Who wants to eat this kind of thing…"
Yihan, who received another box of food from Jeongan Palace, was frowning, unlike Jeongan Palace's wish. The reason was that he was very, very, very displeased now.
"The snacks from the Imperial Kitchen are far tastier. Does he think I won't be able to eat these snacks because I don't have them?"
"Your Majesty. His Highness Yeonbin probably just wanted to express his gratitude to you."
In response to the answer that came as if he were trying to calm him down, Yihan squinted his eyes and stared at Eunuch Oh with a fierce face as if he was going to scream right away. The obvious answer from Eunuch Oh seemed to have set Yihan' heart on fire in this situation. Those words were surely right. There was no way Yihan got angry like this because didn't know that. Unable to hold back his exploding mind, Yihan immediately continued,
"If he is really that grateful. Okay? Instead of sending this thing. You see?"
Frivolously pointing his finger at the innocent food box, the Emperor said,
"He should have come and said thank you in person!"
That's it. That was what Yihan was really displeased about. What's the deal with these snacks? Does it make sense to express his gratitude by sending only this? I can't believe he didn't bring it with his own hands but instead sent it through a court lady from Jeongan Palace.
He couldn't even sleep properly, doing an unwanted night walk because the figure of Yeon Hwawoon who knelt in front of him didn't disappear from his eyes. But Yeon Hwawoon, the very problem for him, was trying to put back this problem with some food, which made him very frustrated and angry.
Hence Yihan, who couldn't hold back that anger anymore,
"I'm going to Jeongan Palace!"
He quickly moved his steps, while raising his voice. That was really because Yeon Hwawoon was so mean, and it would never never be because he wanted to see his face last night whatsoever.
"Where is everyone…?"
Yihan murmured in dismay at the sight of no one walking around, let alone those who came to greet him until he reached the courtyard of Jeongan Palace. Eunuch Oh also stepped forward a little and looked left and right to call anyone, but there was nothing he could do because there was no one to see.
At that time, Eunuch Oh's eyes caught a court lady walking by hurriedly in the distance.
"Hey there!"
Only after Eunuch Oh raised his voice and called her, did the court lady realize that the emperor had stepped here, and she came running with a pale face in an instant. However, the closer the court lady got, something entered Eunuch Oh and Yihan's eyes clearly. That thing was the court lady's face with both cheeks looked full like a squirrel.
"Gree-greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor…!"
The court lady, who looked too young at a glance, kneeled shakily as if it was the first time to see the emperor in front of her eyes. The pronunciation was muffled by her plump cheeks, but the young court lady, unsure whether she should swallow it in haste or whether it was forbidden to swallow food in the presence of the emperor, was bowing her head at a loss. Eunuch Oh then said,
"Why is there no one in the palace?"
"That, that is… today, His Highness Yeonbin gives us precious food, and… time to rest…"
The court lady, who was frightened even though she didn't say nonsense, stammered and couldn't finish her sentence, but Yihan and Eunuch Oh could easily guess what she was saying. If they had to call it precious food, it was clear that they were given the food that the owner of the palace should have eaten, which would have never been dreamed of from the perspective of ordinary courtiers.
After thinking that far, Yihan opened his mouth first before Eunuch Oh could ask anything else.
"… Is Yeonbin inside?"
The court lady, who eventually put her forehead on the ground because it was a direct question from the emperor, not Eunuch Oh, answered,
"His, His Highness is not here…"
"He's not here? Where is he?"
"His Highness… we-went for a walk to Suhwawon… so that we, we could eat with ease…"
Yihan let out a vain laugh at the court lady's answer. Not only giving his food to his subordinates, now he even emptied the palace for them? He's really a lightweight and unruly master.
Yihan was lost in thought as he looked down at the court lady prostrating before him. Even though there were divided ranks from the moment of birth, and servants were those who had to live for their master, here, the imperial palace was the most sensitive place to power than any other place. It was even crueler to those who lost their power as a master.
Even if they were born precious and now serve the emperor, the concubines were the ones who could receive the most miserable treatment here than anyone else at the moment when their family lost power and they lost the emperor's favor. In the past, how many concubines were ignored and ridiculed by mere eunuchs for losing the emperor's favor, and how many empresses were persecuted by concubines?
If he thought about those things, Yihan couldn't help but think again about the eyes and treatment of the lower ones toward Yeonbin, which he ignored. Of course, his father was still dominating the emperor's trust, and the Empress was also careful not to let it happen, so such a scenario would not happen as before, but Yihan was concerned that Yeon Hwawoon was being too soft in everything.
"I know that Yeonbin of the past was too harsh on all of you."
So, while Yihan thought it was none of his business, he couldn't stop the words that came out without him knowing.
"However, I believe you are also well aware that the generosity Yeonbin is showing now is something you cannot easily wish for."
"Of-of course, Your Majesty. How, how could we not know about that… We are well aware that it is an, an abundant generosity."
"Therefore, everyone at Jeongan Palace must be deeply loyal to their master and do their best to take care of him. Do you understand?"
His Majesty the Emperor. The person who has never given a good word about Yeonbin. The same person who blamed Yeonbin in front of everyone at Jeongan Palace last time told the young court lady at Jeongan Palace that they should take good care of Yeonbin for the first time.
It was the first time since the owner of this palace became Yeon Hwawoon, so even as she answered with trembling under the tremendous pressure, the young court lady had no choice but to resist her desire to cheer by clenching her hands on the floor.
"The days are starting to get hotter."
Hwawoon, who was sitting on a large stone chair by the pond in Suhwawon, talked while quietly looking at the petals floating on the pond. Ahjin, who stood there, refusing Hwawoon's request to sit next to him today as well, opened her mouth with a slightly worried expression on her face.
"Yes, Your Highness. You have a cold body, so it is a good thing that the cold days go away, but I'm worried because you lose energy easily when the days get hotter…"
"I see that there's no season that doesn't cause you any worries."
Hwawoon, who heard Ahjin's worried voice, said it to make her feel better by joking, but Ahjin became even more tearful. The reason was that she suddenly realized that recently there was no day when she didn't worry because the day was cold, hot, or dry.
Previously, if the weather was bad, she only had to worry about whether Hwawoon, who was sick, would take his anger out on her. But now that she was sincerely concerned about Hwawoon's physical condition, it seemed that there were literally no seasons where she could put her mind at ease.
"What do we do so that you can be a little healthier…"
She had no such intention, but because Ahjin's expression turned sadder, Hwawoon also looked sad and said, "I know, right…" In fact, it was Hwawoon himself who felt more frustrated than anyone else with his body getting sick and collapsing easily.
Now that he was a concubine, he didn't have to fight or use his body as much as he did before, but Hwawoon, who had been using his body freely since he became an adult, had so many restrictions that made him feel stuffy. Let alone doing martial arts, even breathing was a really difficult task for his body.
"… Ahjin."
However, as if he suddenly thought about something, Hwawoon called Ahjin quietly. Ahjin immediately responded, "Yes?" And Hwawoon, who looked hesitating for a moment, opened his mouth.
"If… if I make a request to the Department of Internal Affairs…"
"Yes, Your Highness. Is there anything you need?"
"Can I get a wooden sword?"
"… Wooden sword?"
Ahjin asked back with her eyes open wide because of the unexpected word. Wooden sword? Sword? That was a word she never thought she would hear out of Hwawoon's mouth. Ahjin quickly asked Hwawoon again.
"Where are you going to use the sword?"
There was quite a bit of curiosity in the questioning voice. She never doubted him now, but if it was a little back in the past, the question would have flowed out as a question if he was trying to hit the girls of Jeongan Palace with that. Hwawoon, who could feel how much Ahjin's puzzlement was right now, despite not listening to each one, replied while looking around.
"Well, I'm just… a bit curious… so… can't I?"
For Hwawoon, correction, for Hawoon, the sword was in fact no different from his oldest friend. After meeting his teacher through luck and learning swordsmanship when he was young, the sword kept opening the way for Hawoon to live. It helped Hawoon to no longer get hurt and eventually helped Hawoon enter the Imperial Palace he wished for.
In addition, Hawoon used to control his mind by swinging a sword when he was feeling complicated, so sometimes, whenever he stayed up all night with complicated thoughts, Hwawoon was desperate for a sword to hold in his hand.
"Erm… for now, I'll try to ask the Department of Internal Affairs. I think it might be easy to get because it's not the real sword…"
"Ask it for me, Ahjin. Thank you."
Hwawoon gave a quick thank you to Ahjin, just in case Ahjin asked him something more, then immediately looked away. It was because there was nothing he could answer for now, no matter what Ahjin asked.
Hwawoon was already excited and his hand flinched on his knee voluntarily, despite no one having yet offered to give him a sword. The feeling of cutting through the air with a sword in his hands seemed to permeate back into him. His heart pounded automatically at the thought of being able to feel the sense of freedom again whenever he cut through the air with the sharp edge of a sword at night when no one was around.
Of course, he wouldn't be able to swing the sword like Hawoon with Yeon Hwawoon's body. However, things like the training method and the steps were all in his head, so there might be hope for him to train lightly with this fragile Hwawoon's body. He was full of expectations he could get slightly healthier if he did that.
"Your, Your Highness…"
While Hwawoon was already deep in his own hopeful thoughts, Ahjin, who stood next to him, suddenly called Hwawoon with a stiff face. Still imagining himself holding a sword, Hwawoon answered absentmindedly, "Mhm?" And Ahjin grabbed Hwawoon's arm, trying to raise him up.
