Anemone means forsaken.

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Hoseok steps on the wharf. He felt heavy as he adjusts the large camo backpack on his back. The bag almost towers his height, carrying a lot of items like jewelries and personal effects, but he does not complain, it is far better from getting whipped as he carries baskets of crops from a farm where he grew up as a slave.

 Freedom.

He smiled knowing the smell of this new country feels like his freedom, a feeling he only felt now in his twenty years of existence. Speaking of freedom,  he turns on his back as he remembered the person who gave him his freedom.

“Hoseok, you’re blocking the way, there are more people getting off the ship, ” Lady Hui irritatingly said. He smiled wider and the lady frowned. He heard the people from the back starting to complain as he was blocking the one-way path on the wharf.

“ You’re a creep, lets move, we need to get horses”. She said as she grabs him by the wrist as to prevent him from wandering around and get lost again.  Often, when he is in a new place he always wander around out of excitement, looking and asking a lot about the new things he sees.

He observes that there’s a lot of peddlers in the wharf, selling food and souvenirs to people who just got off the ship. It was crowded and noisy but jovial to his eyes.

She did not bother with the sellers approaching them as they leave the wharf area, they need to get horses from Horse Man Song, if he is still alive that is. She made some trading with the old man, who she remember is about 70 years old, she sold him imported vials of vitamins for his horses whenever she gets them from her travels in the east islands. The old man, would get them himself but he is too old to travel. She would get him the inexpensive vials in trade of horses as promised by the old man.

“Can we look here first?” Reminding her of the things she said she needed to buy before getting off the ship. He wants to look around the wharf.

“No, we can look after we had settled in an inn, there will be a market there, more shops and you can look there”. She suggested as she look into placards with signs of horses for sale. She saw one and she approached a man in his forty’s with features looking similar with Horse Man Song, still holding hoseok, who’s already calmed but eyes still looking interestingly to his surrounding.

“ Horse Man Song?”. The man recognized the name and told them to go with him on the nearby stable.

“50 silver coins per horse, the sturdier one’s 70 silver coins each” The man said as he pointed on the horses inside the stable. There’s about 10 horses inside, some young ones and adult, she will chose the dark brown and a black one that looked young and strong. They will need sturdy horses for their three day journey to the capital.

“We’re not buying, we’re here to trade” She elbows Hoseok. He gets it, putting down his large backpack, producing two dozens of vials. The man seemed to get that she is trading them for the horses.

“ Old man said someone will deliver these in exchange of horse, I didn’t think a lady would do it” He commented but accepts it anyway and pulled the horses out to hand to them.

They reached an inn 3 hours later. Although,  there’s a lot of inns near the wharf she opted to take the inn near the marketplace in the Gae Province as she wanted to buy the celebratory wine that only the Central market in Gae  is selling in the morning. It is customary to gift wines to royals on their birthdays and the ones in Gae Market is a signature product that will be appreciated by the prince.

The inn they chose is a two storey building, there is a restaurant in the ground floor and the rooms can be rented in the second floor.  The interior in the restaurant is decent enough to approach mid-tier tourists. The exterior is almost the same with the other buildings nearby,  plain and cozy but the interior has designs of golden pigs and leaf shaped mirrors, expressing the owners crave for fortune and luck.

“What can I do for you?” An obese lady, about 40 years old approached them with a shining smile, looking at the gold band on her wrist.  The lady herself is wearing some cheap gold chain on her neck and some rosy gold earrings but the blue dress she’s wearing has shiny sequins that she could not care about except it is painful to her eyes.

“ We will get two rooms for the night and we’ll have dinner here”. The lady had a question look at her back and she followed.  Hoseok was left in the entrance looking at something, or someone, she could not care less. The horses had already been taken care by the stable inclusive to tourists staying at the inn.

“Hoseok, come here!,” Hoseok heard her, although distracted but followed inside as she finds a table for them. The inns’ not that much crowded, only a handful of customers silently eating or drinking liquor,  she estimates it can accommodate about 50 customers. 

