As True as a Dream

Hae-Joo stiffened and looked around the room.

 

The complexion of some of the people watching their seats turned blue.

 

It was understandable.

 

This was nothing like what she had brought with her.

 

The only good thing was that she hadn’t screamed since she ran around in the wilderness as a child, so she had a history of insects and bugs.

 

Hae-Joo looked at Yi Ho’s calm face in amazement.

 

A man who was supposed to be a great man of gold and jade didn’t even blink an eye at such a vicious insect.

 

He nonchalantly closed the lid of the dessert plate and tried to put it aside.

 

But Hae-Joo put the plate back in front of him.

 

When Yi Ho raised an eyebrow at her, she lifted the corner of her mouth.

 “If you’re bored with the party and want to go home, just say so.” 

She turned away and locked eyes with Mao, who was staring at her intently.

 

She must have seen their kiss in the Labyrinth Garden, but seeing her like this, she seemed more determined than she’d expected.

 

‘Is she the kind of person who can’t have what she wants, so she has to have it?’

 

‘Doesn’t she have any pride?’

 

The realization that their work in the Labyrinth Garden hadn’t gotten them anywhere was a bit disheartening.

 “Excuse me, Mr. Ban? I was told you were the president of Song Yue Pavilion.” 

An awkward Korean was spoken and suddenly a Westerner stood in front of Yi Ho.

 

The man had light brown eyes and the same color hair, but his bushy beard made it impossible to tell his age.

 “My name is James Frank, a photographer from the United States. I dined at Song Yue Pavilion recently and it was very impressive. I’d like to come back and photograph Song Yue again.” 

As she listened to the clumsy but enthusiastic man, she hesitated whether to intervene.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Yi Ho’s mood isn’t too unpleasant.

 “It’s not difficult. Good.” “Thank you. There’s no part of Song Yue that isn’t beautiful, especially the addition of the banquet hall garden…” “If you’ve been to Song Yue, have you visited the inn where you’re staying? It’s a traditional hanok with a very nice courtyard.” 

As the man rambled on, Hae-Joo naturally cut him off and interjected.

 “Is there an inn in Song Yue?” “It’s often too late to go back after enjoying the banquet, so we decided to add an inn so that guests can enjoy their time in Song Yue Pavilion.” 

As Hae-Joo recounts the words she once picked up from the entertainers, the Westerner’s attention turns to her.

 

Hae-Joo’s eyes twisted into crescent moons as she smiled at the Westerner.

 “I see! And who are you…” “Mr. James. She is my fiance.”

Yi Ho calmly answered the Westerner’s question.

 

Hae-Joo’s heart skipped a beat at the unexpected words and heat rose in her ears.

 “Fiance? Oh! You two are very well matched. Mr. Ban, your mistress is very beautiful!” 

James laughed, repeating the words

“beautiful”

and

“smile is lovely”

over and over again.

 

The more he did, the redder Hae-Joo’s face became.

 

She had never received such an enthusiastic compliment on her appearance before.

 “[Thank you for the compliment.]” 

Hae-Joo smiled shyly and replied in broken English.

 

As a taxi driver, she often picked up Western customers, so she had learned to communicate with them.

 

***

 

He watched the conversation between Hae-Joo and the Westerner from the sidelines, Yi Ho raised an eyebrow.

 

Not because he didn’t expect Hae-Joo to understand and respond in English, but because of something he noticed about her open ears and neck.

 

It wasn’t the fever that made her ears red, nor the poison.

 

It was embarrassment.

 

In retrospect, it was the same on the train and in the Labyrinth Garden.

 

He just didn’t realize it at the time because she was blushing all over.

 

That was what she was.

 

A liar.

 

He laughed softly and Hae-Joo slapped his forearm, making him blink.

 “Don’t laugh at me.” “I wasn’t laughing.” 

Yi Ho wasn’t offended when she gave him an incredulous look.

 

On the contrary, he found Hae-Joo’s behavior amusing and wanted to tease her.

 

***

 

Meanwhile, at the head table, Mao twisted the hem of her skirt and crumpled it under the table while Yi Ho and Hae-Joo exchanged glances.

 

When she saw Yi Ho unmasked, she was very happy.

