As True as a Dream

Hae-Joo wasn’t sure if she understood what he was saying.

 “Does that mean you have my back?” “Yes. You just did a great job.” 

Through the sockets of the mask, Yi Ho’s eyes narrowed.

 “I won’t let you get your head blown off, so just be like this.” 

At that moment, she understood why he insisted on wearing the fox mask.

 

Smiling slyly like a fox, Yi Ho straightened up again.

 

Hae-Joo, who had been looking at him with some trepidation, stifled the smile on her lips and turned her eyes forward.

 

It felt good to hear such a cool compliment from someone who usually spoke only in sarcastic, bullying, or threatening terms.

 

In addition, Hae-Joo’s stomach clenched, wondering if the offer to be her backup was that exciting.

 

Even though she knew it was just because she was useful.

 

It really felt like they were in this together.

 

Hae-Joo glanced at Yi Ho beside her.

 

Something seemed to have changed since she stopped making plans and decided to help him.

 

‘What has changed?’

 

Before she had a chance to think about her vague feelings, strangers often came to greet her afterwards.

 

Fortunately, no one like Kim Injong bothered Yi Ho anymore.

 

***

 

Observing the situation, Hae-Joo suddenly became curious.

 

Song Yue’s pavilion had been established in Jingcheng for over 20 years.

 

It was likely that he had lived in Jingsheng since he was a child, but none of the people here seemed to have a personal relationship with him.

 

It was as if everyone had heard rumors and had come to see the celebrity out of curiosity.

 

Just then, a man in a neutral-colored kimono approached and bowed to Yi Ho.

 “His Excellency the Governor would like to speak with you privately. I will accompany you.” 

Hae-Joo, standing next to him, looked at Yi Ho nervously at the mention of being taken aside by the governor.

 

The Yi Ho she knew was nothing more than a merchant with a huge mountain of gold named Song Yue.

 

What could happen to him if he went alone with a Japanese soldier, besides being blackmailed and threatened?

 

‘Should I just tell him to go down there? He’s already down there, so what’s the point?’

 

Hae-Joo racked her brain to find a way to get Yi Ho out of this unpleasant situation.

 

After looking down at the man who had come to talk to him, Yi Ho clicked his tongue in a low voice and said to himself.

 “I have to take care of this nuisance.” 

Before she could say anything else, Yi Ho followed the man out of the room.

 

Hae-Joo stayed in her seat and hesitated for a moment before following him.

 

They arrived at a small but ornate outbuilding.

 

Behind the round gates was a small courtyard and a Japanese-style house.

 

Yi Ho entered the house.

 

Hae-Joo stood where she was and looked anxiously at the gate through which Yi Ho had entered.

 

The gate was guarded by a soldier with a Japanese sword at his waist, making it inaccessible.

 

Hae-Joo suppressed her growing nervousness and wandered around the area, pretending to look at the garden.

 

***

 “[It’s hard to look at your face, President Ban].” 

Dressed in a dark navy-blue kimono, his half-white hair pulled back in a messy bun, Governor Saito reached out and poured Yi Ho a cup of tea.

 

The stern and demanding figure smiled, his three hundred eyes set under a narrow forehead and thinning eyebrows becoming somewhat friendly.

 “[Nice to meet you, I’m Saito Jiro, the newest member of the governorate.]” 

Saito’s eyes narrowed as Yi Ho bowed.

 

Not only because he didn’t stand up and bow, but also because he felt a certain alienation from his behavior.

 “[You were uncomfortable? How do you feel now?]” “[I’d like to say I’m better, but it’s a well-known story that I’m not well, and pretending to be well would be a joke on His Excellency, so I won’t lie].” “[Funny you should say that, you must have walked a hard line today].” “[You invited me personally, no matter how unwell I am.]” 

The smile on Saito’s face darkened even more.

 

Yi Ho’s demeanor seemed polite at first, but it was anything but when he actually said it.

 

I don’t know if it was the young man’s ego or what, but there was a sting in every one of his answers.

 

Moreover, the mask on his face made it impossible to read his expression, so it was not easy to guess his intentions.

 “[May I ask why you wear that mask?]” “[I hide my face a lot].” 

