Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 85

Even after quite a bit of time had passed, news of Jang Daeho could rarely be heard. Since Hongyo’s interrogation had ended, people thought that the interrogation of Jang Daeho and his clique would have also finished by now, but they were still nowhere to be seen. When another week passed after Hongyo, whose whereabouts had been just as mysterious as theirs, returned, strange rumors began to circulate among the Gamhwi.

Since Yeo Hongyo had also been nowhere to be seen along with Jang Daeho, who deserted from the rear guard after the Great Oracle Festival ended, the place he had gone to was obvious. And when people saw the scratches that had appeared on the cheeks of the haggard Yeo Hongyo, who returned after a week, they thought that the speculations they had been secretly sharing among themselves had hit the mark.

“He must have committed mutiny.”

When Choi Hyangbang spoke, those present had expressions of doubt, but in their hearts, they agreed with Choi Hyangbang’s words. Although one might wonder how there could be mutiny between members of the same class, it was at the point when Yeo Hongyo had been appointed as Vice Inspector. When it wasn’t an official setting, they still spoke casually, so it didn’t feel real, but looking at rank alone, he was higher than them. Therefore, if Jang Daeho had gone to find Yeo Hongyo that day and picked a fight, things would not have ended peacefully.

“By the way, why isn’t that fellow Gu Yeoryeong anywhere to be seen?”

“I know, right. He even skipped out on the day of the Great Oracle Festival, claiming he was sick, and hasn’t been seen since that day.”

“I really don’t know what on earth is going on.”

Afterward, everyone threw in a word or two, but as long as the facts were unconfirmed, it was strictly nothing more than speculation. And they were not the only ones curious about Jang Daeho’s whereabouts.

“Inspector, My Lord. Do you really not know what happened to Jang Daeho?”

“I do not know. Even if I did, I could not tell you.”

“Then even Yeoryeong…”

“If you have finished all your work, return to the dormitory now.”

The words brought up with great difficulty were ignored this time as well. Hongyo stared at Jeonghwan, who was silently processing his work. With his mouth tightly shut, it seemed that just as he said, even if he knew, he would absolutely never tell. At that stubborn appearance, Hongyo sighed inwardly. If even Lord Jeonghwan didn’t know, who on earth would? As Hongyo remained silent, Jeonghwan, who was working, finally put down his brush and looked at Hongyo.

“Of course it’s only natural to be curious. But the interrogation will end someday, and when that time comes, you will find out even if you don’t want to. Can’t you just wait quietly until then?”

His expression was strangely cold, yet unable to let go of worry. Ever since that incident, Jeonghwan had noticeably kept Hongyo by his side. However, it wasn’t as if he acted affectionately or looked after her warmly. Rather, there was a part of him that had become colder than before. At first, she wondered if he was blaming her for failing to execute the order properly and causing this disaster, but Jeonghwan had never once mentioned that incident to her since their first meeting after the interrogation ended. Moreover, since he was personally taking charge of and processing even the official documents that she should originally have handled, it seemed he was treasuring her, who must still be in shock, in his own way. Even right now, it was just like that.

“Yes, I understand. Then, since it seems all of today’s work is finished, I will take my leave first.”

As Hongyo stood up from her seat and bowed, Jeonghwan pushed aside the documents piled next to him.

“Let us head out together.”

“But don’t you still have more work left, My Lord?”

“I can just come back and do that later.”

With that, he walked past Hongyo, who was still confused, and opened the door.

“How long are you going to stay there? Only if you go in quickly can I return early as well, can I not?”

Hongyo quietly stared at her superior, who was trying to personally escort her to the dormitory again today. He doesn’t need to do this… However, when she expressed such a wish a few days ago, Jeonghwan replied with an indifferent face.

‘It’s only until this incident is over. Until then, do not carelessly disappear from my sight.’

It seemed that the matter had been quite a shock to Jeonghwan as well. In the end, Hongyo followed Jeonghwan out today as well. It took less than half an hour to reach the dormitory, yet seeing Jeonghwan graciously volunteering to escort her every single day made her feel quite uneasy.

Yet, apart from such feelings, the back of Jeonghwan walking ahead was always reassuring. Watching his back, Hongyo hurriedly approached his side.

“Let’s go together.”

Still, rather than just watching his back, she wanted to be someone who could walk alongside him. Jeonghwan glanced down at Hongyo, then soon matched his stride to hers.

He still felt angry whenever he looked at Yeo Hongyo. The fact that he had returned so beaten up, and that he had been carried back in the arms of Director Hwayeong in such a state. However, the one he resented the most was himself. Even though he knew how Jang Daeho thought of Yeo Hongyo, he had failed to bring Jang Daeho along with the advance party. A wave of regret washed over him, wondering what those measly regulations mattered that he hadn’t put Yeo Hongyo’s safety above all else. But even if he spoke of his regret, this foolish Yeo Hongyo would surely say that controlling Jang Daeho was his own duty.

Therefore, Jeonghwan felt a bit miserable about his situation, where he could only do something like this. It was a bit excessive to be considered just a superior’s concern for a subordinate, but when he confirmed with his own two eyes that Yeo Hongyo had returned in such a state, he couldn’t think of anything. Only the desire to somehow punish Jang Daeho, who caused this mess, and at the same time, an intense longing to bring Hongyo, who was held in Gamyoung’s arms, over to himself remained. For someone like him, who always observed people and events from a step behind, it was an emotion he could not comprehend at all.

