The Hated Male Concubine

by Usui Takumii

not mine, WUXIA WORLD. Beware BL.

3. 21 to 30

"You said that it was because you love me, but you ignore me, deceive me, and force me to love only you without caring about my situation. Is that what love means to you?"

In order to protect her dignity, the empress helped the emperor, and in order to make his mind at ease, she sometimes tolerated the indulgence of favored concubines and pretended not to know the wounds she received. In addition, she had to endure when the concubines were jealous and envious towards each other and learn to be content with the short night the emperor gave to her.

In the first place, no one, including the emperor, came here owing to love. However, caring for each other, being considerate, and suppressing individual desires in this tied relationship was life in this imperial palace. And Yihan was well aware that even if that was not love, all of that was their sincerity in caring for the emperor.

Therefore, how could the emperor think that Yeonbin, who forced him to only look at him, was being more sincere than the others?

"I love you more than anybody else in this imperial palace, Your Majesty! That is the reason I could endure the night you didn't come to me. The other concubines who said that they could understand when you didn't come, only don't love you more than I do!"

Perhaps he became impatient hearing the emperor's voice that turned colder, Yeonbin once again shed tears with that pitiable face, but the emperor was fed up with all this now. He had scolded him and he also comforted him. He punished him by not visiting Jeongan Palace, and sometimes he played along with his tricks.

Still, those were useless. Nothing seemed to satisfy Yeonbin. Despite knowing that it was impossible, Yeonbin kept acting violently in hope that he would have the emperor's only and absolute love. On the day when the emperor did not come, he boastfully tortured his powerless subordinates and treated them like a hostage to display in front of the emperor. As if declaring that the reason these people were tortured was the emperor's fault.

"If you try to force me only to get what you want in this imperial palace, where no one can live by getting everything they want, then what you actually love the most is not me, but yourself. Am I wrong?"

The emperor, who was tired of everything now, slowly walked past Yeonbin. Yeonbin cried and begged, but there was no hesitation in the emperor's footsteps leaving Jeongan Palace.

Now, the emperor did not believe in the love said by Yeonbin anymore.

"Your Majesty, it's already late. How about calling it a day now?"

It was only after hearing Eunuch Oh's worried voice did Yihan realize he had been focusing on his work for too long. When he lifted his head while massaging his stiff nape, he saw it was already dark outside. Considering that the sun was getting longer day by day as summer approached, it seemed that a long time had really passed.

Summer was a troublesome season as ever. Being in the emperor position, there was no season in the whole year that went through without trouble, but summer was especially a handful. When there was no drought, then there was the flood. When they barely held on against the typhoon, an epidemic spread because of the heat.

In the season transitioning from spring to summer, people inevitably went starving, and as a result, there were not a few regions that were shaken due to a public sentiment that the emperor was not being attentive. They had to go through this time well to cope with the numerous variables that would occur in the summer.

Because of that reason, the emperor sent people to check on each province even before winter completely passed. However, the reports sent by them were not a little, so he spent this day busily checking on those, discussing proper countermeasures, and made the decision. Except for when he went to the Empress Palace to have dinner, Yihan stayed all day in Cheonggeon Hall and Anjeong Palace to do his work.

"Where will you go, Your Majesty?"

Yihan's steps stopped while he turned his neck around. He felt like the thoughts that he pushed back with burying himself at work were crawling up through the crack made by Eunuch Oh's question. Yihan's gaze stared far away.

As if it had become a habit, he recalled Hwawoon that he saw in the empress palace this morning.

If it had only been a few days ago, Yihan would have expected this on his way to the Empress Palace. That Yeonbin acted rudely not only to other concubines but also to the Empress. Sukbi, who got angry by his behavior, would fight him so a quarrel would happen, and they would calm down only after the Empress stepped up and raised her voice. Yihan pictured it like that as if he had seen such a scene.

However, today was different.

On his way to the Empress Palace this morning, Yihan pictured Hwawoon with his pale face, sitting gracefully and bowing his head without saying anything. It was as if he alone knew that everyone would be shocked and unable to trust him. Yeon Hwawoon sat calmly and quietly as if those were also things he had to endure. Yihan unconsciously imagined this.

He knew that it was laughable. Yihan himself felt he was very ridiculous for still being tricked by him despite having been disappointed so many times. That was certainly ridiculous and unbelievable.

However, the emperor, Yihan,

"I… I want to be a loyal person for you from now on, Your Majesty."

