Sweetness and Sweet-and-Sour
It was an unremarkable kind of comfort.
Gayul simply held Hoeyeon tight from behind on the bed. While Hoeyeon wept and wiped her tears, Gayul said nothing at all.
It had never been the sort of thing words could soothe.
How could anyone put into words a comfort for the betrayal and fury felt toward a blood relative long thought dead — and for the grief of having lost everything, dragged back to the surface all over again?
All she needed to do was wait like this.
If she waited, Hoeyeon would dry her own tears and stand on her own.
Because Hoeyeon was strong.
"…sniff."
At last, having wiped away the final tear, Hoeyeon turned her head — and her eyes met Gayul's.
Come here.
She coaxed with a look, brushed her lips gently against Gayul's, then let her weight sink back against the woman behind her as though settling into bed. Gayul leaned against the wall; Hoeyeon leaned against Gayul.
…Soft.
She had a pair of her own, of course, but a chest really was a remarkably soft thing.
"Well, it stands to reason yours would be a little softer than mine."
Size-wise, anyway.
When Hoeyeon shook off the last of her tears with a laugh, Gayul tilted her head from behind.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Nothing."
Gayul's scent clung to her skin. Sometime along the way it had become familiar — a smell that put her heart at ease.
"Mm."
Still holding Hoeyeon from behind, Gayul drew a breath.
"I can smell you."
"That's a little embarrassing."
"It's a good scent. Calming."
"Don't say embarrassing things."
She had thought the exact same thing only moments ago — she just hadn't said it out loud.
Hoeyeon protested, but this time Gayul pressed her nose straight to the nape of Hoeyeon's neck and breathed in.
"Hih!?"
"Haa…"
Nose and lips and breath against the back of her neck sent a tingling rush through her.
The arms that had been draped loosely around her waist tightened, pulling Hoeyeon in close — as if to make sure she couldn't escape.
"Heut…!"
This time it wasn't a breath that touched her. Lips met the nape of her neck for a kiss, parting with a soft, wet sound.
"What are you doing!"
"I was tasting you."
"Saying it boldly doesn't make it— hih!?"
Gayul's tongue traced a line along her nape. She didn't pull away after the lick; she drew a path with her tongue, then set her teeth against the skin with mischievous care.
"And why shouldn't I?"
Gayul whispered, and with every word her mouth and lips worked at the nape of Hoeyeon's neck, making her flinch and twitch.
"What reason do I have to suppress this desire to taste you?"
"Th-that's…"
A sweet, prickling pleasure scrambled her thoughts. But even if it hadn't, Hoeyeon would not have been able to answer.
Because there was no reason.
They were long past the age of not knowing what two people did once they had offered their hearts and accepted each other's in return.
And Hoeyeon herself, that night beneath the moonlight when she had pulled Gayul in by the neck and kissed her, had thought of what lay beyond a kiss.
"That said, it is also true that the two of them are waiting outside."
Gayul lifted her lips from Hoeyeon's nape and kissed her ear instead.
"Heut…!"
"And if they have been waiting out of worry while we indulged in pleasure, they would surely be furious."
Gayul's lips closed on Hoeyeon's earlobe.
"So I shall only have a little taste."
Her tongue swept over the lobe, then she caught it between her lips alone and gave a soft tug.
"Eheh."
The breath left Hoeyeon's lungs in a rush. She tipped her head back — and her eyes met Gayul's.
Gayul's expression held a blend of tender lust, a curiosity hungry to see her lover's reactions, and the pure delight of teasing Hoeyeon.
But the moment she saw Hoeyeon's face melting gently into pleasure, the playfulness drained from Gayul's eyes, and something greedier — something like raw desire — filled the space it left.
"…I had meant only a little taste."
Gayul lowered her head, and Hoeyeon lifted her chin to meet her.
A kiss upside down was awkward — but it was different.
"Haut…"
Tongue rose to greet tongue, and when they met in the middle both of them shivered at the tingling rush of pleasure.
Gayul's hand pressed firmly down over Hoeyeon's skin. Past her navel, past her hip, fingers slipping beneath the edge of her lower clothes—
It was the first time for both of them, and neither considered that the angle of Hoeyeon's tipped-back head meant anything flowing from her mouth would run straight up into her nose.
"Kehhk!?!? Cough-cough-hack!?!?!?"
"Eut!? Augh…!!"
Saliva went down the wrong way. Hoeyeon erupted into a wild coughing fit and bounced upright on pure reflex. Gayul jerked back to avoid a headbutt to the chin — and the back of her skull cracked solidly against the wall.
"Sajeo!?"
"What happened!?!?"
By the time Arang and Yujeong burst in shouting, all they found was Hoeyeon coughing residual little coughs through tears and a running nose, and Gayul clutching the back of her head, trembling.
"…Just what in the world were you two doing."
Looking thoroughly fed up, Arang thumped Hoeyeon on the back.
"Gayul-ssi? Are you okay? Are you alive? Do you want to fight?"
"Yujeong, a favor if you would — quiet, just for a moment… my skull is… ringing……"
"…Haa."
Arang sighed at the state of them both.
The morning after being thoroughly mocked, Hoeyeon woke early alone in the bed where all four of them had slept.
What time is it?
There was sunlight, but it was so faint it still had to be dawn.
