Yoo Gyeong opened her eyes to find herself being carried on Seok Woong’s back.
Surprised by the speed as they moved, she looked around and saw Ho Cheon-an riding a gigantic wild boar beside her. There was also a small child riding a fox, and finally, a martial artist soaring through the air.
A bitter smile spread across Yoo Gyeong’s face as she grasped the situation.
“It seems this stubborn life of mine still drags on.”
How long had she been unconscious?
Looking around, there was no sign of the imperial palace, let alone Nangyang Fortress.
It was a desolate place where, even if she were buried somewhere nearby, no one would find her.
Gazing at the setting sun, Yoo Gyeong was struck by thoughts of nature’s beauty, her last view perhaps. The vast land turning golden felt incredibly beautiful.
But that thought was fleeting.
The speed of the entities gradually slowed until they eventually stopped.
“Have you awakened?”
“I knew it right away, but pretending not to is amusing.”
“Well, that’s true. It’s fine as long as you’ve accepted it.”
Ho Cheon-an nodded slightly, recalling the awe Yoo Gyeong had shown while admiring the scenery. For someone who had only enjoyed the views of the palace and Nangyang, the natural landscape must have felt entirely new.
After all, isn’t it true that people plan trips as a means of relaxation?
When the environment changes, so does the mind.
Once she’s fed delicious food, even the emperor would have no choice but to admit that travel differs from what he thought.
Ho Cheon-an opened the box filled with ingredients and pondered while picking up various bags.
It wasn’t that he lacked confidence in his cooking skills, but how could he delight the emperor’s palate after a lifetime of eating the finest dishes prepared by the most celebrated cook in the world?
While lost in thought, alternating gazes between Yoo Gyeong and the bags, Yoo Gyeong gritted her teeth. Ho Cheon-an’s actions of grabbing and putting down the bags felt like he was contemplating which bag to cover her face with before killing her, given she was already contemplating death.
Despite being a foolish emperor, she didn’t want to look ugly in the face of death, so Yoo Gyeong forced a calm expression.
Just then, Ho Cheon-an nodded, setting the whole box down and picking up a pot.
“…”
At that moment, Yoo Gyeong realized he wasn’t looking for a bag to cover her head but was just selecting ingredients, and her face turned red.
“Fire!”
Under Nab-in’s command, Mi-ho spewed flames. The fire ignited the firewood piled in the stove, and Ho Cheon-an placed a pot of water on top, dreaming of the dish he would create today.
You couldn’t prepare numerous dishes outdoors; there’s a clear limit to the cooking equipment and a matter of timing.
Yet, he had to impress Yoo Gyeong, who had eaten dozens of exquisite dishes every day.
Regardless of taste, to match the abundance of flavors Yoo Gyeong experienced in a single meal, he had to use a myriad of ingredients, all of which needed to harmonize in one dish.
Fortunately, among the various dishes he knew, there was one that met many of those conditions.
It was Japchae.
Ho Cheon-an opened all the bags, gathering ingredients.
He put the sweet potato noodles into cold water, sliced the meat thin and long, seasoning it with pepper and salt, and then quickly stir-fried the meat.
Sizzle!
After confirming the meat was well-cooked and coated in oil, Ho Cheon-an took out mushrooms from a bag and sliced them to appropriate sizes. He carefully added enoki, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms proportionately to the thickness of the ingredients.
“Wow!”
As the fragrant smell of various mushrooms and beef combined burst into the air, Nab-in beamed while Sa Bok Seol swallowed hard.
Next came carrots, onions, spinach, and peppers, as well as bok choy.
After confirming the vegetables were adequately stir-fried, Ho Cheon-an drizzled soy sauce into the hot pan.
Sizzle!!
As the soy sauce met the heat, it quickly thickened making delicious sounds. Ho Cheon-an raised the flavor by boiling the soy sauce, finally squeezing out the sweet potato noodles that were soaked in water and throwing them into the pot.
With all the ingredients added, all that remained was to stir.
With Ho Cheon-an’s skillful hands, the various ingredients danced in the air. The glossy, appetizing brown sweet potato noodles and the colorful bits of vegetables looked absolutely captivating.
Bang!
Ho Cheon-an tapped the ladle against the pot to shake off the remaining bits. Sa Bok Seol and Nab-in, who had been entranced watching, hurried to set the bowls and chopsticks.
As soon as the delicious Japchae was plated, Nab-in and Sa Bok Seol eagerly grabbed their chopsticks. Ho Cheon-an halted their rush with a hand, his gaze shifting toward the still figure of Yoo Gyeong.
“You must be hungry, how about a meal?”
“I…”
“Hey! Hurry over!”
“Oh come on! Grandfather! What are you doing?”
Before she could even open her mouth, the two had started scolding her! With their momentum pushing her, Yoo Gyeong hesitantly approached as Nab-in and Sa Bok Seol immediately began to dig in.
With their eyes wide open, the two stuffed their faces full of Japchae.
Wasn’t it already the kind of dish that guaranteed flavor? And the fact that Ho Cheon-an put everything he could into this dish made it even more special.
On their tongues, the salty richness of the soy sauce mingled with an array of ingredient flavors, while the aroma of the mushrooms and soy sauce wafted through their noses. And what about the sweet potato noodles? Even though it absorbed all the flavors and aromas of the ingredients, it offered a hearty texture that you could chew on, making it quite a delightful eating experience.
