Moonlight Drawn by Clouds Volume 1 Chapter 8

This might be an illusion created by the full moon. Just the moonlight creating a fraction of my previous life experiences...... Well, whatever it is, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that out of all the people I know, I'm seeing that guy's face.

"I haven't slept very well lately... I'm starting to see things."

Raon regarded Young's presence as an illusion and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands as she started to walk. However, Young grabbed the back of her neck before she could take one step.

"Why are you here?"

Young brought Raon up to his eyes and furrowed his brow.

This brat told me he didn't want to be my person and even ran away. How is he here now? Young had even ordered people to find him, but in the end, he wasn't able to locate Raon and turned back. To see this brat in a ridiculous place like this... he felt a mixture of surprise and confusion.

Raon was also surprised.

"Are you really Flower Scholar?"

The face she considered an illusion came closer, and Raon's eyes widened. The fragrance that emanated from Flower Scholar's body tickled Raon's nose. Is this the smell of gardenias? Or is it the smell of lilies that Mother loves? If not that, is it musk? She smelled the fragrance of a spring field in full bloom coming from Flower Scholar.

Well, since he was clearly giving off a fragrance, he definitely wasn't a ghost or an illusion.

"You're still calling me by that weird name, I see."

Young looked into Raon's black eyes.

"Still, why are you here?"

"That's what I want to ask you. Why is Flower Scholar over here?"

Her wide eyes narrowed.

"Surely, you didn't follow me over here, did you?"

Raon remembered that this person liked men.

That day, he was looking at me strangely. Did he follow me all the way here?

Young flicked Raon's head.

"Enough nonsense. Answer me first. Why are you here?"

"I'm here because of work."

"Work?"

Young looked Raon up and down. Promptly, the green uniform that Raon was wearing entered his eyes. It was, without a doubt, the uniform worn by the eunuchs. A wide grin bloomed on Young's lips. He didn't know how this happened, but he felt like he had found his prey that had escaped.

"Last time, you impersonated a nobleman, and now it's a eunuch? You're quite talented."

How was it that this brat that had run rampant in UnJongGa was here? Popping up in the east and popping up in the west. This kid popped up in strange places... he was truly astounding.

"Do you think the Palace is an easy place? That one can impersonate a eunuch?"

"They say that the one who farts is the one that gets angry. You're the one that impersonated a nobleman. Why are you talking so much? You have no excuses, so how dare you act so fiercely!"

"......"

Realizing that he wasn't wrong, Raon pressed her lips into a straight line and shut her mouth.

"If you're not impersonating one, have you truly become a eunuch?"

"I have no excuses to give."

"Hey!"

Young threatened Raon with a fierce glare as if he was going to butcher her then eat her.

You're the one who told me not to speak.

With both of them feeling wronged and wanting to shout, they glared at each other. Young brought his face up in front of Raon's. For a moment, Raon swallowed.

What the heck? How is he this pretty? He's a man, but how can be prettier than a lady?

For no reason, Raon urgently looked up at the sky and changed the subject.

"I was tricked with money, and I was tricked with a trivial document. This is how I came to be here. Please don't ask me anything more. But, Flower Scholar, what are you doing here? Seriously, did you follow me all the way here to find me?"

"Do I look like someone that has a lot of free time?"

"You don't look that busy to me."

"You have a lot of things to say for a brat that committed a crime then ran away."

"I never ran away."

"Didn't you disappear without a trace?"

"There was a situation, so I had to leave my home. Anyway, seriously, why are you here, Flower Scholar? Do you know what this place is? It seems like you can't tell because of this field overgrown with weeds, but if you look carefully, you'll see that it's the Palace. The Palace!"

"I know."

"Are you sure you know? Are you sure you're not mistaking this place for a brothel you attend regularly? I'm saying that this is really the Royal Palace. The Palace where His Majesty the Emperor lives."

"Didn't I say that I know?"

"Then do you know that this place is called the JaSunDang?"

"Of course I know that."

Seeing Young's calm reaction, Raon began to look at him in a new light.

