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Chapter Text

CHO Chung brought an arm to his chest, feeling like at any moment his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He opened his eyes to see nothing but the darkness that enveloped his room—moonlight gently filled through the window. Beads of sweat rolled off his face. Lifting his arm to wipe them off, tears painted his cheeks unknowingly.

He turns.

“My dearest. If only you were alive…” he whispers, “Can I truly protect Yeong all by myself?”

His words were interrupted by sounds of crying. They were followed by the little girl’s footsteps, bringing a smile to her father’s face. Before he could tell her to come in, Yeong burst into the room and hurriedly ran to her father’s arms.

“Appa!”

He embraces the little girl and calms her cries, “It’s okay, my child. I’m right here. What is wrong?” He kisses the top of her head and uses his sleeves to wipe her tears. Waiting for them to stop, he waited until his daughter was ready. She looks up with her big glassy eyes and cutest little pout.

“Can you promise me one thing?” she asks.

“Just one?” he laughs, “I will give you the moon, the stars, and the sun if you ask me to.”

Surprise fills her face, “You can’t do that..”

“Maybe just the stars,” he smiles. 

Cho Chung reminds himself to show her the constellations in Cheonbugwan more often.

“I had a bad dream… fire everywhere. Maidservant Chan told me to stay inside one of those sheds but I.. I couldn’t find you. She told me to run away if I saw you. I can’t do that. I can’t leave you. Then, I-”

Her father nods to let her continue.

“I saw Uncle Jang Gang... hurt you. I tried to run but before I knew it, I woke up,” Yeong sighs. Troubled by the nightmare that woke her up, she grew quiet for a moment before speaking again, “I had to come here and make sure you were okay.”

Cho Chung hides his face for a moment, refusing to let Yeong see his tears. After gaining composure, he lit the lantern beside his mat and sat his daughter upright. Her gaze follows the simple magic done in front of her eyes and for a split second, she forgot about her tears. Her father smiles at the adorable sight.

“Now, dear. I may not be young anymore, but as you can see, I am still a mage, capable of fighting off whoever goes against us. If I leave, then who will protect you?”

“So, you promise?”

He hugs her one more time, “I won’t leave you anytime soon.”

She will always remember how her father never ended up saying yes to her promise. Yeong doesn’t say another word, melts into his arms, and stays there.

…

“DID you think that you could hide this from me?” Cho Chung marches in, clearly displeased.

Jang Gang has regretted many decisions in his life, but there is one thing that continues to haunt him to this day. He scoured his brain to think of what could have possibly made Cho Chung this furious despite being his closest confidant, his voice of reason, his best friend.

Getting no response from the man, he reveals a black rectangular plaque. Cho Chung places it on the table and makes sure Jang Gang takes a good look.

“Perhaps, this can help you remember.” Jang Gang recognizes it instantly. It was a record of the stars on one particular day. Given the circumstances, this can only belong to one child.

“Will you listen if I dare to explai-”

“-I know it all,” Cho Chung stops him.

He shifts his gaze down to the floor as he struggles to find the words to say, where to start, “After punishing Shaman Choi for using sorcery found in the Forbidden Texts, y-you had kept it hidden inside Songrim. You started studying its contents, Alchemy of Souls being one of them.”

“That is true.” Jang Gang did not see the point in feigning ignorance. Though, he slants his eyes at his friend. He knew more than he could have possibly been told or discovered. But before he had the chance to ask, Jang Gang admitted these accusations, confirming Cho Chung’s guess concerning his son, Jang Uk.

Cho Chung closes his eyes, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. He doesn’t know whether to be mortified at the truth revealed by his friend or be amazed at the manner he happened to stumble upon it.

“It came to me in a dream,” he starts, “I saw it all. Most importantly, I saw how this could change everything for me. For my family.”

The two mages did not reach the same understanding. Cho Chung sighed and realized some matters are best undisclosed. 

Yet he believes that he should’ve known since the day Jang Gang came before all of Songrim and closed Jang Uk’s gate of energy. He is reminded of the Late Lady Dohwa and his heart aches for her and the little boy.

