Chapter 20 — The Hearts Of Humans And Yokai (3)

The next morning, in a rare turn, Geum Moa requested a day off.

“To think I poured all that drink down you and still couldn’t bowl the young master over…”
“Did you not say, with your own mouth, that there’d be no losing to drink from now on?”
“A blunder I’ll regret to my dying day.”

Whether she was truly aggrieved or only putting on a show of it, there was no telling.
It was likely the things they’d spoken of over the cups the night before that lay behind it, and when Geum Moa cautiously asked for some free time, Shin Hweein said yes without hesitation.
She had a great deal to sort through in her own mind, and he had no wish to keep her tied down.

“You needn’t ever come back, fox-of-flame.”
“As if this mosquito could see to the young master properly. Cause any trouble while I’m gone and you’re dead.”

Leon, having seized the post of butler-for-a-day, was puffing himself up when Geum Moa cracked her knuckles down on his crown and said, on her way out the door,

“I’ll be back by nightfall. Mind you don’t get up to anything untoward with that woman.”
“That is the most pointless worry of all.”
“Off I go, then.”

Geum Moa smiled and dissolved into the air.
The shikigami who’d been shut up in the subspace storage the whole previous night cheered as one when the tyrant vanished, but even so, Shin Hweein felt a certain hollowness in his chest.

“You mustn’t be thinking of another woman on a day you’re off on a date with a fine lady, my lord. That, too, is all the work of that fox-of-flame.”
“I told you, it isn’t a date.”

Grumbling his reply, Shin Hweein went to put on his usual suit, only for Leon to cut him off.
And not only that.
From somewhere inside his own shadow, laid in who knows when, Leon began pulling out all manner of clothes, holding each one up against Shin Hweein.

“Dressing up smartly is well and good, but today’s date is at an amusement park, so a casual turn-out would suit better. …Lean as your build is, anything you put on becomes you, of course, though you really must put on a bit of muscle.”
“It has filled out a little, you know.”
“You’ve a long way to go before you’re properly human.”

— What is the vampire on about, exactly.

Leon held firm convictions as a gentleman, and he would not budge from his stance: that even when the other party was his very own master, dress fit for the place and occasion mattered.
In the end Shin Hweein changed meekly into whatever Leon harried him into, thinking all the while that this was really no different from Geum Moa turned into a man.
Of course, Geum Moa would never have picked out clothes for him to wear when he was off to meet another woman.

“Mm. Just as they say, the end of tuning is stock. Step out into the street like that and they’ll take you for a fashion model.”

Settling on his own private compromise of unremarkable jeans and a sweatshirt, Leon arranged Shin Hweein’s hair as well, then nodded in satisfaction.

“Your face is so utterly perfect there’s nothing else to be done with it.”
“You know full well, I trust, that this is not the face I shall be going out in.”
“Even were you to put on a mask, it would make no difference. What matters is that the face beneath the mask is perfect.”
“The talk has grown too profound for me to follow.”

On top of that, being called perfect embarrassed him into squirming, and he scarcely took in half of what was said.
At this Leon clicked his tongue, tsk, tsk, with shameless impertinence, and held a mirror up before his eyes.
It was the very mirror Shin Hweein had once stared into for a long while as he properly took in his own face.

“They’re nothing of an outfit, but look. The moment you put them on, my lord, they shine as if they’d been born from the first to be worn by you. Even when you go about under a mask or a disguise spell, knowing that this perfect me is inside lends you confidence, and you carry your shoulders a little higher. A proud bearing and good posture, that is the very foundation of the gentleman.”
“Indeed. Now that you say it, perhaps it is so.”

Shin Hweein resolved never again to offer Leon a remark on matters of attire or the gentlemanly disposition.

“What a pity, though. Step out like this and any woman would be knocked out cold on the spot.”
“I am not going out to knock anyone out.”

He let out a sigh and, with practiced precision, laid the disguise-sorcery over his own face.
When he rose from his seat and reached for his staff, there was Leon, of all things, gripping it and refusing to hand it over.

“What is it this time.”
“My lord cuts a fine figure with the staff in hand. There’s a certain gravitas to it. But today is a date with a young lady, is it not. One hand must stay holding hers the whole time, and if your other hand is on the staff as well, then both your hands are bound, and should anything happen, your response will suffer for it.”

He’d been wondering why Leon kept making such a fuss, but as Leon spoke it actually began to sound rather plausible.
When Shin Hweein nodded reflexively, Leon flashed a triumphant smile and said,

“It just so happens that today is a day of rest, when my lord has no particular call to use your spiritual power. Which is to say, that surplus spiritual power can be redirected to strengthening your legs. Invested, in other words, into walking properly.”
“Hngh…”

At those words, Shin Hweein took stock of his own spiritual power.
There was no doubt that, from the moment he met the North Sea Dragon Princess Miu onward, his spiritual power had grown explosively.
There had been numerous strokes of fortune; in particular, the spiritual power he’d wrested back when he turned the Honwondorae chief’s curse against him came to more than half the total he’d handled up to that point.
Add to that the no-small quantity he’d taken in the night before by emptying two more cups of Purple Mist Wine with Geum Moa, and now, speaking purely of spiritual power, he stood proudly in the upper ranks even among Rank-Two awakened.
His actual ability lost little ground either, given that the shikigami at his command were of such formidable caliber.

