Stolen Ch 1 part 1
by AnonAnemoneEmperor GeumHyun had seven younger brothers, the youngest of whom was the seventh prince Sadok.
The emperor’s younger brother, Seventh Prince Sadok, had no sons, only a daughter. Her name was Yi-ryung.
After losing his wife to intruders who broke into his private residence, Yi-un Palace, when his daughter Yi-ryung was young, Sadok never remarried and has been living alone ever since. Yi-ryung also grew up as an only child without siblings.
Yi-ryung was the only princess in the entire imperial family.
Emperor Geum-hyun only had princes, and the other six brothers also only had sons. Therefore, Sadok’s daughter, Yi-ryung, was the only daughter among the emperor’s children and nephews.
For that reason, Yi-ryung monopolized the affection of her uncle, the Emperor, from a young age.
She was loved by not only the emperor but also all the royal families, and she was like the flower of the imperial family.
And after the tragedy at Yi-un Palace nine years ago, the people around her pitied her and cared for her even more.
“When you grow up, you must marry Moonduk.”
The emperor often said this.
Moonduk was the eldest son of the emperor. He was both the crown prince and the boy who would one day succeed GeumHyun as emperor.
And last year, Yi-ryung was officially engaged to Moonduk.
Gifts were exchanged, and the engagement was set. Now only the wedding remained.
After the formal wedding, Yi-ryung would become the crown princess, and she would leave Yi-un Palace to go to the imperial palace.
Winter passed, and spring arrived. The wedding was scheduled to take place.
Although Moonduk was a bit brusque, he had a handsome appearance and striking good looks. Therefore, Yi-ryung did not mind becoming Moonduk’s wife.
Although she was worried about leaving her father, who would be left all alone once she became the crown princess, because her father was an imperial prince, she would be able to leave the palace whenever she pleased.
Since they were not going to be separated for life, there was no reason why she could not meet her father after the wedding.
But then something happened.
Thud-! Thud! Thud-!
In the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by several strong men, Yi-ryung’s bodyguard Ja-in was being beaten with clubs.
He was being punished for failing to protect his mistress last night.
Last night, a stranger broke into Yi-ryung’s residence and raped her before running away.
Yi-ryung had been unconscious all night. When her maid entered her quarters and discovered her, she was naked and bleeding between her legs.
The blood stains between her legs, the blood stains on the blanket, and what seemed to be dried semen around her privates all seemed to indicate that she had been raped.
The warrior Ja-in, who was supposed to guard her residence all night, made excuses saying that he was unconscious at the time.
All he had for dinner was a cup of tea, but he suddenly felt sleepy and closed his eyes for a moment, passing out until morning. Ja-in tried and tried to excuse himself, claiming that someone had drugged his tea.
But he had to take responsibility for what happened while he was sleeping.
He neglected his duties as a bodyguard, and because of this, his little mistress suffered.
Even if he had ten mouths, he would have nothing to say.
The ultimate punishment given to Ja-in was to cut off his wrists and banish him.
For neglecting his duty of guarding Yi-ryung, the bodyguard Ja-in was kicked out with his wrists cut off, and Eunah, Yi-ryung’s servant, was also kicked out after receiving fifty lashes.
“I will tell His Majesty that you are bedridden and seriously ill.”
The Seventh Prince Sadok sat in front of Yi-ryung and spoke with a solemn face as she continued to shed tears.
“This won’t end with just the cancellation of the wedding. Once it becomes known that you were raped by a stranger, it will bring dishonor to your father as well as to His Highness the Crown Prince, who was planning on marrying you. In other words, it will be a disgrace to His Majesty the Emperor. Do you understand?”
Yi-ryung covered her face with a handkerchief and sobbed.
Yi-ryung had no idea what happened last night.
She remembered an intruder breaking into her residence and forcing her onto the bed, but she had no memory of what happened after that.
She was hit in the stomach and passed out. When she woke up, there were already several gruesome marks on her body.
She could tell that she had been raped by the marks on her body, but she had no memory of it at all.
But even if she didn’t remember, it was already very clear that something had happened.
She didn’t know who did it, and she didn’t know why.
