Disposal? Did that mean if the king ordered him to kill me, he would actually do it?
With my head forcibly held down, unable to even raise it or see what kind of person the king was, I bit my lip until it bled.
My knee throbbed sharply from suddenly hitting the ground with a thud, and in that brief moment, my parents’ faces flashed through my mind.
My parents went out of their way to give spending money to a daughter who, having belatedly decided to prepare for the civil service exam, couldn’t even earn a proper living.
Heaven really was cruel — why would it cast me into a world this unfamiliar?
If such trials had been given to physicists who study only special spacetime phenomena like parallel universes, time travel, and wormholes — things I had never once cared about before — they might have welcomed this, possibly even making great contributions to the advancement of science.
After the man named Hunmu spoke, the king didn’t respond immediately.
The same silence I had felt when I first entered this place returned, and I swallowed hard at the gaze fixed on me.
Whoosh.
Flinch.
At last, the sound of the king rising could be heard.
I heard the soft press of something like a cushion as he stood, then the quiet steps of the king approaching in my direction.
Instinctively, I shrank back further and fixed my gaze on the man's thigh beside me, just beneath my lowered eyes.
Before long, the king’s feet came into view, clad in black shoes embroidered with gold.
Even though I hadn’t seen his face yet, a strange tension was already creeping up my spine.
What could possibly be the reason for that?
“!”
When Hunmu’s hand, which had been pressing down on my head, fell away, the king’s hand lifted my bowed head.
The moment I saw his face, that strange tension instantly shifted to a cold fear that gripped my chest.
The king I finally locked eyes with wasn’t the older, dignified face I’d seen in dramas.
He looked surprisingly young, barely older than the man beside him, Hunmu.
A thin scar ran just beneath the left side of his neck. But more than that, his eyes looking down at me — and his face — were completely devoid of emotion.
Beneath his neatly groomed eyebrows, his narrowly opened eyes gazed down indifferently, as if he were looking at a landscape rather than a person.
With a sharply defined nose and crimson lips, his face was so strikingly handsome it made me wonder for a moment if I’d wandered onto a film set.
And yet, he was terrifying.
Cold, like ice, the stench of blood I once sensed from a blade seems to seep out from this king's entire body.
I couldn’t look away after making eye contact.
Only when Hunmu noticed and quickly reached out his hand did I lower my head again.
But the moment I did, the king’s long fingers grasped my chin more firmly and forced me to look up at him once more.
"You're a strangely dressed woman."
Ah. I had never heard a voice like this before.
His voice was like rain falling in the heat of a blazing midday sun.
A shiver, like goosebumps, suddenly rose on my skin and then faded away, just as the king fixed his gaze squarely on me and spoke toward the man called Hunmu.
“Hunmu.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
"What should we do with this woman?"
“...”
"If you brought her to me, you must have had some plan in mind."
“I will carry out your orders. I only thought that Your Majesty should see her.”
“Since she met my gaze, it would be fitting to gouge out her eyes and feed them to the birds raised by Yuhwa.”
“!”
‘Did the king just say it would be fine to gouge out my eyes and feed them to the birds? While still making eye contact with me?’
Even as he watched the blood drain from my face like a cracked desert floor, the king didn’t so much as blink.
So this was why I felt that strange tension just from seeing his shoes, even before I saw his face.
The man named Hunmu, who had found me, had a gentle charisma to him. But not the king.
Behind the king's beautiful face, he hid a sharp thorn capable of killing a person.
No, it wasn’t just a sharp thorn — it was a thorn tipped with deadly venom.
Even after hearing the king’s words, the man named Hunmu remained silently kneeling beside me.
But for some reason, at that moment, I felt a strange sensation — as if Hunmu was silently commanding me not to respond and to stay still.
It might be a delusion born out of the fear of possibly dying, but instead of pleading for my life or admitting any wrongdoing, I simply closed my trembling eyes and held my breath.