“I don’t entirely understand, so I am not asking you to support my intentions either. What I have done for that child is for his protection, whether the world agrees with me or not. If the new king find out the truth behind his birth, they will claim it treason.”

“Claim what as treason?” Park Jin comes in, alarmed by what he is hearing in the middle of their conversation. 

His eyes find the constellation record on the table, though closed, completes the puzzle of his own questions.

“We need to have this conversation at a different time–and in a different place,” Jang Gang hurries to close his quarters, making sure nobody comes in without notice.

“I didn't just come today to get answers. I am stepping down as Deputy Head of Cheonbugwan. I can no longer be in charge of recording constellations.”

Park Jin and Jang Gang look at Cho Chung with wide eyes. Seeing if his expression might indicate he is simply pulling their leg, Cho Chung shows no change and firmly rests his plea, “It is with great timing that you have come, Park Jin. I was wondering if there was a place for me in Jeongjingak?”

This caught Park Jin by surprise. 

Confused as to why Jang Gang was not saying anything in opposition, he reckons the reasons may have been discussed in this conversation before his arrival. Park Jin hesitated, yet nevertheless, extended his invitation to the mage, “We shall discuss this further with formalities in the coming days.”

“There is just one favor I shall ask of you, Park Jin” Cho Chung says, yet he stares at Jang Gang and then at the plaque, “My daughter, Yeong, shall never learn how to use spells, magic, or wield a sword.”

The leader of Songrim blinks in disbelief, then nods in agreement. He has only heard this request twice in his life, but it just so happens that the very people who made them are standing with him in the same room.

“I know, Jang Gang,” Cho Chung continues, “I understand your reasons, as well as I support your intentions. If it means protecting my child, then so be it.”

Chapter Text

JIN Mu watches the man, carefully.

He studies Cho Chung’s actions—every step, every breath—as he treads around the room Jin Mu unknowingly starts to mirror them. He stares at the objects the man gives attention to, even just a sliver of them. Cho Chung never spoke much. Jin Mu wonders if it was because he was never well acquainted with him, or if he was truly someone with a few words.

After exchanging the last of his advice and duties, Cho Chung reaches for the emblem that bore his family crest and his name engraved below its symbol. His eyes linger and his hand hovers over it in a moment of hesitation. It would be the final mark of his identity that is to be removed in this room, and the two men could not be any more different in how they truly feel inside.

Like any sane person, Jin Mu was skeptical at first.

The Cho clan was well connected through distant familial ties and their friendship with other powerful mage leaders. But, having control over Cheonbugwan was this man’s most important asset. In Jang Gang’s absence, he was the acting head of their organization. A position that Jin Mu would have attempted to take by any means. It was to everyone’s surprise, especially his own, that Cho Chung declared his leave.

“Can I ask you a question?”

The man stops by the sudden interruption. Cho Chung turns his heel to face Jin Mu, and he nods in reply. His expression remained blank.

“Why have you decided to leave Cheonbugwan?” Jin Mu asks.

Cho Chung’s gaze changed. In his eyes, bitterness, fear, and anger flickered all at once—piercing through the one who asked. Jin Mu felt vulnerable, almost, as if the man standing in front of him could see through everything, even within his most protected secrets. But as quickly as it came, it was gone too soon. Jin Mu almost thought he was imagining the whole thing. He waits for a second before he gives his answer.

Then, Cho Chung smiles.

“This responsibility is no longer mine to hold. I am simply making my path.”

Jin Mu's eyes narrowed. He was not satisfied with that answer.

It said everything and nothing at the same time. A voice calling out to Cho Chung cuts through the silence revealing Yeong, who’s running inside the room in search of her father. Before she can steady herself, Yeong trips as her foot gets caught under the hem of her skirt. She falls in front of a man, so familiar, yet a sure stranger to her.

Jin Mu tilts his head in confusion, trying to remember where he had seen this little girl before. He kneels to reach for her hand before the meeting of their eyes nearly knocks him off his feet. The words came to him as vividly as he recalled the ones he said in his dream.