"Your Highness, His Majesty…"
His Majesty. As soon as he heard that word, Hwawoon felt his senses return in an instant. When he turned his head following Ahjin's gaze out of surprise, there was Yihan standing alone after ordering Eunuch Oh to stop behind.
Hwawoon was so surprised that he forgot to give his greetings and was looking up at the emperor while sitting. The emperor's face, which he encountered at an unexpected time, always gave Hwawoon a sense of the bolt out of the blue. The reason was that even though Hwawoon was in the Imperial Palace, he always thought that the emperor would seldom visit him.
"Your Highness, the greetings…"
"Ah… Ah!"
Ahjin, who had managed to come to her senses first, pulled Hwawoon's arm gently and reminded him, who was sitting in his seat and just staring at the emperor. Hwawoon was startled and hurriedly got up, but perhaps because it happened so suddenly, he got dizzy.
This shouldn't be like this. Hwawoon tried to control the darkening view somehow, but the sense of balance that had already begun to be broken was not something he could handle himself.
"Your Highness!"
Ahjin's voice was heard along with the sensation of his body faltering. Trying to shake off his vision that was suddenly covered in darkness, and thinking that he should not fall down in front of His Majesty by any means, Hwawoon reached out to grab anything, and someone's strong arm wrapped around Hwawoon's shoulder.
No way. Don't tell me.
While Hwawoon was denying reality while leaning on the big and strong arms that he could never have thought of as Ahjin's arms, a voice came from above his head.
"You go away first."
It was meant for Ajin. Hwawoon thought, blinking his eyes in Yihan's arms as his vision had not yet returned properly. Why did he order Ahjin to go away? Have I ever done something to blame for him to send everyone back? But I've been given permission to enter Suhwawon. Does he perhaps want to undo him turning a blind eye when I showed rude behavior regarding the relief center last time?
While the unknown thoughts continued on, there was Ahjin's voice telling the emperor that she would take her leave and the sound of footsteps getting further.
It was not until then that Hwawoon, who finally could see clearly in front of him, moved his body away from leaning against Yihan and lowered his head.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. For a moment, I got dizzy and behaved disgracefully."
"… It's fine. You have a weak body, so what can we do?"
Yihan looked at Hwawoon quietly, contemplating the sensations left behind by Hwawoon, who had gone away in an instant.
That was such a strange thing. Before coming to see Hwawoon, Yihan promised himself that he would blame Hwawoon if he met him because he didn't like something, was dissatisfied, and because he was upset for nothing. However, once he saw Hwawoon's face, his heart was calm as if it wasn't running wildly just before, the words he wanted to say were blown away, and he was just being careful around Hwawoon.
I don't like you wearing that clothes, I also don't like you walking around in that clothes as if showing off, I dislike you being this weak and keep collapsing. You act gently to the courtiers of Jeongan Palace, Jeongbin, and anyone else, but you sent me snacks without ever visiting me first. I hate it so much, I'm angry, and it's very unpleasant!
… It was impossible for him to say such words.
As Yihan swallowed all the words he wanted to say and was only biting the inside of his cheek for nothing, Hwawoon opened his mouth first.
"Your Majesty, why are you taking a walk in Suhwawon without Eunuch Oh?"
With that said, Hwawoon, who constantly looked behind the emperor as if looking for Eunuch Oh, didn't seem to think that the emperor wasn't only visiting Suhwawon, but came to meet him.
And this too. Yihan also didn't like this side of him so much. This attitude of him acting like he didn't want anything from him. Acting like he had nothing he wanted and didn't expect anything. Like someone who didn't care about the emperor's love anymore. Hwawoon was thoroughly excluding himself from all the causes of Yihan's words and actions.
Those actions were actually no different from what Yihan wanted from Yeon Hwawoon for a very long time, but it was something he wanted from Yeon Hwawoon at the time when he was doing all kinds of atrocities. It was never meant for the current Yeon Hwawoon. In other words, he never wanted it from this neat, polite, quiet, and gentle Yeon Hwawoon of now. At this moment, Yihan, who felt strange disappointment at Hwawoon's attitude, finally realized.
"… I'm not taking a walk in Suhwawon, but came to see you."
Therefore Yihan said so half-impulsively. He wanted to break Yeon Hwawoon's calm expression, which he showed in front of him at every moment. However, even after listening to Yihan, Hwawoon did not seem surprised, but rather bowed and opened his mouth.
"I was short-sighted and didn't realize what kind of mistake I had made to Your Majesty. If you tell me, I will do my best so that—"
"It's not that!"
It was Yihan who broke his composure at the unexpected sound. He thought it was unbelievable for Hwawoon to not believe him when he said he came to see him and naturally thought that he had done something wrong. Then he naturally remembered how he acted so far toward Yeon Hwawoon, who had changed, and he was frustrated because he had nothing to say. It felt like he was walking round and round on a road without an exit.
"It's not that…"
"Your Majesty…?"
"I just really… I really… came to see you."
The emperor ended up throwing out all excuses that could not come to mind and blurted out his heart. Hwawoon's eyes soon opened wide as he had not been able to understand what he had heard for a while.
As Hwawoon finally showed a bit of the reaction he wanted, Yihan was slightly excited and immediately continued his words.
"Do you want to take a walk with me?"
Yihan thought that Hwawoon's face, which blinked his eyes wide without properly answering the emperor's unexpected words, was so cute. After realizing that he had thought of it himself, he felt so ridiculous that he wanted to slap his face, but Hwawoon in front of him was so cute that he could not deny it.
"Eunuch Oh?"
Jeongbin, who was rushing down from the palanquin, was surprised to see Eunuch Oh as soon as she passed the entrance of Suhwawon. The presence of Eunuch Oh meant that His Majesty was present. As Songhyun looked around, Eunuch Oh bowed and opened his mouth.
"What brings you here, Your Highness Jeongbin?"
"No, I…"
Songhyun hesitated to answer for a moment. This owing to Songhyun coming to Suhwawon to look for Yeonbin.
Jeongan Palace sent snacks to Jinnyeong Residence. It was osmanthus rice cake, which Songhyun liked the most, and the court lady who brought it to her said, "His Highness Yeonbin thinks Your Highness Jeongbin likes this rice cake, so he ordered me to send this."
Songhyun, who heard that, burst into tears as soon as the court lady of Jeongan Palace left. It was surprising and touching that Yeonbin noticed her favorite food in that short time, and another thing was that she remembered her brother who always brought osmanthus rice cake and comforted her when she was feeling down.
The sadness she had been holding back for a long time burst out. Other people envied Songhyun, who was one of the few concubines of the Emperor. However, Songhyun, who was separated from her family at a young age and started living alone in the imperial palace, in fact really wished to go back to her parent's home if she could.
In the first place, it wasn't a position Songhyun wanted. Songhyun didn't want the emperor's love, authority, and anything else. What the young Songhyun wished was only to live happily with her family for a very long time. Songhyun would never have entered the palace as a concubine if her parents had not pushed her back for the prestige of his family and for her father's success.
So Songhyun suddenly remembered her brother's face, who held her hands silently while swallowing his tears on the day she left home. She really missed her older brother, who told her about his guilty feeling for being unable to properly protect his little sister.
Therefore, Songhyun ran to Jeongan Palace to see Yeonbin. She heard Yeonbin was in Suhwawon, so without a break, she ran again.
"I just… want to take a walk…"
However, when Songhyun gave such an answer to Eunuch Oh since she couldn't explain such a story, Eunuch Oh shook his head lightly and told Songhyun.
"Your Highness Jeongbin. His Majesty and His Highness Yeonbin are together at Suhwawon, so why don't you come back next time?"
Eunuch Oh's words were in the form of a soft recommendation, but Songhyun found it to be a suggestion that she could not easily reject. Songhyun, who couldn't spend as much time with Yeonbin as she wanted because of the emperor's sudden visit last time, unknowingly stretched out her head and tried to look inside Suhwawon behind Eunuch Oh, but the eunuch swiftly blocked her gaze and faked a cough.
Feeling sad, Songhyun pouted her lips and then said,
"Very well."
Why does His Majesty keep interrupting me from getting close to Yeonbin? It was a day when Songhyun's footsteps were getting slower as she turned around thinking about something that would have really surprised anyone who heard it.
When the emperor asked her to leave, a mere court lady obviously could not stay, so she left, but Ahjin could not guess what His Majesty was trying to say for him to even tell her to leave. Walking absentmindedly, Ahjin found Eunuch Oh, who was standing at a distance, and then she approached him with a quick step.
"Lord Oh, His Majesty didn't come here because he was angry, did he?"
She was anxious because it weighed on her mind that the emperor asked only herself to leave when he could have just told them to leave if he encountered them by chance.
However, when Eunuch Oh, who was asked, did not answer and just looked at her with a frustrated look, Ahjin got upset and continued to talk again.
"His Majesty is the one who allowed His Highness to visit Suhwawon, so that wouldn't be a problem… Could it be that our master lost His Majesty's trust because of his request about the relief center last time…?"
Ahjin was especially nervous about this situation because of that. Although the emperor did not blame her master at all that day, as this was a serious issue, Ahjin still trembled when she thought about it, and she was worried that her master would be punished for it.
Eunuch Oh clicked his tongue and opened his mouth,
"Your master and you are exactly the same."
"… Pardon?"
"His Majesty can't help but be frustrated because His Highness Yeonbin is as tactless as you are."
Ahjin, who was only full of worry until then, furrowed her brows at Eunuch Oh's answer. She then replied with a higher voice.