Ah, if I’d known I’d die like this, in such a senseless way, I would’ve ditched that damn civil service exam and actually lived — enjoyed my twenties and been a better daughter.
Thinking about it this way, the fear intensified, and it felt like the tears I had been holding back were threatening to spill.
"Show this woman's attire and accessories to Sahwa. He might know something about it."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And as for the woman…”
Finally, the king opened his mouth to decide what would become of me.
My heart felt like it was about to burst, and at this moment, how unfamiliar this place was didn’t matter at all.
‘Please, don’t order something like death or some strange punishment.’
“Bring her to my chambers. And strip off that bizarre hair and odd outfit of hers while you're at it.”
"Yes, I will follow your command."
・・・・・
The clothes I was wearing, along with my shoes and watch, were all taken by women who looked like palace maids.
Against my will, they shoved my naked body — still marked from being tied with ropes — into a large bamboo tub.
Using water that was slightly hot to the touch and some mysterious leaves, they scrubbed my body.
At the king’s single command to strip off my bizarre hair and odd outfit and bring me to his chambers, the man called Hunmu handed me over to the palace maids and vanished without a trace.
If they had at least made a fuss — demanding where I came from or who I was — I might’ve been able to explain everything and feel a little less tense.
But their unexpectedly quiet response, coupled with the even heavier atmosphere, had me biting my lips more times than I could count that day.
Moreover, what I found hardest to adjust to was the people’s extreme submissiveness toward those of higher status.
Ah, by now, Mum and Dad must be desperately waiting for me to come home.
With both my phone and bag gone, even if they had reported me missing to the police, it would’ve been difficult for them to find me.
Wait! Maybe not?
If someone saw me suddenly vanish on the subway, or even if I collapsed and was moved before being transported to another dimension, then surely someone must have seen me.
If they checked the nearby CCTV footage, there would still be traces of me left behind, giving my parents at least some kind of clue.
“...”
But even if they did find some clues, how could they possibly reach me after I had ended up in a completely unfamiliar world?
The servants, who had seen me briefly harbour hope only to have it quickly crushed and become sullen, exchanged glances among themselves and whispered something quietly.
Come to think of it, with my hair colour and the pronounced double eyelids on my face, it was obvious in many ways that I was someone from a strange land, so they must have found me quite curious as well.
But why did the king order me to be brought to his chambers?
He said only that — and left without a second thought. Even Hunmu didn’t say a word about it, and it was driving me mad with curiosity. I wanted to grab anyone nearby and demand an explanation.
The king had such a cold and desolate aura — like the plains of Siberia — that I couldn’t get a read on him at all.
Moreover, I couldn’t understand how a king of a whole nation could be so young.
It made me wonder if much of what we learnt in history had been distorted.
After washing my body and hair in the hot water, the maidservants carefully styled my hair, twisting it up the way the women here do.
They parted my hair, tying half of it back, and wove white ribbons intermittently through it, finishing it by placing an ornate binyeo [1] in my long hair.
Once I put on the softly rustling, flowing garment, the sense of being out of place diminished, though my hair colour still made me stand out.
It was nothing compared to modern cosmetics, but they still carefully painted my lips red and even dusted my face with white powder.
After being so carefully dressed up, I was led toward the king’s quarters with a white cloth draped over my face, obscuring my view.
I couldn't see clearly, but I sensed that the bright daytime had already fallen into darkness.
Without the glow of dazzling lanterns, the darkness felt even heavier, and with it came a gnawing hunger from not having eaten anything.
But it was when we reached the king’s chambers that a woman, who appeared much older than the maidservants who had dressed me, suddenly stepped in front of me and blocked my way.
“Has she been washed thoroughly?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I heard she understands our speech. If you do, nod your head.”
In a voice neither loud nor soft, the woman suddenly asked me a question, and I nodded.
She then lifted the cloth to briefly examine my face before, like Hunmu, instructing me on the precautions I needed to observe before meeting the king.
Her deeply wrinkled face and low voice carried an imposing weight that made me feel I had to listen even before she spoke.
