Moonlight Drawn by Clouds Volume 1 Chapter 12

The mood of the boisterous banquet had reached its peak. In order to celebrate Madame's birthday, a large crowd had crossed the threshold of the Prince's residence.

However, Madame's birthday was merely an excuse. Those who attended the banquet were either the Kims of Andong or people that were looking to flatter the Prince. An open side gate led into a long rectangular room where people had gathered around Prince Kim Jo Soon. There, they were spreading around their sweet words. And, of course, Eunuch Sung didn't want to miss out on the flattering either.

(T/N: "Kims of Andong": In Korea, there are many people with the surname 'Kim' (as well as 'Lee', 'Park', etc). However, that doesn't mean that every person with the last name 'Kim' is related. By saying the "Kims of Andong", the author is specifying to which 'Kim' the family of the Prince belongs.)

"I pray for the Prince and Madame's long and healthy life."

Eunuch Sung offered the Prince a cup of liquor.

"Many thanks, Eunuch Sung. I heard that the Palace prepared the banquet's food."

"This the Madame's birthday banquet! My lord, I tried my best to prepare this as if it was for my own family. I just hope it is to your liking."

"It doesn't matter whether I like it or not. The important thing is that you showed this much care for us. Ha ha ha."

Kim Jo Soon emptied his cup with a pleased expression and looked at Eunuch Sung and continued the conversation.

"But I heard from Sung that you've played a practical joke in my house. Is that true?"

Instantly, the crowd's gaze turned to look at the two men. Eunuch Sung's face held a shocked expression.

"A joke? Why would I dare to carry out a practical joke?"

The Prince shook his head, his face full of laughter.

"He told me that you told a young eunuch to catch mountain chickens behind my house. What did I hear incorrectly?"

"Ah, are you speaking about that?"

Eunuch Sung finally smiled impertinently and nodded his head.

"If that's what you mean, then this servant did pull a bit of a practical joke."

"Is that so? Ha ha ha. But those mountain chickens were raised with much difficulty for one year. Now they are the best mountain chickens in the country. They are to be gifted to the coming envoys from the Qing Dynasty. They were only caught after we looked all over the nation for people to help catch them. They are quite fierce and fast. They're even difficult for the most able-bodied men to catch. It will be impossible for a young eunuch to catch even one."

"Aigoo, please kill this servant for ordering him to capture the hard-earned precious mountain chickens, my lord."

As Eunuch Sung chattered on, the Prince shook his head.

"It doesn't matter. They're merely expensive chickens that I got with difficulty, but I can afford to put one or two on the table on a day like today."

"He is a young and weak brat, so I don't think he'll even be able to catch one, my lord."

"Really? Then why did you play such a nasty prank on him?"

"I would be grateful to tell you the full story. That child was brought in with the recommendation of the previous chief eunuch. Maybe because he feels secure in his backing, he only picks easy tasks to complete. I felt that if his bad behavior isn't fixed this time, this behavior would spread to the others. Therefore, I gave him this order."

The Prince clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"It seems that this person doesn't know his place. There are always people like that. Make sure to fix his behavior properly this time."

"Yes, so I ordered him to catch one hundred mountain chickens, my lord."

"Not ten but one hundred? My, my, that young rascal will suffer greatly today."

"After today, that fearless and reckless simpleton will understand how high the heavens are."

"Do you think it'll end with him knowing how high the heavens are? He will end up seeing it for himself. Ha ha ha."

The Prince burst into laughter and the men around him followed suit. The laughter only halted when the servants entered with earthenware bowls.

"What is this?"

The Prince asked a manservant who was placing a bowl down.

"This is chicken stew, my lord."

"Chicken stew?"

The Prince had a confused expression. He had never ordered anyone to prepare chicken stew.

"A young eunuch brought a lot of them and said it was Eunuch Sung's order."

"A young eunuch?"

The Prince looked down at the bowl on the table. The chicken in the stew was unusually pink and large. A glossy and large chicken...... He didn't need to ask where this chicken came from. There was no doubt that these were the hard-earned chickens that were supposed to be gifted to the envoys of the Qing Dynasty.

"Huh, it seems that the young eunuch got lucky and caught a few."

The Prince muttered, expressing his surprise, and the manservant lowered his head in confusion.

"It wasn't just a few."

"It wasn't a few?"

"Yes, my lord. He caught a total of one hundred. This brought chaos into the kitchen. They said the cooks from the Palace were in a frenzy cleaning the chickens and cooking them into the stew."

"What did you say?"

The Prince's face became blank.

"D-don't lie."

A shocked Eunuch Sung shouted as he abruptly got up from his seat.

"O-one hundred? Are you telling me that the brat actually caught one hundred?"

"Yes, th-that is what happened."