“We’ll settle here for the night, lets order first” She said to Hoseok. He nods at her putting down the large bag in the empty seat and takes the menu in front of him opening it and creasing his eyebrows.

“ I don’t know these dishes” He commented as he reads the menu. She signaled the waiter to come ordering for the both of them. Although the dishes are similar in texture and taste to the ones he had before where they had travelled, the names are unfamiliar to him.

Hoseok is not picky with any food, he can eat anything as he experienced eating dirt food when he was a slave and he is always the excited one when ordering . So she is wondering on the subtle refuse to doing it.

“Whats’ wrong?” She asked. It seems Hoseoks’ overexcited attitude had ceased for a moment.

 Her question suddenly reminded him of his current situation and smiled at her. How can he find any wrong on the situation?

“Nothing, I’m very hungry thats all” He squinted his eyes and rubs his belly to emphasize his hunger.

She frowned. “ You ate a whole braguette on our way here though”.

“But we travelled here for hours that I got hungry again, hehe” He reasoned. She did not bought it but she refused to expound their conversation to start a banter. 

“Well then, eat a lot and rest because we have to leave early for the market tomorrow.”

Then Hoseok refrained from pondering on whatever he has in mind.

“ I wonder how the market looks here, you said its bigger than the one in Kaepsun” He said as he mentioned the market in Kaepsun that he thought was the largest market he had been too, until she shared that there is a much larger market some where else.  Hoseok looked excited at the thought that he can shop tomorrow but turned neutral when a boy carrying about four sacks of flour or rice on his shoulder, barely able to carry them walked passed their table, entering a door what looks like the kitchen.

Hoseok must be thinking that the boy was once him, a slave, as he empathetically observe his torn clothes, messy hair and worn out slippers. She pretended not to notice the boy to observe the look on Hoseok’s face.

“ Are there slaves here too?” He asked with a low voice. With a tint of sadness knowing that there can be slaves anywhere. 

“I am not aware of any, slavery is illegal here so I only know of helpers and maids” She answered. He looked at her, feeling a little better at the thought that there are no slave in the lady’s country.

 Still, he was curious if the boy is a helper. He assumed helpers are far from slaves in terms of looks and treatment, but when he witnessed  the treatment the boy received from the man outside the inn before lady Hui called him, he assumed he was a slave. He was reminded of his former situation when the man with gold chains on his wrist said some degrading remarks on the boy, telling him to be quick on his task, if not he will not get a meal tonight.

He suddenly wished that all slaves like him can meet someone like the person in front of him. He is indeed lucky to have met the lady just before his former owner decide to to whip him dead. 

She had paid for him but made it clear that he is no longer a slave. That’s what she said when his former owner left him exchanging him with a bag of gold coins from the lady. She found him malnourished but had some muscles then, the boy however looks frail and malnourished. He look like the same age as Wonwon, his friend who was left to die when the boss punished him for trying to steal some produced to feed the other slaves but he was caught.

The boss did not let the slaves eat when he is a foul mood, especially when produced was not good.  One day when he got fed up with the abuse and fought back against the whip of his former owner, he was about the receive the death penalty, when Lady Hui stopped it. His former boss, afraid to lose a trader who bought in bulks from his farm, stopped and asked if she can just buy him instead. He thought the Lady would refuse as it was made knowledge that he is not valuable enough but when she took out a bag of gold coins, not even asking how much he is, he knows that he already owes the lady of his life.

 

He still remember as it had been six months ago.

 The lady looks rich but not pompous, she never flaunt her jewelries and money. It was obvious she knows business well and assertive.  Her look and wardrobe, although discreet, he had discovered to be worth a fortune when they looked over clothes when they had to buy for him.

She made business deals with his former boss, they had never talked as he was working on the farm, getting a glimpse of the lady when she was talking with his boss. She bought large sums of crops of corns and wheat. Sometimes he is called to help load the crops in the carriage, the lady not complaining when he was slow at times as the crops were too heavy. He only knew that she is a businesswoman,

She usually brings a the carriage to pick up crops sometimes alone, sometimes with some people he assumed as slaves, but she never had any whipping rod on her hand to make them wince. He only learned after that they were help lenders she asked in the market and got paid on the spot.

