...

Yoon Dae Woo entered the compound that evening, his face in a book as usual. The award ceremony would be crowned with a feast for the Noble families, but the younger nobles, especially the new graduates, were usually excused from the feast.

Or, at least, that's what they were expected to believe...

In truth, the feast was a battle of sorts, where high officials would start vying for the most brilliant of the graduates to work in their own sector!

A few graduates tried to hang around the palace, hoping for a favorable assignment, but people like Dae Woo had hastily left, and were already dreading the petitions that would come pouring in the next day!

Most of the graduates preferred to celebrate with their friends, in the shadier streets of the Capital, as most of their parents would be in the Palace and won't be able to stop them!

JangNan Street was the most popular in the Capital... There were numerous taverns, gambling dens, and cheap brothels, (for those who could not afford the Gyobang, which was on the other side of the Capital).

The ladies of the night, with their painted faces strutted freely about on JangNan street, catching weak-willed men to spend the night - and their money! - with them.

But Yoon Dae Woo chose to spend his graduation night alone, with a good book...

...

Right now, he read while he walked, and Man Dok, his aide and guard went in front of him, making sure there were no obstacles in his path. Usually, he made Man Dok carry everything except the book, but today, his red Scholar Card was clasped tightly in his free hand.

Man Dok sighed, wishing he would go out and celebrate like the other young men! His job was to stop Dae Woo whenever there was an obstacle he needed to jump over or go around, otherwise he just let the young Master walk and read in peace.

Although, there were some times...

Some mysterious times, where it seemed like the young Master could see things, even while reading.

On some occasions, the young master would suddenly stop on his own, and point out something he couldn't possibly have seen!

"That vase is very slightly lopsided." He had once commented at two men who were carrying a big vase to his chambers, his head still buried in his book. "I only want perfect symmetrical designs and decorations in my chamber... Take it back."

Then he had resumed walking. Just like that!

How had he noticed such a minute detail?! And it wasn't the first, second or third time too! It happened fairly frequently!

Things even his father didn't notice... Yoon Dae Woo managed to notice, while reading and walking.

A few times, Man Dok had even tried to see if the young Master actually needed him to walk ahead of him, or if he was just pretending. So once, Man Dok acted like something had distracted him when he was walking ahead of him, and allowed the young Master walk into an obstacle, and...

The young Master walked RIGHT into the obstacle and nearly tripped, which resulted in him calmly punishing Man Dok for negligence...

Man Dok shuddered at the memory... He hadn't been able to seat properly for almost a week!

In the end, Man Dok and the other Yoon household servants, had concluded that the young Master wasn't really seeing anything outside his book, but that anything improper called out to him, whenever he was passing!

Dae Woo stopped again suddenly.

"Those flowers..." He began.

"Ye, Doryeonnim?" The servant carrying a fine arrangement of flowers, bowed.

"I don't like the arrangement. There are two chrysanthemums on the left and three on the right... They should be equal on both sides! Fix it before bringing it into my chambers." He continued walking.

Man Dok sighed heavily, resuming his role of watching out for obstacles...

Of all the nobles he could have served, it had to be this prim and proper bookworm!

.
.

An hour later, when it started to get dark, Dae Woo retired to his room to study even more!

"Help me change now, and don't disturb for the rest of the night... I want to finish Master Tiang Sze's new book, so I don't want dinner or snacks." He turned menacing eyes to Man Dok.

"Enter my room and you're dead. Huh?" 

"Ah, Ye. Doryeonnim."

. 

Two hours later... 

"Aigoo... Tsk Tsk Tsk! That one's face is wasted on him!" Man Dok complained to a few of the other household servants, as they finalized their own duties for the day. "How would he get married like this?"

"Forget marriage! Doryeonnim would rather marry a book!" another one piped in.

"Besides, I heard Yoon Daegam (Lord Yoon... Dae Woo's father) doesn't want Doryeonnim to marry..." a third one put in, and they all turned to him.

"What?" They chorused, and he nodded.

"Ye." He continued. "Yoon Daegam went to visit the Minister of Tax, and they were discussing. My cousin works there and told m-."

"Eish, not possible..." Man Dok interrupted him. "What kind of father wouldn't want his own son to marry? Wouldn't the Yoon bloodline die out?"

"I'm telling you! There was something about-."

"Aigoo, stop making things up! Didn't you say that your cousin in Minister of Tax's house was a drunkard?" Another one interrupted as well.

"Yeah, but-."

"Tsk Tsk Tsk... I nearly believed it. Let's go, let's go!" Yet another one rounded them up. "Doryeonnim has retired, so let's go to the kitchens and drink a little!"

. 
.

Silently, up on the roof, Dae Woo watched the group of servants walk away...

He was amused. Servants really did seem to know everything sometimes!

It was true...

His father did not want him to marry, or even have children.

The Yoon Bloodline? His father wanted to end it.

And with good reason. His father had explained everything to him...

Things like marriage and producing heirs were not for him.

He stood up and crept silently across the roof, then jumped down, landing soundlessly on the sandy floor.

He was wearing all black clothes, so he blended easily into the shadows as he crept through the compound. Before long, he had reached the fence, and was over it in an instant.

The Awards Feast was the perfect opportunity to assassinate the King, and he could not afford to be late!