Madonna Chapter 01 – Crimson Intent to Kill (殺意)

Chapter 01
Crimson Intent to Kill (殺意)80471df9697fc0e7

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If one mentions fb4781fedd Bonjeong-dong 1-Chome, with 56b2821e27 its view of 31ba3ccc16 the central post 7fcb4970f4 office, it has 0bb2ebc574 always been a 39d069745b place where modern 07857e007d girls and modern 19d741ad04 boys, so-called lumpens, 68df803a49 new women, or 6518d6d675 certain ideological types b938433c7a would strut about 26c5326790 or loiter in 15b3b4a0ed a clamor of f7487afecd activity.4d7cda2b025b5273

Gyeongseong.bd4d3c2ff1548d9e

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In this melancholic city, 25cb1d160e all the fashionable young 52f97e3229 people, without exception, roamed b80dbdee11 these streets. Yet among them, the figure 649fb6af3a of this woman stood out 5d45a55008 as particularly extraordinary.e66d85d668e881f0

In the tenth month of d3dda57b6d the year of the Snake, cd53beb055 after the threshing in the dde7bea3b5 farm villages had ended and 377c6f7e6f the Cold Dew (Hanro) had 6243aa1e70 passed—a time when frost began 81e2326fde to form in the crisp ba2b6aae33 air—she appeared in a sleek a32b10a7f2 coat trimmed with otter fur, 1e0c472626 her crane-like calves stretching gracefully 8d7f3d27df beneath it. Her pointed shoes, though not 696c5d5884 overly flashy, were the first c3a703feee to draw the eyes of 635b5412c8 passersby.e170bc1ff544125b

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Someone—perhaps out of envy or a3eeab7325 unreachable longing—might maliciously mutter that 73dffcad8f she looked too gaunt, that 4be6494adc she resembled an invalid. But if one 0ac6d8a94a saw her walk—her b0fcf4a1b9 gesture, or perhaps f1cdb97ca8 her form—they would 4828780eaf have to admit 00d7cc0193 it suited her b0232912cd well. Her steps seemed to 589d83818a skim the clouds, so a5ee8f4ed1 light they nearly took 6281229c8f flight.bce926a02befd649

Unlike the bobbed hairstyles worn by the so-called new women, she kept her hair in a sleek permanent wave, fastened with a modest hairpin of tiny pearls and coral. Her delicate, well-balanced features were fully revealed—radiating not the austere air of a missionary’s wife, but a quiet, cultivated grace.d73d21ed74abb66f

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Her face was faintly made up, her skin as clear and pale as a child’s. When their eyes met, her gentle smile carried not a hint of flattery, but a soft warmth that stirred subtle feelings in people—young or old, man or woman. This was the charm of Han Jong-ryeo.ad90dc68b31e7802

And now, walking b29e5b7a7f toward her from a6115eb374 across the street, 52e876cb36 was a young 84ae45506b man whose presence 7b40108ff0 also demanded attention.4365536a8e4c14e9

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Just by standing there, he 63f1f28370 deflated the confidence of lesser 7068262dc0 men. Tall and striking, he wore c038358a55 a top-quality frock coat—worth more 336de9d6a1 than a few sacks of 3ae0c7c32f rice—whose silk sheen matched his 347a8a706c distinct, handsome face.b084f39d3ef7f5da

His manners rivaled those of Western gentlemen from Britain, Germany, or even Paris’ Crillon. He moved with the grace of someone well-bred, exuding a cheerfulness that evoked an instinctive affection from all who saw him.b6ed95f4ba09c410

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Yet beneath those thick brows d5180b1e77 and the sharp black eyes b53ca14b05 below them was a keen c3a2af6bc1 intellect—or perhaps an edge of c85ab2b714 scholarly rigor. The contrast gave 394283a207 him the air 9fd4c27c1b not of a dd3c7292b4 frivolous bourgeois scion, 65ea9f65eb but the last 302372dca6 of the upright 7a17f88a3f scholar left in a800351313 this land.9903673f43542cd5

From beneath his perfectly tailored sleeve, the back of his hand revealed faint blue veins—no trace of manual labor, but the faintest suggestion of calluses like those found on writers. It was as sensual and poignant as the teardrop-shaped mole of a tragic beauty. This, too, was part of Yoon Gwan-yeol’s allure.cadae2d747fa9469

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These two, who until now had not even known of each other’s existence, crossed paths at a tram stop heading toward Sogong-dong. At that moment, they both raised a hand toward the same rickshaw, which happened to be slowing its pace.87a81fe22747718b

