Chapter 6 : The Tightrope and Swing [2]
“Young master, please give that to me.”
**Dolseok** seemed to be bothered by the medical bag **Baek Kang-hyuk** was holding.
It was only natural since Kang-hyuk, his master, was carrying something while Dolseok, a servant, had empty hands.
Moreover, the bag looked heavy, making Dolseok feel even worse.
“I’m fine, really.”
On the other hand, Kang-hyuk had no intention of handing over the bag.
‘He seems like a loyal person, but…’
Kang-hyuk looked at Dolseok, who kept pestering him for the bag.
At the very least, it seemed like he could trust Dolseok.
He had already saved Dolseok’s younger brother, so there was nothing to worry about.
‘But this bag is too important.’
If he lost it, there was no telling what might happen.
This bag was the only thing he brought from his original world.
‘If things go south, I can use it as a last resort.’
As that thought crossed his mind, his grip on the bag tightened.
Luckily, no one dared to approach Kang-hyuk.
With a black **heungnip** (a type of traditional hat), **heukhye** (black shoes), and a dignified **durumagi** (overcoat), not to mention the large servant accompanying him, he looked every bit the nobleman.
No one would mistake him for anything else.
“It’s over there.”
**Dolseok** pointed to a crowded area.
There were so many people that it was hard to tell what was happening, let alone watch the spectacle.
“Wait, we just had breakfast, but there are already this many people?”
“The **Aeogae troupe** doesn’t come often. After today’s performance, they’ll probably head to the **Suwon governor’s residence** tomorrow.”
“Governor…”
For a moment, Kang-hyuk was confused by what Dolseok was saying.
But Kang-hyuk wasn’t one to stay confused for long. His sharp mind quickly pieced together the meaning from his memories.
“A **governor** (a local official of third rank)?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“But it looks like we won’t be able to see anything with this many people.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Dolseok blinked his eyes wide.
“How are we supposed to watch with so many people in the way?”
“My goodness… Young master, you’ve been acting strange since yesterday.”
Dolseok chuckled, then rolled up his sleeves.
He shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Move aside, you lot! A nobleman is coming through!”
It was an absurd scene, but the effect was immediate.
The crowd parted in waves, making a path.
Dolseok pointed to the newly cleared way.
“Young master, please go this way.”
“Oh… okay.”
Hiding his embarrassment, Kang-hyuk walked through the crowd.
Even if the hospital director himself were doing rounds, he wouldn’t get this kind of treatment.
“This spot looks good.”
Dolseok pointed to a spot at the front.
Of course, it wasn’t empty.
People who had likely skipped breakfast were sitting there.
“Move aside, you ruffians!”
But with Dolseok’s menacing words, the spot quickly cleared.
Kang-hyuk looked at the people reluctantly stepping back and gave a wry smile.
‘Well, this is… something.’
Though he clicked his tongue, he obediently sat in the prime spot.
‘At least they’re not commoners.’
It was fortunate enough.
As he sat down, he realized it was the best seat in the house.
He could even see the wrinkles on the faces of the **troupe** preparing for the performance.
“Dolseok, sit down with me.”
“Me? I’m fine standing.”
Dolseok stood behind Kang-hyuk, trying to show respect in his own way.
‘He’s a big guy… If he doesn’t sit, the people behind won’t be able to see. Hm?’
Across from him, Kang-hyuk noticed a group of women gathered.
Some had their hair elaborately styled, indicating they were of high status.
‘Do women come to the marketplace too? Hm…’
Kang-hyuk racked his brain, trying to recall what he had studied during his school years.
‘It was said that remnants of **Goryeo** customs remained during the early **Joseon** period…’
Seeing noblewomen coming to watch a **San-dae Nori** (open-air performance) meant this must be the early period of Joseon, not the middle or late period.
‘None of them are particularly pretty.’
Kang-hyuk sighed in disappointment.
It made sense.
Even in 21st-century Korea, he rarely saw women that caught his eye. How could he expect to find one in **Joseon**?
It was a natural conclusion.
‘Looks like they’re setting up for a tightrope performance.’
The **troupe** was bustling around.
They were setting up a swing and preparing masks.
But what caught Kang-hyuk’s eye the most was the tightrope.
It was nearly 10 meters high.
Just looking at it was dizzying.
“Young master, they’re about to start.”
“Oh, I see.”
At Dolseok’s prompting, a group of masked performers came out.
They swung on the swings, hurled curses, and entertained the crowd with exuberant energy.
Even Kang-hyuk, who had been exposed to all kinds of stimulating content, couldn’t help but be impressed by their skills.
‘It’s like watching martial arts.’
Some of them moved with such agility, it seemed they had trained in martial arts. The air whistled as they jumped and spun.
It was too much for an elderly person to keep up with.
While the apparent leader of the troupe staggered for a moment, another performer on the swing bumped into him.
“Oh, is he hurt?”
“Huh? No way. Look, he’s fine.”
Just as Dolseok said, the leader took a deep breath and rejoined the performance.
“Really? He does seem fine.”
