Heavy Night A Tale Of Darkness - Chapter 3

With every breath, a white puff of air escaped her lips, and her vision, blurred by alcohol, swayed. Although there were times when she would become slightly tipsy, today her drunkenness seemed to dissipate strangely quickly.

“Are you in?”

Eunha pushed open the door of the bookstore, where the scent of incense wafted gently. Startled by the gust of cold wind, the owner, whose face had turned pale, grumbled loudly.

“Why do you open the door without making a sound!”

The owner, looking nervous and fidgety, mumbled something while glancing around anxiously. Ignoring his demeanor, Eunha placed the bundle of books she had brought down on the counter.

“Why are you acting so strange? Don’t you want to get paid for the book?”

“Oh, lower your voice!”

“Yes? You seem strange today. Anyway, can I return the books and borrow others? The ones I requested last time… Ah, and here’s your payment.”

The owner, who had been fidgeting nervously, reluctantly took the money and then retrieved a book from a corner after checking its pristine condition.

“Since you’re the only one who understands literary language, and there’s no one else to read it, and you’ve paid the debt properly, you don’t need to return this book. Take it.”

The owner, who usually greeted her warmly and even gave her sweet treats, seemed uncomfortable today. Despite receiving a gift, Eunha felt uneasy, as if the owner was trying to drive her away.

“If you’re giving it to me, I’ll gladly accept it. But sir, are you okay with sweating profusely like this?”

“I’m fine. Just go. It’s cold outside.”

“No, I mean… There…”

“Oh, quickly, go. Young Master Yoon seems to be here too, so hurry.”

The owner pushed Eunha, who kept asking questions, out of the bookstore. Although he was a welcome customer, there was no time to engage in trivial conversations with her right now.

Leaving Eunha bewildered behind, the owner closed the door and walked towards where his hands were waiting with a tense expression.

“I’m sorry for causing a disturbance. If you let me know what book you’re looking for, I’ll assist you.”

The owner nodded toward two men standing where he had nodded his head. The man in silk robes and hat and the man in plain clothes were clearly not ordinary people.

The man with fair and beautiful features glanced over the books on the shelf and asked,

“Do you have books written in Western language?”

The shopkeeper held his breath at the languid yet commanding tone of the man’s voice as he searched for the book Eunha had brought him earlier and held it out to the man.

“I had a few in the Western tongue, but they were all sold, and these are the only two I have left.”

“Do you know anyone here who speaks Western Chinese?”

“Yes, there are only two.”

“Two.”

The man nodded, looking quite interested. Then the man behind him took the book from his master.

“Yulze, I think I’ve found the right man.”

“I will look into it, my lord.”

Nodding in satisfaction, the man walked past the frozen bookstore owner to the spot where Eunha had stood a moment ago, where the pouch of money still lay, unclaimed by its owner.

The red seal on the silk pouch caught his attention.

It was a woman’s voice, surely, and she held out a money bag used by tiger hunters. What on earth is this?

As the man stares at the bag, his eyes light up with interest, and his poppy-red lips curl into an arc.

“The girl who came here a while ago. If you introduce her to me, I will reward you handsomely.”

Startled by the man’s words, the owner rushed over and asked urgently.

“How do you know her…. She is not your servant.”

“I know. A nobleman would never stop by a bookstore to borrow a book.”

“Then how can you find her, or do you know her, Eunha?”

The man who had been mulling over the name Eunha had just finished, and his eyes widened.

“My eyes are blind, and I need an electrician to read to me.”

“What, you mean you can’t see?”

“Why is that hard to believe?”

The owner looked the man in the eye and shook his head in disbelief. No matter how beautiful the man’s appearance, as if he had descended from heaven, the madness in his eyes could not be hidden.

If a man is blind, he is blind, and if he is a peasant, he is a peasant.

The master shook his head deeply and answered the question carefully.

“E-Eunha is a girl raised in Buyong, a courtesan house. If you let me know the appropriate time, I will bring her to see you.”