《Chaotic Nights》 Chapter 1 *Author Note* This novel is a fictional work set in the Joseon Dynasty. All incidents and dialogues are products of the author¡¯s imagination. Reading about nonconsensual sex can create traumas. So please, be careful. Over golden silk bedding, you could hear frantic breaths, followed by a hiss and then moaning. Eun Ha closed her eyes as the obscene and promiscuous sounds resonated throughout the room. The sons of noble families were playing with courtesans until a little while ago. But the owner of this place, who was seated on the edge of the table, was silent. He was smiling while listening to what seemed like an animal groaning. Eun Ha tried to convince herself that she hadn¡¯t seen or heard anything. But it was useless. She wanted to throw up. ¡°Eun Ha.¡± She slowly opened her eyes. Eun Ha focused her attention on his feet. He smiled while grabbing the cigarette that was on the floor. ¡°You¡¯re very stubborn.¡± The smoke of the opium coming from the cigarette, the scent of recently shed blood, and the smell of flesh wet with the seed of another, were all mixed together and made her hold her breath. While trying her best not to throw up, she opened her mouth. ¡°Does my lord enjoy things like this?¡± He let out the smoked he had inhaled and laughed at the question she had asked. ¡°It seems that you¡¯ve forgotten that I¡¯m blind. I want my ears to be delighted since my eyes can¡¯t see. I gave you money and bought your voice.¡± She was intimidated by his eyes, which resembled a tiger hunting for prey. That¡¯s why she was usually afraid of making eye contact with him. But today, she had to be brave. She grabbed her skirt and lifted her head. ¡°You¡¯re right. You¡¯re the owner of my voice. But those people haven¡¯t paid for it. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to say a single word from now on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to say anything at all?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not going to listen to my voice alone, I¡¯d rather stay silent.¡± His beautiful eyes expressed annoyance, reflecting his readiness to tear down his opponents. For a second, she had forgotten that he was blind. His features were elegant. It was as if a very talented artisan had crafted his eyes. They were deeper and darker than anyone else¡¯s. How could a person with such beautiful eyes be blind? She bit her lips and tried to bow down, but he used his cigarette holder to lift her head. ¡°If I kick all these people out, are you going to entertain me?¡± A bright smile blossomed from his lips. Since what he said could be interpreted in many ways, she remained silent. ¡°Answer me. I¡¯ve asked if you¡¯re going to entertain me instead of them.¡± He used his cigarette holder to pull down her clothes. Even though her chest had become visible, his eyes were fixed on Eun Ha¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not a woman that sells her body.¡± ¡°I know that. I¡¯ve only bought your voice.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re doing this if you know it.¡± With trembling hands, she grabbed her clothes tightly. She felt scared and humiliated. She was chosen by Seo Ji Hak, the prince who lost his position. His lustful eyes were now directed towards her, a girl who had pretended to be a storyteller, which made her tremble with fear. ¡°You¡¯re right. Why am I doing this to you? Why do I want to be angry with you? Why do I want to hear you crying? Whenever I¡¯m near you, I can feel something very hot burning inside of me.¡± The man¡¯s voice pierced her ears. While looking down at her, Seo Ji Hak coldly gave an order to someone. ¡°Hey, Yul Jae, take out the eyes and cut off the tongue of everyone that has seen what is mine. I think that it¡¯s a fair punishment to those that have seen my precious possession.¡± After Seo Ji Hak finished giving his order, someone that was standing in the corner like a shadow pulled out his sword. ¡°My lord!¡± Feeling miserable, Eun Ha closed her eyes. People have died because of me. Again¡­ Screams echoed from all directions. The scent of blood and the sound of people begging for forgiveness made her cry. Seo Ji Hak remained surprisingly calm. After putting his cigarette holder down, he leaned down and grabbed her neck. He placed his lips against her pulse. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. After all, I¡¯m not going to kill you until you¡¯ve paid the price for trying to escape from me.¡± Beyond the gates, you could see a storm approaching. ¨C 1 Year Ago ¨C Early in the morning, in a snowy mountainside, you could hear people making a lot of noise with percussion instruments. ¡°Make it go north!¡± ¡°It¡¯s as big as a bear¡¯s thingy! Be careful!¡± ¡°Brother, if it¡¯s as big as a bear¡¯s thingy¡­ Is it a wild boar? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s like the tiger¡¯s, so there¡¯s no reason to fear it!¡± Behind the chasers that were joking around, you could see a group of guys with guns and bows. No one complained even though there was so much snow. This group was composed of hunters. They were strong-spirited people whose height surpassed 6.5 feet. During the cold winter, the tiger came down to the village and attacked civilians due to the lack of things to eat in the mountains. That¡¯s why the country had placed huge rewards in exchange for tiger skins. That¡¯s why people gathered in groups to hunt. The tiger¡¯s skin and its claws could be sold for a very high price. The meat was divided among the hunters. This helped them go through the harsh winter. ¡°Hey, brother¡­ Do you know who that person is?¡± Man Bok, who was leading the way, stopped playing the percussion instrument, and glanced at someone among the group of hunters. Duk Soo, whose cheeks were completely frozen, frowned at the question he was asked. ¡°You don¡¯t know Eun Ha? She¡¯s the little sister of the number one courtesan Lee Young.¡± He couldn¡¯t believe that the person dressed up as a boy was actually a girl. ¡°She¡¯s the little sister of Lee Young? Courtesan Lee Young?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Why is she here? Has she lost her mind?¡± ¡°The one that has lost its mind is you. Do you know who the person is that¡¯s standing next to her?¡± ¡°Of course, I know who he is. He¡¯s the son of the minister. Is there anyone that doesn¡¯t know the son of the Yoon family?¡± Man Bok patted him on the shoulders. Duk Soo turned around while lowering his voice. ¡°Yes, she¡¯s the one that he¡¯s been taking care of. He gave her food, raised, and even taught her many things. And among that, there¡¯s hunting. He probably thinks of her as his little sister, but¡­¡± ¡°Brother, what you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t make any sense. Why would he take care of a girl? Also, it looks like they¡¯re almost the same age. Is he maybe¡­¡± Duk Soo got angry at Man Bok. ¡°Be careful with your words. A lot of guys picked on her, thinking that she was weak and were beaten up. Just keep your mouth closed.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. It surprises me that she¡¯s carrying a gun. Also, maybe it¡¯s because of her clothes, but she really looks like a pretty boy.¡± Even if Dok Soo got mad at him, he couldn¡¯t take off his eyes from Eun Ha. Man Bok had never seen a girl as pretty as her. A face as white as the moon with a small nose. Her eyes were shiny and as clear as water. He was so distracted with Eun Ha that he didn¡¯t notice that a wild boar was looking at him. ¡°The more I look at her, the prettier¡­¡± ¡°Man Bok!¡± The wind blew away the snow that had accumulated on the tree¡¯s branches. Everyone¡¯s sight turned white. Even though Man Bok could see the wild boar charging towards him, he couldn¡¯t move or do anything. His head had frozen. Even his instincts weren¡¯t working. Bang-! The sound of a gun and the smell of gun powder made him come to his senses. The wild boar running towards Man Bok fell to the ground, its blood spraying all over Man Bok¡¯s face. Man Bok threw the percussion instrument on the floor and grabbed Dok Soo¡¯s hands. At that moment, he finally felt relieved. Tears started to fall from his eyes. ¡°Brother!¡± Someone approached from behind Dok Soo as he was hugging Man Bok. ¡°Are you okay? You almost died.¡± The owner of the sweet and soft voice was Eun Ha. Dok Soo and Man Bok, with a vacant look on their faces, both exclaimed, ¡°Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Eun Ha replied as she calmly reloaded her gun. Judging from her appearance, one wouldn¡¯t think that she had just shot a wild boar with incredible precision. ¡°Hey! Man Bok! If it weren¡¯t for Eun Ha, you would¡¯ve been killed!¡± The captain of the group approached Man Bok with an angry expression. He was furious because Man Bok had been distracted in the middle of a dangerous situation. While asking for forgiveness, he couldn¡¯t help but stare at Eun Ha. How did she manage to kill a wild boar with just one shot so easily when she had such a delicate body? She isn¡¯t an ordinary girl. She is much braver than most people. ¡°Eun Ha, are you okay?¡± Yoon Shi Hoon asked as he walked towards her. Man Bok noticed Yoon Shi Hoon¡¯s menacing gaze directed towards him. He got up from the ground while looking down. Even then, Man Bok tried to listen to their conversation. But he couldn¡¯t hear anything because of the noise around him. ¡°It¡¯s too frustrating.¡± Man Bok found Eun Ha too pretty. She also seemed to be around the same age as him. Now he understood why Yoon Shi Hoon cared about her so much. Which, at the same time, made him feel worse. Chapter 2 ¡°You got hurt again. That¡¯s why I told you not to follow us when we go tiger hunting.¡± A snowflake that was in the branch of a tree fell and landed on Eun Ha¡¯s nose. After noticing the wound between her middle and index finger, Shi Hoon took out his handkerchief. Unlike his cold voice, his eyes were full of concern. ¡°This can¡¯t even be called a wound. Young master slipped on the snow earlier. Didn¡¯t you get hurt? Maybe you shouldn¡¯t have followed me.¡± Seeing as she still had her usual brave attitude, despite having a relatively large wound, he sighed. ¡°Please forget about that. I won¡¯t show such shameful act anymore.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t shameful. I was worried.¡± ¡°Really? Why were you worried about me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Do you remember when your ankle got sprained? Madam got so mad at me. That¡¯s why you should take better care of yourself and stop worrying about me.¡± After cleaning the injury, she bowed at him and then ran towards the captain of the hunting group. Today, they were unable to catch the tiger, but they¡¯d found traces of where the tiger is hiding. They marked the area and then placed some traps. The good news is that the town would probably to be safe for a few days, but no tiger meant no big money. It was a relief that they¡¯d killed a wild boar. Thanks to that, she would be paid five tael coins. ¡°Here. Take ten tael coins.¡± She was surprised at the amount of money the captain had given her. ¡°Ten coins? Didn¡¯t you say that if we couldn¡¯t catch the tiger, we¡¯d only get five tael coins?¡± ¡°You caught the biggest wild boar all by yourself. That¡¯s why it¡¯s okay for you to receive ten tael coins.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m glad, thanks.¡± ¡°Next time, we¡¯ll definitely catch the tiger and take home a gold coin. You¡¯re going to join us again, right?¡± ¡°Of course, you only need to call me.¡± Eun Ha received the money bag with a bright smile and then walked away. Since she had received ten tail coins, she planned to use five to pay back the bookshop owner. The rest was going to be put in her piggy bank, where she has been saving up her earnings. If she¡¯d continued saving up, maybe one day, she would be able to save her sister. Then they could start living together. They probably wouldn¡¯t have any kind of luxuries, but at least they wouldn¡¯t starve. Eun Ha ran towards Yoon Shi Hoon was waiting for her while accompanied by his servants. When he saw her approaching, he smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m buying dinner tonight. Also, you can drink as much as you want.¡± * * * * * * * After ordering two plates of food, they ate and drank everything served to them. Filling their stomach while relaxing made them feel tired afterward. The captain of the hunting group had accepted her request to join them mainly for two reasons. The first reason was due to her superb skills with a gun. The second reason was that she could approach the tiger silently thanks to being lightweight. The people in the inn were talking very lively. Eun Ha smiled brightly with a face that was red because of the alcohol. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to you that I can earn money to eat and live.¡± While enjoying a drink, Shi Hoon laughed at her playful tone of voice. ¡°It isn¡¯t thanks to me. It¡¯s because you¡¯re brilliant. I can¡¯t beat you in hunting anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I still have a lot to learn. That¡¯s why I¡¯m very thankful to the young master. You¡¯re my benefactor.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing that word.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still thankful.¡± Eun Ha bowed her head and smiled while looking at the rice on top of the brass spoon. Then she had a sudden thought about her sister. Her sister, Lee Young, who was nicknamed ¡®Flower of Elixir, become a courtesan because they were poor. They had no parents, unlike others, and needed to take care of a younger sister. The only thing she has is her youth and beauty. Lee Young has a strong sense of responsibility. Even if she hadn¡¯t drunk water in three whole days, all she cares about is Eun Ha eating as much as possible. The problem started when her sister accompanied a friend¡¯s mom to receive her payment one day. After seeing her pretty sister, the woman who ran the courtesan house, lured her with silk clothes and a warm room. It has been ten years since Lee Young become a courtesan. The only future available to a courtesan after the marrying age, is to live as a concubine of a noble or to start a courtesan house of her own. Eun Ha wanted to save her sister from such a fate. She didn¡¯t want her to become a concubine of an old man or become an old courtesan lady. She wanted her to live a normal life. