The Nature of Possession

400 – EP.15 Return home

***

“Your Majesty, aren’t you eating?”

“You eat a lot.”

As I watched Bangja, who had gotten up with a lighter body and was gulping down the meat dish she hadn’t been able to eat, I felt like all of my worries from last night were a waste.

Bangja rubbed her hot eyes and yawned, not even paying attention to me.

This kid only calls me master, but it seems like he doesn’t take any care of me.

“Are you sure your body is okay?”

When I asked Bangja, suppressing the urge to hit him in the throat with a stick while he was eating the cabbage kimchi that was being torn lengthwise, Bangja nodded politely.

“I feel more energized.”

My face definitely looks brighter than when I climbed the hill yesterday. It seems that one of the effects of the golden eye herb is recovering from fatigue.

I thought about asking the owner for some tea with golden sesame seeds, but I held back because I thought I shouldn’t bother him any more.

“Let’s get up when we’re done eating. Staying still is a nuisance to the landlord.”

“Yes, I understand. I will just finish this and then get up.”

Bangja scraped barley rice from the bowl with a spoon and put it in her mouth before getting up from her seat.

As the woodcutter took the prize, the woodcutter’s wife, who was sweeping the yard, accepted the prize.

“Did you like the food?”

Bangja and I nodded at the words of the woman who, although wrinkled here and there from her hard life, seemed quite likeable when we thought about her when she was young.

“Be treated well and go.”

When I bowed my head to greet her, my wife bowed down in surprise.

It seems like you feel burdened by the greetings of a nobleman. I understand that feeling, having lived in both high and low social classes.

“My husband went out early to cut wood. He asked me to tell him that he was truly sorry for not being able to see him off.”

The lumberjack must have been out making a living, even though he hadn’t slept properly.

“It’s small, but take this.”

He took a bundle of coins out of his bag and handed them to his wife.

“I already received it last night.”

The woman bent down further and waved her hands.

“I am grateful. If it had not been for your husband, my guide would have died. It is a small price to pay for a life, so take it.”

“Oh, kid… thank you.”

When I forcibly grabbed her hand, the woman turned her head to the side in embarrassment.

“Then I will go.”

“I’ll go.”

As I stood in front of the gate and greeted him, the woman who was following me greeted me awkwardly.

Those who left and those who stayed were separated by the Sarrimun Gate.

“You absolutely must visit the congressman.”

The wife looked at the room and said.

“I have a map, so I’ll definitely go there.”

He smiled while showing the crudely drawn map.

It was the lumberjack’s consideration that took care of us even while he went to cut down trees.

“It’s really okay. There’s nothing wrong with a truck. If we take a detour and get delayed, the deputy mayor will be worried.”

Bangja told them not to go astray, but checking on Bangja’s health was the priority.

“Are you a member of the National Assembly? It’s a distance you can get there in one day, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a little late.”

“All right.”

“There’s an inn in the next town, so it might not be a bad idea to ask for help there.”

Eventually, Bangja accepted his wife’s suggestion, and we set off on our way to our destination.

***

The next village was quite close. It felt like it took about 3 hours to walk there, but it didn’t feel much different from the previous village.

Well, it’s the same as the village from the Joseon Dynasty, I wonder how different it would be.

After passing the jangseung (totem pole) indicating the entrance to the village, we were able to easily find the tavern with steam rising from it.

While I was rubbing my legs and catching up on the sleep I lacked, Bangja ordered an early lunch and went out to Namwon to find someone to deliver the news to.

“Fortunately, a merchant heading in a similar direction said he would take the letter.”

Bangja, who had returned to his seat, pointed to the merchant on the other side.

The merchant whose eyes met mine stood up and saluted.

“Give me an example.”

“Okay, I understand. Would you like to write the letter yourself to send to the master’s house?”

“You write it.”

Coming here, I was just confirming that Bangja could read and write.

“Yes? Am I doing it?”

“I guess I was so shocked by being bitten by a tiger that I don’t even remember the writing very well.”

