Once extravagant, the palace-like residence was not found in the condition Kum-ji had left it in. Black streaks tainted the walls and five windows on the second story and part of the gold-tiled roof was gone entirely. Having been dispatched along with a few dozen pirates to storm the building, Jae-ha stared at the damage with concern.
Surely Sen must be kept in a basement and not up there... right?
Upon the news of Kum-ji's death and at the sight of the armed pirates, the servants of the estate became extremely compliant and set the slaves who had been left behind free, compensating them generously from Kum-ji's gold and assets. Mental damages went unaddressed—neither side dared bring such issues up.
As the liberated people left their underground prisons, Jae-ha became increasingly worried. There was no sign of Sen. He held onto hope until the last person was set free—a light-skinned, blue-eyed girl with no resemblance to the woman he was looking for.
"Where is Sen?" he asked the head servant, who stared at him in confusion.
"I know of no such person, my lord," he replied, bowing low. Jae-ha's face turned red with anger as he roared, "Get every woman in this residence and line them up before—"
"E-Excuse me," a young eunuch interrupted, trembling with fear. "The Fifth C-Concubine Y-Yang Mayu i-i-invites you to t-tea."
"She dares order me around—!" Jae-ha began irritably before realising that a woman of her position might know whether Sen lived or died. He cleared his throat. "Lead the way."
The boy nodded and led him through twisting hallways and winding stairs before stopping at a large green door. He instructed Jae-ha to stay as he entered it. Jae-ha waited, unable to hear a single thing of what was happening on the inside. Eventually, the boy exited the room and said softly, "The esteemed Mistress grants you entrance."
After hesitating for a moment, Jae-ha stepped in. The large room was decorated tastelessly, filled with objects of silver, gold and precious stones. A folding screen stood in the middle of the room, embroidered with a scene of mountains and rivers.
"Is that you?" a familiar voice asked from behind it. "Come on in!"
It can't be. Jae-ha walked to the folding scene cautiously, wondering if it was a trap of sorts, and peered behind it. The scene unfolding before his eyes stunned him speechless. Sen, dressed in dark blue silk and hair done up with jeweled hair pins, sat across an armoured man, both of them peacefully sipping tea. Upon noticing Jae-ha's presence, Sen turned towards him and smiled.
"Come, sit down," she said, gesturing to one of the many cushions surrounding the table. "Congratulations—it seems our pirates have emerged victorious. Would you care for a cup of tea?"
Jae-ha looked at the delicacies and a pot of steaming tea standing upon the little table for a good, solid minute. For some reason, he really wanted to kick it over. He took a deep breath and counted to three before breaking into a smile.
"Hello, Sen dearest," he said, trying and failing to mask his irritation. "I thought you were dead. I'm glad to see that's not the case."
"Not at all," Sen said cheerfully. "I won't be dying anytime soon. You, however…" she paused and glanced at his worn expression and weatherbeaten clothes. "Worry more about yourself. And do take a seat, I'm dying to know how the battle went."
"As well as one might expect, o lady dearest to my heart," Jae-ha said, sitting down beside her and taking her hand in his. "Were you treated badly? Your wrists are bruised."
"'Tis but a scratch," Sen told him airily, shaking his hand off and pouring him a cup of tea. "What pastries do you prefer? Sweet? Salty? Or ones as sour as your mood?"
"I'll have one as sweet as your time here," Jae-ha replied, taking a sip of the tea she had given him. Although bitter, it carried a distant floral aroma. "How did you scam your way here and why haven't you left yet, Yang Mayu?"
"I would sooner die before scamming anyone," Sen lied without batting an eye. "As for not coming to greet you first, you must forgive my insolence. I feel quite weak."
"You act like I'm blaming you," Jae-ha said with a tight smile. "But why would I? It doesn't matter that I worried for three days and nights, wondering whether you were dead or tortured, since you're clearly well."
"Let us throw the veil of forgiveness over the hurt of the past," Sen agreed. She seemed not to have noticed his thinly veiled insults and placed a plate of pastries before him. "Eat something instead, you look dreadful."
While her hands moved, her sleeves slipped back just enough to reveal the purple-green bruises once more, clearly the mark of violent impact. Who knew how far her bruises spread? And why wouldn't she tell him? Jae-ha forced himself to look away and abandon the thought.
