Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 79

As this was the next procession following the military drills—which had been the first official event since the new Emperor’s accession—everyone preparing for it made every effort to ensure perfection. Furthermore, it wasn’t just any regular event; it was a gathering where the country’s momentous decisions were first presented to the Dragon God, meaning that absolutely nothing could be deemed unimportant. Thus, by the time Hwayounggyeong finished preparations for the Grand Oracle Ceremony’s procession, spring was already in full bloom.

“The weather is perfect for going out to play.”

Before setting out on the procession, someone uttered such a carefree remark. Of course, looking at the weather alone, there could not have been a better day. A breeze, stripped of its harsh intensity, brushed softly against the cheeks. Flower buds burst forth from the dry tree branches. Yet, despite this wonderful weather, Hongyo was tightly tense. Having worked for the past month solely for today, she merely hoped that everything would pass safely without incident.

After a long wait, the grand gates of the imperial palace finally opened. A day when one could cross the Jangin Gate, through which only the Emperor and the Empress could enter and exit, was only on occasions like today when there was a procession. Soon, the sound of drums announcing the Emperor’s arrival echoed loudly in front of the Great Hall.

At that, everyone waiting in front of the Great Hall prostrated themselves on the ground all at once. Since they could neither raise their bodies nor lift their heads until they received the Emperor’s permission, they welcomed the Emperor while prostrated. Shortly after, the great drums resonated once more, and the rolling sound of the wheels of the high palanquin carrying the Emperor could be heard. Beside it, palanquins disguising the one holding the Emperor followed in a line. Which palanquin the Emperor had actually boarded among them would be known only to the shadows who truly guarded him.

Once all seven massive palanquins completed their adjustments, the Grand General, the Inspector-General of Hyeongju, and the Director mounted their horses beside them and stood before the palanquins. Behind them, soldiers from Hwayounggyeong, along with the central army, surrounded the palanquins. It was then that Jeonghwan approached from the side and called Hongyo.

“There are no setbacks in the schedule, right?”

Since she had practically memorized it hundreds of times and had undergone countless mock training sessions, she couldn’t forget it even if she wanted to.

“Yes. Preparations for the rear guard were completed long ago.”

Though everyone guarded together upon departure, when returning, they would be divided into the advance guard, which would take charge of guarding the Emperor, and the rear guard, which would handle the remaining clean-up. Jeonghwan, who nodded his head, hesitated instead of returning to his position. As Hongyo looked at him as if asking what was wrong, Jeonghwan showed a look of concern that was quite uncharacteristic of him.

“I’m talking about Jang Daeho. Will it really be alright?”

At the mention of that name, Hongyo’s face hardened. Even if it was a coincidence that Jang Daeho had been drawn into the rear guard, she couldn’t erase the uncomfortable feeling. However, because everyone except for Jeonghwan, the commander of the advance guard, and herself, who led the rear guard, had been divided into the advance and rear guards through drawing lots, there was no helping it.

“It’s an event hosted by His Majesty, not just anything else, so nothing bad should happen.”

It wasn’t inside Hwayounggyeong; it was an event presided over by the Emperor. If someone caused an accident in a place like this, it wouldn’t end with a mere disciplinary action. No matter how reckless a person might be, their own life would be precious to them.

“Don’t worry. We’re just cleaning up and heading back. It will be fine.”

At those words, Jeonghwan looked at Jang Daeho with skeptical eyes before speaking.

“Should you notice even the slightest strange sign, report it immediately.”

“Yes. Do not worry.”

Yet, as if there was still something left to say, Jeonghwan was not heading back.

“Do you have more to say?”

However, Jeonghwan said nothing and merely stared at her silently for a while. As Hongyo looked at him in wonder, Jeonghwan soon spoke with a face that looked completely awkward.

“It suits you well.”

‘I wondered what it was.’ 

Feeling deflated, Hongyo looked down at the training uniform she was wearing. The cheorik tailored for the event was certainly flashier compared to the training uniforms. Not to mention the band wrapped around her waist, embroidery was also placed on the sleeves and the hem of the clothes, making it seem as though flowers bloomed from the ground every time she walked. Raising her head, Hongyo spoke to Jeonghwan.

“It suits you well too, Commander.”

Perhaps because his build was so grand, the fit was different even though it was the same uniform. It had been the same when he was in plain clothes last time, but he was truly magnificent. It wasn’t because he was her superior; he was a truly remarkable man in many ways.

“In this appearance, there won’t be a single maiden in the capital who won’t fall for you today.”

She had said it playfully, but it was also the truth. At that, Jeonghwan, furrowing his brow slightly, stared at her quietly. His lips, which had parted as if he had something to say, clamped shut tightly. He then gripped his reins once more.

“Playing around again. Keep the alignment well. Report anytime if there is an abnormality.”

“Yes! I shall do so.”

Hongyo watched Jeonghwan return to his position before gripping her reins. Just as Hongyo, who was patting her snorting horse, raised her head, Gamyoung, who had completed his final preparations, mounted the horse prepared behind the Grand General. Although she could only see his back, the figure with his back straightened rigidly while clad in armor carried no sense of incompatibility as a martial officer, even when positioned among those who were far more experienced than him.

Seeing that figure, Hongyo felt as if something heavy had settled upon her heart. Even though she knew it was Gamyoung, her chest throbbed.

‘Why am I being like this….’