She considered going back to sleep, but she wasn't the least bit drowsy. She gently shifted Yujeong's leg aside and got up — though getting up didn't mean she had anything particular to do.
For a moment she thought about looking over the maps Gayul had drawn the night before again. Just a little more study and she felt something that had been nagging at her might finally click into place.
But there was no light, and she didn't want the rustle of paper waking the other three.
Maybe I'll just look around the house.
That seemed fine enough, so Hoeyeon left the room and began to wander the spacious residence.
Contrary to her expectations, only the section they were staying in was extravagantly appointed; everywhere else had been furnished quite ordinarily. For disguise, maybe?
"Ah."
When Hoeyeon stepped out into the courtyard, Gayul's old wet nurse was sweeping up fallen leaves.
"Let me help."
Hoeyeon hurried over on quick little steps. The old woman offered a gentle smile and held out the broom.
As Hoeyeon swept, the wet nurse spoke for the first time.
"You're quite practiced at this."
Her voice was as soft and kindly as her smile.
"Sweeping leaves? At the dojo it was something we did every day come autumn."
"You didn't leave it to your disciples?"
"I did! But those kids never do it properly, you know? And if someone slips on the leaves and falls, that could turn into a real problem."
Hoeyeon grumbled. The old woman simply nodded, slow and smiling still.
"You are a kind young lady."
"…Thank you."
The sudden praise left her a beat slow to respond.
"I am grateful to you, young lady."
"Pardon?"
Hoeyeon echoed her in surprise. Aside from this bit of sweeping, she couldn't remember doing anything worth anyone's thanks.
"I have served my lady since she was a newborn babe, and yet I have never once seen her so bright and lively as she is now."
"Gayul— ah."
She had been calling her Gayul this and Gayul that right in front of the woman the whole time — but from the perspective of someone who had served an emperor, wasn't that disrespectful? Irreverent, even?
"You truly are kind. But please, do not trouble yourself over it."
The old woman spoke as though she could see every thought in Hoeyeon's head, and Hoeyeon felt thoroughly caught out.
"My lady was always bored."
Over the soft scrape of Hoeyeon's sweeping, the old woman unspooled her memories.
"She was always busy, and yet she was always bored. It was the same the last time I saw her, so when we reunited this time I was so startled I thought my heart might stop."
"…Uh…"
At her age, saying something like that — how am I even supposed to react…
As if she could see straight through Hoeyeon again, the old woman laughed softly — hoho.
"My lady is a deeply earnest person."
Hoeyeon knew that well enough herself.
"And so anything she accepted as duty, she could not set down of her own will. The endless realm itself was her duty. Her own wishes, her own happiness — next to what she carried, she must have thought them no more than dust."
Not merely memory. Regret.
"The first crack in that chain of earnestness she could not undo herself — that was the love she came to hold for you, young lady."
And because there had been regret, the joy shone all the brighter.
"For the first time, my lady is savoring the ordinary pleasures of a person simply living. That is why I am grateful to you."
And then the old woman set her hands and her head to the ground and bowed before Hoeyeon.
"Wah!? Please get up!"
Hoeyeon rushed to lift her, but the old woman kept her head lowered as she spoke.
"I entrust our lady to your care."
"I understand! I understand, so please get up! No — please stand up!"
Chuckling softly, Gayul's old wet nurse rose.
"I've secured your word. Growing old isn't entirely a bad thing after all."
"That's cheating!?"
"With you, young lady, I can entrust my lady without worry. Ah, though…"
The old woman resumed sweeping the courtyard as she spoke. She had picked up the broom Hoeyeon set down while helping her up as naturally as breathing when she herself stood.
"As for your fondness for the company of women… they do say a hero is fond of beauty, and my lady is not the jealous sort, but…"
"Fondness for… women…"
Strange. Why was the world spinning? Hadn't she just been having a nice chat with a kindly little old grandmother?
"I should think three concubines, my lady included, would be quite enough. More isn't always better, you know."
"…Yes."
Chuckling, the old woman addressed the dazed Hoeyeon.
"For reference — the young lady with the lovely tail should be awake by now."
"…Excuse me?"
"And if you wish, I've packed a simple meal for two in a basket on the table. Do take it. It should do nicely for breakfast."
"…"
What was this grandmother?
"One becomes this way after long years in the palace."
She could read minds!?
"No, no. I am simply a little more practiced than most at reading faces."
When Hoeyeon clapped a hand over her mouth and backed away, Gayul's old wet nurse laughed her soft hoho once more.
Hoeyeon opened the door and beckoned. Arang tilted her head.
"Wait a moment."
Whispering so as not to wake the two still sleeping, Arang slipped out and spoke to Hoeyeon.
"What brings this on? Thee, up so early. And what is that basket?"
"Uh…"
And Hoeyeon said, a little sheepish,
"…Want to go on a picnic?"
"A picnic?"
Arang cocked her head.
"Gayul and Yujeong are still asleep."
"No… I mean…"
Hoeyeon scratched her cheek.
"Just for a bit. The two of us."
"…………Just the two of us, thou sayest?"
"…Yeah."
"Hmm. Combined with a bit of scouting of the surroundings, it may not be a poor idea. Wait but a moment."
Arang spoke with carefully studied nonchalance.
Her tail was thrashing left and right in plain view — but Hoeyeon kindly pretended not to notice.