🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 10
Han Seojae
The Han Seojae, scorched and collapsed by fire, had lost the gentle dignity it once possessed and now crouched in the darkness like a hideous ruin.
Since it seemed unlikely she would ever return again once the shop was sold and she left, Iseo came to Han Seojae late at night.
The fallen beams and charred pillars brought back the nightmare from eleven years ago. With a bitter ache in her chest, Iseo slowly walked inside.
Between the collapsed annex and main quarters, the place felt so desolate it seemed as though something might leap out at any moment, but Iseo did not hesitate or feel fear.
After pausing briefly to stare blankly at the main quarters once used by her grandfather and father, Iseo soon moved toward the detached building in the back garden where her own room had been.
The annex too had been blackened and collapsed by the fire, but the plum trees and irises in the small garden in front of it had grown even more lush over the long years without anyone tending them. The plum tree was heavy with fruit this year as well, and the iris petals along the wall shimmered in the moonlight.
Those years spent here had been the most peaceful and beautiful of her entire life.
Just as Iseo reached out toward the plums, she realized someone was beneath the tree and jumped back in shock.
“Who are you?”
“And who are you to be plucking fruit from someone else’s property so carelessly?”
As the man hidden in the shadow of the tree stood up, moonlight spilled over the gat on his head. Even at a glance, his clothing marked him as a man of high status. The hat glimmered as if newly made, and both the jade fasteners and the beautifully patterned robe were far from ordinary.
“This house is….”
The words “my house” stuck in Iseo’s throat before she could say them.
“Even if it looks abandoned, this is still a house with an owner. You should not enter so freely and try to take things for yourself.”
At the man’s words, Iseo lifted her bowed head.
“The owner, you say?”
“Oh my, a thief and so curious as well.”
Ryun clicked his tongue. The little fellow had been sneaking around trying to pick plums, and he had intended to pretend not to notice. But then the boy had noticed him first and jumped in surprise.
He had planned to give him a warning, but unexpectedly the thief seemed full of curiosity as well.
“I bought this house recently.”
“Sir, do you know what kind of house this is?”
“Ha! What nonsense.”
Ryun clicked his tongue again. Not only was he a thief, he was overly nosy as well. What an audacious little thief.
“It used to be the residence of Lord Hwang Yoonseok, who once held the post of magistrate. Do you think I would not know that before buying it?”
“But—”
He had been accused of treason and had not yet been posthumously reinstated.
But again, Iseo could not bring herself to say it aloud. She feared her identity might be exposed, and besides, knowing about events from eleven years ago would only make her seem suspicious.
If he seemed to recognize her grandfather, then he likely knew what had happened to this house—but the man before her showed no concern for any of that.
Just how important a nobleman was he, to behave so casually? A spark of interest flickered in Iseo’s eyes.
“Tch, stop talking nonsense and leave if you know what’s good for you. For a thief, you talk far too much.”
Ryun waved his fan irritably.
Just as he was speaking with great authority, his stomach growled.
Because he had spent the whole day running about, skipping both lunch and dinner, his body seemed to be protesting. It was a deeply undignified sound.
He could feel the small thief staring at him. Beneath the moonlight, the boy’s pale, round forehead and clear eyes made him seem not particularly ill-intentioned, but Ryun snapped in embarrassment.
“You little—why are you still here? Get lost!”
“Sir, have you eaten dinner?”
“What? And what if I haven’t? It is none of your concern. Leave quietly while I am still letting you go. If you do not leave my house immediately, I will report you to the authorities. Now go.”
But the thief seemed not to hear him and instead set down the bag of plums he had been picking and rummaged through his clothes.
“Would you like this? It is cloud rice cakes and rice balls I made earlier today. They are still soft and should be fine to eat.”
Iseo held out a bundle of rice cakes wrapped in oiled paper. Then she pulled out a small flask from her bundle and offered it as well.
When Ryun only stared without taking them, Iseo shook the flask insistently.
“It is sikhye. If you only eat the rice cakes, you may get indigestion, so please drink this with it.”
Still suspicious, Ryun did not move, so Iseo urged him again, now visibly anxious.
“Please try it. This time I even added pumpkin, so it should help with digestion.”
Ryun looked down at the neatly wrapped rice cakes in his hand. He avoided eating anything carelessly because people often tried to poison him or play tricks on him.
His mother, the Queen Dowager, had also been growing thinner and weaker, likely for the same reason.
