A group of eunuchs gathered on the yard. The leader of that group, who had a familiar face, glowered at Raon.
"Aren't you the new recruit?"
The person looking down on Raon unpleasantly was none other than Eunuch Sung.
"What are you doing over here? Didn't you hear the saying that there is no greater sin than excluding yourself when others at your post are on duty? You haven't even been in the Palace very long, so how dare you treat your orders as if they were just the barks of a dog? Must you be whipped to death in order to return to your senses?"
"......"
Raon was speechless at Eunuch Sung's complaint. She had to have received an order to disobey it. But even if she made an excuse, how could she even approach this resolute Eunuch Sung who was rushing to his own conclusions?
Right then, a eunuch with a chubby build standing behind Eunuch Sung whispered.
"That person is a eunuch at the JaSunDang."
"So what?"
Eunuch Sung fiercely shouted out.
"Nothing, I just...... I'm just saying that he's the only eunuch assigned to the JaSunDang."
Since he was the only one assigned, he would be the only one on duty. He was only tipping off Eunuch Sung in case he was going to make a mistake, and additionally for the sake of his superior, but was only met with irritation. This eunuch looked like he was going to cry as he murmured.
"Even though you're the one who sent him there......"
The one who sent Raon to the JaSunDang was Eunuch Sung. But it seemed that he had forgotten this fact. As if he realized his mistake, Eunuch Sung continuously coughed uncomfortably.
"Hmm hmm, is that so? I must have forgotten for a bit."
He called for attention with his coughs and held his hands behind his back.
"Anyway, what is a guy assigned to the JaSunDang doing over here?"
"That is......"
"Ah, it doesn't matter. Seeing as how you have the time to snoop around the NaeUiWon, it looks like you have a lot of free time. What a nice coincidence. I happen to be short of people, so come along."
"Where are we going?"
She wanted to at least know where they wanted to take her, but Eunuch Sung believed the logic that those below must obey those above, so he cleanly ignored her.
"If you're going to follow, then just follow. Why do you feel like you can talk as you like?"
Before he finished talking, Eunuch Sung began to walk. Behind him, the other eunuchs formed a line and obediently followed him.
"Just where is he going?"
If she just knew the reason, she wouldn't feel so frustrated.
She turned around. In that short interruption, the medicine lady WolHee had vanished. Raon just let out a deep sigh. She was just about to ask WolHee about her problem, but the situation had now become like this. There was nothing she could do. She had to push it off for later.
There's no need to hurry. I now know the identity of the crying lady from last night.
She could ask about the story behind the tears later. Feeling satisfied by the small victory, Raon began to walk so that she wasn't left behind.
---
Like a string of dried fish, the line of eunuchs arrived at the home of YoungAn Prince Kim Jo Soon. The eunuchs, including Eunuch Sung, immediately went to the back garden.
(T/N: YoungAn Prince = a title given to the father of the Empress)
Then they heard a busy cutting noise. Ddang ddang ddang. It continued without a pause as if people were matching each others' rhythms. This was coming from the caterers sent from the Palace.
"You there, light the fire."
"Here, hurry and bring the ingredients."
The young men waiting by the caterers for their orders moved in perfect order. This place rife with hot iron pots, fire, and oil was where the food for a banquet was being prepared. The sight of the numerous people intensely cooking reminded one of a war zone. Eunuch Sung treaded into this hot scene and opened his mouth with a determined expression.
"Today there will be a birthday banquet for the Madame, the wife. Therefore, from now on, Eunuch Heo can help Cook Han. And you, DoGi, help Cook Choi. And you five will go to the men's hall and meticulously assist His lordship with anything he may need. Understand?"
"We will carry out your order."
The eunuchs went on their own ways in the direction they were ordered. Having been left behind, Raon quietly raised her hand.
"What can I do?"
Eunuch Sung looked at Raon with an incredulous expression and jerked his chin.
"You follow me."
"Where are we going?"
"I have prepared a task just for you."
With a meaningful smile, Eunuch Sung laughed and began to walk.
Ah, what is it? That laugh. It feels ominous.
---
How long did they walk? Eunuch Sung, who had been leading the way, suddenly stopped in front of a small wooden door. She didn't know what his secret plot was, but she couldn't stand the sight of his grin as he turned around to look at her.
"This is where you'll be working today."