Who would get in first? As their eyes 723f9a8c43 met, all sorts 552e0c9e58 of thoughts flickered b367331d44 across their minds. But before Jong-ryeo could a77323fd71 step back, Gwan-yeol displayed 384e1692f1 the manners of a 10b629e08d true gentleman.b44f3b22b1bc7058

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“Please, after you.”180fafae5ef11951

Jong-ryeo, who had assumed from d6970bcdea his fine clothes that he 53a20a92cd must be a Japanese aristocrat, 29ac4dc14b was caught off guard by 2ce3d9f58b his fluent and graceful Korean. Perhaps she had a945ecb0fd stared too blatantly, 844fae9d6f because the young 98fa4f764f man, with a 49b3a6e560 light smile as 09c4c851eb if to say,why the surprise?, left a breeze in her otherwise composed chest.d839b5214764d813

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Jong-ryeo placed the small handbag—gifted by her second brother—on her lap, gazing quietly past Gwan-yeol’s shoulder as she raised her hand. Puzzled, he turned around, only to see another rickshaw approaching at her signal. A smile played across his face once more.37f1325924b9a7a2

“Thank you.”8137bc9fc2bf6723

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“Think nothing of it.”d7e99c80d0558ade

As he turned toward the creaking rickshaw, Gwan-yeol paused at the sound of Jong-ryeo’s voice—clear and refreshing like a bell—and looked back at her. A lesser man might have tried his luck with another line, but he simply touched the brim of his hat, expressed his refined appreciation, and quietly stepped into the rickshaw.e34094891c897221

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“To Gye-dong, please.”2eb5dfa0655e31cb

“To Gye-dong, please.”b23dacfc8a45d143

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Their voices rang out at the same time—almost like twins—and not only the two of them but even the rickshaw puller turned in confusion. Their eyes met again. Sharing a rueful smile at this strange coincidence, they exchanged a small bow—but curiously, their paths didn’t part right away.708dfaf11a932fab

Jong-ryeo’s gaze lingered, slightly adrift, on the children scurrying past and a newspaper delivery boy speeding by on a high-seated bicycle.d51d3c9d9acc7c3d

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Ever since she was possessed 11eb5c712b by the characterHan Jong-ryeo, the heroine of a script calledThe Madonna of Gyeongseong, her life had become strange in more ways than one.da11888c57efe968

It all began when Jong-ryeo’s family, the ‘Han Panseo household,’ left their main residence and moved to this area. Though she was familiar with the name Gyeongseong, the place she now found herself in felt far removed from the version she knew. This Gyeongseong served only as 94bdf311a1 a backdrop for the novel, d922246aa4 riddled with discrepancies from what 529ec98f6f she had learned and remembered.f919122ee3748978

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Jong-ryeo had pondered the reasons behind her family’s sudden decision to relocate, but no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t arrive at a convincing guess.ead0aa9d6af1912d

Still, she didn’t particularly mind.f3341010c45e6585

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This life—acquired like a bonus—didn’t seem so bad if she just watched how it unfolded from the sidelines.96fd44b5aab185a3

In her previous life, she be17ff3704 had died young, at the 3c5a2a651c tender age of 23, due d1f63074e8 to an illness.bc9630a582ad9842

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She had fought 6bfde3978c desperately to resist e49c57c8a3 the shamanic ritual 02bc44ee66 (naerimgut) meant tocureher, endured rejection 5285f67532 from her family, f5c44c4f0f and survived her c0a048061b final year alone. All that resistance, de6b28dad8 all that screaming bb410b9789 until her throat b11f8d233d gave out, all 3e337c631c that clenched defiance—only 16aca9163a to have her 0785e4353b life vanish so 4331e1ad33 easily.682595500c16b4b7

If this new life was meant to compensate for such a tragic ending, then being reincarnated as the female lead of a barely ten-chapter-long novel seemed like an underwhelming reward. Still, it wasn’t as if she had a way to toss this life aside. Acceptance was the only path forward.42ef6274bdf1023f

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‘If I had known this would happen, I should have read more, whether it was interesting or not.’9533d3763b5beb85

Though her new life didn’t glide forward as effortlessly as watching it through a screen, she couldn’t say it was unfair or infuriating either.371f66b97ffae4e2

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As long as she wasn’t in a lonely situation—wherever and whatever this was—she could be satisfied with that alone.10d506ed2be0bb1f

✎. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⋅˖⭑✧ ݁ . ₊ ݁.. ˖ ‧₊˚ ⋅˖°4d4209354ddc5d80