After dinner they immediately settled on their rooms. The first time the lady got her a room for himself, he insisted that he can sleep on the floor, suggesting that they can sleep in the same room.  She dismissed it immediately telling him that he has his own room and he will sleep on the bed. He only had  a makeshift of rotten wheat grass on the barn for sleeping when he was still a slave so having a soft bed for himself was only something he can thought he can only imagine.

As he lays on the bed, the memories of his former situation comes back to him and reminded him of the boy he saw earlier.  The lady said there are no slaves in this country, he trusts her but still confused at the state the boy was in. He thought of the possibility if the boy is related to the man, but that was impossible, he can only be a helper if he’s not a slave.

 

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The boy forced himself to carry another sack of flour on his shoulder, adding it to the three heavy sacks on him. His uncle, with an irritated and smug look on his face told him to be quick. He was making remarks of how useless he already is as he brings the sacks inside the inn. The boy made quick steps when his uncle added that he will not get any meal tonight if he’s slower.

He grew up with his uncle and auntie, the owners of the inn. He has no idea of his parents, asking about them would only result to his uncle beating him and the only relative he knows are them. But he was treated badly, serving in the inn, running back and forth from the market to carry supplies for the inn ,which were usually heavy, if not, he would be asked to clean the restaurant or the room upstairs. He did small tasks when he was younger, like sweeping the floor and washing the dishes but he was given more laboured tasks as he gets older, though he’s still young about seventeen or eighteen now. If there is nothing they can give him to do, he would be told to stay in his room, a storage room at the back of the inn, very small for him to move and only has a sack serving as a curtain at night. He used to sleep inside the inn, in the tables or floor in the restaurant but his uncle started prohibiting him when they lost money in the cash register, he was beaten hard when he refused to have had a hand in the incident. He doesn’t have the ability to steal even when his situation is bad.

The dog’s cage from a trader’s place where he picked up some supplies had a lot better situation than his. The trader was kind enough to offer him a pair of slippers from his merchandise when he saw that he was barefoot. He had to refuse because his uncle will assume that he stole it, or he stole money from the inn to buy.  Besides, he already has a pair of slippers, although worn out for being used for long, the strings giving away, can be repaired. He asked for an unused straw instead, the trader was confused but gave him some.

He sometimes compared his situation with the other kids, they can play or go to school. They have their parents around. He would see them laughing and bickering whenever he pass by the local school there going to the market.  A few kids would notice him and he suddenly becomes shy, walking faster away from them. His shyness caused by  lacking the opportunity to have friends, he would only talk with people in the market when he is ask to pick up supplies, but usually only about how many he will carry or when he will be back.

He never had the luxury to ask his uncle or auntie about why he is being treated that way. They made him believe it is what he deserves, that he has to work for his meals everyday and that punishment even the smallest mistake is a given. He is always reminded of his debt to them for raising him. He should be thankful to them. The treatment makes him feel pitiful at times but when you have a growling stomach, you just had to submit to your fate and follow.  

 

There are different types of tourist that stays in the inn for a night or two, usually those who can afford the place, because the inn charges unreasonably to customers that doesn’t bother about the price. There are guests who sometimes coming from the capital, others from other far lands he never heard of, sometimes he overhears the guest share their stories whenever his auntie makes conversation with them. He enjoys learning about stories outside their small province, although they were near the port he has never gotten out of the province, even nearby places outside. When he hears stories, especially of the capital, he enjoys imagining them like they were his own experiences.

 

It was very early when he heard his auntie screaming from the back door of the inn, just beside his room, calling for him to mop the restaurant and clean the empty room upstairs. He had to do tasks before he can have his breakfast or lunch.

He stood up feeling his aching shoulders after carrying heavy sacks from last night.

He passed by the kitchen to splash water on to his face before picking up the mop and pail, he sees the waiter and the cook gossiping while preparing and they looked at him, not surprised that he is up early. The Inn owner did not like when they talk to the boy, afraid that they may get fired they only converse when the owners’ not around.

