Chapter 1
Long, long ago, a hole appeared in the sky, and it rained for three months and ten days.
The sky turned pitch black, thunder split the earth, and torrents of rain poured down, flooding the rivers.
Water overflowed and covered the mountains and the land, turning the world into a sea.
From the torn hole, monsters began to pour out.
They swarmed everywhere, making life unbearable.
At that time, a human made a wish toward the sky, and nine dragons who had spent a thousand years in the earth, mountains, and waters appeared.
One of them asked the human what he wished for.
The human asked for land to live on.
The dragon immediately coiled on the water, creating a vast land.
Then, the other eight dragons cleared the sky, controlled the weather, and carved out waterways.
They also created the sun, nurturing the green forests, and people gradually gathered there.
Each dragon then chose eight humans and asked them what they wished for.
One wished for clear weather, another for fields that would never go barren, another for a comfortable home, a loving partner, immense wealth, great strength, exceptional wisdom, and finally, one asked for a kingdom to rule over.
The kingdom of Gaguk was established right where he stood, a prosperous land blessed by the dragons.
The weather was sunny all year round, the vast fields yielded endless crops, and gold and jewels poured out from the mines.
Under the peaceful reign of the benevolent King, houses of comfort lined up, and every time a wish was fulfilled, Gaguk became more prosperous, and the dragons ascended to heaven with their orbs in blessings.
However, one dragon fell in love with the king’s lover and refused to ascend, causing the king’s concern to grow day by day.
Eventually, the dragon kidnapped the woman to his cave.
To retrieve his lover, the king set off for the dragon’s cave, aided by a powerful general and a wise chancellor.
“Do you know how they rescued the lover from that wicked dragon?”
The shopkeeper slyly asked, raising his eyes from the book he was reading.
The small man who had been unrolling scrolls on the floor had an indifferent expression.
The story that the shopkeeper had just read was the founding myth of this very Gaguk, a story known to every native.
Moreover, it was also the content of the scrolls that the man had painstakingly transcribed day and night.
So, it was impossible for him not to know.
Whisk.
The man gestured for the shopkeeper to stop babbling and finish the accounting.
However, the shopkeeper, seemingly lost in the story, continued talking.
“The general and the chancellor were of great help. The general’s strength was vital in finding the cave, while the chancellor’s wit lured the dragon out.”
The shopkeeper imitated a storyteller with exaggerated expressions and gestures.
The man, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently.
Finally, the shopkeeper pretended to realize his mistake, “Oh dear, my mind is elsewhere. Checking for typos, I lost track of time.”
She pulled out a bundle of coins tied to his waist.
“One coin, two coins… By the way, the chancellor’s trick was quite clever. He called the dragon out of the cave using the woman’s voice from outside.”
The shopkeeper’s hand counting the coins slowed down.
“Seizing that chance, the king entered the cave, found the woman, and stole the orb hidden in one corner. In the end, the wicked dragon lost its power without the orb, making it easy to seal it away.”
As the shopkeeper elaborated on the story, he slyly slipped a few coins from the bundle and placed them forward.
The man didn’t miss it.
Tap.
The hem of the worn-out robe fluttered as a slender hand emerged and blocked the shopkeeper’s view.
“Goodness.”
Suddenly, with his vision blocked, the shopkeeper clutched his chest in surprise.
Taking advantage of the moment, the man grabbed both the coins and the bundle that the shopkeeper had left unattended.
“One, two, three, four….”
Counting the pieces, he found that they matched the promised three Nyang exactly.
With a satisfied expression, he tucked them into his pocket. The shopkeeper, who had been brushing his chest, belatedly grew angry.
“Really now, who said I didn’t give you anything?”
When the man looked at him with a blank expression, the shopkeeper flinched. She was always like this.
After distracting them with stories, he would slyly slip a few coins.
But as the saying goes, even a dog in a study hall can recite poetry after three years. After more than five years of transcription work, he had become adept at such tricks.
