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Chapter 10
“Everyone has worked hard traveling from afar to take the exam, but due to the extended evaluation, we weren’t able to finish today’s test. Therefore, the remaining exams will continue tomorrow.”
The examinees murmured among themselves. One of them cautiously raised a hand and asked,
“…So, should we stay nearby and come back tomorrow?”
The examinees looked anxiously at Jeong Yeonhwa.
“There’s no need to worry about that. We will provide accommodations at Hyeeumwon, so you may rest there tonight. Are there any examinees whose schedule this causes problems for?”
However, no one raised their hand.
Since the examinees had been informed in advance to take sufficient time for the exam in case any unforeseen circumstances arose at Hyeeumwon, most of them had come prepared with plenty of time.
“Very well. Follow the staff to tonight’s lodging. Gather here again at the hour of Jin (辰時) tomorrow. Have a comfortable night.”
Hearing Jeong Yeonhwa’s words, the examinees’ faces brightened.
Regardless of whether they passed or failed, being able to spend a night at Hyeeumwon felt like a dream.
With the red sunset spreading across the western sky, the examinees excitedly followed the staff. After passing through several inner gates, they came upon a long pavilion on a stone platform.
“Wow! It’s beautiful!”
A single-story building that still carried the faint smell of lacquer, the subtle fragrance of wood wafting through the air. The closely spaced wooden pillars and green-and-blue dancheong patterns glowed a warm brown in the sunset light.
“Hmm~ This is Anbingak? I was hoping to stay at Yeongweolgak, though.”
“What’s Yeongweolgak?”
When Seorin asked, Dasim swallowed the jerky he had been chewing and pointed at the building with his finger.
“Anbingak. This is the lowest-grade guest room at Hyeeumwon. In other words, it’s the cheapest. Usually, traveling merchants in a hurry stay here.”
This time, Dasim pointed beyond it.
“Over there is Yeongweolgak. Doesn’t it sound fancy just by the name? It’s a mid-tier guest room, though calling it ‘mid-tier’ is relative—its quality can’t really be compared to most regular inns.”
“So if there’s a mid-tier, there must be a higher tier too?”
“Of course. And the top-tier is called Bohwagak. That’s the pavilion with guest rooms for VIPs.”
Seorin nodded, listening to Dasim’s explanation.
‘They’ve got quite an organized system, huh? Like a modern hotel with room grades.’
Arriving at Anbingak, they found Dabi waiting for the examinees, lanterns brightly lit in the open courtyard.
As the examinees reached the front, Dabi stepped forward.
“We will hand out the room keys, so form a line in groups of three.”
The examinees lined up with their friends, and the staff handed out keys and a late-night snack in order.
The keys had labels reading: ‘Mae (梅)’, ‘Hwa (花)’, ‘Dong (冬)’, ‘Baek (栢)’, ‘Su (水)’, ‘Seon (仙)’, ‘Jjille’, ‘Re’, ‘Choi’, ‘Gang’, ‘Geuk’, ‘Mi’, ‘Nam’.
“Mae, Dong, Suseon, Jjille, Choi Gang Geuk Min?! These are obviously based on the nicknames of the ‘Four Great Gardens’!”
Dasim spun around to look at Dabi with teary eyes.
“Y-You mean the room names were given by the innkeepers?”
“Yes. Why?”
“…Are you saying the innkeepers?”
“…Could it even be for Examinee 19?”
As Dasim slowly nodded with sparkling eyes, Dabi discreetly handed him one extra snack pack.
The three of them wandered inside Anbingak to find the room labeled ‘Mae (梅)’.
“Why are the rooms all so far apart?”
“I know, right? And the order seems totally random!”
Seorin complained, and Dasim huffed in agreement.
As they wandered, Seorin felt a sudden cold gaze on his back.
Glancing back, it was Shin-i and his group.
When their eyes met, Shin-i’s followers brushed past Seorin’s shoulder and went off to find their own room.
Dasim shouted in frustration.
“What the heck are they doing?!”
“Seorin, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“Hey, why do you keep holding back?! You should’ve said something! If you keep quiet, they’ll just keep looking down on you.”
“Yeah, I know. I didn’t want them to ruin my good mood.”
“Ugh!”
“Don’t worry. I won’t just keep holding back either.”
‘Yeah, right,’ Dasim thought as he glanced at Seorin.
Finally, they found the room labeled ‘Mae (梅)’, unlocked it, and opened the door wide.
“Wow!!”
“This is really a basic-grade room?! It’s amazing!”
Seorin marveled at the interior. A neatly arranged dresser and low table were on one side, and a folding screen with bird-and-flower paintings was on the other.
Simple and clean, yet every essential item was perfectly in place—a refined room.
“Wow, isn’t this Song Dynasty porcelain? Look at those smooth curves!”
Dasim, already in the room, gently touched the porcelain on the dresser in awe.
“T-The bedding is so soft! Like silk!”
Gap-i, already lying on the luxurious mattress, wiggled happily.
“For a basic-grade room, this is incredible!”
Dasim, putting down his luggage, said,
“Since it’s operated by the royal household, they’ve clearly put a lot of effort into it.”
Gap-i caressed the soft bedding and asked,
“D-Do you think staying here is really expensive?”
“Maybe not. Since it’s run by the government, it might not be too pricey.”
The three ate the late-night rice balls while discussing tomorrow’s exam. After washing up, they soon went to bed.
The bedding was so cozy and thick that, before long, two of them were snoring softly. The accumulated fatigue from the exams was evident.
But one examinee remained awake…
‘If I sleep… I can’t!’
It was Oh Seorin. Exhausted as she was, she couldn’t afford to fall asleep.
‘Why do I feel tired even in a dream?! I can’t sleep yet! If I do, I’ll wake up in the dream!’
She hadn’t yet reached the successful ending and didn’t want to wake up prematurely.
However, the gentle warmth from the floor made her eyes grow heavy.
‘No, I can’t! I need to go out!’
Seorin jumped up and grabbed a set of clothes—the same coat she had used at the stable.
‘It’s thick enough to block the wind. This will do perfectly.’
Though it was autumn, nights were chilly, especially in the mountains. She quickly put on the coat and stepped outside.
The round moon hung high in the night sky, lighting Hyeeumwon so brightly that the lanterns weren’t needed.
The quiet of the night allowed her to hear the water flowing along the moat surrounding Hyeeumwon.
Seorin decided to walk around Hyeeumwon to fully wake herself up.
‘Ah, there’s a pond on the right side of the grounds.’
According to the map she saw at the visitor center, there was a beautiful rectangular pond with a pavilion near the central gate.
She walked down steps decorated with autumn flowers, turning her head to spot the pavilion by the pond beyond the wall.
“Found it!”
Seorin brightened and made her way toward the pavilion.
“…Mother…”
A boy, looking young and fragile, flailed his hands toward the place engulfed by flames.
No matter how far he reached, no matter how he strengthened his legs, he could not move forward even a single span.
His mother had pushed him and his younger sister out before the house collapsed in the fire.
The hand that had been his lifeline forcibly released and pushed him away.
The young boy, holding his crying sister, could only helplessly watch everything being swallowed by the flames.