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be going. They¡¯re going to get mad at me if it gets any later.¡± She had left early that morning without telling her sister about the tiger hunt. By now, the news should have reached her, so she would be anxiously awaiting Eun Ha¡¯s return. ¡°Are you going back?¡± After hearing his question, Eun Ha tapped at some books she had. ¡°Before going back home, I want to stop by the bookstore. I want to exchange these books for new ones. Now that I have made some money, I want to pay off my debt.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go together. I¡¯m going in that direction to visit my mother.¡± They got up after Shi Hoon left some coins on the table. They had been drinking since this afternoon, which left their faces as red as persimmons. The gazes towards a woman dressed in men¡¯s clothes and a man wearing silk robes weren¡¯t pleasant, but they were used to it. The cold wind brushed against her exposed neck, the chill causing her to immediately hunch her shoulders. Shivering from the cold, she asked Shi Hoon, who was walking at a relaxed pace, to walk faster and then ran towards the bookshop. The weather was so cold that she could see her own breath and her vision was blurry from the alcohol. Today she had gotten drunk faster than usual. ¡°Is there anyone here?¡± Eun Ha opened the door of the bookstore. Maybe it was due to the cold wind, but the owner seemed surprised by her arrival and shouted at her. ¡°Why did you open the door so suddenly?!¡± The owner looked around with a pale expression while Eun Ha frowned at him. After entering the shop, she shook the snow off her clothes and placed the books she had borrowed on the counter. ¡°Why are you acting so strange? Don¡¯t you want me to pay you back?¡± ¡°Lower your voice!¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re acting very strange today. Anyway, I wanted to return these books and borrow some others. Ah, also here are the five tael coins I owed.¡± The shop owner nervously looked at the other side of the room. He took the books Eun Ha has brought, and after checking their condition, he gave her a book he had hidden in the corner. ¡°You¡¯re the only one around that can read Xiyu. Since you always pay what you owe on time, you don¡¯t need to return this book. Just keep it.¡± The owner, who was usually very sweet towards her, seemed different today. It was clear that he wanted to kick her out of the shop. Even though she had received a gift from him, she still felt bad. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly accept the book. But mister, are you feeling okay? You¡¯re sweating a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s getting colder, so hurry back home.¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Young master Yoon is outside, right? Don¡¯t make him wait anymore. Just go.¡± The owner of the bookstore pushed Eun Ha outside. He indeed enjoyed her presence, but there was a very good reason for his strange behavior. After closing the door, he walked towards the backroom. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that. If there¡¯s a book you¡¯re looking for, please tell me the book title, so I can better assist you.¡± There were two individuals standing in front of the bookstore owner. A man wearing silk clothes and a round hat. Next to him, there was another man wearing full-fledged armor. It was clear that these weren¡¯t ordinary people. The man with pale skin and beautiful features asked, ¡°Is there a book written in Xiyu?¡± While holding his breath, the shop owner was searching for the book Eun Ha had just brought. ¡°I had more books written in Xiyu, but I¡¯ve already sold most of them. Right now, I have two left in stock.¡± ¡°Is there someone who knows how to read Xiyu in the area?¡± ¡°Yes, there are two people.¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s two, huh.¡± The owner nodded his head and handed the book to the warrior standing behind him. ¡°Yul Jae, it seems like we have found someone worthy.¡± ¡°I will gather additional information on them, my lord.¡± The nobleman seemed satisfied with the answer. He walked towards the exact spot Eun Ha had been standing. On top of the desk, there was a pouch of coins she had given the owner. The silk pouch had a red logo on it that caught his attention. Tiger Hunter. That voice he heard earlier definitely belonged to a girl. Why was she using the same pouch as tiger hunters? You could see the interest for the girl stirring in his eyes. His lips, which were as red as a poppy flower, curled into a smiled. ¡°If you introduce me to the girl that was just here before, I¡¯ll compensate you generously.¡± Surprised by the sudden request, the owner scurried towards the nobleman and asked, ¡°Why are you asking about her? She¡¯s not a servant from a noble family.¡± ¡°I already know that. There¡¯s no way a servant would come here to rent books.¡± ¡°Do you know her? If not, why are you asking me about Eun Ha?¡± ¡°I need someone to read for me since I¡¯m blind.¡± ¡°Eh? You¡¯re blind?¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± The owner of the shop looked at the man¡¯s eyes. It was hard to believe that he was blind. Even if he was as beautiful as an angel descending from the heavens, his eyes revealed the madness that lied within. If a man says that he¡¯s blind, he¡¯s blind. If he says that he¡¯s a farmer, he¡¯s a farmer. The owner opened his mouth and carefully spoke to the man in front of him. ¡°Eun Ha is a child, who is being raised in a courtesan house called Bu Young. If my lord agrees, I will send word and have her pay a visit within the next few days.¡± Chapter 3 The cold weather outside forced her to sober up. With the courtesan house on the horizon, she lifted her head and looked at the sky. Even if the sunlight hurt her eyes, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from gazing upwards. The sky was full of clouds that resembled cotton candy. During the spring, the trees that surrounded the courtesan house, would have branches covered in cherry blossoms, but due to the cold, the trees were now dormant. When spring arrives, will she be able to leave this place with her sister? ¡°Welcome back, young master.¡± The guards of the courtesan house saluted Shi Hoon. They were the ones who oversaw the security of this place. Their job included things like kicking out rude patrons or capturing runaway courtesans. Eun Ha clearly hated these people. ¡°Is mother inside?¡± ¡°Yes, she is. But¡­¡± ¡°Then ask her to open the door. I want to check on how she¡¯s doing, and then I¡¯ll go back.¡± The guards only cared about young master Yoon. So, she took the opportunity and ran inside. The garden of the courtesan house was illuminated with a gentle light. Here, there was an unusually high amount of camellia flowers. Because of that, most people who stepped inside, often said it had a dreamlike ambience. However, for Eun Ha, since she had spent ten years inside this place, it didn¡¯t feel special at all. It was a beautiful place indeed. But it was often frequented by drunk men who came here to play with women. Each time she saw her sister forcefully smiling, her hatred towards this place grew. Eun Ha walked towards the room, in front of where was a white camellia tree. After looking around, she carefully opened the door. ¡°Eun Ha!¡± It was her older sister, Lee Young, calling her with an angry expression. She had finished her make-up and was wearing a beautiful skirt in a jade color. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Tiger hunting? You should already know how dangerous that is!¡± ¡°S¡­ Sister¡­ Why you still here?¡± Eun Ha had never seen her sister so angry. ¡°How could I work after you ran off to go tiger hunting without telling me?!¡± Lee Young looked at the dirt-covered Eun Ha and summoned a servant to the room. ¡°Seo Hee, please fill the bathtub with hot water. I need to wash this walking pile of dirt.¡± Seo Hee stopped combing Lee Young¡¯s hair and left the room. Lee Young quickly thought of excuses she could use. ¡°You really thought that I¡¯d put myself in danger? I was following the hunters around while checking out if there was something that I could sell for a profit.¡± ¡°And why did you need money, huh?¡± ¡°I wanted to buy this book. Also, today the weather was warmer than yesterday. So, I knew that we wouldn¡¯t be able to find the tiger. That¡¯s the only reason why I participated in today¡¯s hunt.¡± It¡¯d be nice if she just let it go, but today, Lee Young wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°How can you be so shameless? Today, I¡¯m not letting you off easily. Anyway, go take a bath. I¡¯ll catch you up there soon.¡± ¡°S¡­ Sister¡­¡± ¡°Go!¡± Eun Ha put her books down and quickly walked away from the room. Lee Young recalled the pale hands and cheeks of her little sister. She¡¯d tried to give her everything she could. That¡¯s why it hurt her to see Eun Ha putting her life in danger like that. ¡°Lee Young, please don¡¯t blame her too much. After all, I was with her.¡± Lee Young lifted her head, after hearing Shi Hoon¡¯s voice, her chest was tingling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my little sister bothered you, Young Master.¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t bother me. I went with her because I wanted to.¡± ¡°She¡¯s bothering you because young master should be focusing on his studies. That¡¯s why if you see her hunting again, please scold her. She¡¯s at the age of marriage. If she keeps up with that behavior, no one will want her.¡± She gazed into Shi Hoon¡¯s eyes, and for a second, she could feel her face blushing. His shapely lips and curved eyes made him especially handsome. But these feelings of hers were forbidden. Even if Shi Hoon was born from an affair, he was still the son of a minister. A commoner like her had no chance with someone like him. ¡°How could I scold someone as cute and precious as her?¡± ¡°Your mother has strictly forbidden you from coming to this place. Why are you pretending to be ignorant of the reason behind that?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not, but there is a face that I want to see.¡± Shi Hoon glanced at the books Eun Ha had left behind. Seeing the kindness in his eyes made her chest hurt. Was she jealous? Even these types of feelings were forbidden to her. If the minister discovered how Shi Hoon felt towards Eun Ha, there would be trouble. ¡°Young master needs to learn how to control himself. Now that everyone knows that you¡¯re here, your mother will be here at any moment.¡± ¡°Even you are trying to kick me out of here. Okay, fine I will go back.¡± Shi Hoon stared at Lee Young after she had said goodbye and turned away. Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. This was a place where you could find flowers during every season of the year. And the person who was in charge of this place was his mother, Sim Deok. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that you shouldn¡¯t come to this place. Why is it that you never listen?¡± Upon hearing a friendly voice from behind, he turned around. There he saw his mother accompanied by two servants approaching him. Shi Hoon smiled and closed the distance between them. The stars were reflecting along the surface of the frozen pond, illuminating their surroundings. ¡°Mother, I need to see you regularly in order to feel calm. It¡¯s obvious why I come to this place, so who¡¯s going to dare point their fingers at me?¡± ¡°You need to take better care of your image. When your father hears that you¡¯ve come here again, he¡¯ll get angry with you.¡± ¡°He¡¯s always angry, so don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯m just fulfilling my duty as a son. Now that I¡¯ve seen that mother is doing fine, I¡¯ll go back.¡± Sim Deok called the guards and asked them to accompany Shi Hoon. She constantly told him not to visit her. Not only that, but she had also forbidden him to call her mother. But he never listened. And she was secretly happy about that. He was her pride and joy. Once he was gone, Sim Deok went back inside and headed towards Lee Young¡¯s room. There she saw the books that Eun Ha had brought. She looked at her servants and asked him. ¡°Hold old is Eun Ha this year?¡± ¡°She will be eighteen soon.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already eighteen?¡± ¡°Lee Young always treats her like a kid. So, we were surprised by that as well.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already at working age, huh?¡± Chun He, a servant, was horrified at Sim Deok¡±s words. Sim Deok knew that Lee Young wanted to prevent her sister from experiencing a lifestyle like this, yet she was trying to make her a courtesan as well. ¡°Tell Lee Young to come to my room tonight.¡± ¡°Yes, mistress.¡± Sim Deok walked away, crushing camelia flowers that were on top of the snow under ger. feet. * * * * * * * Eun Ha immersed herself in the bath while trying to escape the gaze of her sister. Lee Young asked the servant to wash Eun Ha. Every time the hot water touched her body, Eun Ha¡¯s skin began to resemble a pearl. Her unusually dark eyes shimmered like jewels. She was always dressed like a boy. But beneath those men¡¯s clothes hid a body with beautiful curves. If she dressed appropriately, men would go crazy about her. Lee Young wanted to free Eun Ha from this place before Sim Deok discovered her sister¡¯s hidden beauty. ¡°Eun Ha.¡± Eun Ha could see that Lee Young wasn¡¯t angry anymore, so she lifted her head and smiled brightly at her sister. In Lee Young¡¯s eyes, Eun Ha was still the same little kid that was holding her hands the day she first entered this place. And that filled her with sadness. ¡°I¡¯m going to start looking for a marriage partner for you.