NTH 95

Over the course of a month, Meoru and Sonyeong grew even closer. During that time, another new moon and another full moon passed. Now, only two rituals remained until the Crown Prince turned twenty.

Meoru constantly mulled over how he could get Sonyeong out of the palace.

When he saw Sonyeong heading to the shrine, he would secretly follow him and wait for his work to finish. Then, they would share their affection on a soft straw mat that he had laid out.

Though the number of times they shared their bodies had increased, Sonyeong was still prickly and not particularly proactive. Still, his body was honest, and it was gradually being tamed by Meoru’s touch. Meoru could now tell, even with his eyes closed, exactly where and how to touch Sonyeong to make him feel good.

Then one day, Meoru secretly entered the kitchen. He had been planning to steal a few sweet potatoes to roast with Sonyeong over a bonfire. Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from outside the door. Meoru quickly hid himself behind some grain sacks.

The person who opened the door and entered was Sangdol, an elderly servant who managed the kitchen. But there was someone else with him. It was the Grand Tutor. Meoru frowned, having never imagined he would see him in a place like this.

Sangdol firmly bolted the wooden door and lowered his voice to speak.

“We’ve nearly run out of the precious medicinal herbs brought from the palace. At this rate, we won’t be able to prepare the restorative tonic for His Highness.”

“That is what I need to speak with you urgently about.”

“Shall this lowly one go to the palace and fetch some more herbs?”

“No, that is not it. How many people in total do you prepare the restorative tonics for?”

“Three people, sir. His Highness the Crown Prince, you, the Grand Tutor, and Mr. Gukbok.”

“Then, starting today, reduce it to two people.”

“Pardon? If you mean to reduce it, who….”

Meoru held his breath, waiting for the Grand Tutor’s lips to part. The Grand Tutor spoke in a resolute voice.

“Gukbok, of course.”

When Sangdol, with a bewildered expression, could not answer, the Grand Tutor continued.

“He will not live long anyway. It is no use for him to be taking restorative tonics at this point.”

“Oh my… has someone so young contracted some kind of illness?”

“That is not it.”

Meoru wanted to leap out that very instant and wring the Grand Tutor’s neck. But he needed to hear more about the shocking statement that Sonyeong would not live long. Meoru clenched his fists tightly and waited. The Grand Tutor spoke in a dry tone, devoid of any emotion.

“Gukbok has been fighting against the wicked spirits targeting His Highness the Crown Prince for a long time. Recently, he has been using a certain spell to make the ghosts recognize someone else as His Highness. The substitute he is using for that is the servant boy I brought, Meoru.”

“I… I see.”

“I had originally planned to let Meoru fall ill.”

“Yes…?”

“The more those wicked things fixate on the talisman, the safer His Highness will become, will he not? Whether he is possessed by a ghost and goes blind or loses his mind, honestly, the world will not change if one lowly creature dies. But His Highness the Crown Prince is different. He is the sole legitimate heir of this nation’s royal family.”

“…”

“However, Gukbok has disobeyed my orders and is fighting with all his might to keep that boy in perfect condition. He does this, all while knowing full well that chunks of his own life are being shaved off and sent to the underworld each time. Could such a person live for long? It would be a relief if he even manages to hold on until His Highness turns twenty. Therefore, the restorative tonics are useless.”

Sangdol simply stood listening, his hands respectfully clasped and his head bowed. The Grand Tutor warned in a stern voice.

“You must maintain absolute silence about all of this. If any unsettling rumors spread within the temple from now on, I will consider them all to have leaked from your lips. And what do you think will happen to your wife, children, and grandchildren you left behind in the capital? I believe you know well enough without me having to spell it out.”

Sangdol jumped in alarm and waved his hands.

“Goodness, please do not say such things. I will absolutely, not utter a single word, sir.”

“I will trust only you. From this moment on, when you prepare Gukbok’s medicine, just put in whatever is suitable to make the color and scent similar. The saying ‘what you don’t know can’t hurt you’ does not exist for no reason, after all.”