I thought the Flower Scholar was just a son of an important nobleman...... It seems like that's not it. I guess, looking back, that guy was pretty unique from the beginning. Starting from his detailed perception of clothing to his uncommon facial features. Isn't there more? Seeing how he treats the JaSunDang as if it's his own house... it's definitely the behavior of someone who has lived in the Palace before.

Raon's gaze on Young immediately changed.

Her gaze turned piercing, and she slowly and carefully opened her mouth.

"Are you...... a eunuch?"

If he was a eunuch, it made sense. She heard that there were occasionally a few beautiful men among the castrated. She now understood how a man could love this kind of bright man, who wasn't a woman. Raon sympathetically gazed at Young. Although she didn't actually experience it, thanks to the graphic description from the eomgong, she knew about the process more keenly than most people.

Young felt as if the way she was gazing at him was ridiculous and asked her again.

"In your eyes, do I seem like a eunuch?"

"Are you not a eunuch?"

"I'm not."

"Then what are you?"

"What do you think I am?"

At Young's fierce question, Raon took another look at him. And her conclusion was......

"I think you're a eunuch."

"I'm not. If anything, I'm someone even greater than a eunuch."

"Then what are you? You're not going to tell me you're actually a member of the royal family, are you?"

Raon waved her hand as if telling him not to say something so absurd. Suddenly, Young's gaze on Raon turned deeper. He lowered his head so that he was looking at her eye to eye. Then he asked her a question.

"Aren't you afraid of me?"

In Young's black eyes, Raon felt that a blue energy was permeating inside. It felt chilly like a sharp knife.

"Scared? I'm not scared at all."

The moment she looked at Young's cold stare, Raon suddenly felt nervous. Still, she suppressed her feelings. This was because of something her grandfather had told her. He said that a man's temper and a beast's temper were the same. If they felt that you were nervous, they would immediately look down on you. On top of that, Raon had already experienced plenty of savage men.

Impossible. Did you really think I'd be scared by a threat like that?

Raon put more tension into her eyes as she looked at Young.

"You, what's your name?"

Young asked has as he looked at her with interest.

"I was taught that it is polite to provide your name before asking someone else for theirs. So, Flower Scholar, what is your name?"

He was taken aback by her confident question.

"My name?"

"Yes, Flower Scholar's name."

"My name......"

There was no one who dared to call him by his name. When he was young, he was called by his name a few times. However, after receiving the title of crown prince, he was treated as an absolute ruler and therefore called as one accordingly. He was enclosed in armor from the time he was conceived and in the womb. Since he was always called 'Your Highness', he had lost sight of his own name.

Young's beautiful brows furrowed. This was because it had been a long time since he'd given anyone his name. However, Raon assumed that his reaction was a refusal and gave a curt reply.

"Do you not want to tell me? Then I won't tell you my name either."

Raon turned her back on Young. At that moment, a low voice spoke.

"Young."

Young looked at Raon's face as he spoke.

"My name is Young. Lee Young."

"I'm Raon. Hong Raon! My grandfather gave me this name because he wanted me to live a life full of happiness."

Raon gave a smile that was as radiant as a heavenly flower. Her smile was so beautiful that it could drive people crazy. Ultimately, Young just turned and looked far off into the distance.

---

Overall, the argument had come to a close, and Raon and Young sat side-by-side in the field of weeds. Raon kept glancing secretly at Young from the corner of her eyes.

It was very awkward.

Flower Scholar, even though you say otherwise, there's no doubt that you followed me over here. There was no way he skillfully met me here by chance.

His gaze on me was unusual since the beginning.

She remembered his words when they parted the last time.

'Become my person.'

Well, she didn't hate it. Any woman would fall for him. That's how gorgeous he was. However, there was one grave problem. He liked men.

The reason why Flower Scholar is following me is because he thinks I'm a man.

If he found out that she was a woman, she didn't know how he'd react. Raon definitely had a weakness as well. She was told that on the day when she was caught being a girl, a grave situation would occur. She wouldn't escape alive. That would be the same for her family, and even the old eomgong that she had tricked wouldn't be able to escape.

