CW: Violence, descriptions of wounds/scars.
They leave Blue Plains a few days later, as soon as Jun is able to be moved without great pain. The drive back is tense and silent, neither Hwan Sun nor Zev keen to engage with the Rat. After his fever-driven breakdown, Jun had also returned to his cold disposition, acting detached and unfamiliar whenever Rin tries to make conversation.
As such, Rin feels rather isolated, even as he bothers Lee back at the Hwan Estate and trains tirelessly with Mira. His own disposition noticeably changes, to something more listless.
Word of the events that had transpired in the imperial palace reached the estate, and so Rin also has to contend with vilification from the servants and workers. As such, he’s found himself in at least one fight a day since his return.
When he’s not fighting, he spends most of his free time in the stables, helping the kindly stablemaster groom, water, and feed the neglected horses. It is the only place he can find solace. A place to gather his thoughts while he recovers and plans his next move.
Healer Wu calls upon him for the first time since they’d been back, and Rin offers his borrowed robes back. Of course, the fabric is tattered and smells vaguely of vomit. But the older man simply clicks his tongue and waves his hands impatiently.
“Think I have time to wear such flowery things? Take it away, take it away!”
Rin wrinkles his nose but does as told, setting the robes aside for now. He tugs his sleep robes from his shoulders, letting it slip from his body and drop at his feet.
The youth stands nude before the Healer, burns and scars on full display. The wounds from his trip catches the man’s attention first, and he quickly sets about cleaning and dressing the worst of them.
“Why must you treat your body like this? Hm?” Wu Hong tuts as he inspects the arrow wound on his patient’s arm. “Ah. See? This has festered! If you’d left this any longer, the rot could have spread to your blood and killed you. Infection is a very serious yet vastly underlooked problem.”
“How’s Jun doing?” Rin asks, wincing as the Healer thoroughly (and none too gently) cleans the weeping cut.
“Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
“…he won’t tell me anything.” The raven grimaces, glancing out the window. The spring sun is out in full strength, blaring white against the dusty panes.
“Did you have a disagreement?” Wu Hong exhales through his nose and deftly bandages Rin’s arm. “The young master has healed enough to walk, albeit for only a short while. All he needs now is rest and recuperation. ”
Relief courses through his veins. “Good,” he breathes, lashes falling low on the waterline. “That’s really good. What about his health in general?”
“Hm. He is quite weak, and he seems to be suffering from chronic headaches and nausea. But it is to be expected from the trauma he’s experienced to his body. These symptoms should recede with time.”
Rin nods, silently ruminating on his plans to visit the old witch, Nuwa. He needs to ensure that his attempt will drive the spirit out of Jun cleanly and without any issues. The risk of permanent damage to the soul is incredibly high – especially if one uses Izayoma’s Call upon the afflicted. Rin needs to figure out a way to do this without harming Jun anymore than he already has. Hopefully Nuwa will have the answers.
“How are you sleeping?”
Wu’s question draws him from his thoughts. Rin meets the older man’s kind gaze and he gives a short shrug. “Fine, I suppose.”
“From your complexion, I assume you are still having issues?” The Healer prompts him to turn around so that he can inspect his back. Rin does so without protest, though he feels uneasy when he feels the man poke and prod his scar.
“Just dreams. The usual.”
“These dreams, what are they like?”
Rin pauses, brows wrinkling in thought. “They’re really vivid and I remember them clearly, as if they’d actually happened. And sometimes, I have these dreams that seem really intense at the time, but when I wake up, I don’t ever remember and I’m in a random place.”
Wu Hong nudges Rin to turn back around. Concern tightens the man’s expression. “You are sleepwalking?”
“Now and then,” Rin shrugs. He suspects it is Luna’s doing, so he’s not really worried about the implication of sleepwalking.
“This doesn’t concern you?” Wu gestures for Rin to sit on his bed and he follows, squatting beside to inspect the burn scars decorating his left leg.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“It’s more annoying than anything.”
“Zbnf sbeg ifu obg wf.”
