Chapter One
“Come on, miss, let’s go watch together!”
“I can hear everything just fine from here.”
“Oh, but it’s completely different when you see it up close—please!”
“I said no, didn’t I?”
It was the final day of the village’s three-day festival. Today was also the last performance of the traveling troupe of performers.
This year’s troupe was particularly talented. The atmosphere had been much livelier and more vibrant than in past years, and because of that, So-hwa had been especially restless.
“Every year, you open the storehouses and throw a feast, but people always say they’re disappointed not to catch even a glimpse of you. Go out, greet them, please?”
“In my position, what use is there in receiving greetings?”
“Seriously, are you really going to be like this?”
“It’s a day to laugh freely, isn’t it?”
“Then you should at least laugh at my imitation! That’ll do the trick, right?”
So-hwa was the type of girl who couldn’t resist an audience. Set the stage, and she would gleefully mimic whatever she’d seen.
“The way the performer moved his hands—so graceful! And his tiny backside wiggling like that… I honestly wondered if he was even a man. I almost ripped off his mask myself!”
“Hohoho. That graceful, huh?”
“I’m telling you! And the way he shouted ‘Hooong~ hooong~!’ for effect? My heart just fluttered!”
So-hwa narrowed her eyes playfully and crept closer to Yeon, gently flicking at the ribbon on her dress.
There, on the wooden porch, Yeon and So-hwa burst into laughter together, their giggles spilling out into the courtyard.
“His pale, delicate fingers hovered just barely over my ribbon like this… just barely touching… and my heart—it felt all ticklish! I nearly grabbed that hand and ran off with him!”
As she giggled uncontrollably, So-hwa lost her balance and fell backward in front of Yeon.
“Were you really about to get stolen away by a performer?”
Thanks to So-hwa’s antics, meant solely to make her mistress laugh, Yeon’s face finally relaxed into a smile untouched by worry.
At that same moment, a group of village children were playing just outside the garden wall of Yeon’s detached quarters. It was a common sight during festival days, so no one stopped them.
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to finally catch a glimpse of the young mistress this year?”
To the children, Yeon was more of a myth than a real person—a figure from whispered stories, never seen.
Why wouldn’t such a beautiful woman ever come outside? None of them could understand it.
“If she’s that pretty, maybe she just doesn’t want people staring… or maybe she’s secretly covered in pockmarks or something!”
“No way! My mom sews her dresses all the time—she says the lady shines like sunlight!”
“Whatever, just crouch down already so I can climb up!”
The kids scrambled over one another, trying to scale the wall. But it wasn’t easy—they kept slipping and falling back to the ground.
“Aaaargh!”
“What are you doing?! That hurt!”
“Just hold still! We need to see!”
“Hey, YOU get down and let me go up this time!”
Then—
“Want some help?”
The children turned around, startled. A masked performer stood behind them.
They had just seen him earlier that afternoon performing in a courtyard play, and the kids had loved it. So their reaction was instant excitement.
“Whoa! Mister! You’ll help us for real?”
“Yay!”
“Alright then,” the performer said cheerfully. “I’ll hold steady, and you can climb up on my shoulders.”
He wasn’t a large man, but he was agile and strong, used to working with his body.
One by one, like piggyback rides, he hoisted the children onto his shoulders so they could peek over the garden wall.
“Woooow!”
“This is crazy!”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life!”
“Oh, hush! How long have you even been alive?” the performer chuckled, playfully bonking one kid on the head.
“Now switch! Let me see what’s got you so amazed.”
One of the bigger boys crouched down, and the performer climbed onto his back, peeking over the wall.
“Mister Performer! Take off your mask so you can see better! Hahaha!”
“Shh, hush now! Don’t be greedy—let’s share the view!”
“Can you see the lady? We didn’t really see her earlier… just the flower garden.”
“But isn’t that garden beautiful? You’ve never seen anything like it, right?”
The kids snickered.
“Yeah… it really is beautiful.”
But caught up in their own chatter, none of them noticed the softness in his voice.
“Hey! We’ll get caught if we stay here!”
