"Are you sure we're in the right place, hyung-nim?" Sun An asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. The silence in the front yard and the creeping dusk felt unsettling.
"It's too early for bedtime... but still possible," Dan replied, dismounting his horse. He carefully approached the shop, his eyes scanning the area.
"Wesungmoo..." Dan knocked politely on the door, only to find it unlocked. He glanced at Sun An, who blinked nervously.
Dan's hand subtly brushed the dagger at his waist, hiding it to prevent Sun An from panicking. He was cautious, just in case his suspicions proved correct.
"Hyung-nim..."
"Stay there. If anyone passes by or comes out of this house, stop them," Dan instructed. Sun An nodded, immediately putting himself on high alert.
Inside the shop, Dan took in the scene—herbs scattered across the floor, broken bottles, overturned bamboo trays, and an unfinished meal. He touched the teapot—it was cold. The soup on the table wasn't spoiled, but it was no longer edible.
Something had happened here. But what? And when?
Dan's worry for Woo grew. Though the old woman was healthy, she couldn't have gone far. She never left the shop, only working with the herbs delivered to her by pickers.
A thud from the back of the shop snapped Dan out of his thoughts. He drew his dagger, though he kept it hidden, moving discreetly toward the noise. With a swift push, he opened the door.
A bamboo tray flew toward him. He dodged it—clumsily—but managed to grab the person who had thrown it.
It was a girl. She screamed so loudly that Dan almost slapped her out of sheer frustration. Her small legs kicked wildly, but with one heave, Dan lifted her by the collar like a kitten.
"Let me go!" the girl cried, her voice filled with terror, her eyes squeezed shut. Dan ignored her pleas, dragging her outside and placing her on the ground, though he still refused to let her go.
"Who are you?!" Dan demanded, raising his voice as the girl struggled. Sun An approached, looking bewildered.
"Can you calm down?!" Dan growled through gritted teeth, barely containing his anger. But when the girl started wailing again, he snapped.
"SHUT UP!"
The girl instantly fell silent, her eyes wide with fear as she stared at Dan, her body trembling less. Sun An flinched, not expecting Dan to be so harsh.
"Now, tell me what happened." Dan's voice softened, though a sharp edge remained. The girl bit her lower lip, still hesitant. His earlier outburst had clearly scared her.
"I think you should answer Lord Dan's question," Sun An urged gently. "Otherwise, he'll get even angrier."
The girl began sobbing quietly, but she spoke between her tears. "They came to take haemoni... but she resisted. They dragged her away... then they tore the shop apart, looking for something..."
"Did they hurt haemoni?" Dan asked, his heart sinking. The girl nodded.
"They hit her... once. When she passed out, they dragged her away."
"Did you know them?" Sun An asked, noticing Dan's fists clenching with barely controlled rage.
The girl hesitated, then scribbled something on the ground with her finger. Sun An read the marks and nodded. He sighed, placing a hand on Dan's shoulder.
"Hyung-nim, I think... we need a new plan."
***
The room was dark and cold, with an eerie silence in the air. Myung Yu opened her eyes but couldn't see anything. She blinked several times before realizing she was in a pitch-black cell, lying on a hay mattress behind iron bars.
"Gongju!" A voice cried from a nearby cell. Myung Yu slowly sat up, recognizing the voice of one of her court maids. At least she wasn't alone. But there was no sign of Uk.
"Is everyone alright?" she asked. A quiet hum and a few muffled sobs were enough to assure her that her companions were still alive.
"But those guards... they fought so hard, and..." The court maid's voice broke. Myung Yu felt her throat tighten, dread creeping in.
"Gisa Ahn... is he—?"
"They took him. He's alive, but... they took him."
Myung Yu sighed, lowering her head. She wanted to stay hopeful, but the chances of Gisa Ahn surviving were slim. They would probably kill him soon.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and everyone instinctively retreated from the door. Myung Yu remained where she was, her sorrow turning into rage.
A guard appeared, staring at her coldly. Myung Yu met his gaze without fear, her eyes sharp and defiant.
"You'll regret this later! Don't say I didn't warn you!" she spat. The guard smirked, his lips curling into a mocking sneer.