There was no way to know how he had gotten over the walls of Yi-un Palace, and there was no way to know how he was able to drug the tea that Ja-in was drinking.
“You will be treated for your illness and die. That is the only option for all our sake.”
“Father…”
Yi-ryung was surprised and raised her head when she heard her father say that he would turn her into a dead person.
Her eyes were watery and bloodshot.
Her eyes were already swollen from crying so much that they looked absolutely miserable.
“Leave this place tomorrow.”
“Father, where do you want me to go?”
“I will give you some gold, so go anywhere and live as if you are dead.”
“Father…”
Her father’s words were harsh, but she couldn’t tell him she couldn’t do it.
What he said was true. The problem did not end with just her body being defiled.
Her father’s reputation, the crown prince’s honor, and even the emperor’s prestige could all be ruined because of her.
“Where am I to go…”
Yi-ryung barely managed to say the words as she wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
There was no way her father would send her away empty-handed.
But even if she were to leave her home with gold and silver, where would she go?
She didn’t know anything about the ways of the world, and she didn’t even know how to live on her own. Where should she go and what should she do with her gold and silver?
“Then, if I tell you where to go, will you do as I say?”
“Yes, I will do as you say.”
This wasn’t something she wanted in the first place.
Rather, she was the biggest victim of this incident.
But Yi-ryung knew that this was not the time to say such things.
She was lucky this happened before marriage. She was taught that if a woman was defiled by another man after marriage, she would have lost her chastity, and the right thing to do afterwards would be to commit suicide.
Although she wasn’t married yet, she was already engaged.
Not only would they not get married, but this was no different from losing her chastity.
“You have to leave home early tomorrow morning, before daybreak, so get ready today.”
After saying this, Sadok got up and went outside. Yi-ryung, who was now left all alone in her room, lay down on the bed and burst into tears once again.
She couldn’t understand why this was happening to her.
Who did this to her and why?
Could it be that the misfortune she had experienced as a child was not enough?
‘I want to kill him. I want to rip him to shreds.’
If the assailant who had raped her was in front of her right now, she wanted to tear him to pieces and kill him on the spot.
That was how badly Yi-ryung’s heart was in despair.
But even greater despair came the next morning.
“You will be considered dead. We will hold a funeral for you, and we will announce your death to the outside world. His Majesty will be informed, and the Crown Prince will also be notified. The place where you will go is outside the city walls. The house of a man named Dochi.”
“Dochi…”
It was the first time she was hearing this name.
As she faced the despair of becoming a dead person, Yi-ryung’s eyes shook as she looked at her father.
All she packed were a few sets of clothes she normally wore, gold and silver jewelry, and the belongings left behind by her deceased mother.
She wasn’t able to pack much.
The only things that Yi-ryung could carry with her were in a bundle.
“He makes a living by slaughtering animals. He may be a lowly man, but he is a man who can take care of himself. So go and live with him.”
When Yi-ryung heard Sadok’s words, her face turned pale.
Someone who slaughtered animals was a butcher.
A butcher who lives outside the city walls, no less.
There were some groups of people who were not allowed to live within the city walls.
Convicted criminals, people with contagious diseases, swindlers, and butchers.
These kinds of people could not build their homes and live within the city walls, so they built huts and lived outside the city walls.
And now, her father was telling her to live with these people.
“Father, h-how could I live in a place like that…?”
“Did I not say you were dead? What would you do if you were caught living in the city? You have to go outside the city and live among such people to survive without being caught.”
Tears welled up in Yi-ryung’s eyes as she listened to Sadok’s words.
She was alive and well, but she needed to be dead.
Her funeral would be held in her home as soon as she left.
The coffin without a body would most certainly be buried in the ground, and the name Yi-ryung would be buried forever in the soil, disappearing without a trace.
What her father said was correct.
She must become a dead person.
She had to die while embracing the shame of her family.
She mustn’t be seen alive by others, so it was impossible to live within the city walls.
She had no choice but to live with those who were as good as dead outside the city walls, with people who no one cared about.
She wanted to tell him to just kill her instead, but she was afraid of dying.
Even though she ended up in this situation, she was still afraid of death.
Yi-ryung despaired once again at the realization that she was a coward.
