Cheon Sa began to play and that moment Lady Sook that was about to close the windows froze and she turned her head to him, her mouth opened slightly.
At first, the music whispered.
A soft, trembling note, like the breeze brushing against chimes at dusk. Then it blossomed, unfolding into a melody so beautiful it seemed almost otherworldly. The zither sang under his fingers, light and cascading one moment, thunderous and full the next. The sound danced through the chamber like sunlight filtering through moving water. It wasn't just music. It was memory and longing, joy and ache, it was a voice without words.
It was a beautiful sound that those present and withnessing it felt light hearted and blessed.
Then, as if the instrument had only been the beginning, Cheon Sa opened his mouth and began to sing.
He made his voice thin and it was smooth as poured honey, deep as a well, and laced with a quiet sorrow that made your heart clench. The melody rose and fell like a tide, and the words, though simple carried weight and meaning that pulled at something ancient in the soul. Anybody that heard it would be torn wondering if it was a male singing or a female but they would lean more towards the later.
The Madam so composed, so certain sat frozen, her eyes wide, lips parted in stunned disbelief. Lady Sook's mouth fell open, her breath stolen from her lungs, eyes that was unreadable all this time, looked shaken. Her eyes locked onto Cheon Sa with a rare vulnerability as she watched the most beautiful music unfold.
Cheon Sa played and sang for a while, attuned not just to the music, but to the quiet murmur of his surroundings.
Then... footsteps.
Quick. Urgent. A sudden flurry of motion.
He heard it clearly, though he doubted the Madam or Lady Sook had noticed. Still, he continued playing and singing, his expression calm, his hands steady, yet his senses sharpened, alert. Someone now seemed to be rushing toward the room.
"Madam Madam...Madam!"
Ara burst into the room, breathless, her cheeks flushed with urgency. Her eyes were wide, the weight of some pressing message clinging to her like a second skin. She opened her mouth to speak words ready to spill out in haste but they caught in her throat the moment she saw him.
Cheon Sa.
There he was, seated gracefully, fingers dancing across the strings of the zither, his voice weaving through the air like silk on water. The melody wrapped around the room, delicate and haunting, like something pulled from a dream long forgotten.
Ara froze.
She didn't dare move, let alone speak.
The Madam and Lady Sook were motionless, their eyes fixed on him, their expressions softened and distant, as though the music had transported them far from the walls of the gibang. They were entranced, held captive by a sound too beautiful, too rare to disturb.
And so Ara remained where she stood, silent, breath held as the music unfolded like a secret only the heart could understand.
The madam leaned forward slightly, as if drawn by an invisible thread.
Cheon Sa continued to pluck the strings of the zither with delicate precision, the melody softening into something mournful and sweet. Then, without warning, his voice shifted, light, lilting, almost indistinguishable from that of a delicate woman. The notes lingered in the air like incense, haunting and fragrant.
He let the final note fade, then slowly rose to his feet.
The room held its breath.
Cheon Sa began to dance.
His sleeves flowed like water, each movement measured and fluid, steeped in the grace of old court traditions. He moved with the elegance of a crane in morning mist, shoulders gentle, steps silent, his hair swaying in rhythm. His expression was serene, almost otherworldly, as if he were no longer bound by earth or flesh.
Lady Sook hurried over and took her place at the zither, her fingers fumbling slightly as she resumed the melody. But the notes no longer flowed with grace, the tune faltered, uneven and strained, shifting into something disjointed and far less pleasant.
Every gesture of him dancing spoke of longing, sorrow, beauty and no one seemed to notice the changed zither sound.
Silks whispered against the wooden floor as he turned. His body told a story, one older than any spoken word, and everyone in the room felt it.
Ara fell to her knees, trembling. She didn't understand why, but tears had welled in her eyes.
She had never seen anything or anyone so beautiful.
The Cheon Sa stopped suddenly and the music faded as Lady Sook stopped playing.
That was when they heard it... raised voices, shouting, a growing commotion rising from somewhere downstairs in the establishment.
"What's going on?" Lady Sook asked, her brow furrowing as she turned toward the door.
"The front hall is full," Ara gasped. "People heard the music from the street. They're flooding in shoulder to shoulder. Even the courtyard is packed. We've never had a crowd this large."
Her voice trembled with awe and disbelief. From behind her, the distant murmur of dozens voices could be heard, hushed and waiting, pressing close in the hope of hearing more.
Lady Sook rushed to the window, the Madam close behind her. Outside, the courtyard was teeming with people, men and women alike, crowding the gates, pushing, shouting, all trying to gain entry into the establishment.
The Madam's eyes darted toward the growing noise outside, her fingers tightening slightly around the window frame. Then she turned sharply.
"Ara...go. Now. Handle the crowd. You know what to do." Her voice was firm, leaving no room for hesitation.
Ara bowed quickly and disappeared from the room in a flurry of silk, her footsteps fading into the chaos below.
The Madam turned back to Cheon Sa, her eyes scanning him with sharp intent. "You may join the competition," she said briskly. "Only women are allowed, but... we can find our way around that."
She didn't wait for his response. Instead, she looked to Lady Sook and nodded once. "Tell him the rest."
Lady Sook inhaled slowly, her gaze steady but reluctant as it settled on Cheon Sa. "You won't be going to the capital immediately to settle there," she said. "You'll work here with us. Live here. Until your debt to the Madam is repaid. When you've earned enough silver, gold, salt, or jade then we can talk about settling you and your friend at the capital."