¡± Chapter 4 ¡°A marriage partner?!¡± Eun Ha stood up while clenching her fists. Lee Young already knew that her little sister would react like this, so she dropped an incense pouch in the bathwater. A sweet flower aroma started to spread through the bathroom. It was the aroma the courtesans used while primping. Eun Ha had never like the scent of the incense and immediately started looking for the pouch. Lee Young sighed and grabbed her little sister¡¯s arm. ¡°Listen to me!¡± ¡°Sister, why are you looking for my marriage partner? Is it because I don¡¯t listen to what you say? I¡¯ll change my attitude, so please stop. I¡¯ll earn a living by only running errands, and I won¡¯t get into trouble anymore.¡± ¡°Eun Ha, you need to get married now. If you get older, you won¡¯t be able to find a good partner. You¡¯ll have to settle with being a concubine of some old man,¡± Lee Young answered firmly. She didn¡¯t care about Eun Ha¡¯s promise. Eun Ha lost strength. She didn¡¯t know whether it was because of what Lee Young had just told her or it was steam from the hot water. As she got older, she started to act more and more like a man. Who would want a wife was skilled in martial arts and enjoyed hunting with a gun? Not only that, but Eun Ha thought Lee Young also wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, but now she is suddenly trying to find her a marriage partner. Eun Ha gathered her knees, placing her chin on top of them, and started to cry. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without you. If you want me to get married, you¡¯re coming with me.¡± Lee Young smiled at her sister¡¯s words. She poured some water on top of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. You are very smart and like to read. Maybe a merchant would be a good partner for you. Eun Ha, I want you to be free.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why? Do you want to become a courtesan too?¡± After hearing the word courtesan, Eun Ha lifted her head. Lee Young picked up a towel and wiped away the tears on her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been working as a courtesan for more than ten years. During this time, I developed a sixth sense. I¡¯m really worried about you. I know what I¡¯m talking about, so please listen to me.¡± * * * * * * * Eun Ha didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. She was starting to shiver due to the cool water, so she stood up and left the bathroom. After returning to her room, Eun Ha grabbed the new books she had gotten from the bookshop owner. Usually, she¡¯d be thrilled to read and learn something new, but right now, she just couldn¡¯t focus on the words written on the pages. It seemed to be a story about a girl falling in love with a boy from a rival family, but she wasn¡¯t sure, since she hadn¡¯t finished the book yet. Eun Ha stood up and sat down with the wall at her back because she felt uncomfortable. That¡¯s when she discovered that the nighttime work had begun. She could hear the seductive laughs of women and the thick voices of men. While she was used to these kinds of noises, it bothered her tonight. Eun Ha grabbed the books and went outside of her room. The vast courtesan house was illuminated as if it were still daytime. The courtesans were wearing very light clothes as if they couldn¡¯t feel the cold weather and the servants were very busy serving food and alcohol. Eun Ha put on cotton clothes to protect herself from the chilly weather and sneaked out. During these busy hours, the guards didn¡¯t seem to care about what she did, which made it easy for her to escape. ¡°Mister!¡± Eun Ha called out the bookshop owner. He seemed to be surprised by the late-night visit. ¡°What are you doing here so late at night?¡± ¡°I need a place to read some books without being disturbed. If you let me stay here for a little bit, I¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Eun Ha had come here at the right moment. The bookshop owner had been planning to visit her to fulfill the request of the blind customer that had been there earlier that day. He began to tremble as he recalled the customer¡¯s dangerous aura. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve sobered up!¡± The bookshop owner told her in a sarcastic tone. Eun Ha took out the headdress and smiled. ¡°Was it that obvious?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the smell of alcohol. You also smelled like gun powder and roast pork.¡± ¡°Really? Do I still smell like that?¡± ¡°Are you seriously asking me that?¡± ¡°I smell like make-up, right?¡± ¡°The scent is so strong that I can taste it.¡± Eun Ha smelled her arms. There was still a little bit of the scent of the incense left on her. She became embarrassed and pulled down her headwrap again. Then she took out the books she¡¯d brought to read. The bookshop owner gave her some candies and proceeded to sit down in front of her. He took out a long cigarette. ¡°It¡¯s unusually noisy tonight. I came here because I wanted to read in silence.¡± ¡°Is that rich guy harassing Lee Young again?¡± The cigarette smoke started to spread throughout the room. Eun Ha was eating the candies with an annoyed expression on her face. After silently eating the candy for a while, she closed the book and asked something. ¡°Mister, there¡¯s something I was wondering. How much does it cost to free a courtesan from the house?¡± ¡°Why? Are you planning to free Lee Young?¡± ¡°Why not? You know that¡¯s why I¡¯m working so much, right? It¡¯s all so I can free my sister from that courtesan house.¡± The owner tapped the cigarette to get rid of the ashes and exhaled while trying to think of an answer. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Usually, to have a courtesan become your concubine requires a payment of 300 tael coins. So, for someone like Lee Young, you¡¯ll probably need at least a thousand.¡± The owner was playing with his beard while observing Eun Ha. She was definitely the younger sister of Lee Young. Whenever she was dressed up as a boy, she just looked like a very handsome young man. But once she changed clothes, her beauty really stood out. The man, who asked to be introduced to Eun Ha, mentioned his blindness, so there¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve seen her beauty. He probably only needed someone that was able to read for him. Eun Ha was shocked by the massive amount of coins she needed. ¡°I knew that freeing my sister would cost a lot of money. But I never thought that it would require a thousand tael coins.¡± ¡°Are you seriously going to tell me that you didn¡¯t know? Do you know how many people want to get their hands on the number one flower?¡± ¡°Mister, my sister is not a flower. She¡¯s a human.¡± ¡°I know, I know. I only used that expression because everyone calls her that.¡± The bookshop owner said that while waiting for the opportunity to share he had. ¡°Hey, Eun Ha.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you want to work as a reader?¡± ¡°A reader?¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s someone that¡¯s looking for someone that can read him books written in Xiyu,¡± the owner nervously explained. Eun Ha seemed confused but also curious, so he decided to make her a proposition she couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°He told me that he would pay you a lot of money. So¡­ Are you interested?¡± * * * * * * * Lee Young stopped smiling. She was clenching her fists hard enough to leave marks on her hands. ¡°My little sister isn¡¯t destined to become a courtesan. So why are you¡­¡± Shim Dok laughed while watching Lee Young¡¯s trembling lips. She took a sip of water. ¡°How do you know whether she¡¯s destined or not? Thanks to her beauty, there¡¯s a lot of people that are asking me about Eun Ha.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a reason good enough to force someone into this lifestyle. I will not allow my sister to live as a courtesan.¡± Lee Young¡¯s nightmare had become a reality. Shim Dok is someone who didn¡¯t care about the will of others and perfectly capable of forcing someone into this lifestyle. When Lee Young was younger, she used to fear looking into Shim Dok¡¯s eyes, but in that moment, she wasn¡¯t scared. This place was open thanks to her, not Shim Dok as she¡¯s the main source of income. Lee Young had always thought that Shim Dok wouldn¡¯t dare touch Eun Ha for that reason alone. ¡°Mr. Cho Yeong Ho has asked me to give you to him. He wants you to become his concubine. Since he has helped me a lot in the past, I just couldn¡¯t refuse immediately, but I should give him an answer soon. So, it¡¯s your choice. You can become his concubine, or I will make a courtesan out of Eun Ha.¡± Lee Young laughed at the words she had just heard. ¡°He isn¡¯t the king. He has seven sons and five concubines. You want me to become the sixth one? How dare you make such a ridiculous proposition to me?¡± ¡°But!¡± Shim Dok put down her teacup angrily and glared at Lee Young. Meanwhile, Lee Young glared right back. ¡°It seems that Young Master Yoon has a commoner in his heart. I gave both of you a place to stay and food to eat, and this is how you pay me back?! I already told the both of you that a line needed to be drawn between him and yourselves! Do you think that she acted this way while being ignorant of his feelings?!¡± Lee Young closed her eyes to think. Eun Ha wasn¡¯t aware of Young Master Yoon¡¯s feelings. She¡¯s someone that had never been with a man, hence there¡¯s no way she would¡¯ve acted in such ways while knowing Shi Hoon¡¯s feelings. After calming down a bit, Sim Dok filled her cup with tea. The white tea leaves gave a very pure and clean scent. Clean, unlike this place. ¡°I¡¯m going to search for a marriage partner for Eun Ha. I¡¯m also bothered by what you¡¯ve just said. However, she isn¡¯t aware of the feelings between men and women, and furthermore, she has no feelings towards Young Master Shi Hoon. How can I not know when she¡¯s my little sister? Give me some time. After I get a good marriage partner for her, I plan to live a silent life as a nun, so please¡­¡± *Note* Can ya¡¯ll wait until there is some progress in the story before giving it a bad review on NovelUpdates? Please read those tags carefully and don¡¯t read something that you know you aren¡¯t going to like. Don¡¯t be hardheaded? ? Chapter 5 Eun Ha couldn¡¯t sleep at all. Each time she closed her eyes, the words of the book shop owner replayed in her head. Whenever she opened her eyes, all she could see was her beautiful sister¡¯s face. Her swollen red eyes were a testament to how much she had cried during the day. Most courtesans had humble origins, often coming from families of low social standing. Even if they dressed in clothes normally reserved for the ladies of wealthy families and received much adoration, they were still treated as someone of low class. Despite their treatment, her sister was famously known as ¡®Hibiscus¡¯, a blossom that everyone went crazy for because they couldn¡¯t cut and obtain the flower. The more she thought about her sister, the worse she felt. ¡®Why would someone from a high social standing hire someone like me to read them stories?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s because he can¡¯t see.¡¯ ¡®Eh? Is he blind?¡¯ ¡®Yes. That¡¯s why it made sense to me that he was looking for someone who could read for him. But, if you¡¯re not interested, I¡¯m going to ask someone else.¡¯ ¡®No! I never said that I wouldn¡¯t do it. It¡¯s just that I was curious about him. After all, I need to know more about a person before deciding to work for them.¡¯ The book shop owner decided to give Eun Ha some time to think about it. He also told her that it would probably be an easy job to do. For Eun Ha, there really wasn¡¯t any reason to refuse the job offer. However, this individual seemed to be from a very high social class. But why is it that she couldn¡¯t immediately say yes? Eun Ha, who had been staring a pile of books that were stacked in the corner of her room, put on her outerwear, and went outside. She sat down on the wooden porch and looked at the bright sky while peeling the dead skin from her chapped lips. The truth was that she knew why she was hesitating. And why she didn¡¯t want to earn money reading despite her love of books. ¡®I¡¯m innocent! Me having an affair with madam? Your excellency, I really am innocent! It¡¯s just my job to read books for others! I swear by my children, all I did was reading books to madam!¡¯ It was a cold day when her father was accused of having an affair with the wife of a high-ranking public official. He was taken to the government office, and once there, they beat him with a wooden [1]cudgel. They couldn¡¯t do anything. Eun Ha and her sister cried and begged for their father¡¯s life. But all they received were kicks and insults. That day, their father died before their eyes. Back then, they didn¡¯t know the identity of the important individual their dad had supposedly slept with. They also had no idea what an affair was and why it was considered a crime. Some years later, she recalled that the servants had addressed her as ¡®Princess.¡¯ At that moment, the shame she felt couldn¡¯t be expressed with words. That¡¯s the reason why she suddenly stopped pouring alcohol on her father¡¯s grave. Eun Ha rested her forehead on her knees and wiggled her frozen toes. She sniffled while trying to hold down the tears. If her dad hadn¡¯t made such a mistake, her sister wouldn¡¯t have needed to become a courtesan. Also, she wouldn¡¯t be full of doubts about what she should do next. ¡°Eun Ha, it¡¯s cold outside. What are you doing?¡± Eun Ha turned towards Young, who had just opened the door. She stared blankly at Eun Ha for a while, sighed, and then embraced her sister¡¯s cold body. She patted her head gently while telling her it was all just a nightmare. As the sun chased the dusk away, and the frozen lands began to melt. * * * * * * * ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well, Chun He. It seems like I¡¯ve caught a mild flu.