Chapter 11 – [1800]

With the help of the newly acquainted, the young and unwounded Changwoo succeeded in leading the trio back to the front door of his home. Eunmi who was still trembling from before had lost the jolliness she had before. Changwoo kept the girl and the stranger separated by standing in the center. “Thank you again for your help but I must report to my father what happened. This is my home, if you come back again next time, I will teach you the way of the sword as my payment for today.”

Chuho flashed him a sincere smile, “When should I come again then?”

Changwoo froze at the question, a sign that he was just as clueless as the boy who wanted to learn. Changwoo browses through his plans and returned the boy’s smile with a specific time. “Come back tonight. After sun fall, there will be less of my father’s guards around that time.” Chuho nodded as he understood. The young master took the latter’s gesture as goodbye for now and spun around to pull his sister inside.

Chuho’s smile spread even wider. He was finally going to learn the ways of the sword. After all, he has no interest in his ancestor’s choice of weapon, a bow, and arrows. Hence the sword will be a fresh technique to obtain, at least that’s what he thought.

The dimly lit room which represented the true colors of its owner was occupied by two men, one being Geukjin. The master, being a mysterious and large figure, of the room had Geukjin on his knees and hands on his lap with his head hanging groundward. “My lord, please take me in,” Geukjin begged, his voice breaking the dark silence of the room.

The movement of the master was confirmed by the sound of his clothes, rubbing against each other. “Aren’t you a guard at Minister Oh’s home?” The man asked in a raspy voice. “Why are you here?”

Geukjin swallowed the guilty lump in his throat. He couldn’t confess that he had killed Oh Jaejung’s children and is now planning to betray Jaejung, yet also to stay alive by wanting to come to a more powerful man. “Oh Jaejung doesn’t think of anyone else. He’s selfish. Which is why I want to work for you, my lord,” Conflictingly Geukjin’s tone was steady despite his shaking body.

“Name me one good reason why I shouldn’t turn you away? Because if I take you in without Minister Oh’s knowledge, wouldn’t it seem like I’m snatching his men away from him?”

“I can help you in the future, my lord. I will do anything you ask me. I can even lay down my life for you, please!” Geukjin betrayed the man’s wish and instead try to convince him.

“If you can easily betray your master of more than ten years, how will I know you won’t betray me?” The man asked nonchalantly.

Geukjin shook his head instantly, “I wouldn’t dare, not to you my lord.”

The man in the chair smirked a little, “I can’t trust you just yet. But if you keep your words, then there’s no reason why I shouldn’t keep you.”

Geukjin bowed and as loud as he could, he performed before the other, “Thank you, my lord! I will repay your kindness until the day I die! You can count on me!”

The colors of the bushes and flowers—belonging to the Queen’s garden shone brightly under the sun’s beam. Near the spacious garden was a smaller home off to the side with its only window, facing the garden, wide open. Sitting by the window was the prominent Queen Heo Yoomi, playing the wooden komungo, an instrument made from paulownia wood, played on a table and made of six strings for the fingers. Yoomi was focused on the unique object before her as she played without flaws, meanwhile behind her, a ten-year-old was playing with pebbles.

The child wore very expensive fabrics despite his young age, a child of true nobles. The boy’s attire wasn’t just updated and expensive but rare as well, only the one Crown Prince and or princes get to wear. Kneeling beside the boy was an old maid with wrinkly eyes and hair nicely pulled back.

“Lady Ji,” Yoomi said, not breaking a glance away from her playing.

“Yes, your highness?” The lass bowed in her position to hear out the Queen, meanwhile, the boy has stopped playing with pebbles as well and waited to hear out his mother’s words.

“Lady Ji, can you guess why I play the komungo even when his majesty enjoyed the sound of a kayagum more?”

“Forgive me, your highness.” The lady said, simply a shortcut to excuse her short assumption of the Queen’s question.

The young Queen smiled with satisfaction. It would be too boring if anyone can read her, thus she liked it when people, especially commoners, are oblivious to her interests. “The wood used to make this instrument is referred to as the Royal Princess Tree. A royal princess is always seen as powerless in her own palace until she becomes queen, however, the sound of this instrument is powerful and gainsay the belief of an unimportant princess. A royal princess can be as strong as the sound that this instrument sound, yet procures her beauty.” Yoomi said before looking over to the maid and her child, she saw how the child smiled at her, impressed by her knowledge. “Junseung,” the queen called softly to the boy, “what do you think? One day you will marry a princess and may treat her like a rare pottery. Would you, too, believe that she may fall and not break entirely?”

The boy, who remained clueless at his mother’s words. kept his gentle smile. A warm smile that may one day burn the heart of a woman without any good or bad intentions. When the child did not respond, Yoomi knew he was still too young to understand, thus she returned a smile. The maid, however, felt uncomfortable by the Queen’s words and was curious as to the meaning behind them.

King Minho expressed his gratitude with a tender smile as he looked upon Minster Oh Jaejung. “Thank you for accepting my offer Minister Oh,” Minho said. In the king’s courtroom was only Minho and Jaejung, however room’s temperature that was used to the hundred officials remained.

“Not at all your majesty,” Jaejung said with a short-lived bow of his head. The King then deliberately switched the topic on Jaejung.

“How is your son? Changwoo was his name?”

A gentle smile crawled onto Jaejung’s normally straight face. The talk of his children always brings a smile onto his face, whether for a good or bad cause. “You’re correct, your majesty.”

“I heard he’s already interested in the sword? Was it, he’s only a year older than the Crown Prince, no?”

Jaejung hummed and nodded. “Yes, your majesty.”

Minho’s smile grew just as much as Jaejung’s did. “Then, how about it Minister Oh? How about another favor for me?”

