Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 54
13. Wol Hyang Ru
I swallowed hard, waiting for Dang Ju Yeop to continue.
I couldn’t begin to guess what sort of request would warrant such hesitation.
“You would need to accompany me to the pavilion and listen to my performance for one double hour.”
“Go to the pavilion and listen to a performance…? I’m sorry?”
I’d been repeating his condition in a grave voice when my head snapped up.
What kind of condition was that? Had I mishear him?
I looked at Deok Ju, doubting my own ears. Her eyebrows rose slightly too—so I’d heard correctly.
Seeing our confusion, Dang Ju Yeop seemed to waver and murmured awkwardly.
“Is one double hour too long? Then perhaps half a double hour…?”
……
At that moment, Dang Un’s voice brushed past my ear.
‘That boy needs someone to listen to his playing. That’s why he goes to pleasure houses.’
I’d thought he was just making conversation, but it had been true.
Standing there like a fool, I nodded.
“All right… half a double hour, then.”
“An excellent choice, sister.”
Dang Ju Yeop’s expression brightened.
* * *
Wol Hyang Ru sat at a height where all of Seongdo spread beneath its gaze.
Though not high enough to see beyond the Dang Clan’s towering walls, it commanded a perfect view of the Jinjiang River flowing through the heart of the city.
As we stepped through the ornate entrance of the pleasure house, courtesans greeted us with calculated charm and obsequious bows.
“Welcome, Young Master Dang.”
“Young Master, we’ve prepared a fine vintage of Du Gang Wine today—brought all the way from Luoyang. It should suit your palate perfectly.”
“Will you be playing the guqin, young master? Ja Gyeon here has been so thrilled at the thought of dancing to your performance that she hasn’t slept all night.”
“My, what a beautiful young lady this is! Your first time at Wol Hyang Ru, surely? We’re so delighted you’ve graced us with your presence.”
“Ah… yes.”
The way they fawned over him—like courtiers before a supreme dignitary—gave me a rough sense of how much Dang Ju Yeop had spent here.
The boy likely could have built an entire pavilion of this pleasure house with his silver.
Dang Ju Yeop took their attention in stride, as if VIP treatment were his natural due.
“That’s right. Ja Gyeon. My youngest sister is with me today, so please take care with the food. Gok A, where is the proprietress?”
“Shall I announce that Young Master Dang has arrived?”
“No, I’ll go myself. I have business to discuss.”
Dang Ju Yeop answered and looked at me with a slight smile, as though certain I’d be eager to meet the proprietress.
I didn’t see much reason for such a meeting, yet I had no good reason to avoid one either.
If fortune favored me, perhaps I might find an opening to ask what he usually occupied himself with.
As we moved in the direction of the proprietress’s quarters, one of the courtesans glided toward us.
“I’ll show you to the proprietress.”
“Would you?”
“It’s my joy to be of service to you, young master.”
The courtesan, her words hollow as wind, began to lead the way.
After passing through several pavilions and halls, we arrived at the main building—a magnificent three-story structure in brilliant vermillion.
Beyond vermillion-painted pillars and through wide-open doors, a heavy scent of cosmetics tickled at my nose.
The courtesan wove through the throng of courtesans and patrons, brought us to this floor, and knocked firmly on a door.
“Proprietress, Proprietress! Young Master Dang has come to call.”
“My? The young master? Do come in.”
As the courtesan opened the door, a woman seated before a table came into view, wearing a soft smile.
The proprietress of Wol Hyang Ru was a striking beauty. Even after time had stolen her youth, her allure remained unfaded—so her beauty in her younger years must have been extraordinary.
“Welcome, Young Master Dang. What brings you to seek out Hwa Hong?”
The proprietress rose slowly and approached us with an unhurried grace. Dang Ju Yeop replied with easy charm.
“When I seek out the proprietress, it’s always for the same reason.”
“Oh my. I do hope our girls haven’t been remiss in their courtesy? If so, I, Hwa Hong, shall apologize on their behalf. For my sake, I beg your forgiveness.”
The proprietress of Wol Hyang Ru, Hwa Hong, laughed softly, her voice smooth and winning.
“That could never be. Ja Gyeon and Gok A are as kind and gentle as they come. I merely wished to introduce my sister and the proprietress to one another.”
“How gracious of you to say. I wondered why you’d brought a companion—so this lady is your sister…”
As the woman answered warmly and turned her gaze to me, her eyes widened. It was the look of one who’d glimpsed something she ought not to have seen.
Hwa Hong’s lips trembled faintly. She drew in a deep breath as though steadying herself.
Dang Ju Yeop seemed to find the moment amusing, a faint smile playing at his lips.
“It seems our sister bears such a striking resemblance to her mother that even you mistook her for someone else.”
“Is it fun?”
“Of course. Very much so. Where else would you get to see something like this?”
I hadn’t realized I’d slipped into informal speech, but Dang Ju Yeop didn’t seem to mind. He really was an ill-tempered sort.
In the meantime, Hwa Hong, having composed herself, turned to greet me.
“How delightful that you’ve come, my lady. I am Hwa Hong, proprietor of Wol Hyang Ru. I was a dear friend of your mother for many years.”
“Yes. Hello.”
At my awkward greeting, Hwa Hong’s eyes softened. They brimmed with affection.
“You bear a striking resemblance to her.”
“Do I?”
“Choleun would have been delighted to see you grow up so beautifully.”