Saito laughed out loud at the lighthearted tone of the laughter.

 

But there was a hint of life in the corners of his eyes that shot out at Yi Ho.

 

The impulse showed just a hint of how cold and murderous he had been when he was at the front.

 “[If President Ban is unmasked, there is no one left in this provincial land.]” “[There is no man in this harsh land who doesn’t hide his face].” “[Thank you for your kind words.]” 

Saito chuckled again.

 

It had been a long time since Saito had met this man.

 

A person who made a living in Gyeongseong and dared not look at his complexion?

 

Only without going crazy.

 

Apparently, he’s just a kid who hasn’t reached the age of majority (20) for a few years.

 

‘What kind of courage do you have to act so stiff?’

 

As for the Ban clan, who are supposed to be his supporters, all of their immediate family members are dead, and there are only a few family members left.

 

They have all migrated to Manchuria.

 “[If you don’t mind my asking, what was the reason for His Excellency the Governor General’s summons?]” “[Unfortunately, it’s nothing, I’ve met all the dignitaries before, but I’ve only seen President Ban once, so I wanted to know].” 

Despite Yi Ho’s somewhat rude behavior, Saito kept a smile on his face, more interested in exploring him.

 

What intrigued Saito more than anything else was the mysterious rumor of the

“Curse of the Song Yue Pavilion”.

 

In that land, Joseon, the influence of the governorate was enormous.

 

It is not an exaggeration to say that one hand could cover the sky.

 

However, there was only one place in the province that his hand could not cover, and that was Song Yue.

 

He would have to stay on earth for at least the next three years, and possibly longer.

 

The existence of an

“inviolable territory”

where his influence could not reach was a matter that could not be wasted.

 “[When I came to Gyeongseong, I heard many stories, the most interesting of which was the curse of Song Yue Pavilion.]” “[It is only a story told by the rich and famous.]” “[Lord Sasaki, who once visited Song Yue Pavilion, told me the same thing].” 

Lord Sasaki, who had visited Songyue Pavilion, was furious.

 

The reason was that Yi Ho’s arrogant and disrespectful attitude showed no respect for the great Japanese empire, and he treated it as a pawn to be exploited and used for money.

 “[And President Ban had said such things].” 

Saito trailed off, and Yi Ho looked at him as if waiting for his next words.

 

There. The red tassel on the fox mask swayed slightly.

 “[It is as if the ancestral spirits are bowing over the land of Song Yue.]” “[Yes. Apart from that, the so-called “curses” in Song Yue Pavilion have never really been explained to me. Of course, I’m just speculating].” “[Is that really it?]” “[I don’t feel well and don’t go out much, so I don’t know anything about it. It happened in Song Yue. When I hear about it, it’s usually after work, so I don’t really know either].” 

Yi Ho replied with a wry smile.

 

Despite the insincerity of the answer, Saito’s sharp eyes scanned Yi Ho’s pale complexion.

 

His long, straight fingers were thin and calloused, as if he had never handled a weapon before.

 

The slender, lean body wrapped in a tuxedo also lacked the vigor of youth.

 

This man was clearly unhealthy.

 “[If you have nothing else to say, may I excuse you now?]” “[A few days ago, I heard that some low-level thugs in the city were turned into idiots overnight, with broken jaws, half-blind and stupid…were found near Song Yue Pavilion, do you know anything about this?]” 

Saito remembered the report that Inspector Sasaki had sent with a stern face.

 

He had told him not to touch it until he told him to, but he had become impatient and couldn’t swallow his words for days.

 

‘What did he say… A flock of crows attacked? Suddenly.’

 

But the result was disastrous.

 

Saito stared at Yi Ho with the corners of his mouth pulled up, as if he wanted to look right through him.

 “[I don’t know anything about it, but I think it’s probably for the best that those low-level thugs turned into assholes, if only for the sake of the people who are just trying to get through the day].” “[Do you think so?]” “[Yes. They did something wrong, so they must have paid the price, they don’t call it karma for nothing].” 

Saito taps his thick, callused fingers on the armrest of his chair.

 

Ban Yi Ho, could that guy be from

“over there”

?

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