"Missing cases are common around here. The blizzard is thick—it swallows people whole. We'll simply tell the kingdom you're gone, gongju jaga," the guard said, lighting a cigarette, his eyes gleaming with malice. "No one will ever find you, or your entourage."
"Where is Gisa Ahn?!" Myung Yu demanded, her voice unwavering.
"That rat?" the guard scoffed. "We have a special prison for him. This—" he gestured to the cell "—this couldn't hold him."
"This cell can't hold me either," Myung Yu retorted, her voice savage with anger. She wasn't sure where the boldness came from, but it burned hot in her chest.
"Don't be foolish, gongju. If I were you, I'd keep quiet. A lot of lives depend on it." The guard flicked his fingers, signaling for his comrade. The second guard appeared, dragging a figure behind him.
The cell door opened, and they threw the body inside with a sickening thud.
"Wesungmoo!" Myung Yu gasped, rushing to the old woman's side. Woo was covered in bruises, her face swollen and battered. Myung Yu cradled her, heartbroken, though Woo was still breathing—barely.
"If you try to escape, she'll die. And your court maids will follow. Behave, and maybe we'll let you live. But for now, sit tight and be a good little gongju jaga."
The guards left, smug satisfaction etched on their faces. Myung Yu, her heart heavy with despair, knew that her nightmare had only just begun.
***
Another day had begun, and the market was bustling again. Despite the chaos from the riot the night before, it hadn't destroyed the entire area. The disturbance was limited to a small group, so the damage wasn't too severe. People still had to open their shops, their livelihoods depended on it.
Sun An strolled around as if nothing had happened. He casually adjusted his horse's saddle, pretending to be just another traveler looking for a place to rest. Spotting a small tea shop, he decided to take a break.
"Greetings!" Sun An said warmly to the shop owner, but the man only responded with a gloomy expression. Sun An acted indifferent, though he knew exactly why the man looked so troubled—it was likely because of last night's incident.
A lady soon approached him with a polite gesture. Sun An gave her a smile. "Is there anything to eat?" he asked.
"Noodles will be ready in five minutes, but we're out of vegetables today..." she replied hesitantly.
"Why?" Sun An asked. The lady seemed unsure, but before she could respond, the man stepped in.
"The supply will come later today. We had some... difficulties yesterday," the man explained quickly, cutting her off.
"Oh... rough weather?" Sun An asked, subtly pressing the man without arousing suspicion.
"Yes... yes..." the man's answer sounded so fake that Sun An had to suppress the urge to grab him by the collar. But he kept his composure, keeping his temper in check.
After ordering a bowl of noodles and some tea, Sun An looked around the shop with a casual smile. No one knew he was actually scanning the area, keeping an eye out for anything unusual or suspicious.
"Where are you from, young man?" the old man asked as he handed Sun An his bowl.
"Oh, I'm from the capital, working in the finance department," Sun An replied with a friendly grin.
The old man's face shifted ever so slightly, but Sun An pretended not to notice.
"What brings you to this area?" the man asked, his interest now piqued. Sun An held back a smirk.
"They sent me to meet the governor. I heard this place has a solid financial record, so I'm here to study it as part of my training. Just for a few days, then I'll be heading north," Sun An said confidently, his excuse sounding natural.
"So, are you an auditor or just an officer?" the man asked again.
"An auditor-in-training," Sun An replied with a bright smile. The old man seemed satisfied and slowly walked away, leaving Sun An to his meal.
Sun An ate his noodles quietly, but his sharp eyes caught a man entering the shop. He spoke briefly with the old man before glancing over at Sun An. Acting completely harmless, Sun An could tell the bait had been taken. The fish was showing interest.
All he had to do now was wait.
"Excuse me?" the man finally approached Sun An. He lifted his innocent face, looking at the man with curiosity.
"I heard you're looking to meet the governor?" the man asked. Sun An nodded politely. The man licked his lips, clearly contemplating something.
"I can take you to him. If that's alright with you..." the man offered.
Sun An nodded again, playing the part of a naïve young man who didn't know anything about what had happened in the town.
But as the man turned his back, Sun An smirked. Everything was falling into place.
It was almost time.