Snowlight Chapter 12

The first thing he saw was the man’s hand peeking out from under his sleeves. His fingers were thick and well-defined, with calluses on every fingertip. Perhaps finding his wedding attire too constricting, he had loosened his collar, revealing a broad chest. Though they were seated face-to-face, Yu Won could sense his tall, sturdy, and well-built frame.

 

When he glanced slightly upward, he took in the man’s shapely jawline, full lips, and the elegant curve of his nose and its straight bridge. Even at a glance, his lower face radiated striking good looks. The moment their eyes met, Yu Won froze solid like a stone.

 

“……”

 

It was the man he had met in the mountains.

 

He closed his eyes and opened them again, but the face standing before him remained unchanged. It was undoubtedly the hunter he had met back then. His toes grew cold, and his heart raced so fast it felt as if his stomach were turning inside out. No matter how hard he tried to steady his breathing, he couldn’t calm down.

 

Why was that man here? No, was there even a need to ask why? Unless the person who had entered the bridal chamber was an uninvited guest, his identity could only point to one person.

 

Wonyeong province’s lord, the Governor of the Northeast, and Hong Yu Won’s betrothed. That man was none other than Tae Baek Hoon.

 

Tae Baek Hoon was looking down at Yu Won with an expressionless face. His indifferent gaze, unbelievable for a groom facing his new bride, seemed to look down on him as if he were a worthless piece of trash.

 

On the table were wine and a few simple dishes. They weren’t meant to be eaten; they were merely ceremonial items. Bending forward, he picked up the wine bottle with a leisurely gesture. It was “Hap-hwanju” (Union Wine). Instead of pouring the wine into the two prepared cups, the man raised the bottle to his lips and drank directly from it. Drops of the clear liquor trickled down his lips, gathering in droplets along his chin before dripping onto the exposed expanse of his chest through the opening of his robe. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, the man finally spoke after a long silence. 

 

“I thought you’d find your way back on your own. I don’t know whether to call you naive or just stubborn.”

 

Confused by his cryptic words, Yu Won could only swallow hard. He knew he had to say something, but it’s like the paste from his eyes had smudged onto his lips because he simply couldn’t part them.

 

The man suddenly leaned in close. As his gaze pierced right through him, dominating his field of vision, Yu Won instinctively leaned back.

 

“You must have been waiting all day for this moment. Why are you avoiding me?”

 

Tae Baek Hoon let out a laugh laced with a sigh, moistened his lips with more wine, and said,

 

“Ah, I see. Perhaps I wasn’t the groom you were hoping for.”

 

His eyes curved into narrow crescents. There was a sharpness to his mocking smile, and yet it possessed a strange beauty. 

 

“As for the man you claimed was your groom, unfortunately, I’ve already cast him far away, out beyond the city walls, down to the foot of the hill.”

 

“……”

 

“A few days have passed, so wild dogs must have already torn his flesh to shreds, and vultures must have pecked at his entrails and marrow. Even if he was a wretched man in life, he was at least of some use to hungry beasts.”

 

His tone was as calm as if he were making an amusing joke. Yu Won bit down on his trembling lips once before continuing.

 

“…Why didn’t you tell me back then?”

 

“Hm? What do you mean?”

 

“That day… I was so flustered I couldn’t even ask your name; I truly had no idea you were the Governor. I certainly didn’t mean to be rude.”

 

“What difference would it have made if I’d revealed who I was?”

 

The sudden retort was cold. So much would have been different. If he had known that day that the man was Tae Baek Hoon, he would have expressed his gratitude to him, his betrothed, and asked him to accompany him instead of wandering the mountain path alone.

 

There was no way Tae Baek Hoon could have failed to grasp the circumstances. In other words, he had deliberately avoided him that day even though he knew who he was.

 

Since he had seen him before the wedding, it was only natural that he would be disappointed. After all, he could never have imagined that the one arriving as his new bride would be a man, not a woman. Yu Won lowered himself until he was lying flat on the ground and spoke, trembling violently.

 

“Th, this humble one understands that you are disappointed. I know I fall far short of Your Lordship’s expectations and am lacking in many ways.” 

 

“You understand? What do you think I’m disappointed about?”

 

“You probably didn’t expect to take a man… as your bride…”

 

His voice grew fainter and fainter. Yu Won felt as if he wanted to turn into a speck of dust and vanish into thin air.

 

Tae Baek Hoon, who had been sitting silently across from him, downing his drink, slammed the bottle down on the table. He reached for the plate of snacks. In his hand was a gangjeong, coated in bright yellow sesame seeds and soybean powder.

 

“When I was a child, I was so hungry that I stole one of these to eat, and it made me terribly sick. Ever since then, no matter how hungry I am, I won’t even touch them. They’re drenched in oil and syrup, just one bite made me want to throw up.”

 

“……”

 

“But they look so bright and pretty on the outside that on every kind of festive occasion, they sit on the table as if they were the hosts, making a big show of themselves. But in the end, they’re hollow inside and won’t even fill your stomach.”

