Heavy Night A Tale Of Darkness - Chapter 1

On the smooth silk, amidst the hurried whispers and cries, lewd and chaotic sounds filled the air, prompting her to shut her eyes. They were the same noble youths who had been frolicking with courtesans just a moment ago.

But the master of this place, seated at the head of the table, merely smiled as if savoring the sounds of beasts in distress, without uttering a word.

Despite reassuring herself that she heard nothing and saw nothing, her stomach churned, and she felt like retching.

“Eunha.”

She slowly opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on the man sitting opposite her. As she did, a lazy smile spread across his lips as he picked up the long pipe he had been holding.

“You’re quite stubborn.”

The smoke wafting from the end of the man’s pipe, the faint scent of opium, and the tang of spilled wine filled the air. The smell of sweat-soaked fabric suffocated her. Kneeling, she struggled against the pressure bearing down on her and finally spoke.

“Does my lord find this enjoyable?”

The man, exhaling smoke leisurely, chuckled as if amused by her pitiful question.

“Forgetting that you cannot see, aren’t you? Since you can’t enjoy with your eyes, you must enjoy with your ears. So, I’ve bought your voice. I’ve paid for it with gold coins.”

Despite his soft tone, the man’s eyes pressed down on her like a hunting predator, making it terrifying to meet his gaze. So, she rarely dared to look him in the eye. But today, she had to gather her courage, clenching the edge of her garment with sweaty hands as she lifted her head.

“Yes. My voice belongs to my lord. Since they didn’t pay for my voice, I won’t utter another word.”

“Not utter another word?”

“If my lord cannot hear my voice, it’s better to keep my mouth shut.”

The glint in the man’s eyes, slightly altering his fine features, seemed to pierce through her. Eunha momentarily forgot that he was blind.

With refined features as if meticulously sculpted by a skilled artisan, the man’s eyes were darker and deeper than anyone she had ever seen. How could someone with such eyes be called blind?

As she tried to lower her head, the man lifted her chin painfully with the end of the pipe.

“So, after I send those bastards away, will you pleasure me?”

A satisfied smile played on the man’s lips. Faced with the question laden with multiple meanings, Eunha bit her lip, unable to answer.

“Speak up. I asked if you would pleasure me in their place.”

The end of the pipe, which had lifted Eunha’s chin, came down precisely on the collar of her robe. The neatly tied knot came undone, revealing the pale flesh of her wet chest. Yet, the man’s gaze remained fixed on Eunha’s eyes.

“I am… not a woman who sells her body.”

“I know. You’ve sold your voice to me.”

“But I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

Eunha gripped the edge of her robe tightly with trembling hands. Fear mingled with shame flooded her.

The curious gaze of Prince Seojihak, the embraced concubine of the doomed lineage, imitating a lowly commoner, made her body tremble.

“Why… why do I feel this way towards you? Why do I feel angry at you, why do I want to hear you cry? Do you know how terrible it is for me to burn with ten fires inside when I see you?”

The calm voice of the seated man pierced her ears. Despite trembling, she didn’t release the tension in her eyes. Seojihak, looking down at her, commanded coldly towards someone.

“Pluck out the eyes of those who have seen the essence of what’s mine and cut out their tongues. Since I’ve seen something precious that I shouldn’t have, it seems only fitting.”

As the Prince Seojihak command fell, someone standing in the shadows drew a knife.

“My lord!”

Eunha, with a heavy heart, tightly closed her eyes.

Someone is dying because of me again. Because of me…

Screams echoing from all directions, the thick scent of blood, and the pleading cries for mercy made tears fall heavily.

Even amidst the gust of wind blowing blood, The Prince remained surprisingly composed. Setting aside the pipe, he leaned in, gently gripping Eunha’s throat. Pressing his lips against the spot where her pulse beat, he whispered.

“Shh… don’t cry. Until you pay for trying to leave me, I won’t harm you.”

Beyond the tightly shut lattice window, the shadow of rain swayed restlessly. It seemed as if the moon tilted as if a storm was coming.

In the early morning, when dawn was just breaking, loud shouts and drumming filled the air like a scattering of white powder.

“Hey! Drive them north!”

“You idiot! Hurry up, hurry!”

“Oh, sir. Are you saying it’s only a wild boar? At least it should be as big as a tiger’s. Don’t you think so?”

Behind the jets of the hunters, men with bows and muskets marched in a line.

Despite the snow piling up, freezing their feet and soaking their knees, no one complained. With dignified strides and massive stature approaching six feet, they were mountain warriors and hunters.