¡± Chun He gazed at Lee Young with pity before leaving the room to fetch some hot tea. After hearing her sister cough, Eun Ha dressed up as a man so she could fetch a doctor. She wanted to have Young examined as soon as possible. But Young tried to stop Eun Ha with a pale expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m going to take this opportunity and rest for a bit. If you want, go buy me some medicine instead.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You have a very high fever! Let¡¯s get you examined by a doctor¡­please?¡± ¡°I only get to rest at times like these. Honestly, I hope it lasts longer.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say that! How can you say something like that?!¡± Angered by her words, Eun Ha forced Young to lay down, before covering her with a blanket and placing a wet towel on her forehead. Young seized Eun Ha¡¯s hand and placed a couple of coins in her palm. ¡°Today is market day, right? Go out and buy some sweets, rent a book, and if you see a cute ribbon, buy it. I¡¯m going to tie your hair with it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the tip for the errand. Buy me some medicine on your way back.¡± Lee Young smiled beautifully even while enduring the continuous painful coughs. Eun Ha didn¡¯t know what to do and left only after Chun He returned with [2]Balloon Flower tea. As she walked away, Eun Ha constantly looked back at the house with a worried expression. Although Chun He was Sim Deok¡¯s servant and they had first met each other in the courtesan house, Eun Ha believed that Chun He would take good care of her sister. Eun Ha walked quickly towards her destination. If she accepted the bookshop owner¡¯s request, there was a chance she¡¯d be able to meet the person who wanted to hire her immediately. The fact she was dressed up as a boy bothered her only slightly, but from what she had heard, he was blind, and probably wouldn¡¯t mind her attire. After all, her job was to read. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± When Eun Ha arrived at the bookshop and knocked on the door. Perhaps due to it being early morning, the owner appeared behind her with a large bag in hand. ¡°You¡¯re early today!¡± The moment she caught sight of the new Xiyu books in his hands, Eun Ha¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Why do you have so many expensive books?¡± ¡°This is the order for the person that was here the other day. To fetch these, I had to get up early in the morning and walk a long distance.¡± ¡°Next time, please take me too. I¡¯m very interested.¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it. But what are you doing here so early in the morning? Perhaps¡­ You¡¯re here to accept the job offer I told you about the other day?¡± Eun Ha smiled and nodded. ¡°After thinking it over, I began to understand how frustrating blindness could be. That and the high pay made me interested in this job.¡± ¡°Well then, should we go?¡± ¡°Right now?¡± Eun Ha exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise. After seeing her reaction, he motioned towards the bag that he was carrying. ¡°I was just about to go and deliver the books he had asked for. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to accompany me? That way, you¡¯ll be able to meet him directly.¡± ¡°Okay, but I don¡¯t have much time. I still need to buy some medicine for my sister.¡± ¡°Why? Did she catch the flu?¡± ¡°Yes, and a very strong one.¡± The bookshop owner clicked his tongue in response before leading the way. As Eun Ha followed the bookshop owner, she glanced around as the market started to open. There was a child accompanied by his mother selling dried herbs. Then there was a merchant who was displaying different kinds of ribbons. On the other side of the street, an artist was drawing a couple. Further down, she could also see a taffy seller, then bit later, she walked past a shop selling silk. While it was the middle of the winter, she could see people everywhere. She didn¡¯t understand why but the sight gave her strength. * * * * * * * * ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Neither the shop owner nor Eun Ha could believe their eyes. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t know there was such a big house in town.¡± ¡°Me neither. Does he really live here? It looks like a palace.¡± ¡°What are you saying? A palace is much bigger than this. Please be careful, it appears that he isn¡¯t an ordinary person.¡± Eun Ha gulped as she stood next to the shop owner. ¡°Is there anyone here?¡± The owner shouted. Someone who appeared to be a guard opened the door and looked at them with suspicion. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Good morning. We¡¯re from the bookshop. The owner of this house has asked us to deliver some books, and I also brought along someone who can read to him.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Is this the reader?¡± The guard regarded Eun Ha and her boyish attire with suspicion. The shop owner laughed and patted Eun Ha on the back. ¡°Although she¡¯s dressed like a boy, she¡¯s actually a girl. But she prefers to dress this way, so please, try to be understanding. Is he awake or did we arrive too early in the morning?¡± Eun Ha was surprised at how the shop owner was talking. It was her first time seeing him act this way. She gazed up at the large house with an astonished expression. ¡°I¡¯ve just heated some water. It will probably be enough to wash your hands. Come in and wait inside.¡± As they entered the house that looked like a palace, Eun Ha tried her best not to overreact. The interior of the house was even bigger than it seemed from the outside. There was a staircase made of rocks, pine trees everywhere, and she could see more than ten guards. It was at least twice the size of an average courtesan house. She began to wonder about what kind of person lived in a place like this. Even the house where Young Master Yoon lived wasn¡¯t as grand as this one. They were standing in the middle of the yard when an armed guard approached them. The shop owner seemed to know that person since he greeted him immediately. ¡°It¡¯s me, the bookshop owner Song Ga. I¡¯ve prepared the books you¡¯ve asked for and the reader you asked me to introduce.¡± After hearing the shop owner¡¯s words, the guard glanced at Eun Ha, and she felt intimidated by the look in his eyes. ¡°Good job. My lord has only granted the reader permission to enter. Therefore, you can wait at the servant¡¯s house.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, yes.¡± Two servants came out of nowhere and took the books from the shop owner. As Eun Ha followed the armed man, she noticed that the shop owner also seemed confused. She took off her shoes that were frozen and walked inside the house. There was a large corridor that was filled with darkness due to the lack of natural light. Eun Ha felt nervous and was breathing heavily. The sword of the man walking before her wasn¡¯t a normal blade. She was staring at the sheath, which was engraved with the figure of a tiger, that she didn¡¯t notice the armed man had stopped walking, and almost bumped into him. He seemed annoyed by her presence. Before opening the door, he warned Eun Ha. ¡°Don¡¯t ask him anything. Don¡¯t try to chit-chat. Don¡¯t stand up before he has given you permission. Understand?¡± [1] Cudgel: a short, thick stick or staff that is used as a weapon. [2] a popular South Korean tea made from the flower root. Chapter 6 That warning seemed hostile, but Eun Ha silently nodded in agreement. The most important thing for her right now was to earn money. This important person, supposedly, was going to pay her one thousand tael coins. Judging from the pile of books the shop owner had brought, Eun Ha could tell that she¡¯d be able to get at least 500 coins. Her throat would probably get hoarse, but she could endure that. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ve brought the reader.¡± ¡°Let her in.¡± The voice that came from the other side of the door gave her goosebumps. It was a low and sleepy voice. Among the scent of paulownia, there was a strong smell of tobacco mixed in it, but beneath that, was a strange odor. It reminded her of the pages of a book, wet with food and drinks, that hadn¡¯t dried correctly. The door opened silently and a gentle and soft light illuminated the room. A man was sitting with one leg up on top of a seat made of silk. He smiled gently while looking in the direction of where she was standing. He was wearing a blue robe, which was wide open. Around his top knot, she could see a crownless hat made of gold. He had noble facial features. His lips were red and had a beautiful shape, just like a woman¡¯s. On the other hand, it was hard to tell the color of his eyes, which were like those of a wild animal. Eun Ha felt like she was a prey animal walking towards its demise. She tried her best not to feel intimidated, but she was still afraid because she knew what the sword underneath his right hand represented. Eun Ha couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she was walking into the cave of a tiger. It wouldn¡¯t surprise her at all if this breathtakingly beautiful man suddenly transformed into a tiger and devoured her. ¡®How can this man be blind?¡¯ Eun Ha started to think that the bookshop owner had lied to her, because this man was definitely looking directly at her. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t be blind. Eun Ha stopped approximately ten steps away from him. As she began to kneel down, that low and sleepy voice called out to her. ¡°Come closer.¡± Eun Ha stood up, reluctantly walking forward two or three more steps before stopping again. However, each time she paused her steps, the man, who had a grin on his face, would ask her to come even closer. Finally, when Eun Ha was only one step away, she kneeled and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°If I get any closer, I¡¯ll end up touching my lord¡¯s legs.¡± Opening his eyes, he leaned forward in his seat and got closer to her face. Then he placed his hand on her cheeks, which startled her quite a bit. ¡°M¡­ My lord¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a girl¡­ And a very young one too.¡± ¡°E¡­ Even if I¡¯m wearing a skirt or pants, reading is still reading.¡± His fingertips were soft, but the palm of his hand wasn¡¯t. Firm calluses rubbed her cheek as his thumb touched her lips. While he was touching her face, she kept her eyes closed tightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hire me because I¡¯m a girl, I¡¯ll go back.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I never said that I didn¡¯t want to hire you. I was just surprised. So, how old are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m eighteen years old. Once the year changes, I¡¯ll turn nineteen.¡± ¡°Are you married?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± He dropped his hand after she had finished answering his questions. Eun Ha took a deep breath and backed away a little bit. She started to question his blindness even more, but he would certainly punish her if she asked about it. Eun Ha couldn¡¯t help to think about how beautiful he was, even amid the current situation. Could she compare him to the sight of a dewdrop clinging to a leaf in the early morning? Or the moment the charcoal began to glow scarlet red in the middle of a pile of ash? It was hard to find the correct words to describe this man¡¯s beauty. Eun Ha felt that if she looked away, he would simply disappear. Recalling the warrior¡¯s warning to not ask questions, she silently waited for him to request something of her. The man was touching his lips with the same fingers he had just used to touch her before he pointed to a bookshelf. ¡°Go to the bookshelf and bring me the book that¡¯s on top of that pile.¡± Following his directions, Eun Ha located the book, and as she presented it to him, she noticed that the title was, ¡®IL PRINCIPE¡¯. It was a book she hadn¡¯t read yet, but the title filled her with even more confusion than before. ¡°My lord, here it¡¯s the book you asked for.¡± ¡°Read it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. I need to see how good you are before deciding on how much money to pay you.¡± ¡°H¡­ How should I proceed? I can analyze the book or just read it out loud.¡± ¡°That sounds interesting. Do it both ways.¡± Eun Ha could feel that the man was having doubts about her abilities. He probably thought there was a chance that she was trying to take advantage of his blindness by pretending to know how read and take his money without doing any actual work. She slowly and carefully turned the pages of the book. He was so close to her that she could feel his breath on her forehead. ¡®It¡¯s not like he¡¯s deaf. Why do I have to read with him at such a close distance?¡¯ ¡°Niccol¨° Machiavelli to the Magnificent Lorenzo de¡¯ Medici.¡± As she began to read about a monarchy, his eyes started to shine while watching her from above. Reciting paragraphs filled with words she had never seen before embarrassed Eun Ha, but she was able to grasp of the meaning almost immediately. The text was a letter that a subordinate had written his king and it wasn¡¯t meant for everyone¡¯s eyes. As she continued to read, the man smiled at her in satisfaction. ¡°I hope hearing a person of low status read to you about how to rule over a territory doesn¡¯t annoy you.¡± Her eyes shook while reading a book full of heavy words that shouldn¡¯t be spoken aloud. When Eun Ha slowly decreased the speed of reading and looked up, the man raised a brow as he held a long cigarette in his mouth. ¡°You¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re satisfied.¡± ¡°Who taught you how to read?¡± ¡°Someone close to me was a good teacher.¡± ¡°Then, what is the price for your voice?