Chapter 7
Geumseongdang was inside an apartment complex, and it took about a ten-minute walk to get out of the complex.
On weekday afternoons, there were few people around, so Yu-eun was somewhat relieved, but inwardly she grumbled that the director and Ha-kyung had dumped this matter on her.
As if unaware of Yu-eun’s anxious heart, Yu’s eyes sparkled.
“My lady, what is that? That over there?”
As if he had never repeatedly asked why Ha-kyung couldn’t come along, Yu found everything on the street fascinating.
“That thing running on its own, with no horse attached—what is it?”
“That’s called a car. A palanquin that can run by itself.”
“My eldest brother would love that. Ah, my eldest brother was someone who enjoyed inventing things. And what is that?”
Though the scholar was a handful, Yu-eun kindly explained each thing. The man who had been relieved by her inappropriate smile rather made her feel sorry for him.
Afraid that she might lose the scholar, Yu-eun held onto his sleeve. The scholar seemed uncomfortable but had no other choice.
Still not reassured, she pointed to the police station and repeated herself several times.
“Scholar, if you get lost, go to a place with that kind of sign and mention Geumseongdang. Got it?”
“I’m not a child. You’ve said the same thing ten times already, haven’t you?”
“I didn’t mean to, sorry. I’m just very nervous.”
Yu-eun showed her sweat-dampened hand.
“This is the first time I’m guiding a guest who found Geumseongdang through a special channel.”
At that, Yu gave a reassuring smile, his eyes curving.
“By the way, among the letters written on the streets, there are some that I recognize.”
Assuming he meant Chinese characters, Yu-eun nodded vaguely.
But what Yu pointed to was Hangul.
“It’s similar to the letters my father created.”
Thud. Yu-eun felt her heart drop.
If the king who invented Hangul was his father, the scholar’s identity suddenly narrowed.
It wasn’t a rule that you couldn’t find out the identity of those who came to Geumseongdang. Strictly speaking, it didn’t matter if you knew about them.
But because knowing made you want to intervene, it was better not to know.
Yu-eun agreed with that. Just existing here was troublesome enough; she didn’t want to know more.
“Now, scholar. Shall we go over there?”
Afraid she might learn more about the scholar’s identity, Yu-eun tugged firmly at his sleeve.
“Ouch, these are borrowed clothes and they might tear. My lady, is there something over there you want to show me?”
“Oh, yes!”
The place that caught her eye was a neighborhood café.
Having broken a sweat after walking for over twenty minutes, Yu-eun suddenly wanted to rest, so she headed to a café she often visited. The owner there probably wouldn’t be too surprised to see this man.
After ordering an iced Americano, Yu-eun set the cup down in front of the man.
“Black water…”
Remembering cola, perhaps, Yu shuddered, and Yu-eun found herself smiling. Teasing a scholar from the Joseon era was rather fun.
But his next words made her almost spit out the iced Americano she had in her mouth.
“Is it poison?”
“Huh? It’s a bit bitter, but it’s not poison.”
Despite Yu-eun’s denial, Yu answered more seriously than ever.
“My lady, are you perhaps sent by my second brother? Did he… tell me to drink this?”
“I don’t know who your brother is, but it’s not poison. Look, I’m drinking it too.”
Yu-eun took a few sips of the iced Americano, and only then did Yu relax his furrowed brow.
“Indeed, seeing that it has ice in it, it doesn’t seem to be poison. Fascinating. I don’t see an ice storage house nearby, yet there’s ice.”
“…”
“My lady, which noble family’s daughter are you, that you can so freely offer such precious things?”
Yu-eun nearly spat out her iced Americano again.
Even knowing that she was dealing with a Joseon person, the bewilderment and amusement that came moment by moment were irresistible.
Seeing Yu’s smooth forehead crease after drinking the Americano, she nearly burst out laughing again, but this time she managed to hold it in.
“I’ve never drunk poison before, but this is certainly not poison, right?”
“Hahaha!”
Finally letting out a laugh, Yu-eun added syrup to Yu’s Americano and stirred it with a straw. When she urged him to try it, Yu gave her a highly suspicious look but took another sip.
