Fake Concubine 34

Back ​when ​he ​lived ​in ​Hanseong, ​there was a ​time ​when ​Moon ​Hae-min ​had been tasked with ​transcribing ​a collection of ​ghost stories.

Hae-min, who ​didn’t ​particularly ​enjoy ​tales ​of ​virgin ghosts or ​nine-tailed ​foxes, ​found reading the ​collection somewhat unsettling. However, ​he needed ​the money, ​so he ​wasn’t in ​a ​position ​to refuse. Thus, ​Hae-min ended ​up reading the collection ​from start to finish, ​whether he wanted to ​or not.

Among ​the ​entries were not only ghost stories ​but also accounts of ​people ​who ​had ​experienced ​strange and eerie ​events. Of ​those, ​the story titled ​”The ​Tale of One Who Returned ​from the ​Threshold ​of the Sanzu ​River” ​left ​the ​strongest ​impression on ​him.

The ​protagonist was ​a young woman of only eighteen. Having ​been frail since ​childhood, she reportedly ​fell ill with an ​epidemic one ​day and became ​bedridden. ​While drifting between ​life and death, ​she fell ​asleep, ​and upon ​waking, ​she found ​herself ​in a ​field ​of ​flowers.

Peach blossoms, apricot ​blossoms, ​hibiscus, cherry ​blossoms, ​and ​even ​cornelian cherries… The sight of countless flowers in full bloom all at once was so beautiful it seemed otherworldly. Enchanted by the scenery, the woman continued to walk, failing to realize that flowers with different blooming seasons were all in full bloom simultaneously. Eventually, she came upon a river.

The woman wished to cross the river. She didn’t know what lay beyond, but for some reason, she felt she had to. However, as she reached the riverbank, her maternal grandmother appeared and scolded her. “Why have you come here at such a young age!” she cried. Startled by the shout, the woman woke up, only then realizing that the river she had almost crossed was the Sanzu River.

After reading this strange tale, Moon Hae-min’s impression was as follows:

‘There must be many flowers on the way to the afterlife. It wouldn’t be so scary.’

It would already be sorrowful enough to die; if the path were dark and gloomy, it would be terrifying. Therefore, Moon Hae-min hoped that if he ever died and went to the afterlife, he would walk a path of flowers. If possible, he wanted to see a beautiful landscape as the final sight of his life.

But what was this scenery unfolding before his eyes now?

‘Is this a garden…?’

Unknown purple flowers filled the fields. It was a flower garden, but it was different from the scenery Hae-min had imagined. It felt exactly like the “deep palaces” he had only heard about.

On one side of the flower field stood an octagonal pavilion. After a moment’s hesitation, Hae-min turned his steps toward it. After all, there was nowhere else to go but the pavilion.

“Welcome.”

As he reached the pavilion, a dignified woman greeted him. Hae-min stopped [unauthorized copy]dead stolen contentin his unauthorized copytracks. The woman then beckoned to him.

“Do not hesitate; come closer.”

“…”

The protagonist in the ghost story had been told, “Why have you come here at such a young age!”, but he was being told to come closer. Since he was already dead, there wasn’t much left to fear, yet Moon Hae-min hesitated.

“Gukbap Oppa, hurry up and come here!”

Just then, So-hee popped out from behind the woman’s skirt. Recognizing her, Hae-min was startled.

“Y-you! Why are you here? You’re the one who shouldn’t be here already!”

“Why shouldn’t I? This is my home.”

“Home…?”

He couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. As Moon Hae-min looked around blankly, another young girl appeared.

She looked to be around the same age as So-hee. Her features were as identical as twins, but in stark contrast to So-hee, she was dressed in black. The woman placed her hands on the shoulders of the two children and spoke.

“These are my daughters, Gung-hee and So-hee.”

“O-oh, hello. Nice to meet you.”

Despite his confusion, Moon Hae-min greeted the children. Gung-hee acknowledged the greeting with a slight tilt of her head, while So-hee openly and enthusiastically showed her delight.

“So-hee has told me much about you.”

“About me…?”

“Yes, she said you bought her delicious things. Let us sit and talk.”

The woman turned and walked toward a chair in the center of the pavilion. Every movement she made was elegant. Between her appearance, which made it impossible to guess her age, and her grace, she looked like a celestial maiden.

‘Ah.’

In that moment, something flashed through his mind like lightning.

The collection of ghost stories had also included the myth of Mago. The great Mother Goddess who created the earth, the mountains, the rivers and waterfalls that flowed between them, the seas, and the islands. He recalled that her daughters’ names were… Gung-hee and So-hee.

‘This can’t be.’

Moon Hae-min looked at So-hee in silent astonishment. Dressed neatly in white as usual, So-hee didn’t look like the daughter of a god. Of course, from the moment they first met, he had thought she seemed like a child from a noble family, but to think that “noble family” was actually the house of a god.

“Please, sit.”