"Why are you talking like that, Lord Oh? What did you say about my master?"
Ahjin was really surprised by Eunuch Oh's words. Let's be frank here. It might have been the case in the past, but who was it the one who always came to the person, who reflected on himself and changed and acted more properly than anyone else, then harassed him in various ways? Truthfully, if that person wasn't the Emperor, Ahjin would have already spoken ill of him 12 times.
However, Eunuch Oh now was talking about her master's tact and that the emperor is frustrated, so it was impossible for Ahjin's anger to not rise.
"… Forget it. What's the use of talking about this?"
Yet despite Ahjin's response, let alone apologizing, Eunuch Oh shook his head as if he was frustrated. Ahjin also had a lot of things to say, so she pouted her lips. However, she couldn't keep talking back to Eunuch Oh, who served the Emperor, so she just closed her mouth and stretched her head out again, and looked inside Suhwawon.
Please do not let His Majesty hurt my master anymore. I wouldn't hope for him to give his love to my master, so please don't let him give any wound to my master. That was the only thing Ahjin hoped for at this moment.
"About last time…"
Hwawoon was the one to open his mouth after walking in silence for a moment. At first, when the emperor suddenly asked him to just walk, he was surprised and nervous about the unfamiliarity, but after walking side by side for a while, feeling the quiet atmosphere of Suhwawon, his mind became calm.
It was actually also due to the subtle memory gap between Yihan and Hwawoon. Yihan clearly remembered that he had been cold and fierce even after Hwawoon changed, but Hwawoon only had the memory of the emperor who had been soft and kind to him.
Hwawoon continued on to talk with a soft voice regardless of whether or not he noticed that the nervous Yihan flinched when he started to talk.
"I'm truly grateful because you generously forgave my willful adherence and accepted it, Your Majesty."
"Ah…"
"I am well aware that it is not enough to say thank you numerous times."
At that time, Yihan complained a little inside without realizing it. It was because it reminded him again that the one who knew that didn't come to him directly and only sent him snacks. Even now, if he hadn't come all the way here, he probably wouldn't have heard this.
When his thoughts reached that point, Yihan's steps naturally stopped. This was because he was nervous for a moment when he thought of what he wanted to say. As the emperor stopped walking, Hwawoon naturally stopped walking together and looked at him with a somewhat questioning gaze. Breathing out, Yihan slowly opened his mouth.
"Are you afraid of me?"
Of course, Yihan knew it was a shameless question. Since he had repeatedly driven out and pressured Hwawoon, it was not impossible to understand that he could not easily come to him.
But still. Even though he knew that he pushed him out and turned him down every time, he kept feeling sad for an unknown reason.
When Hwawoon looked at the emperor for a while with a surprised face at the unexpected question, Yihan continued.
"Are you afraid of being with me because I always… I always treat you coldly?"
He was asking the obvious from Hwawoon's point of view, but he was afraid that he would really say yes. Even if he answered no, he knew that it might be a lie because as a concubine, Hwawoon couldn't say he was afraid to be with the emperor. Nevertheless, Yihan hoped he would answer no.
It was a contradiction. He himself couldn't understand it. However, that very contradiction was happening so clearly in Yihan's mind at this moment.
Not long after, Hwawoon, the one who made the mighty emperor so scared, opened his mouth.
"Is there anyone who dares to not fear the majestic emperor?"
"…"
"Even if I'm afraid of you, that is because I respect you so much that I feel awkward. There's a difference from being afraid of you, Your Majesty."
Respect and awkwardness, but not afraid.
Standing there, Yihan kept brooding over Hwawoon's answer in his mind. In the past, Hwawoon would have cried out his love and passion to him, but words such as respect and such would not have come out of his mouth.
Therefore, this was such a strange thing. Back then, he really hated the romantic words said by Hwawoon. He was really disgusted by it. But how could he feel so empty because such words didn't come out of the current Yeon Hwawoon?
"I'm not afraid of you, Your Majesty."
"Then why don't you come to me?"
Yihan spoke with a somehow same feeling as a child who complains for nothing. Despite knowing it was a shameless question, Yihan couldn't stop his words from coming out of his mind.
Hwawoon hesitated to talk for a moment at Yihan's question. He looked at Yihan with a wavering gaze, then he slowly looked down and answered.
"I… I…"
"…"
"Your Majesty looks reluctant to see me, so…"
Yihan's heart dropped once again.
"I'm afraid if I appear before you to show my gratitude you will feel uncomfortable and displeased… so…"
Only then Yihan realized how selfish and childish he was acting toward Hwawoon. He was the one who pushed him because he hated and was annoyed by him, but now he was even blaming him for not coming to visit him. He couldn't believe how he was being so selfish toward Yeon Hwawoon. Once he realized it, he was so embarrassed by his actions that his face was getting hot.
He never talked properly with him. He never properly acknowledged his change. Yet such a person brazenly dared for that person to know his mood and act accordingly.
Yihan was so surprised and dumbfounded by himself, so he bit his lip once and slowly talked to Hwawoon.
"You told me this before. That if you didn't change, but became another person… how would I treat you."
Hwawoon blinked his eyes, surprised by the memory of the unexpected day that suddenly flowed out of Yihan's mouth. The emperor's gentle and affectionate answer to the question he asked unknowingly on the day when he was completely swayed by emotions after dreaming of Yeon Hwawoon was still protecting his night from nightmares.
Thinking of the face the emperor showed him that day and the voice he told him, Hwawoon felt emotional without knowing it and only looked at the emperor with his eyes shaking. Meanwhile, Yihan, who had chosen words several times with a troubled expression, continued as if he were a child taking the first step.
"The one… The one I despised, reluctant of, and hated to see is Yeon Hwawoon of the past."
Hwawoon instantly wanted to stop the emperor from talking if he could. But at the same time, he wanted to hear it to the end even if the world crumbled down. He felt like he couldn't dare to handle the following words, but he was willing to get suffocated and die under the weight of those words. The emperor continued to talk to Hwawoon, who was dizzy and couldn't reply to him.
"But the current you… because you are now a different person from that person…"
Because you are now a different person from that person. Even Yihan, who was speaking at this moment, would never be able to guess what those words would mean to Yeon Hwawoon.
"Now I… won't blame and insult you for the things you don't do."
"Your Majesty…"
"So you too… don't act like a sinner in front of me anymore."
Even if it was Hwawoon's selfish misunderstanding, it seemed that the one the emperor was seeing at this moment was not Yeon Hwawoon of the past, but the person he was now. Hwawoon knew it was shameless of him, but he couldn't resist Yihan's words.
Yihan's mother spent her whole life being wary of other women. Back in the day, she entered the imperial family as the official wife and naturally became the empress, but never ever for a moment did she have the emperor's love. Therefore, she could not put her confidence forward as the empress in front of the woman who entered the family as a mistress and quickly reached the noble concubine position—the so-called woman who dominated the emperor's love.
The Noble Concubine was of the frivolous and bossy character. The emperor adored her attitude, which was different from ordinary women's, but it was only in front of the emperor that it became a cute act that could be laughed off. It was impossible to express in words how arrogant and rude the Noble Concubine was in front of the Empress when she even gained the authority to control the internal court in her hands.
Fortunately, after becoming empress, she gave birth to the oldest child with the right of primogeniture, Yihan. Alas, soon after, the emperor's favorite woman also gave birth to a prince, so Yihan's mother often woke up screaming from the nightmare of the Noble Concubine strangling her and her son being kicked out of the crown prince's seat.
The Noble Concubine and her prince did indeed try to bring Yihan down from the crown prince's position and planned treason, so in conclusion, the Empress's anxiety was not only a vain delusion. If it wasn't for the strong protection from the Empress Dowager of the time, Yihan might have been unable to keep his position.
Under these circumstances, young Yihan had to face his mother's anxiety throughout his growth. Driven by jealousy, anger, and anxiety, the Empress easily fell apart and showed her emotional sides in front of her young son. Before Yihan took the throne of the emperor, he did not bring in any other woman other than the current empress, Jaran, because he considered his mother's hate for concubines.
After many twists and turns, Yihan became the emperor, and it was only after the Empress herself ascended to the position of Empress Dowager that her hatred of concubines faded little by little. She opened the concubine selection for Yihan, who didn't have any concubines even after he became the emperor, but Empress Dowager's eyes toward women were still sharp.
If there were ambitions in their eyes, if they showed coquettish acts in front of the emperor, if they had a strong personality or had excessive beauty. The Empress Dowager looked carefully at such things and over the years had only selected a few of the weakest and most docile.
If the Empress Dowager didn't wary of the loyal retainers' daughters—precisely the women that could give birth to a son that could give threat to the heir's position—even if it was the Emperor's request, there might be no case of a man that couldn't give birth to a child to enter the imperial palace instead of a woman from the Yeon family.
This was the reason Yihan treated the Empress with respect, and treated the concubines equally but not favoring anyone deeply.
How unnecessary love for the emperor. How far that blinded the emperor. Furthermore, how that endangered the imperial family and nation, calling the bloodbath upon the emperor's children. For Yihan, who had watched and experienced those throughout his life, he couldn't put anyone inside his heart for personal reasons. He didn't want to do that, he himself thought that was unacceptable, and in fact, he lived like that as his will this far.
"…"
However, on this late night, when Yihan didn't go to any concubine's residence as well tonight and laid alone in his bed, the face of a concubine named Yeon Hwawoon was the one that came to mind at the end of his recollection of the past.
Not the empress, not the other concubines who maintained a peaceful relationship with him, but the concubine, Yeon Hwawoon, which he thought would never be close again in his life. Yihan was thinking of him.