‘And that’s so even though the jump from Rank Two to Rank One is, of all transitions, notoriously high-walled. With this much spiritual power, moving about like an ordinary person is certainly not out of reach.’

But did he really need to go that far.
True, his disability had inconvenienced him at times until now, yet he had never once thought of it as something to be ashamed of.
When he put that thought into words, Leon firmly contradicted him.

“Shame is not the issue. You must show consideration for the young lady accompanying you. If she gets something on her mouth while eating, you’ll need to wipe it for her; and when buying things, with both your hands tied up you can hardly pay at the right moment, can you? Surely you don’t mean to have the young lady bear the cost of the date the whole day through.”
“It is not a date. …I keep thinking the grounds you cite are rather thin, but very well. If you’ll go so far as to say so, then I understand.”

Yielding in the end to Leon’s argument, Shin Hweein spent the time until just before the appointed hour practicing the use of his spiritual power to move his crippled leg.
This too proved to be a knack, and before long he could move quite naturally, but the strain on his spiritual power was severe and demanded constant focus; his first thought was that he couldn’t go about like this all the time.

“Still, this is better than I expected. In combat, in short bursts at least, I could operate this way. For those moments when I must move quickly under my own power, it’s worth practicing further.”
“Just so, just so.”

— I don’t like it…!

For the record, Flame-tail, growling in Geum Moa’s stead, had originally meant to come along on the date, but Leon had forbidden him.

— You. Later on, we shall properly settle the pecking order.

“Every last one of these so-called shikigami does nothing but get in my lord’s way, honestly.”

Leon let out a magnificent sigh.

“Leave it to me today, my lord, and trust me. Anything outside the expected, I shall handle in full.”
“I’ll be in your hands.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t think it overzealous, the way Leon fussed over what was, after all, just the two of them going out to play together… but the one-day butler seemed so very pleased with himself that Shin Hweein decided to simply go along with it.

* * *

“Oh! Ah… oh.”

That was Ham Seoyeon’s reaction when they met up at the appointed spot.
She wore a bright white blouse and jeans, and on the point of not exposing much skin, Shin Hweein silently gave her high marks.

“Is it odd? I came out in whatever Leon dressed me in.”
“No, too good! Honestly, I’d braced myself for you to show up in a suit.”

The fact that she spoke of having braced herself made it clear he’d done well to listen to Leon.
True enough, to keep the same look as when one was working, even out playing with a friend, would be rude.

“Well, you’ve got such a good face to start with that even in a tracksuit there really wouldn’t be a problem… ah.”
“Hm?”

The remark struck him as off, and Shin Hweein tilted his head.
Had it been only an offhand comment he might have let it pass, but Ham Seoyeon wore the unmistakable expression of someone who’d just slipped up, and so he found himself turning it over more carefully.
The conclusion he arrived at was this:

“Could it be that you can see through disguise-sorcery?”
“…”
“Even the mask I usually go about wearing?”
“…uwah.”

It seemed his guess was correct.
She’d gone to the trouble of putting on makeup and was now sweating in her fluster; seeing this, Shin Hweein held out his own handkerchief to her with a shrug.

“So you can borrow some portion of Lady Athena’s power. I’ve no thought of blaming you, of course. It was I, after all, who went about with my own face hidden by a disguise spell.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Why would I be? I’m only ever struck with admiration at your thoughtfulness. Thank you.”
“Thoughtfulness? Ah, um, eh… mm!”

After a brief silence in which she gathered herself, Ham Seoyeon nodded vigorously and took the handkerchief from him.

“It was because I couldn’t say anything that I kept missing the chance to bring it up…!”
“That can happen. Today, I hope, will be a chance for us to talk of all the things we’ve been too busy to speak of.”
“Right? Exactly.”

When Shin Hweein let slip a faint smile, the motion of her hand dabbing at the sweat sped up considerably.

“By the way, no staff today? Has that, too, gotten better?”
“Would that it had, but unfortunately, no. Today is a day for play, so I’m holding myself up with spiritual power.”
“That’s got to be incredibly hard too… thank you.”
“Shall we go, then.”

So far, Leon’s advice had been spot-on, every shot a hit.
Just as Leon had said, with a little confidence kindled in him, Shin Hweein held out a hand.
Ham Seoyeon, having tucked the sweat-dabbed handkerchief into her bag, swiftly extended her own hand and clasped his.

“I can’t even remember how many years it’s been since I came to an amusement park like this.”
“For me, it’s the first time.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll show you everything.”

Fully recovered to her usual self, Ham Seoyeon led him off with a confident smile.
Moving his two feet to keep up with her, Shin Hweein thought, I see.
When someone was leading him along, if he was leaning on his staff, even matching their pace was beyond him to manage as he wished.
When facing an enemy in combat, he’d always thought of it as something he simply had to bear.
But now that there was someone he wanted to walk beside… the wish to find some way, somehow, to undo this curse had grown stronger.