Having taken a seat first, she gently urged him.

“Do you intend to make me, Mago, a shameful goddess who cannot even properly treat a guest?”

“…”

The being before him truly was Mago. It was a fact hard to believe, but the dignity emanating from her was evidence enough. It was a kind of spirit one would feel from a grand natural landscape, not from a human being.

As if possessed, Hae-min sat opposite Mago. At this, Mago smiled.

“Thank you for being kind to my daughter.”

“N-no, it was my honor to meet the daughter of Lady Mago.”

“You are polite. And you possess a generosity that extends kindness to children. You have a heart of beauty rarely seen in this world.”

“…”

“Moon Hae-min, in return, I shall grant you a reward.”

“Thank you. But I never asked for anything in return.”

“Even so, there must be something you desire.”

Like water sloshing in a glass, Moon Hae-min’s eyes trembled violently.

“…Could you… save Bok-deong-i?”

“It is impossible to bring back the dead.”

It was an absolute truth. Knowing this well, Moon Hae-min felt despondent. However, at her following words, a spark of hope ignited within him for the first time in a very long while.

“However, it is possible to turn back time.”

“T-then, can I meet Bok-deong-i again?”

“Whether you meet again or not depends on your choice.”

“…”

“Do you wish to meet your child again?”

The word ‘Yes’ surged up to his throat. But he could not answer readily.

Even now, if he closed his eyes, Bok-deong-i’s face was vivid. Hue, hue. The weak cries seemed to echo in his ears. If he could hold Bok-deong-i in his arms just once, he would give anything.

But this might be his own greed. For Bok-deong-i, it might be happier not to meet a pathetic father.

“You are tormented.”

Mago murmured, gazing at the pale face reflecting a fierce internal struggle.

“In that case, I shall send you to a point in time where you can decide after sufficient deliberation.”

“…”

“Moon Hae-min.”

At the sound of his name, Hae-min snapped back to his senses.

“Yes.”

“It is time to return.”

Mago rose from her seat. Hae-min followed suit, awkwardly standing up.

“Do not look back, do not regret, simply walk your path. For where your steps lead, there will be an opportunity.”

“Thank you…”

He was still dazed, but he knew for certain that Mago had bestowed a great grace upon him. Moon Hae-min bowed his head with all his heart. A flicker of benevolence passed through the solemn eyes of the goddess looking down at him.

“I will not let this precious opportunity go to waste.”

“If you wish, feel free to waste it. If that makes you happy, would that not also be a worthwhile use?”

Mago gestured and cleared her throat. Unlike when she had called him earlier, this time it seemed to mean he should hurry on his way. Accordingly, Moon Hae-min slowly turned around.

“Oppa! Wait a second.”

So-hee rushed over and grabbed Hae-min’s hand.

“I’ll give you a present.”

“I’ve already received so much from you.”

“Still.”

So-hee added with a mischievous smile.

“It’s a secret what the present is.”

“Thank you.”

Moon Hae-min thanked her simply. He had no idea what the present could be, but he was grateful for So-hee’s thoughtfulness alone.

“Now just go straight back the way you came. It’s not hard, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Stay well!”

“You too. I hope you stay well.”

Having finished their farewells, Hae-min began to walk.

He felt a burning gaze on his back. The gaze of Mago and her two daughters was intensely powerful, incomparable to that of a human. He almost turned around out of instinct, but Moon Hae-min kept his eyes fixed forward.

‘Do not look back, do not regret, simply walk your path.’

Moon Hae-min walked, reflecting on Mago’s advice. The mysterious clusters of purple flowers swayed, blessing the path he took.

1. The Plum Blossom Lives a Cold Life but Sells Not Its Fragrance

The paulownia tree does not lose its melody even after a thousand years,

And the plum blossom, though it lives a cold life, sells not its fragrance.

The moon may wane a thousand times, yet its essence remains,

And the willow, though broken a hundred times, sprouts new branches again.

“Young Master, Young Master.”

“…”

“Young Master Hee-yul!”

He heard someone’s voice. It seemed they were looking for Moon Hee-yul.

If so, it had nothing to do with him. Moon Hae-min [stolen content]kept his eyes closed and continued to rest. His briefly awakened consciousness sank [unauthorized copy]back into the deep, deep unconsciousness.

“Why is he so hard to wake up today? Usually, he wakes up just fine on his own.”

“Well, it’s been quite a while since he left Hanseong, so fatigue must have accumulated. When has the Young Master ever had to walk this long?”

“Anyway, he’s not even the real Young Mas—”

“You! Can’t you watch your mouth? Songdo is right in front of us!”

“Oops, my mistake.”

Two men were bickering. He didn’t know them, but strangely, their voices sounded familiar. With that, Moon Hae-min slowly emerged from his sleep.

Footnote:

1. A poem by Shin Heum (1566–1628), a civil official of the mid-Joseon Dynasty.