¡± At the man¡¯s question, she lowered her gaze. A chance like this would never happen again. If she let this opportunity go, she would probably regret it for the rest of her life. ¡°I think that my voice is worth at least a thousand tael coins.¡± ¡°A thousand coins, huh?¡± He probably thought that she had asked for too much. ¡®Should I lower my price to seven hundred coins?¡¯ Eun Ha wondered until he suddenly touched her chin with his finger. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± He asked, raising her chin and smiling. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you the double. No, let¡¯s make it quadruple. But, you have to read at least thirty books to me. Once you¡¯re done, we¡¯ll renegotiate the price for the next batch.¡± ¡°R¡­ Really?¡± ¡°But before that, there¡¯s something you should remember.¡± Eun Ha gulped and nodded. Her hands were trembling. He had just given her a rope that would help her climb the social ladder. If it was quadruple the amount she had asked for, it would be more than enough money to buy her sister¡¯s freedom. She would also be able to buy a house and even open a shop. That¡¯s how significant that amount of money would be for her. Then suddenly, he stopped smiling and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. ¡°I am now the owner of your voice. If I want to hear it, if I feel the urge to listen to it¡­ You will be here, always. Understood?¡± * * * * * * * Ji Hak was smoking while staring at the spot where Eun Ha was kneeling until recently, reading the book he had asked for. The smoke slowly escaped from his lips. He used the cigarette holder to turn the pages of the book. He had read it so many times that he had it memorized. The last copy of this book was so worn that he bought a replacement. Since he had already memorized the entire contents of the book, he knew she hadn¡¯t lied about her abilities. If she had tried to fake the reading or lie about the contents of the book, he would have snapped her neck right then and there. That pale, slender neck was so delicate that one of his hands would be enough to crush it. But she tried her best until the very end. ¡°My lord, the reader has gone back.¡± Yul Jae kneeled before Ji Hak, while smirking, and directed his gaze towards him. ¡°Yul Jae, have someone to spread a rumor. The former crown prince, Seo Ji Hak, has hired a reader. Make sure they describe how she was dressed in men¡¯s clothes, and he just had her read for him.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ji Hak opened the window next to him and the smoke that filled the room went out, and his sight became clear. ¡°If that rumor spreads to the capital city, the corrupt officials will probably believe the lie about my blindness. They will think that she¡¯s my weakness and try to locate her. Things are going to get interesting.¡± Seo Ji Hak smiled maliciously. ¡®What was her name again? Eun Ha?¡¯ There was only one reason for choosing someone as small, soft, and mentally weak as her To use her as bait. He needed bait that was intelligent, but frail enough that she¡¯d be easy to kill. Once he had no more use for her, he didn¡¯t really care what happened to her. While she was too beautiful to simply throw away after using, the fact that she was from a lower class didn¡¯t change anything. Even if she died, no one would bat an eye. But, when he remembered the look in her eyes, he started to feel strange. ¡°Will you just sit by and watch her be endangered?¡± Ji Hak had been staring out the window but turned towards Yul Jae and gave him a cold gaze upon hearing his question. Yul Jae bowed down while trembling. ¡°I made a severe lapse in my judgment, my lord.¡± Ji Hak stood up after tapping the ash from his cigarette. He was more than 6ft tall, and had wide shoulders. For a moment, Seo Ji Hak looked down at Yul Jae with the majestic presence he once had back when he was still the crown prince. ¡°Aren¡¯t you interested in who will try to approach her first? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter who it is. They won¡¯t be able to kill her. After all, she agreed to become mine. So, whether she lives or not, that is something I will decide. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Chapter 7 After leaving Ji Hak¡¯s house, Eun Ha turned around many times. The things that had happened there didn¡¯t seem real. It was as if she¡¯d been dreaming. He offered neither 100 tael coins nor 1000 tael coins. What he offered was to double the amount of double. Was he testing her? To see if she was only after the money? Maybe, tomorrow when she comes back, he¡¯ll say something different. She slapped her cheeks with both her hands, which surprised the bookshop owner. ¡°Did you finally lose your mind? Why are you hitting yourself?¡± ¡°I did it because I can¡¯t believe what just happened.¡± ¡°Why? Did you fall in love with that mister?¡± ¡°Love? No. He said he¡¯d pay me a lot of money, so I¡¯m having a hard time believing it really happened.¡± Eun Ha walked silently while rubbing her cheeks. Since she seemed to be struggling, the bookshop owner said to her, ¡°Really? Well, it doesn¡¯t surprise me. After all, he also paid me a lot of money for the books. But be careful. If what you have in your hands is too sweet, it can be bad for your health.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s why I hit myself, to see if I can come back to my senses. I was afraid of falling for it.¡± Her smile was as fluffy as winter snow. Song, the bookshop owner, turned around and looked back at Seo Ji Hak¡¯s house. He remembered what he had heard there. ¡®Who would¡¯ve thought the owner of that house is the crown prince.¡¯ Although, Seo Ji Hak had lost that position. The current king had four sons. Among them, the queen had given birth to only Seo Ji Hak. Which is why the king favored him a lot. But once the queen died and one of his concubines took that position, a bloodbath began in the royal family. It was a long fight, and the citizens were the ones that suffered the consequences of it. Most people thought Seo Ji Hak would end up taking the throne. But that didn¡¯t happen. In the end, he lost his position and was forced to go live in the countryside. Not only that, but he also lost his sight and became blind. Bookshop owner Song had an interest in politics, so he was aware of what was happening in the capital city. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that such a scary person wants Eun Ha.¡¯ The owner couldn¡¯t help but think of how things would get dangerous. However, he wasn¡¯t sure if he should mention this to her. This may be her only chance to get her sister out of the courtesan house. Mr. Song shook the thought away and gave Eun Ha a sweet he had received while waiting for her to return. ¡°It was my first time eating something so sweet and delicious. You should also taste it.¡± Eun Ha smiled the moment she saw the sweet treat covered in a cotton cloth. ¡°Thanks a lot. Mister, if everything goes well, I¡¯ll definitely pay you back for your generosity.¡± Her sweet and lovely smile made his heart ache, but he decided to brush it off. * * * * * * * By the time Eun Ha had returned with the medicine, Young¡¯s fever had decreased considerably. When her fever refused to go down, Chun Hee had carried her to the bathtub in order to cool her body. Only after a cold shower was Young able to come back to her senses. ¡°Sister, this is a medicine that doctor Seo made himself, so please, take it. Then let¡¯s share this sweet. This was given to me by the bookshop owner.¡± ¡°The colors are very pretty¡­ Thank you, Eun Ha.¡± ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Eun Ha asked while touching Young¡¯s forehead. Young shook her head as she took the medicine. Afterwards, she cut the sweet in half and gave a portion to Eun Ha. While eating the sweet, Eun Ha tried to think of how to tell her sister about the events that occurred today. Eun Ha was afraid of Young learning about her new job as a reader. Perhaps her sister would get sicker after learning the truth. However, if she didn¡¯t say anything, Young would be very angry. In the end, she chose to keep it a secret. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m going to start working with the bookshop owner.¡± Young raised her brows in response and Eun Ha saw her own expression reflected in her eyes. Although their dressing styles were completely different, they still resembled each other. ¡°What kind of work are you going to do with Mr. Song?¡± ¡°A relative of his sells books written in western languages. That¡¯s why he has so many of them in his bookshop. But he says that his relative needs more helpers. The original books are very expensive, which is why he¡¯s transcribing them. But there aren¡¯t that many people who know how to read and write the western languages, so he¡¯s asked me to come and help.¡± Eun Ha was surprised by how well she was lying. Was it because she wasn¡¯t trembling? Young had believed her lies and was now smiling as she stroked Eun Ha¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m glad he has a very good opinion on you.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m great.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that you¡¯re smart. I finally feel at ease now,¡± Young sighed in relief. Eun Ha also felt a sense of relief after seeing her sister¡¯s reaction. Although she had lied to her, this was all to help her. Since her fever was starting to get worse again, Eun Ha allowed Young to rest and started to pack her things. She thought that she¡¯d be able to come back every ten days to see her sister. But maybe her employer would find it suspicious if she visited her sister too frequently. Maybe once a month would be better. Since she mostly wore men¡¯s clothing, she didn¡¯t have that many things to pack. After packing up her inkstone, ink, and brush, her room started to feel empty. Lastly, she grabbed the money pot and placed a seal on it. Now no one would dare touch it. Only then was she satisfied and laid down next to her sister. Tomorrow, she had to meet that scary mister again. However, people say you can adapt to anything after a while, even scary people. With a very determined mind, Eun Ha covered herself with the blanket and hugged Young. Thoughts of not being able to see her sister for a while made her sad. Usually, she behaved like a grown-up boy. But, when she was with her sister, she always felt like a child. She found comfort in the arms of Young, who was like a mother figure for her, and closed her eyes. That night felt shorter than usual. * * * * * * * ¡°Since the house owner hasn¡¯t allowed it, you can¡¯t go outside from today onwards.¡± Early the next morning, the guards blocked Eun Ha from leaving the courtesan house. Song, the bookshop owner, couldn¡¯t believe what was going on. ¡°Why are you doing this? She isn¡¯t a courtesan!¡± ¡°You have no sayings on this issue, old man. We only take orders from the owner of the house.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she must have her reasons. But still, treating this kid as a courtesan is wrong!¡± Eun Ha, who was usually very scared of the guards, glared at them while wondering how things had gotten to this point. The owner of the courtesan house had never cared about her. She only got mad at her when she returned late from studying with Young Master Yoon. Eun Ha understood her anger, but didn¡¯t want to stop studying out of fear. Why did she give such an order? ¡°Mister Song, just go back for now. Tell the lord about the current situation and ask him for more time. I¡¯ll try to get away from here as soon as possible.¡± ¡°O¡­ Okay. It¡¯s my first time seeing or hearing about such nonsense. You¡¯re all going to regret this!¡± The guards didn¡¯t seem to care about Mr. Song¡¯s warning. Not long after he had left, Young appeared at the entrance and began shouting at the guards that were blocking Eun Ha. ¡°What are you doing?! How dare you block her way?! Is this an order from her?!¡± ¡°Yes, this is an order from the owner. So if you have any complaints, go talk to her.¡± ¡°How dare you talk like that. Eun Ha, wait for me. I¡¯ll go talk to her.¡± Eun Ha felt it was for the best that she remained silent. Now she was starting to understand why her sister wanted her to get out of this house as soon as possible. And why she cried every single night. The reason why that person didn¡¯t want her to leave this house was obvious. ¡°I¡¯m here. There¡¯s no need to search for me.¡± Shim Dok appeared just as Young was about to turn around. The guards kneeled the moment they spotted her. Eun Ha and Young confronted her immediately. ¡°Why are you always like this?¡± Shim Dok smiled at Young¡¯s harsh remark. She stood in front of Eun Ha and scanned her head to toe. Shin Dok was a concubine of the minister of defense and the owner of the courtesan house. She was still technically a commoner since she wasn¡¯t able to become the official wife. Despite that, she had more power and influence than most nobles. ¡°Even if you¡¯re wearing men¡¯s clothing, you can¡¯t hide that beautiful face.¡± Eun Ha bit her lips and replied, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your words, but I have no intentions of making a living off of my appearance.¡± ¡°Living off of your appearance, huh? Eun Ha, your sister is a commoner. Why are you acting as if you aren¡¯t one? Do you think it¡¯s her blessing that both of you can sleep in a comfortable room and eat delicious food?¡± Eun Ha glared intensely at Shin Dok, who spoke horrifyingly elegantly. With a smile, she called the guards. ¡°She¡¯s a stubborn child, so lock her up. I don¡¯t want her to see Young Master Yoon anymore.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡®Lock me up?!¡¯ Eun Ha silenced Young, who was about to shout. ¡°It seems like there was a misunderstanding. I¡¯m not going out to see Young Master Yoon. I¡¯m going to work at a place far away from here.¡± She frowned in disgust after hearing the word ¡®work.