Cheon Sa stood calm, his chest rising in slow, measured breaths. Not a single drop of sweat clung to his skin; the dance had left him untouched, composed. His eyes narrowed just slightly, his voice low and steady.
"Because I owe you doesn't mean you own me. You don't get to command me like some servant. If you think the reward for winning and going during the high season isn't enough, then I'll take my offer elsewhere. Another house will pay off my debt in full gladly, and I'll represent them instead."
He let that hang in the air for a moment, his gaze cool and unwavering.
"And you both know exactly what that would mean."
"You and your friend are alone here," Lady Sook said, her voice laced with steel under silk. She took a step forward, her eyes fixed on Cheon Sa. "This is no wandering tavern or village square. This is a powerful house, respected, protected. We have guards at every gate, loyal workers, and enough influence to silence a scandal before it breathes. Do you truly believe you can walk out freely if you refuse our terms?"
Cheon Sa didn't blink. His posture remained relaxed, shoulders slightly back, hands by his side. His answer came quiet, almost like a breeze brushing past soft, but unmistakably clear.
"Yes. I can."
Lady Sook's breath caught. For the briefest moment, her composure cracked. Her heart thudded once, too hard, too fast. She wasn't used to fear, and yet... there it was. Just a flicker. Just enough to remind her that power didn't always wear uniforms or titles. Sometimes, it stood before her like this silent, self-assured, wrapped in grace like armor.
How could someone who seemed to have nothing stand with the stillness of a king?
He didn't bow. Didn't greet and spoke as though no one in this room outranks him.
He met her gaze, unwavering. "You know exactly what that would mean for your house if I stood under another name."
Lady Sook clenched her jaw slightly, but the Madam remained frozen behind her, watching with wide, unreadable eyes.
"Do you accept my terms?" Cheon Sa asked again.
He didn't mention the amount of coin, or jade, or salt he wanted as payment at the capital. Not because he was being coy but because he couldn't. Currency, its value, its fluctuations - it was knowledge he never thought he'd need. It had cost him once already, back at that shady exchange house where he and Min Ho had been robbed without violence. Just ignorance.
Lady Sook's gaze narrowed slightly. "You keep looking at me," she said, voice softer now, thoughtful. "Not her." She flicked her eyes toward the Madam, still motionless.
"That's because you're the one in charge," Cheon Sa said plainly. "Talking to her will get me nowhere."
Lady Sook stared at him. Her lips parted slightly in quiet surprise. "How? How did you know that?"
She stepped closer, her voice now tinged with something between suspicion and fascination. "You don't know the silent language... do you? Can you see through it? The gestures, the pauses, the coded glances? That skill is rare. Taught only to nobles. And even then, only to those with mute family, or reason enough to learn."
"I don't know it," Cheon Sa lied, his face unreadable. "But your act gave you away."
A beat passed. Then Lady Sook nodded slowly, grudgingly impressed.
"Who are you, really?" she asked, watching him intently. "You speak like someone born within palace walls. You carry yourself like someone used to being obeyed. Your voice, your bearing... it's not that of a common traveler."
"I'm no one special," Cheon Sa replied, voice soft. "Just a man with a past and nothing to show for it."
Her brows drew together, looking up and down at him suspiciously. "Are you sure you're not... a lost royal?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Does that happen?"
Lady Sook let out a dry, humorless laugh and shook her head.
"No. Royals don't get lost. They are guarded. Sheltered. Even the distant ones live within the palace walls. Their names are recorded, their bloodlines protected. No one dares even pretend to be one because everyone knows where every royal is. Always. No man in the royal family would be allowed to wander the streets or live among the people. It's impossible."
She stepped back slightly, arms folding across her chest. "Even Ara doesn't know where I stand here. But you? You noticed that she is not deaf and I run this place. That tells me you're not just anyone."
Cheon Sa met her eyes calmly. "That's where you're wrong. I'm no noble. I'm just someone who knows how to watch a room and read what others miss."
Lady Sook tilted her head. "Yet you sing, you dance, you play the zither with the skill of a court performer."
"I learned it from my mother," Cheon Sa said, smoothly. "She was an entertainer. I picked up what I needed to survive."
He knew the lie wouldn't answer everything but it would answer enough. He did learnt it from someone but not his mother.
Lady Sook studied him a moment longer, eyes weighing more than his words. Then she sighed.
"I should have someone investigate your background before letting you near the competition," she admitted. "But there's no time. We're too close. Still... before I commit to anything, I need to know one thing."
Her expression turned serious, her voice low.
"Why do you want to go to the capital? I have to know, because if I place my hands on something dangerous, something that could lead to my ruin. I need to be certain it's worth it. For you, winning might be the prize leading to your comfort. But for me, the risk is my entire life."
Cheon Sa's expression shifted slightly, a shadow passing over his features.
"Our friend was taken," he said. "Kidnapped. That's why I want to go to the capital."
It was part of the truth. But not the whole of it. He wouldn't tell her they'd planned to go even before that.
Lady Sook didn't press him further.
Instead, she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a folded strip of white silk. She walked toward him and held it out.
"Then wear this," she said. "Tie it around your face. If you're going to compete, you'll do it with your identity hidden."
Cheon Sa took the veil in silence, his eyes still on her, the air between them charged with the beginning of something neither yet understood.
"What is your name?" She asked.