If he recalled that voice; if he recalled Yeon Hwawoon from that day who spoke of his desperate feeling with an expression and tone that he never showed to him, and made him unable to take that easily as a lie;

Even after so many memories of disappointment and anger, he had vain hopes such as 'what if it is true this time? What if he completely changed for real this time?' It was not that he didn't know that deceit was the only thing that came back even if he trusted him. However, Yeon Hwawoon whom he met recently felt like a different person.

"Your Majesty, where…"

The eunuch asked again to the emperor who stood up silently. Yihan walked silently for a while and soon opened his mouth.

"… just. Let's just walk."

A long shadow stretched behind the tired emperor's back.

"Your Highness, don't you feel cold?"

Although it was spring, it was still cold at night. Ahjin was worried about Hwawoon, who came out in thin spring clothes, so she asked until her mouth dried up while fixing the outer garment around her master's shoulder more firmly. Hwawoon was sitting on a swing at one side of Jeongan Palace garden and looking at the moonlight.

"I'm fine. I'm feeling rather good to relieve the frustration in my heart, so don't worry too much."

However, despite Hwawoon's answer, Ahjin still pouted her lips without removing her anxious expression.

"Your Highness, I've told you that your body is weak. I'm telling you're at odds with the cold air. On top of that, your lungs are not good, so you have to be careful since a mere cold could make you very sick."

"Yes, yes, I got it. I got it, so stop worrying about me and take a seat here. The moonlight is very beautiful…"

While listening to Ahjin's worries, Hwawoon looked up at the night sky with a beautiful moonlight and replied in a smiling voice. Tonight's moonlight without any clouds in the sky was so bright that it could be sensed even through the closed window. Hwawoon, who was feeling frustrated at that time, came out to the garden to chase that light.

However, Ahjin gave no response to Hwawoon. She couldn't reply to him. Ahjin kept thinking about Hwawoon's words asking her to sit next to him like a broken person.

What kind of servant dared to sit next to their master in this imperial palace? No matter how kind and benevolent they were, would a master give their servant a seat to sit next to them?

That didn't make sense. That was a thing they dared not to accept. Even though a servant could prostrate on the ground and be a footrest for their master sitting on the chair, they couldn't sit side by side with their master and enjoy the moonlight.

However, a moment ago her master; the very master who in the past thought the court ladies no more than peddle on the ground, just now reached out to her and invited her to watch the moon together nonchalantly. As if Ahjin was really a human. As if he treated her as the same human, who breathed like him, had flesh and blood, and had a feeling to feel the beauty of the moonlight.

She felt like crying. Ahjin felt like she wanted to bury her face on Hwawoon's lap and cry out. Whether it was because she was sad about the hardships she had gone through in the past or because she was glad and liked that her master had changed now, all her emotions were soaring up that she couldn't even differentiate it and she felt like running away.

"Ahjin…?"

As if thinking that Ahjin's silence was odd, Hwawoon turned his gaze from the sky to his side and asked. The way he looked at her was full of undeniable worries, so Ahjin sniffed her nose once. She sorted out her feelings and smiled at Hwawoon.

"It's fine. I like standing next to you, Your Highness."

"… Don't you already stand next to me all day? Let's sit down and watch together."

"No. I'm fine, Your Highness. I'm not tired at all. I swear."

"You really—"

Hwawoon, who could not coerce Ahjin anymore since she rejected him firmly like that, made a dejected smile once and turned his head back to look at the moon. It was said that the moon had the power to oddly shake a human's heart, and it seemed like the moon of this night was such a moon for Hwawoon.

Looking at the night sky in the silence of the night, Hwawoon suddenly felt the things that passed by him like a storm were so unrealistic.

I will wake up after sleep, right? All these unbelievable things are just a dream, right? When he opened his eyes after falling asleep while having those kinds of thoughts, he always had to start the day again as Yeon Hwawoon. This thing—the life of Yeon Hwawoon—really had to be Hawoon's.

It was a lie to say he wasn't afraid and anxious. Was it an easy thing for people to suddenly live the life of someone who lived in a world that was completely different from where they originally lived? Hwawoon sometimes felt uneasy because he was not confident in everything, and at every moment, he had to fight the guilt because he was deceiving everyone.

"… I wonder if His Majesty is also looking at this moon."

It was inevitable that the end of the thought that kept continuing reached that one person. The emperor was the one who made that unfamiliarity and anxiousness, fear and solitude have meaning for Hwawoon.

The one who made Hawoon, who was making his life and content with it, have a bigger desire and entered the palace; the one who made him able to find solace just by his side despite being despised, ignored, and hated by everyone;

to Hawoon and to Hwawoon;

The emperor was always their reason and their goal.

"This moonlight is so beautiful… how good would it be if His Majesty also looked at this…"

"From what I hear, His Majesty stays in Anjeong Palace to do his work until late."