“Do not speak unless the king asks you a question. Do not make eye contact until he looks at you first. Under no circumstances are you to raise your voice.”
“...”
“Do you understand?”
“...Yes.”
“Among the women who have entered here, five have died. If you don’t want to become the sixth, you must remember this well.”
“You must not make a sound.”
She should’ve just let me in without saying that last part.
Before I could even prepare myself mentally, the elderly head court lady — who had said that five women before me had died — announced my arrival to the king and opened the door.
Unlike the place I had seen during the day, the room with the king’s bed was filled with a faint, mysterious scent.
The moment I took a step inside, the door shut behind me.
Five women had died.
Why? What was the reason? Was it because they made eye contact? Or was it because they spoke before the king did?
No matter how hard life was in Korea, the democratic country I was born in — free of monarchy — was a far better place to live.
Though I had only caught a brief glimpse of the king during the day, his face remained vivid in my mind as I slowly knelt down on the floor.
No one had told me, but I knew instinctively that standing in his presence would be rash.
So I bowed my head deeply and didn’t utter a word until the king spoke.
“Come closer.”
Kneeling with bated breath, I heard the soft rustle of pages turning, followed by the king’s voice.
I couldn’t see much through the cloth anyway, but afraid of making eye contact, I kept my eyes fixed on the floor as I slowly walked forward.
In truth, I didn’t even know how far I was supposed to go.
Once I felt I was close enough to be within the king’s line of sight, I stopped and knelt down again.
They said nothing was more powerful than the will to survive — and sure enough, within a day of being thrown into this unfamiliar world, I was already quickly adapting to its rules and atmosphere.
Clack.
Jolt!
While I remained kneeling, the king closed the book he had been reading and leaned back into his chair.
Then, as if beckoning me to come even closer, he motioned with his hand.
Not rising to my feet, I took the opportunity to crawl closer on my knees.
When I reached him, he removed the white cloth from my face.
“I instructed him to strip you and bring you here, but it appears Hunmu misinterpreted my words.”
“...”
“What is your name?”
Drawn by the voice heavy with rain, [2] I instinctively lifted my head and nearly met his eyes. Startled, I quickly lowered my gaze and stumbled for words, my lips moving soundlessly.
If I had experienced something like being thrown into this unfamiliar world even once before preparing for the civil service exam back home, I would’ve realised how easy that life truly was — and I would have worked harder.
“...My name is Yoo Yewon.”
“Yewon?”
“Yes.”
Swish.
“Ha!”
“You really do look different now that you're wearing our clothes.”
The king abruptly grabbed my chin and lifted it, forcing me to meet his gaze.
Whether in daylight or at night, the overwhelming aura he exuded froze me in place.
His eyes calmly traced over my neatly styled hair, then returned to study my face.
With his lips pressed tightly together, his gaze was cold and emotionless, like a person completely devoid of emotion.
“Where are you from?”
“...I... I’m...”
“...”
“…I’m from… a country called… Korea.”
“Korea?”
“…I come from… a completely unfamiliar place… I’m not from this country nor from any other country in this world…”
It was the first time I told someone I came from Korea, and before I knew it, my voice had started to tremble faintly.
I was too overwhelmed to even notice it, but deep down, I was terrified, scared of what was happening and how I could have travelled between dimensions.
All those feelings, like a desperate urge to cry, poured out through my voice.
But in the king’s eyes, as he looked down at me, there wasn’t a shred of human warmth — nothing that could accept or understand those feelings. Instead...
“Explain in detail.”
He responded with a short, curt command.
“…Today… when I opened my eyes, I found myself here... I don’t know where this place is… What I do know is… this world is from a time much older than where I lived, and it’s a completely different world…”
“You woke up here today?”
“…Yes.”
“So you mean this world I live in now is from an older era than where you used to live?”
“Yes… That’s correct.”
“How do you know that?”
“I can tell from the clothing… the people… and the appearance of the houses.”