“Mmm, much better.”
With a noticeably relieved expression, Yu examined the unusually shaped glass cup closely.
“And I’ve never seen a cup like this either.”
Watching him look around like a newborn baby, Yu-eun strangely felt at ease.
It struck her that this scholar, who looked like a painting, was indeed a living human being.
“That place earlier, and this place too—they’re cool. Very fascinating.”
The café owner, who had been watching quietly, smiled.
“That scholar, did you come down from living in the mountains somewhere?”
“Haha, yes. He’s the eldest grandson of a head family, and he’s only ever read books, so he’s unfamiliar with the ways of the world.”
When Yu opened his mouth to speak, Yu-eun kicked his foot under the table. Fortunately, Yu rolled his eyes but kept quiet.
“He’s visiting our museum this time, and I’m guiding him.”
“Oh, is that so? Will you come to our café again? The scholar is so handsome, I think just having him sit in the café would lift my mood.”
Having no intention of bringing the scholar back to the café, Yu-eun answered with a smile.
She glanced at Yu, who, apparently traumatized by the Americano, seemed unwilling to touch it again. She had bought it for him as a little payback for all the trouble he’d caused her, but maybe it was too much.
‘He asked if it was poison sent by his brother, didn’t he?’
Feeling she’d been too harsh on someone already lacking composure, Yu-eun felt a pang of conscience.
“Excuse me, I’d like to pay for some cookies.”
While she stood at the counter, Yu looked around the café. On the wall hung a calendar depicting a scene familiar to him.
When Yu-eun returned with the cookies, Yu pointed at the calendar excitedly.
“That place resembles the palace I lived in as a child. It seems a very skilled court painter drew it. It looks as if it actually exists.”
Because there were no other customers, the café owner, who had been listening to Yu’s words, answered in Yu-eun’s place.
“Hoho, you’re an interesting person. That was made from a photograph. And that’s Gyeongbokgung Palace, you know, Gyeongbokgung. You can take a bus from here to get there.”
Gyeongbokgung.
At those words, Yu’s expression turned grave in an instant, and Yu-eun stiffened as well.
“My lady, can you take me there? If circumstances don’t allow, just tell me the way. I’ll go alone.”
“That place is…!”
Yu-eun tried to say he couldn’t go, but seeing Yu’s resolute face, she was at a loss for words.
From this man who hadn’t shown surprise at new sights, who usually accepted quickly even when told no, emanated a fierce determination.
Feeling he wouldn’t listen even if she tried to stop him, she decided to first ask the director for help.
“…To go there, we need to contact them in advance. Can you wait here for a moment?”
“It must not be easy to enter such a special-looking place. Very well.”
Stepping outside the café, Yu-eun immediately made a phone call.
—“Oh, Yu-eun.”
“Director, please come and take the scholar. I can’t handle him.”
— “Why? What’s going on?”
“The scholar says he wants to go to Gyeongbokgung. Is that allowed? No matter how I look at him, he seems to be a nobleman from the Joseon era.”
— “Use your own judgment.”
“Excuse me? Me?”
— Click.
Beep beep beep…
“That damned director?”
Staring blankly at the disconnected phone, Yu-eun ground her teeth. She called again, but only a message saying the phone was turned off came through.
“They don’t tell me anything properly, just tell me to take care of that scholar.”
Don’t ask, don’t tell—what exactly did they want her to do?
“Should I just quit?”
She thought about handing in her resignation and running away, but then shook her head.
She had applied to other museums, but most had rejected her, and even the one that accepted her was only a contract position. This was the only place offering full-time employment, so she couldn’t easily quit.
“If it weren’t for this kind of thing, it’s a pretty comfortable place.”
Steeling herself, Yu-eun went back into the café. Yu, who had been waiting, looked up at her with clear eyes.
“So, you really want to go there? Even if you might not be able to return to where you originally came from?”
Though he hesitated for a moment at Yu-eun’s added words, Yu nodded.
“Yes.”
Do as you please.
Recalling the director’s words, Yu-eun readily gave her permission.
“Alright, let’s go.