When Hwawoon talked about the emperor, Ahjin quickly delivered the news she found out to her master. Since Ahjin's master didn't force her to find out about the emperor's whereabouts anymore, this was something Ahjin found out on her own for her master.

Ahjin, who quietly examined that worry showed on Hwawoon's face when he heard that the emperor was working until late, carefully parted her lips.

"Your Highness… how about we prepare some snacks and send them to Anjeong Palace?"

"Snacks?"

Hwawoon opened his eyes wide and stared at Ahjin. Ahjin thought that her master looked adorable in that situation, but she quickly stopped her thought and continued,

"Yes, Your Highness. When His Majesty does his work until late, it is common for every palace to take care of the snacks for him. So, you too-"

"… No. Don't bother."

However, before Ahjin could complete her words, Hwawoon erased his glittering eyes in an instant and shook his head. This time, his gaze fell on the tip of his feet.

"He is surely tired from doing his work, and if he sees the snacks sent by me, do you think he will feel better? He would rather get angry."

"Your Highness…"

"The empress and the others will take care of it, so there is no need for me to do it."

Hwawoon's voice gradually turned gloomy despite knowing about it—despite thinking that it was natural.

When he was a guard of Jeongan Palace, Hwawoon had seen the emperor pass by him with a tired expression. Hwawoon couldn't know how hard it was to take care of the people and lead the nation as the emperor, but when he secretly saw the fatigue in the emperor's face and his sagged shoulders, he felt pity and hopelessness for him.

Back then, he unintentionally envied the positions which were able to hear the emperor's worry next to him and take care of his health, so he blamed and pushed down his shameless heart. However, even though now he was in a concubine position where he could proudly take care of the emperor, he couldn't do that, so he wondered if this was an irony of fate.

"Yo-your Highness…"

Ahjin who was next to him called him once again, but Hwawoon continued to look at the ground and only shook his head.

"I'm not wrong. I'm being far from His Majesty's gaze is the way for me to help him."

"Tha-that's not it… Your Highness…"

At that moment, he felt something strange with Ahjin's voice. Her voice trembled as if she was nervous and afraid. The sudden change in Ahjin led Hwawoon to raise his head and look at her. When he raised his head like that,

In the distance, Hwawoon saw a man standing at the entrance of the garden in Jeongan Palace.

The man who wore the black dragon dopo that never be eaten away by the darkness of the night. The existence that couldn't be two under the sky and above the ground. The emperor who led over this whole nation, and the only emperor for Hwawoon, Sung Yihan.

He was standing alone under the moonlight and quietly stared at Hwawoon. As if he was entranced, Hwawoon slowly raised his body.

"My Lord, don't you worry about His Highness Yeonbin?"

Late at night, the movement of Yeon Juwon, who was holding the glass, stopped for a while at the words that were suddenly said by his wife while pouring the tea quietly. Yeon Juwon's wife, Won Sukjin, didn't wait for his answer and continued,

"I heard he returned from death after drowning. … How could you never ask about him even when you go to the palace?"

"Looking that there is no other news, it means he is fine. Is there anything else that I need to ask?"

"My Lord."

"His Highness Yeonbin is no longer our son, but His Majesty's person. His Majesty will take care of him, so you better stop worrying about him, my wife."

Hearing that, his wife raised the tip of her lips and made a self-mocking smile.

"When did His Majesty ever treat that kid as his concubine?"

"Watch your mouth, my wife!"

The explicit words that eventually flowed out from his wife's mouth led Yeon Juwon to raise his voice and stare at his wife with raging eyes. Sukjin, who usually would have kept her mouth quiet, also raised her head and looked straight at Juwon instead of stopping talking as if she had reached her limit today.

"My Lord, you might be proud about the rumor that the vicious Yeonbin was harassed despite trying to get His Majesty's heart back by throwing his body to the pond, but no matter how bad he is, he is our child. It's not that I couldn't understand why His Majesty doesn't like that kid, but how can you, his only father, do the same?"

"… Why are you talking like that, my wife? Do you think I will be proud that my kid went near the brink of death?"

Juwon didn't hide his unpleasant feeling and answered, but his wife, being her unusual self, let out a vain laugh at his answer.

"My Lord, people are talking about this, that Yeonbin, who is hated by the emperor, is blocking the bright future of the Yeon Family."

"…"

"If that son even gets the emperor's favor, then there will be no one in this empire who dares to stand against the Yeon Family, but because Lord Yeon was ambitious and sent his immature son, everything's ruined. That's what people say."

