Moonlight Drawn by Clouds Volume 1 Chapter 3

"It really ended like that? Really....."

Young Master Kim looked like he didn't believe it.

"Yes, young master."

Raon returned the robe and the jade vest and was now in her own clothes. With a sorrowful look, she nodded her head. She just couldn't make herself look at him. Even though it was Young Master Kim who wanted the break, Raon still felt bad. At the sad shock in Young Master Kim's eyes, Raon could only nod.

"R-really? Is that what they really said?"

Young Master Kim asked again as if he couldn't believe it.

"Yes, they said they would treasure your heart. They said they would never forget the memories you two have made."

She couldn't bear to break the young master's heart. In the end, Raon chose to say a white lie. This way, she wanted to sooth that delicate heart.

What she didn't expect was Young Master Kim's reaction. After Raon had finished speaking, the young master clapped his hands together.

"You did well."

"What?"

What is this strange situation?

"You did very well."

Young Master Kim's previously blueish face had returned to its normal color.

That person.... Who knew that person would be such an important person? His eyes had just lost its senses, not noticing who that person was and sending that letter.

When he had found out that the letter's recipient had been the precious only daughter of the strict emperor, he had been unable to sleep. Believing he had brought disaster to his whole family, all of his limbs trembled. No, he couldn't even breath. Therefore, when he received the request to meet, he thought the sky had fallen. What was he to say when they met? As he was apologizing, the whole farce could have been uncovered. If he had to tell her that it was not him that had written the letters, he was afraid of the intelligent princess's reaction.

As he kept worrying, he decided to send SamNom. Since he was the one that had captured the princess's heart with a few pieces of paper, Young Master Kim believed that SamNom held the slightest chance to cover up the incident. Therefore, for fear of SamNom's refusal, he didn't tell the boy the high identity of the person he was to meet. But who knew this would all end so easily. Young Master Kim felt as if his blocked airways had burst clear.

"G-Good job. Really good job."

Young Master Kim gave Assistant Choi a look. Assistant Choi returned with a silk pouch that was the size of one's palm. The jangling sound of coins could be heard in the swaying pouch.

"Receive this."

Young Master Kim handed Raon the silk pouch.

"This... is too much."

The surprising amount of money surprised Raon.

"This isn't much."

Young Master Kim replied to the hesitant Raon.

Why was he acting this way?

Whenever a young man separated from the one they had loved, usually they would be sullen. If not sullen, they would at least look regretful. This Young Master Kim looked relieved as if he had just been saved from death.

Since he was giving her the money, she'd receive it. She was still doubtful, but as the saying goes, 'curiosity killed the cat.' If it was anything important, he would have let her know by now. Raon quickly brushed off her doubts.

"Then I will take my leave."

"Yes, thank you again."

Since there was no reason for her to write him any more letters, there would be no more reason to see him again. As Young Master Kim gave a nod, Assistant Choi took Raon out of the residence through the back door.

"You did well. While we did request something difficult of you, remember that the young master has reimbursed you generously. As for the things that happened today, you must never speak of this to anyone, even in your sleep. Do you understand?"

Before the door closed, Assistant Choi requested this to Raon.

"Do not worry. I've already locked my lips tight."

As she said these last words, Raon left the Kim residence by walking through the green pine forest path. Suddenly she stopped and took out a brass coin from her breast pocket and looked down at it. The money that represented Young Master Kim's sincerity amounted to thirty nyang.

"This is enough money for us to get through the barley hump and even get mother and DanHee a pair of some fine spring clothes."

(T/N: "barley hump" = I wasn't really sure what this meant and did some research. It has something to do with the farming practices in Korea at this time. There was a period of time in spring when barley, a major food source, was scarce. This is because barley was harvested in summer. By the springtime, most of the barley from the last harvest was gone. Therefore, most peasants would run out of food around the springtime before the barley was harvested in the summertime.)

Her mother's worn cotton clothing always weighed heavily on Raon's mind. Having gone through a growth spurt, DanHee's sleeves were now too short for her arms. This also weighed on Raon's mind.