Elc xlmxr atf jlg j ofk alwfr jcv gbiir tlr jcxif, vlrqijslcu atf oeii fzafca bo tlr wbylilas. Ktf Lfjifg tewr jcv cbvr lc jqqgbnji. Lf mbcalcefr tlr lcrqfmalbc, atlr alwf obmerlcu bc atf sbeat’r ojmf. C tjcv meqr Elc’r vfilmjaf pjk jcv aliar tlr tfjv obg yfaafg rluta.
“Do you have any hallucinations while you are awake?” Wu Hong asks, carefully lifting the eyepatch to check his right socket. The wooden eye stares at the Healer blindly. Satisfied, he fixes the patch and straightens up.
“…no,” Rin lies. “Nothing like that.”
Healer Wu smiles and gives the youth an awkward pat on the shoulder. “Very well. I will prescribe you a sleeping aid that should hopefully stop the sleepwalking. If you find that it isn’t helping, come see me and I will give you an alternative medication. Everything else seems to be healing quite nicely. How is your coordination and balance?”
“Good. Training with Mira has helped. I feel like I’m almost back to where I was before.”
The Healer nods, pleased by his patient’s response. “Continue your training and you will see the improvement you desire. Now, do not jump from any more cliffs, do you understand? I would never like to see you again.”
The raven twists his lips to the side. “Really? Won’t you miss me?”
“When a Healer says this phrase, it means they are wishing you well.”
“Then I’ll just have to jump off more cliffs.”
For the first time in days, laughter bursts from Rin’s mouth as the Healer gives him a gloomy expression. His mirth doesn’t last long however, and he feels himself quickly slipping back into his depression.
As if understanding his sudden shift in mood, Wu Hong rests his hand upon the youth’s head and gives him a sympathetic look. When he leaves, Rin feels emptier than before. His very insides a hollow cavity, plundered and barren.
***
Few are aware of the full extent of Rin’s training with Mira. Most are simply told that he is being trained as Jun’s companion – the basic knowledge of swords, guns, and martial arts is a usual requirement for a companion to a Hwan. Thanks to Mira’s intense schedule however, Rin is rapidly rising through the tiers of knowledge, being additionally taught stealth and infiltration, fundamental alchemy, and alternative weaponry.
The Nix finds herself pleasantly surprised by her new pupil. His natural agility and acting ability makes him a perfect candidate for the Immaculate. Of course she has no intention of recruiting him for the unit. In fact, she would hesitate to recruit anyone.
While she is loyal to the Dragon Army and the Immaculate, her time spent in the unit is something she revisits every night. The boy is already inundated with his own troubles – a stint in the Immaculate, however brief, would surely break him. Break him or turn him into something utterly inhuman.
Today, they are doing dual dagger work using her favoured wind style from the South. She watches him run through the basic movements from the side-lines, barking corrections where necessary. Ever since his return from the Blue Plains, he’s been far more focused and intent, so there are little corrections to be made.
“Bring your heel back by an inch. The blades should be aligned with each other. Loosen your shoulders – remember, adapt to the wind. If your body is like stone, how can it change with the currents of the air? Minute shifts must be sensed and integrated.”
Rin scowls and rolls his shoulders, loosening them as advised. He continues his set, sweating through his Northern-style training clothes. Though his body aches fiercely, he pushes through with nary a waver, newfound determination fuelling his will.
He doesn’t know what Hwan Sun wants him to do with this training, but if the Governor attempts to control him, he knows he has the choice to refuse. Even if that means getting rid of the guy, he’ll do anything to maintain his independence.
Jun however, poses another issue altogether.
Whether or not he brings his little lord back, Jun will become the Governor and marry a noblewoman chosen for him. He will raise an heir and live in a world that Rin can never penetrate. There’s no room in Jun’s future for a Slummer like him.
But he has a purpose now. One that will ensure Rin’s presence in such a future, even if it is in the periphery. If Jun wants this idle life, then Rin will protect it by whatever means necessary – because there’s nothing more that he wants than to keep his little lord. And that means gaining power until those who have sought to abuse him kowtow at his feet.
Who would dare harm him or his people then?
He finishes his set with ease, sliding the thin blades into their respective rosewood sayas hung from his waist.
“Good,” Mira grunts, smiling faintly. She claps a hand to his arm, right over his wound, and he winces at the sharp throb of pain. By the glimmer in her eye, she did so on purpose. “You have a knack for the tanto. While they are technically short swords, wind style daggerplay can still be applied here. Taking into account the double edge, you can also utilise the transitional movements to generate efficient attacks.”