At the warmth in her voice, I felt oddly embarrassed.
What I knew of Choleun was precious little.
That she had been Seongdo’s greatest beauty. That she had been a courtesan at Wol Hyang Ru. That she had some connection to Lady Jin. That was all.
I’d never seen a portrait of her—I’d only heard her name spoken a handful of times. I felt no particular kinship with the fact that she was my mother.
How could I long for someone whose face I’d never seen? How could I feel tenderness toward a stranger?
But Hwa Hong was different. She treated me as though my dead friend had walked back into the world.
She opened to us the entire fifth-story pavilion at the edge of the pleasure house—a space she rarely unlocked save for the most distinguished guests.
Even Dang Ju Yeop seemed surprised by her generosity, his eyes gleaming.
“My, my. Thanks to my youngest sister, we’ve made it all the way up to this expensive pavilion. The view is magnificent.”
It was. From the fifth story, no matter which direction you gazed—east, west, north, or south—the landscape unfurled like a single panel from a scroll painting.
After staring day after day at the high walls of the Dang Clan compound, to see such an open vista felt like my chest had burst free.
I was beginning to understand why Dang Ju Yeop was always sneaking out of the house.
Beautiful views, endless diversions, no one scolding him for skipping practice.
It wasn’t unlike those high school students who cut class and loiter at internet cafés and karaoke bars.
Grinning contentedly, Dang Ju Yeop settled himself against the pavilion’s railing and withdrew his flute.
“Well then… shall we begin?”
* * *
The sight of lustrous hair and crimson silk dancing in the wind was striking.
But the moment Dang Ju Yeop’s flute joined that scene, the elegant vista transformed into something horrifying.
If a single instrument could bring about the world’s end, it would be Dang Ju Yeop’s flute.
Half a double hour? I can’t even last a quarter hour. Is he using Sound Art right now?
“Where is the outhouse?”
Unable to endure another moment, I sprang up with that flimsy excuse. Dang Ju Yeop, startled, immediately set down his flute and rushed over.
“Allow me to show you the way, sister.”
“No, please. I can find it myself.”
“I’m concerned you might say outhouse and then vanish all the way home. This way, if you please.”
…You’ve been burned by that trick more than once, haven’t you.
The moment Dang Ju Yeop opened the pavilion door, the courtesans who had been standing with vacant smiles suddenly plucked something from their ears.
Tightly packed cotton plugs.
No wonder they seemed so unaffected. I need to ask if I can have one too.
As I descended the stairs, already scheming how to slip earplugs on without Dang Ju Yeop noticing, he poked his head through a half-open door below and called out brightly.
“Oh, isn’t that the eldest brother?”
Dang Young Ho? What is Dang Young Ho doing here?
Dang Ju Yeop, having gotten the attention of Dang Young Ho, pushed the door wide open.
Through the latticed door frame, I could see Dang Young Ho reclined against a pillow, drinking.
“Close the door.”
“On a day with such fine sunlight, why do you keep your legs tucked away? You ought to get some sun, brother. It will lift your spirits.”
“I said close it.”
Dang Young Ho set down his wine bottle with obvious irritation and turned his gaze toward me.
“A pretty girl in tow. Haven’t seen her before. Is she a new courtesan just listed?”
She’s your younger sister, you crude idiot, I thought.
The moment interest flickered in those dull, fish-like eyes, Dang Ju Yeop burst into laughter.
“Ahahaha, the eldest brother remains consistent as always.”
Dang Young Ho’s escort, flustered by his master’s crude remark, quickly whispered something to him.
“Who?”
“The youngest young lady, sir. The one who was just registered with the clan…”
“Ah, I see.”
The flicker of interest in Dang Young Ho’s eyes vanished instantly.
He turned back to his wine bottle as though the matter had nothing to do with him.
His escort bowed apologetically to me, sweat streaming down his face. I waved my hand lightly to reassure him that it was all right.
“Enjoy your meal. I’ll be going now.”
“Close the door on your way out.”
Dang Young Ho replied with obvious irritation.
He didn’t spare me a glance, which suggested he had no interest in me whatsoever. For that, I was grateful.
With the age difference between us, as long as I didn’t provoke him, we could exist in each other’s presence like ghosts.
I was turning to leave with that thought when Dang Young Ho suddenly bellowed.
“What is that woman doing here?”
At the same moment, a large table of drinks toppled over.
Crash!
Shattered dishes and fragments of wine bottles scattered in all directions. The gisaeng attending nearby went deathly pale.
“M-Master Dang Young Ho, please calm yourself…!”
“Calm? Calm? Do I look calm right now? That wench who threw a punch at me is standing there with eyes blazing, glaring at me! This time I’ll gouge those cursed eyes right out of her head!”
Seething with rage, Dang Young Ho kicked the overturned table aside.
One of the broken table legs rolled toward me and stopped at my feet. I couldn’t help but marvel at his wretched temperament.
What a madman. This fool’s tantrums never end.
Why wreck an innocent table? No wonder people call these drunkards worthless.
The gisaeng who had been trying to soothe Dang Young Ho decided she’d had enough and slipped away.
Dang Young Ho paid her no mind. His attention was fixed on one thing alone.
“Bring that woman to me at once.”
Dang Young Ho’s face twisted as he issued the command in a voice thick with rage.
I clenched my teeth.
Deok Ju was standing exactly where his finger pointed.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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