Was this all a dream? She burst into laughter at her sudden fortune. With a plump purse, Raon felt reassured. Feeling reassured, Raon's footsteps became lighter as if her feet were flying. Step by step, with great skips, Raon threw her purse above her head. Jingle-jangle. The coins in the purse clanged against one another and made the joyful noise. Thud! The purse fell back into her hands as Raon gazed lovingly at it. The rascals, so adorable.

The heavy feeling in her hands made her feel good. She continued to throw her purse up and catch it as she made her way home.

Jingle-jangle.

So nice to hear.

Jingle-jangle.

But how did Flower Scholar become that way?

She wondered about this ever since their first meeting. How did such a well-born young man share an ill-fated love with another young man? No matter who his lover was, one hand gesture from him would make them run into his arms. That was how handsome this man was. How did it lead him to this illogical love?

Jingle-jangle. Jingle......jangle.

But it couldn't be... she wasn't to become that man's person, right? No way, it couldn't be...... There was no way.

Raon found a ray of hope in Flower Scholar's lighthearted feelings. He was a man that erased his love with the sorrowful Young Master Kim in one moment. Therefore, the small attraction he felt for someone like her would pass before the night was over. After finding relief from her worries, Raon put the bunch of coins back inside her breast pocket and hurried along. However......

"The back of my head has been feeling prickly since a while ago."

She quickly turned her head around to look through the pine forest, but no one was there.

"Maybe it's just me......? Anyway, it has gotten late. My mom must be worried."

---

"Park-ga, is that him?"

(T/N: Ga = honorific suffix added to a surname, like the Japanese "-san"; not used in modern Korean)

Two figures appeared in the silent pine forest. A tall old man dressed in a red robe turned around and asked the other.

"I heard what that person said. He seemed to like that young boy very much."

The other old man with a short and chubby figure responded to the old man in red's question. From their appearances, these two old men didn't look any different from normal old men. However, these two men did not have any facial hair. Maybe because of this, they also looked like masculine old women. These men had lived as eunuchs for sixty years. Their identities were Chief Eunuch Park DuYong and Merchant Han SangIk.

"Park-ga, what do you want to do?"

At Merchant Han's question, Chief Eunuch Park had an expression full of meaning.

"Since that person seems to like him, we should put that boy near him."

"If we want to put him near that person, we have to bring him into the palace......"

"The palace is a place one cannot enter as a young man."

"So you're really going to see to it."

"We are now too old to stay within the palace. When we finally leave the palace, who will he depend on? We must prepare someone for him to attach his heart to."

"So? When do you plan to do this?"

"Tell Chae-ga to prepare for another customer and to take the 'horn' away quickly."

"Still, do you think that boy will take this obediently?"

At Merchant Han SangIk's question, Park DuYong looked up at the sky. The moonless night was filled with dark clouds.

"I asked around, and it looks like that boy's house has a big problem. Since their circumstances aren't good, an opportunity will soon appear."

---

Even though she was in a hurry, the sky had gotten darker. Even though the night path wasn't lit by a single lantern, Raon's footsteps were as light as a butterfly.

In one hand, Raon had some good quality medicine for DanHee. In the other hand, she some fresh beef and a couple apples, which were hard to find in this season. Raon was humming a tune under her breath. Today was truly a lucky day. She received ten nyang from Official Kim and thirty nyang from Young Master Kim, which she received for meeting the Flower Scholar. The combined forty nyang was a lot of money. To think that that kind of money fell into her hands in one day!

Forty nyang. To a rich household, this was nothing. But for Raon, it was as valuable as four hundred, no, four thousand nyang. Therefore, she was very grateful. The barley hump was just around the corner. In this period, money was as necessary to life as rain was to a drought.

After having arrived at HanYang and earning some money here and there in return for counseling the various merchants of UnJongGa, Raon felt that the three years had rushed past her. Seventeen. It would have been a lie to say that the weight on her young shoulders wasn't heavy. However, Raon took on that weight with a happy heart. She had to grow up bravely for the sake of her soft-hearted mother. She had to live healthily for the sake of her sickly sister.

"When mom sees this, she's going to be so surprised."

Now all she had to do was go over the hill to finally get home.

