TMTISTBH CH 3

Bae Hon-yeong. The only son of Bae Jin-sa, a landowning scholar from Jamsong Village.

My lifelong enemy is the Third Prince, Tae Seon, but my first ill-fated connection was Bae Hon-yeong.

Jamsong Village, where I spent my childhood, wasn’t too far from the capital, but a rugged mountain of jagged rocks blocked the path, making it less frequented than other villages of similar distance. With no reason for other noble families to settle in such an isolated place, the Bae clan, who had first established themselves there, had wielded their influence for generations.

Technically, the Bae family were lower-class noble. But as the saying goes, ‘In the Mountain without a tiger, a rabbit plays the role of the king’^[1]. Within Jamsong Village, their power was immense. Most of the villagers had ties to the Baes in some way, and my family was no exception.

My mother made a living doing needlework for the Bae household, and as soon as I was old enough, I was assigned as Bae Hon-yeong’s personal servant, tasked with accompanying him to his academy in Seungwon Village next door. Around this time, he was preparing for the civil servant examination in hopes of entering the Imperial Academy.

There was a point when I vaguely thought that if Bae Hon-yeong passed the exam, I might follow him to the capital. But he failed spectacularly. His already arrogant nature grew more violent, and he began indulging in debauchery. It was around then that he set his evil sights on me.

His parents, of course, would never allow their son to take a male concubine before even marrying a wife. One night, when he tried to assault me by force, I managed to fight him off and escape. That night, I realized I could no longer stay in Jamsong Village and left for good.

The place where I hid my identity and sought refuge was the Grand Prince Tacheol’s Gwangya Palace. But even after I entered the imperial court, Bae Hon-yeong, now a pawn of the Thirteenth Prince Tae Suwol, continued to obstruct me at every turn, even dragging Ye-seol into the palace’s political strife.

He was also the first person I ever killed.

“What are you standing around for? Hurry up and come out.”

Impatient as ever, Bae Hon-yeong turned his back and started walking ahead.

“I told you, there’s a welcome banquet today, so I have to leave early. We’re already late.”

I followed Bae Hon-yeong toward the Bae family estate.

Despite returning after decades, the memories of that place came back to me as vividly as if it had only been yesterday. I silently look around Jamsong Village, memorizing the road.

The roads I grew up walking, the road I ran away on, and the road I would have to leave again.

***

Bae Hon-yeong stopped at the stables. Inside the largest stall stood a magnificent horse with a glossy black mane, pawing the ground and looking down at him with arrogant eyes.

But the horse was unprepared, and Bae Hon-yeong lost his temper. Throwing his temper to the servant.

“I told you to have everything ready beforehand!”

“I-I’m terribly sorry, Young Master. But today, Moonbyeok has been particularly uncooperative…”

Bae Hon-yeong possessed a horse unbefitting of him—a remarkable horse, one that could rival those owned by the imperial princes. It was as fierce as it was capable, notoriously difficult to handle.

In-ho was the only one it allowed to hold its reins. Yet even for him, coaxing it into anything beyond a slow pace had been impossible. Still, that was enough for Bae Hon-yeong, who delighted in showing off by riding Moonbyeok to the academy with In-ho trailing behind like a servant.

“You stupid bastard! This is why you never treat slaves too well. Leave them alone for two days, and everything goes to shit!”

“I will prepare it myself.”

In-ho stepping in before Bae Hon-yeong could kick the servant’s stomach in anger again, he took the reins from the servant. In-ho approached, he locked eyes with Moonbyeok’s deep black pupils and gently stroked its neck.

“Shhh…Easy….”

Moonbyeok, who had been glaring, snorted before lowering its head in submission. In-ho was surprised—it had never been this obedient before, even when bribed with carrots, it was never this gentle.

Now, I finally understood why Moonbyeok had always listened to me. The imperial princes, the rightful masters of divine beasts, possessed an innate affinity with animals. And Moonbyeok must have sensed it in me long ago.

“How could it be so well-behaved yet refuse to listen?”

“Young Master, I swear, I really—”

“Making up excuses just to avoid punishment? That’s even worse. I’ll deal with you when I return. Wait for me.”

Bae Hon-yeong scolded and chased away the bowed servant, then he turned his gaze to In-ho. In-ho wasn’t the talkative type to begin with, but today, his demeanor felt noticeably different. He seemed more mature—calmer, like the quiet depths of the night sea.

“I’m ready.”