The smile on Jaejung’s face faded as he was unsure what the young, good-looking king meant. “What can I help you with, your majesty?”

“You know it too well don’t you? That every Crown Prince, whether he came from the ground or sky has a master in all fields. In Jongno, no one can surpass your skill as a warrior of both spear and sword. How about becoming the Crown Prince’s master?” Minho asked with a smile that made hard to deny or decline his offer.

“Y-your majesty.” Jaejung wanted to reject the idea, but the King did not allow him to.

“Of course, I will in return do you a favor as well. One day Oh Changwoo will have to enter the official entrance exam as a child from noble blood. Every day I assign you new tasks and keep you busy with my worries, which keeps you away from attending to your family's proper needs, so I will allow Changwoo to enter the palace and learn alongside the Crown Prince. I’m sure the Crown Prince will also be delighted to have company.”

Jaejung lowered his head to show his gratitude once more. “I’m truly honored your majesty, but my son is very ill-mannered and lacks perception. He may not be a good source of energy to have around the Crown Prince—”

“Minister Oh, any child of yours are more than bound to become a great person. Don’t tell me, is it because you do not want him in the palace?” Minho asked. Jaejung hesitated for a slight moment.

“N-no your majesty….I’m afraid my self-righteous son would stir unwanted complications within the palace, your majesty.”

“Isn’t that how children especially boys learn, Minister Oh?” Jaejung held his head up, wanting to oppose the King’s decision once more but was quick to be stopped by the King himself. “Minister Oh, this is an order as your King. Your son will learn alongside the Crown Prince, in private you keep your end by attending to the favors I have asked.”

The King’s orders were words that can never be unheard or appeal once it’s been said. Unless the most powerful man took it back himself. However, with the involvement of the Crown Prince, Jaejung knew Changwoo was destined to enter the palace much earlier than he had feared for.

On a rough day, Jaejung came home to an even tougher event in his own home.

The bottom of Jaejung’s shoe scraped the wooden tiles once he turned around with great force. In front of him was Changwoo and Eunmi with both of their faces hidden from the dark of the older’s. Off to the side, Guksoo stood quietly and observed the scene. The oldest man was awfully calm for one who has done more than yell and beat the children. Meanwhile behind Jaejung was his precious wife, Jungyeon. “Say is again. Geukjin tried to kill you and Eunmi?”

The tone of Jaejung’s voice was low but menacing. And to Changwoo who rarely saw his father so angry before, it was frightening and unapproachable for the first time.

“Dear husband, you’re scaring the children.” Jungyeon in. Her voice was soothing and sluggish as always, a very friendly motherly tone.

“Dear wife, don’t interfere. I want to know whether it is true or not.” The bold man said before directing his words back to his son, “Changwoo, tell me again. Exactly what happened? You usually don’t lie, so tell me again.”

Changwoo glanced over to Eunmi who bit down on her lips and kept her eyes downward. The sign of biting her lips alone showed that she was either afraid or nervous. The boy then hummed softly enough for those around him to hear. “Geukjin tried to kill us by burning down the shack he locked us in. Would you like to see it, father?” Instead of answering him, Jaejung inhaled deeply and simultaneously shut his eyes. Once he reopened his eyes, the firmness of his pupil was nowhere to be seen and quickly replaced by calmness.

“Changwoo.”

“I’m not lying father,” Changwoo added frankly.

“The King asked that you studied with the Crown Prince.” Jaejung blurted out despite who was in his audience. Jungyeon’s eyes widen a centimeter. “From now on quit your habit of playing and study hard. Become a person that the Crown Prince will see as a companion and one day someone he can rely on.”

Guksoo’s jaw dropped just as much as Changwoo’s mother. “What do you mean? His majesty offer such a foolish idea?” Were the oldest man’s first words.

“Geukjin may have disappointed me but I know you won’t do the same, Changwoo,” Jaejung said ignoring the words of his old man.

When night fell and the rest of Inpyo’s members returned home with a total of twenty wild horses, the fellows drank to celebrate their minor success. Though laughter and chattering dominated the moment, Daniel Henney and Ji Taeyo were the only two whose bodies are present but mind was elsewhere. Daniel tracked Wootae down after returning with Taeyo’s group.

Daniel found and approached Wootae at the top of the mountain, where both of their attention was stolen by the filly behind the wooden gates seen exploring her new home. “What you did earlier was dangerous.” Daniel began reprimanding the moment he was in hearing range of the youth. Wootae, on the other hand, did not answer and only look at what was ahead of him, and soon enough Daniel joined him along the fences. “I don’t mean to scold you, but things could have ended up differently and badly. You could have gotten hurt riding a horse that big all by yourself.” Daniel sighed to relieve himself of the building up tension within his well-built body. “However, I’m happy that you weren’t hurt and returned safely with a horse. I just wish you wouldn’t surprise me like that again.”

As an unmarried man and fatherless to any child, Daniel put in all of his affection and care toward Wootae. The youth knew that better than anyone else, the foreigner wasn’t just Wootae’s English teacher but Wootae’s partner in the assassin organization. Wootae was no less than five when he met twenty-year-old Henney Daniel. And for the past five years, Wootae knew of Daniel’s personality better than anyone else. Although he chose to go against Daniel’s wishes from before, it did not make him any less fond of Daniel, instead, it only meant one thing.

Wootae wanted to do it alone, without the affectionate Daniel beside him.

“Do you understand what I’m saying, Wootae?” Daniel asked.

“Yes, teacher,” Wootae answered softly after. Daniel flashed a genuine smile, revealing his straight, clean, and white teeth.

End of Chapter Eleven.