I can't wait to talk to mother and DanHee all night about how to spend all this money. We can talk about all the food we've wanted to eat. I'm going to ask mother to use this beef to make some delicious stew!

At the top of the hill, Raon looked down at her house with a big smile.

"Mother! DanHee!"

Now that she could see her house, she got even more impatient. She started to run from the peak of the hill, calling her mother and sister. Without taking a break, Raon reached her yard.

"Mother, I'm home! DanHee, I'm here!"

She called for them as she opened the door, which let out a faint light from within. She missed her mother's bright face and DanHee's beautiful gentle giggles. She quickly entered the room. However...... and unexpected face was waiting for her.

"SamNom, have you come back?"

The man was Doctor Song, who was famous in UnJongGa.

"Aren't you Doctor Song? Why are you......."

Raon's sentence slowly came to a stop. She quickly went further inside and came across her mother's face full of tears.

"Raon, DanHee...... Danhee is......"

Raon saw her sister's pale face behind her mother.

"DanHee."

Raon quickly went to her sister's bedside.

"DanHee, I'm here. Try getting up."

Even though she was sickly, DanHee would usually sit up and greet her whenever Raon came back home. But this time, DanHee didn't get up. Not only did she not get up, but DanHee didn't even open her eyes.

"What happened?"

"Like I told you before, there's nothing more I can do for her."

"What do you mean?"

"Her sickness is too deep. I can't do anything more for her."

"Are you telling us to just leave her the way she is?"

"I'm afraid you must all prepare yourselves."

"Doctor Song!"

Raon denied Doctor Song's words and shook her head furiously.

"We can't do that. Our DanHee... she's only fifteen years old. Please save her!"

"Didn't I say this already? There is nothing more we can do."

"Try everything. Here. Here's the money. In total, this is forty nyang. If it's this much, can't you obtain some ginseng or whatever else you need? Please save DanHee. Aren't you UnJongGa's best doctor?"

"With my abilities, there's nothing more I can do."

"Doctor......"

At Doctor Song's bitter remark, Raon's heart stopped. She turned her head and gazed at her sleeping sister. She was a child that couldn't make any trips outside in order to live to her age now. She couldn't even go see the flowers she loved so much.

"I can't send her off like this. There's no way...... no way we will send DanHee off like this."

Raon bit her bottom lip hard. Then, she heard Doctor Song's voice behind her.

"It's not that there is no way other way for her......"

Raon quickly wiped her tears.

"A way...... There's a way?"

"There is. There is one other way."

"What is it? Please tell me."

"You can ask Kim SungDong for a diagnosis. He used to be a royal court physician."

"Where is he? Where does this man live?"

Raon got off her seat and pressed Doctor Song for more information. However, Doctor Song shook his head.

"If you want to go find him, you can go right now. But......"

"What is it?"

"If you want to meet him, you will need a lot of money."

"Money...... If it's money, I have it. Look over here. Altogether, I have forty nyang."

"With just that, it's impossible. You will need at least ten times that amount."

"Ten times...... fo-four hundred nyang?"

"Yes. If you want to treat DanHee's disease, you will need at least that much."

"......"

Raon's vision went dark. Four hundred nyang......She's never even touched that much money in her whole life. But she couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Raon looked down at her sister gasping for breath and muttered.

"I'll do whatever I can. If it means that we can save DanHee......I'll do anything...... No matter what it is......!"

---

As soon as dawn broke, Raon left her house. In order to save DanHee, she had to earn more money. That meant she had to counsel more people. With the mindset of working harder today than ever before, Raon headed to UnJongGa. But...... what happened?

The tobacco store that usually had a constant stream of customers was quiet. All day, she didn't counsel anyone. Was it a holiday? Tomorrow would be better, right? She tried to console herself. However, the next day and the day after that, not one person came to Raon for a consultation.

Like that, time passed. Just when she was thinking about going out and finding another job, an old man came looking for her. He had a short and chubby figure and no facial hair.

"Are you SamNom?"

At his question, Raon silently nodded. The old man was wearing a royal blue robe with a red sash across his chest. He was also wearing a wide hat that was characteristic of the upper class. From his appearance, Raon could tell that this man was definitely a nobleman.