“Get out quickly before the sun rises and other people see you.”
“Yes, Father…”
Yi-ryung wiped away her tears, got up, and bowed twice to her father.
After bowing twice to her father, whom she might never see again, Yi-ryung opened the door and went out.
Outside, her surroundings were still doused in the blue light of dawn.
There was a household servant standing in the garden.
He was the servant who would take Yi-ryung outside the city walls.
Yi-ryung followed him to the north gate of the city, but she would have to walk through the north gate alone.
The reason the north gate opened a little earlier than usual was because the servant had slipped a few coins to the gatekeepers.
In the early morning, the doors opened, and Yi-ryung walked out of the city. The doors closed behind her.
As the heavy doors closed behind her, Yi-ryung was left alone outside the north gate.
Yi-ryung didn’t know where to go.
She didn’t even know where Dochi lived, and she had no knowledge of the geography outside the city walls.
But this only lasted a moment. Yi-ryung spotted a figure walking through the hazy morning fog.
At first, she was terrified because she thought a ghost or something similar to a monster in the storybooks was approaching her. However, she was instantly relieved when she realized that the figure that emerged from the fog was neither a ghost nor a demon. It was a person.
The man had a thick beard covering his entire face, and his hair was disheveled and tied up in a messy bun, giving him an unkempt appearance like that of a wild animal.
His clothes were shabby and rough, and the backs of his hands that protruded from his sleeves were rough and bumpy.
Looking at the dark backs of his hands, fear surged up within Yi-ryung.
“E-Excuse me…”
Are you Dochi? Before she could ask, the man’s hands moved faster.
“Ah…!”
The man snatched the bundle that Yi-ryung was holding tightly to her chest. He took it, turned around, and briskly walked away.
“Excuse me…! Just a moment!”
Yi-ryung quickly followed the man who had taken her bundle away without saying a word and called out to him. But he did not look back.
Because the man’s strides were long, Yi-ryung had to follow after him quickly so as not to lose him.
But he was too fast, and Yi-ryung’s pace became so frantic that her shoes ultimately came off.
“Ah!”
When her shoes slipped off, Yi-ryung crouched down.
“Excuse me! Please wait a moment!”
She haphazardly put one of her shoes back on and shouted out to the man who was now further away.
What if the man leaves me all alone? What if he only takes the bundle of gold and silver and leaves me here?
“Excuse me! Excuse…!”
Yi-ryung called out to the man in a disappointed voice. Ultimately, she chased after him with only one shoe on.
How could he be so heartless?
If a maiden was calling out to him, shouldn’t he at least look back?
Yi-ryung chased after the man with one shoe on, but she eventually stopped.
She crumpled to the ground.
Her white shoe was covered in dirt.
The hem of her skirt was also covered in dirt.
“Hnng…”
Tears rolled down her eyes as she remained crouched on the ground.
She thought she didn’t have any tears left to cry.
She cried so much yesterday, and she didn’t think she had any left for today.
And yet, tears poured out.
She was so sad that she couldn’t stop crying.
Did that man also think she was dirty?
Does that man think that she was worthless and dirty for not hanging herself to death after being raped and instead relying on him to survive?
Did he feel like he had no choice but to take on something cumbersome?
She wiped away the tears that were flowing down her face with the back of her hand.
When she heard the sound of something moving in front of her, Yi-ryung raised her head.
The man was kneeling in front of her. She didn’t know when he had come back.
The man was holding her other shoe that had fallen off.
He put the shoe on her foot without saying a word.
Yi-ryung watched as his rough hands put the shoe on her foot as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
The man who had given her the shoe turned around so that his back was to her.
He was telling her to get on.
But there was no way she could let a stranger carry her on his back.
“Ah…!”
As she hesitated, the man put her on his back and began to walk briskly.
Yi-ryung burst into tears once again, burying her face into the man’s back as he carried her.
The man carried Yi-ryung on his back and continued to walk as she continued to cry without showing any signs of stopping.
As the north gate of the city wall grew further away, an unfamiliar landscape entered Yi-ryung’s eyes which were blurred by tears. It was now daybreak.
It was morning in this unfamiliar place.
