Ha-hyeon — no, Yeong-ui’s Songbaek — had developed a genuine love for archery. The thrill of an arrow leaving the bowstring and sinking into the target was exhilarating enough on its own, but in a palace life where everything was done passively, archery was different. His skills improved as much as he put in the effort, and the more his skills improved, the more he felt a sense of accomplishment. The fact that he didn’t have to think about other trivial things was just a bonus.
Eventually, Ha-hyeon moved his training out of the cramped courtyard and into the imperial training grounds, which were far more spacious and suited for proper practice. When Ha-hyeon mentioned that the blisters on his fingers were from practicing archery, the Emperor had gladly permitted him to use his training grounds.
“Let’s get going. I’m going to completely destroy that target today.”
Ha-hyeon stepped out with his bow, filled with grim determination, and then gaped at the sight of Wol and the maidservants trailing behind him.
“……Are you all moving houses or something?”
And no wonder — the bundles in the girls’ hands were enormous. A three-tiered lacquered food container with elaborate patterns was the bare minimum; they were also hauling a plush sitting cushion, a parasol, a tea set for brewing, and even snacks and dried fruit for when they got bored. All of it bundled up and packed to the brim.
Wol answered with a bright, cheerful smile.
“My lady, since we’re heading somewhere spacious, we ought to enjoy it properly! The weather is so lovely — doesn’t it feel just like going on an outing?”
“No, I’m going there to train…….”
“They say even training comes after a good meal. You just focus on shooting your arrows, my lady. We’ll take care of everything else!”
“Hand it over.”
Ha-hyeon held out his hand, and Wol jumped and hid the bundles behind her back.
“Absolutely not. How could someone as esteemed as you carry luggage? We will carry it.”
“Oh, quiet. Look at the size of you lot. I’m genuinely worried your already-short heights will shrink even further lugging all that around. Hand it over, now.”
Ha-hyeon clicked his tongue. It seemed the girls had been just as cooped up in Byeoksong Palace as he had and were itching to get out. He understood their excitement over the rare outing and their desire to bring this and that, but the bundles they were shouldering were far too large for their frames. When Wol and the maidservants refused to listen, Ha-hyeon put on a deliberately stern voice and issued a warning.
“I’m asking nicely. Hand them over. Otherwise I’ll use the authority of the Yeong-ui to give you a proper scolding.”
“My lady…….”
Wol and the maidservants reluctantly handed the larger bundles over to Ha-hyeon. Unable to bring themselves to follow empty-handed, each of them still held onto a bowl or a basket. Sa Ha-hyeon looped the knots of two heavy bundles around one hand, then used the momentum to hoist them up and prop them on his hip. It was a technique he had learned once when he worked a part-time job at a banquet hall.
The Martial Arts Instructor, who witnessed that effortless display, furrowed his brow and strode over. Without a word, he reached out to snatch the bundles from Ha-hyeon.
“Now, now, Instructor. It’s fine. Don’t you have plenty to carry yourself with the bow and arrows?”
When Ha-hyeon refused, the Instructor stopped dead in his tracks like an ancient tree rooted to the ground. It was a silent protest — he wasn’t moving a single step unless Ha-hyeon handed over the bundles. There was no time to be standing off over something like this. Every minute wasted on the road was a minute less of practice.
“I suppose I have no choice. Then, Instructor, please just carry this one. That’s enough, yes? Let’s go. Quickly.”
Ha-hyeon had no choice but to hand one of the bundles over.
And so a peculiar procession began. Wol and the maidservants fluttered ahead like butterflies, while Ha-hyeon and the Instructor followed behind them side by side, loaded with luggage like porters. The sun blazed overhead, making it feel nothing like winter weather.
Sa Ha-hyeon had tied his hair up high to the very top of his head and had dressed in trousers for ease of movement. Of course, the silk robe draped over him and the ornaments dangling all over him were unmistakably those of a woman, but simply tying his hair back neatly and wearing trousers gave him a sense of freedom.
As he walked, listening to the girls chattering ahead, Ha-hyeon suddenly snickered and opened his mouth.
“Instructor, just look at the two of us.”
The Instructor turned his head to look at Ha-hyeon.
“Don’t we look just like a couple who took their children out for a flower-viewing picnic?”
“…….”
Ha-hyeon had only meant it as a lighthearted joke, but it seemed that wasn’t how it landed on the Instructor’s ears. The Instructor’s steps came to an abrupt halt. His face, always as expressionless as a stone Buddha, flushed red in an instant — like a ripe persimmon. He covered his mouth as if to clear his throat and hastily turned his face away.
Wait. This is actually fun to tease him.
“Oh? Why is your face so red?”
Ha-hyeon asked with a mischievous grin, and the Instructor, instead of answering, readjusted his bundle and strode ahead as if making his escape. Ha-hyeon burst out laughing as he watched the Instructor’s reddened ears. He seemed like a robot, but he’s got an unexpectedly cute side.
But that cuteness vanished without a trace the moment they arrived at the training grounds and the Instructor took up a bow. Once he had a bow in hand, the Instructor transformed back into a drill sergeant from hell. With nothing but his eyes and gestures, he picked apart Ha-hyeon’s posture relentlessly. If his breathing fell out of rhythm, the Instructor would tap his shoulder to make him refocus; if the angle of the arm drawing the bowstring was even slightly off, he corrected it on the spot. How could someone who didn’t say a single word still radiate such overwhelming pressure?