However, while this old man definitely had the liver spots and the eccentric aura of an old man, he had a white and clear face that was rare for the merchants in UnJongGa. Raon had a strange feeling. The man didn't really give off the aura of a man, but more of a woman. But still, the aura surrounding this person was different than that of a woman's. Just what was this man's true identity?

While Raon was wondering through these things, the old man took a seat in front of her.

"I heard that if I go to UnJongGa's SamNom, there is no problem that he cannot solve."

"That's correct."

Whatever this old man's identity was, since he was the first customer she had received in a while, Raon was delighted.

"Then...... can you solve my problem as well?"

"Please tell me what your problem is."

They say love has no boundaries nor age......but was a man this age trying to woo a grandma?

"Ahem, I am someone that works in the palace under His Highness."

"Ah, is that so? What is the problem you spoke of?"

"The palace is currently trying to find people to employ...... but the job is so tough no one dares to do it."

"Is that so? Unfortunately, my area of expertise are the romantic relationships between men and women, specifically the hearts of women."

The man's unexpected problem made Raon laugh awkwardly. However, the old man ignored her and continued to explain.

"Well, the job is tough, but it is well-paid. It even allows you to obtain your paycheck in advance. Such a shame that most young people these days avoid jobs that require hard work."

Raon, who had been sitting in an upright posture, tilted herself toward the old man. This old man's words gave off a scent of money.

"Just how much is the pay?"

"It's more than you think."

"Is it true that one can receive their paycheck a few years in advance?"

"Yes, that's true."

"Then...... f-four hundred nyang. Can you give this much in advance?"

Even though it was a job in the palace, could it give her this much money?

Raon gulped and asked.

"If it's that much, it's worth about three years of work."

The man responded as if this was not significant.

"Is it possible?"

"Why? If I tell you it's possible, will you be up for the task?"

At the old man's veiled question, Raon hastily nodded.

"If you're willing to lend me four hundred nyang, I will do anything."

Raon calmed her wild heart and answered. If it was four hundred nyang, she could save DanHee. If it meant saving her sick sister, what work would she refuse?

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"It's a tough job."

"It doesn't matter how tough it is."

"Not only that, but it requires one to be careful with their words."

"If you wish, I can even pretend to be a mute."

"It doesn't matter after you've entered the palace, but before you do, you must never tell anyone where you are or what you are doing. Do you understand?"

"If you lend me four hundred nyang, I will even pretend to be dead."

"Then......"

The old man silently gazed at Raon and took out a piece of paper from his breast pocket.

"First, sign here."

"What is this?"

Raon took a look at the piece of paper. However, the old man skillfully covered the paper so that it was difficult to read what it said.

"It's nothing much."

"Nothing much?"

"It's just a minor procedure that needs to be done in order to enter the palace. It merely says you're agreeing to what we discussed."

He handed Raon an ink brush.

"Is really is just a minor procedure?"

Raon accepted the ink brush and asked the old man. To get rid of Raon's doubts, the old man answered firmly.

"Yes. It's such a trivial document that....... it's as insignificant as blinking your eyes."

---

Five days later, 9 PM

Black clouds began to swarm into the clear sky and it began to rain. The rain was welcome because it announced the arrival of spring. Raon, who was walking towards the house with the persimmon tree in InDukWon, didn't seem to notice that her clothes were wet with rain.

"It's my first time leaving home."

Raon let out a sad smile. Thanks to that nobleman's four hundred nyang, DanHee was able to receive treatment from Kim SungDong, who was known as the god of medicine. The doctor told them that if DanHee continued her treatment for half a year, she would be able to be free of her sickness for good. With this news, Raon's family hugged each other and cried tears of joy. Like that, the days passed happily, and today had finally arrived. The day that she had promised the nobleman. After she left her home today, she wouldn't be able to return for a while.

Raon took out a fragrance pouch the size of her palm from her pocket. A little while ago, after she told DanHee that she had to leave home for a while, DanHee gave it to her. The pouch that was made from a thousand pieces of leftover cloth contained dried flower petals that were collected last fall.

