Chapter 6 – The Result That Changed His Fate
1101 Words
The next few days felt longer than any days Jin Woo had ever lived.
The examination was over, but the results had not been announced yet.
Every scholar in the town was waiting.
Some pretended to be calm.
Some prayed at temples.
Some stayed inside their rooms, too nervous to face anyone.
Jin Woo tried to return to his normal routine.
He studied a little.
He visited the market.
He helped Ara carry supplies.
But no matter what he did, his mind always returned to the same question.
Did I pass?
One morning, Jin Woo arrived at Ara’s stall earlier than usual.
The market was still waking up.
Merchants were opening their shops.
The smell of fresh bread filled the air.
Ara was arranging bowls on the table when she saw him.
“Jin Woo!” she said.
“You’re early today.”
Jin Woo smiled faintly.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Ara looked at him carefully.
“You’re thinking about the results again.”
Jin Woo sighed.
“I can’t stop.”
Ara handed him a cup of warm tea.
“Then stop thinking.”
Jin Woo laughed softly.
“That is easier said than done.”
Ara leaned against the stall and crossed her arms.
“Tell me something.”
Jin Woo looked up.
“What?”
“If you pass the exam… what will you do first?”
Jin Woo thought for a moment.
Then he smiled gently.
“I will come here.”
Ara blinked.
“Here?”
Jin Woo nodded.
“Yes.”
“And then?”
Jin Woo looked directly at her.
“Then I will thank the person who helped me reach this moment.”
Ara looked away quickly.
“You talk too seriously in the morning,” she muttered.
Jin Woo chuckled.
Before they could say anything else—
Someone shouted in the distance.
“The results are here!”
The entire market suddenly became noisy.
People turned toward the main road.
Messengers from the capital were arriving.
Several riders carrying official scrolls stopped near the town square.
A crowd quickly gathered.
Scholars pushed forward, trying to see the list.
Jin Woo felt his heart begin to race.
Ara grabbed his sleeve.
“Go,” she said.
Jin Woo hesitated.
“What if…”
Ara shook her head.
“Go see your name.”
Jin Woo slowly walked toward the square.
The crowd was huge.
People were whispering nervously.
An official stood near the board, holding a scroll.
He raised his voice.
“Silence!”
The crowd slowly became quiet.
The official opened the scroll and began reading names.
One by one.
Some scholars smiled with relief.
Others lowered their heads in disappointment.
Jin Woo stood near the back of the crowd.
His hands felt cold.
The official continued reading.
Then suddenly—
“Jin Woo.”
For a moment, Jin Woo thought he had imagined it.
But the official repeated it.
“Jin Woo. First division.”
The crowd murmured in surprise.
“First division?”
“That is one of the highest rankings!”
Jin Woo stood frozen.
His mind could not understand the words.
First division.
He had not only passed.
He had passed with one of the best scores.
The official continued reading other names, but Jin Woo could no longer hear anything.
Everything felt distant.
Slowly, he turned and walked back toward the market.
Ara was waiting anxiously near the stall.
When she saw him, she rushed forward.
“What happened?”
Jin Woo looked at her quietly.
Ara’s face filled with worry.
“You didn’t pass?”
Jin Woo suddenly laughed.
Then he said softly—
“I passed.”
Ara’s eyes widened.
“You passed?!”
Jin Woo nodded.
“First division.”
For a moment, Ara simply stared at him.
Then she jumped with excitement.
“I knew it!”
Customers and nearby merchants looked at them curiously.
Ara grabbed his hands happily.
“I told you!”
Jin Woo smiled warmly.
“Yes.”
“You were right.”
Ara suddenly realized she was still holding his hands.
She quickly let go and looked embarrassed.
But Jin Woo didn’t seem to mind.
Instead, he looked at the market around them.
This small place had been part of his life for so long.
This stall.
These streets.
These simple days.
Everything had changed now.
A royal messenger soon arrived in the town.
He carried an official letter.
“Jin Woo,” the messenger called.
Jin Woo stepped forward.
The messenger handed him the scroll.
“By order of the royal court.”
Jin Woo carefully opened it.
Inside was a formal message.
He had been summoned to the capital.
He would soon begin his service as a government official.
Ara looked both happy and worried.
“You’re leaving,” she said quietly.
Jin Woo nodded.
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
Ara looked down at the ground.
The market suddenly felt different.
Quieter.
Jin Woo stepped closer to her.
“Ara.”
She looked up slowly.
“I will come back,” he said.
Ara tried to smile.
“You better.”
Jin Woo looked at her seriously.
“Do you remember what I said before?”
Ara tilted her head slightly.
“About building a better life?”
Jin Woo nodded.
“Yes.”
He took a deep breath.
“And I still want to build that life with you.”
Ara’s heart began beating faster.
But before she could answer—
A man standing near the crowd quietly watched them.
His clothes were simple, but his eyes were sharp.
He slowly turned and walked away.
That night, he arrived at the royal palace.
The guards allowed him inside.
Soon he stood before a familiar royal figure.
Princess Serina.
The man bowed deeply.
“My princess.”
Serina looked at him calmly.
“Did you find the scholar?”
The man nodded.
“Yes.”
Serina leaned forward slightly.
“And?”
The man spoke carefully.
“He passed the examination.”
Serina’s lips curved into a slow smile.
“Of course he did.”
The man continued.
“He also appears… very close to a common girl in the market.”
Serina’s expression changed slightly.
“A common girl?”
“Yes, princess.”
For a moment, Serina said nothing.
Then she softly repeated one word.
“Interesting.”
Outside the palace, the wind moved quietly through the night.
But inside the princess’s mind, a new curiosity had just begun.
And soon…
Curiosity would slowly become something far more dangerous.
- Writer
