TYMIR Ch 39

“…I’m afraid you’ll get an earful because of me.”

Yoonyi’s hurried steps, which had been diligently following behind, lingered for a good while just before the main gate. The way he kept his shoulders hunched inwards and fidgeted with both hands showed his anxiety with his whole body.

“Is this the first or second time? I told you not to worry.”

Finding that sight, Hyowon, as if nothing was wrong, flashed a cool, wide smile and gently took Yoonyi’s clenched hand.

“…M-Master, you can’t do this here.”

Yoonyi forcefully shook off the warmth that had approached him. Then, he quickly scanned the surroundings and put a couple of steps of distance between them.

“Yoonyi, you are truly cold.”

“Are you trying to joke right now?”

When Hyowon pouted his lips as if to make a point, Yoonyi retorted, his neat eyes glaring quite fiercely. Only then did Hyowon reluctantly stride towards the main gate.

“Aigoo, M-Master, are you just returning now?”

The gatekeeper’s eyelids, which had been drooping over his eyes, shot up in an instant, so high that his forehead wrinkled. He looked as startled as someone who had seen a ghost first thing in the morning.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Actually…”

Hyowon, who was about to casually pass by, quickly stopped his steps and asked again. Just as the gatekeeper was about to move his downturned lips to speak.

“M-Madam.”

The gatekeeper, who saw Madam Han slowly walking out from the inner quarters first, bowed his head low. Only then did Hyowon also bow his head.

“Mother, did you have a peaceful night?”

Madam Han, who barely acknowledged the greeting, suddenly glared with fierce eyes. She scrutinized Hyowon’s figure from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, then finally turned her gaze to Yoonyi, who was standing behind him.

“You scoundrel, as a body servant, what are you doing, not even managing to bring a paper umbrella?”

A chill, as if a north wind were blowing in midwinter, shot through his spine, making it tingle. As Yoonyi’s shoulders flinched in surprise, Hyowon subtly stepped in front of him.

“My apologies, Mother. It seems I failed to bring it in my haste, as I was late for training.”

“As the master, instead of scolding your subordinate, you look busy covering for him again.”

Hyowon stated calmly, without a hint of being flustered. At his composed demeanor, Madam Han’s expression twisted even more fiercely. She let out a scoff and pressed him with an even sharper tone.

“It is not like that. I am merely saying that it is not right to pin the blame on a subordinate simply because he is one.”

Hyowon did not back down one bit. Peeking at that mountain-like back, Yoonyi’s hands instinctively clenched. As the two faced off tensely, the servants coming and going deliberately made a detour, as if to avoid being struck by a stray thunderbolt.

“…Do you even know what happened in the house while you were away?”

Madam Han, who had been silent for a moment, flashed a fierce glint in her eyes. Goosebumps rose along Yoonyi’s back, as if he were facing a predator before its prey. Having no idea what she was about to say, his hand, quietly clutching the hem of his pants, trembled like an aspen leaf.

“Enough, and come inside.”

Suddenly, the door to the master’s quarters opened, and Lord Kim, wearing a jeonggwan on the main wooden floor, murmured coldly. Hyowon bowed his head to Madam Han and turned, and the frozen Yoonyi quickly followed.

“My, my Lord.”

Madam Han’s voice, unable to finish her words and filled with lingering frustration, drifted powerlessly across the courtyard. She glared fiercely at their retreating backs.

🎐⋆｡🍥

The cleanly tidied main master’s room felt unusually cold today. Even though Hyowon had crossed the threshold, Lord Kim said not a single word. He didn’t even offer him a seat, so Hyowon just stood blankly like a wooden totem pole next to the cushion.

“What happened?”

Lord Kim, who had been staring intently at Hyowon with cold, sunken eyes, was the first to speak.

“I am too dull, so I am not sure what you are referring to, Father.”

Hyowon asked while standing ramrod straight, looking down at Lord Kim. Only then did Lord Kim click his tongue, tsk-tsk, and gesture with his chin for him to sit.

“A letter came from Lord Hong’s house.”

As soon as Hyowon sat, Lord Kim’s eyes, filled with coldness, narrowed. In response, Hyowon let out a short breath.

