How the Royal Court Daughters are educated and grow up.
From a young age, they learn poetry, calligraphy, and painting while cultivating their demeanor, and they refine their bodies with the Imperial Family’s training methods.
They grow up only hearing good things, eating good food, and learning good things.
“Those who receive a Royal Court Daughter are truly fortunate and must recognize the significance of ascending to a glorious position.”
“Indeed.”
Nodding as if in understanding, the middle-aged court lady had much to say but chose to remain silent. Suddenly, the surroundings became chaotic. Court ladies, who seemed like they could stroll away in the night without a care, hurriedly rushed in.
“What’s all this commotion!”
“Senior Court Lady! Quickly!”
The middle-aged court lady frowned, asked for patience for a moment, and left. What could have happened? Looking at the pale face of the middle-aged court lady, I sensed that something was amiss.
What could have happened that even the court ladies, who usually prides themselves on their strict demeanor, couldn’t hide their confusion?
It felt like receiving notice of the Commander’s unexpected visit.
“Hmm…!”
“Oh, have you come…! Ahem…”
As someone entered the room, the court ladies bowed their heads in unison, and the Senior Court Lady stuttered her words.
Two people entered the room.
Were they eunuchs? One was wearing a grim expression and standing at the back, while the court ladies bowed their heads to the person in front. I didn’t know who it was, but judging by the way the court ladies of Gungcheongjeon were so deferential, this person must hold quite a high status in the palace.
So, I casually inclined my head.
Even after greeting, the man continued to stare at me, wearing a very displeased expression, as if he were shouting about how much he disapproved of me.
Hmm… could he be related to royalty? His face bore a strange resemblance to Hyeok Gi-rin, and it was clear that the court ladies of Gungcheongjeon were flustered, so he must be quite an extraordinary individual.
“Glad to meet you!”
“…Ah, yes. I am Ho Cheon-an, a Sacheon Outcast.”
“Hmm! Then, I am Dong Jjak, one of the eunuchs!”
It felt like he had just made up that name. As someone who had donned various aliases before, I could smell the rookie vibe from him, but I pretended not to notice. Anyone who could assert their alias confidently in front of the court ladies must have their reasons.
This wasn’t a surprise situation prepared by the court ladies, but because they had been acting so unpredictably over the past couple of days, I remained composed in the face of this unexpected event.
Was I in a state of enlightenment or something?
I decided to just go with the flow and handle whatever happened in this palace adequately.
“Ahem. It seems I unintentionally disturbed the court ladies of Gungcheongjeon. Normally, eunuchs don’t come this far, but there’s a suggestion that the Emperor’s guests should be served by eunuchs of the same gender, so I thought I’d take a moment to join the event at Gungcheongjeon.”
“Your kind consideration from the eunuch department is truly appreciated, Eunuch Dong Jjak…”
“Ho ho ho, there’s nothing worth appreciating. I just wonder if I’ve unintentionally caused a disturbance.”
“No. We were just about to finish training.”
“Oh, then that’s wonderful. Can we talk over a cup of tea?”
“Of course.”
The court ladies brought out tea and stepped back. The person named Dong Jjak sat down with me, while another eunuch stood at the back. Well, there must be a hierarchy among the eunuchs, but this superior looked at least ten years younger than me.
“Hmmm. So, how is life at Gungcheongjeon?”
“Yes. As an outcast, where else could I experience such treatment? I am just grateful for the exquisite care. The court ladies are kind and the food is delicious.”
“Indeed.”
Dong Jjak became lost in thought. I looked at him, then at the eunuch standing behind us. I felt like I’d seen that face somewhere before… Hmm. It resembled someone, but I couldn’t quite remember.
“Do you perhaps have business with me?”
The eunuch whose eyes met mine spoke, and I awkwardly waved my hands.
“Haha, no. I was just looking because your face seemed familiar. It’s as if you resemble someone I know.”
“Oh? Is that so? My name is Hwi Gyeong.”
“…Hmm.”
I couldn’t recall a name that matched. As Hwi Gyeong and I shared awkward glances, Dong Jjak emerged from his reverie and spoke.
“Indeed. But for martial artists, this environment can indeed feel a bit constricting.”