“I prefer them to the sword,” he nods, absently tapping the rosewood hilt of both blades. “It’s easier to move around and they’re light. I feel more in control.”
“Southern blades are traditionally thin and light, much like Eastern swords, and as a result the wind style is quite popular here. No-one has thought to use it for short swords however, so you have a deep advantage over other wind style users. I assume it has something to do with men and their perpetual love of long things.” Mira chuckles and starts guiding her student through cooldown stretches.
“You’re the first one to use it with short swords?” His spine clicks and pops as he arches back, face raised to the blaring blue firmament.
“I was originally a wind style user before taking up the tanto. I was frustrated with the other styles associated with it, so I adapted. Over time, I developed and tweaked the style until it fit my preferences. If there is something that doesn’t work for you and your body, then you should adapt it to yourself. It is in the spirit of the wind, after all.”
“I can adapt just fine,” Rin huffs, gingerly stretching out his arms. His wound protests, but it’s nothing that he can’t ignore. “Why do you think the Governor wants me to know all of this?”
Mira shakes her head, frowning tightly. “He simply requested that I train you. I assume that he wishes for you to have the ability to protect the young master should the need arise.”
Rin rolls his eye. “We both know that’s bullshit. You’re teaching me how to kill. Or at least steal things.”
“Does this bother you?” Her dark eyes sharpen, turn as keen as his blades.
“…no,” he replies, flatly. “I want to be useful to the Governor. That’s why he’s keeping me around, isn’t it?”
“It is.” That keenness takes on a glint of interest, a fascination for the youth. “You have no qualms about the prospect of taking a life?’
His stomach twists and he quickly hides his expression by stooping down to touch the ground, stretching out his leg muscles. He doesn’t respond until he’s regained some semblance of control and he straightens up with a wry smile.
“It depends on the situation, I suppose,” he says, nonchalantly.
“In what situation are you comfortable killing?”
“If it’s my life or theirs, I’ll choose my own. Easily.”
“And the young master’s?”
“Of course.”
“What if it came between your life and the young master’s life? Which would you choose?”
Rin hesitates, eye flinching wide before shrinking into a narrow slit. His life or Jun’s? Instinctively, he chooses his own. Self-preservation is written in ones’ biology and is near inescapable. But then he thinks of his little lord. The tears he shed. The pain he suffered. The sheer vulnerability of that night…
He swallows hard, throat suddenly clogged. “The answer’s on my back.”
“…” Mira throws her head back and barks a laugh, startling the youth from his gloom.
He scowls and blushes as the Swordsmaster hunches over, shaking with mirth. “What?” he snaps, prickling with irritation. “What’s so funny? Am I wrong?”
“No, of course not,” Mira gasps, riding the tail end of her laughing fit. She straightens and ruffles Rin’s hair, inciting hard slaps from his hands. “I admire your sincerity, Rin. I am glad you stand by the young master’s side. Truly, I would wish for no other.”
The raven rolls his eye and saunters to the bench outside the barracks, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his face. “Are we done?” he growls, cheeks still burning.
Mira joins him, her mirthful, lively persona exchanged for her usual fusty austerity. As soon as the Swordsmaster steps into her maidservant role, it’s like a switch being flipped. The transition is jarring and disconcerting to the youth. He silently wonders why she would become a maidservant when her passions clearly lie on the training grounds.
“What were you before working for the Hwans?” He slings the towel around his neck and tugs on the ends. “Jun says that you used to be a soldier, but you don’t seem like one.”
“Why not?” Mira says stiffly, giving the raven a sharp look.
“I’ve known soldiers – slept with a lot of them too – and you’re nothing like them.”
“No one soldier is the same as the other,” she says, dabbing her neck dry with her own towel. “Remember, there are four divisions in the Dragon Army, in which there are countless units, regiments, and battalions, each with their own culture and personalities. No two battalions are the same.”
“Hm. Sure, but I think you’re especially different.” Rin drops down onto the bench with a sigh, crossing his legs. “What unit were you in?”
