Chapter 5
“Phew…”
Even after letting out a deep breath, the man remained silent for a long moment.
He simply stared at Lee Yeon. His deep, dark eyes trembled faintly.
As the silence dragged on, Jin-sang stepped in.
“He cannot answer because lies can never reach the truth—”
“That day.”
The man spoke abruptly, not allowing Jin-sang another word.
“That day, when a twenty-two-year-old man married an eighteen-year-old woman and returned home from her family’s house…”
From the moment Lee Yeon touched his face, every living thing in the courtroom seemed to focus on him.
His ragged appearance was suddenly forgotten.
“I had drunk far too much celebration wine and could barely stay upright. In her room was a beautiful vase I had personally ordered from a decorative artisan in Seochon. It held artificial plum blossoms made of wax.”
The man looked toward Lee Yeon. Of course, through the dark veil, he could not see her expression.
“That night, I stumbled and shattered the vase. The branches were scattered. If I had been struck in the eye by the shards, I might have gone blind. There’s still a scar beneath my left eyebrow from that day.”
His voice was low and gentle. But it wasn’t just that—it held the trembling of one lost in vivid memory.
“My wife… must have measured the wound. It was no bigger than the joint of a pinky finger.”
He closed his eyes quietly after speaking.
The governor asked Lee Yeon, “Is what he says true?”
“Yes. It’s true.”
Even her answer trembled.
At that moment, Jin-sang jumped to his feet.
“That… that alone cannot prove he’s my brother!”
The governor frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I already said it—scammers in the past have known personal details. The scar on his toe, or even under his brow, means nothing!”
The governor turned back to Lee Yeon. “And you?”
“My husband stayed in his room until the wound healed. He feared it might reflect poorly on me as a new bride. No one else in the house could have known.”
Her voice was steady as she recalled the moment from nine years ago.
“Then your statement supports this man’s identity as Mun Haesang. Do you understand the weight of that?”
“I am merely stating the facts.”
“That is not the case!”
Jin-sang shouted again.
“What do you mean?”
“My sister-in-law brought many attendants when she married. From loyal handmaids to bodyguards. Even if our household didn’t know, those close to her surely did! They would have helped treat the wound!”
Jin-sang’s fast, breathless rebuttal betrayed his desperation.
“I find Lord Jin-sang’s argument logical. Lady Yeon, do you agree?”
Lee Yeon remained quiet, staring directly at Jin-sang.
“Please, don’t hide the truth, Sister-in-law!”
She bit her lip hard.
Jin-sang wasn’t wrong—So-hwa had tended to her, and Jang the steward had brought the medicine.
“Did only you know of the incident?” asked the governor.
“No. So-hwa and Jang helped me.”
At those words, So-hwa and Jang, standing nearby, turned pale.
“But they are my people. They would never collude with a fraud. They have served me with unwavering loyalty.”
Jin-sang snapped back.
“I do not doubt their loyalty. But even without malice, secrets can slip out. No one can read another’s heart!”
“Again, Lord Jin-sang speaks logically. What do you say, Lady Yeon?”
Before she could answer, So-hwa suddenly ran forward and threw herself on the ground.
Lee Yeon flinched, afraid she might strike her head.
“It’s not true! I’ve never said a word! Please believe me, Governor!”
“How dare you disrupt court! Do not involve yourself without summons!”
“Governor! She must be interrogated!”
Jin-sang roared.
So-hwa buried herself further in the dirt, tears soaking into the ground.
Lee Yeon could not let this continue.
“Governor, please!”
She rushed forward and shielded So-hwa.
“Please take this child’s sincerity to heart. I do not doubt their loyalty. However, I do acknowledge my husband’s point.”
She didn’t want to subject So-hwa or Jang to interrogation.
“So-hwa! Get up and return to your seat!”
She couldn’t allow those who protected her to suffer because of her.
Lee Yeon had never thought of So-hwa as a mere servant. Since taking her in, she had seen her as a sister and friend.