“I can’t deny that. I can do some light stretching, but it makes my hands itch since I can’t wield a sword.”
“Ah, so your hands must indeed feel itchy.”
With a somewhat meaningful glint in his eyes, Dong Jjak looked at me. Was this a trap question that I had just stepped into?
“Haha, while it’s only at the level of a first-rate martial artist, that makes daily training all the more precious. Fortunately, I can achieve quite an accomplishment just with Qi cultivation.”
“Indeed. It’s natural for your hands to feel itchy. I didn’t intend to scold you.”
“Haha, thank you for understanding.”
“Hahaha! Yes, hands should feel itchy, hahaha!”
I sensed a strange aura, like something sinister lurking, from Dong Jjak as he kept repeating that his hands felt itchy and laughing.
If he were to keep coming like this, it would surely become tiring.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that life in the palace was about to get more exhausting.
*
“Come in, Older Brother.”
“Phew. So it is.”
Yoo Gyeong looked at Hyeok Gi-rin with concern. Though he had made excuses about martial arts practice, thinking of his situation of already having fallen for the gambling addict Ho Cheon-an made her feel heartbroken.
“Why do you look so troubled?”
“No… it’s nothing.”
“Haha, Older Brother. You should confide in your little sister. Am I not your only sibling?”
“Yoo Ya…”
Yoo Gyeong felt a lump in her throat, gazing at Hyeok Gi-rin’s kind words. He was such a considerate and good child. However, she couldn’t allow such a child to end up with a gambling scoundrel like Ho Cheon-an.
Yoo Gyeong made up her mind.
“Marriage? Sounds nice. Her happiness with someone she loves? That’s fine. Not that I’m completely okay with it, but I can admit to that. But with someone like him?! That’ll be absolutely unacceptable! That’s enabling Yoo Ya’s misfortune!”
Yoo Gyeong briefly recalled Ho Cheon-an.
He causes trouble and later throws matches on purpose.
Is that a job?
All the hard-earned money is gambled away.
Is that a hobby?
Just thinking about it made her dizzy! She couldn’t imagine that Hyeok Gi-rin, who was involved with Ho Cheon-an, could have a truly happy future. No matter how she tried to visualize happiness, it only resulted in smoke and the stench of burnt offerings!
After organizing her thoughts, Yoo Gyeong opened her mouth.
“Recently, I heard that the children of noble families are falling into gambling. Besides that, the young people these days are increasingly getting caught up in gambling.”
“Oh, is that so? That’s definitely a big deal.”
“Indeed. Gambling is detrimental! Even if one wins, they get mired in illicit earnings and lose their integrity, and if they lose, they can wipe out their family’s accumulated wealth in just a month. I wish it were prohibited by national law.”
“Well… still, banning it by national law would be quite difficult,”
As Hyeok Gi-rin shook his head with a wry smile, Yoo Gyeong’s eyes sparked with insight. She felt a tinge of guilt for giving counsel to her innocent little sister, but this was her opportunity.
“Oh! To advocate gambling is quite a shocking statement! I’ve never heard of anyone gaining wealth through gambling, but I’ve heard countless tales of bankruptcy because of it!”
“Hmm…”
Hyeok Gi-rin mumbled. In fact, the only gambler he knew was Ho Cheon-an, who used to win over a hundred ryang a day.
He hadn’t heard of anyone becoming wealthy through gambling, but he had seen it firsthand. Smirking while thinking of this, Hyeok Gi-rin laughed slightly.
“I heard that the person you came with is an outcast. They say he enjoys gambling quite a bit? Did you perhaps get involved in gambling?”
“Haha, I learned a trick or two.”
“….What?!”
Yoo Gyeong’s voice trembled. Did that scoundrel… lead my innocent little sister to gambling? Sparks flew from Yoo Gyeong’s eyes, but Hyeok Gi-rin had no idea about her feelings and reached for a snack.
Its round shape resembled a coin.
“Take a look!”
As Hyeok Gi-rin pretended to cross his hands, the food disappeared cleanly. Yoo Gyeong’s eyes widened in shock. As he showed with his empty hands, when he flipped over his palm, the snacks were back on it.