In the severe winter, incidents of bears descending into villages and attacking children and tearing apart barns became more frequent. They called it Hohan and Mama. The people trembled in fear, and the court put a hefty bounty on tiger skins.

So, the mountain warriors and hunters formed groups and went hunting. The valuable tiger skins and claws were sold, and the meat from the hunt was divided among those who participated—a winter’s worth of survival.

“But sir, do you know who that is?”

As Manbok, leading the way, stopped beating the drum, he gestured towards someone squeezed among the hunters. Deoksu, whose cheeks were frozen from the cold, frowned as if he found it pathetic, then replied.

“Don’t you know her, Manbok? She’s the younger sister of the most favored courtesan, Yeong, from Buyong!”

Manbok, surprised at the mention of a woman, doubted his own eyes and turned to look at Eunha several times.

“No, is that Yeong’s sister? That… Yeong, the courtesan?”

“That’s right.”

“Why is she here?”

“Tsk tsk, this guy. It’s because you’re here. Did you get a spell cast on you?”

“Ah, I know him, of course. Isn’t he the son-in-law of the Panseo Manor? Who doesn’t know Master Yun?”

Manbok, speaking roughly out of place, patted Deoksu’s shoulder. Deoksu, turning back with a cold tongue, lowered his voice.

“Yeah, that’s right. That Yun, he’s the one who fed, raised, and even taught her hunting. Well, although he treats her like his younger sister…”

“Sir, no matter how you put it, it’s strange. He’s not even a man, why is he raising a woman? They’re not that far apart in age. Maybe…”

At the subtly blurred end of Manbok’s words, Deoksu gave a solemn cough and began a long lecture.

“Hey! You, don’t be deceived by that handsome face and pick a fight for no reason. It’s not just one or two who’ve gotten a broken nose after underestimating him. Anyway, be careful with your words and don’t go spreading rumors.”

“Alright, I understand. But isn’t it strange that the son-in-law is holding a gun, making him look like a noble lord?”

Despite Deoksu’s lecture, Manbok found it hard to take his eyes off Eunha. It was no wonder, as Manbok had never seen a woman as refined as Eunha. A face as white as the moon, a nose as straight as a brush handle. Quite tall for a woman, her eyes were moist as if filled with water. Even if you plucked stars from the sky and placed them there, her eyes wouldn’t seem out of place.

Unable to tear his gaze away from Eunha, who stood holding a hunting rifle, Manbok didn’t notice a wild boar lurking nearby, ready to pounce.

“Oh, the more I look, the more beautiful…”

“Hey, Manbok!”

As the wind blew, snowflakes clinging to the branches scattered. Like a snowstorm, everyone’s vision became hazy. Even while looking at the wild boar charging towards him with its tusks raised and eyes filled with madness, Manbok couldn’t move.

Bang!

A gunshot and the strong smell of gunpowder snapped Manbok back to his senses.

“Eek!”

The wild boar, about to devour Manbok, screamed as it fell with a bullet piercing its forehead. Spurting red blood dyed the snow, also sprinkling Manbok’s face as he sat on the ground.

Manbok grabbed the hand of Deoksu, who had rushed over, dropping the rifle. Only then did his tension release, and tears poured out, accompanied by sobs.

“Oh, sir!” Crying out, Manbok hugged Deoksu, and a faint shadow fell behind them.

“Are you okay? You were in big trouble.”

The owner of the gentle voice was Eunha. Deoksu and Manbok, with tear-streaked faces and trembling lips, knelt in front of her, unable to say much, only nodding.

With a gun in hand, Eunha had remained composed, despite having accurately hit the vital spot of the wild boar moments ago. Discreetly, she filled the gunpowder into her rifle.

“Hey, Manbok. If it weren’t for Eunha, you would’ve been on your way to heaven. Got it?”

The hunting chief approached Eunha with a gruff beard, scolding Manbok for his reckless behavior in the face of danger.

Manbok, nodding several times apologetically, also reached out to Eunha, expressing his gratitude.

How could she, with such a delicate frame, hit a wild boar with a single shot? Women, typically not as strong-willed as most men, rarely possess such marksmanship and courage.

“Eunha, are you okay?”

Yoon Sihun, with a stern expression and a rifle slung over his shoulder, approached her. Mambok, feeling the cold gaze of Sihun, bowed his head in apology and stood up. Though he averted his eyes, his ears were still open. However, amidst the uproar of the hunters restarting their chase, Mambok couldn’t hear their conversation.

“Oh, it’s so stuffy.

Mambok couldn’t believe that Eunha, who appeared to be his peer, could seem so lovely. Somehow, it made him bitter, as if he knew the reason behind the martial prowess of Yun Doryeong of Panseo.