“Let me help you.”

Flashes of fire came and went to his distant memories, Jin Mu shook his head in a daze. He closes his eyes for a moment, trying to bring his attention back to the present, not witnessing how the little girl had refused his hand.

Yeong instinctively pulled her hand back, almost a repelling force. She jumped the second she felt a pair of arms helping her get back on her feet, then relieved when she realized her father had brought her back to his side. Yeong slightly bowed her head towards Jin Mu, apologizing—but her rushed actions clearly stated that she was not there to exchange pleasantries with the strange man.

“Our belongings have been secured and we are ready to leave, Father,” the girl tells Cho Chung, only keeping her eyes on him. He had taken this as a cue to start moving and resumed the preparations for their leave.

‘So, this is Cho Yeong,’ Jin Mu thinks. Even with that short interaction, he has figured out how the two fit into the puzzle of his plans. ‘It’s interesting...how Cho Chung lives on in this life.’

Jin Mu may not have believed in fate but since that day he had learned everything from Jang Gang and his use of forbidden sorcery to the truth about his son and the King’s star—he’s starting to believe the stars will always be on his side.

And now that he has Cheonbugwan in his hands, nothing is going to stop him.

…

“Yeong, have you seen that man before?”

The girl looks at her father with widened eyes. It was as if he had read her mind.

She whispers, “No, I don’t think I have.”

“Not at all?” Cho Chung asked once again—in part to confirm it, and ultimately, feel at ease.

Yeong slowly nods her head, “Though, I can’t help but feel that he is familiar. I can’t point my finger at it. I must have seen him around Uncle Jang Gang before if he was an important man.”

“He was. Him being Master Jang’s student and all,” he explained.

Cho Chung stops walking and kneels in front of Yeong, facing her eye to eye. He smiled gently but she could see that his demeanor had become serious. He takes a deep breath, “Don’t trust him, child. It is best that we never have anything to do with that man ever again.”

The father tries to read the puzzled expression on his daughter’s face. Although it concerns him to not give his reasons, at least reasons that would make any sense for his seven-year-old daughter to fathom, he is relieved to see that Yeong simply agrees with this sentiment. They didn’t need words to communicate that she was not too fond of him either, whether Yeong understood the full meaning of her father’s warning or not.

“Who was your teacher, Father?” the little girl asked as she waited for her father to enter the palanquin. 

Cho Chung’s expression softened, “There is this man named Master Lee. He is a living legend, absolutely magnificent in many ways.” He goes on to tell her about his strict yet caring master. How he chooses to live in the mountains and drinks funny tea. How he dries his wet clothes in a second and boils water without trying. How he detests stupid and incompetent adults, yet adores every child who sits by his feet and listens to his stories.

“I would like to meet him someday,” Yeong smiled. 

The man looks to the far mountains, slowly revealed by the moving clouds that enveloped them through the dawn of the day. The bright light gradually emerges out of the dark.

“Perhaps, that time would come.”

Chapter Text

CHO Chung firmly held his daughter’s hand as they walked towards the entrance of a great residence. From a distance, they saw servants shuffling around the grounds. A small bridge is in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by a beautiful garden filled with pink and purple flowers. 

Balsam seeds , Yeong recognized them. She looks around in awe before noticing a woman walking towards them. 

“Yeon-ah,” Cho Chung calls her, “or should I say, Maidservant Kim?”

Maidservant Kim greets him with a big smile and a polite hug. Yeong quickly figured out they were friends who had known each other way back. 

“You know whichever is fine,” the woman sighed, smiling, “It has been so long. Why did it take you leaving Cheonbugwan to finally visit us?” she exclaimed with feigned annoyance yet immediately greeted Yeong with a welcoming embrace.

“I know you don’t remember me, but I have met you before! You used to be so small, now you’re all grown up!”

“I have more growing to do,” Yeong grins shyly, “Someday, I will become as tall as my father.” 

The two adults erupted in laughter. Maidservant Kim lead the way and ushered them in, showcasing the impressive view of their new dwelling. Yeong then found herself wishing they could stay here longer than they intended to.

