SNF | Chapter 2.5

From the intruder in the garden to this man here—just how many times did he have to ask before someone would give him a straight answer? Yeon-oh frowned. Tilting his head slightly, he waited for a response. The man met his gaze and studied him.

“Well… This is my first time seeing your face directly, so there’s no way you’d know me.”

“You know who he is, and yet you talk down to him?”

“Hasung.”

Yeon-oh cut off Hasung, who was about to snap in outrage at the man’s continued informality. Though he didn’t erase the displeasure from his face, Hasung backed down at Yeon-oh’s command.

“I recognized you because you resemble my aunt and because of that golden robe you’re wearing. In Hanam Province, there’s only one sixteen-year-old boy who looks like her.”

“…Aunt?”

Aunt. That could only mean his late mother.

Yeon-oh suddenly recalled that his mother’s only full-blooded sibling was the Lord of Seocheon. That realization gave him a rough idea of the man’s identity.

“You’re from the Seocheon household?”

“Are you really going to be so cold as to address your own cousin that way?”

Yeon-oh’s maternal uncle, the Lord of Seocheon, had two sons and a daughter. That meant this man had to be either the eldest or the second son. But Yeon-oh had no way of knowing which.

His maternal grandfather, devastated by the loss of his beloved daughter, had refused to acknowledge the child born from her tragic fate. As for Yeon-oh himself, he had been too sickly to leave his quarters often. As a result, he had rarely, if ever, crossed the threshold of his mother’s family estate.

“You seem eager to know who I am.”

“…”

“Unlike you, I’m not someone who could ever inherit the family title. Does that answer your question?”

The man had caught on to the reason for Yeon-oh’s silence and offered his own explanation, as if doing him a favor.

Lee Shinwoo.

Like a forgotten echo, the name resurfaced in Yeon-oh’s memory.

“Judging by your expression, you remember now.”

“It has been a long time.”

“‘A long time’? It’d be more accurate to say this is the first time we’re meeting.”

“Still, we’re cousins. Saying it that way makes it sound too distant.”

“Well, you have a point. But tell me, what brings the precious jewel¹ of the Hanam household to the middle of a busy street? What if some ill-intentioned person takes a liking to your face and tries to kidnap you?”

‘Precious jewel.’

The term was typically reserved for the pampered daughters of high-ranking officials, yet Shinwoo had deliberately chosen those words to describe Yeon-oh.

Rather than showing his displeasure, Yeon-oh simply curved his eyes in a smile.

It was likely meant as a jab, but seeing Yeon-oh react so calmly seemed to throw Shinwoo off.

“Rather, what about you, cousin? Why are you out on the streets alone? Ah, I suppose no one really cares about you that much since your position in the family isn’t that important.”

“I thought you’d have a gentle nature, given that you take after my aunt. But it seems that’s not the case.”

For a moment, Shinwoo’s gaze wavered at the sharp remark, but he quickly regained his composure, flashing a smooth, amiable smile. Watching him, Yeon-oh let out a shallow breath and withdrew his own smile.

“…I was somewhat impolite just now.”

It seemed he hadn’t yet shaken off the exhaustion and irritation from his encounter with Hye Yeonseo. His words had been quite rude for something as minor as venting over being called a precious jewel.

Yeon-oh couldn’t fully grasp what it felt like to be born a legitimate son yet cast aside as a second-born, unable to inherit the family name and forced to live as a branch member. However, he knew well enough that such circumstances often led to bloody power struggles, proving how wretched the situation could be.

“Well, I was the one who acted rudely first. Still, I was honestly just worried about you, dear cousin. Don’t you resemble your mother a bit too much? Of course, it’s been over ten years since I last saw her, so my memory is hazy.”

How many times had he heard people comment on his appearance since coming to the Capital City? Yeon-oh suppressed the rising irritation. It wasn’t worth revealing his temper over something like this—especially with someone like Lee Shinwoo.

“Then why are you dressed like that? If you’d been wearing golden robes embroidered with the emblem of Seocheon, I would have recognized you right away.”

Brushing off his lingering emotions, Yeon-oh voiced the question that had been on his mind. If Shinwoo had been wearing clothes adorned with Seocheon’s signature bamboo embroidery, Yeon-oh might not have realized he was Lee Shinwoo specifically, but he at least would have known he was from the Seocheon family and treated him accordingly.

“I had someone to meet, and I saw no reason to make my identity obvious. Ah, not that I was referring to you, Yeon-oh.”

“I figured as much. How very considerate of you.”

Though they were cousins, they had never been particularly close. Instead of prying into who he was meeting, Yeon-oh decided to wrap up the conversation. This unexpected meeting had gone on long enough. He took a step back from Shinwoo.

“Then, I’ll be on my way. You need not worry about me being kidnapped.”

“Seeing your guard, I can see my concern was unnecessary. He was so sharp that for a moment, I really thought my head would roll.”

Shinwoo exaggeratedly clutched his neck, playing it up in an over-the-top manner.

“Hasung was impolite. However, hyung-nim, you also did not reveal your identity first.”