I won't blame and insult you anymore. I will treat you as a completely different person from the past. So you too don't act like a sinner in front of me anymore. The expression Yeon Hwawoon drew when Yihan said those was vividly drawn before his eyes. It was a face that could not be explained simply as an expression of being so touched by the emperor's boundless grace.
If there's someone who really got a new life, would they make that expression? If the person who lost his whole life gets it back, will he be able to make such a face?
Hwawoon's expression immediately turned complicated with storm-like emotions, which couldn't come out simply because his past deeds were forgiven by the emperor. Yihan thought he might break down and burst into tears right away. Yeon Hwawoon had a face that looked like he was about to cry out like the day he shed tears that he couldn't hold back in his arms.
However, Hwawoon didn't cry. He didn't break down. Even with such a chaotic expression, he bit his lips once, held his breath, closed his eyes deeply as if organizing the swirling emotions, opened his eyes, and kneeled down in a steady movement. He then said to Yihan,
"Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty. As long as I live with the name of Yeon Hwawoon, I will deeply cherish the grace, which you have bestowed on me today, and I will never forget it."
"As long as I live with the name of Yeon Hwawoon…"
He had thought it when he heard it, but it was really a sentence with a strange nuance even when he recalled it. Not simply I will live, but as long as I live. It wasn't a normal sentence.
"Doesn't it sound like a person who lives by borrowing someone else's name?…"
Looking at the ceiling where the shadow of the shortened candle fluttered, Yihan calmly repeated the meaning of the hard-to-understand sentence said by Hwawoon, and suddenly realized that he was still thinking about a concubine. Any night, any day. No one had ever disturbed the emperor's mind so finely that he repeatedly thought about them.
The feelings that Yihan felt for Hwawoon now were not the same as any other feelings he thought of, such as believing and relying on, affectionately caring for, being angry, or hating to see him. These were new feelings that have never been there before and that he thought would never exist.
Therefore, he was afraid that it was wrongful. He was afraid if they were turning into the feeling he had been wary of all his life, a feeling he shouldn't feel.
Yihan closed his eyes, trying hard to erase Hwawoon's face that kept lingering before his eyes. Then, the face of his mother, who shed tears saying that the emperor's love was like poison to everyone, came to mind, and Yihan could not sleep deeply that night either.
In the early dawn, Hwawoon eventually left his bed and quietly walked to Jeongan Palace's yard as he couldn't sleep until that time. There were young court ladies on duty at the door, but they were already asleep leaning against the wall, so Hwawoon muted both his breath and step. He approached the swing that was shown only by moonlight, then sat on it.
He knew that it would not be good for his body to not be able to sleep like this, and he knew that if Ahjin knew, she would worry and nag him about it, but he really couldn't sleep today. This was because his heart, which had been pounding so hard uncontrollably ever since when he was in Suhwawon, was still not calming down until the deep night.
"Because you are now a different person from that person."
When Hwawoon sat on the swing and tried to take a deep breath, the emperor's words lingered in his ears again like the wind. It had already been replayed hundreds of times in his head, but when he recalled that voice, his heart felt like it was dropping down on the floor again.
He wondered if the emperor knew that those words were like the sound of the opening of the world to him. If the emperor guessed that it was such a sentence that destroyed and rebuilt Hwawoon's world like a violent thunderstorm.
How deep you will have remained in Hwawoon's heart with that sentence alone—do you know it even the slightest, Your Majesty?
Everything about the emperor was always like this in Hwawoon's life. When he stretched his head out from the palanquin to look at his people. When he informed about Hawoon's death, saying someone die miserably because of you to Hawoon who became Yeon Hwawoon. When he comforted the sick Hwawoon, telling him to stay here. And now too.
The emperor was just someone who showed his benevolent personality, but all his words and actions became greed, a consolation, a light, and warmth to Hwawoon every time.
Therefore, Hwawoon may never be someone significant to the emperor, but how could that person not be a significant person and fate to Hwawoon?
This wasn't about the romantic feeling. This was not just a feeling of longing for affection and love. To Hwawoon, the emperor had a much greater and broader meaning than that. Just as humans consider the sunshine of spring warm, the sun of summer brilliant, the wind of autumn refreshing, and the white snow of winter beautiful. To Hwawoon, the emperor was everything in the world that he cherished and glorified.
And here today he was allowed a new life by his world.
Hwawoon closed his eyes and took a big breath while welcoming the moonlight with his whole body. After waking up as Hwawoon, he was always nervous and under pressure, so he filled his lungs with the fresh night air that he had never felt properly.
It was a long time ago that Hawoon woke up as Yeon Hwawoon, but it was only now that he truly lived a new life.
A single tear falling down his closed eyes was probably a joyful tear.
Ahjin was still looking at the figure in front of her with a half-dazed face. The one Ahjin gave such a gaze was none other than the general officer of the Department of Internal Affairs, Jung Wonjung, who didn't care about Ahjin's gaze and was talking about how much attention he paid to what he brought with him, that those were made of precious materials, and how much effort poured in the making.
"I chose this fabric because I heard you like blue, and if you look at the embroidery here…"
Early in the morning, people from the Department of Internal Affairs came to Jeongan Palace. General Officer Jung, who brought Yeonbin's new clothes and accessories, had been busy explaining this and that in front of Yeonbin, who was not very interested in clothes.
It was not surprising because it was common for the Department of Internal Affairs to send goods, but the reason why Ahjin was now frozen was that General Officer Jung personally came to Jeongan Palace with her master's goods and explained them. This was the first time except when he came to greet Yeonbin in the early days he entered the palace and became the owner of Jeongan Palace.
The Department of Internal Affairs was by nature the most sensitive to power relations within the internal court. They acted like they would give everything when someone held the strongest authority in the internal court or when someone got the emperor's unrivaled favor, but when that someone lost the authority and the emperor's love, they turned away relentlessly and looked down on them.
Those arrogant people would never treat Yeonbin, who reached a situation where he couldn't wish for the emperor's love forever, so there was no reason found for the general officer to come personally to Jeongan Palace.
Of course, even without the emperor's love, Yeonbin had his father's name, so the Department of Internal Affairs wouldn't abandon him as they pleased. Nevertheless, they were acting like giving great mercy to Jeongan Palace.
Yeonbin certainly was enraged with the Department of Internal Affairs' attitude and made a scene numerous times, but the Department of Internal Affairs, which had dealt with any kind of concubines throughout a long history, wasn't an easy opponent. Jeongan Palace and the Department of Internal Affairs were just like water and oil. They really were.
But Officer Jung of that department—the very person who always clicked his tongue and turned his gaze whenever he met courtiers of Jeongan Palace—walked personally to Jeongan Palace.
This was a truly surprising thing even for Ahjin, who directly felt that the position of His Highness Yeonbin in the imperial palace was changing every day.
"Do you like it, Your Highness Yeonbin?"
Meanwhile, Officer Jung, who had finished his long explanation, drew a friendly smile and asked Yeonbin. Hwawoon, who actually didn't understand half of his explanation about the embroidery and the fabric, talked with a polite voice without losing his smile.
"This is a very excessive sincerity for me, so how could I not like it? Thank you, Officer Jung."
"What do you mean by excessive? Your Highness Yeonbin is the only one who suits these clothes in this imperial palace. And this one…"
Ahjin was in awe inside at Officer Jung's shameless act—completely changed his attitude towards Yeonbin, acting as if he didn't remember anything that happened so far and regarding it as nothing even though he was the one who not only knew well about the relationship between Jeongan Palace and the Department of Internal Affairs but also the one who made it become like that.
As if something had suddenly come to mind, Officer Jung signaled a eunuch, who was at the door, and the young eunuch waiting outside came inside with a long box carefully.
"I prepared this especially because I heard you asked for this…"
While saying that, Officer Jung opened the box personally and there was a wooden sword that Hwawoon asked through Ahjin inside.
"Ah…!"
Hwawoon, who was just listening to Officer Jung's explanation with courtesy, turned bright at once. Hwawoon almost jumped out of his seat because he was really happy. Light-colored eyes twinkled in an instant, and when Hwawoon's response as he looked at the wooden sword inside changed at once, Officer Jung, who became a little more excited, approached Yeonbin and continued.
"There are indeed piles of wooden swords for practice in our storage, but we can't give any sword to you, can we? Therefore, I especially chose the material and made a new sword for you, Your Highness Yeonbin. Would you like to hold it once?"
Hwawoon, who was already impatient before the officer's words flowed out, reached out and grabbed the wooden sword in front of him as soon as the officer finished speaking. Both the nice grip and lightweight, it was clearly shown that it was made carefully even though he didn't swing it.
"I don't know how to thank you for your sincerity when I just need any usable wooden sword. Thank you so much, Officer Jung."
"Don't mention it, Your Highness Yeonbin. But… I would appreciate it if you could remember that I made a small effort like this later."
Officer Jung said that and bowed, but he didn't forget to furtively look up to examine Yeonbin's expression. Ahjin stared at Officer Jung with her eyes narrowed because she was suspicious of the officer's low-key attitude, but in fact, when the Department of Internal Affairs was being indifferent to Jeongan Palace, Ahjin herself had expected nothing from her master, so she was not in a position to say anything.
"Of course, Officer Jung. How could I forget this grateful thing?"
In the meantime, Hwawoon, who carefully examined the wooden sword, replied with a wide smile on his face as if he were sincerely happy. Officer Jung looked keenly at Hwawoon's face for a moment and then bowed back again. The meeting on that day was more unpredictable than the emperor's visit to Jeongan Palace.
