Body & Soul 🇰🇷 Part 1

Chapter 167: Kang Nam-Kyu

I watched the scene unfold outside their home which was directly opposite to ours from my window before making my way to the gate. But when I noticed how carelessly they left their doors open I couldn't help but edge my way inside their home tentatively the day after the guards were sent to our home. I had to be quick on my feet even though almost every part of me was bruised and beaten from that bogus charge from the palace. My ears were still ringing from all the screaming and shouting we were doing all night long until the eunuch accused us all of harbouring an illicit affair between that good-for-nothing maid and some guy I had no idea was in our home at all. Myself, my sister and cousin were beaten and whipped for the first time in our lives for a crime we had no part of! And that was only Seon-Ho's punishment with his lowly wife and son looking down upon us as if they were any better than us, as if her traitor father brought any more glory to his family than my father did!

I tiptoed around their home, in awe of the comfortable furnishings that I had not seen since I was dumped in that home locked up with everyone else who was trying to get Seon-Ho's attention. I had to admit he had told taste. I thought because he was bewitched by that poor woman that he would live in a shack like the rest of them. He had everything that I used to have...lavish furniture, militia scrolls on the walls along with some philosophical ones when he used to work as a scholar. He plastered his achievements, his ambitions and his inspirations everywhere. He had a large kitchen and dining room, although not as nice as my father's. I could see Yeon's modern taste in every room. I noticed that Seon-Ho's study hand another desk attached to it...with Yeon's things on it. There were even taller desks around it for the children and I suddenly found myself lamenting; my parents had been married for over 30 years but they always kept their lifestyles separate...even their beds. I had seen the same thing in every province we went to for father's work. Even the lucky few that married for love had their walls up in someway; they wouldn't confide in their spouses about work or anything else they wanted to keep private...and almost everyone had concubines. Noble households had begun imitating the ranks of concubines but Seon-Ho...the ambitious self-made man despite his lowly mother's blood; he kept to himself inset don flaunting his wealth and currying favours. He chose his family every-time instead of long nights out indulging in vices and abusing their power. He was...everything I had never seen before. He was incredibly self-managed, sober most of the time and actually wanted to improve his community, even if it was lowly people that could never get a taste of what we had.

I used to watch him train in his courtyard from my window as long as I could since I had nothing else to do. I watched him interact with his family, his employees and even his servants. It was different to anything I had ever witnessed before. My spoiled us when he could in our youths but apart from that he never really interacted with us. We were like trophy's or titles he used to show off in public or to control people's lives but these people weren't like that, or whatever image my delusional sister had put into my mind to make me think I could take him from her as revenge for what she had put us through for him. But now...I think I really did want him for myself...

I was on the verge of bankruptcy but because of my status as a concubine I couldn't leave the home without my 'husband' who I hadn't seen since he left us here to rot. I had enough clothes I had no choice but to wear more than once, my problem however lay in having enough money for food. It had been about a few days since Da-In left and I could only hope that she had enough funds to provide for us both. She had opened her legs to enough men who would pay for her for it. Seon-Ho didn't even notice her absence until the eunuch called upon her name and just left her punishment up to them. She was to go through the same torture that we did as well as hand over her personal wealth over to his family as compensation if she didn't want to be punished by hanging for not only concealing this 'crime' that bitch Hyo-Sonn got us into bur for also running away from her 'husband'.

I had nothing else to do with my time all day sine we were not provided with anything apart from watch him from my window...and that bitch that ruined all of our lives. I watched him teach his children and reward them for their achievements. His happiness came from them and the woman he kept in his sight. I watched his employees gather to his home for meetings; even though their snobbish wives didn't have any respect for Yeon and they tried to ignore his children but soon enough they always proved themselves worthy in everyone's eyes but they refused to leave their mother's side. His children were smart...they were really smart. But they had inherited their mother's childish tactics if someone looked down on them or her. I suddenly found myself craving...for the first time in my life...children? I almost had to slap myself when I first thought about it. Women in the 13th century only had the use of being children for their husbands but I had never wanted any part of that; I didn't want to ruin my figure and beauty to look after some drooling brats and actually spend time...taking care of them while I could find better use for my time like indulging in high society, and the underground one. But looking at the ones in the home across mine...maybe having children was not such a bad idea after all...or those specific children.