“The pig’s onto you again huh?” The cook utters referring to his auntie. He didn’t answer, he picked up  pale to fill with water and a mop and walks to the restaurant.

It was very early, the sun had not rose so he expected the restaurant to be completely empty, he immediately start mopping the floor, beginning in a corner so he can finish to get to his next task and finally get to eat breakfast.

He was about to start mopping on the other side of the floor when a young man, he assumes as a guest as he came from upstairs, almost bumping into him, stepping into the side of floor he had just mopped. The guest carries a large back pack, preventing him from seeing initially, when he finally noticed him he made a slight bow and apologized to him.

“Sorry, sorry”

He glanced at the guest and bowed then he continues on mopping the floor when the guest moved. The man is petite, has better body mass but just a little shorter than him. He has some muscles on his shoulders and forearms indicating he’s used to labour, but he is nowhere near like him, he is wearing a grey short-sleeved tunic suit, he looks like a traveller. He can only estimate the man’s age to be around twenty’s.

The guest sits on the table far from him, choosing it get out of his task. But the guest kept on looking at him.

“Have you had breakfast?” the guest questions, smiling. He looked around to confirm if the question is directed at him. There’s no one around except for him.

The man indeed has a friendly nature, different from the usual guests who can’t be bothered to even look at him. Though there were kind ones too, who tries to make light conversation but he always retreat from talking with them.

“Um, I’ll get the waiter”

He was about to leave his task to call on the sleeping waiter when it came out from the kitchen with his auntie, wearing more gold than usual even at the early morning. Noticing the guest on the table, he quickly made his way to get his order.

“Ya, mop the floor quickly” His auntie said to him. She would be shouting if there was no guest around.  Then she made her way to the guest who just finished ordering breakfast.

The boy is very shy just like his friend Wonwon. He looked like he did not want to make conversation with him or anyone and gets back on mopping the floor, slightly scared when the old fat lady said something to him that he did not hear. He doesn’t like to old lady, having an extravagant exterior but an annoying aura.

 Hoseok can feel a persons’ aura and sometimes their intentions. Its either he feels a tug on his heart or sometimes he just feel it.  He was only fully aware of his ability when Lady Hui had talked to him about it, from the past he thought he was weird. The Lady said it is not normal for a person to be able to read through peoples’ intention and that he should develop and use it well to their advantage. Though most of the time his feelings gave away, like this now.

He ordered some soup with bread and morning tea that the lady likes, avoiding the menu part that he didn’t know.  He ordered for more than for two person as he wants to offer breakfast to the boy. Who returns back on his task on mopping the floor. A few moments after is order arrived he called for the boy. The boy, yet shy, made his way near him probably thinking that he will be given an errand. But was surprised when he offered to him breakfast. He shook his head. Telling him that he is not allowed to sit with the guest.

“Okay, but at least take these” Putting some bread in a paper that was served along with it, reaching it to him.

He could see the boy was hesitant, although tempted to accept it but stayed conflicted to the idea, afraid that anyone will witness the kind gesture being given by him.

He got back scrambling on his task when he heard someone came from upstairs.

“Good morning Lady Hui” He greeted his lady as he saw her came down. Looking again to the boy, he still want to give the bread to him.

It seems the lady had a better mood than yesterday.

“Good morning” She replied on his greeting, sitting in front of him preparing to eat when she noticed that he had ordered a lot of bread for breakfast.

“You ordered a lot, can you finish all these?” slightly teasing him.

“ Can I give him some?” Instead of answering her question he gestured to the boy mopping the floor , the boy was cautious of them.

“ You can, but doesn’t he live here?” Referring that he probably had eaten already.

He was about to call the boy again when the fat lady re-entered from the kitchen. The boy tensed when he saw the fat lady.

“Oh dear! good morning, how was your rest? I hope you had a good sleep, after all I gave you the best room in the inn” The fat lady said with pride. She is measuring them if she will get some large tip.