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m tired of hearing that lie. If I can¡¯t make Young Master Yoon give up on you, I¡¯ll just lock you up. Since your sister has rejected my offer, this is my only choice. Someone as shameless as you, who enjoys dressing up like a man, will get used to it quickly. Guards! What are you doing?! Take her!¡± Chapter 8 Mr. Song waited outside for Eun Ha to come out, but once the guards closed and locked the gates, he gave up. He was aware Eun Ha was thinking about making more money these days, but he never thought that something like this could happen. ¡®Turn her into a courtesan?¡¯ He felt disgusted by Shim Dok for wanting to force a kid, who clearly hates the courtesan profession, to become one. Mr. Song wandered around his shop, thinking about what he should do. Then he suddenly remembered Eun Ha¡¯s instructions to deliver a message to the Lord, informing him that she would try to escape as soon as possible. A commoner asking a noble for a favor was something that wasn¡¯t allowed. Although it wasn¡¯t her fault, she had broken the promise. In this situation, asking for consideration from the other party was ridiculous. There was no way that an intelligent kid Eun Ha didn¡¯t know that. Just in case, Song decided to deliver the message. If things didn¡¯t work out, he might also be affected by it. Then there was only one possible solution. Those who saw him running while struggling to breathe, made fun of him. But he didn¡¯t have time for that. Although he was out of breath and his legs hurt, Song just kept running towards Seo Ji Hak¡¯s house. * * * * * * * ¡°I really wasn¡¯t trying to see Young Master Yoon! Why are you doing this to me?!¡± It had been many hours since she was locked inside her room. Eun Ha kept banging the door while shouting, but there was no answer from the other side. It wouldn¡¯t feel so suffocating if there was any kind of response from the guards. Not only that, she had been locked in a room with lax security. It was as if Shim Dok was daring her to escape. The moment Eun Ha escaped, that woman would probably hurt her sister. The owner of the courtesan house was that type of woman. ¡°Please listen to me! If I don¡¯t go out now, things will get really bad! A very scary person is waiting for me!¡± Eun Ha tried banging the door or hitting the wall with her head, but it was useless. The two shadows on the other side of the door did not move at all. She sat down on the floor in confusion. She was having a hard time understanding Shim Dok¡¯s actions. It wasn¡¯t like she was going to become a courtesan. Eun Ha laid on the floor and sighed while gazing up at the ceiling. She was terrified of the Lord becoming angry and taking her life. Also, why is it that her neck was hurting so much? She closed her eyes, hoping the time would pass quickly. ¡°Eun Ha? Are you there?¡± She could hear Chun Hee¡¯s voice coming from outside the door. ¡°The Owner has sent me. Open the door.¡± ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Chun Hee, her personal servant. If you have any doubts, go ask her directly.¡± The guards looked at each other and then decided to open the door. Eun Ha blinked at the harshness of the light coming in from the other side of the door. People were probably getting ready for that night¡¯s work. Chun He approached Eun Ha and slapped her on the back. ¡°Why were you trying to escape?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t! I¡¯d never escape and leave my sister behind.¡± ¡°Then why are all your things packed? You packed up everything the moment people began talking about making you a courtesan. It was obvious how she would react!¡± ¡°Huh? What? Making me a courtesan?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? The owner was doing her best to convince Young¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she rejected such a ridiculous offer! Why would she even say yes to such a thing?¡± Chun Hee quickly covered Eun Ha¡¯s mouth before glancing outside, and then shook her head. Seeing how she wanted Eun Ha to lower her voice, it was obvious that the house owner hadn¡¯t sent her. ¡°Eun Ha, prepare yourself for the worst. She has finished all the preparations to make you a courtesan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know the etiquette, and I have no intention of living a life of selling fake smiles!¡± ¡°I know, but think about it. How many of the girls here actually wanted to become a courtesan? No girl dreams of becoming a flower.¡± When she saw Eun Ha was close to crying, Chun Hee grabbed her hand and tried to comfort her. ¡°First, they humiliate you in front of the nobles. Then, she lets the servants harass you. A low life will try to lift your skirt and touch you. Do you think the girls working here enjoy being treated this way? Every night before they go to bed, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s more than a few who want to bite their tongue and not wake up ever again. But they wake up the next morning to endure the same things over and over again. That¡¯s the life of a courtesan. And the one that allows it to be so horrible is the house¡¯s owner.¡± Eun Ha¡¯s face turned pale. Chun Hee was afraid Young would get hurt due to Eun Ha¡¯s rebellious nature. Eun Ha was the reason why Young had gotten sick in the first place. Also, if she had been a bit more mature, she would have never allowed Young Master Yoon to follow her around. However, Eun Ha only thought of him as an older brother. That¡¯s why they were always so close. Nevertheless, Chun Hee knew that it had been only a matter of time before Shim Deok eventually exploded. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I really don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°If you really don¡¯t want to, then you shouldn¡¯t. But be prepared for the worst. She¡¯s willing to do whatever is necessary to make you a courtesan.¡± Eun Ha was visibly trembling as she closed her eyes. Although she was shaking, she still hadn¡¯t given up hope. Seeing this change in demenor, Chun Hee knew it was useless to continue trying to talk to Eun Ha as it only served to make her angrier than before. When Chun Hee finally left Eun Ha¡¯s room, something seemed off in the courtesan house, but she didn¡¯t see anything strange. Just as always, there were men dressed in silk robes crossing the gate of the courtesan house with the courtesans running towards them while trying to look cute. Chun Hee tilted her head and was about to walk toward Shim Deok¡¯s room when Seo Hee, one of Young¡¯s servants, came running towards her from a distance and grabbed her sleeves. ¡°S¡­ Sister! She isn¡¯t here. An important client came, and she went out to personally greet him.¡± ¡°What? She went out to personally greet him?¡± ¡®Did the minister come to pay a visit?¡¯ If he had come here, it would explain the current weird atmosphere. It wouldn¡¯t even be necessary to ask which room was picked. She had probably taken him to the biggest and most luxurious one. Although she supported Shim Dok, Chun Hee began feeling uneasy. Shim Dok was probably going to get mad at her for going out without saying a word. Chun Hee left Seo Hee behind and walked toward the secret room, which was located in the deepest part of the courtesan house. From a distance, she could see the servants taking food and drinks there. ¡°Is the house owner here?¡± Chun Hee asked the servants serving the food and drinks. The oldest of the house servants pointed at the room with her chin. ¡°An incredibly important person came. He seems to be blind. He came here accompanied by a knight and appears to be someone of higher status than the minister. Therefore, you need to be careful, Chun Hee. Understood?¡± ¡®Someone blind and accompanied by a knight?¡¯ ¡°Is he someone young?¡± ¡°Very young. It¡¯s also my first time seeing someone so pretty.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s way prettier than the average courtesan here.¡± With a nervous expression on her face, she accompanied the people delivering the food and drinks. Beyond the half-moon-shaped door, she saw Shim Dok sitting down with her face looking down. On the other side, there was a man sitting and smoking. The moment the man looked at her with his eyes half-closed, she felt fear. She instinctively knew that she shouldn¡¯t look him directly in the eyes and bowed immediately. He was smiling. Was it because he saw Chun Hee bowing? ¡°There¡¯s a courtesan here called Young, right?¡± The man asked with a low and grave voice. Shim Dok bit her lips. ¡°My Lord, I¡¯m sorry, but Young is currently sick, and will be unable to attend you¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not looking for her. The one I want is her little sister. She¡¯s called Eun Ha, right?¡± ¡°Yes? How do you know Eun Ha?¡± The man¡¯s gaze was directed at the edge of the table as he took a sip of the alcohol offered by the knight. ¡°I don¡¯t need to explain myself to you. Just bring her to me.¡± The man¡¯s neck moved up and down as he swallowed. Even the way he drank alcohol had dignity. ¡°My Lord, that kid hasn¡¯t debuted yet. She still hasn¡¯t put her hair up. But once she debuts, I will give you a call.¡± She had seen many people who had fallen in love with Eun Ha at first sight. Every single one of them offered themselves to put her hair up. ¡®Is this client also an admirer? But how could a blind person know about her?¡¯ Chun Hee felt like something odd was going on. She glanced at Shim Dok and watched her fists turn pale. ¡°If she hadn¡¯t put her hair up, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°My Lord¡­¡± The man set his cup down, which caused the alcohol to overflow and wet his hand. Shim Dok reached over in an attempt to clean it up. ¡°Yul Jae.¡± ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± ¡°Cut this woman¡¯s tongue. She¡¯s making me repeat myself.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Shim Dok¡¯s face became pale. The knight stood before her and drew his sword. If she made the wrong move, he would cut her tongue. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, my Lord. I¡¯ll bring her right away. P¡­ Please forgive me. I have sinned¡­ Chun Hee! Bring her immediately!¡± She screamed in desperation. Chun Hee got up and ran away from the room. After seeing that, instead of a cup of alcohol, he picked up the cigarette. An intense smoke filled the room. ¡°Soon, the alcohol will taste sweeter.¡± Chapter 9 Chaotic Nights ¨C Chapter 9 The door burst open. Four servants entered the room and grabbed Eun Ha, who was sitting down while trying to calm herself. ¡°W¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°First of all, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Um¡­ Excuse me?!¡± ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you. We¡¯ve received an order to bring you! So, there¡¯s nothing we can do!¡± ¡°Why would a client look for me? I¡¯m not a courtesan!¡± ¡°Ask that to them directly. We don¡¯t know anything!¡± The servants on duty were quite strong. Not only that, but the front door guards had joined the group to help forcefully drag Eun Ha away. Eun Ha was very paranoid because of what Chun Hee had just told her. This is why she struggled and screamed, but a normal woman couldn¡¯t go against six people. They threw Eun Ha into a tub of hot water and poured water on top of her head. Due to the water entering her eyes, nose, and mouth, she couldn¡¯t get a grasp of herself. All her clothes and undergarments had been torn off. ¡°Why are you doing this to me¡­ Why is everyone doing this to me?!¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t take you, they will kill us. So please, just go. Do it for your sister¡­ Please, listen to us,¡± Chun Hee tearfully pleaded. She had her sleeves rolled up and was rubbing Eun Ha¡¯s back. After seeing Chun Hee¡¯s tears, Eun Ha began to feel troubled. Just what kind of person was searching for her? Chun Hee brushed Eun Ha¡¯s black wet hair and then used oil to replace the previous dirty scent. Eun Ha wore the skirt that Chun Hee brought her. The fabric was a pure white shade with a camellia embroidered into it. The coat they made her wear was as transparent as the wings of a dragonfly. Eun Ha didn¡¯t have any strength left in her body and couldn¡¯t escape even if she wanted to. Chun Hee tried to show Eun Ha her appearance in the mirror, but she struck it instead, breaking it into many pieces. The sound of the expensive mirror breaking brought everyone back to their senses. ¡°Tell me. Who¡¯s the client? How do they know about me? Please, speak.¡± Trembling in fear, Chun Hee swallowed hard and finally opened her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a blind man. T¡­ That person ordered his knight to cut Shim Dok¡¯s tongue. After hearing a commotion, two guards entered the room, only to have their heads cut off. That is the person calling for you. He will have us killed if we don¡¯t take you there.¡± ¡®A client that¡¯s unable to see?¡¯ Suddenly, Eun Ha came to her senses and gave Chun Hee a blank stare. Then she asked her, ¡°Was it really a blind client?¡± ¡°Yes. So, let¡¯s go, he¡¯s currently waiting for you.¡± There were many things she wanted to ask, but she was scared of things getting worse if they took any longer. Eun Ha walked through the courtesan house, her hands fisted in her skirt. The clients that caught a glimpse of Eun Ha as she walked accompanied by Chun Hee went crazy. They were pointing at her while shouting, ¡°Bring her to me!¡± When she entered the building, the scent of blood suffocated her. Eun Ha and Chun Hee could see blood seeping through the bottom of the secret room door. ¡®This is wrong¡­ Even if he¡¯s a person of high social standing, one shouldn¡¯t recklessly take the lives of others. What happened? Why did he do this?¡¯ ¡°I¡­ I brought Eun Ha!