AFJE 08

Chapter 8

Clank.

The sound of iron chains echoed through the prison as the jailer roughly shoved Ha-yoon forward.

“Get inside, over there.”

“Ugh!”

“I’ll call you in for questioning soon, so don’t try anything foolish. Just stay quiet.”

Bang―!

With those words, the jailer left.

At the same time, a heavy silence descended over the dark cell.

“Ugh, what a smell…”

The stench of rotten straw, mold, and various body odors mixed together and assaulted her nose.

Even covering her nose with her hand did nothing.

“To think I’d end up in prison too…”

Ha-yoon leaned her back against the wall and slowly sat down.

Water dripped from the ceiling, and moss covered the walls. Inside the narrow cell, there was nothing but a single crumpled straw mat.

“Seriously, status? Should I have just said I was an ordinary citizen?”

Ha-yoon tried to sound cheerful, but the situation was more serious than she had expected.

People without an established status were not treated as human beings.

This was an era when people could be bought and sold like objects.

Until now, Ha-yoon had simply been lucky enough to survive after meeting her benefactor, Munsik.

If she had met someone else, she might have already been sold somewhere by now.

“Ugh, I don’t know. I might as well lie down and get some sleep.”

With no better option available, Ha-yoon gave up and flopped down on the straw mat.

After keeping her nerves on edge for so long, exhaustion came rushing over her.

Then—

“Hehehe. How did such a young lady end up in a place like this?”

“Gasp!”

A gloomy voice suddenly came from the darkness.

Ha-yoon lifted her head at the sound.

Several shadows came into view beyond the bars.

“W-Who are you?”

“Who else? Your senior.”

“Come on, now. When a junior comes in, shouldn’t she greet her seniors?”

“Let’s see how cute our new junior is.”

The criminals who had been imprisoned before Ha-yoon approached the bars.

Then, as soon as they recognized Ha-yoon, they cried out in surprise.

“Wait, who is this? Aren’t you the young lady from Insaeng Jumak?”

“You know me?”

“Of course! Is there anyone in this town who doesn’t know you?”

“Especially with that unusual hairstyle.”

Ha-yoon had already become the most famous person in town, and the prisoners showed great interest in her.

“But what happened to the lady who used to sell gukbap? How did you end up in a place like this?”

One of the prisoners asked with curiosity.

Ha-yoon hesitated for a moment before telling them what had happened.

She told them that she could not prove her status.

She also explained that she was suspected of being a runaway slave.

“No status?”

The prisoners whispered among themselves.

After hearing her story, they clicked their tongues and began worrying about Ha-yoon.

“Hmm. Looks like you got yourself caught up in something really bad.”

“No matter how impossible it is for her to prove her status, does it make sense to throw her in prison like this?”

“I bet it’s that Choi fellow’s doing. Who else would pull something like this?”

“Choi fellow?”

At Ha-yoon’s question, the prisoners began telling her about all the evil deeds Choi Hyang-seo had committed.

“Choi Hyang-seo. He’s the most corrupt bastard in this town.”

“We got dragged in here unfairly because we couldn’t pay him his share.”

“I made the mistake of getting on his bad side five years ago, and he’s still giving me trouble over it.”

“Listen, young lady. Even if you did something wrong, hold out until the very end! The moment they find even the smallest thing to use against you, they’ll pin all kinds of crimes on you!”

Ha-yoon nodded frantically at their advice.

“Never give up! We’re all on your side!”

“Once you get out of here, we’ll come to Insaeng Jumak for a bowl of gukbap. So you have to hold on until then!”

“Don’t forget! Whatever happens, never admit to any of the charges!”

Having experienced Ha-yoon’s kindness before, the prisoners gave her their wholehearted support.

Their encouragement gave Ha-yoon, who had been close to giving up, a little strength again.

‘That’s right! They say that even if you’re caught in a tiger’s den, you’ll be fine as long as you keep your wits about you! I’m Im Ha-yoon! I can’t give up in a place like this!’

How much time passed like that?

Clunk.

The sound of the prison door opening broke the long silence.

