Toxin

Cough! Cough…!!

Naro coughed so hard that his back felt like it was breaking. Even though the sun blazed down on Byeolwon’s porch, Naro shivered with chills. On the day of the Suryeong completion ceremony, the painters had stripped Naro of his top to paint on his body, causing him to catch a cold. To make matters worse, that morning, Chief Painter Hwasun had ordered Naro to repaint a twelve-panel screen in the emperor’s office by tomorrow morning. Since it was a direct order from the top-ranking painter, Naro couldn’t express any reluctance.

The new painters had bribed the Chief Painter as soon as they entered the palace. If you got into his good graces, you were assigned prime jobs like maps, portraits, or even work at the palace. The pay was generous, and promotions were swift, so competition among painters was fierce.

The most prestigious job of all was painting the emperor’s portrait. The one who had painted the emperor’s portrait when he ascended the throne at a young age was the current Chief Painter. He wielded immense influence and was still believed to have the emperor’s trust. However, when someone from the Imae Tribe came in and took his place, and the mad emperor cherished the portrait so much that he kept it in his chambers, it must have stung his pride. Unable to deal with Roha, who was favored by the emperor, he took out his frustration on Naro by assigning him tedious, unnoticed tasks like illustrations and pottery designs.

Naro coughed until his face turned red. Then, a gentle hand patted his back. When he looked up, Roha was there, eyes filled with concern.

“The physician said you shouldn’t overexert yourself. I’ll finish it, so please rest for today.”

“It’s clear Chief Painter has some ulterior motive by giving me such an important task. Now even he has joined forces with the other painters to torment me! If I don’t finish it by tomorrow, who knows what kind of punishment awaits? No matter how well I do, they all lose their sense of decency in front of riches.”

“We’ll finish it together by tonight. If we don’t, we’ll figure it out then.”

“Alright! Let’s see who wins this battle!”

Roha’s narrow, fox-like eyes curved slightly. His teasing lips curled upward. Since returning to Naragaon Fortress, Roha’s complexion had improved daily, and he had put on some weight. He was usually so composed, but when he smiled seductively like that, Naro couldn’t help but be captivated. It was easy to see why the mad emperor was so taken with him.

Enduring the harsh life at the palace was solely because of Roha. It had been hard to see him due to the Suryeong event, but since yesterday, they had been inseparable, and it made Naro feel full even without eating. If Roha hadn’t offered to help with the screen painting today, Naro wouldn’t have dared attempt it. When things became overwhelming, Naro tended to fret, while Roha was the type to tackle the issue first and deal with the aftermath later. Likely due to the hardships and discrimination he faced in Imae Village, Roha remained composed even in challenging situations.

Thanks to Roha’s warning on the day of the completion ceremony, the new painters had stopped harassing Naro altogether. Instead, they acted as though he didn’t exist, and even the Chief Painter had subtly joined in. Stuck-up due to his noble lineage, he couldn’t bear to swallow his pride, and fearing Roha, the best he could do was this underhanded tactic.

On the day of Suryeong’s completion ceremony, the rookie painters who had been humiliated by Roha were seething with resentment. They had even placed large bets on when Roha would be kicked out. Although Naro did not participate in the lowly wager, he was already scouting for a sunny spot to bury his dismembered friend. It wasn’t that they looked down on Roha, but the emperor had always been like that.

“By the way, did you hear? Yesterday, a man from the Nati Tribe was caught secretly sketching the Suryeong’s blueprints. I heard His Majesty cut off his hands with Jincheonroe! He had been quiet for a while, so what chaos is this on the day of the celebration?”

Naro shuddered and hugged his shoulders. Roha looked shocked, as if hearing this for the first time. His response was outrageous.

“Well, at least his head wasn’t cut off.”

Perhaps due to spending time with the tyrannical emperor, Roha sometimes made chilling comments as if they were nothing.

On the veranda of Byeolwon, Naro and Roha were bent over, trying to estimate the length of the folding screen. Naro’s coughs would subside only to return with such force that he couldn’t breathe. Roha forcefully dragged Naro to bed. Once inside, lying down made him want to sleep. Roha touched Naro’s forehead and then stood up.

“I’ll stoke the fire.”

“You’re suffering because of me…”

“Don’t say such things. I’ve already told the Yongjeon inn and the soldiers, so if anyone bothers you, come to me anytime.”

