Chapter 18

a great estate to the west called Sunfield Hall

They wandered in the leafless shrubbery upon a hill, the morning sun providing them with a pleasant atmosphere, and what a lovely sight Sunfield Hall was when the light shone upon it! The glass windows sparkled, the front lawn had an emerald sheen and the water in the ponds glimmered.

Mr. Kim had a bright smile on his face: he had caught sight of Sunfield Hall standing grand and tall in the distance. But he was not only smiling because of Sunfield Hall, his three little daughters were with him on this morning walk, that in itself brought him plenty of joy.

He had missed his daughters terribly; for the past days Mr. Kim had been stuck in his study by the lake. When the opportunity for him to leave his confounded study presented itself, he told the governess he wanted to take his daughters on a morning stroll.

His daughters wore beautiful white dresses that fluttered around them as they skipped and hopped along the path. They laughed as they played tag (which was very unladylike, indeed, but Mr. Kim did not seem to mind). The youngest, Miss Yongsun, struggled to keep up for her legs were much shorter than her sisters’, Miss Yongae and Miss Yonghee.

While their father had been busy, Miss Yongae, who was the oldest, had taken it upon herself to make sure that her little sisters kept out of trouble. Between the three of them, Miss Yonghee caused the most trouble as she never paid attention during their studies. Their governess quite often grew tired of Miss Yonghee’s inability to focus.

But their governess was a sweet young thing, with rosy cheeks and hair like wheat, she would not raise her voice to the three little ladies, she would not strike them when they had been naughty either. And the three little ladies liked their governess very much.

Then there was their father’s sister whom they called Auntie (but when Auntie was not in the same room as the three little ladies, they would snicker and refer to her as the Old Bat ). Auntie or the Old Bat accepted nothing but perfection. The three little ladies received long lectures on how to act like proper ladies and not Little Beasts, which was what Auntie usually called Miss Yongae and Miss Yonghee. However, Miss Yongsun she called Wicked Child, for she was convinced that Miss Yongsun had been born with a curse.

Auntie always walked around with tight drawn lips and an angry scowl across her face. She had a terrible aura that clung to her, it was as if an evil shadow followed her every step. Miss Yongsun had been very afraid of Auntie for her entire life at Sunfield Hall, and she thought Auntie was the closest thing a human could be to a monster.

«Yongsun.»

Little Miss Yongsun, who had not been able to keep up with her older sisters, stopped and turned, seeing her father smiling down at her. Miss Yongsun stretched out her arms, reaching for her father. She wanted him to carry her.

He picked her up as if she weighed nothing more than a feather and held her against his chest. She heard his heart: slow and soothing. Miss Yongsun giggled and pointed at her older sisters, wanting to catch up to them.

«Yongsun.» He said again, smiling.

Miss Yongsun tilted her head, looking up at her father.

«Yongsun!»

The present called upon Angel Yongsun. She snapped her head at the voice that had urgently said her name. Heeyeon stood beside her, eyes set in a worried frown.

«Are you all right?» She asked. «You seem a bit distracted. Do you need anything to drink? Some water, perhaps?»

Moonbyul, who had heard Heeyeon’s worried words, turned to them as well. She looked the Angel up and down; the wounds on Yongsun’s legs were slowly healing, but they had not been cleaned properly. Yongsun had put her hair in a low ponytail, but the gentle breeze kept freeing strands from her knot which tickled her face.

Yongsun said nothing. She could see Sunfield Hall from the hill they stood on. It truly was a sight when sunlight shone upon it. The great estate was grey, but the light made it look warm and welcoming. The glass windows sparkled back at them, the white and pink flowers were in full bloom along the path that led towards Sunfield Hall, as if the Hall was opening its arms to greet Yongsun back home.

A sudden fury filled Yongsun’s body. An inferno started from her heart, spreading like wildfire through her body. It was as if all the power in the world lay in the palms of Yongsun’s hands, she could burn the fields around Sunfield to ash, could make the walls crumble and fall. Then, amidst the rage and the anger, Yongsun felt a hand gripping her shoulder.

«Breathe, Miss Yongsun.» The witch said softly. «Or else you’ll burn up.»

Yongsun nodded, and tried to take a step forward. There was a lump in , her heart suddenly tightened, twisting in her chest. Her legs felt weak, then she fell to her knees. Yongsun could not breathe and started heaving, it was as if fear had coiled around her body, telling her to fly as far away from here as possible. But no matter how much Yongsun wanted to escape or to forget, Sunfield Hall would always plague her; a nightmare to her dreams, what monsters were to Men.

They sat on top of the hill, till the sun reached its zenith in the cloudless sky. Yongsun sat with her back pressed against Moonbyul’s chest, one of her hands rested on Moonbyul’s knee, the other was entwined with Moonbyul’s hand. Such closeness was only shared between lovers, but Yongsun could not bring herself to care. She needed intimacy, she craved comfort, and Moonbyul, ever so attentive and gentle, was there to provide it.

Heeyeon sat close to the pair. She took out an apple from her satchel, cut it with her silver dagger and offered half of it to Yongsun and Moonbyul. Yongsun shook her head, Moonbyul accepted. They ate in the grass, the wind brushing past them from time to time.