¡± Chun Hee said while kneeling on the floor. ¡°C¡­ Come in,¡± Shim Dok answered with a trembling voice. Both Eun Ha and Chun Hee felt a sense of relief after hearing her voice. It seemed like she still had her tongue. Eun Ha opened the door in place of Chun Hee. Her body stiffened after catching sight of the horrific scene. Shim Deok, with a pale expression, made a gesture with her hands. Eun Ha walked toward the man drinking alcohol. The man, dressed in a blue silk coat, put the cup down and raised his head. The moment Eun Ha caught a glimpse of his black eyes, she froze in place. ¡°Closer.¡± It was the same voice she had heard yesterday. With each step, the hem of the white skirt was slowly dyed a red color. ¡°More.¡± ¡®Is he doing this on purpose?¡¯ Since he¡¯s blind, there¡¯s no way he could see how she¡¯s dressed. He probably differentiated people by their tone of voice or smell. Sim Dok looked at her as if she was seeing a ghost. When she was only one step away, she kneeled. ¡°If I get any closer, my knees will touch yours.¡± The man laughed out loud. ¡°If our knees touch, then our lips would touch as well. And our stomachs would meet¡­ What a shame. I also came here to put your hair up.¡± He touched Eun Ha¡¯s chin with his rough hands, lifting it so their eyes would meet. His cheek and nose brushed against her face. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. Then he brushed his thumb against her lips. Eun Ha let the man touch her face. He touched her wet eyes, her eyebrows, which curved like a crescent moon, and her round forehead. Once his hands reached the back of her head, he finally opened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re definitely my Eun Ha.¡± Even though he was speaking softly, he wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°I heard a strange rumor.¡± ¡°What rumor?¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°That someone was trying to hurt you. That they grabbed and locked you up, preventing you from coming to me.¡± ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t go out because there was a misunderstanding¡­ I was planning to come and see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Really? But you told me that you planned to make this kid a courtesan, right?¡± Ji Hak touched Eun Ha¡¯s cheeks, who, despite being afraid, met his gaze. ¡°Y¡­ Yes¡­ I was planning to do that, ¡°Shim Dok answered with a trembling voice. ¡°So you did, hmm? I promised this kid 4000 tael coins, so you will need to pay her at least the double. But that¡¯s impossible for you, so¡­¡± ¡°F¡­ Four thousand coins?¡± ¡°I think that it¡¯s a fair price for her.¡± Ji Hak looked at Eun Ha, who was trying her best to endure the humiliation. She had straight shoulders and an unusually thin neck. It looked so fragile that he would be able to break it with just one hand. ¡°Yul Jae, come here.¡± At Ji Hak¡¯s orders Yul Jae, drenched in blood, approached him, kneeled, and bowed his head. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Check this girl¡¯s face. Take note of any scratches on her face or bruises on her body. Remember her current state. And tomorrow, when she gets to my home, compare it with how she was today.¡± Her eyes meet with Yul Jae¡¯s. He looked like a demon covered in blood. However, she was more fearful of the lord, who didn¡¯t have a single drop of blood on his clothes. Yul Jae looked at Eun Ha carefully. And then turned his head around to Ji Hak. ¡°I¡¯m done, my lord.¡± ¡°Good¡­ Then, let¡¯s get up. I thought the alcohol would taste sweet, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± Yul Jae helped Ji Hak stand up. Eun Ha immediately noticed his height as it was her first time seeing him standing up. There was more pressure coming from him than when he was seated. ¡°Eun Ha, tell this to the woman there. If she dares touch either your face or body, the flowers in this place will never blossom again.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes, my lord.¡± Ji Hak seemed satisfied with the answer. He extended the hand he was using to grab a stick. Yul Jae handed it to him and began walking. That¡¯s when she realized that he was indeed blind. Eun Ha watched as the guards outside saluted Ji Hak. She turned back around and saw Shim Dok sigh in relief. She stared at the bodies of the guards that had lost their lives. Then she stood up, her body trembling. Shim Dok looked at the ceiling and burst into laughter. Eun Ha was glaring at Shin Dok when she was suddenly slapped. The loud sound echoed in the room and her mouth began to bleed. Eun Ha was so stunned that her mind went blank. ¡®Was it because she just got slapped?¡¯ Shim Dok got close to her face. Eun Ha could see the rage and anger boiling in her eyes. ¡°Rat me out if you dare. What a shameless girl¡­ How dare you play with Young Master Yoon¡¯s feelings¡­¡± * * * * * * * Shi Hoon suddenly closed the book he was reading. A close associate had brought him surprising news. ¡®A bloody wind had blown inside the courtesan house. Two bodies were quietly taken out through the back door.¡¯ His associate also described how people were having a hard time cleaning up all the blood. ¡°Get ready. I need to go see how my mother is doing.¡± Shi Hoon hurriedly put on his coat and hat. ¡°Hurry up! I need to go see her, so get ready!¡± He shouted at his servant. ¡°Young Master¡­ Your excellency is coming here soon. So, if you go to the courtesan house so late at night¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s coming here?¡± His assistant, Mr. Kim, looked outside with a troubled look on his face. He had many things to prepare before his excellency arrived. Shi Hoon told Mr. Kim that he could go out and do what he needed to do. But he still took off his hat and sat on the floor. Even if his mind was already at the courtesan¡¯s house, he had to stay here. ¡®Is Eun Ha okay? A bloody wind has blown in? Just what happened¡­?¡¯ No. Eun Ha isn¡¯t a courtesan, so she wouldn¡¯t be affected no matter what has happened inside. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Shi Hun went down to great his excellency while struggling to suppress his anxiety. Then, the main door opened and the minister of defense entered, accompanied by his servants. ¡°Your excellency, have you been well?¡± Shi Hoon asked while bowing. The minister approached him laughing, and patted him on his shoulders. After helping him stand upright, the minister hugged him. ¡°Yes. Shi Hoon, I¡¯m happy to see you also seem to be doing well.¡± Chapter 10 Chaotic Nights ¨C Chapter 10 Smoke filled the air from the firewood burning in the main room. ¡°The former crown prince is here.¡± Shi Hoon, who hadn¡¯t seen his father in a long time, was surprised by his words. ¡°By former crown prince, you mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the man who lost his position and became blind after eating a poisonous plant. Seo Ji Hak, the crazy prince, is here.¡± The Minister of Defense took a sip of alcohol. As Shi Hoon quickly refilled his cup, he checked his father¡¯s expression. ¡°Is this bad news for you?¡± The Defense Minister clicked his tongue and looked at his son, who had no interest in politics. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Because your expression doesn¡¯t look good. You seem worried about something.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know if his presence will be a good or bad thing for me. But I need to put him under surveillance.¡± ¡°You want to put the former crown prince under surveillance?¡± ¡°Yes. There are many things I need to figure out. I need to confirm if he really lost his sight or simply lost his mind. I also need to make sure he¡¯s not planning to re-gain his former position.¡± ¡®It¡¯s time to put an end to this conflict¡­¡¯ The Minister was gazing around the room when something caught his eye. A scroll hanging on the wall. In particular, the handwriting was soft and delicate, an indication that the author was unlikely to be a man. ¡°That¡¯s not your handwriting.¡± Shi Hoon blushed at the Minister¡¯s question. ¡°I hung it up because it looked beautiful.¡± ¡°It is very beautiful indeed. Does this handwriting belong to a woman? Is she someone you hold in your heart?¡± The easiest way for him to get married was to take the civil servant exam and become a government official. Although he was more than ready, Shi Hoon delayed taking the exam with the excuse that it wouldn¡¯t be fair to his older brothers. Watching Shi Hoon lower himself in order to avoid conflict with his brothers, despite being the most intelligent, filled the Minister with guilt. ¡°You can tell me. If she¡¯s from a good family, I will try to arrange a marriage.¡± ¡°I am unsure of the identity of the author as I came across it by pure coincidence. Once I grow bored of it, I will probably take it down. Therefore, there is nothing for you to worried about, Your Excellency.¡± As the lie fell from his lips, Shi Hoon¡¯s jaw tightened and he grew nauseous. He smiled, hoping to mask his uneasiness. The author of the poetry on his wall was Eun Ha. Last year, Eun Ha came to see him on his birthday and presented it as a gift. ¡®I really didn¡¯t know what to get you¡­ This is a poem that I like. If you don¡¯t like it, feel free to throw it away. I¡¯m really sorry for this lackluster gift. Once I make a lot of money, I promise to get you the best ink.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t change her gift for anything in the world. That¡¯s why he averted his gaze from the wall. He knew that the more affection he showed towards Eun Ha, the more she would suffer. ¡°Oh, by the way. Another exam is scheduled to happen soon. Your brothers have already passed the exam, so now it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°I still have much to learn.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very good at lying. I know my son. Take the exam and come work for me, I will recommend you for a good position.¡± Shi Hoon smiled bitterly and bowed his head. He couldn¡¯t refuse his father¡¯s wishes anymore. ¡°Yes, I will start preparing for the exam.¡± Early the next morning, when Eun Ha went to see Shim Dok, the scent of blood was still in the air. She didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep the entire night she spent locked inside her room. She didn¡¯t want Young to see her like this, nor did she want to explain the situation to her. She already knew what Young would say if she saw her, dressed like a courtesan, with an expression as pale and empty as a corpse. It seemed like the owner of the courtesan house also hadn¡¯t slept all night. She lit her pipe and stared at Eun Ha, who was once again wearing men¡¯s clothing. ¡°Why have you come to see me so early in the morning? It¡¯s not like you came to greet me, right?¡± Eun Ha restrained herself, ignoring the sarcastic remark, and kneeled. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask for a favor.¡± The room was full of plants and ornaments from foreign countries. There were also many books that she still hadn¡¯t been able to read. In the middle of this luxury, Shim Dok was wearing a simple robe, her eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You know I won¡¯t listen to any of your requests, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t completely understand what happened yesterday. I just work for that man as a reader. Please, don¡¯t get the wrong idea.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°A reader, huh? Of course, you read to him with that sweet voice of yours. Eventually, you will open your legs and take his seed. So, what do you want from me?¡± Eun Ha knew Shim Dok¡¯s words were intended to humiliate her. The house owner wasn¡¯t the type to think twice before spouting such crude words. Eun Ha struggled to suppress her pride as she bowed down. ¡°I want to take out my sister from the courtesan house. I will repay you for everything you have done for us. If you allow us to leave, we will go live someplace far away, and you¡¯ll never have to hear from us ever again.¡± Shim Dok discarded the ashes by tapping her pipe and then smiled bitterly at Eun Ha. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for Young¡¯s freedom? Can you afford to pay for her?¡± Eun Ha felt a cold sweat drip down her back. For a brief moment, the only sound was the birds chirping outside the window. ¡°The price for Young is 4,000 tael coins¡­no 5,000 coins. Also, a very important individual has asked for her to become his concubine. If I deny his request, the cost of his forgiveness will cost another 3,000 coins. This brings the total to 8,000 coins.¡± Shim Dok smiled when she saw the blood drain from Eun Ha¡¯s face. ¡°She¡¯s my child. I took her in, nurtured and raised her. I might as well be Young¡¯s mother. There¡¯s no way I would sell my child for a small amount of money. Eun Ha, your sister will continue to be my child until I say otherwise.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! How can you ask for 8,000 coins?!¡± Eun Ha was at a loss for words. She was demanding the exact amount the Lord claimed to be Eun Ha¡¯s value. Nevertheless, Eun Ha straightened her shoulders in defiance. Seeing this, Shim Dok lifted Eun Ha¡¯s chin with the end of her pipe and spoke quietly. ¡°This is revenge for yesterday¡¯s humiliation. If you want to save your sister that badly, ask that gentleman for 8,000 coins. Who knows. Maybe you¡¯ll get it if you suck him a couple of times.¡± Eun Ha stood up and left Sim Dok¡¯s room with a devastated expression and eyes full of disappointment. Standing in front of the entrance were two new replacements for the guards murdered yesterday. Eun Ha ran towards her room, making sure no one saw her. Her breathing was harsh and uneven. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as if she was about to have a heart attack. She slumped to the floor as soon she entered her room and glared at the wall while panting heavily. ¡®8 thousand¡­ 8 thousand tael coins¡­¡¯ It was as if she had fallen into an abyss. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She desperately wanted to leave before her sister could find her. Even if the Sim Dok had forbidden the servants from speaking about the incident last night, it was only a matter of time before the truth reached Young¡¯s ears. Eventually, she escaped from the courtesan house through the main door. Surprisingly, no one tried to stop her. Eun Ha ran towards the bookshop, where the owner was anxiously waiting for her. ¡°Mister!