Eunuch Sung pushed the wooden door wide open. An unexpected scene unfolded before Raon's eyes.
"Ah......!"
Raon let out a confused sigh. On a low hill, hundreds of unidentified fowl birds were eating their food.
"What is all this?"
"Can't you tell? Aren't they chickens?"
"Even though they're flying like that?"
It wasn't that they couldn't be chickens. They looked like chickens, but they flew so high. Of course, they didn't fly lightly like other birds. They rather frantically flapped their wings as they crossed from tree to tree. But still, flying was flying. And that wasn't the only thing. They didn't run awkwardly like chickens either. They ran very quickly and smoothly.
"They are mountain chickens. Unlike domestic chickens raised at home, these were raised freely on the mountains. Because they were raised in the wild, when cooked in a stew, the texture can't even be compared to that of a normal chicken."
"Really? Then what can I do to help?"
"Catch them."
"What?"
"The guests at the banquet will be served ginseng chicken stew. Therefore you will need to prepare the fresh ingredients."
As he said, she was supposed to catch those chickens that thought they were flying birds.
"How many?"
Roan asked with a nervous expression.
"Not too many......"
Eunuch Sung pulled up one finger.
"Just one?"
"No."
"Then ten?"
"Shouldn't you catch as many chickens as there are guests?"
"Surely you don't mean one hundred, do you?"
"And why not? Just catch exactly one hundred."
Acting as if it was nothing, Eunuch Sung pulled out a chicken-catching knife the size of a palm and threw it over to Raon. Momentarily dazed, Raon picked it up and believed she had heard it wrong.
"Do you truly want me to catch one hundred of them?"
"Yes, that's what I said."
"By myself?"
"Who else is here?"
Shrugging, Eunuch Sung laughed with a fishy smile.
"Oh, by the way, they said it will take four hours to cook this. Therefore, you must prepare the ingredients in two hours."
"But......"
"How dare you, you rascal! How dare you talk back to me? If I tell you to do something, you do it. You entered using your connections, so you must feel like you can just do the easy and comfortable tasks. Tsk tsk, using this opportunity, I'm going to fix your bad behavior. I'll be back in two hours. If you haven't carried out your task by then, you will be hit with the plank ten times."
A sly smile formed on Eunuch Sung's face.
He had been feeling unsatisfied that the rascal had been left alone. He was the rascal that had dared to be impolite to him. He was going to use him as an example to the others of how one ends if they ever crossed him. That kid would be punished as a warning to others so that a wicked kid like him wouldn't ever be found in the Palace.
Just thinking about the kid's face on the verge of tears after the two hours were over made Eunuch Sung smile giddily. After taking another spiteful look at Raon, Eunuch Sung leisurely turned around and headed toward the wooden door when...
"Well, who is this? Isn't this Eunuch Sung?"
A cheerful voice came from behind the wooden door. At first, only the skirt of a robe the color of green grapes was visible. Finally, a young man in a black lacquered hat appeared and blocked Eunuch Sung's path.
"I heard that you have returned, my lord. Have you been well?"
Eunuch Sung, who had been frowning at Raon just a moment ago, was suddenly smiling cheekily. Like a puppy wagging its tail, Eunuch Sung hurriedly rushed over to the young man and bowed his head.
"As you can see, I am full of strength. Anyway, what are you doing over here?"
"I was just telling my subordinate to catch the mountain chickens needed for the meals, my lord."
"Is that so? But those rascals are difficult to catch, even for speedy people."
"Yes, so I purposely picked a unique child and brought him here."
Eunuch Sung didn't even lick his lips before he lied blatantly.
"It doesn't seem like that from just looking at him."
The young man tilted his head in order to take a look at Raon over Eunuch Sung's shoulders.
"He is more tenacious than he seems. Don't worry too much."
Eunuch Sung hurriedly guided the young man, who had been looking at Raon with interest, through the door.
"But, Eunuch Sung, I've heard that you've been coming by our house often these days. At this rate, I fear you won't be serving in the Empress' residence and instead serve the Prince's residence."
"How can you say such a hurtful thing? How is the Prince a stranger?"
"Well, Eunuch Sung, are you a relative in-law of our house?"
"Aigoo, you sure know how to joke around. Haha. Don't you know very well what I meant? I meant that I think about the Prince's family as if they were my own blood-related family. Those serving in the Palace also serve the Prince's residence as well. Please keep that in mind, my lord."
