If Silk Flowers Bloom by the Water’s Edge Chapter 29

At 9 PM sharp, Old Lady Yomyung herself opened the iron-barred gate of the Nanjubeol mansion. Jiju had even come out to see them off, but the main character, Chaehwa, was not there. They had heard the news that she would be taking a different car from the Haenangs for security reasons. For some reason, Yirok felt that the mansion without Chaehwa was like a well-made model, or perhaps a fake.

After parting with Jangsi, Yirok had gone into the guest room and taken a long nap. He slept for three hours straight on the bare floor without laying out a blanket. No matter how much you pretend to be fine, nothing is ever truly fine. Sarira’s letter, the insider’s note, the meeting with Jangsi- his body did its best to exact the price of the stress one way or another.

The Nanjubeol party left Chukjangji and stood on a country road tinged with the colors of autumn. About 10 minutes later, a large van arrived to pick up the Haenangs. Old Lady Yomyung, who came out to greet them wearing a fur coat, handed out white envelopes before they got in the car.

“This is emergency money. Each of you hold onto one. Try not to have any reason to use it.”

Once outside Chukjangji, Shinwoo, being the most experienced, became the leader. The envelopes passed through Shinwoo’s hands to the rest of the Haenangs. For seating in the car, Shinwoo took the passenger seat, and the rest filled the back seats row by row.

Every single window was heavily tinted, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. One couldn’t deny it resembled a prisoner transport vehicle.

With Old Lady Yomyung’s farewell message to prioritize the young miss’s safety no matter what and to always be careful outside, the car departed. The driver seemed to have deliberately chosen a time when the roads wouldn’t be congested.

About an hour later, the low hum of the engine mixed with the driver’s voice. They would arrive at their destination before 1 AM, so they probably wouldn’t be able to meet any outsiders. Inside the hotel, talking to strangers was forbidden, and personal activities without a special reason were also prohibited. It was nothing short of a life in confinement. As if this sense of restraint wasn’t felt by Yirok alone, Yeonseo, disappointed by her first outing, whined.

“Then why did she give us emergency money? They won’t even let us go outside for 10 minutes… and all the windows are covered with curtains and stuff.”

“Yeonseo. Do you think we’re on a vacation trip right now?”

Shinwoo, in the passenger seat, turned his head, his face looking like that of a young master. Yirok, finding the sight of Shinwoo enjoying his role as a teacher distasteful, just looked at the black window.

“Outside is full of Maengmusa aiming for the lives of the young miss and the Jeongmusas. Surely 10 minutes of freedom outside can’t be more important than your life, Yeonseo.”

“That may be, but….”

“Right?”

Shinwoo verbally whipped Yeonseo with his gaze until he got an answer. The sullen Yeonseo reluctantly nodded. It seemed the heavy atmosphere in the car would only change once they arrived at the hotel.

They say the qualities of a warrior are a blessing from heaven. Yirok secretly smiled, as not a single person had a blessed look on their face.

With not even the sound of a radio allowed in the car past 10 PM, the Haenangs escaped into sleep. The latest model van had an excellent ride quality, so there was no strain on the body even during a long drive. Yirok’s eyes were clear due to his nap. As he habitually looked at the car window, his eyes met with a girl reflected in the glass.

It was Jangsi, who had deliberately sat in the seat next to his, next seat, despite many empty ones. Although half-hidden by her bangs, her gaze was so direct that it was impossible not to notice.

Instead of striking up a conversation and embarrassing Jangsi, Yirok tapped the car window with his fingernail. That alone was enough to make Jangsi flinch and bury her face in a checkered blanket. To be a vessel for a Yogwi, yet more timid than a rabbit. It was obvious Jangsi’s life would not be smooth, which made Yirok want to have even less to do with her.

The van drove straight to Seoul without stopping at a rest area. By the time they arrived at the designated hotel past 1 AM, everyone except Yirok was fast asleep.

The hotel, as if by prior arrangement, had a minimal number of staff waiting for them. As soon as they entered the lobby, they were handed card keys, told there was no need to check in separately. As prearranged, Yirok received the card key for a single room.

“We have cleared the 15th floor for you. You are free to move about on the 15th floor, and we will have staff deliver breakfast to your doors. And….”

While the hotelier groveled before the assembled Haenangs, led by Shinwoo, Yirok looked around the lobby. The staff in black suits and the brilliant chandelier lights were dazzling. The scenery of the highly developed outside world seemed to be jeering at Yirok. It mocked him, the outsider, as if asking if he hadn’t once lived outside, if he really didn’t know it. The mature autumn weather, the mannequin-shaped lights, the hotel’s streetlights, and the parking lot visible through the lobby’s main entrance- all felt unfamiliar.

“Young Miss.”

Just then, the lobby’s revolving door opened. A fresh flower blossom walked into the monochrome hotel. His rapidly climbing heart rate reversed course. This, in turn, felt like his heart was being more faithful to emotion than to its function. At the sound of a silk skirt that soothed the ears, Yirok relaxed his shoulders.

“Young Miss.”

“Young Miss, we’ve also just arrived.”

Shinwoo and the Haenangs bowed their heads and greeted her warmly. A woman in red suit pants followed beside Chaehwa. It was likely the secretary in charge of outside world affairs that Old Lady Yomyung had mentioned before.

“Young Miss, this way.”