I can't let that happen.

Raon lowered her head. She had to end her relationship with Flower Scholar before it caused further trouble. Was there a good excuse she could use? Raon looked around at her surroundings, then she saw ByungYun approaching through the field.

How did Kim-hyung get here?

She was curious, but that wasn't important. The important thing was that ByungYun, who wouldn't move an inch even if you called him, was coming to this place at a time she needed him.

Raon thought of an amazing way to shake off the Flower Scholar. Therefore, she gave a delightful shout in her heart and put on a serious face.

"No matter how I think about it, it's quite extraordinary."

"What is?"

Raon looked up at Young and answered.

"Seeing how we keep running into each other, it seems like we aren't just connected by ordinary fate."

"Fate? Are you sure it's not just bad luck?"

"Bad luck is still fate."

Raon's eyes were filled with melancholy as she spoke.

"We might have been a married couple in our past lives."

"What sort of nonsense are you spewing now?"

What is this punk trying to say now?

Young looked at Raon with a mixture of expectation and curiosity.

"It's not nonsense. Ever since the beginning, I felt something. This person... he's not unfamiliar to me."

"You felt unfamiliar to me."

At Young's resolute denial, Raon bowed her head.

"Don't try to deny it. You definitely felt the same."

Yeah right. If you didn't feel something, why did you follow me all the way here?

Raon spoke with more feeling.

"I wasn't sure at first. But today, the moment I saw you, I realized it. Our fate is extraordinary."

"It might not be extraordinary. We might just be mortal enemies."

"I'm telling you, we were probably a married couple."

"According to who?"

This punk, he's secretly trying to come to my side and be familiar with me. How dare he! No. This punk doesn't know my true identity yet. Then why is he putting on this ridiculous display?

"That's how the will of the heavens works. Whether you like it or not, you can't force a connection."

Raon let out a sigh then suddenly grabbed Young's hand. Reflexively, Young tried to take back his hand, but when he saw Raon's eyes, he froze. This was because tears had begun to form in Raon's eyes.

"Flower Scholar, it's a shame. In this life, we cannot be together."

"Why is that?"

"It's a shame, but...... it's because I have already become someone else's person."

"What?"

Young furrowed his brow again. He strangely felt irritated. Of course, it was impossible that this rascal was trying to come by his side and be familiar with him. Saying they were a married couple in their past life... Young let out a snort. However, when he heard that Raon had already become someone else's person, he felt strange. Almost like a sense of defeat.

"Who is it?"

Who is the person that made you abandon me, the crown prince?

As if answering his question, Raon began to run off somewhere. A while later, she brought a young man in black in front of him with a triumphant look on her face.

"This is him."

"......!"

"This man and I... we are already living together. So please, Flower Scholar, stop telling me to become your person."

It wasn't a lie. They spent their time in one room, so they did live together. Of course, what Raon meant by 'living together' and how Flower Scholar would interpret it were very different. But what could she do? The end justifies the means.

It doesn't matter as long as Flower Scholar can let go of his feelings. He won't tell me to be his person after hearing this. I mean, I told him that I'm already living with someone......

"So what?"

At Young's unexpected response, Raon's eyes popped out.

"What?"

"What does living with that person have to do with you becoming my person?"

Young asked as he looked at Raon then ByungYun.

"It doesn't matter to you?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Do you really not know what 'living together' means? Kim-hyung and I are sleeping together. Even if it doesn't matter to you, it matters to me. No, it will even matter to Kim-hyung. Right, Kim-hyung?"

Making sure Young couldn't see her, Raon suddenly winked at ByungYun and poked his side.

"Kim-hyung?" (Young)

"Yes, this person is my Kim-hyung."

"Your Kim-hyung?"

"Yes, it has already become like that."

Young, who had been looking at Raon with a dissatisfied expression, turned and nodded to ByungYun and asked a question.

"When did you return?"

