Objection! The Butcher's False Accusation
Rice transplanting season had ended, and I was back at the seodang. Playing the genius with knowledge from my modern life, I suddenly remembered a fun game.
"Teacher."
I waited until break time and approached him. The teacher, flipping through his book to prepare for the next lesson, looked up with a dubious expression.
"Hm? What's this about?"
"This humble one has a favor to ask."
"Cut it out. You're giving me chills. Skip the formalities and get to the point."
The seodang was public education, so we didn't need to buy our own books. They lent out textbooks, passing them around until they were worn to shreds. I showed him one particularly tattered volume and made my plea.
"Could you perhaps give me this book?"
"Hm? The book? Why?"
"As you know, teacher, I live in Hwacheok Village, right? Those kids can't attend the seodang, so they haven't learned Hangul yet. I'm not much, but I want to teach them..."
"Is that so? What's the real reason?"
So I can tear it up and play sticker fights.
"As I said, teacher—it's for the Hwacheok Village kids."
Surprisingly, there was no such game as sticker fighting here. Come to think of it, paper was a luxury; no one would waste it on kids' play. That explained the lack of origami too.
Oh yeah, origami too.
"Heh heh..."
The teacher eyed me intently as I put on my most polite act. Even if he'd studied in Hanyang, he couldn't guess my true intentions for the book.
"Fine. Take it."
"Thank you, teacher! Your grace will be widely—"
"Stop. People will talk."
Why did he keep bringing up people talking? I tilted my head but took the permission anyway. Clutching the book preciously, I bowed deeply in thanks once more.
Bang!
"Master!"
"Eori?!"
I was heading back to my seat when Eori flung open the seodang door.
"E-E-Eori? Eori, what's wrong?"
She'd come to the seodang plenty of times before, but never bursting in like this. And her tear-streaked face sent a chill of dread through me.
"Master! Master! Please help me! Please, I beg you!"
She hadn't even kicked off her straw shoes and was tugging at my sleeve to drag me out. Panicking, I dropped the book to the floor and followed her.
"Eori, what's going on?"
"D-D-Dad... D-D-Dad...!"
Dad? Her dad?
"Dad's been taken to the magistrate's office! They say he killed someone!"
"What?!"
I suddenly pictured Eori's father. Over 180 cm tall, bulging muscles, thick beard, piercing eyes—he looked like he could've killed plenty. But the man I knew was no murderer. He worked in a rough butcher shop, sure, but on market days, he'd buy sweets for his kids. A kind soul.
"No, wait—just hold on a second."
My mind was made up to go with her. Hurriedly slipping on my shoes as I stepped down from the floor, I glanced back at the seodang. The teacher and kids stared blankly, not understanding.
"Teacher! I'll be right back! Sorry!"
"Hey! Class isn't over yet!"
"Sorry! I'll take the switch when I get back! Sorry! Eori, let's go!"
"Yes! Master! Thank you! Sorry!"
She bowed repeatedly to me and the seodang folk before bolting out, still clutching my sleeve.
"Eori! Tell me what happened on the way!"
"Y-Yes! Master! Dad went to collect some owed money, and they say he killed that guy!"
"For real?"
"Yes! A bailiff came to the house and said so!"
Eori's dad? Collecting debt? Killing someone? He'd leveraged his old hunter days among the Hwacheok folk to run a butcher shop. It was so popular around here, no one was a stranger—he wouldn't kill over a few coins. Was there something I didn't know?
These thoughts raced as we sprinted to the magistrate's office. The front was swarming with rumor-mongers.
"Sorry! Coming through! Excuse us! That's my dad! Hey! Move it!"
Eori shoved ahead through the crowd into the office. In the center stood her father, bound in red cords, kneeling.
"Daddy!"
"E-Eori!"
A bailiff stood beside him. Eori's dad turned to us, hair disheveled like he hadn't walked in himself, blood trickling from his temple.
"Wh-What are you doing here? Get out! Now!"
"No! No! Daddy!"
"Hey, you lot! This is no place for a ruckus!"
The shout came from the magistrate's dais. There sat the Hyeon-gam, wearing all his hats: county magistrate, battalion commander, police chief, judge.
"What is this during a sacred interrogation? Shut your mouths!"
This time, it was I-bang beside him. Other clerks like Ho-bang and Ye-bang stood by too. And that weeping noble who wasn't a clerk—probably the victim's son and witness.
"You! Kim Ga! How can you harm a man and pretend innocence?"
As Eori clamped her mouth shut, the interrogation—no, torture—resumed.