Jeonghwan could not understand what kind of feeling his heart was harboring. To call it simply a mind that treasured a subordinate, there was a corner that ran a bit too deep, but for now, he regarded this emotion as a sense of deprivation coming from helplessness. He was someone who had lived as the successor to follow his father in the lands of Jingzhou until now. A person like him could do nothing here. At that, beyond feeling suffocated, he even felt miserable. It wasn’t that he originally lacked affection for his subordinates, but Yeo Hongyo definitely had something different among them.

It was something Jeonghwan felt as though he knew, yet at the same time, he did not want to know. He instinctively felt a sense of threat, as if acknowledging that feeling would make things truly irreversible. Yet, he wished for Yeo Hongyo to be safe within his bounds and hoped he would remain only where he could see him.

Jeonghwan pretended not to notice Hongyo, who was stealthily reading his expression even now. He knew better than anyone else here where Jang Daeho was right now and in what kind of state he was there. However, precisely because of that, he could not let Hongyo know the truth. Jeonghwan only looked at Hongyo as he bowed politely upon reaching the dormitory. The scratches left on his cheek were completely healed by now and could barely be seen. However, the bruise that must have been left on his shoulder…

“Thank you. I shall head inside now. Please return early as well, Inspector.”

Having finished her greeting, Hongyo turned her back. Jeonghwan looked at her retreating figure, opened his mouth without realizing it, and then closed it again. An unidentifiable, anxious, and complicated mood held him at that spot for a while.

Hongyo, who returned to the dormitory, also looked anxious just like Jeonghwan. Since the time Jeonghwan became strangely cold was after the Great Oracle Festival, it seemed something must have happened that night. Seeing that Jeonghwan, who looked furiously angry, said, ‘You shouldn’t have returned in such a state,’ it seemed her condition had been quite serious. However, no matter how much she tried to recall her memories, she had no recollection from the moment she entered the forest.

‘I need to know something to even apologize.’

However, she stopped because she thought asking the person involved about what happened would only provoke more anger. That was not the only thing making her anxious. Hongyo let out a deep sigh as she looked at the wooden sword she always carried at her waist. The ornament that used to dangle near her hip was ultimately lost forever that day. Indeed, since she had tied it to an arrow and shot it, it wouldn’t have been easy to find in the first place, even if she went into the forest. Since she had already explained the reason for entering the forest during the interrogation, that report must have reached Gamyoung, who is Director Hwayeong, as well. Thinking about that, her chest felt tight, as if a stone were resting on it. What kind of gift was that, to be lost so vainly…

As her thoughts multiplied, her footsteps naturally slowed down. Just then, someone who was loitering at the end of the hallway read the atmosphere and quickly approached Hongyo. As if he had been waiting for quite a long time, an anxious look was written on his face.

“Vice Inspector, My Lord. Do you have some time right now?”

Hongyo looked at the man in front of her. She had greeted him in passing during classes, but since he was such a taciturn man, this was one of the few times they had conversed like this.

“What is the matter?”

When Hongyo looked puzzled, the man carefully scanned the hallway and the surroundings once more before speaking cautiously.

“I happen to know the whereabouts of Gu Yeoryeong. If it is alright with you, could you go visit him?”

At the completely unexpected words, Hongyo’s eyes widened.

“How do you…?”

“There is something I am supposed to receive from that fellow, but I haven’t received it yet. I just need you to see if his body is unharmed. As long as his body is fine, he is a fellow who will keep his promise somehow.”

To be precise, it was a transaction. Hongyo had seen Yeoryeong take money from others and bring them precious items from the outside a few times. In a situation where it was absolutely impossible to go outside unless it was a vacation, she didn’t know how on earth he procured them, but Yeoryeong would only laugh and absolutely never reveal his trade secrets. However, that was not what mattered right now.

“What do you mean, to see if his body is unharmed?”

When Hongyo asked, the man’s lips twitched. Seeing him look as though he still couldn’t make up his mind whether he should say this or not, Hongyo quickly spoke up.

“Your secret will definitely be guaranteed. No one will know that you were the one who spoke. I will absolutely make sure no harm comes to you.”

Those words seemed to bring him quite a bit of relief. The man stepped right up close to Hongyo. To Hongyo, who instinctively took a step back, the man lowered his voice as much as possible and said,

“Actually, I was supposed to meet Yeoryeong at dawn on the day of the Great Oracle Festival, but he didn’t show up even after time passed. Then, I saw it. Jang Daeho’s gang and Gu Yeoryeong being dragged away by the Yukho Army while unconscious.”

The Yukho Army was a unit directly under the Yukho Ttongsa. If it was the Yukho Ttongsa, wasn’t that the very place where she herself had been confined for interrogation? If it were there, there was no way she wouldn’t have seen them. It was just when Hongyo was feeling puzzled. The man, who paused for a moment, drew a breath and soon whispered in a fearful voice,

“If what I saw is correct, they must be in the basement of the Yukho Ttongsa right now.”

At that moment, Hongyo’s face turned deathly pale. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of that place. It was just that she didn’t want to bring herself to think they would actually be there.