Episode 01

The First Meeting in the Blue Moon

It was the beginning of the Blue Moon, when the world was washed in the fresh green hues of spring.

A young boy, handsome and refined, with a slender frame and elegant bearing, stepped into a small town in Chungcheong Province for the very first time. At his side walked a sturdy warrior serving as his escort.

Though his youthful face suggested he had not yet reached adulthood, the boy already wore his hair tied in a topknot beneath a black gat. Dressed impeccably in a white scholar’s robe and a deep-blue overcoat, he looked every bit the noble young gentleman.

His appearance was so striking that townspeople passing nearby could not help stealing glances at him.

“Whose young master could that be? He doesn’t look like he’s from any neighboring town.”

“Just look at that noble face! Good heavens, he’s far prettier than Magistrate Seong’s daughter!”

“Isn’t he? Oh my… Give him a few years and women won’t be able to sleep at night.”

The married women exchanged whispers and giggles as they watched him pass.

It was a lazy spring afternoon. For housewives worn down by their daily routines, gazing upon such a beautiful young scholar was enough to brighten the day.

After a long and exhausting journey, the town’s warm and simple atmosphere left a favorable impression.

His escort, Chigyeong, had remained vigilant upon entering unfamiliar territory, but now his sharp eyes softened. He was a towering man whose presence alone could intimidate others, yet when he looked at his young master, only pride and affection filled his gaze.

Suddenly—

“Hm?”

The boy let out a quiet sound.

Before Chigyeong could react, the boy changed direction and hurried down a side street. His inability to ignore anything that piqued his curiosity was as evident as ever.

Smiling faintly, Chigyeong followed behind.

The town marketplace was bustling.

Normally, people would have been busy haggling over prices, but today the crowd was gathered for another reason entirely.

The people had divided themselves into two groups standing along either side of the road, all staring toward a procession approaching from afar.

Chigyeong pushed through the crowd to investigate and quickly returned.

“They’re slaves. The families and household servants of those executed after the recent rebellion.”

“I see.”

Seoyul frowned slightly.

When would this endless bloodshed finally come to an end?

Painful memories stirred within him, and he forced himself to push them away.

Then, from nearby, a clear young girl’s voice rang out.

“Then all of them became government slaves because of the rebellion?”

Seoyul and Chigyeong turned toward the source of the voice simultaneously.

For a moment, both wondered if they had imagined it.

A little girl stood there staring directly at them.

She was so tiny that her head barely reached Seoyul’s chest. Dressed in filthy homespun clothes, she looked utterly out of place.

Seoyul raised an eyebrow.

Chigyeong tilted his head.

The pair stood speechless for a moment before dismissing it as a misunderstanding.

Surely such a child had not spoken to them so casually.

But the little girl quickly shattered that assumption.

“Why are you both standing there looking stupid? I asked you a question!”

The two men froze.

“This little brat…”

Chigyeong finally grasped the situation and strode toward her, intending to knock some manners into her.

“How dare you!”

Rather than retreat, the girl stood her ground and raised her voice.

Her audacity actually made Chigyeong pause for a moment before he scoffed and clenched his fist once more.

Before things escalated, Seoyul intervened.

“Enough. Let it go.”

“Young master, if no one teaches her manners now, she’ll suffer greatly elsewhere.”

Seoyul understood Chigyeong’s concern.

Had she spoken that way to another nobleman, she might already be enduring a brutal beating.

So he studied the girl more carefully.

Her face was spotless and fair.

Large black eyes sat beautifully within delicate features.

Those eyes were clear and transparent, as though they had never experienced hardship.

Her speech, expressions, and bearing were astonishingly proud and dignified.

She carried herself less like a poor child and more like a precious daughter raised in a grand mansion.

The ragged clothes she wore seemed strangely mismatched with the rest of her.

Yet what struck Seoyul most was something else.

She felt familiar.

Inexplicably familiar.

As though he had met her somewhere before.

And yet he was certain he had not.

The girl’s strange aura piqued his interest.

While Seoyul silently examined her, she finally lost patience.

“Why do you keep staring? Answer me already!”

“Some among them were likely slaves transferred from other jurisdictions.”

The girl’s eyes brightened immediately.

“Really?”

“Yes. Since I’ve answered your question, perhaps you’ll cooperate with me as well.”

“What are you talking about?”

Without warning, Seoyul seized one of her hands and examined it.

Soft.

White.

The hand of someone who had never performed hard labor.

A recently fallen noble family?

That was his first guess.

The girl jerked her hand away and glared at him.

“I’ve just realized you’re insane!”

“Why you little—!”

Chigyeong exploded once again.

Seoyul stepped between them.

“Enough.”

“Young master!”

Ignoring Chigyeong’s protests, Seoyul merely looked up at the bright spring sky.

They had barely arrived in town, yet he already felt exhausted.

When he glanced downward again, the girl was still glaring at him.

The instant their eyes met, she puffed up like an angry sparrow.

“How dare you touch me without permission! Kneel at once!”

Whether this was courage or recklessness, Seoyul couldn’t decide.

Her behavior was outrageously improper.

Yet strangely, he felt no desire to scold her.

He simply wanted this bizarre encounter to end.

Then he noticed something.

The slave procession had nearly arrived.

An idea came to him.

“The procession is almost here. Aren’t you interested in seeing it?”

“Ah!”

The distraction worked immediately.

The girl spun around with wide eyes.

Forgetting her anger entirely, she darted toward the crowd.

Watching her run off, Seoyul couldn’t help laughing under his breath.

The child was impossible.

Too insolent to indulge.

Too young to punish.

“Let’s go.”

Relieved to have escaped the troublesome encounter, Seoyul turned away.

He had important matters to attend to.

They still needed to inspect the town before reporting to the local government office.

But after only a few steps, something tugged sharply at his robe.

He staggered.

Turning around, he found himself staring at the very person he’d thought he had escaped.

The little girl.

Her eyes sparkled as she clutched his sleeve tightly.

Chigyeong frowned instantly.

Even Seoyul was finally preparing to scold her.

Yet the girl remained completely unconcerned.

“You must carry me.”

“…What?”

Seoyul’s voice turned noticeably colder.

The girl, however, paid no attention.

Instead, she stared anxiously toward the crowd.

Following her gaze, Seoyul immediately understood.

The road was packed with grown men.

At her height, she could see absolutely nothing.

His irritation quickly melted away.

Even if he lectured her, she clearly wouldn’t listen.

Why waste the effort?

He turned toward Chigyeong.

“Chigyeong.”

Before he could finish—

“No!”

The girl cried out in alarm.

She spun around and grabbed Seoyul’s sleeve even tighter.

“What is it?”

“I want you to carry me. You.”

Her eyes were wide and earnest.

Meanwhile, she carefully positioned herself behind Seoyul, putting distance between herself and the intimidating warrior.

The reason became obvious.

For all her arrogance, she was still just a child.

A stern, towering swordsman was naturally frightening.

Chigyeong’s displeasure became immediately visible.

Seeing this, the girl only grew more desperate.

Practically hanging from Seoyul’s sleeve, she pleaded:

“I’ll miss the procession at this rate! I must see them. Please help me!”

“Young master, allow me to do it.”

“Just clear a path ahead.”

Something about those dark eyes, shimmering with tears, tugged unexpectedly at Seoyul’s heart.

He let out a quiet sigh.

Then, without further complaint, he turned around and lowered his back.

The girl’s face brightened instantly.

As though accustomed to such treatment, she climbed onto his back with remarkable ease and wrapped her small arms around him.

And thus, beneath the bright spring sky, Seoyul carried the strange little girl upon his back for the very first time.