That was not wrong, nor was it exaggerated. If Yeonbin was favored by the emperor, the father and son could influence the emperor the most, so there would be no one under the sky that could go against the Yeon Family, and then, the emperor would also be warier of their family.

However, the son ruined everything. Rather than being favored by the emperor, he was barely staying in the imperial palace using his father's name. Thus, some even said that the position of the successful Lord Yeon would be shaken by the son pushed by his own hand.

Sukjin continued to speak with a cold expression.

"My Lord, I am the one who knows you better than anyone else. And you know well about Hwawoon's personality. Are you saying you didn't know that it would become like this if Hwawoon entered the palace as a concubine?"

"…"

"If Hwawoon didn't enter the palace, that position will be our youngest, Songwoon's own."

That's right. Through the order of the Empress Dowager, who was worried about the small amount of the concubine at that time, all the children of meritorious retainers were selected to enter the palace. Originally, it was decided for Yeon Songwoon, the youngest daughter of the Yeon Family to enter the palace.

However, when Hwawoon desired that position, Juwon personally asked the emperor and got his approval. Because of that, instead of Songwoon, Hwawoon was the one to enter the palace as the emperor's concubine.

"If Songwoon had served his Majesty as arranged, she would have been favored by his Majesty, and not long would be pregnant since she is a woman."

"What is it that you want to say, my wife?"

"So, could My Lord handle His majesty's excessive favor? You are a person who values only the emperor in this entire world. What I'm saying is, would you dare to climb to a position that could pose a threat to His Majesty?"

"It was Hwawoon's decision to enter the palace. It was also entirely that child's fault that he acted atrociously and made his Majesty's heart be distant. Do you want to blame me for that?"

Yeon Juwon said that while looking coldly at Sukjin. However, Sukjin calmly received that gaze and opened her mouth with a half grieving and half surrendering face.

"No. Just like what you said, those were that kid's choice and his own fault."

"Then why…!"

"Therefore, he may not have an intention for it, but isn't our Yeonbin indeed a loyal subject to His Majesty and a filial son to you, My Lord?"

Juwon's lips were sealed tight at his wife's question. Hwawoon couldn't get pregnant with a male's body, and not only getting love, but he was also hardly treated as a concubine, so the Yeon Family's influence that soared up to the sky stopped because of Yeonbin.

Nevertheless, Yeon Juwon did nothing despite knowing that. Despite knowing that Hwawoon acted against the emperor's wish, he didn't persuade or scold him, and he also didn't ask the emperor to tolerate his son.

Actually, despite knowing that Hwawoon had no qualification to be a concubine, Juwon sent him to the emperor's side. Then, he declared Hwawoon was no longer a member of his family after he left, and he only watched Hwawoon being isolated and shunned in the imperial palace.

Sukjin smiled softly, holding the teacup that had already cooled down in her hand again.

"What I'm saying is… even if His Majesty doesn't know about that, you can't pretend to not know it, My Lord."

"…"

"Because you pushed your son's back even though you knew how he would live for the rest of his life."

Since it had been long after the sunset, darkness surrounded everywhere. Until Sukjin emptied the tea and left her seat, Juwon couldn't say anything else to her.

The emperor doubted that this might be someone's scheme. He was certain that someone dared to do sorcery in the imperial palace to cover his eyes and lead his steps. If not, then there was no way he would walk to Jeongan Palace on his own. Yihan really thought like that.

He only wanted to take a stroll. Yihan wanted to erase his thoughts of Hwawoon that came to mind immediately when he finished his work. It was no different from falling into his scheme if he kept thinking about Yeon Hwawoon, so Yihan tried to organize his thoughts while walking slowly at night.

Therefore, how could Yihan explain the urge to run away he felt back then? The confusion that was close to fear that Yihan felt when he halted his steps and found Jeongan Palace before his eyes?

The hardest thing for him to understand happened after that. If he walked here by mistake, then he just needed to return. If he said the word 'let's go back', then the palanquin that chased after the emperor would be prepared before him. Then, the emperor would be able to walk away from Jeongan Palace and go to the empress palace, Unhwa Palace, or any other place without needing to walk on his own.

Nevertheless, Yihan didn't do that. He didn't turn his steps.

Instead, Yihan left everyone behind and decided to enter Jeongan Palace alone. Despite thinking that he shouldn't do that; despite blaming himself for falling into Yeon Hwawoon's cunning tricks; Yihan followed the road shone by the moonlight and couldn't stop his steps.

He just walked searching for Hwawoon, who was in the garden, hushing down every mouth he encountered so that they could not announce his presence. At that time, he couldn't figure out what he wanted. He could make a petty excuse that he came to reveal his true self at an unexpected time like last time, but the emperor knew that it was not true.