Seeing the reactions of the two, Yoo Gyeong quietly put some Japchae in her mouth. Even as an emperor, the taste was superb, but somehow, she felt even more sorrowful.
“Is this my last supper…?”
If it were a dish made during normal times, those two wouldn’t be acting like this. Whether or not it was just their reaction, it was evident that Ho Cheon-an’s dish was a special meal, and there was only one reason to make such a special dish.
It must be because of her impending death.
Yoo Gyeong chewed down the Japchae firmly. Was this taste so special because it was her final dish in life? Or was it because the dish itself was magnificent?
Perhaps it could be both.
As Yoo Gyeong finished her slow meal, Sa Bok Seol glanced at Ho Cheon-an.
Since joining Ho Cheon-an’s group, washing the dishes and shopping for ingredients, gathering firewood — all those chores had been left to her.
But now that Yoo Gyeong, who didn’t particularly seem to have a close relationship with Ho Cheon-an, had joined, she thought maybe this was her chance to escape those mundane duties.
“Ahem. What about the dishes…?”
“You can do them now.”
Damn it.
Sa Bok Seol’s little hopes were shattered by Ho Cheon-an’s response. Letting out a long sigh as she gathered the dishes to get up.
“Grandfather! I’ll do it today!”
“Huh?”
“I think Seo Gong and Mi-ho need to be washed after rolling around in the creek we saw earlier! I’ll wash them and do the dishes while I’m at it!”
“Then that’s good for me.”
Ho Cheon-an had no objections either.
“Just don’t take too long washing.”
“Yes!”
“If you burn your clothes again while hastily drying them with Mi-ho’s flames, I won’t let it slide this time.”
“That was just an accident! Hmph!”
Nab-in vanished into the distance atop Mi-ho with dishes in hand. Watching Nab-in, Ho Cheon-an chuckled softly. After the sun set, he didn’t allow for play, so she probably made an excuse to have some fun in the water.
“If you pamper her too much, she might get spoiled later.”
Sa Bok Seol replied as Ho Cheon-an retorted.
“It’s true that she seems more interested in the fun than learning, but she still goes and washes up, so it’s not enough to scold her.”
“Right, let’s set that aside…”
Sa Bok Seol’s gaze shifted toward Yoo Gyeong.
Receiving that look, Yoo Gyeong decided the moment had arrived. With Nab-in also gone, Ho Cheon-an likely had nothing to hold back anymore.
“It seems we’ll be traveling together, may I ask your name?”
Yoo Gyeong didn’t respond. She didn’t want to imply that she was the emperor destined to be slain by Ho Cheon-an, as that seemed unrelated to his plans.
“I am Eun Am-il.”
Ho Cheon-an mentioned the alias once used by Hyeok Gi-rin, cleverly flipping it around. Yoo Gyeong felt a tightness in her chest. An alias too? Until when was he planning to keep her anxious?
“Let’s just end this.”
At Yoo Gyeong’s fury-laden words, Ho Cheon-an frowned. Why was this gentleman, who enjoyed the view and had a delicious meal, suddenly acting like this?
“Hasn’t time dragged on enough?”
Time? Did Yoo Gyeong perhaps think of this journey as just a casual outing?
Ho Cheon-an had no way of knowing that Yoo Gyeong was misinterpreting the word journey entirely.
“A journey will take quite a bit of time. The destination is rather far.”
With Ho Cheon-an’s response, Yoo Gyeong’s eyebrows twitched. Destination? He meant to drag her somewhere specific before killing her?
“How miserably do you intend to make me feel?”
“What misfortune could there be? We’re simply traveling under the guise of Eun Am-il.”
“If that isn’t a miserable affair, then what is? If your goal is to conceal my death, isn’t it enough to just do it now?”
What on earth was he talking about?
Ho Cheon-an’s expression grew tense. He had said they were going on a journey multiple times; why on earth was she suddenly accusing him of being out to kill her?
Sa Bok Seol chuckled at the conversation unfolding. “Hey, Officer. I don’t know what misunderstanding you have, but if that guy really wanted to eliminate you without anyone noticing, he wouldn’t go through all this trouble.”
“That’s because you don’t understand the situation…!”
“Since you’re not a martial artist, you have no idea what he could do, right? Fine, let’s put that aside. Didn’t you see that big fox ignite the fire earlier? Have you never thought that one body could be turned to ash in an instant?”
Yoo Gyeong could not find a rebuttal. The example that Sa Bok Seol had mentioned was indeed plausible.
“And think about it. He shares a meal with his disciple, then intends to kill them overnight? No matter how many fans of the martial world are out there, I’ve never heard of such macabre behavior. Perhaps the insane remnants of the Blood Sect that have vanished might consider it.”
After hearing Sa Bok Seol, Yoo Gyeong rolled her eyes and glanced at Ho Cheon-an. As she did, Ho Cheon-an spoke emphatically.
“I merely brought you along, believing that seeing the world and experiencing the martial realm would change your perspective. I have no intent to harm you, so please feel at ease.”
With Ho Cheon-an’s absolute assurance, Yoo Gyeong wished to die for a different reason.
