Snowlight Chapter 13

Ever since that day, whenever he closed his eyes, the moments of his wedding night came vividly back to life.

 

The dim light, the smell of burning wax from the melted candles, and the man’s listless yet chilling presence, which seemed to overwhelm all those subtle, fleeting sensations.

 

It wasn’t simply that he disapproved of Yu Won being a male bride. His eyes, tinged with hostility, were like black poison. It seemed as though he wasn’t just expressing contempt with his whole body; he was flaunting it.

 

He said he hated the yangbans, the scholar officials, and Yu Won’s father. There was no way his father was unaware of such open hostility. He simply sent Yu Won as a disposable puppet in place of his precious daughter, so he didn’t bother to explain anything further. After all, it wouldn’t matter how a bastard son like him would be treated once he was gone. 

 

Overwhelmed by a sense of injustice, tears welled up in his eyes for a moment, but what could he do? Even if he had known the circumstances, he would still have no choice but to come to this place in the end. 

 

As evening fell, the smell of cooking spread throughout the house. The young boy, who had run to the pantry saying he’d fetch a bowl of food, returned.

 

“I told them to give me more, but they said that this is all they can give us and to leave if I don’t like it…”

 

In his limp, outstretched hands was a worn wicker basket. It contained rice crusts soaked in water and a small bowl of soy sauce. Even that was a bowl no bigger than a bird’s feeding bowl, barely enough to fill one person’s stomach. Compared to the sumptuous feast served a few days ago when Yu Won first arrived at the house, it was a world of difference.

 

Their intentions were as clear as day. Since he had been treated coldly by the lord and his groom, the Governor, from the very day of the wedding, they, too, no longer intended to regard Yu Won as a guest. Yu Won wasn’t particularly surprised. On the contrary, he felt relieved that they had at least provided a meal; it seemed that at least they weren’t planning to starve him.

 

Even the boy, who had been feeling downcast, stopped complaining the moment food touched his lips. Yu Won hurriedly scooped some of his portion into the boy’s bowl, who was busy gulping down his food.

 

“I’m thinking of asking the steward to arrange a place for you to work at later.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Even if I send a letter to Okyang, it’ll take about a month to get a reply, so if you do something in the meantime, it’ll be easier for you to settle in. They probably don’t have enough helpers here as well, so I think they won’t refuse.”

 

There was no real need for Yu Won to personally look after him. After all, his business was done, so he could simply tell him to go his own way, but he couldn’t bring himself to send the youngster back to Okyang alone. Since he’d made a verbal promise, he intended to help him out somehow. With a grain of rice stuck to his lips, the young boy asked.

 

“W-well, then, what… are you planning to do, young master?”

 

“Hmm, I don’t know.”

 

Yu Won smiled awkwardly. Come to think of it, he hadn’t even given his own future a second thought. He wanted to avoid the issue because worrying about it wouldn’t lead to a solution or a conclusion.

 

“They say you should try anything three times, so I’ll just have to wait until I see His Lordship in person. After that, I’ll just have to look him in the eye and keep asking him. That’s all I can do.”

 

“B-but what if you get ignored again, just like last time? Then you’ll be… really, really upset…”

 

The young boy trailed off. Seeing the worry on his face caused by what he’d seen and heard on their wedding night, Yu Won forced a smile to show he was fine. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t upset. The sense of emptiness he’d felt when Tae Baek Hoon stormed out of the bridal chamber that time still seemed to pierce his heart.

 

Even so, he couldn’t just sit idly by here. If Tae Baek Hoon were to publicly ask for a dissolution of their marriage, that would mean he would lose even the chance to return to Okyang.

 

The smell of smoldering wax hung thick in the air from the candle, whose wick had burned down entirely. Ever since arriving here in Wonhye, the nights had felt particularly long.

 

 

***

 

 

Contrary to Yu Won’s expectation that people might avoid him, Yeom Ok Hwa readily agreed to meet him. She had been sewing in the servants’ quarters since early morning. Just looking at the piles of fabric, mostly for the clothes worn by the household’s servants, was enough to give a rough idea of how many servants there were.

 

“Are you asking me to find a job for that servant boy?”

 

Yeom Ok Hwa replied, setting down her sewing. Yu Won nodded.

 

“Yes. On my way here, the matchmaker who was this child’s guardian met with an unexpected misfortune, leaving us in a predicament. Sending him straight to the household in Okyang isn’t really an option right now.”

 

“That may be so, but such matters are not for me to decide…”

 

Yeom Ok Hwa trailed off, looking troubled. Traditionally, all servants working in the household, including those in the servants’ quarters, fell under the jurisdiction of the lady of the house. Strictly speaking, it would be appropriate to leave the decision to Hong Yu Won, who had married the Provincial Governor; however, among the Governor’s household staff, there was a prevailing sentiment that Yu Won, who had been cast aside, was not considered a proper lady of the house.

 

On their wedding night, the provincial governor was so disgusted by the sight of a male bride that he stormed out. Thanks to a few loose-lipped individuals, the rumor had spread so widely that it had even reached the market square of Wonhye. Still, it was far too trivial a matter to send a messenger to the governor, who was away on official business, just to ask whether he would approve of taking in a single servant.

 

Tae Baek Hoon had not interfered in any matters concerning the mansion up to that point. This was because he believed the head servant would be more knowledgeable about the household’s affairs, both major and minor, than he, who was too busy working outside the estate.

