TFYOPWRO 02

Chapter 02

Did he drown or something? Why is his entire body soaking wet like that?

Suppressing the terror that made it hard to breathe, Eun-hye nodded her head as if she hadn’t seen anything, even holding her breath.

Then, keeping her gaze lowered, she spoke in a voice that carried considerable dignity.

“Arata. I’ll leave it to you as well. You may leave now.”

Bak Sang-gung, smiling as if to say she had done very well, looked back at this court lady and lightly nodded for her to leave.

This court lady bowed once more to Eun-hye and began walking backwards towards the door, demurely.

But then, the young boy carried on the court lady’s back suddenly hopped down! And then, with a strange, limping gait, he started approaching Eun-hye!

“Gasp!”

At the sight of the boy approaching her with a bizarre stride that seemed both lame and dragging, Eun-hye bit her trembling chin deeply and clenched her fists tightly.

Then she called out loudly to Bak Sang-gung, who stood beside her.

“Yumo!”

“Yes! Yes, Agassi, is there another command you wish to give?”

Startled, Bak Sang-gung quickly bowed and replied. Eun-hye immediately lay back down on the thick silk mat behind her and squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’m sleepy.”

At that moment, this court lady, who was just about to step over the threshold, looked up at Eun-hye, who had lain back, with startled eyes.

“…?”

“Tsk!”

As Bak Sang-gung glared at that sight with narrowed eyes, this court lady, flustered, tucked her head in like a turtle and quickly hurried outside.

After confirming that both the paper-door and the wooden door were closed, Bak Sang-gung finally rushed to Eun-hye’s side and bent down.

“Agassi, are you unwell?!”

Over the shoulder of Bak Sang-gung, who was carefully touching her forehead with a worried face, the young boy with sunken, pitch-black eyes peeked his head out!

Eun-hye, who had slightly opened her eyes, swallowed hard at the goosebumps rising all over her body and squeezed her eyes shut again.

“No, I’m just drowsy.”

Into Eun-hye’s ears then came a terrible voice, like the sound of metal scraping against metal.

[Princess, can you see me?]

“Princess Agassi, are you alright?”

Through the darkness behind her tightly shut eyes, the voices of her wet nurse and the boy ghost came simultaneously, but Eun-hye couldn’t open her eyes.

Those terrifyingly frightful, pitch-black eyes that felt like they were right in front of her face…!

Bak Sang-gung, with a shocked expression, tightly held Eun-hye’s cold hand, trembling like an aspen leaf as she lay on the cushion.

“Agassi, I shall call the royal physician!”

At Bak Sang-gung’s words about calling the doctor, Eun-hye kept her eyes squeezed shut and answered, deliberately yawning loudly.

“Yaaawn. No, it’s okay. It must be because I woke up too early today. I’ll just sleep a bit, so Yumo, you go out too.”

Bak Sang-gung scanned the room, where she could see nothing, with a stern expression.

You wicked thing! Why don’t you quickly retreat!

Surely, she had seen something from that court lady from Saenggwa-bang earlier.

My poor Agassi…!

Bak Sang-gung’s hands trembled involuntarily as she opened a chest and took out a silk blanket. But knowing that showing her own fear would only frighten the young princess more, Bak Sang-gung covered her with the blanket with gentle hands and spoke in her usual tone.

“That’s right. You must be very tired, having woken up before Myosi (5 AM) to prepare for the morning greetings. This servant will quickly cover you with the blanket, so please sleep for about an hour.”

At Bak Sang-gung’s words, Eun-hye, keeping her eyes tightly shut, fluttered her small hand.

“Yeah, that would be good. I’ll only sleep a little, so you go out.”

Eun-hye yawned long, as if very tired. If she didn’t do that, she felt like a scream would burst out.

“Yes, Agassi. This servant will stand guard outside the door, so please call whenever you need.”

“Mm.”

Unsure if the boy ghost was still nearby, the chin of Eun-hye, who replied, trembled finely at the still-felt chill. Seeing Eun-hye like this, Bak Sang-gung squeezed her eyes shut tight, then opened them.

So, some unknown wicked thing is still in the room.

After carefully tucking the blanket up to Eun-hye’s chest, Bak Sang-gung asked again, her voice filled with worry and concern.

“Agassi, shall this servant stay by your side, at least until you fall asleep?”

Though her small chin trembled and her complexion had even paled, her young charge shook her head with her eyes tightly shut.

“No, it’s okay. Yumo, hurry out and tend to your work.”

Ah, what shall I do with our Agassi.

Why did Heaven allow such a lovely Agassi to see these wicked things?

Bak Sang-gung tightly held her small hand, which had turned as cold as ice.

“Then please rest. This servant will return shortly.”

Sensing Bak Sang-gung rise, Eun-hye pulled the soft silk blanket up over her head. With sad eyes watching her, Bak Sang-gung bowed slightly and then backed quietly towards the door.

Eun-hye’s fingertips, gripping the blanket pulled up over her head, trembled finely. Her small chest, with eyes squeezed shut, also rose and fell heavily.

***

Was that boy ghost gone now?

Since I said I was sleeping, he must have followed that court lady outside, right?

Please let it be so. Eun-hye’s small heart thumped loudly, and the air inside the blanket seemed to warm with her breath, eyes tightly shut.

After a short time, Eun-hye cautiously opened her eyes a sliver and slowly looked around left and right.