"Even if the victim's family saw you fleeing, you call it nonsense?"
"I've told you! I saw blood and fled in shock! I've no reason to kill that man's father—never did, never would!"
"Liar! No reason? You killed the father to vent over Sim Seo-bang not paying his debt!"
"No! Even born Hwacheok folk, running a butcher shop killing beasts, I've never taken a human life lightly!"
"Heh! Keep denying it! Hey, Sim Seo-bang!"
The tearful noble beside the clerks seemed to be the son and witness. The Hyeon-gam pointed at Eori's dad.
"Recount the scene again! Describe this man's appearance!"
"Y-Yes, Magistrate! Sob!"
Sim Seo-bang wiped his eyes with his sleeve and testified for all to hear.
"I-I'd been drinking at the neighbor's and crashed there overnight. Morning came; I sat on the porch to head home, and over the wall, I saw Kim Ga—that bastard—running away!"
"And? What was Kim Ga like?"
"Sword in one hand! Blood everywhere below his chest! I thought of my father alone at home and rushed back, but... he was... Aigoo! Father!"
...Did that even make sense? A little thought showed the holes. But most folks didn't think.
"Th-That killer!"
"Knew it! Shouldn't have let Hwacheok scum into the village!"
"Hey, that meat he sells—isn't it really human flesh?"
With that absurd testimony, plus his Hwacheok roots and butcher trade, they branded Eori's dad a murderer.
"No! No! Who goes to collect debt with a sword? And I only saw the body and ran—no blood on me!"
"Quiet! We found bloodied clothes and weapon where we caught you—still denying?"
"My butcher shop's full of bloodied clothes and knives, milord! Beast blood, not human!"
Then the flawed evidence. Alternate history or not, this was still Joseon. Amid rapid progress from the protagonist's knowledge, some things never changed.
"Men! Beat him till he confesses the truth!"
"Yes!"
"Waaah! Daddy!"
"No! Stop! Eori, don't look! Close your eyes! Cover your ears! I'm fine! Daddy's fine!"
The bailiff beside Eori's dad raised his club as she wailed. If the world froze, I'd have time to think—but reality didn't oblige.
"Objection! I object!!!"
No time to think—I shot my hand up and dashed to the center, bellowing at the top of my lungs. The bailiff froze mid-swing.
Fuck. What am I doing? In Joseon.
"Honored Magistrate! I object! Please, with your vast magnanimity, hear this lowly one's plea!"
Thud!
I sprinted to kneel beside Eori's dad, collapsing dramatically. Short run, but sand filled my mouth as I gasped.
"How dare you interrupt a sacred interrogation?!"
"I'm Kim Si-jin, neighbor to butcher Kim Seo-bang! And one who doubts the witness's words!"
"Think I asked out of curiosity who you are?!"
"No! No, Magistrate! Please hear me out!"
"Heh!"
I couldn't see his face from prostrating, but his irritated chuckle was clear.
"I-bang."
The magistrate paused, then called him.
"Do you know this boy?"
"Yes, milord. He's Kim Jin-sa's son from the village, living in Hwacheok Village as you heard."
"Hm, is that so?"
Please, please, please. Hate to admit it, but my dad's the local bigwig. Gotta stay on good terms with him for village harmony.
"Young master. Young master."
As I prayed inwardly, Eori's dad whispered urgently.
"Young master. There's a small hole under the butcher shop table."
No! Don't raise flags! You'll die, uncle!
"Yes! Got it!"
Thankfully, the magistrate spoke before the flag fully rose. He bellowed for all to hear.
"Before coming here, His Highness the Crown Prince said: Even the words of the lowliest must be heeded. Better to free ten guilty than wrong one innocent—that's a good official's way!"
Nice one, Munjong!
"Si-jin, was it? Stand and explain your doubts!"
"Yes! Magistrate!"
"But!"
Why? What? He told me to stand.
I half-rose, peering at him. Eyes bulging, stern voice:
"If this is a frivolous interruption! I'll sentence you to a hundred lashes!"
"Young master...!"
"Master...!"
Ah, come on. Let's just do this casually. Father and daughter gazed at me with tear-filled eyes. Under that pressure, I stood fully, steadying my breath.
"Haa, fuuu...!"
Deep breaths calmed my chest. Before it raced again, I gathered my thoughts.
Haa, okay. It's fine. Not totally absurd, right? Water's spilled anyway. Arrow's loosed. Yeah. I'm the arrow. Flying straight to the target. I stop only when I hit.
Resolved, my mind settled. I swallowed dryly and opened my mouth.