"It has been a few days, sir."

"You should have come straight to me when you came back."

"Haven't you come here to find me now?"

"Cheeky punk."

Despite his words, Young's gaze on ByungYun wasn't fierce.

"You two...... do you know each other?" (Raon)

Raon looked between the two men, then she asked ByungYun in a small voice.

"Did that man, perhaps, ask you to become his person, too?"

ByungYun remained silent at Raon's question. His silence definitely meant 'yes'. Raon looked at Young with narrowed eyes.

This guy... he's a chronic offender. He's trying to make all the handsome men into his 'persons'. That explained why Kim-hyung was always on top of the crossbeam. Wasn't he doing that to avoid the Flower Scholar? Did that mean he warned her away from the east because of the Flower Scholar as well?

Raon carefully grabbed ByungYun's sleeve. Then she whispered in a softer voice than before.

"Kim-thing, is this what you meant?"

"What?"

"The thing you warned me about. The indecent thing in the eastern pavilion... weren't you talking about the Flower Scholar?"

Raon innocently gestured to Young with her eyes. Instantly, the mouths of both men dropped.

"Who are you calling the indecent thing in the eastern pavilion?" (Young)

"Flower Scholar?" (ByungYun)

For a moment, everything was silent. ByungYun, who had been glancing at Young, finally let out a laugh.

"......pfft."

Meanwhile, Young was loudly grinding his teeth.

"Are you mad?" (Raon)

"Then did you call me that as a compliment?"

"That's why I said it in a small voice so that you wouldn't hear."

He has such good hearing. I whispered it so softly, but he went ahead and heard it. Now he's upset.

"Truly, you must have a death wish."

Young headed for Raon, growling like an angry beast.

"Heuuk......heuheuheuk, heuuk."

The three men froze as they heard sobbing noises drifting towards them.

"Did you hear that?"

Raon, who had been running away trying to escape Young, froze and asked.

"I heard it."

Young, who had been chasing after Raon, froze and nodded his head.

"I think it came from over there."

Sitting indifferently, ByungYun gestured to the pavilion. The three of them stared at the run-down pavilion.

"Heuheuheuk, heuheuk, heuk heuk heuk."

Did it sense that they were staring? The crying could be heard again.

"Do you hear it this time too?"

At Raon's question, Young responded.

"I hear it."

"It's definitely the sound of someone crying, right?"

"Yes, it seems that it is."

Before Young could complete his answer, Raon began to move. But before she could take more than a few steps, Young grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.

"Oww! What are you doing?"

"No, what are you doing? Where are you trying to go?"

Raon gestured over at the field. She was pointing in the direction of the ghostly wail.

"Why do you want to go there?"

"Aren't you curious?"

Raon asked back, her eyes sparkling.

"About what?"

"About the reason why it's crying so sadly. Are you really not curious?"

---

A while later, among the overgrown field of weeds, three faces popped out. They were holding their breaths as they looked inside the pavilion. Underneath the bright light of the full moon, a woman in white mourning clothes was sitting. Due to her despair, she kept wiping her tear-soaked face with her sleeves.

Hidden within the weeds, Raon looked at the scene before her. She turned to Young and whispered to him.

"What do you think? Do you think she's human? Or do you think she's a ghost?"

"I don't know. She doesn't look like a ghost, but it's strange for a normal person to come here to cry so late at night......"

Not just any place, but here at the JaSunDang.

"But what do you think is making her cry like that?"

"How would we know?"

Even the always-silent ByungYun had something to say.

"But more importantly, why are we here like this?"

Instead of answering the question, Raon suddenly stood up in her spot. Young followed suit and also stood up.

"Where are you going this time?"

"The lady is crying."

"So?"

"Do you need another reason? A lady is crying."

Raon pushed through the overgrown weeds and walked towards the pavilion.

"What's up with that punk?"

Thinking Raon wasn't being proper, Young frowned and followed her.

"...... Annoying brat."

With his usual languid expression, ByungYun ultimately followed after them.

Chapter end