“Okay.”

Chaehwa, met outside, walked with her hands behind her back and a blank expression. After giving a light nod to the greeting Haenangs, she walked side by side with the woman towards the elevator.

But that too didn’t last long, as Chaehwa’s true self emerged in front of the lobby vending machine. She stopped on her tiptoes, her sparkling eyes scanning the top row of the machine. Yirok’s lips formed a short smile as he watched her very Chaehwa-like interests.

“Young Miss?”

“Ah… um, I understand.”

Chaehwa passed the vending machine, trying to act demure. It was a scene the other Haenangs, busy listening to the hotelier’s instructions, had missed. Yirok kept his eyes on the vending machine rather than on Chaehwa getting into the elevator.

Drinks of all colors were sleeping in the glittering machine. Yirok’s gaze, like an imitation of Chaehwa’s, was fixed inside it.

🌹₊ ⊹

“Then please rest, Young Miss.”

“Okay.”

Secretary Yoon, who had briefed her on tomorrow’s schedule, bowed with a smile. Only after the sound of Secretary Yoon’s heels faded down the hallway did Chaehwa do a breathless stretch. Then, wearing nothing but a robe over her naked body, she completely collapsed. Dealing with Secretary Yoon for two hours while cooped up in a hotel suite was an extremely tiring task.

“You must not look like you can be taken lightly. Since I won’t be there, you must be extra careful. You have to show them that you are the master who will lead Nanjubeol. Even if you are a crybaby at home, you must appear as a proper heir on the outside. Do you understand?”

There was nothing wrong with her grandmother’s words, but that didn’t mean there was anything she liked about them either. Entering at dawn in a heavily tinted car, reading the information on the person Secretary Yoon introduced- at what point in all this was she supposed to find freedom and happiness?

“Ah… Strawberry Jewelry Pang Pang….”

As a form of compensation, she would often sweep up new drinks or snacks when she came to the outside world, and as it happened, the hotel lobby’s vending machine had ‘Strawberry Jewelry Pang Pang’, which had once been sold out everywhere. Mr. Choi, who procured goods from the outside, was a middle-aged man and would often get the names of new products wrong.

It was a source of eternal regret that she had to suppress her joy because of Secretary Yoon, in front of whom she had to appear mature. Would she get a chance to buy the drink tomorrow, dodging the secretary’s eyes? Chaehwa placed her wrist on her forehead and fretted.

It was when the fatigue from the long car ride was closing her eyelids. Knock, knock. Chaehwa, woken by the sound, picked up the hotel’s desk clock.

3:35 AM. It was a difficult time to insist it was the hotel’s room service. Chaehwa didn’t answer and slipped her feet into the indoor slippers. It wasn’t a surprise visit from a Yogwi. They wouldn’t know the courtesy of knocking.

Knock, knock. A repeat visit from the sound that awakened her sensitive senses. Could Secretary Yoon have come to deliver a document she forgot? Chaehwa approached with muffled footsteps and put her eye to the peephole.

“Secretary Yoon?”

Chaehwa squinted, trying to make out the person outside the door. The person’s delay in answering was suspicious. Be it a Maengmusa or a Yogwi, Chaehwa turned the doorknob, as if to say, “bring it on.”

“Who…!”

However, the door was blocked as if by a rock, as if the culprit was refusing to let it open. They must have been pushing to prevent it from opening forward or backward. What kind of case was this, where someone calls on you and then blocks the door? She tried to pull the doorknob to close it again, but the person on the other side was as strong as an ox.

“Who is it! Stop playing around and let go right now!”

In front of Chaehwa, who was using all her might, a black bag was stealthily pushed forward. Chaehwa, who caught the black bag with both hands in a daze, blinked her eyes. In that moment, the tug-of-war ended and the door slammed shut. The meticulous culprit’s footsteps quickly scattered and vanished without a trace.

“Hah.”

It was the first time in her life someone had used her room as a trash can. Chaehwa, who had been staring blankly at the closed door, finally came to her senses and opened the bag with her thumb and forefinger. It had felt heavy in her hands, and sure enough, canned drinks were rolling around inside.

“Oh.”

Chaehwa, who had been just staring, unable to grasp the situation, caught sight of ‘Strawberry Jewelry Pang Pang’. Pulling out the canned drink at the speed of light, Chaehwa let out a cheer.

“Strawberry, strawberry…!”

She was so happy her tongue got twisted. She ran to the bed, hugging the drink that was cold as if it had just been taken from the vending machine. Only after lying flat on her back and bringing it to her lips did she see the strawberry character drawn on the can.

“The heavens must cherish me, ah, it’s cold…. I’m so happy.”

Chaehwa, who was about to put the bag in the refrigerator to drink tomorrow, suddenly had a suspicion. She hadn’t mentioned the existence of Strawberry Jewelry Pang Pang to anyone. It was something she hadn’t even told her close Haenangs out of embarrassment.

As if realizing something, she got down from the bed and opened the black bag. It seemed that pretty much every drink you could get from a vending machine was in the bag. As Chaehwa took them out one by one and lined them up, a light glinted in her eyes.

Blocking the door, and then buying every drink from the vending machine because they didn’t know what she wanted…. There was only one person who would act so clumsily.

Having found the answer, Chaehwa hugged the bag of drinks and fell backward. It seemed it would be a very long night of taste-testing.