Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 97

Even though he was a lad, his appearance grew more delicate with each passing day, and Jeonghwan stared as if bewitched, only snapping out of it at the sound of Hongyo’s voice calling him.

“By the way, did anything special happen while I was away?”

Once the matter of dealing with Jang Daeho was finished, Hwayeonggyeong was the same as usual. It was a daily routine to combine classes and training just as they always did. Did they not say the ground hardens after a rain? Yet, even in the peacefulness without Jang Daeho, Jeonghwan felt an emptiness. Ever since Yeo Hongyo was promoted to Vice Commander, the spot where he used to follow right behind his every step without a single exception felt exceptionally large once it vanished. However, it weighed on his mind that rather than simply because a subordinate who used to follow his side had disappeared, he felt a bit more affectionate and anxious.

“Since there is no fellow chattering away beside me, it actually felt a bit empty.”

Whether he had not expected that answer, Hongyo opened his eyes roundly and soon burst into laughter.

“See that? Even though you always say I’m annoying, you find it boring when I’m actually not around, right? Truly, what are you going to do if I’m not here later on?”

His face was as mischievous as his playful tone. The smile that bloomed on his delicate face was truly wonderful to see. Therefore, Jeonghwan also acted as if he were joking.

“Why wouldn’t you be here? I intend to take you to Hyeongju somehow.”

At that, Hongyo’s expression turned a bit bitter. However, as if he had misseen it, Hongyo immediately smiled mischievously and spoke to Jeonghwan.

“All right. Do take me along sometime. I heard there’s a sea there. I have never left Juan once in my life, so I really wanted to see it.”

He did not know that. Jeonghwan nodded, engraving the newly learned fact about Hongyo into his mind.

“I shall do that. I will let you see it until you grow utterly sick of it.”

Then, Hongyo, who was excited just by the thought of it, smiled broadly. Seeing that smile, Jeonghwan truly wanted to show Hongyo the sea whenever he wished at that very moment. What of the sea? If it was a place that lad wanted to visit, it did not matter whether it was a frozen land or a desert. If only he could continue to see that smile.

Jeonghwan was startled by himself for thinking such a thing. But when Hongyo looked at the wooden sword he had set aside at that moment, such thoughts ceased in an instant. If the contents of the reports he had received so far were correct, that must be the ornament said to have been lost in the Forest of Vanishing Shadows.

“Is that…?”

When Jeonghwan gestured toward the ornament with his chin, a flustered Hongyo fumbled around.

“Ah, a close friend found it for me.”

If it is a close friend….

“Do you mean the Chief Commander?”

Then Hongyo nodded his head slowly. Jeonghwan recalled Gamyoung, who used to ride his horse alone and disappear somewhere at that late hour after official duties were over. He had wondered where the man went like that every day for over a month, and it turns out he went to look for that?

At that moment, Jeonghwan felt strangely twisted inside. Was it not a fact he had known long ago that the two were close friends? Even if their friendship was a bit extraordinary, Jeonghwan himself could also do his best to find an item lost by a close friend if he had a truly close friend. Furthermore, did the Chief Commander not say with his own mouth that there was someone he loved? Therefore, it was not something to get so twisted inside about, but why.

However, Jeonghwan’s mood had already sunk. It was only when Hongyo, who was observing Jeonghwan, called him saying, ‘Commander, Your Honor?’ that Jeonghwan recalled the original purpose of his coming here and spat out words somewhat impulsively.

“I heard a lantern festival is held around early autumn every year.”

The topic of conversation changed abruptly. As a bewildered Hongyo stared, Jeonghwan continued speaking calmly.

“It seems to be scheduled about a month from now, and it has been decided that Hwayeonggyeong will also detach a few personnel to the guard unit at that time.”

Ah, it is a matter of business. Only then did Hongyo listen to Jeonghwan’s words in a disciplined posture.

“But since the Taegwahap is coming up soon, it seems detaching people won’t be easy. Therefore, it has been arranged that the two of us, myself and the Vice Commander, will go out from Hwayeonggyeong, but would that be alright? Since it’s a patrol anyway and won’t require that much effort for one night, if it’s a burden, I shall try to arrange another way.”

If it was the lantern festival, he had seen it with Gamyoung. Because Gamyoung was doing various things at that time, it wasn’t every year, but he used to make time somehow to go see it if possible. Last year, they couldn’t go because they were preparing for the hunting ritual. A lantern festival, time has already flown by like this.

‘We won’t be able to see it together this year.’

Somehow it’s a pity. Thinking so, Hongyo nodded his head.

“One night or so is fine.”

However, when Jeonghwan saw Hongyo nodding readily, his heart grew bright once again. Of course it was business, but since it was the first time the two of them were going out of the palace alone. For some reason, Jeonghwan suppressed his lips from moving as his lips tried to turn upward in a pleasant mood.

“Then I shall submit a report stating that the two of us will go out.”

Having fulfilled his purpose, Jeonghwan turned his back with a heart that was not just light but somehow felt like it would fly away. He did not know if going to a festival with a lad was a pleasant thing, but if it was Yeo Hongyo, it did not matter. At any rate, it was this delightful when they were together.

˖°⛩️⋆˙️

Time passed quickly. No matter how perfectly Jeonghwan had handled things, Hongyo also had work to do as the Vice Commander. As he handled the work piled up because he had gone on vacation for a whole month while also being unable to neglect classes and training, he did not even know how time flew by. On top of that, he had to prepare for the Taegwahap as well, so even having two bodies would have been insufficient. Before he knew it, a month had passed.

