OGHOU C42

Chapter 42

Thus, Cheongyeon finished his tearful meal.

Jihong, looking quite satisfied after confirming that Cheongyeon had somehow forced himself to eat every last bite, collected the empty food box.

Surely, this couldn’t mean he had to eat like this for every single meal, right?

Cheongyeon shook off the uneasy feeling that crept up his spine.

They said, “If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.”

Of course, if given the choice, he would rather avoid it entirely, but for now, he had to think this way just to keep his sanity intact.

There was no point trembling in fear endlessly — that wouldn’t yield any answers.

He needed to think rationally.

To find a way to persuade Muho into letting him leave this place.

Quietly, Cheongyeon approached the doorway and spoke toward the shadow beyond it.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes.”

“Are you… Lord Jihong?”

“That is correct. Do you have something to say?”

Cheongyeon wanted to demand why a man of Jihong’s status — the head of the guard — was standing watch here all day long, but he swallowed the impulse and asked instead,

“May I ask you a few questions?”

“Of course,” Jihong replied politely, his demeanor unchanged.

“So… this place is really Mount Tianshan in Xinjiang, correct?”

“Yes, this is Shengli Peak of Tianshan.”

“And… how long have I been here?”

“A little over one full day and night.”

“I’ve slept that long?”

“There is no need for concern. Incense that aids in deep sleep was burned in your room, so such rest is quite natural.”

So, he put me to sleep on purpose.

There must be a reason for that too.

Now came the most important question — when he would be taken to the underground prison.

With his voice trembling slightly, Cheongyeon spoke.

“How long… must I remain in this room?”

“That is for my lord to decide.”

“Could you at least tell me… roughly when that might be?”

“I would like to, but I do not know.”

“Ah… Then, when will the Cult Leader come?”

“My lord has only recently ascended to his position. He is occupied reorganizing the Heavenly Demon Cult’s structure and hierarchy. I do not believe you will see him today. It would be best not to wait for him.”

At those words, Cheongyeon let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Now that he thought about it, Muho had only just become the Cult Leader — of course, he would be too busy to even breathe.

That bought him some time, at least until tomorrow.

Hopefully, Muho would still be too busy even then.

While Cheongyeon was trying to organize his tangled thoughts, Jihong’s gentle voice came again, tinged with amusement.

“Are you perhaps… bored?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. Ever since you woke, you’ve done nothing but ask for my lord.”

Please don’t say it like that. It sounds weird!

“If you are bored, I could tell my lord. I’m sure he would—”

“No! No, I’m not bored at all. I’m perfectly fine and very comfortable!”

“Then that is good to hear.”

He had almost become a foolish child whining, ‘I’m bored, Heavenly Demon-nim, play with me!’

He had no interest in any heart-pounding game of tag with the Heavenly Demon.

“It will soon be hour of the Boar. Shall I have bathwater prepared?”

“B-bathwater?”

That far? Really?

He couldn’t understand why they were treating him so attentively, or what purpose lay behind preparing bathwater for him.

But since he had endured the disgusting meal, a bath was nothing in comparison.

If he couldn’t escape, he might as well enjoy it — so Cheongyeon boldly agreed.

Before long, the attendants brought in a large wooden tub filled with steaming water.

It wasn’t ordinary water — it seemed to be infused with medicinal herbs.

A familiar herbal scent wafted through the room from the greenish liquid.

Beside the tub lay neatly arranged soapberry¹ and fresh inner robes for him to change into after bathing.

Could it be… he plans to kill me?

The thought flashed across Cheongyeon’s mind.

The whole situation was strange.

He was being held in a luxurious room, served meals (though awful in taste), and now even offered a bath.

Maybe he was just clinging to false hope, but this level of treatment seemed excessive for the “last mercy” granted to a condemned man.

Even so, he couldn’t let his guard down.

If Muho didn’t plan to kill him, then why lock him in this room at all?

A wild suspicion flickered in his mind — one he immediately pushed away for being absurd.

No way… It can’t be that.

Brushing off his doubts, Cheongyeon slipped out of his clothes and into the water.

Warm herbal steam enveloped his body, melting away his tension almost instantly.

He rubbed the soapberry across his skin and scooped water to pour gently over his head.

White steam rose thickly into the air.

Clean and refreshed, Cheongyeon leaned back against the tub and closed his eyes.

He knew this was no time to relax, but the drowsiness creeping over him was impossible to resist.

Considering how much he’d already slept, he could only blame the lingering effects of that incense.

And with that thought, he drifted into slumber.

Cheongyeon dreamed.

It was a memory from long ago — a summer day.

They said even dogs don’t catch summer colds, yet with his pathetic constitution, Cheongyeon managed to fall ill.

