BIUM Chapter 2

Women, too, had desires, things they wanted to learn, and dreams they wished to achieve.  

 

“Ah!”  

 

Lost in deep thought, Yiwon hadn’t noticed how strongly the wind was blowing. 

 

The ribbon tying her hair came undone and flew into the air, snapping her out of her reverie. She reached out desperately, but the ribbon slipped past her fingertips and flew toward a tree.  

 

Just as the bright red ribbon was about to get caught in the branches, someone’s hand snatched it midair.  

 

Yiwon’s gaze shifted from the ribbon to the person who had caught it.  

 

“I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to watch you a little longer.”  

 

‘Since when had he been there?’  

 

The man sitting on the tree by the wall, holding out the ribbon to Yiwon, was none other than Myung, the same man who had coldly turned away earlier. With the same face and attire, it was unmistakably him.  

 

Myung lowered his eyes as he watched Yi-won, who was too stunned to speak.  

 

“Truthfully, I wanted to see you a bit more, so I acted selfishly. I thought if I hid here, you wouldn’t notice me, but the ribbon gave me away.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Did I surprise you too much? If I’d known you’d be this startled, I wouldn’t have climbed up here. The wind is strong, so you should tie your ribbon tighter.”  

 

Yiwon took the ribbon Myung handed her. She stared at it for a long moment before looking back at him, still perched on the tree.  

 

Based on appearances alone, this man was undoubtedly Myung.  

 

“I’ll take my leave now. Rest well.”  

 

“Who are you?”  

 

The short question had an entirely different impact than before.  

 

Seeing the man flustered, Yi-won realized her guess wasn’t wrong. The Myung she knew wouldn’t have caught a flying ribbon for her, let alone secretly watched her because he wanted to see her longer. 

 

Such a thing was impossible.  

 

“His Highness Myung would have told me to buy a new ribbon if it flew away, not catch it for me.”  

 

“…”  

 

“I don’t know why you’re pretending to be His Highness, but if you do this to others, you’ll face serious consequences. And… take this.”  

 

Yiwon pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve, wrapped some wound medicine she always carried, and held it out to the man.  

 

“I smell blood on the wind. Treat your wounds first.”  

 

The man only looked at her with a complicated expression, not moving closer.  

 

Just then—  

 

“My lady!”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

“My lady! Are you with someone else?”  

 

“Ah!”  

 

At Nanhee’s voice calling from behind, Yi-won’s attention wavered. 

 

At that moment, the man snatched the handkerchief and medicine from her hand. Startled, Yiwon turned back, but he had already vanished without a trace.  

 

“My lady! Who were you with?”  

 

“Ah, no one.”  

 

A man who looked strikingly like Myung. She didn’t know who he was, and there was no one to ask.  

 

Urged by Nanhee, who said Yiho was looking for her, Yiwon pushed the thoughts aside and walked away.  

 

🌙

 

Twice a week, Yusu trained in swordsmanship with Geonmyeong.  

 

Leaving even Nanhee behind, Yi-won carefully scanned her surroundings before climbing over the wall. If Nan-hee or anyone else had seen her, they would have screamed and caused a scene, but Yi-won held her breath and focused on the two men.  

 

“Hold the sword straight and extend your arm so it forms a straight line with the blade.”  

 

“Haa!”  

 

Yusu thrust his arm with all his might. His sword cut through the air with a sharp sound, but Geonmyeong’s expression remained grim.  

 

Yusu’s mouth went dry at Geonmyeong’s reaction, and he swung his sword again, but the more he did, the more Geonmyeong’s face twisted in displeasure.  

 

“Didn’t I tell you not to rely on brute force? Use your arm and wrist to extend the sword and create flow! That way, you can swing the sword in any direction! If you still haven’t mastered what I taught you months ago, what are you even doing? Are you even practicing?”  

 

“I-I am!”  

 

“How can you call yourself the eldest son of Eun Geonmyeong with such pathetic skills? Do it again!”  