Teacher, is there any necessary for you to go to Jeongan Palace? Even though I heard His Majesty often visits His Highness Yeonbin recently, he doesn't spend the night with him."
On the way back to the department office, the young student of Officer Jung couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked. Officer Jung, who walked in silence as though he was thinking about something, glanced at his student and then opened his mouth.
"Do you think I go this far only to flatter His Highness Yeonbin?"
"You didn't mean that? Then…"
"Tsk tsk… Listen well. See everything with your own eyes, then decide. People like us in particular, who seem to be walking on the cliff of a thousand roads in the Imperial Palace, should never get information only through the mouths of others when judging something."
Saying that, Officer Jung recalled the image of Yeonbin that he saw a while ago. He had already heard a lot about Yeonbin's change, but Yeonbin, whom he faced today, had a completely different atmosphere to the point where he wondered if it was right to simply express that he had changed.
When judging a concubine in the Imperial Palace, what should be considered as important as the emperor's favoritism was the disposition possessed by that person. No matter how exceptional and favored the family was, if that concubine's personality was weak and timid, there was a high probability that they would not be able to use all their powers properly.
On the contrary, even though they did not have much power right now, if a person was clever, ambitious, and had an eye to read the situation, they could stand up at any time, so if they were despised and neglected because they didn't mean anything right away, it could be a big trouble later.
Therefore, the Department of the Internal Affairs, which did not have a very smooth relationship with Jeongan Palace, could not blindly ignore or believe that Yeonbin had changed. Furthermore, it became clear that even the emperor was treating Yeonbin differently now, so Officer Jung needed to see Yeonbin with his own eyes.
"This student was lacking in his learning. Then, Teacher… What did you think of His Highness Yeonbin today?"
Officer Jung's gaze deepened once again at the question of the young eunuch. In his head, everything that he had looked at carefully since the moment he stepped into Jeongan Palace today was being organized one by one.
In the past, the courtiers, who had been very intimidated wherever they went that it was obvious that they were from Jeongan Palace, were proudly walking around inside Jeongan Palace with smiles on their faces. Ahjin, a court lady close to Yeonbin, looked at himself suspiciously as if she was trying to find out what he was up to, indicating that Jeongan Palace's courtiers had already accepted Yeonbin's change.
Yeonbin, who never treated the powerless eunuchs as human whenever the Department of the Internal Affairs came, greeted him with a polite attitude today, and his every word and gaze was so neat that it was far off the past Yeonbin, so he couldn't think of it as just acting.
Officer Jung, who had been lost in thought for a while, soon opened his mouth quietly.
"… A very strong wind will blow."
"Pardon?"
"For the time being, you should tell me everything about Jeongan Palace and you must not deal with them with any shortages. Do you understand?"
The young eunuch still wondered whether they should care so much about Jeongan Palace, but he couldn't dare to complain about what his teacher was doing. It was a day when the face of the eunuch who answered while bowing down was full of questions.
As he read a report from the northwestern region, he suddenly recalled a face. When Yihan, flustered by the unexpected face, furrowed his forehead and looked up, Eunuch Oh, who was standing next to him, looked at the emperor with a curious look.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
"… It's nothing."
However, Yihan, who didn't want to say who he just thought of, just shook his head and lowered his eyes again. The content of the report he was working on was regarding what the central government had been steadily taking interest in since last year; the public sentiment had not been shaken much even after the farm hardship period began in the northwest this year.
Yihan focused on the report again. How the people were doing, how they were preparing for this season, and how the current situation in the area where there were signs of drought, was written in detail so that the emperor could see the situation as if he were watching it in front of his eyes.
But then suddenly someone came into his mind again. This time, it was not just a face that came to mind, but the gesture asking him to look at and take care of the people in a lower place came to mind as vividly as though he saw right in front of him. Yihan was so dumbfounded that he put down the report he was holding for a while and raised his hand to massage his forehead once.
"Is there anything bothering you, Your Majesty?"
Eunuch Oh asked with a more concerned face this time. Yihan answered that question inside, 'It's uncomfortable, I'm so uncomfortable that I'm going crazy.' He did so while only scowling at the air.
It's Yeon Hwawoon again. It's him again. It was Yeon Hwawoon that was bothering him by constantly lingering in front of his eyes all the time.
He thought he had solved everything that bothered his heart. Yihan no longer tried to prove that Yeon Hwawoon had not changed, did not try to doubt it, and even fully acknowledged that Yeon Hwawoon had changed and even announced it to the person concerned. Nevertheless, he really had no idea why Yeon Hwawoon kept coming to mind.
"Why…"
Yihan talked with a very displeased face. He was so frustrated that he wanted to ask someone, but he didn't know what to call this feeling and what to ask. Annoying, bothersome, troubling, and displeasing. All of those words expressed Yihan's feelings in a similar way, but he didn't think they were the right words.
"Why is he still…"
So, it was something more finite than those words. A certain feeling softer than displeasing and annoying. A little more tender, a little more affectionate, a little more intimate. That kind of feeling.
Like, longing.
"…!"
When he thought of it that far, his face burned up without him knowing. In an instant, his heart was pounding and his palms were sweaty. He felt ridiculous for associating the name of Yeon Hwawoon with the word 'longing.' But what was even more absurd was that as soon as he thought of the word, he felt satisfied as if the piece that had been misaligned was fixed.
Longing? I miss Yeon Hwawoon? The reason I am so distracted right now that I couldn't focus at all is simply that I wanted to see Yeon Hwawoon? Impossible. This is absurd.
Yihan was a person who had never missed anyone in his life.
"No, no. That can't be true."
"Your Majesty…?"
With a curious look, Eunuch Oh looked at the emperor, who suddenly became serious himself, looked confused by himself, blushed by himself, and now was talking alone again. However, Yihan did not care about Eunuch Oh's gaze and was shaking his head and controlling himself.
I must be mistaken. He seemed to have mistaken other emotions for it because he never longed for someone before. Him longing for Yeon Hwawoon could never happen. To put it bluntly, Yihan could bring Yeon Hwawoon right in front of him if he wanted it right away, so why would he want to see such a person?
Yihan murmured several times that it was impossible, and tried to focus on the writing on the report he had put back in his hand. Yihan thought what he needed to see now was how the people lived, not Yeon Hwawoon, who looked at him with a lovely face, and then he corrected his thoughts again.
He took out the word 'lovely.' Anyway, he didn't want to see someone named Yeon Hwawoon at all.
"Woah…"
As if possessed by something, Seoseo opened her mouth and exclaimed with a dazed look. Ahjin, who was next to Seoseo, was not opening her mouth like her, but she also wore a touched gaze while clasping her hands tightly. Seoseo, who couldn't hold back, opened her mouth with her eyes twinkling like starlight.
"Your Highness, it really suits you!"
"… You don't need to say that."
When Hwawoon lowered his gaze slightly as if embarrassed with Seoseo's compliment, Seoseo, who was melted even more because of that expression, let out her voice higher.
"It really is! I'm telling the truth! You're so beautiful that you're shining, Your Highness!"
Hwawoon's face blushed because of Seoseo's words.
The cause of this was the new clothes from the Department of Internal Affairs. Hwawoon only told her to accept those, but Seoseo, who held and quietly looked at the clothes which were pale and did not stand out at a glance, began to pester him to try the clothes to check if they fitted him.
Even Ahjin, who usually would blame Seoseo for being mannerless, also attacked him with shining eyes, so Hwawoon, who couldn't disregard them, wore the new clothes and stood before the two girls.
The embroidery made of shiny white thread reflected the sunlight coming through the window as the embroidered outerwear created from the soft sky-blue fine fabric covered the pants appropriately. Although the shape was perfectly neat, colorful embroidery stood out every time he moved, so Ahjin and Seoseo couldn't help but be excited about the clothes that were perfect for their master.
Your Highness! I think you can wear these clothes to Her Highness Sukbi's birthday banquet tomorrow!"
When Seoseo eventually made a fuss by clapping her hands and shouting, Ahjin next to her nodded as well. However, Hwawoon, who lowered his head and looked at himself once, shook his head quietly.
"The owner of the banquet is Her Highness Sukbi, so can I be insensitive and dress up fancily? Keep this nicely, and I'm telling you in advance that I'll go as simple and as neat as possible tomorrow."
"But Your Highness! Everyone is supposed to dress up as beautifully as possible for a banquet!"
"That's right. This actually is not that flashy compared to other concubines…"
Seoseo and Ahjin muttered alternately while wearing the same sullen face at Hwawoon's answer. The reason for this was that all the courtiers of Jeongan Palace including Ahjin and Seoseo were very happy recently. Not to mention that Yeonbin no longer harassed them as he did before, the way everyone looked at them outside Jeongan Palace had changed completely.
In the past, no one looked favorably at the courtiers of Jeongan Palace, regardless of where they went or who they met, so they were even more saddened by the hardships. However, after Yeonbin changed, or to be a little more accurate, after he started walking from the Empress Palace to Jeongan Palace every morning, the courtiers of Jeongan Palace realized that there was envy in the eyes of others who saw them.
At first, their eyes narrowed to determine whether Yeonbin had really changed, or whether it was another trick of Yeonbin or just a rumor. Their eyes began to change to a completely different gaze as the number of courtiers who experienced Hwawoon's kindness directly increased.
Since Hwawoon changed the form of his usual clothes, more and more people had openly praised Yeonbin as if he were a beautiful gentleman, and whenever Hwawoon smiled at someone and spoke kindly, more and more people were attracted and stunned by his face and atmosphere.
