Mountain Rose

09. Fighting Falling Petals

"The anguish that dug into my mind countless times, there's no answer at the end of wandering."

August D, The Last

"And this is the innermost part of the palace, the Rose Courtyard, whose doors are closed and locked at all times," Lady Hong said, as we passed by a pair of large red doors, "Under no circumstances are you allowed to enter here."

I stared at the large red doors, seeing the familiar mugunghwa carved into the wood. I ran my fingers over the embossed design.

There was something about the flower that left a bitter taste in my mouth; this was the reason why I was here, a single flower. And it was all I saw: on the pillars, growing around the palace courtyards...it was starting to feel like a sign of mockery.

I turned to her. "What's inside?"

Viscount Kim folded his arms over his chest. "This is the master's private domain. He lives within those doors," he said.

"I see."

Seconds passed. "I know what you're thinking."

I made a face, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "And what's that?"

"You're going to sneak around and enter it, because that's what you crummy little criminals do.

I scoffed. "As if I would even dream of barging into his private chambers. Do I have a death wish? Obviously not."

Lady Hong watched our little exchange with mild amusement. "Do you remember the layout of the palace now?"

I stuck out a tongue at Seok Jin, and turned to the roughly drawn pictures on the parchment that the viscount had given me earlier. "The palace has three gates. The front gates, which lead to the main courtyard of the palace. The middle gates, which also break off and lead to the living quarters. And finally we have these gates which lead to the innermost courtyard of the palace, whatever is inside other than the master's own living domain."

"Correct."

"Where's the throne room?"

Both of them blinked.

I frowned. "There is a throne room, right? I mean, every palace should have one," I asked, "This is a palace, after all?"

"Don't be silly, that would mean that the master is royalty!" Viscount Kim scoffed, throwing his head back and laughing airily, "Which he isn't, by the way."

I looked at Lady Hong. "You've only told me about the palace layout and how it was supposed to be abandoned when you came to work here, but you didn't tell me about him," I said, jerking my head to the door, "A family history, maybe? Where did you find him, maybe? When you came to work here, maybe?"

She gave a little smile. "You ask too many questions."

"I like to think of myself well prepared before I do anything," I replied smoothly, "Can't make a fool of myself that way."

"Indeed."

"So which is it?" I pressed on, tapping my chin thoughtfully, "Did you find him as a baby in the forests and taught him how to be a gentleman?"

"Oh! Or was he a test sent down by the gods to imprison all of you and make you pay whatever debt you owed him, just as I'm doing right now?"

Lady Hong shrugged. "That sounds like a fair assumption."

"A definite no, then," I commented, "Hmm. Was he a freak of nature, an unholy union between man and beast- or perhaps, woman and beast? Although that would be just make things stranger-"