DanHee sobbed as she handed it over to Raon. The intelligent child knew it all. She knew that the reason Raon had to leave home had to do with her sickness. Raon gently patted DanHee's back as she consoled her.

'I'll be done after three years. I might even be able to visit from time to time. It's not like we're parting forever, so don't be sad."

Raon was barely able to sooth the fitfully crying DanHee and mother before she left her house. Hearing the cries of her mother and sister from afar, Raon was heartbroken.

"Don't worry too much. I'll return safely."

Raon resolutely muttered to herself. In order to pay back the nobleman the borrowed four hundred nyang, Raon was going to spend her days at the palace.

What work was she going to do?

She asked multiple times what kinds of chores she was to do at the palace, but the nobleman only replied by saying that she would soon find out. Since he told her it was going to be a difficult and rough job, it wasn't going to be an easy one. That's why he was able to lend her the huge amount of money. Raon drew all kinds of conclusions about what her job would be.

"This is the place."

The house had a tiled roof and had three persimmon trees planted in its yard. This was the place the nobleman had directed her. He told her this was where they had to go through some minor procedures required to enter the palace. Raon cleared her throat and called out.

"Is anyone here? Is anyone inside?"

She called out a few more times, but there was no reply.

Was no one here? This was definitely the place...

Raon tilted her head and opened the gate. It wasn't locked, and the tall gate opened soundlessly.

"Is anyone here?"

Raon entered and looked around.

"Who are you?"

Raon heard the voice reach her ears from the darkness. When did this man appear? A man with eyes as sharp as a knife was blocking her way.

"I was told to come here for an appointment with an old man surnamed Chae."

"You were told to go to an eomgong?"

(T/N: "eomgong" = a person who turns men into eunuchs by... you know...I'm guessing Raon doesn't know this)

The man gave Raon a peculiar look.

"I see."

The man muttered unintelligibly and stepped aside. He told Raon to enter the house with his eyes and turned around and walked back. Raon quickly followed him.

She followed him like this for a while. The place he led her to was the backyard of the residence. The man walked over to the right corner of the backyard and pulled a handle that had been skillfully hidden behind some overgrown lilies.

Creak. The old wooden door gave a groan as it opened wide. There was a gloomy atmosphere coming from inside, as if someone who stepped through the threshold would never be able to escape. After opening the door, the man jerked his head to tell Raon to go inside.

"Are you telling me to go down there?"

Raon asked the man. Instead of replying, the man just nodded. Raon's breath hitched as she looked at the stone steps leading to the basement. The rays of sunshine that burst through the doorway seemed to spark flames over the stone steps.

Helpless confusion appeared on Raon's face. However, she did not back down. Hoping to catch a ray of hope at the end of this darkness, Raon put one foot in front of the other.

As soon as Raon disappeared into the basement, the door closed shut tightly. This door would not open for some time.

---

A closed basement. Not one spot of light entered this room. However, the dozens of torches lit the room as if it was daylight. After having gone down to the final step of the staircase, Raon looked around. What kind of place was this? Since she was told to come down here, she proceeded down the stairs. After doing what she was told to do, Raon was at a loss for what to do next.

"What are you doing? Come here quickly."

Raon turned her head to the direction the voice spoke from. In a corner of the basement, there was an old man sitting down at a small table with alcohol.

"You rascal, are you deaf? Didn't you hear me tell you to come over here?"

Raon quickly ran over at the old man's demand. Looking pleased, the old man showed his teeth and began to laugh. He abruptly stopped laughing and raised the alcohol bottle to his lips and drank. Raon watched some of the alcohol trickle down the man's neck and gulped, her mouth dry. In this airtight basement, there was no way she was glad to see this strange man. However, the thing that worried Raon the most was the strange instruments hanging behind the old man. Small and big axes, sharp knives, small hooks with a questionable purpose, and small sharp skewers. At the scene that looked like a torture chamber, Raon's throat became stiff.

Hiccup. The old man, who had been watching her from behind his bottle, had a mischievous expression. Clack, the old man put down his bottle and stood up.

"Heh heh heh, so it's you. The one that fearlessly volunteered to be a eunuch?"

"......?"

Huh? What kind of absurd situation is this? What did I say I would be?

Chapter end