It was even said that there were more people snooping along the way he took when it was time for him to go back from the morning greetings to see Yeonbin. Therefore, the people of Jeongan Palace, who had always been the subject of ridicule and sympathy, had now experienced the gaze of others who envied them little by little.
It was unnecessary to say how proud the courtiers of Jeongan Palace, who had always been walking around intimidated, walked around the whole palace with their shoulders wide open.
Ahjin and Seoseo, who were excited about blooming their beautiful master in front of everyone for the same reason, steadily walked up to Hwawoon and continued to talk, drooping their eyes.
"Your Highness, come on and wear this. Please? You have to think about the sincerity of Officer Jung who came to Jeongan Palace himself… Okay?"
"That's right, that's right. How disappointing would it be for the girls of the Tailoring Bureau who have embroidered this sincerely until their fingertips are worn out if these clothes rotted without you wearing them to a banquet? Okaay?"
Ahjin and Seoseo continued to talk coordinately even though they didn't even plan it. The best thing to persuade their master was to mention the sincerity and hardship of the subordinates, and they both had already figured it out without anyone saying it.
As expected, when Hwawoon, whose eyes began to shake rapidly as soon as Officer Jung's sincerity and the hardships of the children of the Tailoring Bureau were brought up, couldn't say anything, Ahjin and Seoseo quickly approached Hwawoon, grabbed his arms, shook them, and acted cutely.
"Your Highness, so you have to wear this tomorrow, okay? If you wear this and stand at the banquet, the children of the Tailoring Bureau who made these clothes with all their heart will be really proud and happy."
"If the clothes they made are revealed in His Majesty's presence, what greater joy would there be for them than that?"
So, when Hwawoon, who couldn't beat the two girls' spirits, sighed once and tried to answer alright, a voice they never imagined rang out behind them.
"What are you trying to reveal in my presence?"
It was the voice of the emperor who put down the report he had been reading and walked to Jeongan Palace.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor."
Yihan quietly stared at the people who kneeled to greet him. He said, "raise up," and then looked elsewhere for no reason. He was amazed and embarrassed by himself who 'once again' walked to Jeongan Palace without any particular reason.
So even after Hwawoon raised his body, he still looked around and finally turned his eyes again to face Hwawoon standing in front of him. Yihan then unconsciously clenched his fists and bit his lips. It was a moment of crisis when he almost burst into exclamations. Yihan's eyes repeatedly scanned Hwawoon from head to toe in a short time.
To be honest, it wasn't such a glamorous outfit. The light sky blue was very light for a concubine's outfit, and the flower-shaped decoration on the hair fixed with a binyeo could be said as fancy, but even that was nothing compared to the hair ornaments of ordinary concubines.
What was surprising was that he couldn't take his eyes off him, nevertheless. Although it was for a moment, Yihan thought it was dazzling when he saw Hwawoon stand in front of him. The light sky-like color matched so well with his white and translucent skin, and the white embroidery, which glistened and shone every time it met the sunlight, made him think of a lake showered under the sun.
And Yeon Hwawoon's face, which looked somewhat surprised and happy by the sudden visit of the emperor, was finer and more beautiful than the face in the memory Yihan vaguely recalled.
"I will prepare the tea…!"
Ahjin quietly stared at the Emperor, who had been staring at Hwawoon's face for a long time without saying anything, and managed to hide the smile that tried to bloom on her face. She hurriedly said that in a small voice and dragged Seoseo out of the room, and suddenly, there was an awkward silence inside the room, where only Yihan and Hwawoon were left alone. Hwawoon was the one to open his mouth first.
"Please take your seat, Your Majesty."
Only then did Yihan realize that he was standing blankly staring at Hwawoon. He coughed once for nothing, sat down, and said,
"What were you talking about?"
Yihan felt this situation very awkward even though he was speaking out of his own mouth because it was too trivial to be asked first as he came to Jeongan Palace without notice. Since when did Yeon Hwawoon and I start exchanging trivial questions? Since when did I visit him all of a sudden and sit and talk to each other in a normal way?
At the same time, it caused awkward and strange excitement, and while Yihan was wiggling his fingers for no reason, Hwawoon looked down at his clothes reflexively at Yihan's question. His cheeks slightly flushed as if he was embarrassed.
"About that… the Department of Internal Affairs sent me new clothes, and I just tried them on to see if it fits my body."
"Then why was my name mentioned?"
Hwawoon looked at Yihan with a somewhat perplexed expression at the continuous questions and then bowed his head again. He had no choice but to answer the question from the Emperor, yet he couldn't just say every word said by the girls. So, Hwawoon kept biting his lips for no reason, and he soon opened his mouth.
"Your Majesty will attend Her Highness Sukbi's birthday banquet tomorrow, so… the girls were recommending me to wear these clothes…"
"Ah…"
He didn't know why his face blushed and why he felt embarrassed by those words. New clothes arrived, and the young court ladies were excited about it, so they asked him to wear them to the banquet tomorrow. He questioned why he kept fiddling with his sleeves when saying that even though it was nothing big.
Maybe it was because Ahjin and Seoseo said he looked good and beautiful right in front of him. Usually, Hwawoon didn't even think about how he looked to others, but the two of them just talked about it a lot until now, so he couldn't help but think about how he would look to the emperor right now.
Yihan, too, strangely felt embarrassed and awkward about Hwawoon's story. When he brought up his clothes, Yihan had no choice but to look at Hwawoon in front of him once again. In spite of the thought he had barely shaken out a moment ago, he kept thinking about just how beautiful his face was, not the clothes he was wearing, the hair ornaments he was wearing, or anything like that.
No, strictly speaking, there was something wrong with calling it Hwawoon's face. He had seen Yeon Hwawoon's beautiful face for a long time, but recently, there was something at odds about Hwawoon's look to simply say he looked beautiful because of his fine face.
He wondered how he should express it. In fact, Yihan had struggled quite a few times to find a word to express it, but he had yet to find a word to properly express the sensation he felt. If he were to find the closest word, would it be 'atmosphere?' However, it was the atmosphere he exuded, not his looks atmosphere. A completely different vibe from before, which he began to have one day. Some sensations that could not be described in words.
This was the reason that now made Yihan think Yeon Hwawoon is beautiful.
68
"… It suits you."
Thus, it would never have been unreasonable for Yihan, who was staring at Hwawoon, who was completely new and unfamiliar, but so beautiful that he could not turn away, to suddenly spit out such words. As soon as he said it, Yihan realized that it was not something he would say, but it was already too late to take it back, and honestly, Yihan didn't even want to take it back. Instead, Yihan once again opened his mouth.
"It won't be a problem even if… you wear it to the banquet tomorrow."
While saying he wanted to see Hwawoon at a colorful night banquet in that outfit through a statement it won't be a problem, Yihan naturally imagined that appearance of Yeon Hwawoon.
He would have no choice but to dress up more than now when he wears that outfit to a formal gathering. Banquets are inherently held with appropriate splendidness. No, it was fine even if he didn't dress up more. The lanterns hung to light up the night would shine Hwawoon on behalf of the sun, and Yihan also knew well how shining Hwawoon under the moonlight since he had seen it a few times.
The awkward silence surrounded the two people once again. Yihan clenched his fist as he was imagining Hwawoon wearing the same clothes under the moonlight, and Hwawoon had his heart jumped and held his breath hearing the emperor said it suits him even though he was convinced the emperor only said that out of consideration for him without particular meaning.
It was Ahjin, who broke the silence between the two, bringing tea and fruit. She was a little confused by the breathtaking silence she felt as soon as she entered, but the expression of the Emperor and her master looked somewhat shy rather than cold or fierce. Ahjin, who smiled happily to herself, hurriedly placed the things she had brought between the two, then stepped back and left the place in a flash.
Hwawoon, who thought that at least Ahjin would be by his side, became more awkward for no reason when she left without saying anything. He looked around once, and soon came to his senses and raised the question that should have been asked earlier.
"Speaking of, Your Majesty, what brings you to Jeongan Palace?"
Yihan's expression turned sharp at that moment. As soon as he heard Hwawoon's question, Yihan suddenly felt very unpleasant, so he forgot that he was embarrassed until a while ago, then he asked,
"Can't you not ask that question?"
"Pardon?"
"It's not like I come to a place I shouldn't come to, and there's no reason needed for the emperor to visit his concubines' residences, but you always ask for the reason…"
"Ah…"
"Or do you… don't like that I'm coming here…?"
Then, this time, he asked again in a slightly alarmed voice. As what was said, it was quite natural for the emperor to visit the concubine's place, and it was a happy thing from the concubine's point of view. However, Hwawoon was always busy asking why he came, so it made Yihan wonder if Hwawoon was uncomfortable with him and didn't like him visiting Jeongan Palace. Otherwise, it was impossible to ask why he came with such an unchanging attitude every time.
Of course, Hwawoon had never spoken in a 'questioning' manner, but Yihan already felt that Hwawoon's voice was only cold.
"Because… because I kept…"
Because I kept ignoring you and being harsh on you. So now you don't even want me to come. When Yihan stuttered out his words because he wanted to ask without realizing it, Hwawoon opened his mouth a little faster.
"No, Your Majesty. How can you say such a ridiculous thing?"
Hwawoon was flustered as well. Normally, it was very natural for the emperor to visit his concubine's residence, so no reason needed to be asked, but this was Yeon Hwawoon. So, wasn't this about Yeon Hwawoon?