“You have a beautiful house, Maidservant Kim.” 

“Thank you, dear. Other than raising our young master, I also have this place to run and take care of,” She looks at Yeong, tucking a piece of the little girl’s hair behind her ear. 

“Truly, I appreciate your kind words. Now, go along. Walk through the grounds and be familiar with it. I need to show your dad where you will be staying tonight.”

Yeong gleams and gives her father a little wave. She doesn’t give him another second to say a word and excitedly starts walking inside. And it was clear—the interior was as grand as its exterior. Every room she walked past was neatly organized and decorated, not even noticing her steps became more and more cautious. 

But, even with a house as big as this, Yeong could not help but notice that no one was roaming around the halls. The servants kept to themselves, finishing their tasks and disappearing out of sight as soon as possible, but there were no signs of inhabitants coming in and out from every corner of the dwelling. 

“What good is a house if it doesn’t feel like home?” she whispered to herself. 

“What home?”

Yeong jumps at the sound of someone’s voice. She turns around to see a boy her age. 

He stands firmly, appearing as tall as he can, but with little to no difference between the two. The boy’s eyes pierced through her with confusion and confidence, a stare that was held by someone highly esteemed. 

But, Yeong was not fazed. 

It would take more than mere arrogance to intimidate her. 

The boy was visibly annoyed by her ignoring his first question, “Who are you?”

She took a step back and examined him. His clothes were the biggest clue–neat and made of fine fabrics–it didn’t take much for her to assume he was the young master that Maidservant Kim was referring to. 

“You’re Young Master Jang..”

“You know me?”

Yeong blinks, “Well, no.”

“You didn’t answer my question–who are you?”

“I’m Cho Yeong,” she holds out her hand. 

The boy raised his eyebrows, growing even more confused at the situation. He scans the room, left and right, trying to search if someone else came in with the girl in front of him.

“How did you even get here if you don’t know me?”

“You’re not answering my question,” Yeong crossed her arms, smiling and mocking his tone.

The boy grunts in frustration, but he doesn’t answer.

Then, she notices the seclusion behind the boy. It was an elevated display of a portrait—a lady who looks just like the boy. Under the painting was an inscription of a name, “Dohwa.” 

The boy heard Yeong say it, turning to see her approaching the picture. 

She continues reading the other names presented with the Jang family crest, “Jang Gang... Jang.. Uk,” Yeong spun around and pointed at him. 

“Uk. You’re Jang Uk.”

The boy was puzzled by Yeong’s proud smile. 

“I’m still quite slow at reading,” she explained, “I begged and begged to listen in some lessons at Cheonbugwan until father finally said yes.”

Cho Chung was no match for his daughter’s convincing powers. An adorable expression and incessant pleas targeted his soft heart—allowing her to at least sit in the students’ lessons held on the grounds of Cheonbugwan . Even without the visions he has received apart from their current reality, Yeong’s father wholeheartedly believes she’s bound to do great things. Those things start from her natural brilliance and determination. 

“I just learned that word,” Yeong points at the inscription, “Uk… meaning light! I know that one because of its opposite—Yeong, like my name. It means shadow. Isn’t that neat? Our names mean light and shadow.”

Uk narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out if he had seen this girl before. Granted he would remember who she was if they had ever crossed paths, the boy never went out much. 

‘ She doesn’t seem familiar.. ’ he thinks to himself.

“I am Cho Chung’s daughter. From what I heard, Uncle Jang Gang and my father are close.”

“Uncle Jang Gang..” Uk repeats, hiding a slight frown, “Are you close with my father?”

“No, not exactly.”

“So, why are you here?”

“We're staying here for a couple of days, Maidservant Kim is showing my father to our quarters, but we’re moving to Songrim soon.”

Jang Uk stops. 

His mouth gapes open and his eyes widen, ‘There is no way they’re moving there for her to start training. She is too young… and she’s a girl!’

Still, he couldn’t help but be envious of the thought. To be welcomed into Songrim has always been his dream, but even entering was impossible for him.

“Songrim?”

“You have a lot of questions.”

