NEFARIOUS

4 / 사

  In this part of Hanseong, the songbirds clouded the blue sky, tweeting melodious songs above Jung-Hee's head. The leaves of cherry blossoms fell toward the hollowed streets, some of them brushed his shoulders as he passed by. It was the serene was that most men seek in Moonbird; the infamous tea house in Hanseong. But this time, Jung-Hee was not in the mood for heavenly teas and quiet places, he had business to overcome with.

  Moonbird was deserted from other places, it was placed between rustling trees and quiet murmurs of the living animals. It resembled like most of other Joseon houses; the roofs were made of giwa tiles, and they looked precisely as reversed v. From where Jung-Hee had been standing, the tea house was much smaller than it really was, concealing a thousand hidden rooms beneath it.

  He walked silently toward the house, put off his shoes and replaced it with slippers provided inside. Chan Mi only flicked her gaze to Jung-Hee for the briefest moment, not wanting to bother his presence.

  "Ga In is sick." Chan Mi said, her grey eyes lingered on the newspaper above the receptionist table. "I thought you were going to pay her a visit."

  Jung-Hee shrugged. "I didn't even know that until you told me recently."

  She glanced at the long corridor, her face indicated of no interest of making a small talk with him. "He's there. Becoming someone else again. Another business?"

  "Another business." Jung-Hee confirmed. When he strode ahead, a young girl in fully clothed hanbok stood to greet him. She bowed, her black hair neatly combed into a low bun. Her skin glowed under the yellow rays of sun, clear as glass. Jung-Hee only nodded in return. He did not recognize the girl from anywhere, perhaps she was a substitute of Ga In.

  She lead Jung-Hee to the deepest part of corridor. It was eeriely quiet, and the air stilled around him. The screens surrounding by him concealed thousand secrets of visitors beneath it, it could be another hit man or corrupted councilman, and it could be a thousand worse than that. Moonbird was a place of shadowed figures and the dark secrets looming inside it. And Jung-Hee happened to be one of them.

  The young girl uttered no word as they both stopped at the end of the corridor. She opened the screen, revealing a tiny room with wooden table and two pillows facing each other. Jung-Hee stepped in, the girl trailing behind him. As he slumped into the pillow, she required, "Is there anything you have in mind, my lord?"

  Jung-Hee glanced at the menu on the rounded table ahead him, he did not even bother to read them all. "Just ginseng tea, if you please."

  The young girl bowed again and closed the screen behind her as she left. Jung-Hee took a moment to look around the room. On his left, another screen dripped to cover the glaring sun from him. Or rather, as Jung-Hee simply protended, it was a flap made for visitors' safety, hiding their true indentity.

  Minutes passed by, the young girl reappeared with a tray of two cup teas. She placed his ginseng tea carefully near him, and a goji berry tea right before her. The young girl put the tray beside the table, and sat facing Jung-Hee quietly. The air smelled of strong ginseng and sweet goji berry, warm breeze from the tree passed inside through the waving screen.

  Jung-Hee held the cup, and took a gulp. He watched the young girl silently through his cup with his darkening eyes.

  "You are oddly quiet, my lord," the young girl muttered, and began drinking her own tea in serene.

  Jung-Hee put his cup on the table again. "What girl are you trying to trick my head this time, Eun Jae?"

  The young girl gazed at him, watching. In a blink, the image of an innocent young girl disappeared. Substituted by a boy of eighteen with dimples on either of his cheeks. The strands of his messy boyish hair covered his sharp brows, and his dark brown eyes stared at Jung-Hee's onyx ones, seeing through his mind.

  "You see," Eun Jae began as he took another sip, "I had to replace Ga In's position. Chan Mi does not have many employers as she claims to be."

    The trace of vibrant hanbok had vanished greatly, now Eun Jae wore the common clothes of low class Joseon men; pure white garments, and loosened jacket over his slumped shoulders.

  "Do you know the Queen's disappearance?" asked Jung-Hee.

  Eun Jae shrugged, his lips parted in disinterested. "Not much. Does the part of her bathing in blood count?"

  "A person says it is related to Masulsa."

  At this, Eun Jae flicked his gaze toward Jung-Hee, his brown eyes darkened that it seemed change color into deep black, like the evening sky. "Who?"

  "A trusted acquantaince of mine. My new client claims it to be, so I had to make sure they were not bluffing."

  Eun Jae gazed upon his own cup once again. From his plain expression, Jung-Hee knew for sure that Eun Jae had been seeing his past memories again. "I've just heard it from you."

  "For sure?" Jung-Hee pressed. "Is there not any hidden Masulsa association elsewhere?"

  "There is a rumor based on it, but I doubt it's trustable enough to gain your attention."

  Jung-Hee insisted, "It should have been a Masulsa's doing, except if there is some scientific explanation on moving steel with your mind."

  "A Metalist?" Eun Jae narrowed his eyes. "They should have been disposed during the Great Purge."

  "Should have been, yet still alive." Jung-Hee leaned closer toward Eun Jae, but still far out of his reach. "A Metalist releases the Queen, Eun Jae. No fool would tangle in royal family business's unless they have many people on their back."

  In a slight, Eun Jae widened his eyes at him. "You're the Princess's puppet now?"

  "Three million mun," Jung-Hee said, he'd been expected this to come, "For you alone. Your sister will recieve the same amount as well."

  When Eun Jae didn't say anything, Jung-Hee continued, "If interested, you know where to come."