The following passages are from the diary of Miss Park Jihyo, written during her stay in the North and before her disappearance in December 1893. The family of Miss Park has given this diary to us, in hopes that the public interest will help further the investigation. Those passages that are not immediately related to the case have been omitted.

11th of October

We passed a funeral procession in the village. Three dozen people followed the bier as the men of the family carried it with sullen expressions. It seemed to me that the whole village was there and the only people not taking part was our small party. The grief was palpable - the sort of grief that has no relief in it. Not the sweet death of an old person who has long been ill and suffering, but a senseless death of a young woman in the height of her life.

As I felt my throat tightening from sorrow, that did not leave the place alone, I did my best to strain my attention elsewhere. I asked the driver about the incident as he had been talkative amongst the villagers during our stay. I could not have approached the villagers comfortably, so I had to rely on the servants for information.

The face of the driver darkened as he told me about the plight in the area. I had heard that this was not the first young woman who had suffered from the fury of a sudden illness. She had lost her appetite, will to live and had merely daydreamed about the day she was living. None of the physicians could have helped her as she succumbed faster than they could understand. A fortnight ago her resolve had given in completely and she had passed away, not knowing where or who she was. In a sense, it was a merciful ending.

Furthermore, I asked the driver about the strange markings on the houses’ doors across the village. However, this was a question that locked his tongue completely and he refrained from answering me and only drew a cross over his chest - one line from shoulder to shoulder, and another over his heart. I was more surprised by this gesture than his unwillingness to answer as I had not thought of him as a religious man. Perhaps, the nearness of death had reminded him of the fate that all of us share.

I watched the funeral procession as it walked among the hills like a giant black worm, before disappearing from my line of sight. My own heart felt heavy long after we had moved on and I could not shake the feeling of gloom until we had travelled well over half a day. When the sun revealed her face in the afternoon I forgot the grief-stricken faces for a while, but now as I write this, I can see them clearly before me.

Tomorrow the journey should be over. I can assure you that the knowledge of our nearing destination lifts my spirits greatly.

12th of October

I am in my uncle's mansion, at last!

The last day of the journey was dreary as the weather worsened and one of the horses injured himself by stepping on a sharp rock. We had to stop at a small village to get a new one to pull the carriage and it took several hours before we could continue our journey again. I sat in the carriage on my own as my mother's maid helped the driver with the horses. I wish I could have been off help, but the villagers would have found it odd if a lady like me had been walking about in the mud, with my long skirts and heels.

Finally, the driver got a handsome black stallion to draw the carriage for the last part of the journey. This was all thanks to my uncle. It is interesting how much respect the locals seem to have for him. Every time his name is mentioned, everything settles itself. I am already grateful for the things he has done and I have not even seen him!

The landscape took a drastic change in the final stages of the journey. The terrain grew rugged and wild, and even the trees looked like they were constantly fighting to stay alive. However, I cannot help but like it here. The place speaks of nameless adventures yet to be embarked on, unlike the sleepy towns in the South where nothing ever happens.

Yet nothing can compare to the first sight of the mansion! I could already see it from the carriage window, as we were passing through the last village that happens to stand on a hill. The mansion is where the road ends and behind it grows a vast forest that roams over the high hills in the north. It seems to me as if the mansion is the last building before the civilized world ends and the wilderness begins. And what a great building it is! It is a very large, stone made structure, but somehow it appears light and elegant. There are more windows that I can count and the front door could be an entrance to a temple.

My uncle and his wife were waiting for me outside as the horses made their way through the gates. I nearly stumbled out of the carriage, after being immobile for so long that my legs were as stiff as logs. My uncle took me by the arm as if we had seen last week and I could not help but like him. It has been years since I last saw him and back then I had been but a small child. I could not even recall what he looked like, but his current appearance was most praiseworthy. He seems to be in a better condition than my own poor father, who is always suffering from one ailment or another.

My uncle’s wife, Lady Chou, was clearly younger than my uncle and very beautiful. I could see that her genial companionship must have made my uncle a very happy man. Now that I saw them both together, could hardly remember him ever having been a widow, so strong and deep was their affection for one another. This mutual love and understanding made even I feel welcome in the house. I tried to voice my gratitude as eloquently as I could, but I am afraid I fell short of expectations.

The three of us had a lovely supper, in a beautiful dining room, and I felt like a princess. We talked pleasantly about my family and theirs. However, I was surprised not to see my uncle’s step-daughter there – Lady Chou’s youngest daughter Tzuyu – and I inquired about her absence. I must admit I had looked forward to seeing her, but my uncle reassured me that once Tzuyu would be feeling better, I could meet her. I had not known that the young woman suffered from an illness and I immediately thought of the young dead woman in the village. However, I was told that the illness Tzuyu has is quite different and not lethal by any means.

After the supper, my uncle lead me to my room which is on the southern side of the building. I can see the whole garden from my window and it is a pleasant sight indeed. They told me that the northern side was rather too bleak as the forest grows very near and they thought I would like the flowers and sunlight more. The room itself is fine and airy, with a large bed and a wooden desk under a large window. As I write this, I am sitting by the exact window, but I cannot see much of what is outside as the darkness has fallen over the land. I must sleep now and make most of the fact that I can finally sleep on a proper bed! Hopefully tomorrow the rain ceases and I can walk around the estate.

13th of October

What a lovely day!

I felt invigorated after sleeping properly for the first time since the journey began. I must say my new bed is much more comfortable than the one back home. When I lied down last night, I felt as if I had been lying on a cloud. I am convinced that this type of an accommodation would do good for my father and his constant back pains. I wish he was here!

After breakfast, my uncle took me to a tour around the house, which I was glad for. There are so many rooms, corridors and staircases here that I could get lost if I did not pay attention. He also told me about secret passageways leading from one part of the house to another, but warned me not to use them if I found any. There are parts of the mansion that he is not familiar with and therefore, he is not confident that they are altogether safe.

All this talk about secrets and strange rooms spurred my imagination, so that I could hardly listen to him at times as he returned to more ordinary subjects. However, as he showed me the library in the east wing of the building, I forgot all about mice-ridden and forgotten passageways.

The library is very large and spans the whole floor at the east end of the house, which means that there are a greater number windows there than in any other room. The ceiling is high above and as I looked up, my body swayed as I felt faint seeing such elaborate architecture. I do not understand how they manage to keep the place warm around the year, it must take vast amount of effort from the servants. Yet, the most amazing thing about the library are - of course - the books. There are volumes after volumes of first editions that look as expensive as fine diamonds.

My eyes must have sparkled, as my uncle laughed joyfully and gave my arm a squeeze like he had been my father. He told me I could use the library as much as I liked and take books to my own room. "We will not run out of them in the near future," he said with a smile and I know that the library must be very dear to him. I have always admired men who have great love for literature.

After the to