Chapter 1: Strange Man
Emperor GeumHyun had seven younger brothers, the youngest of whom was the seventh prince Sadok.
The emperor’s younger brother, Seventh Prince Sadok, had no sons, only a daughter. Her name was Yi-ryung.
After losing his wife to intruders who broke into his private residence, Yi-un Palace, when his daughter Yi-ryung was young, Sadok never remarried and has been living alone ever since. Yi-ryung also grew up as an only child without siblings.
Yi-ryung was the only princess in the entire imperial family.
Emperor Geum-hyun only had princes, and the other six brothers also only had sons. Therefore, Sadok’s daughter, Yi-ryung, was the only daughter among the emperor’s children and nephews.
For that reason, Yi-ryung monopolized the affection of her uncle, the Emperor, from a young age.
She was loved by not only the emperor but also all the royal families, and she was like the flower of the imperial family.
And after the tragedy at Yi-un Palace nine years ago, the people around her pitied her and cared for her even more.
“When you grow up, you must marry Moonduk.”
The emperor often said this.
Moonduk was the eldest son of the emperor. He was both the crown prince and the boy who would one day succeed GeumHyun as emperor.
And last year, Yi-ryung was officially engaged to Moonduk.
Gifts were exchanged, and the engagement was set. Now only the wedding remained.
After the formal wedding, Yi-ryung would become the crown princess, and she would leave Yi-un Palace to go to the imperial palace.
Winter passed, and spring arrived. The wedding was scheduled to take place.
Although Moonduk was a bit brusque, he had a handsome appearance and striking good looks. Therefore, Yi-ryung did not mind becoming Moonduk’s wife.
Although she was worried about leaving her father, who would be left all alone once she became the crown princess, because her father was an imperial prince, she would be able to leave the palace whenever she pleased.
Since they were not going to be separated for life, there was no reason why she could not meet her father after the wedding.
But then something happened.
Thud-! Thud! Thud-!
In the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by several strong men, Yi-ryung’s bodyguard Ja-in was being beaten with clubs.
He was being punished for failing to protect his mistress last night.
Last night, a stranger broke into Yi-ryung’s residence and raped her before running away.
Yi-ryung had been unconscious all night. When her maid entered her quarters and discovered her, she was naked and bleeding between her legs.
The blood stains between her legs, the blood stains on the blanket, and what seemed to be dried semen around her privates all seemed to indicate that she had been raped.
The warrior Ja-in, who was supposed to guard her residence all night, made excuses saying that he was unconscious at the time.
All he had for dinner was a cup of tea, but he suddenly felt sleepy and closed his eyes for a moment, passing out until morning. Ja-in tried and tried to excuse himself, claiming that someone had drugged his tea.
But he had to take responsibility for what happened while he was sleeping.
He neglected his duties as a bodyguard, and because of this, his little mistress suffered.
Even if he had ten mouths, he would have nothing to say.
The ultimate punishment given to Ja-in was to cut off his wrists and banish him.
For neglecting his duty of guarding Yi-ryung, the bodyguard Ja-in was kicked out with his wrists cut off, and Eunah, Yi-ryung’s servant, was also kicked out after receiving fifty lashes.
“I will tell His Majesty that you are bedridden and seriously ill.”
The Seventh Prince Sadok sat in front of Yi-ryung and spoke with a solemn face as she continued to shed tears.
“This won’t end with just the cancellation of the wedding. Once it becomes known that you were raped by a stranger, it will bring dishonor to your father as well as to His Highness the Crown Prince, who was planning on marrying you. In other words, it will be a disgrace to His Majesty the Emperor. Do you understand?”
Yi-ryung covered her face with a handkerchief and sobbed.
Yi-ryung had no idea what happened last night.
She remembered an intruder breaking into her residence and forcing her onto the bed, but she had no memory of what happened after that.
She was hit in the stomach and passed out. When she woke up, there were already several gruesome marks on her body.
She could tell that she had been raped by the marks on her body, but she had no memory of it at all.
But even if she didn’t remember, it was already very clear that something had happened.
She didn’t know who did it, and she didn’t know why.