This oily flattery easily left Eunuch Sung's lips.
"How could I not understand your heart? But......"
The two men's voices gradually faded away.
"It looks like he was naturally born with the gift of flattery."
Raon, now left alone, looked angrily in the direction where Eunuch Sung had disappeared. But her shoulders drooped down in the next moment.
"One hundred mountain chickens..."
Looking back at the chickens running freely on the hill, Raon could only sigh. It looked like she was just going to be hit ten times.
Should I just run away?
Pondering this for a moment, Raon suddenly shook her head and puffed out her chest.
I can't do that. I'm going to throw that thought far away and just try my best.
Raon roughly pulled up her sleeves. She was going to try her best till the end. This was always the way she lived, and it was the only thing she could do in this moment.
---
Merry music could be heard over the wall. As the music got louder, so did Raon's breaths. One hour had already flashed by. Raon had struggled during that hour to catch these chickens that thought they were flying birds. But she had only caught one chicken. However, this wasn't because of her incompetence. These mountain chickens were crazy fast. And to add to that, Raon's equipment was not efficient at all.
Originally, special mountain chicken chasers used nets and traps to catch them, but they still found it difficult. Raon had to catch those rascals alone with only a knife in hand. She had to catch not just one but a hundred of them. This was, from the beginning, unreasonable and ridiculous.
"I'm in trouble."
At this rate, it was clear that one hundred impossible, and catching even ten would be difficult. There was no time to lose.
"Chicken, chicken. What must I do to catch your siblings?"
Raon caught the eye of the one and only chicken she was able to catch and asked him earnestly. However, the chicken only clucked as if to say that it wouldn't sell out its family for its own well-being.
"Whatever, I'll just keep trying till the end."
Raon got back up. Since it had already become like this, she'd die trying... or at least black out. She rolled up her sleeves and crouched low in the grass.
How much time has passed by like that? Having lowered its guard in front of Raon's eyes, one chicken approached her. Immediately, Raon didn't even take a breath.
Come a little closer. Just a little......
As she patiently waited, the chicken reached close enough for her to reach out and grab it. Raon braced herself and took a deep breath.
One.
Cluck cluck.
Two.
Cluck cluck cluck.
Three!
After counting inside her head, Raon stretched out both her hands and thrust her body towards the chicken. But...... the result was a failure. Raon, who leaped with all her might with her limbs stretched out, fell to the ground.
Thud!
"Ah......"
Raon hit her head on the ground and didn't move. No, she couldn't move.
"I can't do this anymore. Even if they kill me, I can't.
The girl gave up on herself and felt like letting what was to happen, happen.
"It's just ten hits. Yeah, I'll just get hit. Let them hit me. It's not like it'll kill me, right?"
Raon fell backwards and looked up at the sky as she gallantly shouted out. However, the energy in her voice disappeared in the next moment.
"It won't kill me, but it'll hurt."
At times like this, a wish-granting goblin bat would have been great.
(T/N: In Korean fairy tales, a goblin carries a bat that can make any wish come true, kind of like a genie's lamp.)
"Ah, I'd sell my soul to whoever can catch one hundred chickens for me."
Raon murmured as she she covered her eyes with both of her arms.
It was then.
"Really?"
Raon slowly lowered her arms after hearing the unexpected voice.
"Are you really going to sell your soul if I catch you one hundred of these rascals?"
This voice! It couldn't be...... Did my earnest wish reach the Heavenly Lord and call him down to earth? But the blurry face in between the sunshine is......
"Kim-hyung!"
"Does your soul belong to me now?"
With his unique indifferent tone, ByungYun spoke as he threw down whatever was slung over his shoulder. The thing flapping its wings inside the black bundle was...! The bird that worried Raon sick, no, the deluded birds that thought they could fly... They were those damned chickens!
"Kim-hyung!"
Raon bounced up like a spring and grabbed both of ByungYun's hands. A smile bloomed brightly on Raon's withered face like a heavenly flower.
"......"
For a moment, ByungYun closed his eyes as if he was blinded by the hot summer sun.
How much time passed by like that? ByungYun, whose hands were enclosed in Raon's hands for a while now, quickly took them back. Turning back, the words that had become a habit left his lips.
"Annoying brat."