At Eunuch Sung's anger, the confused manservant bowed and politely replied.

"R-really? Are you sure you aren't mistaken?"

"This servant checked with his own two eyes. It was definitely the mountain chickens."

If the manservant saw it himself, then there was no way he was mistaken.

"Th-there's no way......"

Eunuch Sung's face paled. Didn't the Prince just tell him how precious those mountain chickens were? But that boy caught not ten but one hundred of them. If it was one hundred, then that was almost all of the chickens.

"Eunuch Sung."

The Prince called Eunuch Sung. Unlike before, the Prince's voice tone towards Eunuch Sung was perfectly cold.

"M-my lord......"

Eunuch Sung hurriedly lowered his head to the ground. The Prince looked down on him, his face full of fury and shock.

Those chickens, they were to be presented to the envoys and were obtained with much difficulty......

Looking at the mountain chickens in the bowls, the Prince clenched his fists. One hundred mountain chickens. One hundred would definitely feed the invited guests. Even the working servants could each get a bowl. Wasn't this exactly like casting pearls before swine?

"Didn't you say that he was a young and weak brat who wouldn't be able to catch one chicken? Ha ha ha."

Suddenly, Prince Kim Jo Soon laughed heartily. But Eunuch Sung shivered like a trembling leaf.

"Ha ha ha. Eunuch Sung, it seems that a very useful child has entered the Palace."

"P-prince, my lord."

The Prince held up a bowl of the chicken stew and held it up to Eunuch Sung.

"Take this. It was made from good chickens, so it should taste fine."

"M-my lord."

The Prince urged Eunuch Sung with a cold voice.

"Didn't I tell you to take it?"

Eunuch Sung received the bowl with a pale face and held it up. However, his hands were trembling and some of the soup spilled down the side of the bowl.

Watching this coldly, the Prince suddenly smiled brightly and looked around at the crowd.

"Let us eat. We mustn't let this meal made with precious ingredients go to waste."

Taking note of the cold recommendation, the people lifted their spoons. Unlike the noisy atmosphere that had been there before, now even a cough couldn't be heard. It felt like the heavy silence was choking Eunuch Sung.

---

"Then th-this servant will withdraw."

Barely finishing his meal, Eunuch Sung lowered his head to the Prince. But all he received was cold disregard. The Prince didn't even look at him. At the chilly treatment, Eunuch Sung felt as if all his hard work up till now was crumbling down. As he backed out of the room, another eunuch with sly, narrow eyes stuck close to Eunuch Sung like a shadow. This was Eunuch Han, Eunuch Sung's right-hand man.

"Your mood must be ruined......"

Having heard everything that was said inside, Eunuch Han hesitantly opened his mouth. Before he could finish talking, Eunuch Sung yelled out in a high-pitched voice that seemed to shake their surroundings.

"Where is that damned rascal, Hong Raon?"

"I saw him in the back garden, sir."

Eunuch Han immediately answered as if he was waiting for this question.

"He dares to make a fool out of me in front of the Prince! I'm not going to let this slide."

Eunuch Sung quickly headed for the back garden. However, after a while, Eunuch Sung turned to Eunuch Han with a huge frown.

"Just what is that brat doing over there?"

In a corner of the back garden, Raon was in the center of a circle made up of seven people. She was talking to them in a low voice.

"That is...... He's giving a consultation."

Eunuch Han hesitated as he answered.

"A consultation?"

"Yes. A while ago, Eunuch Hong brought the mountain chickens and began to chat with the cooks who were making the stew. Then Cook Jung talked about a fight with someone he knew a few days ago, and that kid said a few words as if he knew what to say. But oddly, after that everyone began to gather and......"

"He is quite an impudent brat."

Eunuch Sung's glaring eyes directed at Raon was as chilly as the eyes of a snake. Eunuch Han noticed this tense moment and asked a question.

"Should I bring him here, sir?"

"No, just leave him be."

Eunuch Han tilted his head at Eunuch Sung's sudden change of heart.

Does he want to leave that impudent novice alone?

The Eunuch Sung that Eunuch Han knew was someone who forgot the mercy of others but never forgot their faults. He would only be satisfied if he paid back his humiliation two-fold. That Eunuch Sung was going to forgive Hong Raon, the person who shamed him? The sun would rise from the west tomorrow morning before something like this could happen.

"That brat, is he still holding on in the JaSunDang?"

"Yes, he has lasted many days there while others couldn't last a day. Therefore, he is constantly a topic of conversation among the gossipers in the Palace."

"Have him participate in the daily tasks with the others starting tomorrow."

Thinking about the Prince coldly turning his back on him, Eunuch Sung grit his teeth. He spat out his next words as if he was getting rid of some meat stuck between his teeth.