¡± ¡°Oh my god, Eun Ha! You¡¯re safe!¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m safe. Did I cause you to worry?¡± ¡°You have no idea how anxious I was! When I went to the Lord and explained what happened, I was trembling in fear that I was about to die! He ended up saving you, right?¡± Eun Ha nodded, wishing she could forget everything that happened last night. ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡± When Mr. Song smiled and patted her head, Eun Ha decided to spare him the details. After all, two people had died. Eun Ha, accompanied by Mr. Song, walked toward Seo Ji Hak¡¯s estate. Along the way, she saw women making dumplings and preparing soups. Eun Ha gazed up at the sky. The sun was hidden behind a mass of ugly gray clouds, it would probably start snowing soon. At that moment, the sky resembled her hidden emotions. ¡°Eun Ha.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°They say the rewards are sweeter after enduring harsh and trying times, so let¡¯s do our best.¡± After reaching the entrance that resembled a palace, Mr. Song grabbed Eun Ha¡¯s hands. There were many things he wanted to tell her, but he was having second thoughts. Perhaps things weren¡¯t as bad as he thought. When Seo Ji Hak, the former crown prince, heard that they had imprisoned Eun Ha, he grabbed his own sword and went straight to the courtesan¡¯s house. Which meant he considered her as someone useful. This could change her life for the better. He didn¡¯t want to say anything since he was afraid of ruining this opportunity for her. In the end, Mr. Song decided to keep Seo Ji Hak¡¯s true identity a secret from Eun Ha. ¡®I¡¯m sure this smart kid will figure out the truth on her own.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s see each other again soon. I¡¯ll try to come here at least once a week, okay? Don¡¯t forget to eat all your meals.¡± Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°Of course, please take care.¡± ¡°See you!¡± After bowing to him, she knocked on the door. Then, as if they¡¯d been waiting for her arrival, a guard opened the door and greeted her. When Eun Ha crossed the threshold, she could smell the smoke coming from the main room. When she looked in the direction of where to smoke was coming, she caught sight of the Lord gazing at her with a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Chapter 11 Chaotic Nights ¨C Chapter 11 After following Yul Jae inside, Eun Ha grabbed the hem of his robe with an anxious expression. ¡°Sir, just so you know, the bruise on my face is my own fault. I slapped my cheek too hard while trying to calm myself¡­¡± ¡°I cannot lie to my Lord.¡± ¡°If you must say anything, tell him I hit myself¡­ Please do this for me.¡± Eun Ha held Yul Jae¡¯s robe in her tight grasp. Yul Jae looked quietly down at Eun Ha, who barely reached the tip of his chin, and sighed briefly before opening the door to the inner room. Seo Ji Hak was sitting by a window overlooking the yard and the garden when he turned his head in the direction of the sound. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Eun Ha.¡± Although Ji Hak hadn¡¯t asked, Eun Ha approached him with her head bowed. Surely, if her steps had faltered, he would have noticed immediately and called for her. While the man was blind, he had clearly developed his other senses¡­ Eun Ha stopped only after the hem of Ji Hak¡¯s robe entered her vision. ¡°My lord.¡± As Eun Ha fell to her knees, he gently put down his tobacco pipe and lowered his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ As expected, you are a quick learner. This is your place now¡­ Be sure to remember this.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Eun Ha raised her eyes just as the clouds parted and a bright light poured into the room. For a moment, a portion of Ji Hak¡¯s face was bathed in a golden light. His eyes and even his lashes seem to sparkle due to the sun. As Eun Ha lowered her gaze again, her eyes moved along his jawline, which was smooth without any imperfections. She didn¡¯t know whether to thank him for saving her yesterday or to feign ignorance. As the snow-filled clouds obscured the sun again, a chill quickly circulated in the room. Concerned about the cold draft coming in, Yul Jae approached and closed the window. ¡°Yul Jae, have you checked the girl¡¯s face? Is it still the same or has she been injured?¡± Yul Jae stood behind Ji Hak and looked down at Eun Ha with furrowed brows. Eun Ha looked up at Yul Jae with her hands clasped together and quickly shook her head. ¡®Sir, please,¡¯ she mouthed wordlessly to prevent Ji Hak from noticing. After reading the words on her lips, Yul Jae knelt before Ji Hak with a troubled look on his face. From the moment she foolishly tried to deceive him, Seo Ji Hak did not take his eyes off her. ¡°There is a bruise on her cheek, but she says she did it to herself.¡± ¡°She did it to herself?¡± ¡°Yes, in order to calm herself down.¡± The warrior¡¯s tone was dry, making it difficult to grasp the true meaning of his words. While he didn¡¯t lie about the bruise, he didn¡¯t explain or say anything further. Eun Ha closed her mouth after hearing Yul Jae¡¯s blunt words. ¡°No. Since you agreed to be mine, you can¡¯t hurt your face like this. I warned you that the flowers would not bloom if there was even one scratch on your face.¡± Ji Hak¡¯s smooth hand touched her cheek in the exact spot she had been hit by the owner of the courtesan house. Eun Ha stiffened and looked up at him, startled by the unusually cool body temperature. ¡°I am fine. It¡¯s not¡­¡± Eun Ha had to stop herself from staring at Ji Hak¡¯s lips, which had curled up arrogantly, as she explained herself. ¡°It was terrifying. That night, for unknown reasons, two people died. I was panicking, so, to calm down¡­¡± ¡°You hit yourself?¡± ¡°Yes¡­! I thought it would help me come to my senses and avoid making any mistakes¡­.¡± Ji Hak laughed in response and decided it was better to not give Eun Ha any more trouble. If he pushes her further and she refuses to work, he will cut her throat immediately. But¡­ To do so would be such a waste. He gently caressed her cheek and then withdrew his hand. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll let it go this time, but not a second. If you understand, get up and grab that book.¡± Eun Ha stepped back like a beast avoiding a trap and picked up the book on the floor. It was the same book she had read last time. It was full of scary words and sentences. In the meantime, Ji Hak picked up the tobacco pipe that had been set aside for a while and spoke to Yul Jae, who was still kneeling before him. ¡°Send Eun Ha back and prepare to receive guests. When you¡¯re done, bring her back in.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Meanwhile, Eun Ha was standing in a daze. When Yul Jae nodded at her, she quickly stepped back, opened the door, and went outside. Eun Ha fled from the room at a pace close to running, her footsteps gradually fading away. Ji Hak then burst into laughter as if he found the situation quite enjoyable. After being by his side for over 10 years, it was the first time Yul Jae had seen Ji Hak with a broad smile and pleased expression. During his time as the Crown Prince, due to the customs, he couldn¡¯t truly laugh. But there was nothing to laugh about because he was disillusioned by everything. ¡°She joined the hunt for a tiger.¡± ¡°Yes. That girl¡¯s gun and self-defense skills aren¡¯t normal. She also has a good reputation in town. Although, they avoided me out of suspicion.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ We have found ourselves very good bait. If she is well-known and has a good reputation, it will be easier to spread rumors.¡± Ji Hak had stopped smiling, shaking his head as he glanced out the same window Yul Jae had closed earlier. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been on a Tawi¡­.¡± ¡°Seven years.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Yul Jae¡¯s tone was sharp. Ji Hak smiled slightly, touching the sword on his right as if he was gently caressing a woman¡¯s body. ¡°Today a trap will be set. When the sun goes down, bring the girl in here and let them hear her voice. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how fast the news of my blindness reaches the ears of deceitful people.¡± Eun Ha placed a mark in the middle of the book she had been reading and frowned. After concentrating for hours, her eyes were sore, and her head was throbbing. ¡®Why does he want me to read such a terrible book?¡¯ Sighing deeply, Eun Ha closed the book before she had finished looking through half of the book. After lying on her bed, she stared blankly at the ceiling. ¡®I¡¯m hungry¡­¡¯ Even in this situation, she still felt hungry and tired. The room was located quite close to the Lord¡¯s bedroom. So close that she would be able to hear if he called out her name. A small but cozy room. Unlike the room she shared with her sister in the courtesan house, this room seemed to belong to a scholar rather than a woman. On one wall, there was a bookshelf filled with amazing books, and there wasn¡¯t a single Gyeongdae, which was common in a courtesan¡¯s room. There was a thick boryo perfect for lying down, a personal writing desk, and a folding screen with a painting of the sagunja on it. But strangely, she felt this place suited her more than her sister¡¯s room. It seemed to resemble the room of Young Master Shi Hoon, which she had peeped into by chance. ¡®Now that I think about it, you must be very worried after hearing the news¡­¡¯ Young Master Shi Hoon loved and cherished her like his own younger brother. Once he heard she had disappeared without a word, he would go and search the entire village. Shi Hoon was definitely the type of person to do something like that. He¡¯s such a sweet person, that¡¯s probably why Young, her older sister, loves him with all her heart. If the two people got married, only happy days would follow. The young master also seemed to be fond of her older sister. He must have visited the courtesan house under the pretext of seeing his mother, the owner of the courtesan house. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have always escorted her to the entrance of the house. Eun Ha clenched her fists, recalling the last expression she had seen on Young¡¯s face. ¡®But¡­ The Lord¡­who is he? What kind of high-ranking person couldn¡¯t be influenced by Shim Dok?¡¯ In addition, Shim Dok did not report him to the government officials despite the guards¡¯ deaths. Instead, she quietly buried the case, pretending as if nothing had happened, and even forced her subordinates to do the same. With her mind burdened with heavy thoughts, Eun Ha got up and stepped outside with her book in hand. Since she hadn¡¯t seen the interior yet, she decided to look around until the Lord called for her. It was fascinating to see the view of the house with its back against a dense forest of pine and oak trees. She passed through the kitchen, where a delicious scent lingered, and looked around the jangdokdae, which was lined with hundreds of jars. As she walked around aimlessly, she came across what appeared to be the main house. She snuck a look at the pavilion facing the forest, where a flock of servants could be seen serving the important guests. It was a marvelous place that didn¡¯t lack anything. You could possibly lose your way if you didn¡¯t pay close attention. When Eun Ha returned to the men¡¯s quarters, a frightened Mr. Kim was waiting for her. ¡°Why did you leave without saying a word!¡± Mr. Kim suddenly shouted and looked around in fear. He pushed Eun Ha inside of the men¡¯s quarters and lowered his voice. ¡°The Lord is looking for you. Go quickly.¡± ¡°In that short period of time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I told you to wait in your room!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was feeling uneasy, so I decided to take a look around the house¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I told you to not walk around recklessly.¡± Eun Ha took off her shoes and dashed across the wooden floor. Then, in no time at all, she stood in front of Ji Hak¡¯s door. ¡°It¡¯s Eun Ha, my lord.¡± But no words of permission were heard. She didn¡¯t even smell the smoke from before. She stared at the door in confusion and wondered if she should try to open it. ¡°Who are you? Why are you standing in front of the Lord¡¯s door like a thief?¡± Eun Ha turned to the woman¡¯s voice and smiled awkwardly when she found a female servant holding a vase. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a reader and I was summoned by my Lord, but I don¡¯t know where¡­¡± The female servant glared at Eun Ha, then pushed her aside, and opened the door. ¡°He is in the bath. But are you really a reader? You look like a girl¡­.¡± ¡°Yes. So, if you want, I can come back after he¡¯s done in the bath¡­¡± Eun Ha asked the servant girl as she entered the room. The maid skillfully arranged the cushions, set up the table, and sat on the left side before shaking her head. ¡°He will be here soon. I need to take care of my Lord¡¯s meals, so keep your distance and don¡¯t talk to me.¡± Tawi ¨C a 1¨C2-day hunt conducted by mobilizing soldiers and organized by the Crown Prince. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Gyeongdae ¨C A case with a mirror attached inside of the lid. Usually has one to three drawers where cosmetics can be stored after doing one¡¯s makeup. Boryo ¨C a traditional Korean mattress that is thick, stuffed with cotton or fur, and then covered with a fine cloth. Sagunja ¨C Chinese art known as the ¡®Four Gentlemen¡¯ or ¡®Four Noble Ones¡¯ which refers to the four plants: the plum blossom, the orchid, the chrysanthemum, and the bamboo. Jangdokdae ¨C an outside space, most frequently a terrace, used to store or ferment food.