Chapter 31
Kartak tilted his head.
“So you’re planning to hide the gambling house?”
“From Father? No, not at all. Why would I hide it? I’ll expose every last detail.”
“But denying it won’t help.”
“Exactly. It’s not as if there’s only one or two gambling houses… Honestly, it’d be better if some trouble broke out, something so big that it couldn’t be hidden.”
Meanwhile, completely unaware of what was happening inside the imperial palace, Yoshmut was drowning his anger in strong liquor at the Blue Bird Pavilion, one of the largest gambling houses in the city.
Naturally, his drinking companion was Anduhu, son of General Orchai.
Anduhu didn’t particularly like Yoshmut, yet he always trailed after him wherever he went. The reason was simple—there were always scraps and benefits to be had.
But today, Anduhu’s expression was not a pleasant one.
He stared quietly at Yoshmut, who was gulping down harsh liquor, paying only half a mind to the courtesan’s performance.
“Yoshmut, are you sure this is really okay?”
“…hic, what is?”
Yoshmut answered dismissively, then suddenly hurled his wine cup at the courtesan.
“Kyaaah!”
“Was that supposed to be playing the zither, or scraping an iron chain with an axe?”
“Y-Your Highness! Forgive me, please, have mercy!”
“Hmph. Why waste my strength killing the likes of you? Get out of my sight!”
The courtesan, pale as death, clutched her instrument and fled in panic.
The door creaked shut behind her, and suddenly Yoshmut burst into mad laughter.
“Women… all you have to do is raise your voice and they freeze up.”
“Her skill wasn’t that bad, though.”
“Hah! And what good is that? I called it the sound of scraping iron, and she ran without a single word of protest. If she really had pride in her playing, would she have left like that?”
“Well, it’s nothing new, but your temper is as nasty as ever.”
“Don’t suddenly pretend to be a virtuous gentleman now.”
Yoshmut was far more drunk than usual. He normally held his liquor well, but this time he had drowned himself in harsh spirits out of spite. The fact he was still somewhat coherent was, in a way, a feat.
“But still…”
Anduhu trailed off. Yoshmut turned and glared at him, as if demanding to know what else he had to say.
“Are you really not going to visit Lady Bi, not even once?”
Yoshmut downed another cup, then slammed it loudly onto the table, irritation written all over his face.
“She gave strict orders that no one is to come and go. Strict. Orders. Do you not understand what that means?”
“But even so, she’s your own mother.”
“What do you expect me to do about it?”
“Well… perhaps you could petition the Khan…”
Before Anduhu could even finish, Yoshmut let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
“Oh yes, I’m sure he’ll listen! He’d probably even give me a medal for being such a dutiful son!”
“Yoshmut, that’s not what I meant…”
“Why are you so damned talkative today? If you’re that worried, why don’t you go see her? Go comfort her, or rile her up, whichever you prefer!”
With his face flushed red, Yoshmut ranted and raged like a madman.
Anduhu was taken aback. He had rarely seen Yoshmut lose control like this.
In truth, Yoshmut deeply resented his father, the Khan, for imprisoning his mother because of Empress Sorkate and Argana.
On top of that, he hadn’t touched a single one of the “tasks” that had been assigned to him.
There was no way his furious father would simply let it slide.
“Sooner or later, everything will come crashing down. Damn it all!”
The thought only fanned his irritation further. Aside from drinking himself into a stupor, there was nothing he could do.
When Anduhu tried to brush things off with a laugh, Yoshmut twisted his lips into a sneer.
“Of course. How could the son of House Orchai possibly lower himself? Isn’t it your father who constantly belittles and opposes my mother’s people, the Tureggen? No wonder you wouldn’t dare visit her—you’d be too afraid of your father’s wrath, isn’t that right?”
“Now, come on, that’s going too far. You don’t really think that, do you? If you insist, I’ll go right this moment…”
He made as if to rise, but in truth, Yoshmut wasn’t wrong.
If Anduhu were ordered to visit Lady Tureggen, he would only pretend to leave, then slip away elsewhere. He would never go of his own accord.
And Yoshmut knew that perfectly well. He gave a loud, derisive snort and turned his head—
Just then, a quiet voice called his name. A side door opened and a servant slipped in cautiously.
“Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
The servant glanced around, then lowered his voice.
“Chief Eunuch has arranged a meeting with Homuja. Word will arrive shortly.”
“Of course he has. And you had to come report something so trivial?”
“Ah? F-Forgive me!”
“Instead of wasting time with such nonsense, go get the money ready faster!”
“Y-Yes, yes!”
The servant fled, pale-faced.
Still seething, Yoshmut flung aside an empty bottle and was about to summon someone else when the main doors swung open.
“Who is it?!”
His shout was sharp enough to make anyone flinch. But the man who entered was unfazed—he was long used to the prince’s drunken tantrums.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
It was the gambling house manager, who also acted as the owner’s secretary.
Yoshmut recognized him and gave a look of annoyance.
“What now?”
“Well, Your Highness, a new game has arrived, and I thought perhaps you might be interested…”
The phrase “might be interested” was just a formality. Everyone knew Yoshmut couldn’t resist a new form of gambling.
As expected, his drunken, unfocused eyes suddenly gleamed with light.
Still, like any true addict, he feigned disinterest.
“Hmph. Probably just some variation of dice or tiles. Change the rules a little, but it’s all the same.”
“No, not at all! It’s nothing so trivial. This one comes from the far south. The rules are simple, but the stakes are large, and it’s quite thrilling. Since it is its first showing, if Your Highness would grace us with participation, it would be our greatest honor…”
“I don’t even have any money right now.”
“Worry not! We’ll take care of that entirely. Everything will be prepared to your satisfaction.”
Yoshmut shot him a sidelong glance, then chuckled faintly. He brushed off his clothes and rose.
“Well, if you insist that much, I suppose I’ll take a look.”
“Truly, Your Highness is most magnanimous.”
Showering him with ridiculous flattery, the manager led Yoshmut and Anduhu down into the basement of the gambling house.
This was a place rarely opened unless for very high-stakes games.
Though no sunlight reached it, the atmosphere felt cozier and cleaner than the bustling halls above.
“Please, take your seats.”
Yoshmut and Anduhu sat down. The round table had five seats in total. The other three men were all familiar faces, known enthusiasts of gambling even if Yoshmut didn’t know their names.
“Well then—”
“Enough chatter. Just show us what you brought.”
The man with a gold-embroidered headband jerked his chin impatiently.
Feigning awkwardness, the manager smiled.
“My, Lord So, such haste! But indeed, all of you gathered here are true connoisseurs, so there’s no need for long speeches.”
At his signal, two attendants hauled in something large and heavy, setting it down with effort.
Even Yoshmut, who had been disinterested till now, leaned forward with curiosity at the object placed in the center of the table.
“Now then, allow me to present… the latest craze from the southern lands—Mystic Stone Horse Racing (玄石競馬, Hyeon-seok Gyeongma).”
