I Lived Happily Like That

The men of the six-foot club are running. The government office’s furnishings flew through the air, and black dust scattered.

The courtyard, which had smelled of blood, began to reek of shouts and sweat. The smell of men.

Some clever or quick-witted individuals had already gathered at the edge of the commotion, kneeling with their hands clasped.

A few of the government soldiers who were not so fortunate stood before Byeon Hakdo, brandishing their spears, but they were soon disarmed, thrown to the ground, and beaten with clubs.

As the dust that had flown up began to settle, the situation also became clear.

The Royal Secret Inspector was, of course, seated in the seat of honor, and Byeon Hakdo was positioned where Chunhyang had been tied.

“The criminal shall raise his head.”

The Royal Secret Inspector spoke in a heavy voice, with the face of a tiger, and Byeon Hakdo raised his face, which was flushed red.

“Esteemed… no! Royal Secret Inspector! I am innocent!”

The sight of him drooling as he protested his innocence overlapped with the scene of his debauchery the previous night.

“Young master.”

As I watched Yi Dowon recite Byeon Hakdo’s wrongdoings, I lowered my head at the voice calling me from my arms.

A bloodlessly pale face, a body swollen from beatings and bruised with blue marks, Chunhyang, with not a single unblemished spot, was looking up at me.

“Chunhyang.”

Even amidst the commotion, the fragrance of flowers was strong. For some reason, the scent of spring made my vision blur.

One drop, two drops.

Tears fell on Chunhyang.

Like a flower bud receiving spring rain, she caught the tears with her leaf-like cheeks and asked me.

“Young master, why… are you crying?”

Her voice, hoarse from screaming, Chunhyang forced a smile and reached out her hand to me.

Yes, I was crying.

“Chunhyang.”

I could only repeat her name, unable to say anything else.

A sudden surge of tears blocked my throat. The outpouring of emotion, like drowning, made me feel an indescribable pain.

Funnily enough, and sadly enough, I don’t know why I’m like this.

I can only shed tears.

Everything was chaotic and spinning, as if someone had put their finger in a calm dish and stirred it.

Where did these tears come from?

Regret for breaking the rule that I would not intervene with my own will?

Guilt for the relationships I couldn’t protect and had to let go of in several worlds?

Lamentation for this tiresome cycle that keeps repeating?

Or perhaps,

Am I crying because the body of this woman in my arms is so light and pitiful?

I couldn’t know.

Even with the tears streaming down and the heart-wrenching pain, the fragrance of flowers did not disappear.

Ah, it was spring.

Yi Dowon handled the matter without a hitch. He classified those who were classified as criminals and those who had joined them because they could not resist the criminals.

He determined appropriate sentences according to the national law, and the heaviest sentence was, of course, given to Byeon Hakdo.

However, Byeon Hakdo’s charges did not include anything about Chunhyang.

From the perspective of the era or Yi Dowon’s perspective, it was natural.

But it was only regrettable, not unfortunate.

The important thing was that Byeon Hakdo was punished and dismissed from his position as magistrate.

Soon, a new magistrate would be appointed and sent down, and the magistrate who heard the story of his predecessor would manage Namwon more fairly.

In fact, such things were not very important to me.

“Were you a Royal Secret Inspector?”

However, what bothered me was the feeling that I had been played by Yi Dowon.

“Yes.”

I had a private meeting with him in Yi Dowon’s room.

“Since when….”

“Since I stepped down from the position of magistrate.”

“So from the beginning….”

“When someone who has managed a region for a long time steps down, the successor often commits corruption. The reason I took on the position of Royal Secret Inspector right away was for that reason. Only to monitor the corruption here.”

He stroked his beard. His expressionless face felt hateful.

“Then, the ledger I gave you must have been helpful.”

“Not at all. I did not use evidence obtained through illegal means.”

Yi Dowon denied my words.

“I have been gathering evidence of corruption here for a long time. That’s all.”

“In the end, Byeon Hakdo would have been punished regardless of me.”

“That’s right.”

The thought that it was something that would have been resolved even if I had stayed still made me feel like the strength in my arms and legs was draining away.

“Haha… it’s so futile.”

Unrefined words popped out on their own.

“So do you regret it?”

Yi Dowon asked. He must be talking about jumping in to save Chunhyang.

“It was already done. And even if I had known this fact… maybe….”

Yes, maybe.

“No, definitely. I would have jumped in to save Chunhyang.”

“I see.”

Yi Dowon snorted, as if he was uncomfortable.

“I will take my family and go up to Hanyang. The work of the Royal Secret Inspector is not over yet.”

Rather, it’s just beginning. Yi Dowon added.

“In that case, there will be no one to manage this house, so someone must stay and manage it.”

“Father.”

“Don’t call me father. I have never had a son who would marry someone of low birth.”

Yi Dowon said as he left the room.

It was a statement severing the ties between father and son, but it did not sound harsh to me.

“You should manage it until someone appears who wants to buy the house at a reasonable price.”

I could only stare at the door Yi Dowon had left through, and the sobs of the woman who was my mother could be heard from afar.

Yi Dowon’s drive was considerable. He organized everything in the house in a matter of days and went up to Hanyang.

Since there were originally few pieces of furniture in the house, there were not many household items loaded on the cart.

After sending off Yi Dowon, who didn’t even glance at me, and my mother, who silently stroked my hand and sniffled, I sat on the floor of the empty house and watched the sky.

“You look lonely, Young master.”

Bangja sat next to me and chattered.

“I’m not Young master anymore.”

I was no longer Yi Dowon’s son.

“Once a Young master, always a Young master.”

But Bangja didn’t seem to care much.

“I guess.”

I vaguely brushed off Bangja’s words and shifted my gaze back to the sky.

Rustle, rustle.

Footsteps could be heard along the wall.

Light footsteps that were getting closer and closer.

I slowly lowered my gaze and fixed it on the gate.

“Is anyone there?”

The voice of a young girl.

“Hyangdan!”

Bangja, who had been sitting next to me, had already shot out to the gate like an arrow.

Bangja, who grabbed Hyangdan’s hand, beamed and swayed, and Hyangdan, embarrassed by Bangja’s appearance, blushed on her freckled face.

Behind Hyangdan, a woman appeared.

“Young master.”

I also got up from the floor and slowly walked towards her.

Neatly braided black hair.

Pure eyes. Jade-like skin.

Chunhyang, dressed neatly, smiled brightly at me.

“I have come.”

The fragrance of flowers wafted.

It was spring.