Page 12 of Gumiho Kiss (Realm of Eternal Blossoms #1)

The Investigator

H yun Soo tried not to let his dissatisfaction show when he returned to the Lee residence empty-handed.

One of Lord Lee’s servants opened the door to allow him entrance, a question flickering in his eyes, but the young man dared not ask it.

Hyun Soo didn’t bother explaining his late arrival.

Instead, he made his way to his small sleeping area and took a much-needed break, knowing he’d only have a few hours before his duties would begin again.

Such was the life of a soldier, and Hyun Soo had grown accustomed to surviving on the bare minimum. His comrades had often joked around that he was more than human, for no human could function on as little sleep as he got.

He wondered what they’d say if they’d been there tonight. Tae Min would probably have made a joke about how Hyun Soo had done fairly well, but if it had been him, he wouldn’t have let Gwishin escape. Then Byung Hun would have shoved Tae Min and told him to stop lying.

His old friends’ laughing faces were bittersweet, for it was impossible to think of them without also remembering how they’d abandoned him when he’d needed them most.

Hyun Soo pressed his fist against his forehead, wishing sleep would snatch him away from his thoughts. He didn’t need to be thinking about his comrades now; he had other disappointments to rectify.

* * *

When he woke, one of the servants told him Lady Lee had taken ill with a fierce headache and would be staying in her quarters for a few days, so he would only be needed at night for keeping the residence secure.

A headache? More like the fight in the alley yesterday had her too frightened to go outdoors.

Guilt skittered across his chest. She wouldn’t be frightened if he’d done his job properly.

No matter. This was actually helpful since it gave him some time to gather information.

Hyun Soo spent the extra time investigating, first with a visit to the police bureau, then to the yangban and jungin in the center of Sokju.

It took quite a bit of effort, and sometimes outright bribery, but he managed to get statements from just about every officer and highborn who claimed to have seen the infamous vigilante.

The only ones he didn’t talk with were the Kangs, Lees, and a certain inspector Kim who was away on business.

He also manned his nightly post over the Lee residence until his reprieve, and though he didn’t have any other encounters with the vigilante, he couldn’t escape a nearly constant feeling of being watched.

It would come upon him as soon as the sun set each night, starting with an eerie chill down his spine that would spread through his limbs and settle around his heart.

Every time he tried to dismiss it as paranoia, he’d remember the monster from the forest and check the perimeter again.

He never found anything, but that didn’t mean the creature wasn’t out there. Watching. Waiting.

Between questioning people by day and standing guard by night, Hyun Soo barely stopped to eat or rest, and by the time he’d finished speaking to the last witness, he was exhausted.

It was lunchtime, so he headed to the closest inn, ordered a hearty bowl of janggukbap, soju, and side dishes, and sat down to sort through everything he’d collected about Gwishin.

He’d asked the police to share what they’d learned about the vigilante, specifically when and where he’d been spotted. They hadn’t wanted to tell him anything at first, but mentioning the Kang family name had been like a key that unlocked a treasure trove of information.

From what Hyun Soo could tell, Gwishin had only become a serious problem in the last couple of years, though vague reports of masked men in black spanned back in the city’s records for decades.

People hadn’t officially named the vigilante “the Ghost” until about a year ago when he’d raided a yangban’s storage building and bags of grain had subsequently appeared in front of several commoners’ huts.

Eyewitnesses placed him all over the city.

From the quaintest clay hut to the most luxurious yangban estate, almost every area of Sokju had a story of the infamous Gwishin.

He’d been accused of assault, armed robbery, destruction of property, and the murders of over thirty individuals, a few of whom were civilians.

Physical descriptions of the man were sparse, aside from his black hanbok and covered face.

Some said he was taller than any man they’d ever seen while others claimed he was on the short side.

Hyun Soo recalled a short adversary with slight features, which had made the vigilante all the more elusive during their skirmish.

He wasn’t even a man, according to a few, but a real ghost who’d returned from the grave to settle an old score with the government.

Some of the reports even used phrases like “too fast to be human” and “he cast a spell on me so I couldn’t move until he was gone.

” Hyun Soo’s encounter last night had been strange.

He’d assumed he’d be dealing with someone fairly skilled in martial arts, not someone who seemed to disappear like the mist.

But Hyun Soo hadn’t believed in ghost stories since he was a child, and he wasn’t about to start now. Ghosts didn’t bleed.

The yangban and jungin he’d spoken with had been happy to hear someone besides the police was finally getting involved in this whole mess.

They’d lost a great deal because of Gwishin and hoped he would soon be brought to justice.

Among the highborn, there was a common thread of hatred toward the infamous criminal.

But then there were the others, mostly testimonies from commoners and lowborn, that painted a starkly different portrait. “He’s not a criminal. He’s the savior of Sokju,” one merchant had claimed after the vigilante had saved his daughter from drowning.

“We’ve needed him around for a long time,” a disgruntled citizen had told the police after a nobleman’s home was looted. “This yangban stole from me on three occasions, and the government did nothing about it. Gwishin is standing up for the common people.”

Hyun Soo gulped down his soju, then called for a refill. Such contradictory evidence was giving him a headache of his own. Just who was Gwishin?

The innkeeper brought him some more alcohol, and Hyun Soo thanked her despite the critical look she gave him before bustling off. He raised his drinking bowl back to his lips.

“I should have known I’d find you here,” said a familiar voice.

Hyun Soo looked up as his friend waltzed over from the entrance and plopped into the seat across from him. Dol Sam smirked in that annoying “I know you better than you know yourself” way, and Hyun Soo set his bowl down with a scowl.