“Come out.”

The jailer pointed at Ha-yoon.

“It’s time for questioning.”

“……!”

With trembling steps, Ha-yoon followed him to the interrogation room.

By then, the sun seemed to have already gone down, and only the faint light of torches illuminated the path outside.

A short while later.

The door to the interrogation room opened, revealing Choi Hyang-seo, the local magistrate’s clerk, sitting inside.

“Sit.”

Once Ha-yoon sat down, Choi Hyang-seo gestured toward the jailer.

“You’ve done your job. Leave us.”

“Yes, sir.”

Only Choi Hyang-seo and Ha-yoon remained in the interrogation room, and a heavy silence filled the air.

Choi Hyang-seo looked at Ha-yoon with contempt.

“You are Im Ha-yoon, correct?”

“Yes.”

Normally, an interrogation like this would be conducted by the magistrate, but Choi Hyang-seo, a long-standing local power holder, freely abused his authority.

The newly appointed magistrate had so far turned a blind eye to Choi Hyang-seo’s misconduct.

For now.

“Why can’t you prove your status?”

Ha-yoon immediately answered the question she had expected.

“……I can’t remember. I lost my memory in an accident.”

“Hmph. Of course you did. That’s what runaway slaves always say.”

Having already branded Ha-yoon as a slave, Choi Hyang-seo scoffed.

“Then you don’t know where you lived either? The town where you were born and raised.”

At the next question, Ha-yoon’s mind began racing.

‘If I name an obvious place, I’ll only make them suspicious.’

Several major cities associated with the Joseon era, such as Hanyang and Gaegyeong, came to mind, but she only knew their names. She had no idea what those cities actually looked like.

If he asked her about their characteristics, she would have no answer.

So Ha-yoon decided to stick to her story.

“……I still can’t remember.”

“So that’s how you’re going to play it…… Fine.”

Choi Hyang-seo slammed his hand against the desk and pressured her.

“Then when did you come to this village? Surely you remember at least that.”

“……About a month ago.”

“A month, you say…… You certainly caused quite a lot of trouble in that time.”

Choi Hyang-seo continued his interrogation in a mocking tone.

“I hear you renovated the Moon family’s tavern.”

“……Yes.”

“And where did you learn such skills?”

For a moment, the answer ‘In the future’ flashed through Ha-yoon’s mind, but of course, she could never say that aloud.

At the same time, she could not afford to give some careless answer.

Then she remembered the prisoners’ advice.

Never admit to any of the charges.

Ha-yoon looked directly into Choi Hyang-seo’s eyes and answered firmly.

“I can’t tell you that.”

“You insolent girl! Do you know who you’re speaking to?”

Choi Hyang-seo began pressuring her even more harshly.

In this town, Choi Hyang-seo possessed enough power to make even a bird that flew into the sky fall from it. Other than the magistrate, there was no one who would dare stand before him with their head held high.

Yet this outsider—

A woman, no less—

A mere slave—

refused to bow her head easily.

Choi Hyang-seo was beginning to lose his temper.

Even so, Ha-yoon refused to back down.

Instead, she raised her voice.

“What does that have to do with my charges?”

“What?”

Choi Hyang-seo’s brows shot together.

“Renovating Mr. Moon’s tavern. What does that have to do with why I was arrested? If you want to question me about a crime, then ask me about me.”

“……This girl!”

Her unexpected answer left Choi Hyang-seo speechless for a moment.

Usually, people who entered an interrogation room trembled in fear and confessed everything.

But Ha-yoon was different.

There was fear in her eyes, but beneath it was a strong determination that refused to yield.

“Ahem. Fine. Then I’ll ask you one last question.”

Seeing that Ha-yoon had no intention of giving in, Choi Hyang-seo prepared his final question.

“Which household did you serve as a slave? Tell me the truth.”

“A slave?”

Ha-yoon firmly shook her head.

“That’s absurd. I am a yangin—a commoner.”

“You little wench! You’re still lying!”

Choi Hyang-seo raised his voice.

