Ghost-seeing actor

Tuesday morning.

Taeju arrived early at Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Walking around the palace under the warm sunlight, scenes from the script unfolded vividly in his mind.

The bodyguard walks with the queen late at night.

A scene of them standing beneath a tree in full bloom.

The palace was a closed place but felt open because of the love they shared—enough to endure here.

“Palaces had romance too, huh.”

A thought spoken with a sense of awe.

Taeju soon glanced around.

‘I hope I’ll find the bodyguard ghost soon. Still haven’t seen one.’

[Don’t worry about not finding it. You can trust me.]
Joo-hyup smiled confidently.

[I’m the head ghost here. There are many ghosts in the palace, so I’ll ask them to find the bodyguard ghost for you.]

***

For hours.

Taeju searched Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung, Changdeokgung, and Changgyeonggung thoroughly.

He never realized there were so many ghosts in the palace.

Eunuchs, head chefs, palace maids, and more.

However, not a single bodyguard ghost appeared.

No ghosts wielding weapons were found either.

‘I thought you said trust you. Aren’t you the head ghost? How can’t you find a single bodyguard?’

Joo-hyup sheepishly scratched his head.

Then,

A group of palace maid ghosts approached.

[If you’re looking for the bodyguard ghost, you won’t find him here.]
Taeju turned his head towards them.

‘Huh? Please explain in more detail.’

[There’s a man in military attire wandering around Changdeokgung.]
Both Taeju and the head ghost were intrigued.

‘Wearing a sword? That would make him a bodyguard, right?’

[Well, that’s hard to say. He’s always wearing a military uniform.]
[His eyes are so hazy; he seems crazy.]
[He doesn’t interact with anyone and always walks alone. It seems like he’s looking for someone.]
[It’s strange, though—he seems to only move during the daytime. As soon as night falls, he disappears.]

The ghost maidens threw out information in disarray.

Taeju paused their chatter for a moment.

‘Wait. Let me get this straight. You’re saying there’s a ghost in military attire presumed to be a bodyguard at Changdeokgung?’

[Yes.]
“Where could I meet him?”

[We don’t know. He roams around aimlessly all day, disappearing once the sun sets.]

It was puzzling.

Today, while walking around the palace, Taeju encountered countless ghosts.

However, there were no men in military uniforms.

A man in military attire holding a sword? It felt strange.

There had to be some reason for such a dress, but what could it be?

His mind was restless and uneasy.

‘I need to find him.’

[You’re looking for a bodyguard, right? There’s no way a man in military attire could be a bodyguard.]
‘Still, it bothers me. When I walked around Changdeokgung earlier, there wasn’t such a man. I feel like I have to meet him.’

Taeju quickened his steps.

He had to find him before the sunset.

***

4:30 PM.

For the past hour, Taeju had been meticulously searching through Changdeokgung.

His mind was focused on one thing—finding the man in military attire with a sword.

[Frustrating. He just isn’t showing up.]
In the distance, Joo-hyup flew back and joined him.

[I’ve searched everywhere—the king’s quarters, the queen’s chambers, even the maid’s quarters—but nothing!]
‘Just a little more. He has to be here.’

They kept walking in search of their last hope.

Eventually, they reached a quiet garden.

“We’ve made it.”

Before them was a vast pond and a secluded pavilion.

The shimmering blue pond reflected the sunlight.

A cozy, unused pavilion sat nearby, nestled amidst overgrown flower bushes.

The scene felt as if it were straight out of Joseon’s history.

A space where the king and queen could shed their roles and connect as man and woman.

Perhaps, in this serene garden, they could reveal their true feelings.

The tranquil scenery momentarily eased the tension in Taeju’s mind.

As he strolled calmly through the garden, a rustling sound from above broke the peace.

“What’s that noise?”

Taeju glanced around, searching for the source.

[That man up there, what’s he doing climbing the tree?]
Joo-hyup’s voice made him look up.

High above, nestled between branches, a man was visible.

Through the dense leaves, he seemed to be searching for something.

Curious about his strange behavior, Taeju focused intently, noticing something unusual.

The worn-out black military uniform, a sword dangling at the waist.

I heard that a man was wandering around Changdeokgung with a sword.

The thought flashed through his mind.

Is this the bodyguard I’m looking for?

Immediately, Taeju called out to the man with all his might.

‘Hey, could we have a quick chat?’

Ignoring Taeju’s words, the man continued searching through the trees.

Eventually, Joo-hyup brought the man over.

The bound man suddenly erupted in anger.

[There’s no time for this, I have something I need to find!]

Joo-hyup had once told him that ghosts with purpose are driven by their sorrow.

That’s why they remain in this world, unable to move on to the afterlife.

‘What are you looking for?’

[I was supposed to meet here, in this very place. At Seong Nain and Buyeongji.]
‘A palace maid?’

Taeju’s cautious question made the man clench his fists.

[I simply want to keep my promise to the woman who was my sole support in this lonely palace.]
[Who are you? Why are you so obsessed? We could help you if you tell us.]

