes darted around as she scrambled for an answer to the unexpected question. To avoid being caught in a lie, she had to invent something plausible.
“The moment the ritual is performed, her voice will be heard. If it is not heard, then it was not the cherished item.” “Then I shall return on the full moon. Prepare the other materials by then.” “Yes, Your Highness.” “When is the full moon?” “It is in five days, Your Highness,” Yul answered from the side.
Hyeon looked between the bowing girl and Yul.
“I shall seek you out again in five days.”
Back at the palace, Hyeon’s hands froze as he changed into his nightclothes. After his mother passed away and Lady Yoon, a former concubine, was invested as Queen, many rumors circulated. Among them was the claim that his mother had died of poisoning and curses. Since then, Hyeon had met every famous shaman he could find to uncover the truth of her death. Of course, he had failed every time.
“Have I finally found a clue…?”
Arin, who described his mother’s appearance so vividly, was a ray of hope. He prayed she could resolve his mother’s lingering grievances.
Five Days Later.
The wind blew through the zelkova leaves, making a sound like a straw broom sweeping the floor. The long, five-colored cloths fluttering in the breeze created a truly eerie feeling. Arin placed a small table under the tree and straightened her clothes. On the table, she lit a single candle and lined up a small dish, agarwood powder, and evening primroses.
“I shall begin now.”
Arin looked up to confirm the moon was at its peak and took a small breath. Since it was her first time performing the ritual, her fingers trembled slightly. Behind her, Yul and Hyeon watched silently.
Following the book’s instructions, Arin placed the evening primrose in the dish, stirred it with her finger, mixed in the agarwood powder, and slowly lifted the dish to her lips.
‘If I drink this, will I really hear a ghost?’
Fear outweighed her curiosity. What if she really heard them? What if the spirits harmed her while asking to resolve their grudges? Yet, she couldn’t disobey the Crown Prince’s order. Arin squeezed her eyes shut and took a large gulp. It was bitter and sweet, a terrible taste that made her face scrunch up.
Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she tore a page from the ritual book and held it to the candle. It caught fire instantly.
“Did you bring the item?”
Hyeon handed her a small wooden box. Beside him, the spirit of Queen Won-hye watched the two of them with a melancholy gaze.
“Do you hear anything?”
Arin took the hairpin out of the box, her mouth dropping at its beauty. The fine jade phoenix shimmered softly in the moonlight. Hyeon, anxious from the wait, couldn’t help but ask again.
“I asked if you hear a voice!” “Well…”
Arin strained her ears. But the only sounds were the wind and the chirping of insects.
‘I knew it, the fifth step was necessary. What do I do now? Will I be flogged for deceiving the Crown Prince?’
As a panicked Arin looked at Hyeon, he frowned, looking as though he had expected this failure. He strode toward her.
“You spoke so confidently that you could hear her, yet it was a lie.”
Faced with his stern voice, Arin tried to stay calm and asked:
“Is… is this truly Her Highness’s cherished item?”
Hyeon looked momentarily flustered. He knew it was hers, but he had no way of knowing if she cherished it, so he had no retort. Beside him, Queen Won-hye shook her head as she watched them.
“Give it back to me.”
He reached out to take the hairpin back. For a brief second, their fingertips touched.
— Wait a little longer.
Suddenly, the low voice of Queen Won-hye echoed in Arin’s ear.
— Tell him it is not yet the time, so he must wait a little longer.
Arin’s eyes flew wide. The spirit’s voice had truly reached her, making her heart pound in shock. As Hyeon’s hand began to pull away, Arin grabbed his hand firmly and stared at him.
