Hongdu - The King's Men - Chapter 41

It wasn’t something I intentionally tried to see.

I certainly had no intention of interfering.

But it seems I unintentionally ended up interfering.

Kwon Jwa Woo hurriedly picked up the wooden sword that had fallen to the ground.

Then she suddenly noticed Arang’s hand holding Hong Woo Geon’s arm.

Hands as white as if dusted with pearl powder, with slender long fingers and pink nails. And a red coral ring that suited those hands.

Wearing a red skirt and azalea-colored jeogori, Arang was truly a beautiful woman. A perfect match for Hong Woo Geon with his mysteriously handsome looks.

A meeting between a heavenly immortal and a celestial maiden.

Feeling apologetic and guilty for seemingly interrupting such a meeting between the two, and in this disheveled state no less.

Kwon Jwa Woo looked down at herself, drenched in sweat.

Due to wielding the wooden sword for a long time, her hair was messily disheveled outside her headband, and her face was covered in unceasing beads of sweat.

From repeatedly sitting down hard on the ground, her pants were covered in dirt, and her sweat-soaked jeogori showed worn and faded fluff in places.

Eager to leave this place, Kwon Jwa Woo hurriedly bowed to the two.

“Then I’ll be on my way now.”

Suddenly, Hong Woo Geon followed after her as she left.

“I should be going too.”

He shook off Arang’s arm and walked alongside Kwon Jwa Woo.

In the end, Kwon Jwa Woo had no choice but to stop walking.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what?”

“Weren’t you two having an intimate moment just now?”

“It wasn’t an intimate moment, but more like spending time as siblings.”

“Siblings?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Arang and I are like brother and sister.”

“Isn’t that just your own thinking? That young lady doesn’t seem to think that way at all.”

Kwon Jwa Woo glanced sideways at Arang’s gaze directed at her.

Although sharp enough to kill with just a look. Hong Woo Geon seemed not to notice that expression.

Kwon Jwa Woo pushed Hong Woo Geon’s back as he followed her.

“Whether it was an intimate moment or sibling time, finish it after I’m gone. I feel like I might be killed by an assassin sent by that young lady at this rate.”

“Weren’t you swinging that wooden sword so hard to avoid dying?”

“You saw?”

“I did.”

“Since when?”

“Was it from when this warrior started teaching you how to properly hold a wooden sword again?”

“…”

“What were you thinking so much about to swing a wooden sword until your hands blistered?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“It’s not because of what happened last night, is it?”

“I’m a fool for even talking to you.”

Glancing at Arang’s reaction, Kwon Jwa Woo hurriedly started walking again.

Hong Woo Geon followed closely behind, oblivious.

“Stay three steps behind me.”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because I don’t think my wooden sword skills are good enough yet to block the blade of an assassin sent by Lady Arang.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”

“If you want to help, go back to Lady Arang.”

“I don’t want to do that.”

“How can you live only doing what you like?”

“Can’t you see I’m holding back?”

“Holding back what?”

“There’s something I truly want to do, but I’m desperately holding back.”

“What is it?”

Hong Woo Geon grabbed Kwon Jwa Woo’s shoulder as she was about to pass by.

Kwon Jwa Woo stopped and turned around.

“What are you doing?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“What do you mean?”

“The reason I’m acting this way.”

“Pardon?”

“What I truly want to do… do you really not know?”

Hong Woo Geon’s gaze was fixed on Kwon Jwa Woo’s lips.

He wanted to take those red lips.

The moment he saw Kwon Jwa Woo biting her lower lip out of habit and swinging the wooden sword desperately, Hong Woo Geon realized.

That no matter how hard he tried, it was impossible.

That it was absolutely impossible to forget what happened last night, to cut it out of his mind.

‘No, no. What I want is not Kwon Jwa Woo, not her.’

Each time he repeated it like a mantra, he felt a thirst as if his throat was burning. He couldn’t bear remembering her breath, sweet and fragrant like ambrosia.

Unaware of his feelings, Kwon Jwa Woo kept pushing him away. Go to Arang, she pushed his back.

‘Fool, dense one.’

Hong Woo Geon swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say out loud.

Then he raised his hand and wiped away the bead of sweat on the tip of Kwon Jwa Woo’s chin.

“How foolish.”

“Who are you calling foolish?”

Kwon Jwa Woo swatted away Hong Woo Geon’s hand that had approached without warning and turned around.

Her face flushed red without her realizing.

Lest Hong Woo Geon see her reddened face, Kwon Jwa Woo walked staring only at the ground.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Let’s go together!”

Hong Woo Geon’s voice calling after Kwon Jwa Woo painfully stabbed Arang’s ears.

She had never imagined someone other than herself standing beside Hong Woo Geon. And a man, not even a woman, at that.

Hong Woo Geon had changed, and it was indeed because of Kwon Jwa Woo.

Perhaps even the request to prepare a feast was because that man had asked for it. No, it must certainly be so.

Arang nervously bit her nails.

That night, she had wondered if she was moving too fast. She had worried that her feeling of jealousy towards a man might be obsession.

But it wasn’t.

Today made it clear.

Hong Woo Geon, who had been indifferent when looking at her, had his eyes light up the moment he saw Kwon Jwa Woo. Come to think of it, the reason Hong Woo Geon was standing here, outside the training grounds, was also because of Kwon Jwa Woo, that person.

