He Walks Alone in the Moonlight [COMPLETED]

CAN YOU FILL A BROKEN CUP

Eunbin mulled over the details of Jihyun's story. The fact that three witches resided in the mountains was news to her. She knew of the Witch of Joy, as she was the one her brother visited on his last trip. And she too had heard rumors about the witch that could heal any illness. But the third witch was not documented in Fenghuang, at least not as one who cohabitated with the healing witch on the mountain. However, his description sounded similar to a witch she did know of. Eunbin leaned forward, placing her forearm on the desk.

"Jihyun, did your mother ever tell you what power the dark-haired witch had?"

"No," Jihyun sighed as he shook his head.

"And your father? What happened to him?"

"He fought the commander who ran the camp and won, but his injuries became infected and he passed away shortly after." It was easier for Jihyun to talk about his father's death because he never knew him. Eunbin sighed through her nose, sitting up straight.

"Well, I suppose there is no use in continuing to talk about such a depressing topic," Eunbin mused, messing with the papers on the desk. Mostly, she didn't want Jihyun's openness about his family to lead to questions about hers. "Let's finish up your introduction to the star-divined characters first, and you can talk to me about my brother after." Jihyun agreed, and the two spent the next three hours going over the characters Jihyun had yet to learn.

"Make sure to practice writing these ones when you have time, I'll be checking to see how many you can recognize and how many you can write on your own on your next visit," Eunbin rolled her neck as she finally put down the brush, handing Jihyun a sheet with all fifty of the new characters written in small and delicate script. Jihyun accepted the paper with both hands, careful to not smudge the fresh ink with his fingertips. At that moment, his stomach growled loudly, earning a smirk from the princess. Jihyun flushed in embarrassment.

"Would you like to discuss what is troubling you over lunch?" Eunbin suggested, already standing.

"That would be great," Jihyun agreed as he scrambled up from the floor, following the princess as she left the study and made her way outside. She led Jihyun to a pavilion in a different courtyard, this one decorated with bushes of roses such a deep red they looked purple. The marble table was already covered in plates of various cuisines, the savory smell of roasted vegetables competing with the sweet smell of the roses. Jihyun noted a separate, smaller table with three kettles of varying size and design. Eunbin dismissed the servants waiting with a wave of her hand, then pointed Jihyun to a chair.

"Sit." Jihyun obeyed, watching curiously as the princess moved past him and began inspecting each pot of tea closely. She first reached for the smallest one, a pure and milky kettle so shallow it would seem better suited as a side dish. She removed the lid, bending down to sniff the contents. The princess hummed, then nodded in satisfaction before moving onto the second kettle. This one was made of clay, a vibrant red-orange color, and was nearly the size of Jihyun's head. The body was almost perfectly circular, with etching of plants carved into it. Again, the princess lifted the lid and smelt the inside, then she brought the lid to her face, circling it below her scrunched nose. After a moment, she returned the lid swiftly, the earthen scrape making Jihyun's ears itch. Finally the princess stood before the last kettle. It was a dark and shiny blue, with golden details in the shape of a pheasant across its entirety. Only a little larger than the white kettle, its main difference was the shape. In some ways it resembled a pyramid, with six sides facing inwards to meet at the top. The princess grabbed the lid, then turned around to face Jihyun. She took a few steps forward, then placed the lid below Jihyun's nose. On instinct, Jihyun breathed in, then leaned away as his nose began to burn. Jihyun rubbed his nose as tears pricked his eyes.