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From the entrance b586e05441 of Bonjeong to e1ff4e0663 Gye-dong, there were f54fc48a2d two routes: one 5c64e3cb13 passed through the c4572c1646 street in front d74aca45e5 of the Six a801db684f Ministries, and the d5aaed74fb other looped around 6d2153aa9f the Namdaemun shopping 3e032a81b0 district. Though the former was 26d7e56a7f shorter, it was busier 77794dc446 with trams and pedestrians, 271761066d so most rickshaw pullers 265940f5b6 preferred the Namdaemun route—it 75c639d25a was less crowded, and 78e6631a2e they could often charge ed2812117f a bit more. Two birds with 215f8c1497 one stone, so 6ffdac5020 to speak.ad88001b817fa60c

Those tight on money 1fbcf50616 might start to worry 3e378d36cb about their wallets when cbc528c87b the rickshaw turned toward 59338eb481 Namdaemun, but Jong-ryeo and 9e3d20d87f Gwan-yeol remained composed, more 7ff97af5ad preoccupied with how long 28a4084312 this strange shared ride 233de3a988 might last.650dbc202afebe4a

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As for Jong-ryeo’s outing today, it had been quite a while since her last. She was on her way to visit Kim In-young, a classmate from her days at Gyo-yeong Girls’ High School.0440d02734669451

In-young’s husband, Hong Gi-nam, was the son of a nouveau riche man who had amassed a fortune through rice futures speculation. Though he’d gone abroad for a short period after graduating from high school, he was a petty and small-minded man, and Jong-ryeo had never thought much of him.3671ff7cafaeec7e

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Coincidentally, Gwan-yeol’s destination was also Hong Gi-nam’s house.bdefba975c7e445d

Gi-nam’s younger brother, Hong Gi-joo, had graduated from Hwi-seo High School with Gwan-yeol, and it had been some time since they last saw each other. Gwan-yeol still didn’t know why he had been summoned today, but unlike the old days, Gi-joo had sounded rather dejected. He had practically begged, saying he just needed to get out of his head for a bit. Gwan-yeol had agreed to at least show his face.4f30caad8fd7ae99

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The longer the 770618965b ride went on, 3f2d20974b the more awkward db5b150222 it became. Both man and woman, unable 1021deaf8d to bear the silence, turned 1d297498d5 their gazes toward the distant b767978efc hills. But at last, 901289f8b6 they simultaneously stepped 142f0f716e off in front 8e6fa8eaac of the Hong 155e39a151 family residence. The moment their eyes 3b918e1441 met, they both broke 5ace5b3320 into laughter.36c20e8a46b97216

“Was this your destination?”a910b9ea9f33e81b

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“Yes. The lady of this house is my schoolmate. She said she wanted to see me after a long time, so I came. What about you?”5d65306043367754

“It’s rather amusing. I came to see my schoolmate too—he lives here.”c7980dc9a105e989

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“Then… are you Hong Gi-nam’s schoolmate?”523dee4e2175f66a

“No, I know his younger brother, Hong Gi-joo.”070a3f11e1830183

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As the two 2104d9b685 continued their back-and-forth, 1c7273f009 the house servant—who 14ec47e3ec managed the household—appeared 31be477466 at the door.ccb84ef3773a0033

A slick-faced middle-aged man, 472c239f9d he looked from one 7c0ebadeae to the other and 91ef509f4b politely asked who they 9945b56854 were here to see.e7dba6424ba614b1

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“Please tell the lady of the house that Han Jong-ryeo has come.”66a889a06268b65e

Gwan-yeol, who had 712d456b88 been momentarily dazed 68a169bbfe by the sound 38eafef8bd of her voice, baa862ca0d belatedly added.9f4d190bce4679fe

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“Tell Gi-joo that a classmate has come—he’ll know.”9023d02e0b3ba412

The servant nodded and fce3063d70 turned to go when 2e68e149bf a short woman suddenly 998bc5abee appeared at the bend a60b1f61f1 of the long corridor.7dccf517294cfdf6

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“Jong-ryeo-ya!”72d1b1a341db5fb7

“In-young-ah.”c04d25c5b0fd6610

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Jong-ryeo called out to her 20a09e2e93 friend with warmth, but her b36f57a567 smile faded almost instantly. In-young was running 841a9f2bd2 toward her—pale as 4deef8228e a ghost, her 1be81a2d13 body trembling as 894163b9d6 if she might cebb774e6e break down in a05b23efdc tears. Alarmed, Jong-ryeo instinctively tensed.861db9f8d10bb490

✎. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⋅˖⭑✧ ݁ . ₊ ݁.. ˖ ‧₊˚ ⋅˖°3ed6d49f1010c094

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