He had been standing here to see that person.

What should be done about this situation?

What if someone else noticed Hong Woo Geon’s feelings?

No, surely someone would notice. Hadn’t she herself noticed those feelings immediately?

She didn’t care what happened to Kwon Jwa Woo.

But she could never, ever allow Hong Woo Geon’s reputation to be tarnished.

She couldn’t bear being second. Especially, she hated even imagining herself becoming the second to a man with a bad reputation.

So she had to stop it.

Somehow, she had to stop those two from getting any closer.

If someone had to die to stop it… she would gladly do so.

A chilling, poisonous intent coiled in Arang’s heart.

[This is the timeline separator]

The air in the main palace hall was heavy.

The king, lazily seated on the throne, looked down coldly at Minister Cho Byung Doo standing below the dais.

“Say it again.”

“I humbly report, Your Majesty. The secret royal inspectors Your Majesty selected are said to be abusing their power.”

“Abuse of power…”

Cho Byung Doo handed the petition he was holding to Chief Eunuch Jang.

Chief Eunuch Jang took the petition from Cho Byung Doo and spread it out on the king’s desk.

“As you will see, it is a petition sent by Confucian students from Yasong County in Paju. They say the secret royal inspector candidates used their authority to request a feast be prepared.”

“It says they would prepare the alcohol themselves.”

“Pardon?”

“Moreover, how does a request to prepare a feast transform into an abuse of power?”

“It may be called a request, but how could it be merely a request? When those who may become secret royal inspectors make such a request, can it not be seen as a demand using their authority?”

“Is that so?”

“It is, Your Majesty. Therefore…”

Just as Cho Byung Doo was about to implore the king to punish the candidates making such outrageous demands,

“What’s the big deal?”

A languid voice flowed from the throne.

Cho Byung Doo momentarily forgot who was before him and stared at the king for a while with his head raised.

Then he quickly lowered his head.

“This humble servant must have misheard.”

“In a world where even government positions are bought and sold. Why does the Minister of Justice make such a fuss over preparing one feast?”

“Your Majesty!”

“Why? Shall I recite how many government positions the Minister has sold off so far?”

“Wh-what are you saying? This humble servant has never…”

“You don’t know, do you? Since they weren’t sold by your own hands. They were all done using your subordinates. So the Minister absolutely doesn’t know. However!”

The king rose from his throne.

Slowly, step by step, the king descended from the dais and approached Minister Cho Byung Doo’s ear.

And he whispered,

“Uncle, don’t go too far relying only on your family’s influence. I too have mouths that inform me and ears that hear.”

“Y-Your Majesty. This humble servant only for the wealth and peace of this country…”

The king mercilessly cut off Cho Byung Doo’s excuses.

“It was for your own peace and to fill your own belly, how could selling government positions and using that money to buy land be for this country? If it were for this country, you should at least pay your taxes properly.”

“Your Majesty.”

“So don’t concern yourself with such useless matters, and focus on what you should be doing, uncle.”

“Pardon?”

As Cho Byung Doo looked at the king with a dumbfounded expression, the king firmly shouted.

“You may leave now.”

“…”

“Chief Eunuch Jang, it seems the Minister of Justice has urgent business.”

“I will escort him out.”

With even Chief Eunuch Jang joining in the king’s dismissal, Cho Byung Doo had no choice but to leave the main hall.

Just as he was about to cross the threshold of the main hall, the king’s words pierced the back of his head.

“The Queen Mother said you were foolish today, so head straight home after leaving the main hall.”

Don’t bother stopping by the Queen Mother’s quarters to report every little detail of today’s events.

Realizing the intent behind the king’s words, Cho Byung Doo clenched his molars.

The king’s change was unfamiliar.

When he was young, he would go this way if told to go this way, and that way if told to go that way. But day by day, the king’s attitude was changing.

Even subtle intimidation no longer worked.

‘I’ll have to find another way.’

Cho Byung Doo’s eyes narrowed.

He left the main hall, roughly fluttering his robes.

Unlike Cho Byung Doo, a smile hung on the king’s lips as he watched that retreating figure.

“Chief Eunuch Jang.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Procure a few bottles of good liquor. Ah, and find out when the feast day is as well.”

“Pardon?”

“The petition, didn’t you see it? That fellow seems to be plotting something.”

“Again…”

Chief Eunuch Jang looked around for a moment and whispered in a small voice only the king could hear.

“Are you planning to go out in disguise again?”

“If that fellow is holding a feast, there’s no way there won’t be alcohol. I should at least provide the alcohol.”

“Your Majesty.”

Chief Eunuch Jang made a pained expression and groaned.

Ignoring him, the king was about to leave the main hall when he suddenly turned to Chief Eunuch Jang.

“Ah yes, how did that turn out?”

“That?”

“Has a spark been lit with the Chief Scholar’s daughter?”

“Well…”

An even deeper look of concern came over Chief Eunuch Jang’s face. He even let out a long sigh, “Alas.”

The king’s head tilted in confusion. This was not like the Chief Eunuch who rarely showed such an expression.

“What’s wrong? Did something go wrong?”

“Well… a spark was lit, but…”

“But?”

“It seems the spark was lit in the wrong place.”

“The wrong place? Where is that?”