From Hwawoon's perspective, he asked because he thought that there would be something to say because the Emperor had no reason to visit Jeongan Palace unless there was something special, but Yihan couldn't help but be flustered as he was suddenly asked like that. Hwawoon then continued,
"I just… I thought Your Majesty would never come to Jeongan Palace if nothing happened…"
Yihan, who was acting like a disgruntled child, was stunned in an instant. He finally realized how he had asked a shameless question to Hwawoon again. It was none other than himself who made Hwawoon believe that the emperor would come to Jeongan Palace only if he had a reason.
No words can justify one's actions. It was the moment when the majestic emperor realized what it meant for the first time.
That's how relationships between people work. Once fixed in a certain direction, it is very difficult to change the direction later, and to do so, sometimes it takes more time and effort than it has passed, and even if it does change, no one can guarantee that the relationship will change as perfectly as desired.
However, Yihan has never had such a concern in his life. The reason was he was the Emperor. The emperor had the power to instantly change it in the direction he wanted, no matter how twisted it was or how advanced it was.
Even if someone had been misunderstood by the emperor for decades and suffered unfair hardships, how many people can refuse the emperor's words, saying that he has misunderstood and hope that their relationship will be restored now.
Even if they could have complaints inside, they could never say those in front of the Emperor; I can't forgive you yet, and I don't want to return to the close relationship as you want. Therefore, Yihan was a person who had never regretted the relationship he had broken up with.
Furthermore, if that person was none other than Yeon Hwawoon. Yihan honestly thought that the punishment was too weak compared to what Hwawoon had done all this time. There was nothing he considered regrettable about his relationship with Hwawoon except that he should not have entered the palace as a concubine in the first place.
Thus, Yihan was very confused by what he was feeling now. The moment Hwawoon said that — the Emperor would never come to Jeongan Palace except to blame me, he would never come to Jeongan Palace for trivial reasons, such as wanting to have a small chat, a cup of tea, or to see me — the moment he faced Hwawoon, who was sure of it, his hurt was numb somewhere, and he couldn't breathe.
Of course, Yeon Hwawoon didn't exactly say 'come to blame me,' but Yihan was sure the meaning inside it was that.
"So, what I want to say is…"
Yihan hesitated to continue his words. This was due to the fact that he had not yet organized how to explain this feeling he was feeling now.
Did he regret it? No. Yihan did not regret all his actions to punish Yeon Hwawoon in the past. Yeon Hwawoon of that time was very vicious and deserved to be punished.
It was the same for he couldn't easily believe Yeon Hwawoon when he changed. It was Yeon Hwawoon, who always chose the bad choice even though there were many chances before, always betraying Yihan's expectations. It was natural to not believe such a person changed right away, so it was not right to regret not believing him back then at this moment.
Even so, even if he knew all that.
It was a curious thing why Yihan couldn't easily face Hwawoon, who silently dealt with all of it as if he knew it as well. Still, I shouldn't be so harsh on the person who wants to change. It was a wonder why such a thought came back every now and then even though he said he didn't regret it.
"What I'm trying to say is… Didn't I say I'll see you differently now?"
After choosing his words for a long time, Yihan finally opened his mouth.
"So, from now on… you and I… just like a normal…"
However, Yihan immediately realized that something was wrong with what he was saying.
"Like an ordinary emperor and his concubine…"
What followed was even worse. He couldn't take back the words he had already said, and he had to end it somehow, but he couldn't think of the words.
Like an ordinary emperor and his concubine, what on earth does this mean? Basically, the relationship between the emperor and the concubine is not just a normal relationship. What could happen in the relationship between the emperor and the concubine is to eat occasionally or drink tea at most, and except for such collateral things, the most important thing is to share a bed.
No, I didn't mean I…"
The situation turned worse as soon as he thought of sharing a bed. After barely holding back himself from saying, 'no, I didn't mean I wanted to share a bed with you!', his thoughts were more entangled and Yihan was overwhelmed with the urge to leave the place immediately.
Sharing a bed to boot? Why does that come to mind right now? Now, in Yihan's head, he began to think of Hwawoon lying beautifully under him, and cold sweat was running down his spine.
At that time, Hwawoon, who had been looking at Yihan in surprise until just now, opened his mouth on behalf of the embarrassed emperor in a calm voice.
"In this Imperial Palace, where is the place where you cannot stay, and where is the place where you will not be welcomed?"
"…"
"Of course, if you wish, Jeongan Palace will always welcome you, Your Majesty."
However, Yihan felt his heart sink coolly in an instant with the formal answer. Hwawoon's answer was not the right answer to what Yihan was curious about.
"I'm not talking about the attitude toward the emperor, I'm asking about your heart."
"Pardon…?"
"I am the emperor, so if I say I will come, of course Jeongan Palace should welcome me. I know that better than anyone else. What I'm curious about is not that."
Once his mind calmed down, the desire that he pretended not to know showed its presence a little more clearly. What Yihan wanted was not such an answer that he is free to come and go to Jeongan Palace. He didn't throw away his dignity, turning sullen and stuttering, just to hear such an answer.
"What I want to know is whether my visit here, makes you uncomfortable."
Yihan wanted to know Yeon Hwawoon's feelings.
"Is my visit for you, something you don't like and unbearable?"
He wanted to know Hwawoon's thoughts.
"Not about you should welcome the emperor. I'm not talking about the law."
"Your Majesty…"
"Are 'you' happy with my visit, that's what I want to know."
Now and for the first time, Yihan was curious about Yeon Hwawoon.
Hwawoon, who faced Yihan's stormy question right in front of his eyes, did not dare to answer immediately even though the Emperor asked him. Just like Yihan a while ago, this time, Hwawoon needed time to think.
The Emperor was asking about Yeon Hwawoon's feelings, but Hwawoon at that moment was thinking about his feelings as Hawoon. Yeon Hwawoon of the past would surely be happy with the Emperor's visit for whatever reason it was. Regardless of the reason, whether it was because he was angry or to blame Hwawoon, he would have done things that would have made the emperor so angry without hesitation because he only wanted the emperor to come to his own residence, not the residence of other concubines.
Therefore, if he was asking about the opinion of 'Yeon Hwawoon,' without doubt he would answer he likes the emperor's visit for whatever reason is it, and he would be happy with it. It was right to answer like that.
Then, what about Hawoon? What about the feelings of Hawoon, who was living as Yeon Hwawoon now? Hawoon, who had to receive all kinds of contempt and ridicule right the moment he woke up in Hwawoon's body and became the concubine of the emperor. Was it uncomfortable for him to deal with the emperor? Did he hate to meet the Emperor? Did he wish the emperor wouldn't come because he was afraid that he would blame him and turned away again?
"Your Majesty."
After organizing his thoughts calmly that far, Hwawoon parted his lips. Yihan, who was nervous involuntarily about the calm voice, tensed and shut his mouth tight. Meanwhile, Hwawoon continued.
"… I was the one who entered the palace only by looking at you alone, Your Majesty."
It was a story that was the beginning of Yeon Hwawoon and the beginning of Hawoon as well. Though it was a story no one knew. It was a story about greed beyond the means of a lowly person who no one cared about. It was a feeling of someone that definitely existed.
"Even though I lost all the memories of past days."
Although Hawoon was not Yeon Hwawoon. Although he was a great sinner for standing before the Emperor through lies.
"Your Majesty was the kindest and most merciful to me just by what I experienced after losing my memories."
Hwawoon was the one who held onto his life through that one permission given by the Emperor. That little room to breathe given by the Emperor even though it wasn't in the form that person meant to be.
"So how could I hate you, Your Majesty? Whenever it is, for whatever reason it is, I'd be happy to see your face, Your Majesty."
Hwawoon could not dare to make up his feelings with any excuse.
"Your Majesty, did something good happen to you?"
Yihan made a questioning face when the Minister of Military, Muheon, who gave the official report courteously just now, asked him before leaving.
"What do you mean by something good…?"
Muheon, who got along quite freely with the emperor thanks to their frequent sword duels, nodded his head at the emperor's question, and continued speaking.
"You've been smiling the whole time you listened to the report…"
"Did I?"
"Yes, you did, Your Majesty."
However, despite Muheon's repeated words, Yihan looked flustered as if he had no idea he was smiling. Yihan thought he was just listening to Muheon's report seriously. However, Muheon, who was in front of him now, seemed more surprised that the emperor had never realized that he was smiling.
"Why did I…"
Yihan unconsciously raised his hand to touch the corners of his lips. He couldn't believe he was smiling. Muheon's report was not particularly troubling, but it was not good enough to hear it with a smile. Yihan hurriedly thought about what he was thinking before listening to Muheon's report.
His spine turned cold at that moment.
"Your Majesty…?"
"… No, it's nothing. There is nothing good. Go back now."
Muheon was puzzled to see the emperor lost in thought alone for a moment and then turned stiff as if he were confused. However, he couldn't ignore the emperor's order to go back, so he had no choice but to bow his back, pay respect, and leave.
"I must be crazy…"
And Yihan, who was left alone in the place where Muheon left, muttered, covering his face with both hands.
"I am really out of my mind…"
Those words flowed out of his mouth at will. The reason was. So, the very reason was.
Yihan was thinking about nothing but Yeon Hwawoon right before he accepted Muheon's report. To be more precise, Yihan was pondering over Yeon Hwawoon's answer several times that he would be just happy for any reason if he could see His Majesty's face.
Then, under the hands covering his face, his lips wriggled reflexively again. As soon as he realized that sensation, Yihan hurriedly took off his hands and looked at his palms. Indeed, Yihan was smiling without realizing it as soon as he thought of what Yeon Hwawoon said.