When Bae Hon-yeong eyes met with In-ho, he averted his gaze with a huff, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. 

‘What was he thinking, getting flustered over a mere servant?’

***

They arrived at Seungwon Academy, where Bae Hon-yeong dismounted with my help. A young nobleman came out to greet him with a warm smile.

“Hon-yeong! You said you’d be early for the welcome banquet, but you took so long that I was starting to worry something happened.”

“My preparations were delayed. It’s all the fault of my useless servants. I should have my father replace them all.”

“Hahaha. Be generous. With a horse like Moonbyeok, you could cover two days’ travel in just one.”

“Well, being a little late is nothing when I’m riding Moonbyeok. In-ho, tie the horse up and come in later.”

“Yes, sir.”

In-ho led Moonbyeok to the stables. Unlike before, when it despised being tied up, today it stood still, obedient even without pressure on the reins. Watching its bright, intelligent eyes, In-ho waited until no one was around before placing a hand on its broad back and jumping up. Since he was still short, he almost slipped, but Moonbyeok bent its knees slightly to catch him.

Despite having grown up in Jamsong Village with no proper training, Moonbyeok easily guided it through a light trot, then tapped its side with one hand on the reins—prompting it to lift its front legs in a controlled rear.

A truly exceptional horse, one that moved as if reading its master’s mind.

But the problem is Moobyeok wasn’t like this before. Attracting attention in Jamsong Village would do In-ho no favors. Bae Hon-yeong would fail the exam again in this life, and the imperial court would issue a bounty on In-ho’s head. Until the time came to leave Jamsong and escape the imperial trackers, everything had to remain quiet.

In-ho got off the horse then stroked Moonbyeok’s mane and murmured in a low voice.

“Don’t draw unnecessary attention. Act the same as before.”

If it refused to obey, In-ho planned to cripple its leg or tongue to make it appear defective. Fortunately, Moonbyeok was smarter than he’d expected. Though it followed his silent commands through the reins, it feigned disobedience by gnashing its teeth and shaking its head.

***

When In-ho returned to the academy, he saw a group of students gathered in conversation. A boy with a slightly awkward expression sat among them. The welcoming party was probably held for him tonight. Yet the one speaking the loudest was Bae Hon-yeong, as if he were the guest of honor.

“Next month, a very important guest is visiting our estate. A high-ranking official from the capital. I might even get to stay at his residence while preparing for the civil servant exam.”

“Wow, Bae Jin-sa’s influence is truly remarkable!”

“It’s nearly impossible to find a good place to stay during the exam season, but Hon-yeong doesn’t need to worry about food or shelter, so he can focus entirely on studying!”

“I owe it all to my father.”

Bae Hon-yeong turned his gaze toward the new student.

“Speaking of which, what about you? Are you taking the civil servant exam next year? Oh, I haven’t even asked your name yet.”

Until now, Bae Hon-yeong hadn’t given him a chance to speak, but now he finally turned to face him and asked for his name. The awkward man, who had been stiff all along, answered with a respectful attitude.

“My name is Myeon Yuwon, son of the magistrate of Sawihyeon”

In-ho, who had been with the servants and attendants behind the main gate, was startled and looked up.

Did he just hear Myeon Yuwon? Why is he here?

“Sawihyeon? How did you end up all the way here from such a distant place?”

“It’s a small matter.”

“We’ll be competing together then. Since you’re still young, you’ll have many chances to try again, so don’t feel pressured—let’s study together.”

Despite Bae Hon-yeong’s childish provocation, Myeon Yuwon simply smiled politely. In-ho stared intently at Myeon Yuwon’s side profile.

Saewihyeon was a region known for its prison where criminals from all over the country were kept, so it was often looked down upon when someone was from there. However, Myeon Yuwon’s father, Hyun-seung, held a position far higher than Bae Hon-yeong’s, yet Bae Hon-yeong, that fool, seemed to have decided to disregard Myeon Yuwon simply because of his origin.

In the past life, Myeon Yuwon had been a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Rites, a mild-tempered man whose presence barely left an impression. Yet now, he was here, in Seungwon Academy, years before he should have entered the bureaucratic world.

But what really puzzled In-ho was why Myeon Yuwon was even here, in this small village’s school. The only reason In-ho knew of him was because of his brother.

Myeon Hyun-seung’s eldest son, Myeon Yuhun, was known to be an unparalleled genius in studies. However, because he followed his father’s loyalty to the second prince, Taegak, he fell out of favor with Prince Taeseon… and I killed him.