Chapter 78: Return to the House of Shadows

‘There is a saying: “You must sow in spring to reap in autumn.”’

It means that only by preparing in advance can one achieve good results.

And so, Moon Hae-min diligently sowed his seeds in the spring.

But then, why was it that now, in autumn, there was nothing to harvest?

“What a poor yield… a complete failure.”

Swaying weakly atop his horse, Hae-min muttered in self-mockery.

At present, he was passing through Paju.

He had indeed left Songdo, but instead of heading to the open plains, he was bound for Hanseong.

Though he had hesitated internally about running away, this was not the outcome he had wanted.

The financial loss was considerable as well.

Having disappeared without notice, it would be difficult to retrieve the advance he had given to the group that was supposed to help him escape the country.

Since he had broken the agreement first, it would be hard to demand the money back, and if they chose to act stubbornly, what could he do?

In the end, he had no choice but to consider it lost.

More than that, missing the opportunity stung even worse.

This was the perfect chance to escape, while Song Seol would be away from Songdo for a long time.

Still, Song Seol regularly traveled between Songdo and Hanseong, so there would be another opportunity.

Hae-min comforted himself with that thought.

‘…So does that mean I have to live as Moon Hee-yul for a while longer?’

A bleak autumn wind blew past.

Hae-min hunched his shoulders.

The only reason he had managed to live somewhat enjoyably until now was because he believed there would be an end to it.

For Moon Hae-min, that end meant hope.

The hope that he would finally be able to live freely as himself.

But now, he could not see that end.

It felt as though he were walking through thick fog.

No… it felt as if he had been trapped once more inside Song Seol’s quarters.

‘Once we reach Hanseong, Song Seol will learn my true identity…’

In the past, when Song Seol returned from Hanseong to Songdo, he had already known the identity of ‘Moon Hee-yul.’

Unless something changed, the same was likely to happen again.

And that wasn’t even the only problem.

It seemed that Song Seol had begun to recall fragments of the past.

It had already felt suspicious when he carefully picked out fish bones for him or recoiled at the sight of the turtle-shaped paperweight, but bringing him to Hanseong this time made it certain.

It didn’t seem like he had fully regained his memories yet, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time.

‘…The place I’m heading to isn’t Hanseong, it’s a battlefield.’

Hae-min tightened his grip on the reins.

At this point, it almost felt like it didn’t matter whether his identity was exposed or not.

Things had already gone wrong, he might as well go all in.

Surely, it couldn’t get any worse than this.

Just then, Song Seol, who was riding ahead, slowed his horse.

Turning back, he asked,

“Moon Hee-yul, are you tired?”

“No.”

“Your complexion looks pale.”

Song Seol murmured, almost to himself.

The way he carefully examined Hae-min’s face even seemed thoughtful, gentle, even.

But Hae-min knew.

He knew just how terrifying that face could become when angered.

So…

“Endure it a little longer. We’ll arrive in Hanseong soon.”

…And so, Moon Hae-min resolved that it would be in Hanseong that he would seize his chance to escape.

****

He had set foot once again in a city he thought he would never return to.

After a brief moment of dejection, Moon Hae-min began to move in search of a way to survive.

“You will be entering the palace, my lord.”

“Yes.”

Song Seol glanced at Hae-min, then added casually,

“You may enter with me if you wish.”

“No, that would not be proper.”

Moon Hae-min refused firmly.

Pretending to be ‘Moon Hee-yul’ in Songdo alone had already been suffocating, and now he was supposed to do so inside the palace?

That would not just be deceiving Song Seol, but the King himself.

His sins were already grave enough; he had no desire to add to them.

To begin with, it would be improper for a concubine to enter the palace alongside him.

Perhaps Song Seol realized this as well, as he nodded without resistance.

“Then will you stay at your family home while in Hanseong?”

“Yes, I believe I should.”

In any case, it seemed necessary to meet Minister Moon and speak with him.

To ask whether anything unusual had happened recently, and how the state of the country stood.

He might even gain some important information from unexpected places.

“I have a residence in Bukchon. It may feel somewhat empty since it has been unoccupied for a long time, but the servants have maintained it regularly, so it would not be a bad place to stay for a while. How about staying there?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I should still return to my family home. Since I’ve come to Hanseong after so long… I would like to spend time with my father.”

Hae-min said.

‘Of course, it was a blatant lie, but what did it matter?’

His father had never been of much help in his life, so he might as well make use of him now.

“Perhaps because you write well, your conduct is proper too.”

Song Seol muttered.

His tone was somewhat curt, but it didn’t seem like he was angry.

If anything, the emotion laced in his voice felt like… disappointment.

‘…No way. I must be imagining it.’

Why would he feel regret over being apart for a while?