At my words, the king suddenly released his grip on my chin and picked up a small sword resting beside the book.
Though I hadn’t said anything to offend him, he drew the sword from its sheath and wiped the blade once with a soft cloth, then asked:
“Do you smell blood?”
“...Pardon?”
“I asked if you smell blood on this blade.”
“N-No... I do not.”
“That’s strange. Just yesterday, I used this sword to cut a man’s throat, yet there’s no scent of blood.”
“!”
The king calmly examined the blade from different angles and spoke in a low voice.
Though there was no scent of blood, hearing that the sword had cut through a person’s throat made my nostrils flare and my breath catch.
“Since you can communicate, that means you must be from an era ahead of this one.”
“…I… I’m not sure.”
“Is it possible for you to return to the place you came from?”
“...I don’t know… This is… the first day I’ve opened my eyes here. I was found by the people and brought here, so I still don’t know what behaviours are expected or what would be considered a breach of manners.”
“It seems you’re afraid that I might kill you.”
Hearing me mention manners, the king sheathed the small sword again.
Yet somehow, the tips of his fingers still held a subtle tension, still slightly pointed in my direction
Then, the king, his sharp side profile visible, soon looked at his reflection in the mirror before him.
As he stared at the scar on his neck — the one I had noticed the moment we first met — he spoke again.
“If you’ve come from another land, tell me an interesting story. Make it so I don’t feel like killing you.”
“!”
I had often heard stories of femme fatales whose beauty had led countless men to their deaths, but I had never read of a man who had caused women to meet the same fate.
Watching the king speak so openly, saying he didn’t want to feel the urge to kill me, reminded me of what modern psychiatry called a psychopath.
In old times, since a king’s word was like the law of heaven, ordering someone’s death wasn’t unusual — but where I came from, that was not much different from being a psychopath.
The king was like a thorn coated with poison. Could I really make it back alive?
Why did someone with such a handsome face and supreme power give off such a terrifying, psychopathic aura?
Cold sweat gathered in my palms.
My lips trembled, but the king, expressionless, continued to stare at the scar on his neck without any reaction.
From his expression, I could tell that whether I burst into tears, begged, or failed to tell an interesting story, he would have no hesitation whatsoever in killing me.
“In the place where I live…”
“...”
“We can see and speak face-to-face with people even from very far away.”
“When you say ‘far away,’ how far do you mean?”
“Even the distance from here to the sky… is possible.”
“How is that even possible?”
“There’s a field called science — the study of science has advanced, and people have created devices that make this possible... So no matter how far apart we are, we can see each other’s faces and talk as if we were right next to each other.”
“How fascinating.”
“...And… while people here ride horses, where I come from, we use something called cars. They move very fast and can take you to faraway places in a short time."
“Can you make one now?”
“Ah… the things I mentioned require many people and a certain level of knowledge… I don’t have that kind of expertise.”
“Since I can’t see it for myself, it just sounds like a far-fetched story.”
“...Ah… well…”
I had spent two years isolated from the world, studying nonstop in the library — so how well could I really speak now, standing in front of someone who could kill me?
Hearing the word ‘far-fetched’ made my mind go blank. I hesitated, unable to speak for a moment.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Ah… where I come from, there are many amazing inventions… and…”
I had to say something — anything.
I had to make sure the king didn’t want to kill me.
However, the more anxious I became, the harder it was to think.
Chatter, chatter.
My chattering teeth clicked audibly, and my trembling body was clearly reflected in the king’s eyes as he slowly turned his gaze toward me.
Yet, he showed no sign of compassion or mercy, nor any inclination to spare me despite my trembling.
“It’s a pity. Seeing you makes me slowly start craving the scent of blood.”
Translator's Corner:
[1] A binyeo is a Korean traditional ornamental hairpin used to hold a bun (chignon) in place.
[2] This adds on to Yewon's earlier description of the king's voice as sounding "like rain falling in the heat of a blazing midday sun."
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