Ballad of the Mountain Fox

제 3 장: Harmony and Discord

Oh Jimin was certain that she and Park Young Min were the perfect match.  Not only did they love each other, but both of their fathers were in esteemed government positions, she was thoughtful and pretty, and he was dignified and intelligent.  Surely, it would only be a matter of time before their families arranged for them to be married.

Feeling in a wonderfully good mood, Jimin smiled at her household’s servants as she made her way to her room, acutely aware of the glances and whispers as she passed.  Really, it seemed the whole town had done nothing but gossip about her and Young Min all day.  It had started when Jimin overheard the gisaeng and her attendant praising their appearance as a couple in the marketplace.  Then, on her stroll with Young Min, an adorable little common girl at the fruit stand had said how pretty she looked.  And as they had passed the hairpin shop, the merchant had come out to give her a complimentary clip simply because of her “radiance”—although Jimin had a feeling it was also a bid to attract her business for when she needed to buy hair decorations for her wedding day.

Jimin brought a hand to the jeweled butterfly in her hair fondly.  Yes, today had been wonderful.  Young Min had even commented that the accessory suited her.  She would be sure to wear it the next time they met as well.

Bidding goodnight to her maid, Jimin eased the door to her room shut and seated herself before her dressing table.  Picking up the mirror, she twisted her head this way and that, trying to get an idea as to how others would have seen her that day, before finally pulling a silly face and setting the mirror back down with a sigh.

Her bedroll was already laid out, and so all Jimin had to do was change out of her clothes and brush out her hair before settling peacefully under the blanket.  Yet, just as she was preparing to blow out the candle, footsteps sounded outside her window, just beyond the wall that separated the Oh estate from the rest of the town.

A smile crept on Jimin’s face when she heard the low tones of a conversation—perhaps they were servants gossiping about her and Young Min again?  It wouldn’t hurt to check.

Jimin stealthily made her way to the window and opened it a crack, standing on her tiptoes to get a glimpse above the stone wall.  To her surprise, the characteristic red-and-black hat of the magistrate came into view, accompanied by the upper body of the much-taller Gong Il Woo.

As Jimin watched, it seemed to her that the magistrate was continuously trying to edge away from the young noble, but Il Woo was having none of it and continued to bring the older man back to his side with a friendly, yet forceful, grip on the shoulder.  Their conversation was hard to make out, but at some point Jimin thought she heard her name mentioned, and her grin resurfaced—it was exhilarating to be at the center of so much attention and praise!

Jimin gave a satisfactory nod before turning back to bed.  Yes, she would surely be wed to Park Young Min in no time.

*o~o~o~*~o~o~o*

Being the center of attention had a decidedly different feel to it the next morning, Jimin decided, and she was beginning to doubt that being the talk of the town was such a good thing after all.  As she wandered the courtyard of her family’s estate, the whispers behind her back sounded harsher, and the glances sent her way seemed more accusatory than approving.

Jimin locked eyes with a gardener, who quickly lowered his head and went back to work.  After making sure he wasn’t looking at her again, Jimin took a deep breath and shook her head.  No, she was just being paranoid.  Perhaps she hadn’t eaten well at dinner the night before, or perhaps her sleep had not been as restful as she once thought.  But surely there was nothing bad being said about her…