The sunlight was warm. The sound of hoofbeats ringing one after another flowed like the melody of a song. Yunseo pleasantly enjoyed the gently blowing breeze. He slowly closed his eyes and opened them, and just as he drew in a deep breath, Hwi slowed his horse.

"Let us rest a while."

He pointed to a large old tree not far off. The zelkova tree with its abundant leaves cast ample shade and seemed to welcome passing travelers.

Throughout the journey Hwi had frequently suggested resting. It was consideration for Yunseo's energy. Occasionally it seemed a little excessive, but this time they were not on the run, and since they had decided to travel as far as their feet would carry them, he obediently followed Hwi's suggestion.

They dismounted and went into the shade of the zelkova tree. When Hwi spread out a patterned mat* on the ground, Yunseo sat down on it and drank the water Hwi handed him afterward. Then he returned the water flask and casually asked.

"What kind of person was your teacher?"

Hwi closed the water flask and stared into the air as though recalling his teacher. While waiting for his answer, Yunseo recalled a conversation they had shared in the imperial palace.

'Your Majesty, is there nowhere you want to go? Something you've always wanted to try?'

'I've put places I want to inspect along the route, so you need not concern yourself about me.'

This journey was not a simple outing. They planned to stop at Hwasicheong along the way to understand hardships there, and to head to Dongju Fortress to observe the affairs of the northern populace. But those were purposes of the Emperor, not purposes of Hwi as an individual.

Feeling a little sorry for him, he was about to ask Hwi to tell him if anything came to mind later, when Hwi let out a low "Ah."

'If we go that way, I might be able to see Sino.'

'Who is Sino?'

'A Yongrin who was my teacher. He was buried in his hometown.'

At the news that if the route was shifted just slightly, the hometown of the teacher who had taught Hwi martial arts was there, Yunseo brightened and asked to stop by. The fact that Hwi had never once visited the grave since Sino returned to his hometown made him want all the more to go with Hwi to meet Sino.

"He was a soft person. The kind who would secretly wipe away tears in the back when I was young and could not bear the pain and was crawling on the floor."

When a story from Hwi's childhood came up, his heart swelled. Even from just a few words he felt he could understand what kind of person his teacher had been. He was genuinely glad that such a good person had been Hwi's teacher.

"You must have been fond of him."

"I was, more or less. When I behaved in ways that were not rational, he was not afraid of me and steadied my center."

Perhaps for Hwi, he had been more of a father and an elder brother than the late Emperor who was his actual father or Prince Inchin who was his actual sibling. Yunseo tried imagining young Hwi and Sino together, then deliberately pestered Hwi to tell him an amusing story with his teacher.

A gentle smile lingered on the corner of Hwi's lips as he spoke of the day he first defeated his teacher, the day he tasted the food his teacher had suddenly bought at the market, the day they roamed the capital in the small hours checking public safety. Yunseo studied Hwi, who even looked youthful at times, with wondering eyes, then lay down on the mat.

At the bright-eyed gaze that seemed to ask for more, Hwi gave a short laugh, lay down, and slipped his arm under Yunseo's head as a pillow. Yunseo used Hwi's arm as a pillow and listened to the stories that followed. The sound of leaves rustling against each other in the gently swaying breeze poured down coolly.

"You must have been very sad when he passed."

"One day he came to find me and told me he would end his life in his hometown. He had sensed his own end and was prepared."

"Was that the last time?"

"Yes. Not long after, I received news that he had passed."

What Hwi's feelings had been like when he heard that news was something he could not even dare imagine. When Yunseo placed his hand on Hwi's chest, Hwi gripped it.

"He will be pleased. It has been a long time since he has seen Hwi-nim."

"More than anything, I am glad to be able to introduce you to him. Until the very end he wished for me to find a partner."

"I should hope to be to his liking."

"How could you not be. On the contrary, he might even scold me. That I have snagged someone more than I deserve."

Laughing at the absurd remark, Hwi curved the corner of his mouth upward in return, then tapped lightly at the corner of Yunseo's eye.

"Are you tired?"

"I feel like I could fall asleep."

"The day is warm so an afternoon nap should be fine."

Hwi drew Yunseo close and held him snugly against his chest. The warm yet cool air of spring made Yunseo's body feel even more languid. Yunseo looked at Hwi while blinking slowly and then buried his face in his chest.

For some reason it felt as though he might have a sweet dream.

