Chapter 1

Chapter  1

The Snake’s Rut

“Oh, my goodness!”

Byeori cried out in alarm as she walked with On-ah.

A forked tongue. The pupils of a cunning reptile. A jet-black body. No matter how you looked at it, it was a snake. But the way it stuck out its tongue was unusual. So were its pupils, clouded with whitish mucus. The snake seemed to be in pain.

“My lady! Don’t go near it! You’ll get bitten!”

“It’s not moving. I think it’s dead.”

“Oh, dear no. Look under its belly.”

“Under… its belly?”

Two pointed, horn-like protrusions jutted out from beneath the snake’s belly. They were bumpy, like spore-covered mushrooms. On-ah stared at them curiously, but two hands suddenly blocked her view.

“Don’t look.”

“What are those?”

“The snake’s… thing.”

“Thing?”

Byeori hesitated, unable to say the word to the noble lady. But her lady was stubborn. She wouldn’t back down until her curiosity was satisfied.

“Penises.”

“Pen… what?”

“The male snake’s phalluses. I’ve heard that they have two, and that they only emerge during the mating season.”

Byeori whispered, lowering her voice as much as possible.

‘Those are…phalluses?’

For an unmarried woman like her, seeing a man’s penis would go against strict family customs, but this wasn’t a human. She had seen a male dog’s genitals in heat before.

“You hideous thing! What are you doing in front of someone else’s house? Get out of here! Shoo! Shoo!“

Byeori waved her hands, trying to chase the snake away.

Snakes were repulsive creatures. Beasts cursed by the gods to crawl on their bellies.

Their so-called phalluses were covered in dirt, which made them look even stranger. The more she looked, the more bizarre and grotesque they appeared. Before, when she had seen a dog’s genitals, she had merely been surprised. Now, she felt nauseous. They looked like a real man’s.

‘How indecent…’

On-ah turned her head, waiting for Byeori to drive the snake away.

“Huh?”

Byeori, who had picked up a branch to push the snake away, paused.

“Of all things, a dead one.”

The branch poking the snake moved with annoyed jabs. Suddenly, the snake’s body flipped over, revealing its unsightly phalluses. Its long tail showed no sign of movement. As Byeori said, the snake had already crossed the river of death. Despite being an animal, seeing its lifeless form stirred On-ah’s compassion.

“Please bury it.”

“Pardon? But…”

“Is there a problem?”

“They say snakes in rut die if they can’t mate. This one…”

A snake in rut, searching for a mate, had died alone. Byeori was afraid that burying it in the courtyard would bring misfortune upon the house.

“If it had caused harm, I would understand. But it’s offering us a chance to show kindness. What could be the problem? Even a lowly creature knows kindness. Don’t be squeamish; bury it.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Byeori went inside to fetch a shovel. Once she was alone, On-ah finally approached the snake and knelt before it.

“Your plight is similar to mine.”

A white cotton handkerchief embroidered with delicate flowers covered the dead snake. It was the handkerchief she always kept close and had imbued with her scent.

“May you find peace in your next life.”

Snakes have keen senses of smell and sharp minds; they never forget a scent once encountered. Her fragrance passed over its fanged tongue and coiled deep within its gut. Suddenly, the snake’s still tail lashed out like a predator, wrapping around On-ah’s wrist.

“Aah!”

The snake’s black eyes gleamed. It seemed to be staring right at her. A trickle of cold sweat ran down her spine, making her heart pound. Her trembling hand grasped the tail, trying to pull it off.

The snake vanished. She stared blankly at the empty space as if the snake had never been there.

“Was I hallucinating…?”

Her wrist, reddened by the snake’s tail, throbbed as if branded by a hot iron.