The Nature of Possession

411 – EP.15 Lack of probability

***

“So what do you want me to do?”

“yes?”

I questioned Lee Do-won’s words.

He glanced over the ledger containing the corruption of Byun Hak-do that I had brought, then threw it down on the table.

The old table shook as if it were going to collapse as the thick book fell.

“So what is your intention in showing me this?”

Lee Do-won nodded to the ledger.

“This is a ledger containing the corruption of the current vice-minister. As a former vice-minister, wouldn’t it be right for me to report this?”

“The fact that I am an adverb means that I am not currently an adverb.”

“Do you think that it is the behavior of a great gentleman or scholar to ignore corruption?”

“Then do you think it is the behavior of a great nobleman and scholar to blindly believe this ledger that you brought?”

Lee Do-won stroked his beard and asked again. It seemed like he was trying to determine the credibility of the ledger.

“Even if I lived my life in a reckless manner, this is absolutely not false. Moreover, if there is this much evidence, it is right to proceed with the audit first.”

“Yes, it would be right to proceed with the audit. If the corruption is to this extent, the inspector may come before the auditor arrives.”

“then!”

“It is a matter for the auditor or the censor to handle. It is not a matter for an unauthorized person to intervene.”

Lee Do-won distanced himself from the desk containing the ledgers as if he didn’t even want to look at them.

I came out to the plain, bleak room and Lee Do-won faced each other uncomfortably.

Whenever I have been to a retreat, I have often encountered this kind of silence.

Lee Do-won also revealed his discomfort and did not hide his feelings as if he found this silence awkward.

I have sometimes passed this silence eloquently, sometimes harshly.

But this time, I don’t know why I’m acting so emotionally.

Could it be because I saw Chunhyang soaked in blood and sweat?

The scent of flowers blooming on the street came through the front door and permeated the room where I and Idowon were.

I couldn’t help but frown at the scent that was subtle yet strong and dizzying.

I could hear the sound of the slaves sweeping the yard and the mother’s anxious expression as she watched the conversation between the rich and the poor unfold.

“so.”

It was Lee Do-won who broke the silence.

I turned my slanted gaze back toward him.

His deep eyes held me.

It was something different from the eyes that were always frowning and full of discomfort.

“Is this the solution you brought? Using my influence to drive out Byun Hak-do?”

My breathing was halted. Because it was true.

You could take this out of Namwon and say you’re going to make a complaint.

But in the meantime, Chunhyang’s suffering becomes longer.

I thought that if I used the position and connections of Lee Do-won, a local leader in Namwon, I would definitely be able to control Byeon Hak-do.

Furthermore, there was a calculation that someone who advocated for integrity and innocence with the nobleman’s manners would react even more sensitively to Byun Hak-do’s corruption.

But Lee Do-won was more fundamentalist, and I didn’t take that into account.

“You disobeyed your father’s wishes, but in the end, what you depend on is your father’s power.”

Lee Do-won clicked his tongue.

“Pathetic.”

Something inside me raised its head at Lee Do-won’s reprimand.

“Didn’t you love that woman so much that you disobeyed your father’s orders and were determined to cut ties with him?”

“jeon….”

If it were my original country, it would have been like that.

I don’t love Chunhyang that much. I didn’t have the time or the fate to do that.

But I decided to live my original life.

That is why he died as the captain of the knights, and as the Duke of the North, he guarded the border alone until his death.

My personal opinions and feelings did not exist there.

It was probably my courtesy to the owner of a body that had died for some unknown reason, and my answer to the goddess who had thrown me into this endless cycle of possession.

But why doesn’t it work that way in this dimension?

[No matter what, I will save you. Just know that.]

Was this something I was originally obligated to do, or was it my choice?

[Is that your choice, Master?]

Why did Chunhyang’s casual question sound like it was directed at me?

“Your Majesty! Lady Chunhyang…!”

As the strong scent of flowers made my head spin, I heard the sound of a bang outside.

Ido-won, whose conversation was interrupted, just frowned and didn’t say anything else.

***

In contrast to the cruel sight, the plants showed off their freshness.

The smell of grass and the fragrance of flowers spread faintly throughout the government office.

When they arrived at the government office, running in a hurry with Bangja, Chunhyang had already been beaten once.

Perhaps because he was very pleased with yesterday’s event, Byun Hak-do sat in the upper seat with a proud expression on his face and just looked down at Chunhyang, who was bleeding.