“They want to call off the marriage.”

“Is that so?”

“On that day, both Lord Hong and his daughter seemed to take a liking to you, so I have no idea how they could change their minds overnight.”

Hyowon replied with a bit of force. At that, Lord Kim, as if lost in thought, rested his arm on the thick cushion and slowly stroked his beard. The pitch-black pupils, barely visible beneath his eyelids, still wouldn’t leave Hyowon. It was as if he were monitoring his every single move.

“…They couldn’t have been unaware that you were an illegitimate son.”

Lord Kim’s heavy voice broke the long-held silence. Seoja. That damned seoja. Hyowon gritted his molars so hard they made a grinding sound.

“I suppose they felt it was a waste to give their precious, doted-on only daughter to a seochul who is seen by everyone.”

“What did you say?”

Hyowon answered with a hazy smile, like a cloud covering the moon. At that, the end of Lord Kim’s words rose slightly.

“Is that not so, Father?”

His long, sleek eyes curved gently like a bowstring. At this, Lord Kim couldn’t retort any further and just cleared his throat, ahem, ahem.

“R-Right. Well, as you say, they might not have found you to their liking. Your mother, though, must be getting old, as she was spouting some ridiculous nonsense that only the lowborn would say about such a simple matter.”

Lord Kim, feeling awkward, darted his eyes around before quickly changing the subject. At the sudden mention of Madam Han, Hyowon’s eyes showed a peculiar light.

“Mother…?”

“No, it’s nothing. It’s not something good anyway.”

“It is about me, so I wish to hear it. If it is something that could be a flaw, I must correct it so as not to bring disgrace upon the family.”

When Hyowon gently broached the subject, Lord Kim twisted one corner of his mouth up in an exaggerated manner, showing his distaste. But it was one thing not to hear it at all; now that he had, he couldn’t just let it go. Hyowon straightened his back and stared intently into Lord Kim’s eyes with a composed posture.

“Really? Well, I suppose there’s no harm in being careful about everything. It’s about that boy, Yoonyi. Don’t dote on him so much. No matter how close you’ve been since childhood, a body servant is a body servant. Do you understand?”

At the mention of Yoonyi’s name, the blood that had been boiling felt strangely as if it were cooling from the top of his head down. Who? Since when? And how much did they know? His mind was in such turmoil that he couldn’t properly hear what Lord Kim was saying. Blue veins stood out starkly on the back of his hand, bulging fiercely along his wrist.

“Why is there no answer?”

As Hyowon’s expression hardened in an instant, Lord Kim, finding it strange, craned his neck and stared at his composed figure.

“Yes. I will do so.”

His tightly clenched fist trembled violently. Hyowon managed to lower his voice, letting out a rough breath through his clenched teeth.

“You are inherently brilliant, so I suppose I have nothing to worry about. Then, soon I shall call a matchmaker…”

“No, Father. The preliminary state examination is soon, so I wish to focus on my training at least until then.”

Just as Lord Kim was about to speak with a pleased expression, Hyowon cut him off sharply.

“Is that so? Well, although the military examination may have been degraded to a tool for emancipation, passing is another story, I suppose.”

Lord Kim took a step back with a slightly reluctant expression. Unlike the civil service exam, as Lord Kim said, the military exam had long been open not only to illegitimate sons but also to emancipated commoners. Nevertheless, if he could just pass, there was hope that he could leave with Yoonyi.

“Yes, then I shall return to the small master’s quarters now.”

“Right, you must be tired, so go and get some rest.”

Without even making eye contact, Hyowon stood up first.

“It seems you went hunting this time, not just target practice.”

Lord Kim, who had been blankly watching his grown son’s retreating back, suddenly shifted his gaze to the cushion. On the cushion where Hyowon had been sitting, a strand of fine animal fur, so thin it was almost invisible unless you looked closely, glittered white.

🎐⋆｡🍥

Yoonyi, who was standing guard in front of the main master’s room, couldn’t keep his feet still for a moment, constantly shuffling and fidgeting.

As the younger master grew, Lord Kim showed more generosity towards Hyowon. Not only the people of the household, but even the gossips in the marketplace would whisper that the illegitimate son had ousted the foolish legitimate heir.