From some point on, every time she looked at Gamyoung, emotions she had never felt before surged up unexpectedly. Hongyo believed that those feelings were simply because Gamyoung, appearing different from how he did outside the imperial palace, felt unfamiliar. Since she couldn’t think of anything else otherwise. Whether she truly couldn’t think of it, or whether she wanted to turn away from this emotion that made her think ‘could it be,’ she did not know.

It was then that the loud sound of a horn announcing the departure from the palace resounded. Finally, countless soldiers followed in a line behind the first palanquin that crossed the Jangin Gate.

The outside of the imperial palace was packed with crowds. Even though they couldn’t see the Emperor’s countenance, it seemed that merely watching such a procession was fascinating to them. As the procession passed, the people who had been prostrated rose and craned their necks to catch even the end of it. Seeing that, she felt a strange sensation as she recalled the days when she used to stand on her tiptoes to see the Emperor’s procession back when she lived outside the imperial palace.

However, there was too much to look after right now to indulge in sentimentality. It was a time when she was constantly monitoring the surroundings and Jang Daeho’s group to ensure that no untoward incident would occur while maintaining the alignment. Finally, in half a shijin (one hour), they arrived at the Gyeomgudan, where they offered sacrifices to the dragon while also seeking oracles or rituals.

The Gyeomgudan, meaning a place to seek answers, had been an altar where rituals had been offered to the Dragon God since the time of the Great Founder who established this country. Usually, it was a place always crowded with citizens who came to pray to the Dragon God, but today, it was literally a sea of people. It felt as though all the people within the capital had gathered here, making one wonder where on earth so many people had come from. Hongyo clicked her tongue at the crowd, then soon hardened her face upon spotting Mohyun standing in front of the main gates of the Gyeomgudan.

“I greet His Imperial Majesty.”

Kyungrak, who soon revealed his appearance from the palanquin, spoke to Mohyun, who was offering a bow while prostrated.

“Let us begin.”

At that, the dozens of shamans who had been offering a bow together behind Mohyun rose all at once. Mohyun led the shamans and headed toward the Gyeomgudan. Soon, the grand gates of the Gyeomgudan opened, revealing the altar where the sacrifice would be offered. A neat altar appeared beneath a massive tower towering high into the sky to honor the dragon. In front of it, along the path the Emperor would walk, blue silk was laid out right up to the front of the altar. The expression of Kyungrak walking down that path looked calm at a glance, but his tightly closed mouth and his gaze looking at the altar seemed a bit complicated.

“Offering sacrifices to the Dragon God by invoking all creation of heaven and earth, I pray that you willingly accept it.”

Prior to the sacrifice, Mohyun announced the start of the ritual in a loud voice. At that, the shamans standing behind Mohyun each chanted spells. Simultaneously, the blue light flowing out from the shamans enveloped the tower, and soon, the light scattered in all directions as if oxidizing.

“Wow….”

Small lights, exactly like fireflies, fell over the people gathered at the venue like fluttering snowflakes. Entranced by that small light, Hongyo, who had been blocking the crowd pressing in to see inside the Gyeomgudan with her back, held up her palm as if bewitched. The small light that fell upon her palm vanished without a trace before even touching her hand.

As Hongyo looked at that sight with a hint of regret, she suddenly raised her head and locked eyes with Gamyoung, who was standing in front of the main gates of the Gyeomgudan. She didn’t know since when he had been watching, but Gamyoung, whose eyes met hers, smiled faintly. Despite his shoulders and build showing a distinct adult form from having fully grown, the playful smile surfacing on his face held the image of the young Gamyoung she used to encounter constantly outside the imperial palace. However, what differed from back then was that even that smile was somehow relaxed….

“My lady. Did you see him smile just now? He must have smiled looking at you, my lady.”

“He is not her lady, he is our lady.”

“So go find out who that young master is.”

Hearing that sound from behind her back made her feel displeased for some reason. Hongyo was surprised by this side of herself. When she was outside, it was a scene she heard and saw quite often whenever she went out to the marketplace with Gamyoung. Back then, it was highly amusing to watch him get embarrassed when she teased him by saying it must be nice to be popular, but she couldn’t understand why she felt upset right now.

As Hongyo averted her gaze, Gamyoung’s expression hardened instantly. And Gamyoung, too, found this side of himself unfamiliar. No matter how much he liked Hongyo, to think he couldn’t even hide a single expression while working. However, seeing Hongyo still averting her gaze only away from his direction even after that, he couldn’t help but feel hurt.

‘Did I do something wrong to Hongyo?’

Yet, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t recall doing anything wrong. Could it be that on the day he went to Hongyo’s room, she had noticed some sign? Once his thoughts reached that point, Gamyoung grew anxious all over again. He wanted to go down there right away and ask Hongyo if something was wrong, but even so, he wasn’t an idiot incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. The Emperor was conducting a sacred ritual hosted before first reporting the state’s momentous affairs to the dragon. As a subject, and as a younger brother, he had nothing to say.

At that same hour, the plaque hanging on the Hall of the Returning Hour inside the Forest of Vanishing Shadows shook slightly, and soon, the ground rumbled. However, the inside of the forest, devoid of both birds and wild beasts, was merely quiet even after the grand rumbling, as if nothing had happened. Only the Hall of the Returning Hour, which had guarded the center of the forest where even sunlight did not reach for a long time, was welcoming its true master.