But this clumsy yet strangely bold thief did not seem like that kind of person. It was an unfounded judgment, but in her eyes as she urged him to eat, there was excitement and curiosity rather than malice. He could sense the warmth of someone who takes joy in cooking—consideration and sincerity rather than harm.
Almost as if pushed by that gaze, Ryun took a small bite of the rice cake. His eyes widened slightly.
“Did you make this?”
“Yes! How is it? It was made with freshly pounded glutinous rice, so the flavor is especially rich and nutty.”
Without realizing it, Ryun stuffed the rest of the rice cake into his mouth. Walnuts, chestnuts, jujubes, and pine nuts blended together, filling his mouth with deep, savory richness.
Watching him, Iseo eagerly held out the flask.
“Please drink this as well. It will help if your throat feels dry.”
Ryun took a sip. A gentle sweetness and the earthy aroma of pumpkin spread through his mouth. It was a taste his mother liked.
“Hmm.”
He paused mid-drink, and Iseo asked worriedly, “Is it not to your taste?”
“No. Did you also make this?”
“Yes.”
Iseo nodded proudly.
“Do you perhaps live in this village?”
Ryun asked. He had told Dan-yang to keep the young Lord Iseo in place, but one could never be sure with people. This clever thief’s skills seemed useful, so it would not hurt to keep him nearby.
“Yes, I did… but I will be leaving soon. I came here to pick the last of these plums and make plum syrup to take with me. These trees produce the finest plums in the area.”
In truth, Iseo intended to make plum tea and drink it whenever she thought of Han Seojae after leaving far away. But she could not say that outright.
“I see. Then it cannot be helped. Thanks to you, I have filled my stomach, so I will give you a gift.”
After finishing the rice cakes, Ryun stood up and began picking plums. Even though Iseo was not short, once Ryun stood, the bright moon was hidden by his hat and his long sleeves swept down, making it feel as though the world was suddenly filled only with him.
As Iseo stared up blankly, Ryun smiled.
“Having eaten good food, it is only right to repay the kindness, is it not?”
As he reached up to pick plums, the wide sleeves of his robe covered Iseo’s night sky.
The fruit he gathered quickly filled a single pouch and more. Even then, many plums remained on the tree.
Looking at the plums in his hand, Ryun said, “Are you leaving far away?”
Iseo herself did not know. She simply wanted to leave. She had no plan for where to go or how.
When she only looked at him in silence, Ryun spoke again.
“Then how about this? There are quite a few plums, so it will be difficult for you to carry any more. If you are going somewhere nearby, come again anytime to pick more. I should repay you for filling my stomach.”
“I appreciate your words, but this is more than enough.”
Though she had sneaked in, this had once felt like her home, and the fact that it now had a new owner left Iseo feeling a quiet sadness. Still, now that she knew someone owned it, she could not continue coming and going.
“I am sorry for intruding without knowing there was an owner. Please consider the food my apology. Even without that, I am already satisfied just seeing you enjoy it.”
Iseo bowed her head, accepting the heavy pouch. Then she quickly glanced around and offered a final farewell to Han Seojae.
In many ways, it was truly the last time. She would not return here again, and now that a new owner existed, it no longer had anything to do with her. Only the memories of her childhood would remain.
“Thank you for the plums.”
After finishing her farewell, Iseo turned away.
“Wait!”
It was a purely impulsive decision that made him call out to the figure disappearing into the darkness. Iseo, fading into the shadows, stopped and looked back as if asking what it was.
“If you ever come to Hanyang… around this time of year, when the plums are ready to be picked… you are welcome to come here anytime.”
Even though her face could not be seen in the darkness, he could tell she was smiling.
Iseo bowed once more and disappeared into the distance.
Ryun stared at the small, white figure until it could no longer be seen, until the darkness fully swallowed the place where she had stood. When the moon emerged from behind the clouds again, there was no trace of her left.
Only the flask lying beside him remained as proof that someone had been there.
Ryun suddenly felt a strange emptiness. Just moments ago, he had been enjoying the night alone under the moon, but now the same moon no longer felt elegant—it felt lonely.
“I suppose I should head back now.”
As he stood up and brushed himself off, something white where Iseo had stood caught his eye. He picked it up—it was a worn cotton handkerchief. So worn that the weave was so loose his palm could be seen through it, yet it was neatly folded, reflecting its owner’s character.
‘What a soft-hearted little rascal.’
Ryun clicked his tongue and tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve. Such a scrap of old cloth was useless to him, and he would likely never meet that peculiar thief again—but for some reason, he could not bring himself to leave it behind.