I thought he was a real b*stard because he still couldn’t give up his desire for Chunhyang and didn’t even touch her face.

People were swarming around, perhaps because they thought no one could stop them, or because they wanted to show everyone this sight as a warning.

Half of the people felt sorry for the flower-like person from Namwon who was being tortured, and the other half thought it was just a new spectacle.

The soldiers holding the clubs had faces wrinkled as if they had chewed shit.

“Will the sinner Chunhyang admit to her crime of going against the foundation of the country?”

Byun Hak-do asked in a stern voice. It seemed like he was trying to frame his refusal to accept the invitation as an act of defiance against the nobles.

Chunhyang, who had been dropping her head and dripping blood and saliva onto the ground, raised her head.

Even though she was simply raising her head, her pure white neck shook miserably as if it had lost its strength.

“…If it is a sin to remain faithful to one’s husband… then I am a sinner.”

Byun Hak-do frowned at the low but clear hum.

“That lowly b*tch is making a mockery of the court. Well, if you still don’t know your crime, I will show you. Listen! Beat that b*tch up hard!”

“Yes, yes!”

The beating began again, and with each blow, Chunhyang’s flesh was exposed.

Now, Chunhyang didn’t even have the strength to scream, so she only let out low moans and showed no reaction.

“…….”

“…….”

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I had made eye contact with Chunhyang.

The beating lasted quite a long time. The soldiers who struck the torture device slowed down the beating speed noticeably, perhaps for Chunhyang’s sake.

“Aren’t you going to die like that?”

“Who should stop it….”

“Hey kid, what nonsense are you talking about….”

I heard people chattering.

It seemed like people’s eyes were on me.

“master….”

It seemed like Bangja was looking at me too.

I am….

[If it were my original country, I would have done it like this.]

If it were my original country, in this situation…

[Is that your choice, Master?]

If it were me….

[So, Master, I beg you to leave now. This lowly woman. I will treasure this meeting with you even after I die.]

If it were me…!

[That’s fortunate. If he had been a good son, he wouldn’t have acted like this.]

I am!

***

There was a man who ran out, parting the crowd.

He struck the back of the neck of the soldiers who were striking with their clubs. The soldiers collapsed in the sudden attack.

Byun Hak-do’s eyes widened at the uninvited guest.

“What kind of guy is this?”

Even when asked by Byun Hak-do, the man did not reveal his identity.

“What are you soldiers doing? Catch that guy!”

Byun Hak-do shouted.

The man silently knocked down the soldiers who were running towards him, holding onto the spear.

With each swing of his arm, the spear broke, and with each movement of his legs, people fell to the ground.

And then the people who realized who was the culprit of the commotion started gossiping.

“Isn’t that Master Kang In-ho?”

“Really! Are you back from Hanyang?”

“Is it really true that you and Miss Chunhyang had such a relationship…?”

Hearing the people’s uproar, Byeon Hak-do, who had sharp ears, shouted.

“What is this commotion, sir? Are you not afraid of the laws of the country?”

The man’s head turned as if he had heard Byun Hak-do’s shout.

The man’s eyes turned to him.

Byun Hak-do’s face turned pale as he saw himself in those endless, empty eyes.

“That guy, that guy… that guy!!”

While Byun Hak-do, unable to finish his words due to fear, continued to repeat himself, the crowd behind him parted once again.

“What’s all this noise!!!”

A loud shout, like the roar of a tiger, causes people to bow their heads and retreat.

A man appears, waving a white robe along a man-made path.

“Elder…!”

Byun Hak-do runs towards the man, out of breath, while keeping an eye on Kang In-ho.

He was so in a hurry that he didn’t even fix his shoelaces.

“Your Majesty suddenly interrupted the execution of the sentence…!”

He bent down and appealed to the man.

Perhaps because he thought that only his father, Lee Do-won, could stop the man who had barged into the execution grounds, Byun Hak-do made up a crime that never happened and reported it to him.

Lee Do-won just stared blankly down at Byun Hak-do.

“…That’s what happened.”

“I see. My son has committed a great offense. He has obstructed the affairs of the state… He must be scolded.”

“Well, then!”

Byun Hak-do’s face brightened.

“Okay, I’ll scold my son later, but I’ll take care of my own business first.”

“Yes, what’s going on?”

Lee Do-won took out the card he had hidden in his sleeve.

“The secret royal inspector has arrived.”

As soon as Lee Do-won made his declaration, men wielding clubs poured into the government office.