It wasn’t as though they ever had particularly meaningful conversations even when together.

“Let’s go.”

Song Seol mounted his horse as he spoke.

Hae-min hurriedly followed and asked,

“W-Where are you going?”

“Did you not say you were returning to your family home?”

“Ah- yes, that’s right.”

“I will go with you.”

Blinking in confusion, unable to grasp the situation, Hae-min watched as Song Seol added casually,

“It has been a while since I greeted my father-in-law.”

“…”

Did one even call a concubine’s father ‘father-in-law’?

His memory was hazy.

But putting that aside, the image of Song Seol greeting Minister Moon as ‘father-in-law’ felt strange just imagining it.

Song Seol held no favorable feelings toward Minister Moon, and the latter likely felt the same.

And Hae-min himself was not on good terms with either of them, this meeting would benefit no one.

“My lord, perhaps it would be best for you to proceed to the palace first…”

Moon Hae-min tried to dissuade him carefully.

But it seemed his words did not reach Song Seol at all.

Raising his voice slightly, Hae-min pressed on.

“You should consider your priorities. Would it not be fine to greet my father at a later time?”

Only then did Song Seol pause.

With a slightly displeased expression, he turned to look at Hae-min.

“Even if the greeting can wait, should I not at least escort you there first?”

“Do you think I would get lost in the middle of Hanseong? This is my hometown, after all.”

Hanseong was the hometown of not only Hee-yul, but also Moon Hae-min.

That allowed him to speak with even greater confidence than usual.

Perhaps it worked, as Song Seol reluctantly nodded.

“Very well. If you insist, we will meet later.”

“Yes, I will go on ahead.”

After giving a slight bow, Hae-min passed by Song Seol.

Two guards followed behind him.

Their presence bothered him slightly, but he chose to ignore it.

More than that, the image of Song Seol he had just seen lingered in his mind.

Though expressionless as usual, his entire body had seemed tense…

For reasons he could not understand.

Moon Hae-min shrugged lightly.

How could he possibly guess what Song Seol was thinking?

He could only hope that the man wouldn’t act unpredictably again.

****

At last, he had returned to his family home after a very long time.

Moon Hae-min gazed at the front gate with a strange sense of nostalgia.

The last time he had crossed this threshold, he had never imagined the hardships that awaited him.

He had known that pretending to be a concubine would be difficult, but he hadn’t expected it to be this eventful.

In the meantime, it seemed the Moon family had also gone through various troubles.

The atmosphere of the estate felt inexplicably bleak.

‘Is it just because the weather is dreary…?’

The sky was overcast today, and not a single leaf remained on the tree inside the gate.

Swallowing dryly, Hae-min knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

Soon, a servant opened the gate.

Recognizing Hae-min’s face, his eyes widened in shock.

“Y-Young Master!”

He was not truly the ‘young master’ of this house, but the illegitimate son, Moon Hae-min.

However, seeing his attire and the guards accompanying him, the servant seemed to grasp the situation.

Hae-min gave him a subtle signal and quickly spoke.

“It’s been a while. Is Father here?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“I would like to see him. And prepare a place for the guests to stay.”

“Yes, sir.”

Leaving the two guards behind, Hae-min moved forward.

His destination was none other than the sarangchae.

With no outsiders nearby, it would be easier to speak freely.

The door to the study was tightly shut.

After staring at it for a moment, Moon Hae-min spoke.

“Minister. I have returned.”

The door soon opened.

Minister Moon stepped out, his eyes widening.

“You…!”

Even if he had arrived without notice, why such shock?

No matter how much he had lived like an outsider, this was still his home.

Yet Minister Moon reacted as if he had seen someone return from the dead.

‘Well… that’s not entirely wrong.’

Swallowing the bitter thought, Hae-min greeted him.

“Have you been well?”

“You- how, how did this… no, come inside first.”

Moon Hae-min silently stepped into the study.

Meanwhile, Minister Moon called for a maid and gave her some instructions.

After a moment, soft footsteps approached.

Turning his head in that direction, Moon Hae-min spoke as if in admiration,

“Hee-yul.”

“Hyung, it’s been a while.”

Moon Hae-min’s half-brother, Hee-yul, greeted him with a faint smile.

Was it just his imagination?

His face seemed weaker than before.

His movements also appeared more cautious than usual.

He had always moved lightly, like a small rabbit, but today, it was especially so.

‘Is it because he’s been in hiding all this time…?’

Outwardly, Hae-min was ‘Moon Hee-yul,’ so the real Hee-yul had no choice but to stay out of sight.

As that thought occurred to him, Hae-min’s feelings grew complicated.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

The Imperial Evening

AngstFantasy RomanceImperial Palace

Read Now →
Not interested