“I will do as you command, sir.”

Having finished their conversation, the Grand Tutor and Sangdol opened the door and went outside. Blood seeped from Meoru’s lower lip, which he had bitten down on hard.

Meoru kicked open the kitchen door and ran like the wind. He had to see Sonyeong right away. The words that came from the Grand Tutor’s mouth echoed in his ears like a refrain.

「Gukbok has disobeyed my orders and is fighting with all his might to keep that boy in perfect condition. He does this, all while knowing full well that chunks of his own life are being shaved off and sent to the underworld each time.」

So that was it. That might be why Sonyeong was so exhausted every day after a ritual. Just how arduous a battle must it be if it shaved away his lifespan?

The Grand Tutor’s words, which he had just overheard, delivered a great shock to Meoru. He was not surprised to learn that he had originally been brought here to serve as the Crown Prince’s substitute, as he already knew that. However, he had never dreamed that the Grand Tutor thought of Sonyeong as an expendable pawn to be used and discarded as well.

Though he had little to begin with, now not a single shred of sympathy or sense of responsibility remained in Meoru. He felt like whatever happened, happened. Whether the Crown Prince was possessed by a ghost and lost his mind, or whether the Grand Tutor’s dream of making him king and standing at the pinnacle of power until death turned to dust, he did not care.

The only thought in Meoru’s mind was that he had to escape with Sonyeong. He searched every nook and cranny of the temple, but Sonyeong was nowhere to be seen, not in his quarters or anywhere else.

Without hesitation, Meoru ran toward the cave. Having grown accustomed to the rough mountain path over time, Meoru was able to reach the cave quickly.

As he entered the cave shrine, someone was sitting in a formal posture with his eyes quietly closed. White skin, a fine forehead, neat eyebrows, a high-bridged nose, full and long eyelashes, and red lips. It was the person whose appearance Meoru loved dearly, and whose heart was even more beautiful.

Such a beautiful and brilliant person, who had never once lived a free life and had been confined, looking only to the well-being of the royal family—by what right on earth did the Grand Tutor treat him like his own possession, dictating this and that?

“Meoru. Not today. I need to practice disciplining my mind.”

With his eyes still closed, Sonyeong spoke in a clear, pleasant voice. Meoru, clenching his fists tightly, replied in a subdued voice.

“Let’s leave this place. Right now.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but let’s talk later. I need to prepare for the ritual in a few days.”

“That’s why I’m saying we should ditch that damn ritual and run away together!”

Meoru finally couldn’t hold back and burst out in frustration. Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Sonyeong’s eyes flashed open. Meoru rushed over to Sonyeong and pulled him into his arms.

“I happened to overhear the Grand Tutor talking. He said that your lifespan is being shaved off in chunks every time you perform the ritual to protect me. He even said not to give you restorative tonics because you’re going to die soon anyway. For the sake of those shameless bastards, why you, why on earth!”

Only then could Sonyeong grasp the situation to some extent. He gently patted the back of the fuming Meoru.

“Did you think I was unaware that the Grand Tutor is that kind of person? I have endured it for twenty years now, ever since I entered the palace at the age of ten. He is a man who acts solely in pursuit of his own interests.”

“And you endured it even though you knew? Are you a fool? Were you born to die for others! And you still call yourself a fortuneteller? What kind of Gukbok can’t even take care of himself!”

“Fortunes do not show all of what lies ahead. If the present changes, the future can also change, so what is seen can vary from moment to moment with each reading.”

“Then change your future so you live a long life!”

“This was all a decision made of my own will. In the face of a fate like a great typhoon, a human’s struggle is no different from the small flutter of a butterfly’s wings.”

“…”

“But sometimes, that feeble movement can become the starting point that changes the typhoon’s path. Therefore, a human has no choice but to contemplate every day, every moment, and silently walk the path they believe is right.”

Meoru did not like such difficult words. Nor did he think he was smart enough to deeply fathom their meaning. He just wanted to pull Sonyeong out of this madhouse and let him live in peace. Meoru released Sonyeong from his embrace and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Let’s leave.”