Sometimes there were very wicked ghosts that would poke their faces inside the blanket, so after carefully checking her surroundings, relieved to find nothing beside her, Eun-hye slowly lowered the blanket she had been clutching down to her face.

Feeling the cool outside air rush into her nose, Eun-hye took a deep breath and blinked, looking at the ceiling.

‘Thank goodness. He must have followed that court lady outside.’

Letting out a long sigh of relief, Eun-hye, still lying down, turned her head towards the door…

Ah…!

He was there.

Right where Bak Sang-gung had been standing just moments before! A boy with a dark blue face and frightening eyes stood there, looking at her!

Startled almost to the point of screaming, Eun-hye held her breath and turned her body to the opposite side, pretending nothing was wrong.

‘Scary…! What do I do?’

Hot tears soon welled up in Eun-hye’s eyes as she looked at the flower painting on the folding screen.

‘Mother, I’m scared.’

Her two small, plump hands tightly gripped the blanket lowered to her chest. Hot tears, bursting from her tightly shut eyes again, flowed down the corners of her eyes.

[Why are you crying?]

Hic!

The sudden sound like scraping metal. So startled, Eun-hye simply stopped breathing altogether.

[Are you really the princess? Then why are you such a coward?]

Eun-hye’s lips and the tip of her small chin, with eyes squeezed shut, trembled violently.

[Strange. Can’t you hear me? I was sure you saw me earlier… Princess, you can see me, right?]

The voice was clear, as if whispering directly into her ear. Despite shuddering with goosebumps all over, Eun-hye did not open her tightly shut eyes.

But then, the presence of the boy ghost beside her suddenly moved far away, and an annoyed muttering was heard.

[Huh? Where is my sister going again?]

And then, the boy’s presence gradually faded…

Some time passed.

Eun-hye, who had been lying on her side with her eyes closed, slowly opened them. And moving only her pupils, she checked the surroundings again. The chill had lessened, so it seemed the boy ghost from before had gone far away.

Sister? Then was that boy ghost the younger brother of that court lady from Saenggwa-bang earlier?

She didn’t know why he became a ghost and was carried by his sister, but it seemed this boy ghost couldn’t stray far from her.

Finally calming her pounding heart, Eun-hye slowly sat up and surveyed the room once more.

He’s really gone. Thank goodness.

Sitting up, blinking her frightened eyes, Eun-hye swallowed dryly, recalling the voice that had spoken to her just moments ago.

The chilling voice, like metal scraping together, had echoed as if speaking inside a cave.

A cave… Why would a child’s voice have such a resonance?

Lost in such thoughts, Eun-hye pouted her lips and looked towards the door.

Although he had followed the court lady away for now, who knew when or how that boy ghost might reappear?

As long as that court lady was in the Saenggwa-bang, the kitchen of the separate palace that was her residence, that ghost could appear again anytime.

Perhaps he might even return soon.

Eun-hye quickly pushed the blanket aside and sprang to her feet. She felt she needed to quickly run away to a place where that ghost couldn’t find her.

Or maybe, she should go to Mother and ask her to send that court lady away again? No, then Mother would be sad again, right?

The plump back of Eun-hye’s clenched fist became rigid.

First, let’s get out of here. Who knows when that water ghost might come back? Let’s go somewhere far from my palace and think about what to do.

Taking her eyes off the door, Eun-hye looked up at the small window above the long chest of drawers against the right wall.

If she could climb up there, she could push open that small window. Let’s go out that way.

Having made her decision, Eun-hye got up and went to stand before the long chest under the window. But even standing on the chest, it seemed she wouldn’t be tall enough to reach the window.

Then… looking around, Eun-hye’s eyes fell on the dressing table next to the low writing desk.

Ah! That’s it!

If she put the dressing table on top of the chest and stood on it, she could reach the window.

Grunting with effort, Eun-hye carried the dressing table from beside the desk towards the chest. Careful not to let the sound of her movement be heard outside the door, she tiptoed cautiously.

Finally reaching the chest, Eun-hye struggled to lift the dressing table, managed to place it on top, and looked towards the door. Fortunately, it seemed no sound had been heard from outside.

***

[Are you really the princess? You can see me, right?]

***

It felt like that chilling voice might ring in her ears again any moment.

Flailing her short legs, huffing and puffing, Eun-hye climbed onto the chest and stretched both arms up.

Just as she thought, her arms were far too short to push the window open.

Sighing softly as if she expected this, Eun-hye pulled the dressing table next to her and placed one small slippered foot on it. It was a precarious sight, as if the dressing table might slide off the chest at any moment.

But once both feet were on the dressing table, Eun-hye smiled satisfactorily as her hands touched the window.

“Got it.”

Standing on tiptoe on the dressing table, she put strength into her arms and pushed the window. Finally, it slid open a little.

Eun-hye thrust her body with all her might into that small gap.

Heave-ho!

Then, the middle of Eun-hye’s small body seemed to get stuck in the open gap of the window, and whoops!

She ended up in a funny position, dangling, caught in the middle of the window.

Her face turning bright red, Eun-hye leaned forward, putting more strength into her arms and shoulders. Then, her small head and shoulders tipped downwards!

“Whoa!”

Thump!

Into the bush of yellow flowers blooming profusely in the flower bed below the window, a lump of pink silk skirt tumbled down.