Harming the body of a noble—especially one from a feudal lord’s family—was a crime punishable by immediate execution. Even if Hasung had done it to protect Yeon-oh, it was still a serious offense. Yeon-oh took the initiative to smooth things over.

“So, I overlook your discourtesy, and you overlook my guard’s rudeness? Doesn’t seem like a fair trade… but fine, let’s leave it at that.”

“I appreciate your generosity.”

Yeon-oh nodded slightly, and Hasung also bowed his waist in apology.

“Well then, let’s save our next meeting for another time.”

“…Twice by chance.”

Just as Yeon-oh was about to leave after a polite bow, a familiar voice spoke from behind him.

“Does that mean it’s fate now, young master?”

A voice he had once heard under the cover of night, when the only light had been the moon. Yeon-oh turned his head.

There stood Yeshin, smiling.

“…Yeshin?”

“We agreed to meet again someday, but I didn’t expect fate to tie us together so soon.”

Yeshin beamed.

Yeon-oh, caught off guard by this unexpected coincidence, was momentarily speechless. Hasung, his expression unreadable, hesitated before finally removing his hand from the hilt of his sword. Surprisingly, it was Shinwoo who reacted first, tilting his head with a curious expression as he took a step forward.

“Yeon-oh… do you know him?”

“By chance. Hyung-nim, is this the person you were supposed to meet?”

Yeon-oh alternated his gaze between Shinwoo and Yeshin. Likewise, Shinwoo looked between Yeon-oh and Yeshin, as if piecing something together. His adam’s apple bobbed slightly before he slowly nodded.

“Yes. He’s a colleague of mine from the Office of the Crown Prince’s Affairs. I belong to the Crown Prince’s Tutorial Office, while he…”

“This is our first proper introduction. I am Yeshin of the Uigwi², Young Master Hye.”

Shinwoo was in the Office of the Crown Prince’s Affairs? And not just anywhere, but in the Crown Prince’s Tutorial Office, which was responsible for the education of the heir?

Judging by his carefree demeanor, Yeon-oh had assumed Shinwoo lived a hedonistic life, yet this was unexpected. And then there was Yeshin.

That night, when Yeshin had introduced himself, had that been his courtesy name? A flood of new information surged into Yeon-oh’s mind, giving him a mild headache. But outwardly, he remained composed.

“In that case, if we meet again in the future, I shall address you as Uigwi.”

“Whatever suits you best.”

Why had Uigwi come to the banquet? What were the chances that someone like Uigwi would be invited to a gathering hosted by the prime minister? The question surfaced in Yeon-oh’s mind, but he didn’t bother asking.

“…I truly didn’t expect to meet you again so soon, just as you said, Uigwi. But this meeting was never about me—it was arranged for my hyung-nim, so I should take my leave. I was on my way out already.”

Yeon-oh glanced at Hasung, who immediately picked up on the signal and stepped aside to clear a path. The plan was simple: follow Hasung’s lead, make his way back to the carriage, and be done with this exhausting day. The sun would be setting soon, and he had neither the energy nor the patience to wander around any longer.

“Young Master.”

That was the moment Yeshin caught him, stopping him in his tracks before he could slip away. Yeon-oh didn’t turn to meet his gaze, but he did pause his steps at the sound of his name. Yeshin, closing the short distance between them, deliberately lowered his gaze to meet Yeon-oh’s eyes.

“You seem a little troubled.”

“……”

“You look tired… or maybe sad… or perhaps not.”

Yeshin’s voice carried a gentle lilt as he studied Yeon-oh’s face. Yeon-oh pressed his lips together. How had Yeshin managed to read him so well? A wave of wariness rose within him.

“You must be mistaken, Uigwi.”

Feigning composure, Yeon-oh masked his unease. Yeshin, watching him closely, suddenly smiled.

“Is that so?”

“It is.”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’m relieved. As always, I wish for your peace of mind, Young Master. Just as I gave you that token back then.”

“……Please, let go of me. I should be on my way.”

“What a shame, truly. I was hoping to show you around the Capital City, since you’ve returned after eight years. I’d like to grow closer to you, too, but here we are, parting so soon.”

“If fate allows, I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

“That’s exactly why I wanted to ask. Now that my identity is no longer a secret, would you allow me to exchange letters with you? Perhaps we might even share tea from time to time.”

Yeon-oh couldn’t make sense of his intentions. He knew nothing of Yeshin’s family, only his name and the fact that he was Uigwi. Based on that alone, it was possible Yeshin sought to form connections for his own gain. Yet, Yeon-oh couldn’t be certain—there was no trace of greed in Yeshin’s eyes.

What was that emotion flickering within them? He had no words to define it.

“…It’s hardly a difficult request. Gaining a friend is always something to be welcomed.”

“I’ll take that as permission, Young Master.”

A quiet laugh laced Yeshin’s words. Yeon-oh averted his gaze and finally took a step forward. Hasung moved once more to clear the way. He could still feel Yeshin’s gaze on his back, but he pretended not to notice. The further he walked away, the fainter the biting cold of winter became.