Hongyo, who did not even know how the dates were going, had a bewildered face when he saw Gamhwis running hurriedly toward the front yard while he was heading to the training ground after class. It wasn’t that there was a suddenly scheduled assembly, and with classes finished, what was so urgent that they were running like that. It was when Hongyo was wondering. Choi Hyangbang, who happened to be near Hongyo, came running while panting.

“Huff, huff. Go to the front yard right now.”

“Why?”

“Jang Daeho, Jang Daeho is here!”

At those words, before his mind could even think, Hongyo’s body ran out first on its own. As he pushed past the Gamhwis gathered in the front yard and stepped forward, Jang Daeho, who was threatening by his mere existence, was walking into Hwayeonggyeong while carrying luggage. At that moment, Hongyo made eye contact with Jang Daeho.

However, unlike the last time when he smirked as if amused the moment he saw Hongyo, Jang Daeho merely glanced briefly and passed right by Hongyo without any reaction whatsoever. For Hongyo, who had expected him to start a fight like last time at the very least, such a reaction from Jang Daeho was rather more flustering. And that was not something felt by Hongyo alone. Jang Daeho walked forward without making eye contact with anyone, as if there were nothing in front of his eyes. Along the path where such a Jang Daeho walked, people parted to both sides.

Hongyo watched that retreating figure with a flustered face. However, when he discovered the man who entered Hwayeonggyeong following behind Jang Daeho, Hongyo stared at the man, freezing even colder than before. It was Yeoryeong. Yeoryeong, who walked with his head bowed as if he were a criminal, looked like a completely different person from before. Hongyo called out that name without realizing it.

“Gu Yeoryeong.”

Then, reacting to that voice, Yeoryeong looked back at Hongyo. His unfocused eyes widened as if surprised. But that was only for a moment. Soon turning his head away, Yeoryeong moved his steps just like that.

“How shameless. How can he crawl back in again.”

Behind Yeoryeong’s back, voices cursing him could be heard. However, Yeoryeong silently followed behind Jang Daeho without looking back anymore. Hongyo clenched his fists as he watched that powerless retreating figure. The desire to chase after him even now and the desire to turn a blind eye just like this could not find a direction until Yeoryeong vanished from his sight.

˖°⛩️⋆˙️

The news of Jang Daeho and Gu Yeoryeong returning to Hwayeonggyeong gradually moved away from the center of gossip after about a week passed. However, the gazes watching Yeoryeong grew sharper and sharper as time went on. In the first place, Jang Daeho was that kind of person and was feared in himself, so in terms of the gravity of the offense alone, Jang Daeho was heavier.

However, Yeoryeong, who had a reasonably good reputation among people, had become a completely different person due to this incident. His shoulders, which he always used to carry proudly squared, were hunched, and his playful and sly gaze was always fixed on the ground. Otherwise, like right now, he completely ignored the criticisms pouring down on him as if he could not hear them.

Hongyo watched Yeoryeong, who was being beaten by a group after being picked on today as well. No matter how much Yeoryeong was stronger in military tactics than in martial arts, he was not such a weakling or faint-hearted person to just take a beating from a fight picked with him. But these days, Yeoryeong was acting like a person who had given up on everything. Even if someone deliberately hit his shoulder to knock him down, or if he heard mockeries like being a traitor right under his nose, he just silently accepted the criticism as if he could hear nothing. Even just now, he was taking the pouring kicks without even dodging them.

“Stay still. Don’t get involved for no reason.”

It was when Hongyo, unable to just watch, was about to step in to stop it. Choi Hyangbang, who grabbed Hongyo’s shoulder, shook his head.

“He’s a guy who deserves to be beaten. If you get involved here, even you will look ridiculous.”

Then Lee Geum-seong, as well as Yoo Deoksu, nodded their heads reluctantly. Hongyo watched that Yeoryeong and finally turned his steps away. It wasn’t that he pitied Yeoryeong or had lingering attachments left. However, he hated seeing him act like a criminal by himself like that. He didn’t know if he thought doing that was atonement, but if he wanted to apologize, shouldn’t he come to find him and do it instead of getting bashed to a pulp like that? But Yeoryeong did not raise his head in the end.

On the other hand, Jang Daeho was certainly an extraordinary fellow.

“Did you see that?”

To the question Yoo Deoksu asked, Choi Hyangbang clicked his tongue instead of an answer. At the end of Choi Hyangbang’s gaze, several men were flattering Jang Daeho while praising his gyeokgu skills. As a disposition for what happened in the Forest of Vanishing Shadows, those who participated in that incident were all expelled from Hwayeonggyeong, except for Jang Daeho and Gu Yeoryeong. However, just as someone comes to fill the spot when an empty space is made, those who admired the power of the Pangam and the strong might possessed by Jang Daeho took this as an opportunity to stick to Jang Daeho in place of the expelled people.

But Choi Hyangbang was not one to click his tongue over such things.

Jang Daeho, who was playing a gyeokgu match, threw off his upper garment. Then, the distinct scar engraved on his back was revealed. That scar, which looked like something that would be on a runaway slave or a criminal, was enough to surprise everyone present. Although the redness had vanished as time passed, the distinct whipping marks remaining as clear scars that filled his entire back were revealed without a single thread under the sunlight.