“You are the one barging into my house!”

“I told you-”

“Jang Uk!” The two arguing kids hear two voices coming from a distance. 

Park Danggu and Seo Yul walk over to the arguing kids. Similar to Uk’s distinguished attire, the two boys were well-dressed. It did not take much for Yeong to conclude that these were his friends, most likely young masters of their respective households. 

“Who is this?” Danggu, as the others referred to him, asks his friend while keeping his grinning expression facing Yeong. She didn’t wait for Uk to answer him and held out her hand.

“I’m Cho Yeong. Nice to meet you.”

The boy accepted her greeting, his demeanor was bright like summer. They continued exchanging greetings—Seo Yul was reserved with his manners and only kept to himself with a slight bow and a few words. 

“Why didn’t you wait for me?”

A shriek was heard from a little girl, stomping her feet in their direction. Danggu and Yul looked at each other and shared a concerned look. They started shuffling around, trying to push each other in front of their angry friend. 

“Choyeon-ah.. We were- we were waiting!”

Yeong slowly blinked, astonished at how much energy could come from such a small frame. She stared at Jin Choyeon’s bright yellow skirt and long embellished hair. Daughters from the Jin family, blessed with the most esteemed priestess powers, were equally blessed with their good looks. With the only major family traditionally practicing matriarchy, the Jin family’s line of succession shall only follow the women. 

It is only right that in every aspect, the future leaders of their clan were distinguished, poised, and well-mannered. 

“ Nunim… ”

Seo Yul bowed. 

The rest of the children turned their heads and saw another Young Miss slowly approaching them. One cannot miss the piece of cloth covering her eyes. Though she was blind, her steps were deliberate and sure. Yeong recognized her right away, having seen Choyeon’s older sister come to Cheonbugwan before.

“Yul, you need not to be so polite towards me. I am not much older than all of you- Nunim is quite the title to behold.”

Jin Buyeon’s dress, although dyed a different color, was the same as the one Choyeon was wearing. She wore half her hair up and the rest flowing down her back. Following her gentle chastisement towards the polite boy, Buyeon exchanged greetings with the rest. 

When she finally turned to Yeong, Buyeon paused. 

‘This energy… indeed, it is powerful and good.’

The older girl’s eyebrows lifted, just a slight movement, almost undetected by an unassuming eye. She snapped out of her short trance and introduced herself to Yeong.

“I believe Yeong’s father was just offered a new position as an instructor at Jeongjinggak. You will be seeing him more often from now on,” Buyeon explained.

“So, that’s what I heard from my uncle earlier today,” Danggu says, recalling the conversation he overheard among the adults in the other room.

Jang Uk crossed his arms. His suspicious countenance, unsurprisingly did not subside, targetted towards little Yeong. 

“Why are you staying here, then?”

“If I knew, I would have told you. All I know is that we won’t be staying here for long.”

Yul interjects, “Wasn’t your father the head of Cheonbugwan ?”

“He was. But now he says, Jin Mu will be taking over.”

Jin Buyeon freezes at the sound of the man’s name—a matter that also happened too quickly for anyone to notice. However, its impact was, without a doubt, serious for the heir of the Jin family. 

“Choyeon,” Buyeon holds her sister’s hand, “It is time for us to go.”

“Yes, unnie .”

Yeong once again catches the older girl’s attention. Buyeon gives her a polite nod before leaving and smiles. 

Yeong rarely felt nervous when meeting new people, but encountering this many peers at once had also become a first in her life. She was relieved to have felt accepted somehow. Almost accepted, if one does not count Jang Uk’s strange unfriendliness.

Yeong was too absorbed in her thoughts to notice the boys were walking away. She was brought back with a light tap on her shoulder.

“We’ll be playing outside.”

To her surprise, Uk stayed for a moment to let her know. Although he said it curtly, Yeong understood that he was inviting her without actually inviting her.

‘He does not seem to be the type to easily make friends, that poor boy.’

Yeong nodded with a bright smile, silently telling him she knew what he meant. 

Uk was relieved to know he was understood. 

