21. I Am Hwa Yeo-wol
“Our Cheongsan Academy has produced yet another high passer in the provincial exam, shaking the fame of the three great academies once more. And this Yang prodigy is one of the Three Talents of the World, isn't he? He'll surely pass the metropolitan exam too, so we ought to get in his good graces early. Have a drink on me.”
It seemed they were holding a celebration banquet for the provincial exam success. Won Seung let out a sigh upon hearing the chatter.
If I'd stayed at the Won Mansion, I might have taken the exams myself.
He was sixteen now. It wasn't too late to take the exams even at this age, but his current lot was that of an assassin meant to kill someone, which filled him with a sudden melancholy.
In his glum mood, he took a swig from his cup and gazed out the window. Across the way at the Yunhwa Pavilion, Jong Bi was watching him.
He'd known for a while that Jong Bi was keeping tabs on him.
That was part of why he hadn't killed Lee Eon-pae yet. The tight security was a factor, but more than that, Won Seung hated the idea of anyone witnessing his assassination work.
His plan was to send monthly warnings of his intent to assassinate, wearing down Lee Eon-pae's nerves. When those notices arrived, the man would tense up, no doubt. After teasing him with tension three or four times, he'd take a month off... and strike when the guard was down.
In the meantime, he'd come to Sangyang to scout his top-priority target.
That guy's got some money, doesn't he?
Money, money, money... Won Seung's mind was filled with thoughts of cash.
Funds are short. Should I ask for more?
If it was for the assassination, they might give it to him. As he pondered, someone spoke up.
“New face. Are you from the Dongsan Academy?”
He turned to see the woman whose eyes he'd met earlier standing there. Bold of her to approach a strange man first.
Won Seung ignored her and turned away, saying, “Not from around here.”
At his curt dismissal, the corner of her eye twitched upward. The casual tone had irked her.
“I'm older than you, you know. What's with the rude speech?”
“You too.”
Her eye twitched sharply, and her neck flushed red. She stared at Won Seung for a moment, took a deep breath to calm herself, and sat down across from him.
“You're a funny one.”
She flipped over the cup beside her, grabbed his bottle, and poured herself a drink.
“That's my booze.”
She furrowed her delicate brow.
“I know. This stuff's bitter.”
“Life's bitter by nature.”
Won Seung had tasted a particularly bitter life since age six. She let out a chuckle at his words and called the waiter.
“Bring a bottle of Milssohwa.”
Then she turned to him. “Sweet booze makes life sweet too.”
She flashed white teeth in a smile. Won Seung's gaze drifted to her hand. Calluses marked her palm— the grip of a sword hand.
“I'm Hwa Yeo-wol. What's your name?”
“Me?”
He nearly blurted out No. 50.
Her name snapped him alert.
Hwa Yeo-wol?
According to Jeokhyeolsan's intel, Hwa Yeo-wol was the only daughter of Cheongsu Gate's third lord, Hwa Cheon-un— and the niece of Hwa Cheon-gang, whom he had to kill right now.
Won Seung thought for a beat before replying, “I'll tell you later.”
“What? Why?”
“Doesn't seem like we'll be buddies.”
I might end up killing your whole family.
His dismissal stoked a quiet anger in Hwa Yeo-wol.
What kind of guy is this?
But she couldn't hit a scholar, so she swallowed her irritation and asked, “Telling me later means... we'll be buddies by then?”
“Who knows what'll happen. You might figure it out without me saying.”
She pondered his words. The idea that she'd know without him telling was intriguing.
Is he famous? A scholar who's made a name...
The Three Talents flashed through her mind. They were the three renowned young scholars of the world, and her senior brother Yang Dae-hyeon, sitting at that very table, was one of them.
Nah, couldn't be.
One of the Three Talents wouldn't wander alone like this.
Just then, the waiter brought the Milssohwa.
Hwa Yeo-wol poured him a cup and urged him to try it. It was sweet, just like the name suggested.
“See? Life feels sweeter now, right?”
Won Seung looked mildly surprised and held out his cup.
“Kinda does. Pour me another.”
He didn't yet grasp the depths of fine liquor. The sweet Milssohwa beat the stuff he'd ordered.
“Where you from?”
“Huangdo.”
Hwa Yeo-wol eyed his clothes again. Now that she looked, he did seem like a young noble from the capital.
“Huangdo... you live there?”
“Yeah.”
Won Seung answered, recalling the Won Mansion.
“They say Huangdo's Namdaero is wide enough for ten carriages side by side?”
“Yep.”
“And Cheonhwa Road in Huangdo has every item under the sun?”
“Beats me. Lots of stuff, though. They say a thousand shops, so probably over ten thousand items.”
Hwa Yeo-wol peppered him with questions about Huangdo, and Won Seung answered what he knew— knowledge from when he was six, but enough to dispel her suspicions.
“Why'd you stare at me like that earlier?”
Won Seung, his face flushed red from the booze, let out an “Ahh” and said, “You guys were being loud. Ruined my reading. Don't do it again.”