 

Yusu flinched at Geonmyeong’s scolding. He swung his sword once more, but Geonmyeong’s reprimands continued.

 

Even to Yiwon, who had never formally learned swordsmanship, Yusu’s movements looked clumsy and awkward.  

 

“Let’s stop here for today. Make sure you practice by tomorrow!”  

 

After Geonmyeong left, Yusu threw his sword to the ground in frustration. Watching him, Yiwon quietly climbed down from the wall.  

 

“If you extend it like this, it’ll reach farther.”  

 

Picking up a long branch from the ground, Yiwon thrust it forward, just as Geonmyeong had demonstrated. 

 

Unlike Yusu, who had never managed to execute the move correctly despite his training, Yiwon effortlessly created the same line.  

 

“If you move like this, the line will form.”  

 

With each movement of Yiwon’s ‘sword,’ new lines were drawn as if she were painting. She embodied the form Geonmyeong had hoped to see from Yusu—even movements Geonmyeong himself hadn’t imagined.  

 

But she could never show this to Geonmyeong. 

 

Ever since she was young, when she had picked up a sword in front of him and Nanhee was beaten in her place, Yiwon had vowed never to wield a sword in front of others again.  

 

In Hawon, women who held swords were scorned as lowly. No matter how much Yiwon was the daughter of a martial family, she couldn’t change the deep-rooted prejudices of Hawon.  

 

“Ah!”  

 

Hearing a noise nearby, Yiwon quickly threw the branch away. 

 

Moments later, Geonmyeong entered the courtyard.  

 

“You’re still awake?”  

 

“The moon was beautiful, so I was admiring it. I was about to retire for the night.”  

 

Geonmyeong looked at Yiwon with apologetic eyes as she spoke calmly.  

 

Though she had to suppress it because she was a woman, even he could see Yiwon’s exceptional talent.  

 

“Is that woman in the inner quarters treating you well?”  

 

“She’s like a mother to me and Yiho. She takes good care of us, so you don’t need to worry.”  

 

After Yiwon and Yiho’s mother passed away, Lady Song, Yusu’s mother, quickly filled the vacant position as the main wife. 

 

Ambitious and cunning, Lady Song saw Yiho, who had the potential to inherit the family, and Yiwon, who protected him fiercely, as thorns in her side. Though she acted kindly in front of Geonmyeong, he knew her kindness wasn’t genuine.  

 

Yet, even knowing this, Geonmyeong couldn’t intervene. 

 

To him, Yusu was just as precious as Yiwon and Yiho, and he cared for Lady Song. Any excessive concern could disrupt the delicate balance he had maintained.  

 

“I know you’ve been through a lot. With Yiho relying on you, it must be even harder.”  

 

“Father, that’s…”  

 

“That’s why I want to marry you into a good family.”  

 

“…”  

 

“If you become Hawon’s Empress and Yusu becomes the family head, Yiho will have a better environment, won’t he? I know it’s difficult now, but you’ll understand my intentions later.”  

 

Yiwon lowered her head, hiding her expression as Geonmyeong spoke. She understood his reasoning and knew it was the best path for Yiho.  

 

But even if her mind understood, her heart resisted. That was the problem.  

 

“I’m trying to understand your intentions, Father. And since I’ve enjoyed many privileges thanks to the family, it’s only right that I contribute to it.”  

 

“If only you were a son…”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

“Never mind. The Crown Prince has invited you to the festival this full moon. Go and enjoy yourself.”  

 

She didn’t want to go. But Yi-won knew she had no choice.  

 

“I will.”  

 

As Yiwon bowed, a satisfied smile spread across Geonmyeong’s face.

 

🌙

 

In Hawon, it was forbidden to roam the streets late at night, but once a month, on the night of the full moon, the curfew was lifted, allowing people to wander freely until late. 

 

This was known as the Full Moon Festival.  

 

During the festival, the streets were bustling, and shopkeepers seized the opportunity to make a profit.  

 

“His Highness couldn’t come due to an urgent matter.”  

 

“Is that so?”  