 

This man was very handsome, she thought, and unlike her previous dolls, she could play with him for a long time without getting bored.

 

And, as always, she felt she could have him if she wanted.

 

Her father always gave her what she wanted, no matter what it was, no matter what it cost.

 

But to her face, the man rejected her and her father.

 

Mao was angry.

 

‘Is there anything I can’t have? This is ridiculous!’

 

She could imagine how charming Yi Ho’s smile must be under the fox mask.

 

‘And that smile isn’t mine? How could it be?’

 

In Mao’s eyes, the entire landscape, including Yi Ho, turned black.

 

The threat she’d faced from Yi Ho in the Labyrinth Garden disappeared from her mind, shrouded in a maniacal possessiveness.

 “[My Lady]”. 

When a staff member saw Mao’s hand trembling under the table as she grabbed the hem of her skirt, he called out to her.

 “[You have a bad stomach, don’t you? Try this.]” 

He handed Mao the colorful candy he always carried with him.

 “[Huh? I’m fine.]” “[You will feel better if you eat something sweet.]” 

Smiling kindly, the staff offered the candy again, and Mao pouted, then popped it into her mouth.

 

The candy was actually a nerve stabilizer for Mao, who had been emotionally unstable since birth.

 “[This is an opera bag sent by Count Nagi.]” 

Mao rolled the candy around in her mouth and turned to the employee standing diagonally in front of her.

 

One by one, the employees explained the items that had been sent to her as birthday gifts.

 “[This is a scarf from Song Yue Pavilion.]” 

Mao pursed her lips in disinterest, then saw the golden furoshiki that was about to be buried with the other gifts.

 “[Bring me the shawl.]” 

With her chin raised, Mao said arrogantly, and the clerk unwrapped the golden robe and placed the box in front of her.

 

Mao opened the box, and inside was a poplin shawl with colorful flower embroidery.

 

Mao took the shawl out of the box and opened it wide.

 

A cloud of willow branches flew through the air like dust.

 

Mao raised her eyebrows.

 

‘What was that?’

 

Mao blinked, and to her surprise, the illusory paddle was nowhere to be found.

 

‘Was I looking at something wrong?’

 

Mao scratched her head and then wrapped the scarlet cloth around her shoulders.

 

Seeing Mao wrapped in the scarf from afar, Yi Ho’s mouth curled into an eerie smile.

 

***

 

The party was in full swing when it was forcibly ended.

 

A spider crawled across the table where the food was laid.

 

It was a large spider, about the size of a child’s fist.

 

The spider was discovered by the wife of the Chinese guest, hanging from the bowl of shaved ice she was about to eat.

 

A ripping scream broke the peace of the party, and someone shouted,

“It’s a tarantula!”

 

People scrambled to get out, their dignity in disarray, and Hae-Joo and Yi ho were among them.

 

As the panicked crowd poured out of the arcade entrance, the patrons waiting for their elders to come out were also thrown into confusion.

 

Hae-Joo and Yi Ho stood on one side of the arcade wall, watching the chaos from across the river.

 “…Just out of curiosity, you’re not going to take back what you said about being my backup, are you?” 

Hae-Joo asked weakly, looking at Yi Ho, who was a little worried that things had gotten bigger than she thought, and then quickly added.

 “Of course, I’m sure it will be fine, many people have seen that I got the dessert plate as a gift from Lady Mao and the spider, and now, if the new Governor Saito has any sense, he won’t make a big deal out of it because it would embarrass his daughter.” “Are they really poisonous spiders?” 

She was prepared to be scolded, but the question came out of nowhere from Yi Ho.

 

It was Hae-Joo who had shouted

“It’s a tarantula!”

from the crowd earlier.

 “Well, you’d know it if you had a spider. You’ve gotten very fat on the subject.” 

Hae-Joo scratched the tip of her nose with her index finger in amusement.

 

But she had no regrets.

 

She was really angry about Mao’s behavior, and she didn’t want to lose by being squeezed.

 “So, does that make you feel better?” “Yes! And it was all for you. You didn’t like being here.” 

Her shameless reply made Yi Ho giggle.

Visit my Ko-fi for discounted advance chapters!!