Then, when the emperor faced him in front of all the chaos;

When he saw Yeon Hwawoon staying under the moonlight in front of his complicated, chaotic, and fearful emotion;

"I'm being far from His Majesty's gaze is the way for me to help him."

When he heard Yeon Hwawoon self-mocked himself with such a sad gesture and voice;

The emperor didn't look into what he felt then. He didn't want to know. He thought it was fine and it was nothing. Just like a bird that put its head in a pile of fallen leaves and mistook itself for hiding, the emperor simply repeated that this feeling was nothing.

The sorrowful face of Hwawoon under the subtle moonlight; the desperate yet anxious voice as if he was sincerely concerned about the emperor; and his heart, which started beating when he saw him with the tempo he felt for the first time, all meant nothing. He thought so.

"Your Majesty…?"

At that time, when he realized that the emperor was standing there, Hwawoon got up from the swing and approached Yihan while looking straight at him. The emperor took a step back. He was like a frightened person.

Like a person who faces a disaster that cannot be solved with human power. Like pushed by the irresistible power of fate even if he was the emperor who had the absolute power under heaven. The emperor shrank like that and kept stepping back.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Hwawoon kneeled and gave his greeting. Yihan couldn't easily let out any voice, so he raised him up with a gesture of his hand.

"Your Majesty, what brings you here at this time?"

Was it possible for a mere human to avoid the big disaster, fate?

Yihan stood there and looked down at the man, who was already in front of him at some point, and stared at him with a worried look. He felt breathless. He felt like a sturdy knot was tied up tightly and clenched on his heart.

While the emperor was desperately resisting all the emotions he felt and didn't give any answer, Hwawoon, the man who had become the culprit of all these disasters, took a step closer to Yihan with a contradictory worried look.

"You don't look good, Your Majesty. Is there… is there something that happened?"

Ironically, Hwawoon looked afraid. He was afraid of the emperor who looked pale. The very emperor was still ignoring and insulting him. Hwawoon was worrying about the very emperor, who mocked and didn't believe him.

"Why don't you bring the eunuch with you… Your Majesty, do you want to come inside for a moment? Should I call the physician for you?"

When he couldn't find Eunuch Oh, who always stood by the emperor like a shadow, Hwawoon became even more anxious and asked. Hwawoon looked like a person who didn't remember anything about how harsh the emperor treated him last time.

The emperor, Yihan, who was still looking at the worried feelings expressed in the eyes that could not be thought to be false, slowly moved his hand and grabbed Hwawoon's wrist.

"Your…Majesty?"

Hwawoon finally looked at Yihan with a bit of a flustered expression because of his sudden action, and soon, Yihan opened his mouth.

"What are you?"

Hwawoon's heart dropped the moment he heard that. The question of 'what are you' sounded like a question that dug up through his lies. Hwawoon reflectively pulled his hand that was held by the emperor, but instead of letting off his hand, Yihan held it even stronger and pulled him closer, meeting his eyes.

The space between the two, which had already been close, was now close enough for their breaths to reach the tip of each other's noses. Yihan's hand, which was big enough to hold both of Hwawoon's wrists in one hand, held Hwawoon's wrist stronger. It was a force that Hwawoon was unable to escape from. Hwawoon's pupil began to shake.

"Yo-your Majesty…"

"There's no way Yeon Hwawoon can do this. This… you… you can't do this to me."

The emperor looked like he was bewitched. He felt that it would be better if the one in front of him right now said he was not Hwawoon, but a fox with nine tails who was transforming and trying to lure himself away.

"I… to you, this… this…"

Because if that wasn't the case, then Yihan couldn't explain the feeling he felt for Hwawoon at this moment. He didn't want to explain it as well.

"Your Majesty… I… I…"

Hwawoon hesitated, couldn't bring himself to speak out words that were held in his mouth. He could not know exactly why the emperor looked so confused and anxious, but it was not wrong that all the actions he, who was Hawoon, had done as Yeon Hwawoon, were so disturbing and uncomfortable for this person.

"Ah…!"

Suddenly, a little moan flew out of Hwawoon's lips. This was because Yihan's hand, which had been holding Hwawoon's wrist with a strong force from the beginning, was pressing Hwawoon with a stronger force.

"I have no more expectations of you."

Rather than words for Hwawoon, the words said by Yihan at that time were closer to his own determination. He thought it was the moonlight's fault. He believed that because the unusually bright moonlight gently wrapped Hwawoon, he was captivated with useless feelings.

If not, then how could Sung Yihan, how could it be no other else but Yeon Hwawoon,

How could he want to pull him into his arms and hug him?