“Really, you’re as shrewd as a dragon, aren’t you? What’s the big deal with a few coins? You were so cute when you first came asking for work.”
The shopkeeper grumbled. The man pretended not to hear and extended his hand.
At that time, he had not been cute but rather clueless.
When he first visited the bookstore, the shopkeeper had dismissed him based on his appearance. But he did not back down and immediately started writing.
The shopkeeper’s attitude changed drastically when he saw the neat handwriting.
It was difficult to find such script in Juwan, let alone in the capital, The Royal Capital (Wangseong).
His pragmatic side was not so bad, and it was still the same.
‘He knows I won’t back down; it’s better to give me the money than waste time arguing.’
As the man stood firm, the shopkeeper clicked his tongue and handed him a new book to transcribe.
“Oh dear. Why waste words arguing with someone who can’t even speak properly? Here, this is a brand new romance novel. This is a new work, and this one is a sequel to the book you copied last time. Check the rest of the books too. They’re all popular reads for ladies these days. Five days should be enough, right? Since the deadline is short, I’ll pay you a higher rate.”
The man nodded. Being perpetually impoverished, he needed to earn every penny he could.
He received the books and showed three fingers.
“Yes, I know. I know. Two Jeon per book, totalling three Nyang.”
*Jeon (전): A small unit of currency, historically used in Korea. It is a fraction of a larger unit called the “Won” (원).*
*Nyang (냥): A larger unit of currency compared to Jeon. It was used in traditional Korean currency systems and is equivalent to 100 Jeon.*
They had known each other for a long time, so simple gestures and expressions sufficed for communication.
With a satisfied expression, the man wrapped the books in a cloth.
Then, he grabbed some dumplings from beside the bench and quickly left through the door. Behind him, he heard an angry voice.
“Again, he’s doing it again. This dragon doesn’t even say anything! Not even a thank you!”
Hearing the bitter curses, the man turned back at the door and grinned.
Despite the harsh words, the shopkeeper had never chased him out.
‘Even if he’s calculating, he isn’t a heartless person.’
That was the reason he had frequented this bookstore for over three years. There was nothing else he could do besides transcription work.
The man waved goodbye, saying he would come again, and left the marketplace.
He deliberately took a detour and arrived at a small shop in front of a tiny fabric store.
Bowing his head, he greeted the owner, who was arguing with a customer, and stepped inside.
Passing by the display racks of colorful fabrics, he saw a large wooden board set up.
He picked up some clothes from a nearby box and hid behind the board. The structure was such that it was not visible from outside.
After checking outside, he unfastened his waist belt. One by one, he removed his outer garments, exposing his slender figure.
He then put on an underskirt and a thin silk jacket, tying the strings and stepping out as a woman with her hair in a knot.
Just then, the shopkeeper, Cheong-hyang, who had come in, greeted her warmly.
“You’re getting quite good at this on your own now.”
The man—no, the woman—nodded vigorously. The first year had been difficult, struggling to dress alone.
Now she was accustomed to it, but the remaining problem was her hair. That was still hard to manage by herself.
The woman smiled apologetically and bowed, and Cheong-hyang laughed softly.
“You always look like a young lady.”
Originally, Cheong-hyang had been a nursemaid to the woman’s mother, Lady Suk. Even when Lady Suk was selected as a concubine and entered the palace, Cheong-hyang had entered the palace with her.
But after Lady Suk’s death eight years ago, Cheong-hyang had left the palace and set up shop here.
For this reason, she had been helping the woman for five years, but she still felt uneasy.
Cheong-hyang bowed to the woman.
“Please stand. You’re not someone who should bow your head.”
She could not let a superior bow their head. She gently lifted the woman’s upper body.
The woman, halfway through lifting her head, suddenly turned around. She had something to give to Cheong-hyang.