"We don't have time for that, sweetest Sen," he told her. "I know you're doing fine, but the captain is so worried about you. Let's return immediately so as not to let her fear for your life any longer, dear."
"Certainly, any moment you like," Sen asked. "However, I might need some support." She gestured towards the guard. "Arrange a carriage, won't you, my ever-faithful friend?"
"Naturally, my best friend, light-in-the-dark-pit-of-my-life," he replied, speaking for the first time since Jae-ha entered the room. "Your wish is my command."
…
Although the inside of the carriage was spacious and the cushions soft, Jae-ha hadn't felt such discomfort in a long time. Sen leaned against the carriage wall, occasionally glancing at a small book in her hand, while the guard kept whispering in her ear. Jae-ha's only source of relief was that other than the occasional mocking smile, she did not react to her so-called friend's attempts at conversation. Eventually, she placed the book on the seat and closed her eyes. The guard sighed and chose to stare out the window instead. Jae-ha smiled to himself and leaned back against the wall.
He did not rest for long before he felt someone's eyes on him. Looking up, he met Sen's steady gaze. There was something penetrating, something insolent about her stare that made him want to jump out of his skin. He stood up, rather suddenly, and called, "Stop the carriage!"
Slowly, the vehicle came to a halt. No sooner did it stop did Jae-ha open the door, stepping out as soon as possible.
"It's too stuffy," he muttered as an excuse, "I'll sit in front… You rest, it's fine."
As he hurried to the empty seat next to the coachman, he thought he heard Sen chuckle. His ears burned as he tried to think of other topics.
Other topics were not difficult to find, in light of recent events; one thought led to another and soon he found his mind on Yona. She, too, had such piercing eyes, and such a steady hand when it came to archery. That tiny figure standing near the railing as she aimed would forever be etched in his soul. He could almost see her before him, her smile like the fragrant breeze of spring—
"-ha! Jae-ha, you're back!" the princess laughed, catching his hand. Jae-ha nearly jumped. "Did you find her? Is she okay?"
"She's in the back," Jae-ha replied, forcing a smile. He glanced around quickly, realizing they had arrived while he was lost in thought. "She's doing fine."
The princess smiled brilliantly at his words and rushed to open the door. She threw her arms around the unsuspecting Sen and cried, "Oh, I'm so glad! We thought—we thought—"
"Wha'? Hmm?" Sen muttered sleepily, sluggishly returning the hug. "Oh.. everything's fine, don't worry. I don't die that easily."
"Yes, people who don't fight usually live longer," Captain Gi-gan commented spitefully. Sen squinted, just now taking in the small crowd around the carriage. She sighed and bowed her head.
"I have no excuses, ma'am. Punish me as you see fit."
"That's not true," Yona retorted. "Captain, she saved me! He wanted to take me, but she offered herself instead. I was so worried—"
"There was no reason to worry," Sen replied with the most sincere smile she could muster. "I knew exactly what I was doing."
Her words were true. She had known that there was a sixty percent chance of her surviving once at the mercy of her ex employer, but Yona need not carry the burden of such knowledge.
"Nothing happened," she went on, patting the princess' back. "He said he would deal with me once he was back, but you made sure he never did. Thank you, Yona."
"Nothing happened?" Yona's eyes filled with tears. "How can you say that with these bruises on your arms?"
Inwardly, Sen cursed the guard and all his family for making her fall. With a sour face, she said, "The ropes I was tied up with..."
"You needn't act so strong," the princess said, pulling back her sleeves slightly to reveal the dark circles on her wrists. "I know what such bruises are like, and it—it's okay to cry, Sen, you know?"
The blood drained from Sen's face. Yona might be an angel, Yona might let her cry her heart out, but as for everyone else... she wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if she could hear whispers of "cheap whore" and "I bet she liked it" behind her back. The soft murmur that arose could mean nothing else—right?
Her anger flared.
Screw it.
"Cry?" she laughed, distancing herself ever so slightly from the princess. "For reuniting with my husband? He was never so gentle to me before. I should be the one thanking you, Yona."
She glanced around, taking in the—in her mind, horrified—stares. It took her everything to hold back her laughter. Oh, these people, how naive they all are! They'd never see a show like this again.