Yihan thought that it would be impossible if he was being rational.

"I don't believe you…"

#24

Those words were already said numerous times by Yihan to Hwawoon. Therefore, that could be called a very strange thing. He had said such words numerous times. The emperor had already said such harsh words to Hwawoon several times without any hint of hesitation.

Then, why was it that today, Yihan's voice that came out this night was trembling weakly and couldn't be heard as a confident voice?

Hwawoon's complexion was already blue when he heard that. While Yihan was talking out faintly like he was dreaming, the power in his hand became stronger, and now he was close to breaking Hwawoon's wrist.

Perhaps because Hwawoon's body was hardly immune to pain, it was not easy for him to breathe due to the pain transmitted from the wrist. However, instead of struggling to pull out his wrist, instead of crying and asking the emperor to let him go,

Hwawoon put his other hand on top of the emperor's hand that was grasping his hand. As if to soothe the emperor's heart. As if he found the touch that hurt him was right.

Hwawoon barely calmed down his trembling breath and opened his mouth calmly.

"Your Majesty, it's okay."

No one expected those words. Those were such unforeseen words. Looking gently at the emperor's eyes that were shaking violently like a lost and stranded ship, Hwawoon said,

"It was me, who endlessly betrayed and pushed the generosity you gave me, Your Majesty. How can a few words and actions make the past doesn't exist?"

His emperor was a gentle person. Even at this time, Hwawoon realized that. Because he was someone who was very concerned about the death of a lowly person like Hawoon, it was clear he harshly treated the vicious Hwawoon, who bowed down and said he would change, because he felt uncomfortable about it.

Hwawoon thought that was the reason the emperor stood before him with a very complicated expression. Then, he continued,

"You're right, Your Majesty. I'm only getting the right treatment from you, Your Majesty."

"…"

"I still couldn't be someone worthy of your trust, Your Majesty."

Even though he was suffering from crushing pain, Hwawoon smiled like moonlight in front of the emperor. From the first moment he saw him until now, he had been such a gentle and benevolent person, so Hwawoon had no reason to be disappointed that he despised himself.

Then, what about the emperor, who was listening to all the words said by Hwawoon?

Yihan pushed down his breath, which kept raging up, and fought with all the unknown feelings. Then, when Yihan was about to open his mouth and say cold words in contrast to his feelings,

"Ugh…"

Hwawoon's body swayed slightly forward and a painful moan flowed out from his lips once again. Only then did Yihan realize he was grasping Hwawoon's wrist strongly.

He grasped it strongly to the point Hwawoon's fingertips that were seen outside the sleeve were already pale white. It was clear that a bruise would form behind the sleeve because he was putting such force on his skinny wrist.

Yihan, who was flustered because he didn't realize what he had been doing until then, tried to say something, but Ahjin, who was uneasy when she heard Hwawoon's moan, stepped up faster and bowed in front of Yihan. Then, she spoke with a tearful voice.

"Your, Your Majesty… My master's body is still unwell…! Please calm your anger…!"

Ahjin was crying while begging with her forehead close to bump the ground. If others by chance heard Ahjin's voice, they would likely think Yihan really tried to do something bad to Hwawoon.

"No, no, I…"

Flustered with the unexpected situation, the emperor forgot his dignity and stuttered. He even unconsciously checked the surroundings even though there was no need for him to do that. Yihan took a step back from Hwawoon and finally released his hand.

When his arm, which had barely circulated blood, suddenly loosened and caused a numb pain, Hwawoon momentarily grabbed his wrist and bit his lips, swallowing the pain.

When he saw Hwawoon's blue lips, Yihan clenched his fists. There were a lot of words and actions he wanted to do, but he was at a loss, since there was nothing he could choose.

That was the first time Sung Yihan had been so flustered since he became emperor.

"… I'm going back."

Therefore, the emperor walked back like running away. Instead of asking if he was fine and checking his wrist, instead of muttering poor excuses like I'm not angry with you, Yihan decided to turn his back and ran away to a place Yeon Hwawoon couldn't see.

Yihan thought that was the only way for him to not do an action he would regret there and then.

Yihan, who walked on both feet when he came out as he did when he entered Jeongan Palace, panted like a boy who ran endlessly for a very long time. He couldn't figure out what just happened to himself. His mind was all over the place as if he had entered a cave of a fox that possessed people.

"Your Majesty, are you okay?"

As the emperor stood still, breathing so hard, Eunuch Oh, whose face contorted simultaneously, approached him and asked. Yihan gave no answer, so the eunuch asked again.

"Would you like to climb the palanquin, Your Majesty?"

