CNC 253

“Try holding the brush.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Write down exactly as I dictate.”

“Yes.”

Back when he was a ppiri (1), the troupe leader used to gather all the young ppiris together to teach them Hangeul. Hong-seo had been one of the most diligent children. However, he had rarely had the chance to actually hold a brush and write.

“April.”

The young master began to slowly read from the book spread out on the seoan (writing desk).

“In April, we welcome Cheongmyeong and Gogu. The temperature gradually rises, the days grow warm, and it is a time when flowers and trees grow vigorously. During this period, the remaining branches of the apple trees must be pruned. Only then will the sunlight permeate evenly between the branches. This aids the differentiation of flower buds and improves the quality of the fruit.”

Since he was a precious young master of such a grand estate, Hong-seo had expected him to recite difficult Confucian texts, quoting Confucius and Mencius. Unexpectedly, however, what he dictated was content regarding farming methods.

After waiting a moment for Hong-seo to finish his brushwork, the young master leaned back against the armrest and spoke.

“Bring it here.”

Bring it here? Across the bal (bamboo screen)? As Hong-seo hesitated, the young master pressed him once more.

“Even though I asked to see what you wrote?”

Hong-seo looked back at the steward standing just one room away. The steward hurriedly gestured for him to go. With no other choice, Hong-seo picked up the paper and walked around the screen. Bowing his head so low that his chin nearly touched his solar plexus, he politely handed over the paper with both hands.

As he crossed the screen, that unfamiliar scent [Read on Read BL Novels]he had smelled earlier [unauthorized copy]in the servants’ [visit our site]courtyard wafted up, tickling his senses.

“Hmm, it is quite usable.”

“……”

“With a little more teaching, he will be able to pull his weight.”

Placing the paper back on the desk, the young master looked up at Hong-seo and asked.

“What else do you know how to do?”

Glancing at him from the corner of his eye, Hong-seo saw a smile playing on the young master’s lips. He looked as if he were praising the talent of a commendable child.

What he knew how to do were tightrope walking, dancing, and playing the janggu. But he could not utter those words. They would immediately guess his origins.

The young master tilted his head crookedly, looking up at Hong-seo, who stood blankly [stolen content]without answering, fidgeting stolen contentwith the hem of his grimy jeogori.

“You are a fellow with many secrets.”

“I… I know a bit of arithmetic.”

“Arithmetic?”

“A bit…”

Hmm. The young master rested his chin on the desk and looked up with interest. Keeping his gaze fixed on Hong-seo, he spoke toward the area beyond the screen.

“Steward Jang.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

The steward, who had been waiting one room away, answered immediately.

“Let this boy stay in the opposite room for the time being.”

“The… opposite room?”

“Is the room next to yours not empty?”

The steward usually stayed in the room called the sucheongbang, the room closest to the master’s bedchamber, so that he could be summoned for instructions at any time. To stay in the room next to such a place… Both the steward and Hong-seo were bewildered by the young master’s order.

“Is it not easier to monitor him if he is kept close? Is there a problem?”

“N-no, Young Master. I understand.”

The steward found it strange to let a chicken thief stay in the guest house, and even closer to the master’s room, but he did not dare raise any objections.

Hong-seo glanced again at the young master’s face, which held a constant smile as if something were very amusing. [visit our site]A breeze blew in through the wide-open window of the numaru Read on Read BL Novelsattached to the room. The scent captured his olfactory senses.

Is it apricot blossoms?

No, that couldn’t be. The scent of apricot blossoms is soft and subtle; one must put their nose close to the petals to savor it.

It was a scent emanating from the young master.

Forgetting for a moment that his life depended on the man, Hong-seo looked straight at the smiling face. Looking at him like this, he felt strangely familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. He couldn’t have easily forgotten a man of this beauty.

The young master narrowed his eyes with a puzzled expression and looked closely at Hong-seo.

“Have I seen you before?”

Since they were thinking the same thing, Hong-seo widened his eyes and tilted his head. As if mimicking him, the young master also tilted his head. His smile became more pronounced.