“The past is irrelevant.” Mira pushes her damp bangs from her eyes. She cuts a rather handsome figure with her sharp jawline and sleeveless shirt. If not for her dour personality as a maidservant, she would be just his type. “What matters now is that you are trained to a satisfactory standard. While you have made good progress these few weeks, there is still a long way to go. And I have been given very little time.”
“How do you feel about killing?” Rin pushes.
The woman narrows her eyes at him, lips thinning. “I take no pleasure in it.”
“Are you supposed to take pleasure in it?”
“…no.”
“Then why would you say that you take no pleasure in it? Like it’s the norm?”
Mira wrinkles her brows, perplexed. “What you seek, you will not find. At least not from me.”
“I’m not seeking anything. I don’t take pleasure in it either.” Rin twists the ends of his towel, glancing at the approaching figure cutting across the grounds. At least, not when I’m myself, he adds silently.
“Every life is as valuable as your own,” the maidservant intones, staring down at Rin with a stern eye. “If you must take a life, you do so knowing the burden and the price of such an action. It is something you will bear for the rest of your life.”
“…I know,” Rin murmurs, softly. His gaze detached.
The maidservant hesitates, recognising that distant look. It’s one she’s often seen in the eyes of her fellow Nixes.
“Am I interrupting your session?”
Jun’s voice cuts through the tense mood as he approaches, limping along with the help of an ebony wood cane. Sweat beads his forehead from the exertion.
Mira gives a sharp bow in greeting. “Young master Jun. We were just finishing up.”
“Very well,” he nods. “I should like to speak with you about something, if you’ve the time.”
“Of course, young master.”
Rin shoots to his feet, glaring up at the lord with a defiant grin. “It’s been a while, little lord,” he says, loudly. “What, no greeting? Don’t you miss me?”
Goldens flicker to the raven, narrowing subtly in irritation. “Good afternoon,” he says, curtly.
“How do you feel? You shouldn’t be moving around so much. Want me to help you back to bed when you’re done?”
“There is no need.” Jun tries to walk around the Rat, but the latter is persistent. He sticks to his side like a barnacle.
“Why don’t you sit down? You look tired. Want me to wipe the sweat from your face? Ah, reminds me of when you were laid out in the palace. Do you remember that night? How cute you were. Crying and clinging onto me like a lil’ kid–”
The cane raps sharply against Rin’s leg, stopping him from getting any closer. Jun’s complexion is pale, but not from illness. “Enough. I was delirious. None of my words nor actions from that night mean a thing. You would do well to forget.”
Rin sidesteps the cane, rubbing his stinging thigh. “Oh, really?” he sneers, snatching the cane when it flies at him again. He twists his hand and rips it from Jun’s grasp. “Because I think I’ve never seen you be more honest than that night. Now? Now you just reek of dishonesty. There’s no need to be so desperate, pet. If you want to keep up pretences, I can too.”
The maidservant snatches the cane from Rin’s grasp and promptly returns it to her young master. Her gaze is severe, flashing in warning. “You did well today. Practice diligently. We will be working on your alchemical skills tomorrow.”
“You see through his bullshit too, don’t you?” Rin asks Mira, hand on hip. “Or are you just pretending not to notice? How badly do you spoil him?”
“Tomorrow,” Mira clips, the final word like the crack of a bullet.
Rin sighs and shoots another glare at the lord’s impassive face before sauntering off. He hasn’t the time to play around anyway. There’s an old witch he needs to visit before dusk.
Our poor little rat. ): I wish he wasn’t so isolated and lonely. My heart aches for him. I am excited to see Nuwa and her chickens again!
ngl Nuwa and her chickens are my favourite characters to write 😂 Thank you for reading Curio!! <33
prays for rinnie and jun to have a stable good relationship 🙏🙏🙏🙏
I believe in you guys QAQ should i believe in the author tho-
Thank you for the chapter!! ❤️❤️
You can totally believe in me!! 100%! I’m as legitimate as NFTs! 🙃
Thank you for reading Dondon!! <333
This inspire total confidence in me 🥲
I really like mira!! She’s so cool 😌👌👌
She’s one of my fave characters so I’m so happy you like her!!! <333😍 Can’t wait to delve more into her backstory ^3^ Thank you for reading Clozed!! <333