But the look in Lord Kim’s eyes today was not that of a father looking at his son, but one filled with contempt, as if he were looking at a mere subordinate. His mouth went dry. Judging by the reaction, it was certain that a message had come from that house…

“Tsk, and he doesn’t even know who caused this mess.”

He was rubbing his sweaty palms on the front of his jeogori. With a tsk-ing sound, a sudden harsh voice pierced his ears. Yoonyi looked up as if bewitched. The gaze of the female servant attending the Lord was twisted and unkind.

“…Are you saying it’s because of me?”

Since Hyowon was reluctant to come to the main master’s quarters in the first place, he himself had no reason to be there either. So, when this person, whom he had only seen in passing, suddenly spoke to him with such hostility, his voice trembled. Yoonyi’s eyes widened until the whites showed as he asked.

“Aish, why is it so dusty.”

The female servant, instead of answering his question, picked up a cleaning rag and, grumbling, began to scrub the wide wooden floorboards vigorously.

“E-Excuse me…”

But it was too unsettling to just let it go. Just as Yoonyi was about to speak again, the firmly closed door opened.

“Oh my, Master.”

The female servant who had been wiping the floor seemed to glare up at Yoonyi before quickly standing up and bowing her head. However, Hyowon didn’t even glance her way and extended his legs down from the veranda. Yoonyi quickly straightened the taesahye shoes placed on the stepping stone for him.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Master.”

At his exceedingly cold attitude, the female servant repeatedly tilted her head in confusion.

“Seeing him act so aloof, maybe it’s not true? I mean, what would the master be lacking?”

Once the two figures were far away, the female servant put down her rag and muttered listlessly.

🎐⋆｡🍥

“So you were all here.”

As he pushed open the side gate, he saw Manseok and Makgae sitting on the edge of the wooden hall. Manseok’s face, always stern and expressionless, was deeply etched with worry that had accumulated in just a day.

The fact that they were guarding the small master’s quarters together even though he hadn’t come wasn’t so bad, and the corner of Hyowon’s mouth, which had been tilted askew, slowly returned to its place.

“Do you know how much this guy got scolded by the Lord yesterday?”

Makgae, who had been looking back and forth between the two with sunken eyes, crumpled his expression and even stuck out his lips in a pout. Seeing him complain before even showing concern, despite his master’s failure to return, left Hyowon’s mood quite unsettled.

“Master, are you not unwell anywhere? By the way, have you met with the Lord?”

As Hyowon’s brow furrowed, Suni quickly stepped forward and cut Makgae off.

“I was just on my way back from seeing him. But, it is a strange thing for Father to come all the way here himself.”

Lord Kim had never once set foot here. Not even when Hyowon was a child, suffering from a severe cold with a fever raging like a ball of fire, hovering on the brink of death. For him to have come simply because of a marriage seemed somehow suspicious. Yoonyi’s hands curled into fists without a sound.

“He asked so fiercely where you had gone, this guy is still, phew, my heart is still pounding.”

Makgae let out a series of sighs, moving his plump lips. At that, Suni repeatedly winced her eyes. As if to say, ‘that’s enough’.

“Did he not ask anything else?”

“…Pardon?”

Hyowon’s gaze, which had been listening silently, darkened like a moonless night. With sunken eyes, he stared intently at Makgae who stood before him. Makgae’s shoulders flinched slightly under the fierce gaze that felt like it could burn his skin, and he soon fell silent.

“He just said that when you arrived, Master, you should go directly to the main master’s quarters.”

“Yes, that’s right, Master.”

Manseok answered calmly in his stead. Then, Suni also nodded as if entranced.

“Alright, if you say so, then it must be so.”

“But, Master. Do you go hunting now?”

As Hyowon’s intensity softened somewhat, Suni approached with a good-natured smile and pointed to the hem of his dopo. A shimmering, thread-like strand of fur was caught there. A fur so fine it was almost invisible unless you looked closely. At the same time, Hyowon’s expression turned cold.

“What’s this?”

As Makgae hesitantly closed the distance and suddenly reached out his hand, Hyowon, without thinking, fiercely slapped his wrist away.