The performer whispered urgently. He hurried away from the wall in quick steps, and the children scampered after him.
“Ahem… You there!”
At the county office gate, the night watchmen didn’t realize someone was calling out to them.
They assumed it was just the sound of wild animals crying in the mountain forest.
“I said, you there!”
The unexpected voice jolted the guards awake. They straightened up quickly, alert.
“Wha—who’s there?!”
They tensed, but then rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
“I am Haejin Han, second son of the Han household. After nine long years, I have returned. Tell the magistrate that Haejin is home!”
The guards stared at him, stunned. Then their expressions twisted into skepticism.
“Get lost, fool. If you’re trying to scam us, you’ll regret it.”
But the man didn’t budge. He continued speaking calmly.
“I do not wish to cause chaos in my family’s home. I only ask that the magistrate judge me fairly. Now go!”
He spoke with a formal air, but his appearance—visible even in the torchlight—was a disaster.
“Have you ever been flogged, mister?”
“Once the whip bites, your flesh tears. You won’t even be able to take a dump properly!”
“Right. If you’re scamming people, go hire someone to take the beating for you in advance.”
They laughed amongst themselves, ignoring his words.
“Look at him! He should be the one selling himself to take beatings.”
“You’re better off finding work getting whipped for others. We’ll keep our mouths shut this time—so get lost.”
“Ugh, another fake claiming to be Haejin. They never stop.”
“One of these days, someone will scam their way into all that inheritance—and Lady Yeon too!”
At that, one of the guards pinched his own mouth shut, as if it had spoken too freely.
They thrust a torch near his face, revealing his ragged clothes: a patched and faded robe, grimy sleeves, and a straw hat riddled with holes.
“At this point, wouldn’t you be less embarrassed just walking around naked?”
“Sure, we’ve seen some awful impostors before—but this might be the worst.”
“If you’re going to con someone, at least put some effort into your disguise!”
“Yeah! Even scamming takes heart, you know!”
“This one’s trying to trick Lady Yeon? That’s not just fraud—that’s… what do you call it?”
“Deception?”
“Yeah, that! Deceiving a poor woman left alone for nine years—shameful!”
“She’s cursed with terrible luck in men, that’s for sure. Tch!”
They couldn’t stomach this pitiful man mocking Lady Yeon. It was too much.
The man, who had been quietly staring at the guard who spat on the ground, finally spoke.
“It’s been nine years since I left home. I may be worn down, but I am Haejin Han. You fools!”
A guard scoffed.
“If you’re so confident, why didn’t you show up during the festival? Lady Yeon hosted the entire village for three days! What, you waited for it to end to stir up trouble?”
Another added, “Had he gone then, he’d have been strung up on the spot. He’s clever enough to pick his moment!”
The man remained silent. The guards took his stillness as weakness and pressed harder.
“Even if the magistrate lets you go, you’ve got bigger trouble—your brother Jinho isn’t the forgiving type.”
“He’s punished impostors before. Some lost tendons, some had their mouths split open!”
“They say noble families always seek revenge. It’s the way of the gentry.”
But despite the threats, the man didn’t flinch.
“Yes… my younger brother has always had a violent streak.”
“You’d better run before you lose a limb!”
The man took three steps back, as if retreating.
Good, the guards thought. He’s finally come to his senses.
But then—
“Guards! Open the gate!”
His shout rang through the night like a thunderclap.
Trouble, once begun, never settles quietly.
The guards panicked. One tried to silence him. Another grabbed his waist.
But the man’s body was surprisingly solid and swift. He twisted out of their grasp with ease.
“Stop this madness!”
“Bring the magistrate!”
“Get ahold of yourself!”
“I’ve never been clearer! You fools!”
“The magistrate will hear everything!”
“That’s the point! Let everyone hear!”
“All of town will come out!”
“I have nothing to hide. Let them come see Haejin Han has returned!”
It was chaos—ridiculous and absurd, yet very real.
As the commotion grew, more officials arrived from their interrupted sleep.
And finally, word reached the magistrate himself.
If this uproar had been a scheme… it was working.
Because now, Haejin Han had stepped foot back into the county office.
