The Gods’ Answer
In one hand, I held the handmade fishing-rod toy for Geumdeok. In the other was a silk bundle stuffed with sweet dasik. Tucked safely inside the folds of my inner collar was the slingshot I had secretly stashed away.
My hands were full, and my heart was full to bursting. But as I strolled back into Chwiseondang in triumph, an unexpected sight greeted me.
Wait, aren't those Suk-jeong's shoes?
Beside them sat another pair. Neatly lined up before the entrance to Lady Jang Hui-bin's bedchamber were two sets of footwear. Next to the cloud-embroidered silk shoes Suk-jeong favored lay a pair of rough, unadorned leather shoes.
Just then, I caught sight of Seol-hyang passing by and tugged on her skirt.
"Seol-hyang Hamanim, is someone inside?"
"Yes, Mistress Suk-jeong. She arrived out of the blue without any advance notice, and she brought some female physician along with her."
"A physician?"
"Mmh. You know how Lady Hui-bin suffers from that phlegm-fire disorder. Apparently, this woman is supposed to be exceptionally skilled at curing it." Seol-hyang gave my hair an affectionate pat. "Looks like you scored some delicious treats again, hmm? I have to run over to the Naesojubang, so run along to your room and rest up."
"Yeth, Hamanim."
A female physician, was it? Sure, it was theoretically possible she had brought in some renowned healer from outside the palace walls, but my intuition screamed otherwise.
Why don't I buy that for even a second?
And as usual, my gut instinct proved dead right.
"Hui-bin-jaga, this is the shaman Orye whom I spoke of," Suk-jeong announced.
Unable to conceal her nervous dread, Orye dropped flat against the floor and bowed prostrate.
"This lowly one dares to gaze upon Your noble Highness."
The shaman's voice trembled like a dry leaf in the wind. Though she claimed to serve the spirits, shamans belonged to the lowest tier of the baseborn class. To set foot within the royal palace was astounding enough, but to be granted an audience with Royal Noble Consort Jang Hui-bin herself was overwhelming. This majestic woman had once worn the crown as Queen of Joseon, after all.
"I have heard that you possess extraordinary spiritual gifts," Hui-bin said coolly. "Suk-jeong has sung your praises quite frequently."
"Your praise is far too generous, Jaga! This humble servant knows not how to bear such honor."
"Thus, I have a question for you. When I drew from your five-color divination flags, I pulled the yellow banner three times in succession. I am curious as to what meaning lies behind it. Read the omen for me."
"Th-That is..."
A chilling dread crept down Orye's spine. Ever since the day Suk-jeong had brought the five-color flags to Chwiseondang, Orye's spiritual sight had slammed shut. When divining the destinies of others, she could hear the answers of the spirits as clearly as ever. The problem arose solely when she attempted to divine Hui-bin's fortune. The child spirit she served maintained an unbroken, stifling silence.
"Why do you not answer?" Hui-bin demanded.
"Th-The gods... the gods will not answer. This, too, is a profoundly bizarre phenomenon, so I sought to come to Chwiseondang today to seek an answer in person."
"The gods will not answer?" Hui-bin, who had expected a crisp revelation, shot a pointed glance at Suk-jeong.
Suk-jeong flinched under the razor-sharp gaze and hurriedly intervened.
"The more gifted the spiritual medium, the deeper her communion with the divine realm. There must be a profound reason why the spirits remain silent, so please do not trouble yourself, Jaga. Now that she has entered the palace, Orye will surely provide an answer."
Hui-bin’s expression remained steeped in doubt. Sensing the chill, Suk-jeong scrambled to change the subject.
"Forgive my insolence, Jaga, for I have not even inquired after your well-being. Have you been at peace during these past days?"
"Whether one can call it peace, I cannot say. Much has transpired, yet there was a joyous event as well."
"A joyous event?"
"His Majesty came to visit Chwiseondang."
"Oh! My warmest congratulations, Jaga!"
Seizing the opening, Suk-jeong pounced on the opportunity to claim credit.
"You have not forgotten, have you? That secret remedy Orye crafted, which I delivered into your hands! The talisman’s divine power has manifested at last. That must be why His Majesty..."
"Not at all," Hui-bin cut her off with slicing finality. "I never used that talisman. From the night I placed it beneath my pillow, my sleep was plagued by awful nightmares I could hardly endure."
"J-Jaga..."
"It was not the talisman that brought His Majesty here. It was entirely thanks to our little lucky charm."
"L-Lucky charm...?" Taken aback by the unfamiliar moniker, Suk-jeong stammered.
A fond smile blossomed across Hui-bin’s lips. "Yes. Our bundle of blessings. The child maid, Hwang Bong-bong."
"..."
At the mention of Bong-bong’s name, Suk-jeong’s face hardened into a mask of ice.
"What could possibly have happened for you to address that brat in such terms? How could a mere toddler have brought His Majesty here?"
"That is a private affair. I see no reason to explain the details to you."
As always, Hui-bin never tolerated Suk-jeong crossing the boundary of decorum.
"However, I must say that Bong-bong is a child richly blessed with good fortune. Ever since she entered Chwiseondang, miraculous, dreamlike things have followed one after another. Truly, a bundle of blessings has rolled right into my arms."