Joo-hyup’s question was met with a fierce response.

[My name is Choi Moo-baek. During the period of Japanese rule, I was a bodyguard serving the king.]

***

Finally, they found him.

The bodyguard.

Despite wandering the palace grounds all afternoon, Taeju couldn’t spot him.

With a desperate heart, Taeju approached the man.

‘I think I can help you.’

[What? Who are you?]
Choi Moo-baek eyed him suspiciously.

Joo-hyup quickly interjected.

[Hey, do you even know what’s going on in the world? This guy here can help you—he’s got the power to resolve this.]

The man’s expression shifted completely.

[Really? You can help me with this?]
‘Yes, I’ve helped others before. So, I’ll help you too. But…’

[I’ll give you all my power if you can just find Seong Nain. Please, help me release my sorrow.]

Choi Moo-baek wiped his thin face with trembling hands.

[I just want to see her once more. Just once, to speak my final words.]

His desperate plea left Taeju speechless.

The man’s appearance reminded him of a past version of himself.

The desperate young man who once frantically searched for his parents, who were no longer in this world.

Taeju struggled to find his voice.

‘Is that your sorrow? What could she have done to you?’

[The one who bloomed like a butterfly in the lonely palace. The one who embraced me with warmth. A person for whom I’d sacrifice everything.]
Choi Moo-baek gazed at Taeju with a trembling gaze.

[She was my everything.]

***

The end of the Joseon Dynasty.

At the time when Emperor Sunjong passed away and Japan engulfed the nation, the emperor’s death stirred chaos within the palace.

Various rumors spread fear among the people.

The palace attendants also found themselves lost in this turmoil.

It was the duty of the palace maids to leave the palace once their master passed away.

“You all, what are you going to do now? Are you leaving?”

“I have nowhere to go.”

The frightened eyes of the gathered palace maids wavered.

One girl nervously licked her lips.

“So, what happens to the bodyguards who served the emperor?”

“They’ll probably stay in the palace. Even though life is tough, at least they get a salary here.”

“Muddy rice mixed with sand and stones isn’t exactly a salary.”

“Still better than being out there.”

“Why are you asking about this, Ok-hee? Do you know anyone in the bodyguard ranks?”

“No, it’s not that….”

The girl lowered her big eyes.

That night.

Under the bright full moon at the serene Buyeongji, a young man stands alone.

His name is Choi Moo-baek.

He was a skilled bodyguard serving in the palace guard.

However, with the emperor gone now,

he was tormented by deep anguish.

“What use is a bodyguard position when neither my lord nor my country could be protected? Until I avenge them, merely breathing is a sin.”

Resolute, he decided to take action.

But there was someone he needed to speak to first.

“Bodyguard!”

Far away, a graceful girl is running toward him.

The red ribbon gleams faintly between her braided hair.

Choi Moo-baek offered a faint smile.

“Seong Nain.”

They had served the emperor together, sharing moments as they went about their duties.

Over time, feelings had blossomed between them.

These tender emotions were unlike anything Choi Moo-baek had ever felt before.

He wanted to protect her, see her always, and keep her close.

However, knowing that she was the emperor’s consort, he couldn’t bring himself to confess his feelings, fearing misunderstandings.

Yet, today, he would finally speak.

“Um.”

Seong Nain cleared her throat softly to catch his attention.

Her round, bunny-like eyes looked at him intently.

“You called for me?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is there something you need to say?”

Choi Moo-baek struggled to speak, his lips trembling slightly.

“I plan to leave the palace.”

Seong Nain’s expression faltered, and her lips parted slightly in surprise.

“Bodyguard, are you going somewhere else…?”

“No, it’s not to form a family outside. I leave to seek vengeance for my lord and my country. Both the former king and my lord were taken too soon under the oppression of the Japanese. I cannot forgive the ones who consumed my lord and my nation.”

Choi Moo-baek grasped Seong Nain’s hand tightly.

Her large eyes reflected a mixture of emotions—disappointment, worry, and resolve.

The lonely man’s gaze captured the sorrowful woman’s full essence.

“I cannot ask you to wait for me. Nor can I ask you to sacrifice your precious youth for me.”

“Bodyguard…”

“But when this task is over, I will return to you.”

“You’ll come back to me?”

“Without fail. I swear it.”

Choi Moo-baek struggled to hold back the words he yearned to express.

You are precious to me.

I deeply love you.

So much so that even if I must leave you in endless waiting, I wish to have you by my side.

Tears slipped down Seong Nain’s cheeks.

“When the flowers bloom fully at Buyeongji, I will wait for you there. To signal my arrival, I’ll place this red ribbon on a tree branch.”

As her braided red ribbon caught his attention, the delicate hand reached out.

Choi Moo-baek gently placed his hand over hers.

The small hand, as fragile as one he had held countless times in dreams, was warm.

Struggling to steady his trembling heart, he spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

“I will return. No matter what happens, I will.”