Why? Why did I smile?
Yihan was really seriously, very seriously in trouble. Aside from the fact that it was because of Yeon Hwawoon, it was very unfamiliar for Yihan to smile like this while doing his work. Of course, he laughed when the problem he had been troubled for a long time was solved, but it was a very unfamiliar experience for Yihan to smile because of thoughts that had nothing to do with work.
No, in the first place, Yihan was a person who rarely recalled his concubines in private.
Yihan truly cherished and respected the Empress, and for other concubines besides Yeon Hwawoon, he had as much affection as he had for people on his side. However, let alone smiling for no reason while thinking of them, he rarely thought of them in private when he was not actually with them.
He didn't mean to do it on purpose, but it was just unnecessary. There were countless things for the emperor to think about regardless of day and night, and there were piles of work for him to give the right judgment every day, so there was no need to think about the concubines during the time he was doing political affairs.
It was supposed to be like that. Yet he, who was like that, was giving a gap in his thoughts to Yeon Hwawoon, not anyone else.
Yihan raised one hand once again and gently touched the corner of his lips with the tip of his finger. It was obviously his face and his lips, but it felt strangely unfamiliar.
At the same time as he recalled Hwawoon's words that he would be happy at any time if His Majesty comes, he naturally imagined that Hwawoon was not surprised by his visit, but welcomed him with a hearty smile.
Then again, as if it had become a habit, he couldn't hold back the smile from filling his face this time, even though he knew it.
"What on earth is, is this…?"
For a long time after that, Yihan could not stop touching his lips over and over, looking into the palm of his hand, then imagining Yeon Hwawoon again. It was so strange that as frightening and unfamiliar as it was, and at the same time, his heart throbbed with strange expectations and excitement.
It was really a fascinating occasion.
Your Highness, please take a rest now."
Myeongju spoke carefully to her master, who sat by the window and was only looking outside until late at night. However, Sukbi, Biyoung gave no answer to Myeongju's question and was only looking somewhere outside. Biyoung's side face clearly looked not excited, so Myeongju also felt a bit down.
Tomorrow would be Sukbi's birthday, so her master should be the happiest person in this palace more than anyone else, but no matter how she looked at her, Biyoung now looked far from happy and excited.
"Do you have any worries, Your Highness…?"
Myeongju asked again as she worried about Biyoung, who gave no answer. Biyoung then finally turned her head, heaved a sigh, and shook her head.
"I have no such things…"
"You look like you have a lot in your head. … Is it because His Majesty doesn't come?"
"No. What's uncommon about it…"
Even when asked carefully once again by Myeongju, Biyoung just looked afar and answered with a shake of her head.
It has already been quite a while since the Emperor stayed in Anjeong Palace without receiving anyone's company. It wasn't something unusual. Their emperor sometimes took care of not only the empress, but also all the concubines, and at other times, he often didn't spend the night with anyone for a long time without any apparent reason.
Originally, the emperor spent the night with a woman for two reasons: satisfying his own lust and for the future. However, Yihan not only considered both as unimportant, he was even wary of both. Therefore, such a night was so natural and ordinary for the concubines, and they needed not to be anxious.
In other words, the emperor's absence from going out at night was already familiar to the concubines, and it was not necessarily happening only in Unhwa Palace. In fact, except for the past Yeon Hwawoon, the current concubines were on good terms and did not have to fight and be wary of each other because of the emperor's night. So just like what Biyoung said, there was no need to be hurt or depressed about it.
However, tonight, what caused Biyoung to become unable to move and only stared outside the window endlessly?
"Then why?"
"…"
"Are you still bothered by Jeongan Palace?"
Myeongju eventually spoke out the name she had been wanting to ask since earlier. No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't think of any other reason than Yeonbin of Jeongan Palace because her master was looking upset ahead of such a good day. Biyoung turned her head and looked at Myeongju as if to support her guess. Biyoung heard that His Majesty walked to Jeongan Palace again even only for a moment today.
Like all the other people who entered the Imperial Palace as a concubine, her position and family prestige were inseparable to Biyoung. When the concubine's father gained power from the court, the concubine's position within the internal court also strengthened, and when the concubine gained favor from the Emperor, the favor also reached their father as natural as water flowing from top to bottom.
Biyoung, like Yeonbin, entered the palace as a daughter of a meritorious family, but her father was naturally behind Yeonbin's father, Yeon Juwon. However, Yeonbin could not catch up to Sukbi inside the internal court, so all this time Biyoung thought that she and her family were doing well by properly helping and leading each other.
However, for some reason, these days, Biyoung couldn't help but suddenly think about this: What will happen if this balance breaks down? If by any chance,
Even though she thought such a thing would never happen, Biyoung wondered what would happen to her and her family if Yeonbin suddenly got the emperor's love and surpassed her position as a concubine.
Biyoung certainly believed it wouldn't happen. Their emperor wasn't someone to get played by a concubine, and their empress wasn't someone to let the favored concubine oppress the others. Above all, their majesty emperor was a man who would not let any concubine in his heart, so Biyoung knew that all of this was just useless worries and thoughts.
Yet, after hearing news that she had never imagined before,
After hearing the unbelievable story that the emperor visited Jeongan Palace, walked alongside Yeonbin at Suhwawon, the general officer of the Department of Internal Affairs walked to Jeongan Palace himself, and the Imperial Palace was noisy with Yeonbin's stories everywhere these days.
She wondered if by any chance all of these were prelude to the future where she would get a knife put on her throat. She couldn't shake off her anxiety that the price of the days when she bumped into and quarreled with Yeonbin might strangle her in that way.
"… Forget it. Let's take a rest now."
Biyoung managed to control her mind, which continued to lead to a bad side, and got up from her seat. Thinking that she would face Yeonbin at the banquet tomorrow, it was Biyoung's night when she couldn't easily welcome the once-a-year birthday.
Seocheon was lost in thought for a while, looking at the signboard of the entrance to Jeongan Palace, which was written as Jeongan Gate. Starting tonight, Seocheon was officially assigned to stand guard at Jeongan Palace. Domyung always questioned Seocheon what he was planning to do, because he didn't change his mind until the end. However, Seocheon could not give him any answer. Seocheon himself didn't know what exactly led him to try to go to Jeongan Palace.
He vaguely thought he wanted to look at Yeonbin from a closer place, and perhaps on the other side, he felt displeased and unfair that the person, who lived because of Hawoon, was living well and having a good reputation unlike the past. Maybe he wanted to take off Yeonbin's mask.
But what's the meaning of that now? Hawoon was already dead and couldn't come back, and even if Yeonbin's bare face were to be shown, it didn't mean it would raise Hawoon's name.
"Why are you not going in?"
Seocheon's colleague asked while nudging Seocheon's shoulder as he was only staring at the gate. Seocheon only let out a weak smile, then walked slowly with his colleague.
If I want to do something, I should have done it before I lost Hawoon. Whatever it is, I should have done it when Hawoon was next to me.
Seocheon was amazed and liked Hawoon, someone he met late and became one of his few friends in life. He thought there would be a lot of days in the future for them. He thought they could spend more nights and days as friends. Sharing more stories, relying on each other, continuing the life in the imperial palace for a long time. He genuinely thought that.
Alas, the time given to them was only like a flash, and Seocheon lost Hawoon before he could do anything.
Even though he knew it was useless, Seocheon walked toward the lost lingering feelings. Even if the palace was boisterous all day because it was Sukbi's birthday, it had nothing to do with Seocheon.
Sukbi's birthday banquet was held in Changgyeong Pavilion. Changgyeong Pavilion was the largest pavilion in Suhwawon. The pavilion was built again with stones and soil on the high ground, so people could look down at the main palace from up there. At night, the moon rose close, and the atmosphere was so beautiful that it was perfect for holding a banquet.
Songhyun, who walked up the pavilion side to side with Biyoung, found Yeonbin, who arrived first and had been waiting. She left Biyoung to go to Hwawoon without realizing it.
"Yeonbin! You came early!"
"Yes. Welcome, Jeongbin."
"I really enjoyed the osmanthus rice cake you sent me last time. So I went to give my gratitude, but you were not in Jeongan Palace…"
"Did you? I'm glad it suited your taste."
Songhyun muttered with a sullen face as she remembered she walked in vain because the emperor was in Suhwawon that day. As though he thought Songhyun was cute, Hwawoon smiled. At that moment, Ahjin saw the court ladies, who had been busy preparing the banquet, stopped and exchanged gaze with each other. It seemed like Ahjin wasn't wrong that she felt unusual gazes ever since Hwawoon showed himself in Changgyeong Pavilion.
For Ahjin, who expected a lot of people's eyes to follow her master if he went to the banquet wearing new clothes with Seoseo, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but go up.
Hwawoon's gaze, which was looking at Songhyun's joyful face from meeting Hwawoon again, was slightly skirted from Songhyun because of Biyoung who was coming closer with a dumbfounded face, boring a look into Songhyun's back. Hwawoon then bent his knees slightly at Biyoung, greeting her.
"Greetings, Your Highness Sukbi."
"Don't be so formal."
Songhyun, who only then remembered Biyoung whom she had left behind, turned stiff for a moment, then she looked back at Biyoung with an awkward smile. When Biyoung glanced at Songhyun with a still flabbergasted expression, Songhyun rolled her eyes once, looking away for no reason, then took a step back from Hwawoon and stood next to Biyoung. Hwawoon continued to say.