"I was mistaken. I thought he would tremble in fear if I left him in that lonely place, but it seems like that's not the case. I must teach him what it is like to live the life of a eunuch. I must personally teach him how bitter it is."

Eunuch Sung's eyes gleamed with cruelty as he continued to gaze at Raon.

---

A long time had passed since the banquet had come to an end, but they had not left until they had finished all kinds of chores in the Prince's residence. It seemed that Eunuch Sung wanted to make up for his mistake. Because Raon was a part of the group, she barely managed to return to the JaSunDang.

The moon was thinner tonight than the night before. Raon stumbled with her limp limbs, extremely tired. This one day had felt like a whole year. She arrived at the front lawn of the JaSunDang and saw a yellow light glowing inside.

"Is that you, Kim-hyung?"

Raon quickly ran inside. She wanted to thank him. After he caught the chickens, he left without a word. But......

"You're finally here."

The one to receive Raon wasn't ByungYun. It was Young.

"Oh, it's just Flower Scholar."

Raon subconsciously showed her disappointment and lowered her head in greeting. Unable to hide her true feelings, Raon's face was filled with her disappointment.

"I'm sorry I'm not your Kim-hyung."

"What brings you here?"

"As you can see, I'm reading a book. What about you? Where were you all day?"

"Something came up."

"It looks like you went somewhere and caught some chickens."

"How'd you know? Do I smell? I washed up before I came back home."

Raon lifted her sleeves and sniffed herself.

"Did you just rinse your face with water? At least get rid of those chicken feathers before saying you washed."

Before Young could finish his sentence, Raon began to fuss as she went 'Where? Here?'. Watching her flounder around with her short limbs, Young felt bad for her and stretched out his long arm and plucked a feather from her collar.

"Don't lecture me. I just came back from the Prince's residence and caught one hundred mountain chickens."

Raon collapsed onto the floor and stretched out her arms and legs.

"Catch mountain chickens? You? One hundred of them?"

"Ah, I'm not saying I caught all one hundred on my own. Honestly, if it wasn't for Kim-hyung, one hundred would have been impossible. If I were on my own, I would have caught one or two at most. But Kim-hyung appeared and caught those rascals for me."

"Are you saying that he caught chickens for you?"

Young asked again because he could hardly believe it.

"Yes."

"Willingly? For nothing in return?"

"Kim-hyung isn't as greedy as Flower Scholar thinks. Of course, he did appear right when I said I'd sell my soul..."

"......"

Sell his soul? What ridiculous notion was this kid spewing this time?

"But I thought about it, and I don't think he's that kind of person."

Raon yawned towards the end and rubbed her sleepy eyes vigorously. She really wanted to rest, but Young stayed put on her sleeping spot. Raon spoke to him as if she was driving away an unwanted guest.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"I'm not particularly busy right now."

"You don't even want to pretend you are?"

"I plan to pretend to be a layabout today."

Young returned his gaze to the book in his hand and replied.

"If you're sleepy, come over here and sleep."

Young tapped the spot next to him, and Raon's eyes widened.

This was Flower Scholar, the lover of men. He was still telling her to become his person, so who knew what would happen if she slept next to him? And if she fell asleep in this exhausted state, she would be totally defenseless, and then......

With her imagination running wild, Raon gripped her clothes tightly and yelled out.

"No need. I'm not sleepy at all."

Those were her words, but...... she was sleepy. She was tired beyond belief. She tried so hard to stop it, but a yawn slipped out. As the huge yawn almost ripped her mouth wide open, she met Young's gaze.

"......!"

She quickly shut her mouth and pretended that the yawn didn't happen and put on an alert face. However, the tears caused by the large yawn were still clinging to her eyes, unable to be hidden. Pfft, Young held back his laughter and spoke.

"Your face is full of sleepiness. Why don't you just stop fighting it and just go to sleep?"

"I won't sleep. No, I can't sleep."

"Why?"

"I'm more sensitive than I look. If a stranger is near, I can't sleep deeply."

"Stranger? You recently called me your friend, but today I'm a stranger again?"

"That is......"

No matter how she saw it, this was not logical at all. With an ashamed face, she thought for a bit before coming to a conclusion.

"Flower Scholar and I... I'd call us unfamiliar friends."

"Unfamiliar friends? I've never heard of something like this before."

"It refers to two people who aren't close enough to spend time together totally relaxed. Honestly, Flower Scholar and I aren't close enough to see each others' sleeping faces, right?"

"I don't want to hear that from a punk who slept on my shoulder while drooling."

"Gah! Did I ...... drool?"

"You even snored."

"Really? Are you saying I even snored? That's a lie, right? Your jokes are crazy, Flower Scholar."