“Dol Sam-ah, I know you told me I should come see you when I got the chance. I’ve just been busy.”

“Clearly,” was the yangban’s dry response, but the crinkle at the corners of his eyes revealed he was only jesting.

Hyun Soo ran a hand down his face. “Stopping Gwishin has proven more . . . difficult than I anticipated.”

Dol Sam nodded sympathetically before calling the innkeeper over to ask for some stew and a second bottle of soju. Once she’d brought him his meal, he took a swig of alcohol before asking, “Have you found any leads at all? Any clue as to where he might be hiding?”

Hyun Soo glared at the innkeeper, who was overtly eavesdropping a few tables over. She huffed and stomped off to another table, but still, Hyun Soo kept his voice hushed. “Actually, I met him a few nights ago.”

Dol Sam slammed his bowl down, catching everyone’s attention and sloshing so much liquid onto the floor that the innkeeper hissed in disapproval. “Where? Where did you see him?” Gone was Dol Sam’s teasing tone, replaced by a fierce urgency that bordered on hysteria.

“Calm down.” Hyun Soo grabbed his arm, surprised at the man’s visceral reaction. Hadn’t he not even blinked when he’d been under an assassin’s knife three years ago? “Do you want to get us kicked out?”

“Sorry.” Dol Sam waved to the innkeeper and apologized again, dipping his head a few times until the woman seemed reasonably placated. He turned back to Hyun Soo. “Please tell me what happened.”

“I ran into him just outside the Lee residence a few nights ago. I fought him, injuring him just below the ribs, but the coward escaped into the woods.”

“You hurt him, but he still got away? Gwishin must be slipperier than I thought.”

Guilt weighed heavily on Hyun Soo’s heart. His friend had entrusted him with his betrothed’s safety, yet with Gwishin still out there, he wasn’t able to guarantee it. “I’m sorry, Dol Sam-ah. I wish I had better news to tell you.”

The two fell into silence, the only sound between them the slurping of janggukbap.

Finally, Hyun Soo ventured, “About Lady Lee, are you sure she’s the right woman for you?

From what I’ve seen, she’s—” He broke off at the dark look on his friend’s face, then tried again.

“I just don’t think the two of you are a good fit. ”

“And you figured this out after only knowing her for a few days?”

Hyun Soo didn’t miss the sharp undercurrent in Dol Sam’s voice warning him not to discuss the matter further, but Hyun Soo wasn’t going to let it go that easily.

No matter how much Dol Sam liked Lady Lee, he didn’t want his friend making a mistake.

The noblewoman was argumentative, moody, and deceptive.

She may be beautiful and good at managing her household, but Dol Sam needed someone who would support him, not question his decisions at every turn.

“I can’t say anything for certain, but she seems very different from the woman you made her out to be. ”

Dol Sam crossed his arms. “After everything we’ve been through together, I thought you of all people would understand and be on my side. But you’re just like everyone else, looking down on her because she’s jungin.”

The jab stung, but Hyun Soo forced his pride down. “I am on your side. It’s not because she’s jungin.”

“Then you don’t like that she’s an orphan? She had no choice in that. The Lees raised her as their own, and Lord Lee is perfectly respectable.”

Hyun Soo held up his hand. “Please, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m not against Lady Lee because of anything like that.”

“But you are against her.” It wasn’t a question, and though Dol Sam hadn’t raised his voice, there was no mistaking the anger simmering within the young yangban. If Hyun Soo didn’t calm him down soon, this conversation might turn into a full-fledged argument.

“I’m just worried about you.”

Dol Sam sighed, some of the fire leaving his eyes, and took a bite of stew. “Well, you don’t need to. I know what I’m doing. I’ve known the Lees for years, and Lady Lee is everything a man could wish for.”

You may have known her family for years, but how much have you actually spoken to her? Hyun Soo wanted to ask, but he held back, knowing that question wouldn’t help anything. Perhaps a different approach would be better.

“What do your parents think of her?”

Dol Sam didn’t respond at first—a bad sign—and then he said, “Mother is very happy for me.”

“And your father?”

“He’s . . . he’s not opposed to the Lees, but they’re not his first choice,” Dol Sam admitted. “That’s why it’s so important you stop Gwishin, and soon. Father doesn’t want me anywhere near the Lees until the vigilante is no longer a threat. He’s even suggested moving somewhere safer.”

“Moving? But what about your wedding?”

The stricken expression on his friend’s face was answer enough.

Compassion welled up in Hyun Soo’s chest. He may not like Lady Lee, but he didn’t want to see his friend hurting. “Doesn’t he know how much you care for Lady Lee?”

“That hardly matters to him. Connections are what’s important.

The Lees are wealthy and respectable, but there are plenty of other families who fit that description.

Plenty of yangban families who would love the chance to form ties with my father.

” Dol Sam fixed his attention on his food, lip quivering like he was holding back how much it bothered him.

But it was a pathetic attempt to hide his true feelings, especially after he’d just defended his betrothed so vehemently. It would devastate Dol Sam if he couldn’t be with Lady Lee; Hyun Soo was certain of it.

And if he was the friend he claimed to be, there was only one thing left to do. How he felt about Lady Lee personally was immaterial. If Dol Sam was sure she was the one for him, far be it from Hyun Soo to oppose him.

“Don’t worry, Dol Sam-ah,” Hyun Soo assured him, “I won’t let anything or anyone get in the way of you and Lady Lee. Be it this vigilante or even your father. You can count on me.”

Dol Sam’s lips lifted into a weak smile. “I hope so. And if there’s anything I can do to help?—”

“Actually, maybe you can. Let me tell you what I’ve found so far. . . .”