In fact, Choi Hyang-seo still had one decisive weapon that could establish Ha-yoon as a slave.

Not mere suspicion like he had now, but concrete evidence.

He brought it up.

“If we search the slave registers and family registers, it’s only a matter of time before we discover who you really are! So confess willingly before you suffer the consequences!”

“Family register!”

Ha-yoon cried out in surprise at the mention of the family register.

A family register recorded blood relations and contained the history of a household.

Who was born when.

Whose child they were.

And what their name was.

At a time when there was no resident registration system, the family register was the most reliable proof of a person’s status.

That was why every household treasured its family register as though it were a sacred object, carefully preserving it to prevent situations like this.

‘Wait!’

At that moment, something flashed through Ha-yoon’s mind.

Her father, who had run an antique shop, had always loved telling her stories about the past.

Fortunately, Ha-yoon had listened carefully to him, so she knew exactly where her family roots came from.

Even without that, she could have found detailed information simply by obtaining a copy of her family register.

‘Yes! If I use that……!’

A good idea occurred to Ha-yoon, and she took a deep breath.

Then she spoke clearly.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll tell you my bon-gwan.”

“You should have said that from the beginning.”

Satisfied with finally getting a proper answer, Choi Hyang-seo picked up his brush.

Revealing one’s bon-gwan was practically the same as revealing one’s family register.

By comparing her bon-gwan with the family register, he could immediately discover the truth.

“Now, tell me your bon-gwan. I doubt it belongs to any family of importance, though.”

“…….”

Ha-yoon stared at Choi Hyang-seo for a moment.

His eyes were filled with confidence that her lie would soon be exposed.

A moment later, Ha-yoon straightened her head.

Then she clearly stated her family lineage.

“I am Im Ha-yoon, the thirty-second descendant of the Jeonju Im clan (全州 林氏).”

“What!”

Choi Hyang-seo’s eyes widened as though they were about to pop out.

His reaction was so extreme that Ha-yoon herself felt embarrassed by her answer.

‘……Did I say something wrong?’

She quickly searched her memory, but there was no mistake.

Ha-yoon’s bon-gwan was definitely the Jeonju Im clan.

“Hmm……!”

Choi Hyang-seo’s pupils shook violently.

The Jeonju Im clan.

Fortunately, it was not a yangban family.

Even so, there was a reason Choi Hyang-seo was so shocked.

A certain person who currently held enormous influence throughout Joseon belonged to that clan.

If Ha-yoon happened to be connected to him in any way, this could become a very serious problem.

“You insolent girl! How dare you impersonate another family!”

Unable to believe Ha-yoon, Choi Hyang-seo abruptly rose from his seat.

“Don’t you know how serious a crime it is to impersonate a family?”

Then he shouted threateningly,

“Impersonating a family can result in the death penalty!”

“The death penalty……!”

At the terrifying charge, Ha-yoon’s shoulders shrank.

She had only given her bon-gwan to avoid being branded a slave, but now she was facing the possibility of execution.

However, Ha-yoon realized that she had already crossed a point of no return.

She looked directly into Choi Hyang-seo’s eyes.

“I’m not lying. My bon-gwan is definitely the Jeonju Im clan.”

“You shameless girl! You’re still lying to the very end……!”

When Ha-yoon continued to deny everything, Choi Hyang-seo’s face turned red with anger.

“Fine. If that’s how you want to play it, so be it.”

Ha-yoon did not yet realize it.

Choi Hyang-seo’s attitude had subtly changed.

Although he did not believe Ha-yoon, Choi Hyang-seo decided to proceed carefully in case there was even a chance that her claim was true.

“I’ll send an inquiry to the Jeonju Im clan. You will wait here until I receive an answer.”

“……!”

It was simple enough to verify whether Ha-yoon was telling the truth.

If she had lied in order to escape her predicament, she would receive an even harsher punishment than before.

Choi Hyang-seo said coldly,

“But understand this. If your claim is proven false, you may be sentenced to the highest punishment.”

With that terrifying warning, Choi Hyang-seo left the interrogation room.