이 포스팅은 쿠팡 파트너스 활동의 일환으로, 이에 따른 일정액의 수수료를 제공받습니다.
# Chapter 12: Shadows of Suspicion
Han Soo’s question struck like an arrow—precise and piercing. The moonlight through the window deepened the tension etched across Seo Jun’s face.
“You said you came from the provinces as a scholar. Which town?”
Seo Jun drew in a long breath and released it slowly. He could feel the Podogcheong official’s gaze fixed upon him—cold, concentrated, utterly unwavering. Four days had passed since leaving the old scholar’s copying room, and in that time, Seo Jun had helped an elderly man near the markets of Hanyang. A simple medical act. He could have done it alone, but Park Yeon-woo had been there. And that single moment had led to this.
The Podogcheong was the office responsible for security in Hanyang. Thieves, violent crimes, false identities—they handled everything. Especially false identities. Since leaving this place, Seo Jun had lived in constant anxiety. His hand traced the brush strokes on the paper before him.
“If you came from the provinces, you’d have a local sponsor or guarantor.”
Han Soo sat across from him. The room was cramped—an interrogation chamber within the Podogcheong. One window existed, but beyond it was only a wall. Seo Jun’s heart raced. His throat had gone dry, his mouth bitter.
Han Soo’s eyes were the kind that never wavered.
“I’m a bastard son. My name isn’t in the family registry.”
This was a lie. But a better one. A bastard carried lower status. It wouldn’t be unusual for him to lack genealogical records. Besides, Han Soo wouldn’t easily travel all the way to Gyeongju to verify. The Podogcheong wouldn’t go that far.
“A bastard is a convenient excuse.”
Han Soo’s voice dropped lower.
“But I’ve dealt with false identities for a long time. I understand the behavioral patterns of those who hide their true status.”
Han Soo rose and began circling Seo Jun slowly. Like a wolf studying its prey.
“You hold your chopsticks incorrectly. A yangban would have grasped them properly since childhood. But when you ate soup at the market stalls, you held them as though touching them for the first time.”
Did I really do that?
Seo Jun mentally retraced the past five days. How many mistakes had he made? His speech? His movements? The way he dressed?
“And your pronunciation. Your Classical Chinese and formal speech are flawless. But in everyday conversation… there’s something off. As though you learned it from books.”
Han Soo sat before him again.
“Where are you really from?”
At that moment, a sound came from outside. Someone was pounding heavily on the Podogcheong’s door. And then came Park Yeon-woo’s voice.
“Is the person I’m looking for here?”
Han Soo’s eyebrows twitched.
“Wait.”
He stood and left. Seo Jun was alone. His hands trembled. His fingers wouldn’t steady. He clenched his fists. Then opened them. Clenched them again.
Park Yeon-woo came. Why? To find me?
The voices outside grew louder. Park Yeon-woo’s tone remained calm, but within it lay something dangerous. The composure of someone before taking medicine.
“That person is my patient. His condition requires medical treatment. If you continue to detain him, his health will deteriorate. Will the Podogcheong take responsibility for that?”
This was a lie. Seo Jun was perfectly healthy. But Park Yeon-woo’s deception was flawless. It sounded like truth itself.
Han Soo returned.
“You said you were a physician, but this is the first I’ve heard that person is your patient.”
“I’m not obligated to inform everyone. It’s a medical confidence.”
Park Yeon-woo’s voice grew even quieter.
“And my father has connections with officials in the Ministry of Rites. I can’t say how far this matter might spread if you continue detaining my patient.”
This was half lie and half truth. Seo Jun didn’t know exactly who Park Yeon-woo’s father was. But she had made clear that she possessed a trustworthy background.
Han Soo fell silent.
“Or… would you permit me to take my patient with me?”
Park Yeon-woo stepped forward.
“Medical treatment is time-sensitive. You understand that, I’m sure.”
Han Soo looked at Seo Jun. His eyes remained cold and focused. Yet something within them wavered—something calculating.
“Very well. Go.”
Han Soo spoke.
“But neither you nor that physician are to leave Hanyang. We may need to investigate further.”
“Of course.”
Park Yeon-woo replied.
As Seo Jun emerged, Park Yeon-woo took his arm—like a true physician attending to a patient. Together they slipped out of the Podogcheong. The moment they reached the street, Seo Jun could breathe properly for the first time.
“Thank you.”
Seo Jun whispered.
“What?”
Park Yeon-woo spoke without turning, still watching the streets. They were still near the market district. People were everywhere.
“Tell me after we’re far from the Podogcheong.”
They walked in silence. Seo Jun’s legs trembled slightly. Since leaving the Podogcheong, he couldn’t tell how much time had passed. An hour? Two? Time felt strange.
Park Yeon-woo led him into an alley. It was removed from Hanyang’s center. The buildings were lower, the noise less.
“Who are you?”
Park Yeon-woo asked.
“What do you mean?”
Seo Jun countered.
“You’re living under a false identity. And the fact that the Podogcheong interrogated you means… you’ve already been marked. Han Soo is one of the finest investigators in the Podogcheong. Him releasing you means either he hasn’t fully suspected you yet, or there’s another reason.”
Park Yeon-woo’s eyes fixed directly on his.
“I’m helping you. But I don’t want to help you without knowing what I’m helping with.”
Seo Jun didn’t answer. He studied her face. In the moonlight by the wall, it had been soft. But now it was hard. Like steel.
“I’m… a traveler.”
Seo Jun said.
“A traveler?”
“Yes. I’m in Hanyang now, but I’ll be leaving soon. I may return, or I may not.”
This wasn’t a lie. It was the truth. Seo Jun was truly a traveler—a traveler through time and space.