“It was okay but the lamp in my room was too dim, you may want to change it.” She suggested.  It was clear to Hoseok that Lady Hui doesn’t want to make further conversation with the fat lady as she focuses more on the food in the table.

“ Let me check it for you dear” All smiling to them but made a scowl at the boy.

“Jungkook! You check this lady’s room and see if the lamp needs to be change, quick!” She asked the boy who immediately put down the mop to check the room she used, picking up the copy of the key on the cashier area as he made his way upstairs.

“If it’s broken I will make sure to get it replaced before the night” The fat lady said to them, thinking that they would stay another night.

“No need ,we will be leaving today anyway,” She said to the lady, which had a slight disappointed expression but smiled anyway.

“Oh well, I hope you came back here huh, Are you going to the capital? Is it because of the Prince’s upcoming celebration? I wish I would be invited too” The fat lady gossips into them.

“No, we’re just travellers” Lady Hui politely dismissing her multiple question. She’s neutral to the lady, well, to most people they had met on their travel, only being social to a handful of people involve to her ventures.

Lady Hui picks up her spoon, realizing that her gold band is missing on her right.

“ I think I forgot my gold band in the room” She stands appearing to go back to the room.

“ I’ll get it for you” Hoseok volunteers.

“No, I’ll be quick, you can eat breakfast before me” She made Hoseok sit again.

“ Oh please, you both have your breakfast, I will go upstairs to check on it” The fat lady insisted on them. Hoseok  is cautious of her, she looks untrustworthy.

Lady Hui agreed and they wait at the table, eating their breakfast, him, still thinking how he can give the boy his bread. Maybe he will just call him out when they get the horses from the stable, he will just pretend he needs help.

A few moments the fat lady returned with no gold band on her hand.

“ The lamp was fixed already but there was no gold band, can you remember where you put it?”

 “ I left it in the room, I will look for it myself then” Hoseok followed too and  with the fat lady mentioning along the stairs that she must have dropped it somewhere else.

 

When they reached the room, the boy, who the fat lady called him Jungkook came out of it, holding the gold band on his hand.

“Yours?” The boy asked Lady Hui. She nodded and reached over for it in which the boy handed to her. Hoseok noticed the fat lady giving out scowling look to the boy, changing her expression when she faced Lady Hui.

“ Oh there it is! you must have dropped it on the floor noh?, good thing Jungkook found it, it was dark so I must not have seen it”

Lady hui agrees. “ Thanks Jungkook” Expressing her thanks to the boy, he just nod at her shyly.

“ My, that gold band must be worth a fortune, don’t you think he deserves a reward for giving it back to you?” the fat lady incited. Jungkook had a hint of surprise to what his auntie just said to the guests.

Lady Hui, not offended by the fat lady’s insinuation took out some gold coins on her pocket, handing it to the boy. The boy was adamant to receive a reward but had to take it as his auntie signals to him.

For Jungkook, it is only right that he returned the gold band to its owner, even when his auntie initially told him to hide it earlier when she came upstairs. Though, he may had hesitated to return it as surely not have any meal tonight, or get a beating he just cannot do it with his conscience.

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They had reached the Central Market in Gae when the sun had risen, it was already busy as people in Gae are used to starting their day very early. The market proves to be the largest one in the area. Stalls were arrange neatly, the walkway being crowded by buyers and tourists.

They were on the way to buy the wine window-shopping when she noticed Hoseok. He’s not as cheerful as she expected him to be.

“ The inn owner already said he’s her nephew, so I don’t get why you’re still concerned about him” Stopping Hoseok from this thoughts.

“ If he’s her nephew why does he look scared of her? It looked like he made a mistake when he returned your gold band, I think the fat lady is lying” he expressed his doubt on the fat lady.

“They’re relatives so I don’t think we have say about them”

 She knows of the possibility of the boy’s auntie taking the reward she gave earlier, she just hoped it would suffice for the auntie.

 Hoseok may have the ability to read peoples’ aura but she is a keen observer. With the way the boy was looking down and wincing at the voice of his auntie, she knows he is not treated well, even if it was true that he’s her nephew.

 

They had reached the wine store when Hoseok asked him.

