The Scent of Spring

The rickshaw sped along the bumpy road at a considerable pace.

Thump. Whether it was a stone or a branch, the rickshaw lurched, and the passenger was briefly airborne before landing hard on his backside.

“Ah, are you alright?”

Even with the skills of a seasoned rickshaw driver, the unevenness of the road was unavoidable.

The rickshaw driver, pale as a ghost, fussed over him, but the passenger simply waved his hand dismissively, his face etched with annoyance.

Grasping at the rickshaw driver wouldn’t do any good, it would only waste time. What was most urgent for him now was arriving on time for his appointment.

He waved away the rising dust with his hand, and the rickshaw driver bowed his head and sped off again.

The rickshaw picked up speed, once again jolting and tormenting the passenger’s backside.

He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. Still good. He just needed to hurry a bit more.

“Enough, just go faster. I’ll pay you double.”

At the merchant’s words, the rickshaw driver pushed off the ground with all his might.

Thanks to the rickshaw driver’s all-out effort, the merchant was able to arrive at his destination.

“Magnificent.”

The house was endless. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the King’s palace had been moved here.

The gate was firmly closed, and a wall surrounded the property.

“……..”

The high wall stood as if to crush him.

The merchant wondered if it was even permissible to build such a high wall in Gyeongseong, but he decided there was no point in questioning it.

On the contrary, it was a good thing. Because someone who flaunted their wealth like this was worth the trouble of seeking out.

Standing in front of the gate, he straightened his clothes and cleared his throat.

First impressions were crucial. He needed to make a good impression so that the owner of this house would become his money source.

He knocked on the door.

Thump, thump, thump. The wood resonated with his fist.

After a moment, he heard a rustling sound from inside.

With the sound of the latch being released, the lacquered door opened.

A woman’s face peeked out from the half-opened doorway.

“Who is it?”

“I am Kim Sang-pil, the one who made an appointment for today.”

“Ah, we’ve been waiting for you.”

There was no [I haven’t heard anything about such an appointment.]

The merchant breathed a sigh of relief.

“Please, come in.”

The door opened smoothly, revealing the inside of the house that had been hidden by the wall.

“Oh… how can there be flowers even in winter…”

Pure admiration came out first.

Because he immediately saw a garden with neatly cut stones.

The garden, with its colorful flowers and old trees, was like a forest.

“This way.”

He followed the person who appeared to be a maid.

The merchant glanced at the maid’s face.

She was quite beautiful. It would cost a pretty penny at a brothel to have a woman of this caliber.

As he walked through the thicket, the merchant scanned the maid’s body with snake-like eyes.

“By the way, you’re late.”

The maid, who was walking ahead, turned around, and the man was startled and turned his head away.

“You’re late.”

When there was no response to her words, the maid repeated herself.

“I made it on time…”

He protested, showing her his pocket watch, but the maid said with a calm face.

“The time specified was the time to meet the master. Shouldn’t you have arrived earlier?”

“That…!”

The merchant raised his voice in a fit of anger, but he restrained himself by closing his mouth.

He was the one who needed this. If he raised his voice to the maid and incurred the master’s displeasure, all his efforts would be in vain.

“But it’s alright. Our master is a merciful person. And he has been eagerly anticipating this meeting.”

The maid said as she walked forward again.

The man’s face brightened at the positive response.

“Eagerly anticipating?”

“Yes, that’s right. He specifically wanted Master Kim Sang-pil to visit the house.”

“Oh… I see. That’s good to hear.”

He stroked his goatee.

Kim Sang-pil continued to follow the maid through the garden.

As expected of the house of Gyeongseong’s wealthiest man, the garden seemed to go on forever.

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

“By the way, how much further do we have to go? The garden is quite large.”

“Ah. We’re here.”

The maid stopped. Kim Sang-pil looked around.

A sturdy, old tree was looking down at him.

“W-what is this?”

“Kim Sang-pil.”

The maid called the merchant’s name.

“H-how dare you call me by my name…!”

“You reported independence activists, didn’t you? Is that correct?”

“Wh-what?”

“I heard you captured and handed over the independence activists who threw a bomb at the Jongno Police Station.”

“Why are you suddenly bringing that up…?”

“The master is very interested in people like you.”

The maid gave a faint smile and then disappeared.

Like a ghost.

“Huh?”

For a moment, it seemed like the old trees were moving.

Slowly but surely, they were walking towards him.

Trees walking? He pinched his cheek.

But he didn’t wake up.

It was reality.

When the wind blew, a petal brushed against a woman’s eye.

The woman, who was walking along the road, stopped for a moment and watched the petal fly away.

“Husband.”

The woman turned around. A man in a neat suit was behind her.

It was Kang In-ho.

“Chunhyang has contacted us.”

“Looks like she took care of it.”

“Yes.”

“Then we should lay low for a while. People who strut around Gyeongseong with their shoulders puffed up are disappearing, so everyone will be watching with hawk eyes, right?”

“I will only follow if that is what you wish, my lord.”

“Is the support going well?”

“Yes, we are delivering it well through the children.”

“You’re working hard. I’ll praise you properly later.”

Chunhyang answered Kang In-ho’s words with a slight bow.

“Then we have some free time now. And winter is over.”

“That is so. Now that winter has passed, it will soon be warm.”

“Shall we go see the flowers?”

“Oh my, are you suggesting that?”

“You like flowers, don’t you?”

At the man’s words, the woman smiled like a fox.

“Hehe, I am overwhelmed that you remember without forgetting.”

“I feel like I’ve been constantly drilling it into you so you wouldn’t forget.”

As the man grumbled, the woman giggled. It was a laugh filled with happiness.

The two continued to walk along the road.

The frozen ground was melting, and the things that had been sleeping in the ground were slowly showing their faces.

The man stood next to the woman. And he gently took her hand.

At that definite touch, the woman’s face flushed.

“What are you getting shy about now?”

“Being shy is being shy.”

Chunhyang, whose nose was turning red, turned her head slightly.

“I thought I knew everything, but I’m learning something new again.”

Kang In-ho laughed heartily.

“I feel the same way. I learn something new about you every day, my lord.”

“Oh? What did you find out today?”

“That is….”

Chunhyang’s eyes curved like a crescent moon.

She brought her pink lips to Inho’s ear.

“That you love me more than you think.”

Hoo- Chunhyang blew air into his ear.

Inho pulled his face away from the tickling sensation, and Chunhyang giggled.

Kang In-ho, who was blushing red, glared at Chunhyang.

Chunhyang tilted her head as if to respond to that gaze and asked again.

“Is it not so?”

Like a fox, seductively.

“…Yes.”

The man muttered dejectedly, as if a secret he didn’t want to be revealed had been exposed.

Flowers bloomed along the road.

Flowers of various colors bloomed.

Among them, there was one flower that stood out the most.

The color wasn’t intense, but there were so many of them that they filled the dirt road.

A subtle yellow. Close to white.

A new flower created with someone’s heart.

The name of the new flower is Dohwa.

The flower meaning is [Scent of Spring].