Though it was only for an instant, it felt like a very long moment.

■

The young master was always a busy person.

Busier than any other young master of any household Hong-seo had seen while traveling from town to town—no, busier even than the high-ranking officials.

It was said that his father, the Lord, had to frequent the palace and thus resided in a detached house in Hanyang, leaving the main estate empty for more than half the year. Therefore, as the eldest grandson, the young master had the duty to fill that void.

He entertained various precious guests, responded to invitations from governors, magistrates, or other clans, and met with local officials to discuss the town’s affairs. And sometimes, he enjoyed debates or socializing with close friends. Even amidst such busyness, whenever he had personal time, he would seek the room and hold onto a book.

Hong-seo had thought that young masters of noble houses only ate delicious food until they were full, bossed servants around, and lived lives of leisure. But if he had a mountain of work like that, wasn’t it not a good thing at all? The young master had so much work that Hong-seo actually felt this way.

He always gave Hong-seo work to do. The primary task was to transcribe agricultural books written in Hanja into Hangeul, but that work could not proceed without the young master. The only Hanja Hong-seo could read were his own name and numbers.

Instead, he taught Hong-seo mathematics (sanhak) little [visit our site]by little. Then, he visit our sitewould assign it as homework for when visit our sitehe was away. The “homework” was such a mountain that there was no time to play.

While flipping through the Hangeul mathematics book he had been told to study on his own, Hong-seo had to wrestle for several hours a day with addition and subtraction (2), and multiplication and division (3).

There were times when he found it interesting, but as someone who had always moved his body, his toes would wiggle and his hips would fidget while crouching over the calculations.

“Have you nearly finished the work I gave you?”

At the sudden voice from above his head, Hong-seo quickly jerked his head up. The young master, dressed neatly in a durumagi and wearing a gat, was smiling in front of the open door. He was alone, having apparently sent the steward away.

“My Lord, you have returned.”

He quickly put down the brush, stood up, and bowed politely. He hadn’t even heard the sound of footsteps.

“I am sorry. I did not hear you coming…”

“Let me see.”

Hardly acknowledging Hong-seo’s apology, the young master lowered himself in front of the spread-out paper and peered at it intently.

“Hmm, your speed has improved quite a bit.”

He wasn’t even a servant of this house; he was a petty thief caught stealing the house’s food. Hong-seo could not fathom what the young master intended to do by teaching him arithmetic.

Since he was made to study in the room all day, he wondered if this was some kind of punishment for stealing the chicken. But if that were the case, the young master was far too generous with his praise.

Since coming to this house, he had worn clothes that, while humble, were cleanly laundered, and he had never missed one of his three meals. Instead of sleeping with several people on a flea-ridden straw mat, he slept in his own room with a quilted mattress, a pillow, and a blanket. Aside from having to study all day, there was no greater luxury than this.

Moreover, since he received praise, he couldn’t help but feel happy whenever it happened.

From the young age of ten, while walking the rope and learning to dance, he had been beaten countless times, but he had never received praise.

Will he ask me to pay all of Read on Read BL Novelsthis back [stolen content]stolen contentlater? The clothes, the food, the snacks, and even the praise.

Is he trying to torment me by doing this?

He was almost frightened by the thought.

“Once you are taught, you will be a help while following the steward,” the young master said as he straightened his knees and stood up.

Standing aside, Hong-seo glanced at him in surprise.

Is that it? That’s why he taught me.

He wasn’t trying to punish him by teaching difficult arithmetic, nor was he trying to vent his anger by abusing, cursing, or beating him if he was displeased. He was teaching him so he could be used as a worker for this house. He had seen his utility!

He had never thought he wanted to become a servant in a great house after running away from the Namsadang troupe. And yet, for some reason, a smile kept creeping onto his face.

At the fact that the young master intended to keep him by his side and put him to use.

(1) Ppiri: A beginner learning skills in the Namsadang troupe.

(2) Addition and subtraction.

(3) Multiplication and division.