“I cannot.”

“Why not!”

“His Highness the Crown Prince must safely pass the age of twenty, escape the shackles placed upon him by the star of the Great Misfortune, and ascend to the throne. This is the task my late master left to me. It is more important than extending my own life.”

Meoru felt frustrated with Sonyeong, who spoke dispassionately as if reading a pre-written answer. He asked sarcastically.

“What’s in it for you if the Crown Prince becomes king? Did he promise to revere you as the savior of his life and let you live in luxury for the rest of your days? Did he say he would bestow upon you great treasures of gold and silver, and beautiful women?”

“A Gukbok has no need for such things. We do not own private property in order to keep our spiritual power transparent. Also, like monks, we do not marry.”

“Then for what reason on earth are you so loyal, to the point of sacrificing your life?”

“Because that is my destiny.”

The conversation had come full circle. At this rate, it felt like it would never end. Unable to find any more words to retort, Meoru’s shoulders heaved as he seethed. Sonyeong quietly rose from his seat and extended a hand toward Meoru.

“There is something I want to show you.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Meoru took his hand and stood up. They went out of the cave and walked about fifty paces together. The winter scenery of the trees, having shed all their leaves, looked nothing but desolate.

“How far are we going?”

At Meoru’s question, Sonyeong stopped walking. He pointed a finger at a place full of dry trees and grass and said.

“We are here. Take a look.”

Where he pointed, vines were tangled together in a dense mass. With no leaves, it looked difficult to identify what it was, but Meoru, having gone hungry since he was young, could distinguish all the edible plants in the mountains. He recognized what it was at once.

“It’s a crimson glory vine. But what is it wrapped so tightly around?”

“It is ramie.”

“Ah, is that so? But what about it?”

“Mm…”

Meoru was startled. It was because Sonyeong had a look on his face that seemed somehow disappointed. It was the first time he had ever shown his feelings so honestly. Meoru’s heart began to pound, unable to figure out what he had done wrong.

Soon returning to his usual calm expression, Sonyeong said quietly.

“Actually, the ‘nyeong’ in my name is the character for ‘ramie nyeong (苧).’”

“Really? This is the first I’ve heard of it. I’m sorry, it’s because I don’t know how to read.”

“No. It is absolutely not your fault that you were not born in an environment where you could learn to read.”

“Still, I should have at least known the character of my lover’s name… Ah! Then that is!”

Meoru thought he understood why Sonyeong had deliberately shown him those vines. It meant that he had thought of Meoru and himself from the sight of the crimson glory vine wrapping itself tightly around the ramie, as if embracing it.

Wrapping his arms tightly around Sonyeong from behind and giving them a squeeze, Meoru whispered into his beloved lover’s ear.

“If they were people, they’d look like this. You know that vines like that will never come apart unless you deliberately cut them with a sickle, right?”

“…I suppose so.”

“How did you come up with such an adorable thought seeing that? My ramie, you’re so pretty I could die.”

Meoru planted little kisses on Sonyeong’s cheek. He had been prepared for Sonyeong to push him away, saying he did not like it as usual, but for some reason, Sonyeong stood perfectly still. With a fire lit in his chest, Meoru turned Sonyeong’s body and kissed him as if to devour his lips. Sonyeong’s lips, which had been cold from the winter air, were sucked into Meoru’s hot mouth and quickly warmed by his heat.

Meoru’s hands caressed Sonyeong’s body. Noticing his center swelling hard in an instant, Sonyeong finally sensed the danger and pushed Meoru away.

“Honestly, you… if I give you just a little opening…!”

“Let’s go back to the shrine, hm?”

“I told you, not today. It is a day I must discipline my mind…”

“Then that’s even better. I want to see with my own two eyes the old Grand Tutor geezer getting into trouble because your spiritual power is in utter disarray.”

The entire time he was being swiftly lifted by Meoru and carried back to the cave, Sonyeong’s heart was heavy.