Despite the sweltering heat, he sat shivering in a thick outer robe.

Unable to stand it any longer, Haeryeong approached.

“Please go rest inside, Guest Master. Seeing you out here like this just makes me more worried.”

“Oh, it’s been a while since I saw you looking this young, Haeryeong.”

“What are you talking about again? Sometimes, I really can’t understand you.”

Despite his strange words, Haeryeong brought over a warm teapot and cup.

He couldn’t help scolding him, saying how ridiculous it was to catch a cold in this heat.

“If you ever get married, Guest Master, your wife will have a hard time. I can already tell.”

“Why? I’d make a great husband. I cook well, clean well, fix broken furniture — and I’m even handsome.”

“Ugh. Did you really just say that yourself?”

“Am I wrong? Every customer says the same — that the food’s beautiful and the owner’s even better looking. They call this place the ‘pretty-face tavern.’”

“Right, right,” Haeryeong said, shaking his head as he sat down across from him.

“Just take care of your health first. What’s the use of being handsome if you’re always sick?”

“I’m trying! You saw me diligently boiling those herbs, didn’t you?”

“Ah, I heard medicinal baths are really good for you. You should try it sometime.”

“Those require a lot of herbs though. They’re expensive — can’t just dump handfuls into bathwater. Even when boiling medicine, I reuse the same herbs until not a single drop of essence is left.”

“Then you’ll just have to earn more money, Guest Master.”

“Exactly. I’ll make a fortune, then take herbal baths every day, even grind herbs into my meals. Then you won’t be able to scold me for being sick anymore.”

While they were chatting, Muho came down the stairs from the upper floor.

He approached and spoke to Haeryeong.

“Someone’s asking for you.”

“Me? Why?”

“They said their blanket is dirty and asked for a replacement.”

“But I changed them all this morning. Which room?”

“The third one on the right.”

Haeryeong tilted his head in confusion and left.

Once he was gone, Muho sat down in the empty seat across from Cheongyeon.

“You’ve become a proper inn worker now,” Cheongyeon teased. “Guess I’ll have to start paying you.”

“No need.”

Muho gazed absently out the open door, seemingly indifferent to everything in the world.

The hot summer wind blew in, rustling his black hair gently.

“Seventeen.”

“What?”

“Cheon Muho.”

When Cheongyeon called his name, Muho turned to look at him.

His sun-kissed face glowed faintly under the orange light of dusk.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

“What do you mean?”

“When you become an adult. Have you ever thought about it?”

Muho simply stared into Cheongyeon’s eyes without replying.

“It’s okay if you haven’t. There’s plenty of time — think about it slowly. Don’t stress over it.”

“What’s… stress?”

“There’s such a thing. Maybe I’m talking nonsense — I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Cheongyeon laughed awkwardly to cover up his slip.

“…I’ve thought about it.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

Cheongyeon, blowing on his warm tea, hadn’t heard properly and asked again.

“I said I’ve thought about it.”

“Really? So, what do you want to become?”

The black eyes that met his trembled faintly. Then, after a long hesitation, Muho’s lips parted.

“I want to…”

His quiet voice was drowned out by the splashing of water.

What did he say back then?

Half-asleep, Cheongyeon felt his body being lifted out of the water.

Someone was carrying him.

“Water…”

The floor’s getting wet, he wanted to say, but what escaped his lips was only that single word — water — slurred and weak.

It was all because of that incense. That was why he was so unbearably sleepy.

Mumbling a silent excuse no one would hear, Cheongyeon leaned comfortably into the person’s arms.

It had been so long since he’d felt another’s warmth this close.

The gentle heat of the other’s skin made him instinctively nuzzle closer.

Soon, soft fabric wrapped around him.

Laid upon a plush bed, his body went limp.

Tonight, perhaps, he could finally have a peaceful dream.

But just as he was about to drift off again, a hand brushed tenderly across his cheek, pulling him back toward wakefulness.

Cheongyeon tried to open his eyes to see who it was, but his lids were too heavy — only half opened before falling again.

Through the haze, he glimpsed only the faint shimmer of a red curtain and a dark silhouette bathed in dim light.

He could do nothing but let his eyes close once more.

Maybe… my suspicion was right after all.

It was a thought so dangerous that he had always pushed it away, too afraid to face it.

If it were true, he would have no right to meet that man’s eyes ever again.

As consciousness faded, the question he longed to ask slipped back into his heart —

Even after all these years…

Did you ever love me?

Footnotes

1. Soapberry (조협, Johyeop) — A natural fruit used in traditional Korean and Chinese cleansing rituals, known for its saponin content and medicinal properties. Often used in baths or as herbal soap.