Naro watched Roha leave the room with eyes full of gratitude. What did it matter if he was from the Imae Tribe, a Mongrel, or even a concubine? He was flawless in appearance, character, and even his painting skills. There wasn’t a single thing wrong with him.

Naro had grown up in poverty, studying day and night. He had finally entered the royal court, but the senior painters’ bullying made his life unbearable. He thought things would ease up when the mad emperor started beheading them. But now, noble-born rookie painters had arrived, treating Naro like a servant, turning his life into hell. He never expected to find true friendship in the barren royal court, but he had found a friend in Roha.

Yet, Roha did not return even after a long while. His friend often got lost after losing one of his senses, and Naro worried he might have been attacked by an assassin. The officials had clung to the mad emperor, indulging in slaughter and greed. But ever since Roha appeared, the emperor had changed drastically, leaving the officials feeling alienated. They cast hostile glances at Roha, who had charmed the emperor.

Naro kicked off his blankets and flung open the door. In the distance, behind Byeolwon, Roha was struggling with someone. It was the mad emperor. The emperor pulled Roha into his arms and kissed him, their tongues visibly entangled. He pressed his thigh between Roha’s legs and slid his hands under his jacket. It was clear to anyone that Roha was being forced. Roha managed to push the mad emperor away and ran back to the room.

Naro quickly shut the door and hid under the blankets. Moments later, the door creaked open, and he could hear Roha sitting by his bedside. Naro pretended to be asleep, his heart pounding so hard that he was afraid Roha might hear it. Peeking through squinted eyes, he saw Roha’s clothes slightly disheveled, and his lips more swollen than before.

The flawless friend he had cherished was in a relationship with the mad emperor. No matter how much he tried to understand, it shattered him, making him bolt awake in the middle of the night. How could two men share such an affection? And with a mad, murderous emperor at that? Roha claimed it was of his own will, but surely the emperor had blackmailed him. There was no way someone as perfect as Roha would fall for a mad emperor.

***

When Naro woke up, the room was dark. He remembered the task that Chief Painter Nari had assigned and rushed out of bed. The folding screen on the veranda was gone. He had to complete it by tomorrow, but panic washed over him.

The other painters must have already gone to sleep, as Byeolwon was quiet and dark. Could they have thrown it away out of spite? He needed to ask Roha where the screen had gone and dashed out of Byeolwon. Since the sun had set, Roha would be at Yongjeon. If the emperor caught him there, his neck would surely be in danger. But what did it matter now? Whether he was beaten to death by Chief Painter Nari for losing the screen or killed by the mad emperor, a dog’s death awaited him either way.

He ran along the castle walls for a long time, the red glow of torches flickering everywhere. Every guard post on the path to Yongjeon was manned by night sentinels. But somehow, thanks to Roha’s influence, the guards let Naro pass after confirming his identity.

After passing the long castle walls, Naro saw the curved stone bridge that led to Yongjeon. Bathed in moonlight, the desolate bridge looked as if an assassin or ghost might leap out at any moment. He had run all this way, but standing there, his legs trembled and refused to move.

At that moment, he saw a lone figure walking in the courtyard beyond the bridge. It was Roha, his one and only friend. For once, fortune seemed to be on his side. Naro waved his hand in excitement.

“Roha, do you know where the folding screen is?”

But Roha did not turn around at his call. Something was off about him. Dressed only in an undergarment and barefoot, he walked as if possessed. Naro rushed toward him and reached out, but a chilling voice stopped him.

“Keep your hands off.”

Two glowing eyes flickered in the shadows of the wall. Then a dark figure emerged. It was the mad emperor. The emperor held a headless corpse in his hand. Naro stumbled back, falling on his face in terror. Meeting an assassin or ghost would have been far better than encountering the mad emperor.

“P-please spare me! My sickly mother and young siblings rely on me…!”

“Shut up. You’ll wake him.”

Wake him? Who? Naro slowly raised his eyes. Despite the commotion, Roha was still staring into the distance. It was then that Naro realized what was wrong with Roha. His sleepwalking had returned after being dormant for some time.

The emperor draped a black dragon robe over Roha’s shoulders. What the emperor had been holding wasn’t a corpse, but a robe. Roha continued walking aimlessly, his steps neither his own nor someone else’s. Without guidance, it seemed as though he might collapse into the darkness at any moment.

Just before Roha hit his head on the corner of a stone pillar, the emperor gently reached out, covering his forehead and redirecting him. Once Roha found the right path, the emperor followed a step behind, not missing a single shaky step.

