Chapter 7 …
The Day Madness Struck
The moon had fully waned, and pale dawn light crept through the crack in the door.
“Ughhh.”
Just waking from sleep, Seoryeon stretched deeply, only to sit up in shock at the unfamiliar air.
Where am I…?
The place felt strangely familiar, yet oddly foreign at the same time. A room that carried both the scent of familiarity and a hint of strangeness. As she rolled her round eyes around the room, Seoryeon finally realized that she was in the guest chamber of Haewolgak. This room was prepared only for high-ranking visitors of the gyōbang.
Seoryeon had always had a soft spot for this largest, most beautifully arranged room in the gyōbang. She had been scolded by her mother more than once for sneaking in here to play.
But why am I here…?
“Awake, are you?”
“Eh!”
At the sudden voice whispering in her ear, Seoryeon instinctively reached for her twin swords—her constant companions.
But… they weren’t there.
“Looking for this, perhaps?”
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
Seoryeon grabbed a pillow and raised it in defense.
Wanghae, chuckling at her futile attempt, tossed both swords at her in one swift motion.
Quickly lowering the pillow, Seoryeon caught the swords and felt a wave of relief before asking calmly:
“Why am I here?”
“It seems wise not to drink any alcohol you cannot handle in the future,” he said, putting on the robe hanging on the wall.
“Answer my question. Why am I here?”
“I think it’s better if you remember it yourself, so there’s no misunderstanding.”
Wanghae’s gaze roamed over Seoryeon with a peculiar look, prompting her to check her body for any sign of him having touched her. Finding nothing, her suspicious eyes nevertheless remained.
“Since you’re awake now, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait!”
Seoryeon urgently called after him as he grabbed the door handle.
“Really… I just can’t remember. Nothing… happened between us, right?”
The word us felt oddly intimate. Wanghae turned back and looked at her.
“Nothing… you mean, what kind of ‘nothing’?”
“Well…”
Having learned much from experienced gisaengs, Seoryeon knew the theory of men and women’s intimacy perfectly well, even if she hadn’t experienced it herself.
“…?”
Wanghae tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.
“Ah, never mind. Forget it.”
Just as Seoryeon reached for the door handle to leave, their hands brushed.
Startled, she pulled back, but he remained unhurried.
“You can clash swords, but not hands?”
“H-How can hands be the same as swords…!”
“You seemed to hold other things just fine last night.”
“Me? What things?”
“That long, firm thing… you know.”
“…!”
Her face burning, Seoryeon froze like a statue, trapped between the firmly closed door and the wall as Wanghae moved closer.
Thump thump.
Her heart seemed ready to burst out of her chest; she worried he could hear it.
The familiar scent of him brushed against her nose, and suddenly, memories of snuggling into his arms in a sleep-filled haze from the previous night came to mind. After that, though, she couldn’t recall anything no matter how hard she tried.
Ha… what on earth happened?
Frustrated, she felt she might go mad trying to remember.
“Want me to… tell you?”
Wanghae moved closer, his low voice brushing against her ear, sending shivers across her body.
“Well… it was like this.”
He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her toward his lower body.
Panicked, Seoryeon jerked her hand away and warned:
“Stop! I don’t want to know anything. If anything happened, forget it. If you even dare speak of it, I’ll find you immediately.”
Wanghae’s indifferent expression left her speechless. It was clear he already underestimated her. Threats would not work. And judging by their sword clash, he was no novice either; she couldn’t attack recklessly. Any commotion would surely attract the gyōbang staff.
“Find me?”
“Ah, anyway! Let’s say nothing happened.”
He smiled slyly, leaving her no choice.
Seoryeon exited the room, pocketing the dagger he had returned to her, muttering to herself:
When did he even take this? And that ‘long thing’… ha! What a ridiculous boast. Think I wouldn’t notice, huh? You look like a gisaeng’s brother, but…
At that moment, he flung the door open, wearing a cheeky expression:
“What now? It’s no boast, you know?”
Seoryeon didn’t reply, leaping over the gyōbang wall.
Normally, she would have questioned him, demanding answers or scolding him, but today, there was no time. His voice, his gentle touch, sensations she had never felt before—they left her dizzy. It was as if a maguni—an entity that prevents enlightenment in Buddhist terms—was wreaking havoc in her mind.
And the fact that this all happened in the gyōbang, practically her hometown, made it even more dangerous.
Phew… better not run into him again.
Her ears burning, Seoryeon fanned herself and quickly left the gyōbang.
Seoryeon hurried to Beopcheonsa Temple.
She sighed at the thought of her senior scolding her for disappearing so suddenly.