At those words, a shrill cry tore from Suk-jeong’s throat.
"Jaga! That child, Hwang Bong-bong, is no ordinary child!"
"What nonsense are you babbling now? What do you mean, she is not ordinary?"
"Her aura is sinister and malevolent! She is unnaturally cunning for her years, and she behaves as if possessed by a wicked demon—"
"Suk-jeong!"
Hui-bin’s voice cracked across the room, heavy with blazing fury.
"Insolent! Bong-bong is a child I cherish, and above all, a palace maid serving Chwiseondang! How dare you slander an innocent child with such foul words!"
"J-Jaga...!"
"Sinister and cunning? Possessed by a demon? In whose presence do you dare utter such vile curses!"
Suk-jeong threw herself frantically onto the polished floorboards.
"Jaga! Why will you not recognize my loyalty? That child is truly suspicious! I could not bring myself to say it before, but with my own two eyes, I witnessed her behaving as if possessed by a spirit!"
"Silence! Will you persist in this insolence?"
"Just once! Please, I beg of you, just this once! Grant my plea! Bring the child before Orye! Her true colors will surely be exposed!"
"What?"
"Jaga, please... For the sake of our past ties, for the sake of my lord, your brother, who is suffering in bitter exile, grant this one request..."
She had finally played the card of Jang Hui-jae, Hui-bin’s beloved older brother. Hui-bin stared down at Suk-jeong, her eyes narrowing into cold slits.
"I truly cannot fathom this. What could a four-year-old child have possibly done to warrant such hysteria?" Hui-bin turned her head toward the door. "Court Lady Han, are you outside?"
"Yes, Jaga."
"Bring Bong-bong to me."
"I shall obey your command."
The muffled rustle of Court Lady Han’s footsteps receded into the courtyard. Hui-bin kept her fiery gaze locked on Suk-jeong.
"I have summoned Bong-bong, just as you requested."
"Yes, Jaga! I am overwhelmed with gratitude! We will surely unveil that child's true—"
Hui-bin cut her short without mercy.
"Since I have indulged your wish, you had best prove your claims."
"Prove... them?"
"Indeed. That 'true nature' you keep shrieking about—prove it."
"..."
Suk-jeong lifted her face in terror. Meeting the razor-sharp intensity in Hui-bin’s eyes, a violent shiver ran through her frame.
"She is a child of my quarters. That means she belongs to me," Hui-bin warned, her voice dropping into a chilling murmur. "If you cannot substantiate the wild accusations your mouth has spat out today, you will pay dearly for wagging that three-inch tongue."
"Ah, Bong-bong. There you are."
Court Lady Han spotted me standing by the flower beds in the courtyard.
"Lady Hui-bin summons you. Enter the bedchamber."
"Right now?"
"Yes. Come along, quickly."
One way or another, a confrontation with Suk-jeong was inevitable. That was precisely why I had lingered in the courtyard instead of heading straight back to my quarters. Even so, I hadn't anticipated a gathering quite like this: Hui-bin, Suk-jeong, and the mysterious guest masquerading as a physician. To be marched before all three at once was an interesting turn of events.
Suppressing my curiosity, I followed Court Lady Han to the sliding doors of the bedchamber.
"Hui-bin-jaga, I have brought the child maid Hwang."
"Let her enter."
The paper doors slid open to both sides. In that brief split second, my eyes darted across the room, taking in the scene with practiced speed.
Lady Hui-bin was looking at me with a warm, reassuring smile. Across from her sat Suk-jeong, glaring in my direction with venomous fury. And beside Suk-jeong sat a woman with her head bowed low.
She is definitely no physician.
The moment I laid eyes on her, I knew. Call it another flash of my instincts. Above all else, there was not a single medical satchel or needle case in sight. Nor did Hui-bin look remotely like a patient seeking treatment.
Just then, Suk-jeong nudged the woman's side.
"That is the child. That is the Hwang girl. Examine her at once, Orye."
...Orye.
The notorious shaman named alongside Suk-jeong in the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty as the ringleader of the curse against Queen Inhyeon. The very medium who held rituals praying for the Queen’s demise and buried effigies and animal carcasses to cast dark hexes.
At Suk-jeong’s command, Orye raised her head. Her narrow, slitted eyes showed white on three sides as she locked her gaze directly onto me. Our eyes met dead-on.
She had an undeniably eerie face. Faint, barely-there eyebrows and an unnatural glimmer in her irises radiated a chilling, unearthly aura.
Truth be told, a shiver of primal fear shot down my spine. But I refused to back down. No matter how powerful a shaman she was, no matter if she possessed senses that regular mortals lacked, and no matter how wickedly she harmed others—
I'm not retreating an inch. I will win this fight against you two.
Because that was the only way I would survive.
It was at that exact moment.
...Wait, what is happening to her?
As Orye stared intently at me, her entire body began to tremble as if racked by violent convulsions. Her pupils dilated until they turned pitch-black, swallowing the irises whole.
Watching the terrifying sight unfold, Hui-bin gasped and covered her mouth in shock.
As if seized by an invisible, colossal force, Orye's body thrashed and shuddered uncontrollably. Then, bursting forth like a crazed shriek from the depths of her soul, she screamed at the top of her lungs:
"A god—!"