Seeing her retreat, Jin-sang smiled smugly.
At that moment, a thought struck Lee Yeon.
Perhaps the goal here wasn’t to determine if this man was truly Haesang—but to stand against Jin-sang.
Whatever his true identity, his actions and gaze didn’t seem hostile. If he were an enemy, he wouldn’t act like that.
Maybe… he truly cared for her.
Even if this was all a performance, she decided not to think that far for now.
If he could be her ally, facing Jin-sang would be much easier.
A hope she’d long buried stirred again.
‘Even if he’s a fraud, maybe he’s still better than fighting Jin-sang alone… Choosing him might be the best way to defend myself.’
Her thoughts swirled.
“Governor,” she said softly.
As if reading her mind, Jin-sang stared at her sharply and began to speak.
“Our family inherited immense wealth. The only reason it hasn’t been divided is because we awaited my brother’s return.”
He poured out his words with relentless force.
“All those who impersonated him wanted our wealth. Even my sister-in-law possesses a vast fortune from her natal family. If he succeeds, he will become the richest man in Joseon—and the only son-in-law of the Gong family, the greatest military household. The king himself favors our father-in-law, Lord Gong Seong-ung. This fraud would gain wealth and status through mere lies—he must be punished!”
The governor’s brow furrowed.
“I have made no ruling yet. Lord Jin-sang, do not overstep.”
Jin-sang fell silent.
Then the man spoke again.
“Governor! It seems I must reveal a secret only my brother and I would know.”
“A secret?”
“No good. If it’s known to my brother, he might have told others.”
Jin-sang rose in protest, but the governor silenced him with a gesture.
“Perhaps it’s about your wife, then. Lady Yeon, would you hear it?”
“I am curious. If he is truly my husband… what does he remember?”
Without pause, the man answered.
“I first saw her near Yukhoejeon Market in Hanyang.”
Lee Yeon startled.
No one could see her expression through the veil.
“It was before our wedding. I had gone alone to buy decorations for the study. At the florist, they were preparing our wedding flower arrangements.”
He turned to Lee Yeon.
“You were watching me from a distance. Weren’t you?”
She was stunned.
‘How could he know that…? Not even Haesang should know…’
He continued calmly.
“Do you remember that day?”
Lee Yeon had never spoken of it. Not even to So-hwa.
Nine years ago, upon hearing that her future husband would visit the market, she had followed him from Jongno to Seochon.
That memory was hers alone.
“I’ve never forgotten that day. Just before arriving at the florist, I had bought a rare book. But a man snatched it from me in an alley.”
It had happened exactly that way.
The handsome young man, just twenty-two, had been helpless in the scuffle.
“If someone hadn’t helped me that day…”
Lee Yeon held her breath.
‘Could he really be Haesang? No one else would know this… But Haesang wasn’t this strong. What is happening…?’
Oblivious to her inner turmoil, he continued.
“The one who helped retrieve my book… wore the black training robe of a martial arts student. A youthful, handsome figure…”
He paused, then spoke with clear voice.
“It was you, wasn’t it?”
The courtroom buzzed.
They couldn’t picture Lee Yeon as a “handsome young man.”
The man smiled, finishing his thought.
“That man… wasn’t a man. It was Lady Gong Lee Yeon, disguised.”
Lee Yeon was speechless.
No fraud had ever referenced something so intimate.
The others had cited family ties, childhood friends, or her father’s strictness.
But this man… he recalled a secret moment only the two of them could know.
The governor stroked his beard. The courtroom was now under this man’s spell.
He began to suspect that perhaps… this man really was Mun Haesang.
“Do you remember the title of the book?” the governor asked. “Answer only yes or no.”
“I do,” said Lee Yeon.
“I do,” the man echoed.
“Then write it down. At the same time.”
Paper and ink were brought.
Both wrote.
The governor looked at the answers and gasped.
They had written the same thing,
(The Tale of the Empty Monk)