As I muttered while looking at the distant mountains, Bangja opened her eyes wide.

“I think it’s not me who should be taking your pulse, but your majesty.”

“Stop talking nonsense and write a letter and send it. I told you something came up and I’ll be late.”

“I understand. …Ah! Your Highness, that….”

Bangja, who was taking out a piece of paper from his bag, looked at me.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Could I use one more of that?”

“Who are you sending it to?”

“I’m going to send it to Hyangdan. Hehe….”

I put the spoon I had picked up back into the soup. The sight of the dark-skinned man blushing ruined my appetite.

“Hyangdan?”

“Child, why are you being so embarrassing?”

“Speak without blushing. Who is Hyangdan?”

“Huh… You don’t remember Hyangdan either?”

“I don’t remember, so I’ll ask. Don’t make me ask twice.”

As I spoke while stirring the noodles with a spoon, Bangja touched her face and cleared her throat.

“Oh, that… is Lady Chunhyang’s servant. And, she is the one who exchanges love letters with me.”

“Lover?”

“Ah! A lover? How dare you say such a thing! We haven’t even held hands yet.”

Bangja, who jumped up like a startled cat, lowered his voice and thrust his index finger in.

“Yeah, that’s right. You can use it for that incense burner or something. What’s the big deal about using one or two more sheets of paper?”

“Hehehe, thank you, my lord.”

Bangja took out a pencil with a bright face, wrote a few words on the paper, and then raised his face again.

“But, Master?”

“what.”

“You don’t by any chance don’t remember Miss Chunhyang, do you?”

“…….”

“no way…?”

As I slowly averted my gaze, Bangja looked at me in disbelief.

“How could you forget?”

“If the mental shock is great, you might be able to forget it.”

“No, but you met every night like that! You sneaked out of the house every night to see Chunhyang on the swing! You even went to the watermill and had secret talks together! Before you went to Hanyang, what did you say? What did you say?”

As Bangja raised his voice, the ears of the people inside the inn were seen gathering in this direction.

“Shut up. Shut up.”

He personally lifted the chin of the b*stard with his hand and prevented him from saying anything more.

Bangja struggled and smeared food on my arm.

***

After the mayhem at the tavern, we had to walk for another half a day before we finally reached the doctor’s office.

The doctor, who had been leisurely basking in the sun, looked curiously at the two men who were coming in, then examined the patient after hearing what I had to say.

“Hmm… The pulse is normal, and it looks fine. It seems like the emergency treatment with the golden eye powder was quite effective.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m healthy.”

He showed off his health by making a hole in the wall without a hole.

“You have to knock on a stone bridge before crossing it.”

I spoke in principle and very weakly casted a hand strike on the head of the man.

After finishing this meaningless examination, we retraced our steps and returned to the inn.

It was soon getting dark by the time we set off on our way to Namwon.

After having dinner early and coming into the room, we unpacked and lay down.

I could feel my legs swell up from working so hard for two days in a row.

As I stare blankly at the ceiling, I think of the person named Chunhyang that Bangja had mentioned at lunch.

Bangja, Hyangdan, and Chunhyang. Even though I try to ignore it, the story of Chunhyang comes to mind.

Moreover, since the place he returns to is Namwon, it would be reasonable to think that he has been reincarnated into the world where Chunhyangjeon is realized.

In that case, Chunhyang would already have some kind of connection with ‘me’.

Relationships that are formed before I even get to know each other are bound to create variables.

If you cut it off hastily, things may get messed up, and if you continue on, you may encounter unexpected problems.

What choice would the original owner have made?

The worries deepen.

“Ah, Young Master.”

Bangja was lying down and calling me.

That rude guy.

“Why are you doing that?”

“There was a letter earlier, right?”

“uh.”

“I also wrote a letter to Lady Chunhyang.”

“What did you send?”

“The master has forgotten Miss Chunhyang.”

“Just that?”

“yes.”

“This dog.”

Why are you raising the difficulty and making a fuss?