«I am a coward.» Whispered Yongsun, wiping away her tears. «How am I to face my destiny when I cannot even face my past?

Heeyeon tossed away the apple core and wiped her hands on her pants. She said:

«There are crucial moments in life when we must conquer ourselves. We must remain alive.»

Yongsun turned her gaze to the witch, watching as she spoke.

«It is easier said than done, of course, it takes a great deal of courage to choose life under such circumstances. It takes bravery to live, Miss Yongsun. And I think that you, out of all the people that I have stumbled upon and learnt from, have a lot of good to offer this world.»

There was a soft smile upon Heeyeon’s lips that spoke of admiration and adoration. «And I will tell you this, should you ever forget; you are no coward for cowards hide in the shadows, but you Miss Yongsun, burn brighter than any star.»

«There are darknesses in life and there are lights,» Moonbyul’s voice rumbled in her chest, making Yongsun shudder, «and you are one of the lights, the lights of all lights.»

Yongsun turned in Moonbyul’s arms, she did not care if Heeyeon was watching. She leaned in close, placing a soft and delicate kiss to Moonbyul’s cheek. The kiss was a promise. Yongsun did not pull away, she remained close with her eyes shut and she could feel Moonbyul’s breath against her lips.

It was then, sadly, that Heeyeon suggested they continue towards Sunfield Hall.

They followed a lined cobblestone pathway that led straight to the great estate. It was a long walk, they passed trees that had grown tall over hundreds of years, the branches hung low and heavy, the leaves were thick like green curtains. The smell of freshly cut grass swirled in the air. Yongsun could not look ahead, could not keep her eyes on Sunfield Hall that soon loomed above them as they reached the large white double door.

Yongsun stood between Moonbyul and Heeyeon. They looked at each other, but no-one said a word. Then, Yongsun took a deep breath, climbed up the five steps, and knocked on the door. She took a step back, her eyes moved upwards, she saw the great family crest cut from stone; it was a crown with a round sun beneath it, surrounded by flowers. A lump formed in , tears stung the corners of her eyes.

They stood there for a minute before the door creaked open. Yongsun held her breath. An old man in a black suit with long coattails stood in the doorway. Wrinkles surrounded his eyes, his hair was grey but neatly kept. His lips were drawn into a thin line, then he asked:

«How may I be of assistance?»

His voice was deep and full of timbre. Yongsun’s eyes went wide upon the sudden realisation that she knew this man.

«Jack.» Yongsun said, surprised at how calm and sure her voice was. «Where is my aunt? Where is Auntie?»

The old man, Jack, scrutinised Yongsun for a long while, eyeing her up and down, trying to figure out who she was. He squinted at Moonbyul and Heeyeon, watching them with caution. Then, as if he had seen enough, he stepped back, ushering them inside. He told them to wait in the grand entrance as he went to fetch the Lady of the house.

Not much had changed; that somehow saddened Yongsun. The black- and white-tiled floors had been polished not long ago, the windows were tall and stately. The main marble staircase with delicately carved handrails led up to the second floor where the bedrooms were, further up was the attic where the servants slept. Yongsun wondered if any more servants had decided to stay, like Jack, or if they had all left.

Moonbyul and Heeyeon stood by the door. Yongsun, who could not resist the curious and insistent pull on her body wandered further in. She stood in the centre of the hall, if she looked left she could see the grand dining room, with the kitchens and pantries beyond. If she looked right, she could see the reception room, the drawing room, further in were the ballroom and her father’s study.

Yongsun heard footsteps coming towards them. She straightened, steeling herself when she saw Auntie walking towards them, Jack right behind her, head bowed low. Yongsun in a deep breath, telling herself to have courage. Yongsun knew Heeyeon and Moonbyul were watching her, and she did not want to let them down — she did not want to disappoint herself either.

«Auntie.» Yongsun curtsied, afraid, but she masked her terror well.

Yongsun’s aunt, who was an old woman with wrinkly skin and grey hair tied in a knot, looked at them with piercing eyes. She wore a dark dress adorned with ruffles, lace and bows. Her posture spoke of arrogant pride and great dignity, she commanded attention and authority the way generals commanded their soldiers. Yongsun shivered when their eyes locked.

Auntie seemed unimpressed by Yongsun’s wild appearance but said nothing. She paid no heed to Moonbyul and Heeyeon, who now stood tall, alert and attentive by the doorway. Auntie took a step towards Yongsun, moving her gaze downwards without lowering her head. Yongsun prepared herself for the blow: The menacing words that would slice her like a knife.

«Ah, I see.» said Auntie finally, her voice made Yongsun tremble.

Moonbyul and Heeyeon waited for the next words to come. Yongsun waited. The tension in the air was thick like smoke around them. Auntie clasped her hands, standing even prouder than she had earlier.

«After all these years this is who you have become.»

Auntie’s voice was laced with disappointment, she could not even look at Yongsun anymore. She turned, then asked what in the world had made Yongsun suddenly want to return home.

«It does not matter who I am now. I am only here because my companions and I seek help. We are in terrible danger, Aunt