“…M-Master?”

With a sharp smack, Makgae’s wrist bent back limply like a reed in a typhoon. Makgae’s eyes went wide as if he were dumbfounded. The atmosphere instantly turned icy, and looks of shock were plain on everyone’s faces.

“You have a body servant, so why are you putting your hands on me?”

Only then did Hyowon, as if nothing had happened, smile good-naturedly and speak in a joking manner. Even though everyone else laughed, Makgae couldn’t bring himself to, and instead continued to stare blankly at the hand Hyowon had struck.

“That’s true. Yoonyi, what are you doing? You should be the one to pluck it off.”

“My apologies, Master. I was in such a hurry to get here that I didn’t see it.”

Suni nudged the still-standing Yoonyi with her elbow. Only then did Yoonyi’s frozen expression give way to a smile as he busily moved his body.

“Getting lazy like this. This won’t do. Follow me inside at once.”

Hyowon put on a deliberately stern face and strode up onto the wooden veranda.

“Are you really going to scold him?”

“Of course. I’ve lost all my dignity as a nobleman because of this Yoonyi fellow. What are you doing? Hurry up and come in.”

Suni tilted her head as if this were truly an unusual event. Hyowon repeatedly urged him on. Then Yoonyi, saying, “Yes, Master,” leaped onto the veranda in a single bound. The old wooden floor that held the two of them made a creaking sound.

“What’s up?”

Manseok, who was about to leave, casually spoke to Suni, who was standing still as if her straw shoes were glued to the courtyard.

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing, brother. I just don’t think I’ve ever seen the master look so stern before. Anyway, now that I’ve seen he’s back safely, I feel a bit relieved.”

“At most, he’ll just take him inside and give him a few words of reprimand.”

Suni finally turned her gaze away. In any case, the master’s quarters were very lonely without the master. Makgae, who had been listening quietly, was still sulking, his lips pouting like a duck’s.

“You think so? But tell me, is a pure-white wild animal common?”

“Not common,” Manseok, who always carried a rack and climbed the mountains to gather wood, answered curtly to Suni’s question.

“Really? You haven’t seen one either, brother?”

“Nope. Haven’t seen one even once.”

“Sister, what’s with the sudden out-of-the-blue question?”

“No, it’s just that white fur on the master’s robe. I feel like I’ve seen it before.”

“You’ve seen it? Where?”

Makgae, who had been dismissing it as a silly question, suddenly showed a peculiar light in his eyes and asked persistently.

“A long time ago, I think I saw it while tidying up the master’s bedding. I suppose I must be mistaken.”

“Maybe they exist in the mountains the master visits.”

“Is that what happened?”

Unlike the nonchalant Manseok, Makgae wore a somewhat sly smile.

🎐⋆｡🍥

Clear eyes peeked up at the solid back standing in front of them. So intimidated was he that his neat shoulders were drawn tightly inward like an unopened flower bud. When the sound of his dry stockinged feet passed the corridor and reached the door of the master’s room, Hyowon’s steps stopped. The door opened, and a rough hand swiftly grabbed the wrist of the one following behind and pulled him inside.

“…M-Master.”

As Yoonyi’s startled voice trembled powerlessly, Hyowon brought his index finger to his own nose. Only then did Yoonyi give a small nod. The room, with its window open to frame the back mountain like a painting, was gently filled with a damp breeze blowing from the mountain. Hyowon casually checked the surroundings and then buried his face in Yoonyi’s shoulder.

“Master?”

His heart, pressed against him, beat breathtakingly, as if it would explode. At this, Yoonyi, with his round eyes, looked down quietly at Hyowon.

“I was truly startled. Who would have known that fellow Makgae’s eyes were so sharp?”

Hyowon murmured as if whispering. A dark shadow was cast over his handsome face.

“My apologies, I should have been more careful…”

The white fur must have gotten on him when he briefly lost consciousness in the cave. To think he hadn’t noticed it while following behind all this time. His heart grew heavy, wondering if he had added to his master’s worries.

“No. How could it be your fault? No matter how carefully I brushed myself off, it must have clung on because you, Yoonyi, like me so much.”