This time, Roha was heading toward the stone bridge that connected the pond. One misstep and he’d fall into the dark pond below. Once again, the emperor turned Roha’s shoulders to face the stone bridge. Roha, who seemed like he was about to walk until the end of the darkness, suddenly stopped. He had reached the boundary of the stone bridge, where it met the outside world.

Roha blankly stared at the empty sky. He soon let out a small yawn and tried to lie down on the dirt ground. The emperor supported Roha with one hand and lifted him up. Roha, with drowsy eyes, looked at the emperor before falling asleep. The emperor listened intently to Roha’s breathing, as if counting each breath. A thick mist, flowing from the pond, enveloped the two of them. It was a tender yet suffocating sight.

After a moment, a low voice fell upon the crown of Naro’s head.

“He always stops here.”

The voice alone sent chills down Naro’s spine, making his body tremble. The emperor continued speaking in a slow tone.

“He stops here, looking like he doesn’t know where to go next. Or as if he is warning me that it’s up to me.”

The emperor gazed at Roha, who was fast asleep in his arms. His eyes were serene, like a single drop of ink falling on a pale, white canvas.

“At least one thing is clear. It’s not me that’s keeping him here.”

He tilted his head, covering Roha’s lips as if to swallow them. Even the breaths Roha let out were consumed with a ravenous intensity. It was only when the emperor released Roha’s lips that Naro hastily averted his eyes.

Since the incompetent previous emperor’s death and the Black Martial Emperor’s ascension, the power of the Baedal Kingdom had reached the sky. People of Baedal Kingdom were treated well wherever they went, and the citizens revered the Black Martial Emperor as if he were a god. The emperor, often called a mad murderer and the god of war, was followed by countless titles, and wherever he went, nothing remained but darkness. The emperor, who had always seized what he wanted through force, now had a distant look in his eyes.

Naro thought it was sheer luck that he survived when the emperor had massacred the Painters. Perhaps the emperor had spared him because he was Roha’s friend. There were other things he didn’t want to admit, like how the emperor would obtain good materials for Roha, search for all of his late father’s works, and how Naragaon Fortress, which had never known a day without the smell of blood, now maintained at least an uneasy peace. And now, there was this moment. What if Roha’s feelings for the emperor were genuine? What if they were deeper than Naro had imagined…?

He still didn’t know for sure if Roha was being coerced by the mad emperor or not. But one thing was certain.

“Th-th-that’s not true. Ro…”

Unsa had warned him never to say Roha’s name in front of the emperor. Now that he thought about it, he had never heard the emperor call Roha by his name.

“He, he talks about Your Majesty… the most. And he smiles the most when he talks about you…”

Naro swallowed nervously before continuing.

“He said… he truly admires Your Majesty. When he said that, without changing his expression, it was like he was a completely different person. So absorbed in painting that he didn’t even notice his friends. And it wasn’t just once… He even ran off to have lunch with Your Majesty, leaving his friends behind to rush to Yongjeon Palace…!”

As he rambled on, Naro couldn’t tell if he was speaking the truth or just badmouthing Roha. The mad emperor was staring at Naro in the dark. Naro held his breath. He thought he was as good as dead for running his mouth, like a condemned man awaiting execution. But the emperor disappeared into the darkness, still holding Roha. It was as if the two of them were cursed to live the same moment every day.

Even after the emperor’s footsteps completely faded, Naro couldn’t move. His body was drenched in cold sweat, and his legs had gone weak. He used every ounce of his strength to pull himself away from that place. He couldn’t even remember how he got back. The conversation with the emperor felt like a terrifying dream.

The next morning, Naro was greeted by the angry voice of the Chief Painter. When he stepped out onto the veranda, there was a folding screen standing there. It hadn’t been there the night before, and it had even been fully painted—it was truly the work of a ghost. Other than himself, the only Painter capable of such skill was Roha.

But Naro found himself kneeling in the Byeolwon courtyard, being scolded by the Chief Painter. The new Painters, standing to the side, pretended to be busy while sneaking glances at him. The Chief Painter pointed at the screen on the veranda, hurling insults.

“You fool! Didn’t I emphasize that this screen was to be placed in His Majesty’s office today?!”

“How exactly is it not to your liking? You have to tell me so I can fix it.”

“Do I have to tell you everything step by step?! Is there nothing you can do right?!”

Even though Naro knew he’d be criticized no matter what, it still made him furious.