“Do you think they have civil office here? like the one where you asked for my birth information?” He asked her. Referring to the civil office where information on birth and status were being documented. They had to confirm Hoseok’s identity before they left his country as they had to have some identity card to bring if they will board ships and travel outside the country. Being a slave he was undocumented, meaning no existing records of him were present, he doesn’t even know his birthday. So they had to make a late register notice to the civil office, conjuring up some information to fill-up his form and bribed the officer to expedite so they can take the soonest available ship.

“ I think they have Public Records office here” she asked. The looks on his face giving away his intention for asking it.

The Public records Office holds information of its residence, birth, marriage and deaths and even  general information on businesses within its jurisdiction.

“Well maybe we can make a quick visit there”

“What for?” She asked. He almost hesitated but answered her.

“I don’t know, maybe they have information on Jungkook?”

She knew Hoseok would not let this go.

“No, we’re just going to buy some wine and then we leave, I cannot delay our travel just because you pity to the boy” She exclaimed.

“I don’t know, I just really feel something about him, I cannot pinpoint it but you know I have this ability, right?” He reasoned.

 “I know I have troubled you enough with me already but can you help me again this time?”

She sighed.  She usually never bothers with other people when it does not concern her. She has enough things to do and it’s true that she had enough trouble when she decided to take Hoseok with her. She did not understand why she felt she needed to help him when he was still a slave, she thought maybe because it was of his poor state, out of pity. It was weird, she’s a businesswoman and being charitable is not her. It’s not that she’s heartless, she just learned not to meddle with other people, to prevent from revealing her identity as it is dangerous.

Hoseok’s ability is not something he can control but only take advantage of. It’s a surge of feeling helping him make actions, like a yes or no, but Hoseok’s recklessness and weak control over his feelings are his biggest disadvantages.

Like right now.

But she also thinks of the possibility of Hoseok’s instinct doing something good.

They still got two days before the Crown prince’ celebration. They still got enough time if she succumbed to Hoseok’s persistence.

 Who knows? Maybe she can get something out of it.

She asked the wine seller if he knows where the Public records office could be. Hoseok looked at her, surprised getting that she will help him. The wine seller gave them the location and learned that she’s familiar with the landmark around.

“It near here, I just hope its open now, if not we will leave immediately” She gestures Hoseok that they will go to the Public records office. He tailed on her and offered to hold the wines she is carrying.

 

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“What is your purpose in getting information about the Jeon Inn?” The officer asked them, he had an interrogatory attitude but he is not suspicious, he probably had to ask anyone who wants to get information there.

 She had initially asked about the Business structure of the Jeon Inn, an information that can be access by surveyors but will still be asked on the purpose of the inquiry.

“I was sent by the education minister, I am here to survey the inn as there is possibility the scholars will have their excursion here, i’m looking for possible accommodation” She lied. The officer looked at her to gauge if she was lying.

 She’s a good liar though.

 She produces her royal badge to prove that she is there for an official assignment.

 She only hoped the officer cannot identify the difference in official from royal badges. Badges are carved with insignias, different symbols assigned to differentiate royals from official badges. The officer inspected it for a second, approving that it is an official badge. Looks like he is not familiar with different badges.

The idea of having scholars visiting the province is enticing for tourism.

The officer, convinced, looked into the shelves with large books containing information of the local village. He took out a large book and looked alphabetically on the letter J, giving it to the lady.

The information contains the Jeon inns’ owners, particular date it was established and the long term employees the inn took for the last twenty years. There was no Jungkook in the lists of heirs or employees though.

 Hoseok was not familiar to the structure of information but he was eager to read in the book.

“Officer, it says here that only a married couple had permanently resides in the inn, how about the employees?” She asked the officer.

“They should also put in employees if they reside in the inn, but there’s no employees currently residing, that’s what is says there” as the officer read in the book.

Hoseok is puzzled.

Why is there no information on Jungkook?

 

A/N

The era in this story is similar to the Joseon, where monarch rules over their country. 

P.S

I will be adding a lot of back stories as to let readers understand each characters.