Immediately, he ran away to mask his shyness. 

As Yeong stared at Uk, his back was turned from her, and running outdoors, a vision came to her. Familiar or unfamiliar, memory or mirage, she could not point a finger. But, one thing was for sure. 

Those words will be found in a conversation they share with older faces. 

“I knew the moment I saw you. You are my master.”

Chapter Text

PARK Jin stared at the sword Jang Uk threw at his feet. 

“Why would he decide my fate?”

Jang Uk shouted.

Twelve years ago, Jang Gang stood at the same spot holding his newborn son, wielding the same blade and striking it on the ground. Despite the rumors, Park Jin thought that the boy looked exactly like his father—their eyes especially, amid such fury. 

But this time, Jang Uk’s eyes were brimming with tears, unable to keep his composure. 

The Songrim leader lifted his eyes and looked at the boy once more. 

“No one even considers him as my true father anyway!” Jang Uk pauses, “I will find someone. A master who will open my gate of energy and teach me how to practice spells.”

Park Jin clenches his jaw in response, but he remains quiet.

Jang Uk’s tears flowed down his face. He looks up at everyone blocking the entrance, standing in the way of his plea, with so much contempt. 

“I will find someone myself. Then, I will take out that sword and break it in two.”

He cursed and then kicked Jang Gang’s sword. 

The old man watched as Jang Uk turned his heel and marched out of the grounds. The visions of the past during the last time he saw Jang Gang and the picture of his son walking away in the same manner continued to merge in his sight.   

The secret that Park Jin holds, the truth of the boy's birth, weighs on him like a million rocks. After contemplating, he believes that respecting Jang Gang’s wishes is the best way of protecting his child. 

But, Jang Uk’s words terrified Park Jin, believing he’ll see to it someday. 

…

CHO Yeong rests her head by the window. She sits on the ledge, letting her right leg sway back and forth while her left leg anchors her down. 

“Young lady! What are you doing- you’ll fall!” Maidservant Kim looked up to the girl from where she stood on the ground. The concern was evident in her voice. 

Yeong smiles upon seeing the woman, not paying attention to her words but staring at the freshly made buns in her basket. 

Often stopping by to check on Yeong, Maidservant Kim has included the little girl in her daily routine whether or not her father had asked her to do so. Having cared for the playful Young Master of the Jang family all these years, she was silently pleased to have a young girl to dote on. 

Fortunately, Yeong also liked Maidservant Kim, although she had never met anyone who nagged as much as her, from her neat appearance without a strand of hair out of place, to the faint smell of lotus flower incense that always seemed to linger on her clothes. Her presence brought a distinct character to the girl’s day-to-day that seemed unfamiliar at first. 

But Yeong knew that behind her strict temperament, Maidservant Kim treated her with motherly warmth. 

Yeong made her way outside, seeing Maidservant Kim scold the young servants attending her. She holds onto Maidservant Kim’s skirt and greets her before she continues lecturing them. 

“Kim dojoo …” Yeong says, sheepishly.

“ Agasshi …” Maidservant Kim repeats in the same tone.

The woman shakes her head, vulnerable to the little girl’s smile which always seemed to work against her worries. 

“Don’t scold them too much. I was the one not listening- I shouldn’t have made you worried-”

“-I don’t need to hear these excuses again,” Maidservant Kim sternly protested, “But it’s good you know that you were in the wrong.” 

Yeong lowers her head. Maidservant Kim hands the basket to one of the servants and crouches down to look at Yeong face-to-face. The woman sighs and holds onto the girl’s hands. 

“So, I heard you fought with your father again?”

Yeong immediately lifts her head, wearing a surprised expression on her face. She blinks without speaking for a few moments before letting her words trail away quietly.

“Uhh…”

Maidservant Kim stands up and leads Yeong to the middle of the courtyard. They walked towards a small bench while the girl tried to find the best explanation to give her. Yeong will attempt to get Maidservant Kim’s support now that this matter has left the household.

“I want to enter Songrim.”

Maidservant Kim froze at the child’s straightforward statement. She fakes a smile while thinking of the best vague response she could give to the young girl. 