“Yes, young master. They’ve been doing this for years.”
“Hm. They really are impressive.”
Their dynamic movements captivated the audience.
But the highlight was, without a doubt, the tightrope walking.
Dolseok shouted with excitement.
“Young master, the **Eoreumsani** (tightrope walker) is here!”
Kang-hyuk didn’t know what an **Eoreumsani** was, but he could tell what Dolseok meant.
He looked up to see a performer high in the air.
“Wow.”
The **Eoreumsani** walked across the rope on one leg, jumping as they expertly balanced on the rope.
“In all my life, I’ve never seen an **Eoreumsani** jump so high. The **Aeogae troupe** is the best… as expected.”
“I agree. They really are amazing.”
Kang-hyuk had never seen such a performance before, having spent his life studying.
As he gaped at the spectacle, he noticed something strange.
‘That’s odd. There’s no Adam’s apple.’
If the person didn’t have an Adam’s apple, there was only one possible conclusion.
‘A woman? Can a woman perform?’
It was a puzzling thought.
Asking Dolseok about it would be awkward.
Dolseok had already been saying that Kang-hyuk was acting strange since yesterday. He didn’t want to give him more reason to think so.
Soon the performance ended, and the **troupe** began removing their masks.
Everyone except the **Eoreumsani**.
Now that Kang-hyuk was closer, he was sure.
It was definitely a woman.
‘Her clothes are loose, but… her figure is quite sharp.’
While Kang-hyuk was focused on the **Eoreumsani**, the elderly leader of the **troupe** stepped forward.
Despite his gray hair, his voice was full of vigor.
“Did you all enjoy yourselves today? If so, please give us something in return!”
With his words, the **troupe** scattered, running around with bags to collect money.
The one who came to Kang-hyuk was none other than the **Eoreumsani**.
“Honorable nobleman, since you enjoyed the show, please give generously!”
She was speaking in a deliberately gruff voice, but in this situation, it only made Kang-hyuk more suspicious.
‘Well, it’s not my concern.’
Whether it was a woman or a man didn’t really matter to Kang-hyuk.
‘But how much should I give?’
Kang-hyuk hesitated as he reached into his sleeve.
His hand found a fan.
To Kang-hyuk, the fan was nothing, but in **Joseon**, it was a luxury item.
It wasn’t something to give out in the marketplace.
Dolseok, quick on the uptake, whispered in Kang-hyuk’s ear.
“Put the fan away. I’ll take care of it.”
“Alright. You all did a great job.”
Dolseok took a **de** (about a liter) of rice from the bundle he had carried and gave it to the **Eoreumsani**.
With the sound of rice pouring into the bag, the **Eoreumsani** bowed deeply.
“Thank you very much!”
The **troupe** gathered their collections and quickly disappeared.
Before long, the once-bustling marketplace had grown quiet.
Dolseok, still excited, spoke up.
“That was truly amazing, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, it was impressive.”
“Young master, now that the **San-dae Nori** is over… I’ll take you to a special place today.”
“A special place?”
“You know what I mean!”
Dolseok grinned mischievously and led the way to a **gisaeng** house.
The inside was already lively, as there seemed to be guests who had arrived earlier.
A woman with a styled wig naturally linked her arm with Kang-hyuk’s.
“Young master, it’s been a while. I’ll prepare a room for you inside.”
Dolseok burst out laughing.
“Get your hands off him, you ugly thing! And what’s with all the noise here?”
“The **Aeogae troupe** is here. They only arrived a short while ago…”
Some guests were already drunk and passed out.
Loud voices could be heard from inside.
Shaking his head, Dolseok shouted.
“Inside, inside. The young master is here, what is this mess?”
“Yes, yes. This way, please.”
The older **gisaeng** led Kang-hyuk and Dolseok inside.
There seemed to be people in the next room as well, but it wasn’t as noisy as outside.
Kang-hyuk glanced over and saw the **troupe leader**, the **Eoreumsani**, and a couple of other men.
“I’ll bring the drinks shortly.”
“Make it quick!”
After making sure the **gisaeng** was out of sight, Dolseok turned to Kang-hyuk with a grin.
“Young master, you really are one of a kind.”
“What are you talking about now?”
“What nobleman comes to a **gisaeng** house with his servant?”
“Ah, I see.”
Kang-hyuk smiled coolly.
“No, really. There’s no one like you. You saved **Okseok**, and now today, I’ll treat you to everything.”
“Really? Well then. But do you even have the money?”
“Of course. The mistress gave me two rolls of silk.”
“That’s great. Alright then.”
If Dolseok wanted to treat him, there was no reason to stop him.
Kang-hyuk leaned back and rested against the wall.
The heated floor made him feel drowsy.
‘I did wake up early…’
With some alcohol, he figured he’d soon drift off to sleep.
– Crash
Just as Kang-hyuk was closing his eyes, there was a commotion in the next room.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a panicked voice shouted.
“The **pyeonsu** (leader of the troupe)… **Pyeonsu-nim** has collapsed!”