Those words were a question asking the emperor if he wanted to leave this place. It was no different from asking if he wanted to leave this place and go to other palaces—to other concubines' residences. Yihan was still struggling to catch his breath for no reason and then turned his head, looking at Jeongan Palace, where he had just come back from.

Very slightly, the tip of his toes flinched. Where do I want to go? What do I want to see? Right now, what do I want to do?

Yihan bit his lips at the flooding questions. He thought he couldn't find the good answers for those. He felt the questions kept increasing since he didn't answer them.

Do I want to return to Jeongan Palace? Do I want to go back and see Yeon Hwawoon? Go back and grab his hand again. Pulled him to me again. Then, I, him,

As he thought that far, Yihan desperately bit his lips and tried hard to clear his mind.

No. No way. It's impossible that I want to see Yeon Hwawoon again.

Those were the only answers he could put together. Eunuch Oh, who was still waiting for the emperor, opened his mouth with a slightly lower voice.

"Your Majesty…"

"…"

"You are the greatest person under heaven. All in this palace are yours, and every person in this palace is your person. What is it for you to worry and be afraid about?"

Once again, Yihan clenched his fists hard. Hwawoon's thin wrist filled his grasp. The face that glowed under the moonlight and the voice full of dedication to the emperor.

Then, the eunuch said,

"Just do as you wish, Your Majesty. They will certainly be happy and welcome you."

The eunuch didn't explicitly say who will be happy and welcome him. However, Yihan knew that he was talking about the owner of the palace behind him. Eunuch Oh was someone who served the emperor from the closest and longest. He sometimes knew better what the emperor wanted than he, himself and was also the one who knew the emperor's feelings better.

Hence, Yihan couldn't understand him. How could such a clever person, such a quick-witted person who knew him better than others, say he wanted to stay in Jeongan Palace?

I, but I really don't want to see him.

The emperor walked and climbed the palanquin instead of asking the reason. Eunuch Oh accompanied the emperor's steps and said nothing more. After climbing the palanquin, Yihan's gaze looked at Jeongan Palace once again. That place, which was serenely bathed under the moonlight, looked just like Wolgung Palace (*a palace known to be on the moon in the legend).

"… Let's go to the empress palace."

Then, the emperor gave his order. The eunuch only followed the emperor.

"Ahjin unnie!"

The courtiers of Jeongan Palace, who were gathering in front of Yeonbin's bedroom, rushed as soon as Ahjin came out. Ahjin's face, holding the ointment pot in her hand, was very teary. The girls who wore the same troubled expression hurriedly opened their mouths again.

"Is His Highness fine?"

These days, all the courtiers in Jeongan Palace couldn't hide their curiosity toward their master, so they were busy watching Hwawoon very carefully wherever he went. They were amazed by how their master, who they had been scared of, became very friendly, so they couldn't take their eyes off him. In addition, Hwawoon, who was no longer cranky, was beautiful like a virtuous man from heaven, so it was inevitable for their eyes to stay at him.

For that reason, there were also many courtiers who wandered around and secretly glanced at Yeonbin, who enjoyed the moonlight. Because of that, there were many eyes that had watched what happened with the emperor, and in the middle of the night, Jeongan Palace was in a state of chaos due to a silent disturbance.

As Seoseo approached Ahjin first among them and asked, Ahjin answered by looking down.

"Fine? His wrist is already swollen and looks pale. I think he'll get bruises tomorrow."

The expressions of the court ladies next to Ahjin turned sour after hearing her answer. Once she talked about it, Ahjin, who did not talk more in front of Hwawoon because she was concerned about her master's complicated feelings, felt like continuing to talk in fumes as if she were soaring fever inside.

"Why did His Majesty suddenly do that? His Highness was only enjoying the moonlight. Is that such a big sin that needs His Majesty to come here late at night and hurt our master?"

Indeed, it was a complacent and profane word. After all, no one else was listening anyway, and if Ahjin had to hold herself from saying this, she felt like she would suffer from distress. She had been upset, but how could her master only say all of that was his fault?

The faces of those surrounding Ahjin became darker. Previously, they were always able to understand the emperor who treated their master harshly, but the feelings they faced today,

Yeah, it was certainly different from the past.

"Empress."

Yihan spoke after a very long time. He didn't touch the tea prepared by the empress at all. Jaran, the empress, who knew that the emperor's mood wasn't good from the moment he stepped into the empress palace, only stayed silent and waited until he spoke first. She looked softly at the emperor and answered, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Empress, you…"

Yihan hesitated. In fact, Yihan himself didn't know what he wanted to say. He wanted to pour out the stuffy feelings he felt in his heart, but he couldn't understand what was the feeling he felt. He didn't know how to explain that feeling, so he was at a loss.