* * *

The sun was setting. The two who had been moving quickly to get a little further along had to slow their horses because of people standing in the middle of the road.

Hwi narrowed his eyes and looked ahead, then nodded as though it was fine. Drawing closer, they could see a cart stuck in a sunken pothole and two elderly people surrounding it. It seemed they had been caught out by the ground that had not yet hardened after last night's rain.

Yunseo gave Hwi a look and readily dismounted. The cart had quite a lot of cargo and it seemed difficult for two elderly people to manage.

"May I help?"

At the careful question, the two elderly people exchanged glances and spoke.

"We would be grateful."

"Please, we ask it."

Before Yunseo could even lend a hand, Hwi had appeared and lifted the back of the cart. The cart came out of the pothole easily, and the elderly people let out exclamations of surprise.

"That it could be resolved so easily."

"It seems we overestimated ourselves."

"Indeed so."

They shared a bittersweet laugh and exchanged a warm look between themselves before turning to Hwi and Yunseo. The elderly woman in blue clothes spoke warmly.

"Thank you. We had been stamping our feet, not knowing what to do since we could neither go forward nor back."

"I am glad to have been of help. But the two of you pulled this cart here yourselves?"

"We had a donkey we kept, but it passed away not long ago. Having grown attached to it over a long time, we did not want to bring in a new one and decided to manage with the two of us, but we did not know it would be this difficult. We are truly lucky to have met you."

"If you do not mind, I will see you home. I will connect the cart to the horse, so please ride along."

The elderly woman hesitated and did not readily answer. It would be from a sense of being a burden, or from reluctance to bring strangers to her home. Yunseo stepped away from the elderly woman so she could make up her mind, and went to stand beside Hwi.

"Is there another way?"

"I could tell those following to handle it."

A few Yongrin and imperial guards were following slowly behind them, so if they identified themselves as officials and offered to help the elderly women, they too would be able to put them at ease, he thought. Yunseo was nodding when he noticed Hwi looking down at him and asked.

"What is it?"

"Why are you so excited?"

"Pardon? Ah……"

At Hwi's observation, Yunseo only then realized he was a little worked up, and laughed with a sheepish expression.

"Does it not feel like a story from a folk tale? Helping people you happen to meet on a journey."

Not only that — was it not also good to be able to do something even slightly righteous? As Yunseo shrugged his shoulders, Hwi pinched his cheek and then suddenly turned his gaze. Following that look, Yunseo met the eyes of the relatively quiet elderly woman in the red clothes.

She had been watching them with a studying look, then turned to her companion and took a step forward, bowing her head.

"Shameless as it may be, if you would help us, we accept your kindness gratefully."

"Then let us be on our way quickly."

Yunseo and Hwi together connected the cart to the horse and checked that everything was secure. After judging it to be safe, they tried to help the elderly women onto the cart, but they declined the helping hands and lifted each other up.

The hands they extended toward each other and clasped together were natural and warm. Yunseo watched the sight carefully. He had the thought that perhaps these two were not sisters or friends, but a married couple.

If they were a happily-matched elderly couple like that…… For no particular reason his chest tickled, and he was swinging himself up onto his horse when Hwi glanced behind them. Yunseo studied his face, which only appeared indifferent at a glance, and asked.

"Is there something on your mind?"

"She resembles Sino."

"Pardon?"

"Sino said he had two mothers. It seems the one on the left is his birth mother."

Yunseo inconspicuously glanced at the elderly woman in red. It was the very road heading to where Sino's grave was, and Hwi's eye for detail was second to none — the possibility that those women were really Sino's mothers was high.

What an incredible coincidence! Yunseo swallowed a gasp of amazement, feeling his heart flutter.

"Then how about saying something? That you are his disciple."

"I wonder. He gave his whole life to the nation as a Yongrin. Would that be something joyful for them."

Of course, Yunseo himself could not dare imagine how a mother would feel when her child had gone to the palace from a young age, worked without sparing mind or body for the nation until death, and had left the world before his mother. Yet would she not want to know? How the person she shared her life with had lived and gotten along.

But Yunseo did not rashly say anything. Since he felt he understood at least in part how Hwi must feel, having come face to face with the mother who resembled his teacher, he simply reached out and briefly gripped Hwi's arm before letting go.

*Author's note: 화석 (花席) = a patterned reed mat. National Institute of Korean Language, Standard Korean Language Dictionary.