“If it’s such an important task, why did you entrust it to a fool like me? Where in the world is someone forced to complete a twelve-panel screen in one day? And wasn’t it you, Chief Painter, who hired me as a Painter in the first place? Why are you so desperate to ruin me? I’ve cleaned up all your mistakes, written love letters for you to court the court ladies, and taken care of all your messes—only to be treated like this! Is it because I didn’t bribe you with a single coin?!”

A vein bulged on the Chief Painter’s forehead.

“You wretch! Are you trying to disgrace me?! Fine, I’ll deal with the seed I’ve sown myself. I don’t need a scoundrel like you. Pack your things and leave!”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’re fired.”

At the Chief Painter’s words, Naro’s vision went white. He thought of his mother, who had bragged to the whole village about him becoming a royal Painter. He couldn’t be dismissed like this. Naro collapsed to the ground, clutching the Chief Painter’s pant leg.

“I must have lost my mind for a moment! Please forgive me just this once! My sickly mother and young siblings are depending on me!”

The Chief Painter shook him off, clucking his tongue in disapproval. The new Painters wore expressions of long-held satisfaction. Naro thought he wouldn’t be treated this badly even if he were a clown. Maybe he should burn down Byeolwon and bite his tongue to die? Tears of frustration dripped down his cheeks.

At that moment, footsteps approached from beyond the wall. Soon, the emperor’s guards entered the Byeolwon courtyard. These men were notorious, carrying fearsome rumors that rivaled those of the Black Martial Emperor himself. Pungbaek lifted the collapsed Naro from the ground, brushing the dirt off his knees and hands. He even used his sleeve to roughly wipe away Naro’s tears.

The sudden appearance of the guards left the Chief Painter and the new Painters baffled. Unsa walked straight up to the Chief Painter, who was stroking his beard that hung down to his chest, putting on airs.

“I was simply trying to restore discipline among the Painters, which has been slipping lately, so do not interfere.”

“From what I can see, that one seems to be the only one in decent shape.”

“How would men who only know how to wield swords understand the work of those who use brushes? This is no concern of you guards, so please leave at once!”

“Consider it a stroke of luck that His Majesty didn’t come here in person because he’s busy with Imae.”

“W-what… what nonsense are you suddenly spouting?!”

At the mention of that name, the Chief Painter’s face turned ashen. Unsa smirked.

“As of today, you’re dismissed from your position as Chief Painter.”

The new Painters exchanged shocked glances. The Chief Painter barely managed to gather his wits.

“Surely… surely you don’t mean that His Majesty himself dismissed me? Why, why all of a sudden… Couldn’t you speak to His Majesty again? How will Byeolwon function without a Chief Painter…?!”

“Why are you worrying about that when you’re the one being thrown out? The next Chief Painter will handle it just fine, so stop meddling and leave quietly.”

Unsa, looking annoyed, jerked his chin toward Naro.

“From today, you’re the new Chief Painter.”

“…What?”

“Yes, you. You’re the new Chief Painter.”

Unsa clicked his tongue at Naro, who stood there dumbfounded.

“How did you end up being marked by His Majesty?”

Naro couldn’t believe his ears. The imperial guards hadn’t shown up early in the morning just to play some sort of prank. The position of Chief Painter, the highest rank for a Painter, was one that required at least 20 years of service in the palace. Yet here he was, barely five years in, suddenly rising to the post. His knees trembled just as they had the night before, when he had encountered the emperor.

The Chief Painter slumped to the ground in shock, looking utterly dazed. The new Painters stood there, mouths agape in disbelief. Before Naro could calm his pounding heart, the guards lined up the new Painters in the courtyard and severed their fingers. Now he understood what Unsa meant when he said it was a stroke of luck that the mad emperor hadn’t come in person. Perhaps they were fortunate to have only lost their fingers. Byeolwon was swept up in screams and the stench of blood. The Chief Painter, unable to bear the terror, foamed at the mouth and fainted.

Unsa and Usa wrapped the blood-soaked fingers in cloth and packed them away. Naro, in a daze, sat in the middle of the carnage. Before leaving Byeolwon, Pungbaek spoke to Naro.

“I will protect you, so don’t worry.”

What do you mean, protect me? What’s going to happen to me?!

Naro could only laugh hysterically. This had to be a dream. Ever since he met the emperor, he must have been trapped in an unending nightmare. To wake up from this nightmare, Naro closed his eyes again, hoping to fall asleep.