They had been deep in practice like that for quite a while. Then suddenly, a fierce, blade-like wind came sweeping over the ridge. The clear sky turned grey in an instant, and thick flurries of snow began falling so heavily they obscured the view. The fickle weather had decided to throw a tantrum.
The maidservants screamed and clutched their collars against the sudden blizzard. But Ha-hyeon, rather than lowering his bow, actually had his eyes light up.
“Oh, now this is the real deal! Instructor, this is a chance to practice like it’s a real battle!”
When Ha-hyeon called out, the Instructor gave a firm nod as if in agreement.
The problem was the girls behind them. Wol and the maidservants, who had dressed up in their finest thin silk robes in the name of going on an outing, were trembling like aspen leaves in the sudden cold snap. When Ha-hyeon saw their lips turning blue, his brow furrowed.
“Wol! You all head back down first!”
“Excuse me? N-no, that won’t do.”
“Tsk! You all came dressed so thinly as it is — if you catch cold together, who’s going to take care of me? I’ll practice just a little longer and then come down, so stop arguing and go back and get some warm water ready. Go on!”
“But…….”
“Hey! Get moving!”
At Ha-hyeon’s shout, Wol and the maidservants made tearful faces and reluctantly gathered up their things.
“Then you have to come back soon, alright? Really soon!”
The girls hurried down the mountain path, and left behind on the wide training grounds were only the howling blizzard and two men.
In the fierce, cutting wind, the arrows danced wildly of their own accord. Even when he aimed squarely for the center of the target, the arrows were swept away by the wind and missed pathetically, or lodged themselves somewhere entirely wrong. The snow obscured his vision so badly it was hard even to gauge the distance.
In martial arts films, if you endure terrible conditions like this, your skills improve dramatically!
Ha-hyeon dug in stubbornly and focused. The pain of his fingertips feeling like they might freeze right off faded quickly whenever he saw an arrow fly the way he intended. But there were limits that no amount of human willpower could overcome.
“Ugh…….”
Before he knew it, the feeling in his fingers was gone, and he couldn’t even tell if the bowstring was properly nocked. His lips had turned blue, and his body was trembling like an aspen leaf.
Ha-hyeon set down his bow, shaking all over. The Instructor seemed to have judged it was too much as well, and pointed toward an old wooden structure in the corner of the training grounds. It looked to be a storage shed for training targets and weapons. It seemed he was saying they should take shelter there for now.
The two of them plunged through the blizzard and dove into the shed. When the door closed, the roar of the wind died down. But the shed, with no heating whatsoever, was ice cold.
“It’s cold. So cold……. Are you alright, Instructor? I got greedy for no reason. You’ve been put through the wringer because of me.”
Ha-hyeon hugged his arms around himself and curled up. White puffs of breath billowed out.
At that, his Instructor took off his outer robe and draped it over Ha-hyeon’s shoulders. The inside of the garment still held the man’s warmth. It was just one extra layer of clothing, and yet it made a world of difference.
“I’m fine. Aren’t you cold, Instructor?”
Even at Ha-hyeon’s question, the Instructor stood perfectly calm, hands clasped behind his back, showing no sign of being cold whatsoever. In that moment, Ha-hyeon’s heart gave a heavy thud and dropped.
Am I losing my mind? Why is my heart suddenly pounding like crazy?
His face flushed hot. Getting flustered because a man lent another man his robe — was he out of his mind? But Ha-hyeon quickly tried to rationalize it to himself.
Maybe because I’ve been dressed up as a woman for so long, some part of me actually started to think I was one. Ha-hyeon snuck a glance up at the Instructor. In the dusty shed, standing in the dim light, he was — objectively speaking — quite a fine-looking man. A strong, straight nose, a firm jawline, a solid body honed by martial arts — there wasn’t a single thing lacking.
Of course, he was nowhere near Wei Wuyuan’s overwhelming looks. But still.
Ha-hyeon buried his reddened cheek into the borrowed robe, breathing in the faint scent of the man’s sweat. As if embarrassed about having given away his robe, the Instructor also cleared his throat and looked around the shed for no particular reason. Only the whistling of the wind slipping through the gaps in the door filled the space; there wasn’t a soul to be heard outside, making it feel as though they had been cut off from the rest of the world entirely.
Some time passed like that. The Instructor stepped closer to Ha-hyeon. Then he pulled a single sheet of paper from inside his robe and held it out.
Written on the paper in black characters were the words:
How are you finding life here?
Ha-hyeon, having read the words on the paper without any particular expectation, smiled. Asking after his student’s wellbeing with that stiff, expressionless face of his — worried that I might be struggling to adjust to palace life.
“Don’t worry. It was a bit unfamiliar at first, but I’ve gotten used to it now and I’m doing quite well……huh?”
He hastily pulled the paper up close to his face. A combination of straight lines and circles. Not the complex strokes of Chinese characters, nor the curling script of this world’s common tongue — something else was written there. Something that should not exist in this place.
It was Hangul.
Footnotes:
I was debating on what to address Ha-hyeon either my lord or my lady but since Ha-hyeon is disguised as female, the people around him (Wol, the maidservants, the Eunuch, etc.) would address him as “my lady.”