There was no way to know how he had gotten over the walls of Yi-un Palace, and there was no way to know how he was able to drug the tea that Ja-in was drinking.
“You will be treated for your illness and die. That is the only option for all our sake.”
“Father…”
Yi-ryung was surprised and raised her head when she heard her father say that he would turn her into a dead person.
Her eyes were watery and bloodshot.
Her eyes were already swollen from crying so much that they looked absolutely miserable.
“Leave this place tomorrow.”
“Father, where do you want me to go?”
“I will give you some gold, so go anywhere and live as if you are dead.”
“Father…”
Her father’s words were harsh, but she couldn’t tell him she couldn’t do it.
What he said was true. The problem did not end with just her body being defiled.
Her father’s reputation, the crown prince’s honor, and even the emperor’s prestige could all be ruined because of her.
“Where am I to go…”
Yi-ryung barely managed to say the words as she wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
There was no way her father would send her away empty-handed.
But even if she were to leave her home with gold and silver, where would she go?
She didn’t know anything about the ways of the world, and she didn’t even know how to live on her own. Where should she go and what should she do with her gold and silver?
“Then, if I tell you where to go, will you do as I say?”
“Yes, I will do as you say.”
This wasn’t something she wanted in the first place.
Rather, she was the biggest victim of this incident.
But Yi-ryung knew that this was not the time to say such things.
She was lucky this happened before marriage. She was taught that if a woman was defiled by another man after marriage, she would have lost her chastity, and the right thing to do afterwards would be to commit suicide.
Although she wasn’t married yet, she was already engaged.
Not only would they not get married, but this was no different from losing her chastity.
“You have to leave home early tomorrow morning, before daybreak, so get ready today.”
After saying this, Sadok got up and went outside. Yi-ryung, who was now left all alone in her room, lay down on the bed and burst into tears once again.
She couldn’t understand why this was happening to her.
Who did this to her and why?
Could it be that the misfortune she had experienced as a child was not enough?
‘I want to kill him. I want to rip him to shreds.’
If the assailant who had raped her was in front of her right now, she wanted to tear him to pieces and kill him on the spot.
That was how badly Yi-ryung’s heart was in despair.
But even greater despair came the next morning.
“You will be considered dead. We will hold a funeral for you, and we will announce your death to the outside world. His Majesty will be informed, and the Crown Prince will also be notified. The place where you will go is outside the city walls. The house of a man named Dochi.”
“Dochi…”
It was the first time she was hearing this name.
As she faced the despair of becoming a dead person, Yi-ryung’s eyes shook as she looked at her father.
All she packed were a few sets of clothes she normally wore, gold and silver jewelry, and the belongings left behind by her deceased mother.
She wasn’t able to pack much.
The only things that Yi-ryung could carry with her were in a bundle.
“He makes a living by slaughtering animals. He may be a lowly man, but he is a man who can take care of himself. So go and live with him.”
When Yi-ryung heard Sadok’s words, her face turned pale.
Someone who slaughtered animals was a butcher.
A butcher who lives outside the city walls, no less.
There were some groups of people who were not allowed to live within the city walls.
Convicted criminals, people with contagious diseases, swindlers, and butchers.
These kinds of people could not build their homes and live within the city walls, so they built huts and lived outside the city walls.
And now, her father was telling her to live with these people.
“Father, h-how could I live in a place like that…?”
“Did I not say you were dead? What would you do if you were caught living in the city? You have to go outside the city and live among such people to survive without being caught.”
Tears welled up in Yi-ryung’s eyes as she listened to Sadok’s words.
She was alive and well, but she needed to be dead.
Her funeral would be held in her home as soon as she left.
The coffin without a body would most certainly be buried in the ground, and the name Yi-ryung would be buried forever in the soil, disappearing without a trace.
What her father said was correct.
She must become a dead person.
She had to die while embracing the shame of her family.
She mustn’t be seen alive by others, so it was impossible to live within the city walls.
She had no choice but to live with those who were as good as dead outside the city walls, with people who no one cared about.
She wanted to tell him to just kill her instead, but she was afraid of dying.
Even though she ended up in this situation, she was still afraid of death.
Yi-ryung despaired once again at the realization that she was a coward.