“You can… ask your father to show you around where he works. I’m sure they’ll let you in.”

Yeong’s shoulders deflated. 

Maidservant Kim pursed her lips in a straight line. She had a feeling she said the wrong thing. 

This year, Yeong is only eleven years old, but her fiery passion easily matched the town’s young masters. The woman’s gaze followed the girl as she paced back and forth. A piece of her hair from the back swayed along with her movement, becoming undone from her neatly kept style. Maidservant Kim could tell that the girl had taken out her hairpins again—a habit of hers that she noticed. Yeong often complained about how much her head hurt when wearing her hair in a tightly knotted bun.

“Kim dojoo , you know what I mean,” Yeong says flatly, “I want to enter Songrim and learn spells- I want to be a mage!”

Maidservant Kim nods knowingly. Unfortunately, she was not a stranger to the wishes of a young aspiring mage. Her own young master, Jang Uk, has been asking his uncle the same thing. She looks around at the manor, reminded of Yeong’s father. 

A few years after Jang Gang left the capital, Cho Chung made the same declaration concerning his daughter’s future. He dismissed every possibility of Yeong learning and wielding spells, especially any chance of her entering Songrim to be a student. There were rumors that he even asked around if there were any cultivators strong enough to close her gate of energy. But other than Jang Gang, who hasn’t come back for years, no one had been able to achieve the same feat. 

Yeong knows why Maidservant Kim could not seem to find the words to say. The girl was aware that her father’s closest friends respected his wishes and never offered to help her change his mind. 

The two shared a small smile which expressed everything they didn’t need to say out loud.

The older woman walks over and starts fixing Yeong’s hair. 

“Well, Father is only against me practicing spells, right?” she asked sheepishly, “Kim dojoo… is there any way I can still enter Songrim without being a mage?”

“To do what? Everyone in Songrim is either wielding a sword, learning how to use spells-”

“I just want to see them in action?”

Maidservant Kim raised her eyebrow, terrified of the girl’s daring ambitions, “-what if you get hurt?”

Yeong jumped before the woman finished tucking her hair in place. Her eyes were shining when she whipped her head back, looking as if she just solved a big mystery.

“That’s it!”

Maidservant Kim narrows her eyes. She doesn’t say a word and waits until Yeong explains what she finally discovered.

“Everyone at Songrim practices magic unless they work at Sejukwon!”

“No-”

“-I can be a healer!”

The woman initially wanted to say something against her suggestion but was not able to find an appropriate reason to. Yeong’s smile slowly grew as she watched Maidservant’s Kim bewildered expression, finally stumping her after all the counterarguments the woman used to always have for her. The girl swore to bring this matter up to her father again, hoping he’d maybe reconsider his strict rules in the future.

“Why didn’t I think of this earlier..” Yeong muttered to herself, her head shaking.

Maidservant Kim playfully pinched the girl’s cheek after seeing her smug expression. She will surely hear Cho Chung’s concerned rambles later once he hears about what his mischievous daughter is up to again. 

“How do you know Sejukwon? Her grandfather runs the clinic inside Songrim.”

“I’m friends with Yunok- she lives three doors that way.” 

Yeong points toward the east, past the main alleyway. One day, out of boredom, she ran outside past her maids to sneak out until she bumped into Young Lady Heo. Despite their differences, Yunok being graceful and quiet and Yeong being her carefree and bright self, the two girls got along and often visited each other at home. 

“Oh... Heo Yeom’s granddaughter. I heard she’s not at home much these days?”

“She recently met her new master who lives at the foot of the mountain. Yunok said she helps her gather herbs and study medicine under her.”

Maidservant Kim sighs, understanding where this conversation is going. 

“Are you going to ask your father to let you learn medicine?”

“As long as I’m not wielding a sword, right?”

“But you’re doing this to get into Songrim.”

Yeong reaches out to hold Maiservant Kim’s hand—acting cute always works on the poor lady as she tries to tell her to save the lecture for another day.

“It’s worth the try,” the girl nods, “I’ll be there one day.”