Hwon becomes curious of the lady’s appearance, and asks her to reveal her face. But when she merely responds by requesting him to have a drink, Hwon orders Woon to remove the divider. In one swoop of Woon’s blade, the divider that separates the two rooms falls to the floor. And as if Woon’s sharp blade has also cut across the rain clouds in the sky, the moonlight pours into the room and fills it.
Hwon once again gets taken by surprise by the woman’s extreme beauty, but he masks his surprise with anger.
“No matter how lowly the guest may be, it is the homeowner’s duty to show himself and greet the guest when he enters his home. Why do you not heed my command?”
“Though my social status is of the lowest of lows, I am also a woman as determined by the heavens. Thus, I failed to think of my duty as a homeowner and only thought of my duty as a woman (to keep her distance from men).”
“You follow those rules though you are not of the nobility?”
“But I have never heard of a law that forbids a lowly person from following the rules of a lady.”
Hwon laughs as he grabs the bottle of alcohol. He has never encountered a woman like her before who did not shirk back from expressing her thoughts so respectfully but so confidently to the king. Hwon pours a drink for Woon, but Woon does not look at the glass and only looks to the floor to indicate that he cannot drink while on duty to guard the king. Seeing this, the lady speaks:
“How very undutiful. You do not know who I am or what is in this drink, and yet you refuse the drink? Will you guard His Majesty with your sword alone?”
At her words, Woon has no choice but to have a drink. He turns his head away from Hwon as he drinks (as is the custom in Korea), and in the process, Woon’s eyes meet the woman’s.
Hwon asks the woman how she knew that he was the king.
“I humbly ask Your Majesty. If a sun shines in the night sky, is it a sun or a moon?”
Hwon does not answer, and the woman continues.
“Just as the sun is the sun no matter where it may be, the same is for Your Majesty.”
“But not a single person in the village recognized me. So how did you?”
When the woman does not answer, Hwon mutters to himself, “The table and the brazier that have been prepared in advance… Am I being haunted by a spirit?”
After a deep thought, the woman answers that she recognized him from the sword carried by Woon, as Seol is pretty knowledgeable about swords.
“She really has amazing eye. From that distance, in this dark, to be able to closely observe the sword sheath of a king’s guard. No, to know about it even before seeing it. Am I truly being lured in by a ghost…?” Hwon continues to stare at the woman and then says, “Come closer. Sitting in the adjoining room, I cannot see whether you’re hiding nine tails under your skirt.”
After some hesitation, the woman walks to the room where Hwon and Woon sit and she too takes a seat.
“Are you a ghost… or a human…?”
“Many people say I am not human.”
“Then are you truly a ghost?”
“Perhaps I may be. I am a soul with deep sorrow.”
“Are you toying with me? Where in this world exists a ghost with a shadow?”
“I do not lie. Who calls a shaman more lowly than a slave a human being? And thus, I do not dare answer that I am a human.”
“A shaman… You were a shaman. And so you knew of my coming.”
“No, Your Majesty. Though I am a shaman, I do not have the ability to foresee the future or to read a person’s mind. I am a shaman with no such abilities.”
“There is such a shaman?”
“I am ashamed to admit there is. To live like this at this place is the extent of my ability.”
“You speak and yet I do not understand. Woon, have you heard of such a thing?”
Woon takes a glance at the woman and lowers his head to indicate that he too has never heard of such a thing. Puzzled, Hwon asks again, “Are you truly a shaman?”
“Unable to end my life, I live as a shaman. As I cannot live but as a shaman, I live.”
Seeing the woman speaks so calmly, Hwon feels great sadness. He asks again. “What is your name?”
“I call myself anyone.”
“I asked for your name.”
“There is a strict law. Before the king, everyone is just a trivial being. Please permit me to introduce myself only as anyone.”
Preview Chapter 1 Part 3/3:
In front of Hwon is the woman’s face, whiter than a white jade. She has long eyelashes, and under them are her dark eyes.
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“Give me the reason that we can’t be together!”
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“Then I’ll take that moon, which is your everything.”
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Woon looks back, although he himself is unsure whether it is because of His Majesty’s command or of his own will.
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The Moon That Embraces The Sun Novel
Teen FictionThe Novel Version of The Moon That Embraces The Sun..