 

Yiwon had woken up early and gone through the elaborate preparations demanded of her. Though she was exhausted, she couldn’t voice her complaints.  

 

“Are you disappointed?”  

 

“I can’t be disappointed if he couldn’t come due to circumstances.”  

 

Though she couldn’t show it outwardly, Yiwon felt strangely relieved at the thought of not having to meet Myung.  

 

Unless the world changed, her marriage to Myung was inevitable, but honestly, she didn’t want to think about it yet.  

 

“I’ll call the palanquin bearers.”  

 

“Huh? Already?”  

 

“It’s crowded, and the night is getting late.”  

 

“It’s rare for me to come out. Let’s walk around a bit more before heading back.”  

 

Yiwon’s eyes sparkled as she walked through the crowd, enjoying the rare freedom.  

 

“Hmm?”  

 

A faint, but unmistakable scent of blood wafted past her nose. Just as she thought she might have imagined it, the clashing of weapons reached her ears.  

 

“My lady? What’s wrong?”  

 

“Wait here. Don’t follow me.”  

 

“W-what? My lady! Where are you going?”  

 

Ignoring Nanhee’s cries, Yiwon ran toward the source of the noise. Though she worried about getting involved in trouble, she felt compelled to go.  

 

The faint scent of blood grew stronger, and the distant clashing of swords now rang sharply in her ears.  

 

“Ah!”  

 

Yiwon let out a short scream at the scene before her.  

 

A man who looked strikingly similar to Seo Myung—but was clearly not him—was surrounded by black-clad figures, bleeding profusely.  

 

The man, panting heavily, noticed Yi-won and widened his eyes. At her scream, the black-clad figures turned toward her.  

 

“What’s that?”  

 

“We can’t have witnesses. Kill her!”  

 

As the black-clad men raised their swords toward Yiwon, the injured man struggled to his feet. Ignoring his bleeding wounds, he picked up a fallen sword.  

 

“Run!”  

 

“Kill her!”  

 

Yiwon hesitated for a moment, but a sharp sword was already thrusting toward her.  

 

‘I can see it?’  

 

The sword coming at her seemed to move in slow motion. Though she had never been in such a situation before, she could see every movement of the attackers.  

 

Dodging the sword aimed at her forehead, Yiwon struck down with her wrist, just as Geonmyeong had demonstrated to Yusu.  

 

“Argh!”  

 

As the man’s sword fell to the ground, Yiwon tried to pick it up, but the heavy blade was difficult to wield.  

 

“Drop the sword!”  

 

The injured man shouted as he slashed through the neck of a black-clad figure blocking Yiwon. She barely managed to dodge another sword strike, the blade grazing past her.  

 

“You damn wench!”  

 

The black-clad men were growing frustrated. This woman, who had appeared at the worst possible moment, was annoyingly quick and infuriatingly calm.  

 

Though her attacks weren’t life-threatening, she skillfully targeted their legs and arms, making it difficult to kill her.  

 

“Damn it!”  

 

One of the men swung his sword with all his might, but instead of striking Yiwon, he only hit the air.  

 

As he turned his head to follow her, a sharp pain shot through his leg, and he screamed.  

 

“You b*tch! Ugh!”  

 

The man couldn’t believe it. They had more than enough men to kill the injured man, but this woman had turned the tide.  

 

“You damn… Ugh!”  

 

Gasping for breath, Yiwon staggered. 

 

The gruesome scene before her finally registered. As she swallowed her fear, the injured man clutched his wound and knelt, still gripping his sword.  

 

“Are you alright?”  

 

Yiwon didn’t know who this man was, but he had been injured before, and now it looked even worse. Though she had observed physicians at work, she couldn’t handle wounds of this severity.  

 

“I’ll call for help!”  

 

As Yiwon tried to stand, the man grabbed her wrist.  

 

“How…”  

 

“Huh?”  

 

“How do you tell me apart from Myung?”  

 

Yiwon met his gaze with clear eyes and replied calmly, “Because you’re different.”  

 

“…”  

 

“Aren’t you a different person?”