At Raon's disbelief, Young replied with a serious face.

"I don't joke around."

At his earnest reply, Raon lowered her head.

Seeing his earnest face, there was no doubt that she drooled and snored. To have shown such an indecent side of herself to a man she had recently met... Even though she lived most of her life as a man, she was still a young woman. Raon wanted to run into a hole and hide.

"I didn't tell you this so that you'd be embarrassed. I told you so that you'd know that I've seen all I could see already, so you can sleep peacefully."

"If that was your intention, thank you. But because you've told me all this, I can't fall asleep even more."

"How come?"

"You said I drooled and snored. That hideous appearance... How can I show that again to an unfamiliar friend?"

"It wasn't that hideous."

Actually, it was kind of cute.

However, if he said this to another man, a misunderstanding could form. Therefore, Young suppressed the words that almost left his throat.

"Please forget it."

Furiously shaking her head, Roan suddenly lifted her face.

"What?"

"Please forget my appearance from yesterday. That was an inevitable accident."

"Accident?"

"Yes, it was an accident. An accident caused by liquor, perhaps. Either way, please forget that ugly appearance."

"Must I really do that?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't want to have such an intimate relationship with you, Flower Scholar."

She didn't know what kind of feelings Flower Scholar would catch if they got too close. He was attracted to men, after all. The thought that this could all be her misunderstanding didn't even cross Raon's mind, and she didn't want to budge an inch when it came to Young.

Her fussiness soured Young's mood. His temper flared, and Young fiercely flicked Raon's forehead.

"Oww! Why are you hitting me? My grandfather told me that only a fool hits those weaker than him."

"I've heard that being hit is considered a blessing for ungrateful children."

Turning his back on a frowning Raon, Young sat up straight and reopened the book he had been reading. After a bit, Young turned his face to Raon and asked.

"Are you really not going to sleep?"

Raon stubbornly shook her head.

"I won't sleep."

---

A faraway sound of a bell rang to alert the time of jshi (11PM-1AM). Young turned the last page of his book and massaged his stiff shoulders.

"Is it already this late?"

He murmured and got up. Behind him, thump, a dull sound was heard. Young looked back. The hat that Raon had been wearing had fallen off and rolled towards his foot. Raon, who kept insisting that she wouldn't sleep earlier, had nodded off, her hat falling off in the process. Her curled up figure entered Young's eyes.

"So stubborn for such a small person."

This punk who slept very well on his shoulder now suddenly being distant... how ridiculous.

He had only planned to lend him his shoulder for a little while, but he stayed still until the time had reached yin-shi (3-5AM). Young could have shaken Raon off if he wanted to. However, he didn't want to interrupt her deep sleep.

Truthfully, the night Young described to Raon wasn't what had happened. She didn't drool or snore. However, it could be considered a miracle that Raon didn't do either of those things because she was that deeply asleep.

"To think I sat still with my stiff shoulders for you... and what did you say? Unfamiliar friends?"

Thinking back to what had happened, Young curtly voiced his thoughts, his heart brimming with displeasure. Young looked at the sleeping Raon with fierce eyes. Eyelids heavy with sleep, a pale blush on both cheeks and coy lips. For a young man, this punk had excessively elegant features.

Is it because he's castrated?

Thinking about all the eunuchs in the Palace, Young promptly shook his head. Other castrated men weren't this pretty. This punk was probably a special case. For a man to have such a pretty face... it probably was a sign that his life would be full of bad luck. Young's eyes softened as he looked at Raon. His face showed pity.

Then, in the next instant, Young's handsome forehead suddenly wrinkled.

Why does this punk's face have so many scratches?

They weren't serious and would probably disappear with time. But looking at the unattended dried blood that had hardened on her face, Young didn't feel comfortable.

"You should have at least wiped off the blood. How busy were you that you couldn't take care of your body? How can such a small face hold so many scratches?"

Murmuring to himself, Young brought his face close to Raon's to get a better look. But right then...... Raon, who had fallen asleep in that crouched position, felt uncomfortable and fell backward.

"Uumm."

Stretching out her hips, Raon pulled her head off the wall and moved in the opposite direction. Instantly, Raon felt something unfamiliar touch her lips.

It felt as soft as a baby bird's feathers, as moist as a young sprout, and very sweet. If it were a dream, it would be a very gentle and hazy dream...... But didn't this dream feel too real?

The sleeping Raon quickly opened her eyes.

"......!"

Promptly, she saw icy cold black eyes. The eyes seemed a bit dazed, and Raon saw the reflection of her own face in them. And not just that. Flower Scholar's high nose was tickling her cheek, and his tender lips were touching her own.

Just how did this happen? Was this possibly......a kiss?

"What...... are you doing right now?"

Chapter end