But the approach to the temple was chaotic. Small animals and even birds were fleeing in every direction.
“Seoryeon! Where have you been?”
“Senior, why are you out here? Isn’t it time for the ceremony?”
“Now is not the time to listen to the Buddha. We must flee.”
Confused, Seoryeon was pulled along urgently by Yuwonseok.
“What’s going on?”
From a distance came the panicked shouts:
“Fire! Fire!”
Black smoke billowed from the temple roof.
“Senior! It looks like the temple’s on fire!”
As she tried to rush toward it, Yuwonseok held her back.
“You can’t go.”
“What do you mean? There’s a fire! We have to help!”
“This is the Master’s order. He told us to take you away.”
“…What?”
“Kukgong has sent people. They want to take you home.”
Seoryeon finally understood the situation. Kukgong intended to take her immediately, while her Master was determined not to let that happen.
“But—”
“Take your mother with you. Hurry, before Kukgong notices.”
Though she reluctantly followed her senior, Seoryeon was still confused. Even after declaring her resolve to carry out the task, she could not grasp why her Master made this decision.
She suddenly stopped in her tracks.
“Senior, I can’t go.”
With Kukgong’s temperament, he would not forgive those who ruined his carefully laid plans. Her senior had been her companion for ten years and a father figure, now in danger because of her. She could not abandon him.
“If you leave, Kukgong’s plan will fail anyway. Even if not you, they can take a new adopted daughter. Master will be protected by others, so don’t worry.”
“Others?”
“They’ve decided to prevent you from becoming queen.”
That meant they would oppose Kukgong themselves.
“Why go this far? I said I’d do it! Why are they stopping me?”
Frustrated, Seoryeon shouted in anger.
“They know you won’t want it. Your will is our will.”
Yuwonseok gently held her shoulders.
“Don’t be ridiculous. When did you ever think of me this way?”
“Because we’re brothers.”
“Brothers? Without a drop of blood in common?”
Seoryeon wiped away tears and turned. The fellow disciples had tormented her when she was accepted as a member of Salmun, yet they were like family—loyal companions who shared the hardships of training.
Perhaps their hearts had always been the same.
The more her heart ached, the stronger her resolve grew.
“I can’t leave like this, Senior.”
Knowing Kukgong’s sword would target innocent disciples, she could not look away. She secured her twin swords and turned.
Thud.
Yuwonseok planted his spear in the ground, blocking her path.
“If you really insist on going back, you’ll have to cut through me first.”
“…Senior.”
“We’ve already made up our minds, Seoryeon.”
His earnest, resolute words brought tears streaming down her cheeks.
After a relentless ride, Seoryeon and Yuwonseok arrived at Haewolgak.
The main gate was unchanged from when she had left.
Seoryeon had longed to see her mother several times, wandering around the area but never entering. Yesterday had been no exception, yet intoxicated by both wine and music, she had climbed the pavilion—and met him.
His presence was peaceful, and being near him made her guard drop. She even regretted falling asleep before the music ended.
I probably won’t see him again…
Lost in thought, Yuwonseok urged her forward.
“Hurry inside.”
“Uh? Ah…”
Squeak.
Opening the door, Seoryeon saw the gisaeng of Haewolgak gathered in small groups on the main hall floor, busy with flower arrangements and dressing. Some young gisaeng had just finished arranging their hair.
Seoryeon recalled when she had been among them as a child, whining to her mother she also wanted to be beautifully dressed. She bit her lip.
This was why she had avoided coming—afraid of faint memories of her childhood resurfacing.
“Om-mae! Who is this?”
The housekeeper, combing the gisaengs’ hair, ran out, overjoyed.
“You’re Seoryeon, aren’t you?”
“How have you been?”
“Very well indeed.”
Grabbing Seoryeon’s hands, the housekeeper welcomed her warmly.
The other gisaeng, caught off guard by the commotion, turned to look at her.
“My goodness. You’re alive?”
Even Aewol, who had been over her when she was younger, immediately recognized her.
The housekeeper, who had cared for Seoryeon since infancy, teared up at the sight of her alive and well.
“You’ve grown up just as I imagined. How have you been?”
“Grown up, indeed! Even prettier now. Had she stayed at Haewolgak, we’d have been in trouble. She ran away because she didn’t want to be a gisaeng, luckily.”
“No matter. She’s still our Seoryeon, through and through.”
The housekeeper chuckled, nodding in agreement.
“Who’s back?”
From the neighboring room came a familiar voice:
“Senior! Seoryeon! The Senior’s daughter has returned!”
Sohyang, scolding Aewol for drinking at midday, froze upon seeing Seoryeon standing in the yard.