"And I apologize," she added, the wicked pleasure building up in her stomach, "I apologize for involving you in our lover's quarrel—I shouldn't have run away in the first place. But what else was I supposed to do? He kept staying over at the Seventh Concubine's…"
Before he could stop himself, Jae-ha shouted, "Stop it!"
Regret flooded him the moment he felt all eyes turn to him, some filled with pity, some in agreement, others with a thirst for gossip. He knew he should have just let things play out, but the way she spoke…
"You're making a fool of yourself," he said, massaging his temples. "Just listening to you makes me embarrassed."
"Don't worry, you'll get rid of me soon," Sen replied with an easy smile. "The moment Hak gives me my pendant, I'm gone for good."
Having stood aimlessly in the crowd so far, Hak tensed. He did not want to get involved in this. Yona was supposed to get her thank you-speech over quickly and celebrate with him, but when had anything ever been that simple? Sighing, he stepped forward, but before he could speak, Gi-gan put a firm hand on his shoulder. He shivered.
"No one's going anywhere," she said. "You two, to my cabin. Now."
As he watched them leave, Jae-ha couldn't help but sigh in relief. Sen was in good hands. Maybe she'd come to her senses soon.
"So you two know each other, huh?"
That voice…
Jae-ha shot an irritated glance at this bizarre creature who Sen had insisted on dragging along. He had completely forgotten about the guard's existence.
"Yeah, pretty well."
"She tells you more things than others, right?"
"I'd think so, yes," Jae-ha said, hoping his satisfaction didn't show on his face. If even this person could tell they were close—
"So you know what she did in the carriage?"
Is this some kind of test? Jea-ha wondered before saying carelessly, "Read a book, of course. Non-fiction as usual."
"Not that," the guard said with an exasperated sigh. "You know, with Kum-ji. When she got him to pick her up from the streets?"
Oh.
She had never told him about her time with Kum-ji, and he had never asked for details. Yet he knew instinctively what the answer to that question may be, and could picture it far too clearly. That mental image nearly made him vomit.
"Why should I tell you?" he heard himself asking. Such a calm, even voice, just as usual. The guard shrugged.
"Just curious."
They stood in silence for a moment before he heaved a sigh and slapped Jae-ha on the back.
"Well, it was nice talking to you," he said, turning to leave. "Tell her I gave up. See ya 'round!"
…
Leaning against the back of her chair in the captain's cabin, Sen toyed absentmindedly with the pendant. The cut stone glimmered like it was set with diamonds in the oil lamp's gentle light. Captain Gi-gan watched her tentatively.
"Happy to have it back?" she asked. Upon receiving no reply, she added, "What was that all about?"
"Huh?" Sen looked up blankly. "Oh, the truth, I guess. Or something like that."
"It's either true or not," Gi-gan said. Sen shrugged and sunk back into her stupor. The captain sighed and handed her a drink. "Not that it matters. You risked your life back there."
"Meh," said Sen, downing the liquor and glancing at the door. "If possible, I'd like to—"
"We thought you were dead."
"I did too, for a moment," she said, stretching her arms carelessly. "But what does it matter? Everyone dies sooner or later. And why should you care? I know you don't like me."
"I don't," the captain agreed. "You know why and I know why. But that doesn't mean I want you to die."
"Thank you for your concern," Sen replied, "but it's unnecessary. I'm fine."
Gi-gan cleared her throat.
"If there's anything you want to talk about…"
"There's nothing to talk about. I'm fine."
"Don't you hate him?"
"I did," Sen said, shrugging. She was clearly bothered by the conversation. "Sometimes. But he's the one dead, right? So I win again."'
The captain looked into the dull eyes of the woman before her one last time and sighed. What a waste.
"You can go now," she said, staring at the carpet. It was a grateful gift from the people of Awa, one of the many items they had looted from Kum-ji's ships. Sen started for the door when Gi-gan added, "You can always come back, you know. Just not for too long."
Sen paused. A rare smile flitted across her eyes.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "I may have been a nuisance— or your enemy, for all you know—, but I truly admire you, captain. Good-bye!"
The door closed behind her. Gi-gan buried her head in her hands and for the first time in years, whispered a silent prayer.