 

The gangjeong he was holding crumbled with a crisp crack. The man lightly flicked his sticky fingers and continued.

 

“That’s exactly what the aristocrats are like. They strut about, convinced of their own greatness, but the only talents they possess are wagging their cunning tongues to sway the royal mind, slandering others, and looking down on those beneath them.”

 

Yu Won’s image was reflected in those cold eyes.

 

“Just like your father.”

 

His previously indifferent face was now steeped in deep contempt.

 

“And in my eyes, you, who inherited that blood, are no different.”

 

“Your Lordship, I-”

 

“Why? Surely you aren’t about to claim otherwise? A deficient and inadequate man, yet you intended to marry into my household all the same?” 

 

“I, I wasn’t, t, that’s not what I meant….”

 

Tae Baek Hoon laughed.

 

“It seems the power and prestige that come with being the lawful spouse of the Governor of Wonyeong were simply too tempting to resist. Otherwise, why would you cast aside all shame and humiliation, dress yourself as a bride at your father’s bidding, and sit patiently in the bridal chamber all this time?” 

 

His words cut deep. His eyes, cold as if laced with poison, slowly swept down over Yu Won. A chill ran down his spine, as if he were being torn to shreds. Tae Baek Hoon abruptly sprang to his feet and spoke in a low voice.

 

“I’ve tied a donkey in the back yard. The city gates will open in three shijin, but if you’re ashamed to be seen, you can make your way out along the stream.”

 

His tone was soft and gentle, as if he were offering generous and warm consideration. Yet the man’s true intent was far removed from thoughtful consideration or affection. It was an order to leave of his own accord, right here and now.

 

“Then, take care on your way.”

 

As if to say there was nothing more to say, he turned away. Before he knew it, Yu Won’s hand had reached out. Tae Baek Hoon, his sleeve caught, turned his head slightly to look down at the bride who was holding him back.

 

“I, I can’t leave. Th-this humble one.. here……”

 

I have to live here for at least a year. 

 

His lips, which should have formed those words, couldn’t bring themselves to speak, and instead trembled slightly. He had to beg him for a reprieve somehow. There was no other way. If he were driven out of here now, everything he had would be lost.

 

The small house in Howon Village, and his mother.

 

Cold sweat broke out on his palms. His hair stood on end, and his stomach ached as if his internal organs were tangled in a chaotic knot. It felt as if dirt had been shoved down his throat; he couldn’t breathe, and his vision blurred.

 

Even so, Yu Won clutched the hem of Tae Baek Hoon’s robe as if grasping a lifeline. He shook his head desperately.

 

It was a silent plea.

 

Tae Baek Hoon, who had been silently looking down at Yu Won, smiled. It was a chilling sneer.

 

“If you insist on staying, then I shall be the one to leave.”

 

He roughly yanked his robes free. In the process, a red candlestick toppled over. The tiny flame that had dimly illuminated the bridal chamber sputtered out, leaving only cold darkness behind.

 

The door flew open with such force that it seemed it might break. In an instant, commotion arose outside the bridal chamber.

 

“I’m going to the night watch quarters. Do not follow me.”

 

The command in his voice was stern and merciless.

 

Through the open doorway came the bleak breath of winter. Yu Won lowered his eyes to his hands. Not even a single thread remained in his grasp; only the icy wind settled upon his empty palms.

 

Until the rooster crowed three times, the groom never returned.

 

 

 

“Did you hear about the guest in the annex?”

 

“My husband said the Provincial Governor left the bridal chamber without even spending a single night there. He said he’d never seen him look so angry before.”

 

“They said he was the adopted son of a noble family, but that means he’s not actually the young master of a prominent household, right? It’s a total fraud.”

 

“That’s probably why His Lordship cast him aside on the spot.”

 

The maidservant clicked her tongue softly. The Provincial Governor’s residence was already a remote place, but with a crow perched on the black, withered branch of an old tree, it felt even more eerie.

 

“At this rate, I’m afraid we’ll end up burying a corpse.”

 

Standing there with a hand on the latch was the young servant boy who had accompanied the guest in the annex. His face flushed with anger, he glared at them so fiercely that the servants exchanged glances and quickly dispersed.

 

“Th-th-that’s awful! H-how can they say such things? N-no matter what anyone says, Young Master, you’re the mistress of this household now, a-and yet they speak so carelessly!”

 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it so much.”

 

“B-but…”

 

“What’s the point of getting angry at those people?”

 

Answering in a composed voice, Yu Won peeled a soft persimmon. It was one of the leftovers from the wedding feast two days earlier. Picking out only the good flesh, he offered it to the boy, who accepted it eagerly like a baby bird despite his grumbling.

 

“Besides, they’re right. I’m not a young master.”

 

“B-but still. Y-you’ve gone through the wedding ceremony, so you’re properly the mistress of this household…”

 

“Can I really be called that after being cast aside?”

 

The young boy faltered and trailed off.

 

Not wanting to sigh in front of the child, Yu Won turned his head toward the corner of the room.

 

The brightly colored wedding robes drooped there like a discarded shell.