It was a snack she had bought on the street. As the woman offered the treat, Cheong-hyang smiled slightly.
“First, you should get your hair done. I’ll eat this after that. Come here.”
Cheong-hyang sat on a nearby box and patted the seat next to her. The woman quickly ran over and sat down, and Cheong-hyang began to work on her hair with elegant movements.
She neatly brushed it, gathered it, twisted it into a bun, and adorned it with a simple hairpin, completing the look of a perfect lady.
Cheong-hyang’s gaze was drawn to the modest hairpin in the woman’s hair. Although she lived in the palace, her life was difficult due to the Queen’s persecution. It pained her to see such a sad state.
Instead of this old jacket, the woman should have been wearing a silk jacket with beautiful embroidery. Instead of this plain hairpin, she should have had a colourful butterfly pin.
‘If it weren’t for that incident back then….’
Cheong-hyang recalled the events from eight years ago. It must have been a very sunny day when Lady Suk and the woman drank poison.
“It’s been five years since the princess started frequenting the marketplace.”
Cheong-hyang clenched her teeth. She tried to speak calmly, but seeing the pitiful state of the princess made it difficult.
The princess had become thin and frail due to not being able to eat properly, all because of the Queen’s machinations.
By cutting off financial support, the princess had been forced into a life of poverty within the palace.
As a young girl, she chose to disguise herself as a man to survive. It made earning money easier and was more convenient for moving about.
Thus, she chose to hide her status and gender. At first, it wasn’t perfect, but now she could mimic a scholar quite well.
She had shed her youthful appearance and could almost be compared to a refined gentleman. But still….
“She’s not someone who should live like this….”
‘A person who should have been nurtured in the palace is now disguised as a man.’
Cheong-hyang’s heart grew heavy, and her hands faltered. As her hands paused, Princess Gahwa, who felt the change, turned around.
Seeing the somber expression, it was clear what was on her mind.
However, Gahwa tried to smile. Despite the hardships, her heart remained light. When her mother was alive, every day felt like walking on thin ice.
Though palace life was always tough, it was even more so because her mother was favored by the king, and the Queen’s jealousy grew stronger each day.
But everything changed eight years ago. Her mother was betrayed and poisoned by a trusted palace servant, and Gahwa was slowly forgotten in the palace.
It was Lady Soyong Yeon who took her in then. Soyong had lost her parents at a young age and had been taken in by the Suk family, growing up like a real sister with Lady Suk.
The bond was special, and even after entering the palace, the closeness remained. Taking in the sole survivor, Gahwa, as her adopted daughter was also due to this bond.
However, the Queen was not satisfied with just the life of the Suk family and targeted Gahwa’s life as well. After several assassination attempts, Gahwa eventually lost her voice.
‘This is also a result of that time….’
Gahwa touched the long scar on the middle of her right neck. The mark left by a straight, long wound was visible.
Though she was saved by urgent medical treatment, she lost her voice. After that, the Queen’s interest waned.
Without a biological child and with only an adopted daughter from a humble family, there was no threat to the Queen from Gahwa, who could not even speak.
Forgotten by the Queen, she naturally became marginalized in the palace as well.
Gahwa could only smile after becoming the forgotten mute princess of Yeonhwa Palace.
When Gahwa smiled brightly again, Cheong-hyang, watching her, felt a pang in her heart.
“I spoke out of turn.”
Gahwa shook her head. She was fine, but staying here longer would only make Cheong-hyang more melancholy. She got up from her seat.
Tapping her fingers to indicate the snacks and her mouth, she hurriedly packed the books.
Cheong-hyang, feeling regretful, tried to hold her back, but Gahwa shook her head.
It was already getting dark. She had to buy rice, so she was in a hurry. If she delayed any longer, the maid who had lent her clothes, Eundan, might faint.
Gahwa bid farewell to Cheong-hyang and left the fabric store. She needed to return to the palace before evening, by the time of the sunset.
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