Yoonyi whispered, his face looking as if he had committed a great sin and was about to wither and crumble at any moment. Only then did Hyowon slowly pull away, cupping that slender face in both his hands, and said in a playful tone.

“…If only I weren’t a fox.”

Still not feeling better, his gaze fell limply to his feet. Through his slightly parted lips, resentful words finally spilled out. Hyowon, who had been watching him quietly, slowly tilted his head.

As their lips met, a hot piece of flesh pushed in like a rising tide, persistently and sensuously probing the gap between his closed lips. Then, it suddenly began to suck on Yoonyi’s tongue fiercely. Just like a suckling baby at the breast.

“…Hngh.”

As a tingling sensation resonated through his entire body, so intense that the root of his tongue ached, a moan escaped him involuntarily.

“How could you say such things?”

Only then did Hyowon slowly pull away. Yoonyi’s face, which had been as pale as jade, instantly flushed red.

“M-Master. Why, all of a sudden…”

Yoonyi quickly covered his cheek with the back of his hand, panting for breath.

“When I first saw you, Yoonyi, I thought you were a celestial maiden who had fallen from the sky.”

“…Pardon?”

Hyowon paced slowly around the room. The dopo he wore on his tall, well-over-six-foot frame fluttered lightly with every movement. His figure somehow resembled a kite flying freely in the sky. Yoonyi, who had been staring at him blankly, belatedly moved his lips to speak.

“The way you were trembling from the cold, and then in an instant, turned into a ball of soft fur right before my eyes, was so mysterious and lovely.”

Hyowon’s steps, which had been circling around, gradually slowed, and his red lips finally parted.

“I-I won’t say such things again, so, p-please stop.”

As a playful look instantly spread across his handsome, powerfully drawn face like an ink wash painting, Yoonyi quickly rushed over, covered his mischievous lips with his hand, and shook his head wildly. Through the small gap, a hissing sound of escaping air continuously burst out.

“But…”

“Is there something else you wish to say?”

When Hyowon paused slightly, Yoonyi stealthily raised his eyes. His innocent, moist eyes sparkled like jewels. In this state where he was already so frightened, he couldn’t bring himself to tell him about Lord Kim. They had only just confirmed their feelings for each other; was there any need to add to his worries?

“Still, just in case, it would be best to be careful for a while.”

Gently taking the small hand in his, Hyowon’s voice suddenly deepened. At the sound, which rumbled firmly like a cave, Yoonyi’s smile faded, and he nodded slightly.

“I will. Since there are many eyes watching, how about we keep some distance? I will also be mindful not to accidentally turn into a fox.”

Yoonyi, who seemed to be lost in thought, abruptly added another sentence. The fact that he wasn’t the least bit wary seemed to indicate that, thankfully, he hadn’t caught on yet.

“Truly a pity. To think that I won’t be able to see that fluffy, cotton-like form.”

The seriousness was brief; Hyowon let out a sigh of relief and soon leaned his head against the straight shoulder, whispering intimately. He could feel his breath fully, and the characteristic rustling sound of the gat hat could be heard.

“You’re teasing me again. You’re still like a child.”

Yoonyi’s eyes narrowed instantly as he glared.

“If you see me that way, won’t you find me even cuter?”

“Pardon?”

“If I had my way, I would want to kiss you every day and wake up with you every day.”

Hyowon replied, gently stroking the slightly upturned corner of his eye.

“It will surely be so after just one season passes, so what are you so worried about?”

A gentle, spring-breeze-like tone, as if soothing a child, lingered in his ears.

“Do you say that even though you know how long I have waited?”

“Please be patient a little longer. It’s just that there’s nothing I can do for you, and that weighs on my mind.”

What could he be thinking in that small head of his? His head tilted down slightly. Hyowon, who had been staring at the round top of his head, suddenly lifted his slender chin.

“What do you mean, there’s nothing you can do? Just staying by my side is a great source of strength.”

Hyowon slowly shook his head. As his low voice repeatedly lingered in his ear, the corners of Yoonyi’s eyes grew moist. Suddenly, a head tilted lightly, approached, and captured his lips. The grip on their clasped hands tightened.