“I’m looking forward to it.”
“I couldn’t even sleep.”
“Sleep is important. Get enough of it.”
“Don’t worry, thanks to the General I can stay up three nights running and still be fine!”
“That isn’t the point.”

The two of them, exchanging idle chatter, headed for the amusement park.
They rode, of course, in the limousine driven by Ham Seoyeon’s attendant-knight, sent from the Ham House.
What they hadn’t expected was that the limousine, with the Ham House crest stamped upon it, drew far more eyes from passersby than they’d ever imagined.

“…Why is this. Even riding in a Shin House or Yun House car, the attention has never been quite this fixed.”
“That, I think, is probably because of where this car is heading right now…”

The car they were in was at that moment making its way to the largest amusement park in the Capital, Hwadam Amusement Park.
Hwadam was the courtesy-name of the most renowned figure in the Seo House’s history.
In other words, Hwadam Amusement Park was operated by the Seo House, the most commercially successful of the Three Capital Houses, and though pricey, it was reckoned in every respect the finest amusement park in all of Aeshin.

“Hmm. Could it be that they suspect the Ham House of stirring up friction with the Seo House, and that’s why so many eyes are on us?”
“No, you idiot. Where would you find someone who thinks that deeply about it. It’s not that, it’s, well… right now, when people in the Capital say ‘the Ham House,’ they mean me.”
“They would be, naturally. Today’s morning papers carried the news as a headline.”

Shin Hweein, no, Shin Hae, and along with him Ham Seoyeon and Yun Juna, were now the talk not only of the Capital but of all Aeshin Korea.
Exactly what had happened was not disclosed, but a Royal House representative had taken the trouble of confirming to the press that they had rendered great service to the Aeshin Royal House, and on top of that, it had even come out that Shin Hae was set to accompany Princess Mirye at her coming-of-age rite, soon to be held.

“Speaking of which, that princess is definitely after you. Be careful.”
“Are you turning into Moa too? Princess Mirye, when she came to me that morning, harbored a great deal of resentment toward me. She even reproached me for failing to show proper respect to the King.”
“Honestly, even I was startled by that one. Wow, His Majesty the King is a man of real dignity, and yet there, right in front of him, you…”

While their talk drifted off down that side-path, the limousine arrived at its destination.
Shin Hweein climbed out first and offered his hand, and Ham Seoyeon took it and stepped down from the car, and at that moment a small commotion went up around them.

“Hm…?”

Only then, on looking about, did Shin Hweein freshly take in the fact that they were being watched by the other guests come out to enjoy the amusement park.

“Come to think of it, you still haven’t explained to me why the Ham House car draws so much notice.”
“Isn’t it obvious. A famous figure of the Ham House, fresh off making a name for herself, going to an amusement park; that alone is enough to pique people’s interest. If we think of it as the price of fame, we ought to be grateful for it, no? And we don’t have to worry about being photographed without permission either.”
“Well, that much is true.”

When the two of them, hand in hand, walked side by side toward the ticket booth, the murmuring of the crowd grew all the louder.
It was at that point that Shin Hweein realized one more thing.

“This was truly a check against the Royal House. I had not dreamed for an instant that you’d already be drawing this much attention, but in that case, the fact that the sorcerer called Shin Hae is on good terms with the Ham House can be conveyed indirectly. Which is to say, it underscores that Shin Hae is not a figure the Royal House can simply use one-sidedly.”
“…Exactly. That’s exactly it!”

Ham Seoyeon nodded, looking at Shin Hweein with an admiring expression.
Having his insight praised was nothing new by now, and so Shin Hweein gave a sedate nod in return.
The two of them bought day-passes at the ticket booth and continued talking as they went inside.

“In that sense, then, we need to make our relationship look that much more solid.”

Ham Seoyeon spoke earnestly, closing the gap between them.

“How?”
“By calling each other by name.”
“…Seoyeon?”
“Mm. Hae.”

Indeed.
Even to his own ears, it sounded markedly more intimate.
It was only a touch regrettable that the name was a false one.
…One more reason, that, why he had to recover his true name as quickly as he could.

“Strange. I’m already having fun.”
“Same here.”

Passing through the gates, the world inside was already another world entirely.
For an instant he very nearly mistook himself for having stepped into the Specter Realm or some Other Realm.
Figures wandering about in costume suits, beautiful sceneries conjured up by the Seo House’s signature illusion-sorcery, rides everywhere drawing screams and cheers from the people they ferried about…
When Shin Hweein’s eyes lit up as he took it all in, Ham Seoyeon laughed, kuku, and tugged at him again.

“Today we’re going to ride all of those.”
“Mm. New experiences are important to a sorcerer.”

Replying with forced composure to mask his childlike anticipation, Shin Hweein gripped Ham Seoyeon’s hand just a touch more tightly.

“Let’s go.”
“Let’s go.”

And so it came to pass.