 

Consequently, all matters related to the household, from daily living expenses to labor costs and the granary, were decided, as much as possible, through discussions between the head servant, Yeom Ok Hwa, and Kim Su Nam. Yeom Ok Hwa, in particular, held significant influence over labor costs and household management.

 

Watching Yeom Ok Hwa who remained silent as she was deep in thought, Yu Won made his request once more.

 

“I’m making this request because I think that, during these few days while we await news from Okyang, helping out with the work rather than just sitting around would be better for this child and for this household in many ways.”

 

It was a reasonable suggestion. Yeom Ok Hwa turned to the boy, who was bowing next to Yu Won.

 

“What did you do under your previous master?”

 

“I, I, I did all kinds of errands. I know how to take care of horses and donkeys, and I’ve done a little bit of… farm work…”

 

“What about gathering wood or firewood?”

 

“I’ve, I’ve done that. I’ve picked up dry, dry twigs, and, and cut firewood, a little…”

 

Though his body was thin and trembling, he didn’t look sickly. He stuttered a bit when speaking, but since the life of a servant is more about listening than speaking anyway, it wasn’t really an issue.

 

Yeom Ok Hwa immediately summoned Old Man Im. Told to make good use of the new worker, the old woodcutter, whose chin was flecked with gray beard, took the boy away without asking any further questions.

 

“Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

 

When Yeom Ok Hwa asked again, Yu Won paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

 

“If the housekeeper approves, I’d like to find something to keep myself occupied as well.”

 

“…You mean you, my lady?”

 

Seeing Yu Won nod in place of an answer, Yeom Ok Hwa covered her fluster with a smile.

 

“You come from such a distinguished family; is there really any need for you to do such menial work?”

 

“I’m only asking this because I thought it might put my mind at ease to lend a hand, however small, rather than just sitting around and eating in the annex.”

 

It was truly strange that he would volunteer to do the sort of menial tasks usually reserved for the servants. Even if he were an illegitimate child, wasn’t this the kind of request that the sons of noble families, who had been granted a surname, would never make?

 

There was no shortage of menial tasks in this household. Even so, it wasn’t easy to simply assign work to the boy standing so respectfully before her as if he were just another servant. No matter how much he had been treated with disdain or ignored by the governor, as long as no official order to expel him had been issued, Yu Won remained a superior. Therefore, treating him rashly could result in undermining the provincial governor’s authority.

 

As Yeom Ok Hwa wrestled with this dilemma, the old library behind the main living quarters suddenly came to mind. Although it was called a library, most of the books and documents Tae Baek Hoon considered important had been moved to the outer hall, so it was now used more like a storage room.

 

Moreover, since the ancestral shrine was right next door, the servants rarely ventured there unless they were tending to the jar room or cleaning the well in the backyard. Since there would be little overlap with the lower-ranking servants, there would be fewer rumors circulating. In other words, fewer words would reach the governor’s ears.

 

Yeom Ok Hwwa immediately led Yu Won to the library in the back. The library, showing clear signs of long neglect, was crammed with all sorts of odds and ends.

 

“Whenever you have some free time, please tidy up this place. It’s not something that can be done in a single day, so there’s no need to rush.”

 

“Is there anything in particular I should pay attention to?”

 

“The ancestral shrine is right next door, but since hardly anyone ever goes in there, you shouldn’t have to worry about it too much.”

 

At the mention of the ancestral shrine, Yu Won nodded quietly. Even a child just beginning to learn to speak knew that outsiders were not supposed to wander into the place where the family’s spirit tablets were enshrined. It seemed he would just need to open the shrine door on nice days to let in some fresh air.

 

“Well then, I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be on my way. Please let me know if you need any help.”

 

After bowing, Yeom Ok Hwa stepped back out of the library. Left alone in the old library, only the whistling sound of the wind like a flute lingered in the quiet.

 

Yu Won looked up at the ceiling of the storeroom, covered in cobwebs and dust, and rolled up his sleeves.

 

 

Standing at the junction of light and shadow, Tae Baek Hoon exhaled deeply. Throwing his arms back and raising his shoulders, he drew the bowstring taut. The moment the taut string was released, the arrow pierced the target with a whistling sound as it cut through the air. The arrow, which had struck the very center, even accounting for the one just shot, looked as if it had been placed there with pinpoint precision.

 

“Wow, you’re a master archer!”

 

“Truly remarkable skill. It would not be an exaggeration to call you a divine archer.”

 

Exclamations of admiration and praise poured in from all around. Tae Baek Hoon wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel a court servant had brought him, then glanced back at the people lined up behind him.

 

“Seeing so many people gathered here at this humble training ground, I suppose I must be quite a spectacle.”

 

“Heh heh, how dare they treat the Provincial Governor as a spectacle? That’s preposterous. People have been saying your skill is nothing short of marvelous, so they’ve come to witness its true worth with their own eyes.”

 

At these words from Mister Jeon, the county magistrate and military commander of Ikseong County, scholars, candidates for the civil service exams, and even a motley crew of onlookers all chimed in, agreeing that he was right. Tae Baek Hoon shrugged his shoulders and continued playfully.

 

“Come to think of it, something even more entertaining happened just a few days ago.”

 

“What do you mean by ‘entertaining’?”