Though not as passionate as the teachers, Hyeok Gi-rin had also familiarized himself with simple tricks for the children. What he had shown Yoo Gyeong was merely a simple coin hiding trick.
“I learned this sleight of hand from Senior Ho. The children will be utterly taken by it.”
“…Ho ho.”
“Although this trick is mainly used for gambling, it’s all in how you use it. When Senior Ho gives treats to the kids of the Jeomchang Faction…”
Hyeok Gi-rin talked about Ho Cheon-an’s magic performance, and while he was explaining, Yoo Gyeong clenched her fist, struggling to maintain her composure.
However, one thought echoed in Yoo Gyeong’s mind.
‘This bastard… dared to teach my little sister… the tricks of the gambling den?!’
She should have figured it out when she heard that he had taught gambling tricks to the kids of the Jeomchang Faction, but she never suspected he would reach Hyeok Gi-rin too.
This gambling-obsessed scoundrel!
“Yoo Ya!”
Unable to hold back, Yoo Gyeong raised her voice. Hyeok Gi-rin, who had been animatedly explaining how the children had been encouraged to do away with Ho Cheon-an’s treats, looked surprised and closed his mouth.
“How dare you advocate gambling techniques! Have you forgotten the saying, ‘You become like the company you keep!’? If you surround yourself with blackness, you too will become black; how would you use the deceitful skills learned in a gambling den?!”
“…Older Brother, but didn’t you just explain the proper use of it?”
“Is it not true that blackness won’t turn white?! Just acquiring such skills is akin to getting close to gambling, so you’re bound to suffer a great setback someday!”
The eyes of Hyeok Gi-rin and Yoo Gyeong met. The previously warm atmosphere dissipated entirely, leaving only heavy glances.
“Be wary of that Senior Ho! He is deeply entrenched in gambling; someday he will surely gamble away everything and create a massive disaster!”
“Ha.”
Hyeok Gi-rin laughed incredulously. That Ho Cheon-an… gambling away everything in a gambling den?
“Senior Ho surely won’t find himself in peril in a gambling den. He knows how to practice moderation. I have complete faith in Senior Ho.”
Hyeok Gi-rin couldn’t even imagine Ho Cheon-an losing at gambling. He was someone who could earn over a hundred ryang a day, a master who possessed techniques so profound they were difficult for even Hyeong-gyeong, an expert, to see through.
If anything required moderation, it would concern matters outside of gambling. If he won excessively and faced retaliation from a furious opponent, that could be a worry.
“Ho ho…!”
Reading the unwavering trust Hyeok Gi-rin placed in Ho Cheon-an, Yoo Gyeong grasped her neck.
Having spent a long time in the gambling world, becoming somewhat skilled in gambling wasn’t strange. However, considering that he had gambled himself to bankruptcy every day for five years, that was the real issue.
Habits are hard to change, aren’t they? Though he had been diligently training his martial arts recently, anyone who had the opportunity to train with the Jeomchang Faction would surely give it their all.
Just moments ago, he had been itching to gamble, then turned around to talk about martial arts training, creating a frustrating situation for Yoo Gyeong.
“That scoundrel Ho Cheon-an will surely ruin his life through gambling someday!”
With that thought crossing her mind, Yoo Gyeong jolted.
What if Ho Cheon-an caused a huge incident due to gambling? And what if Hyeok Gi-rin found out about Ho Cheon-an’s disgraceful behavior?
Wouldn’t all of the affection he held drop drastically? He wouldn’t trust him as he did now.
“Phew… I apologize for raising my voice carelessly.”
“….It’s fine. Older Brother. I should also acknowledge my rudeness.”
“Not at all. Since that Ho Cheon-an is also your acquaintance, I failed to consider your feelings. He must have shown you enough trustworthy qualities.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
In the now awkward atmosphere, the siblings began to sip their tea as if they had made a pact. They praised the aroma of the tea and the flavor of the snacks.
However, in Yoo Gyeong’s mind, plans for how to deal with Ho Cheon-an were slowly being formulated.
“Hmm, the moon is particularly beautiful tonight.”
“Indeed. Sharing tea and snacks while admiring the moon at this hour is quite a unique pleasure. I must thank Yoo Ya for this.”
As they praised the moon, Yoo Gyeong’s thoughts grew deeper.
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