“Get out quickly before the sun rises and other people see you.”
“Yes, Father…”
Yi-ryung wiped away her tears, got up, and bowed twice to her father.
After bowing twice to her father, whom she might never see again, Yi-ryung opened the door and went out.
Outside, her surroundings were still doused in the blue light of dawn.
There was a household servant standing in the garden.
He was the servant who would take Yi-ryung outside the city walls.
Yi-ryung followed him to the north gate of the city, but she would have to walk through the north gate alone.
The reason the north gate opened a little earlier than usual was because the servant had slipped a few coins to the gatekeepers.
In the early morning, the doors opened, and Yi-ryung walked out of the city. The doors closed behind her.
As the heavy doors closed behind her, Yi-ryung was left alone outside the north gate.
Yi-ryung didn’t know where to go.
She didn’t even know where Dochi lived, and she had no knowledge of the geography outside the city walls.
But this only lasted a moment. Yi-ryung spotted a figure walking through the hazy morning fog.
At first, she was terrified because she thought a ghost or something similar to a monster in the storybooks was approaching her. However, she was instantly relieved when she realized that the figure that emerged from the fog was neither a ghost nor a demon. It was a person.
The man had a thick beard covering his entire face, and his hair was disheveled and tied up in a messy bun, giving him an unkempt appearance like that of a wild animal.
His clothes were shabby and rough, and the backs of his hands that protruded from his sleeves were rough and bumpy.
Looking at the dark backs of his hands, fear surged up within Yi-ryung.
“E-Excuse me…”
Are you Dochi? Before she could ask, the man’s hands moved faster.
“Ah…!”
The man snatched the bundle that Yi-ryung was holding tightly to her chest. He took it, turned around, and briskly walked away.
“Excuse me…! Just a moment!”
Yi-ryung quickly followed the man who had taken her bundle away without saying a word and called out to him. But he did not look back.
Because the man’s strides were long, Yi-ryung had to follow after him quickly so as not to lose him.
But he was too fast, and Yi-ryung’s pace became so frantic that her shoes ultimately came off.
“Ah!”
When her shoes slipped off, Yi-ryung crouched down.
“Excuse me! Please wait a moment!”
She haphazardly put one of her shoes back on and shouted out to the man who was now further away.
What if the man leaves me all alone? What if he only takes the bundle of gold and silver and leaves me here?
“Excuse me! Excuse…!”
Yi-ryung called out to the man in a disappointed voice. Ultimately, she chased after him with only one shoe on.
How could he be so heartless?
If a maiden was calling out to him, shouldn’t he at least look back?
Yi-ryung chased after the man with one shoe on, but she eventually stopped.
She crumpled to the ground.
Her white shoe was covered in dirt.
The hem of her skirt was also covered in dirt.
“Hnng…”
Tears rolled down her eyes as she remained crouched on the ground.
She thought she didn’t have any tears left to cry.
She cried so much yesterday, and she didn’t think she had any left for today.
And yet, tears poured out.
She was so sad that she couldn’t stop crying.
Did that man also think she was dirty?
Does that man think that she was worthless and dirty for not hanging herself to death after being raped and instead relying on him to survive?
Did he feel like he had no choice but to take on something cumbersome?
She wiped away the tears that were flowing down her face with the back of her hand.
When she heard the sound of something moving in front of her, Yi-ryung raised her head.
The man was kneeling in front of her. She didn’t know when he had come back.
The man was holding her other shoe that had fallen off.
He put the shoe on her foot without saying a word.
Yi-ryung watched as his rough hands put the shoe on her foot as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
The man who had given her the shoe turned around so that his back was to her.
He was telling her to get on.
But there was no way she could let a stranger carry her on his back.
“Ah…!”
As she hesitated, the man put her on his back and began to walk briskly.
Yi-ryung burst into tears once again, burying her face into the man’s back as he carried her.
The man carried Yi-ryung on his back and continued to walk as she continued to cry without showing any signs of stopping.
As the north gate of the city wall grew further away, an unfamiliar landscape entered Yi-ryung’s eyes which were blurred by tears. It was now daybreak.
It was morning in this unfamiliar place.
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