Hwa Yeo-wol nearly dropped her jaw at the trivial reason.
Well, we were pretty rowdy when we came in.
With her doubts cleared, curiosity about Won Seung bloomed. Then someone approached— one of the scholars, probably wondering why she'd left her seat to chat with a stranger.
A narrow-browed scholar asked Hwa Yeo-wol, “What're you doing here? Who's this guy?”
“A scholar from Huangdo.”
She answered for him and introduced the scholar to Won Seung.
“This is Senior Brother Jong from Cheongsan Academy.”
Hearing “Huangdo,” Jong Won-bo eyed Won Seung with curiosity.
“I'm Jong Won-bo. Which family in Huangdo?”
“Can't say.”
Won Seung shut him down flat. Jong Won-bo frowned, clearly thinking the kid was arrogant.
“You must've heard of Grand Academician Jong Taehaks a, living in Huangdo. He's from the Sangyang Jong clan.”
“Nope, no clue.”
Won Seung felt a bit dizzy from his first taste of liquor. He knew Jong Won-bo was testing him and disliked it, but saw no need to explain.
“We're here to drink, so drink. Why keep prying into my background?”
He poured and downed another cup of Milssohwa. His face burned even redder.
Seeing Won Seung drunk, Jong Won-bo scowled, glared for a moment, then said to Hwa Yeo-wol, “A scholar who doesn't know Grand Academician Jong Taehaks a? This guy's fishy. It's our academy celebration today. Back to your seat.”
“I'll go soon. You first.”
When Hwa Yeo-wol showed no sign of moving, Jong Won-bo shot them alternating displeased glances before returning to his seat.
“Watch out for that guy.”
Won Seung said, eyeing Jong Won-bo's back. Hwa Yeo-wol's brow twitched.
“Watch out for Senior Brother Jong?”
“Looked at you like he wanted to eat you. Probably pervy thoughts.”
Hwa Yeo-wol stared at him, dumbfounded. This kid... what was he thinking?
The kid, drunk, kept babbling.
“I know that look.”
He couldn't say the instructors gave girls that look.
“You're... kinda...”
At a loss for words, Hwa Yeo-wol changed the subject.
“Cheongsan Academy is one of the three great academies. They select students strictly on scholarship and character. Senior Brother Jong's not like that.”
“Hm. Any Cheongsan grads in high central office?”
“Plenty. That's why it's one of the great three.”
“Then that 'character' stuff ain't reliable.”
“What?”
“Officials take bribes, scheme to slander rivals, and claw their way up. The ones left standing are the real sharks. If Cheongsan pumps out tons of central officials, the kids studying there now are primed to turn rotten too.”
Hwa Yeo-wol's mouth fell open.
“You're so twisted. How'd you live to see the world that crooked?”
Won Seung gave her a pitying look, then enlightened her.
“Not twisted. Just pointing out the dark side of the world.”
“Dark side?”
I've lived it, so yeah, I'm an expert. But he couldn't say that.
“Heaven and earth have yin and yang. Coins have heads and tails. Life has light and shadow. It's all one thing— depends on where you look.”
His profound words gave her pause.
Won Seung had grown up watching his father, Minister Won, in fierce power struggles to solidify his position— all schemes and plots. Then he'd learned nothing but slander and murder in a remote mountain camp.
Unaware of that, Hwa Yeo-wol wondered and pitied what storms this boy had weathered to become so cynical.
Then a burst of hearty laughter erupted from the scholars' table. Pure, hopeful mirth untouched by shadow.
“Or maybe they've got good character now, but going official twists 'em? Can't say.”
Won Seung muttered to himself and downed more Milssohwa. Hwa Yeo-wol said, startled, “It's sweet but strong. Better stop. You can't hold your liquor, right?”
His face was beet red now from the drinks.
“Yeah. Time to quit. Milssohwa's sweet, but it's spinning. If someone tried killing me now, I'd go down clueless. Sweet life's dangerous. Gotta crash.”
Won Seung mumbled to himself, stood unsteadily, and staggered out.
Heading for the third-floor guest rooms, he bumped into someone at the door. The man, who hadn't been there a second ago—like a ghost—groaned and exploded.
“Watch where you're going!”
“Huh?”
Won Seung saw narrow, droopy eyes giving a sly impression, but a sturdy build, sword at his waist, and attire marking him as some noble's guard.
“I'm drunk, fine, but you're sober. Why'd you bump me? On purpose?”
“What? You picking a fight?”
The man grabbed Won Seung's collar.
“Come down with me. I'll teach you what happens in Sangyang for flapping your mouth.”
“Hahaha.”
Collar grabbed, Won Seung turned to Hwa Yeo-wol watching and said, “This is the dark side of the world. Who'd guess a few words would breed grudge?”
Hwa Yeo-wol realized the guard was from the Jong clan household and called for Jong Won-bo.
“Senior Brother Jong!”
Jong Won-bo kept drinking with the scholars, pretending not to hear.
Hwa Yeo-wol stood and shouted louder.
“Senior Brother Jong!”