Furthermore, he didn't know how many times he looked back on his way from Jeongan Palace to the Empress Palace. Also, how many times did he close his mouth, which was ready to give an order to stop the palanquin?

As if it had become a habit, the emperor clenched his fist to erase the image of Hwawoon under the moonlight that was about to show up clearly again, but Yihan was hardly able to erase his image as if someone had forcibly engraved it in his head.

"Empress, about Yeonbin…"

After hesitating for a while, the emperor spoke to the empress again. Alas, those words didn't end completely again.

The emperor actually wanted to ask the empress about Yeonbin. About how he wanted to change and the strange behavior he did. It was because he wanted to reassure his mind. He hoped someone would tell him that Yeonbin didn't change, couldn't change, and all the behavior he showed recently was false.

"No. Nothing. By the way, you must be tired because I came at a very late time."

Nevertheless, the emperor couldn't ask that. He couldn't bring himself to ask that. It was because Yihan was not ready to accept any answer at this time.

He was afraid the empress wouldn't give the answer he wanted. He wavered if she would ask him to trust Yeonbin because she thought Yeonbin really changed. Yihan didn't want to add a bigger agony to his complicated heart because of Yeonbin.

However, at the same time, Yihan was also afraid in case the empress would agree with him. It was so contradictory to ask such a question and to be afraid of getting the desired answer, but that very contradiction was happening in the emperor's mind now.

'Yeonbin doesn't change at all, and he couldn't change. His figure that he shows to Your Majesty now is merely to deceive you again.' Because the emperor wondered if the empress would say that to him, he couldn't bring up the question he wanted to ask till the end.

"No way, Your Majesty. It is always my greatest pleasure for you to visit the Empress Palace."

Yihan tried to calm his confused mind by looking at the Empress's soft and gentle smile.

For a very short moment, he recalled Hwawoon, who self-mockingly said that being far from the emperor's gaze was his way to help him, but just like what Hwawoon said, that was the treatment he deserved, so the emperor tried hard to disregard that.

He really wanted to stop caring about him. Really.

"Are you staying here because you can't sleep again?"

Late at night, when everyone had already fallen asleep, Domyung, who just returned from his rotation and found his colleague, Seocheon looking at the moon hanging high alone in front of the guard residence, approached him and asked while clicking his tongue. Seocheon gave no answer and only shrugged once. As Domyung said, Seocheon had more nights when he couldn't sleep properly.

Domyung stood in front of Seocheon and sighed, then he said,

"Alright, I know well that you're sad because Hawoon went just like that. Because you two were the closest among us."

When the name Hawoon flowed out from Domyung's lips, Seocheon's expression turned sharp instantly. However, Domyung couldn't see Seocheon's eyes that were covered by the darkness and shadow, and he kept going.

"Do you think we don't feel anything? It's rare to find such a good kid like him… I also feel sad and empty. But what can we do? We need to move on. At least thanks to you, we could take care of his body properly. You have done the best."

"…"

"What I'm saying is… he would never want you to keep missing him and be sad like this every day. I think you know the best, right? That he was a very kind guy who knew nothing but worrying about others."

Seocheon's eyes, which were shining fiercely as if he was ready to grab him by the collar, quickly lost their light when Domyung said that Hawoon would not want him to be like this.

"So stop being sad and go in. I'm going first."

After patting Seocheon's shoulder a few times, Domyung walked past him and entered inside. Seocheon, who was left alone, lifted his head again and looked at the moon that shone brightly far in the sky.

What Domyung said was all true. He and Hawoon were not close friends who knew each other from childhood and only got close to each other as lowly guards after entering the imperial palace.

Although it was sad to see his death, even excessive sadness was no different from a luxury for people like Seocheon, so it was right to forget about those who had already died and live their lives from now on. Seocheon knew that as well. If so, where did the feeling of being lost and shaken by the death of someone he knew for a short time come from?

"Hawoon, it's a moonlight that you will really like."

Seocheon muttered as he recalled when he came out with him in this kind of bright moon and the whispered stories they exchanged while looking up to the sky. Hawoon, who was squatting side by side next to him on the stairs, putting his face on his knee and looking at the night sky with a subtle smile, became a form of longing and was redrawn in front of his eyes.

He liked that expression. He liked seeing Hawoon, who talked about beautiful things with a face that seemed like he was never stained with the dirt of this world despite never having an easy moment in his life. Thus, Seocheon came to like the night sky that he had never been interested in before.

"…"

However, the friend he promised to rely on and spend these nights together with in the future, had disappeared before he knew, and Seocheon remained in such a long life and looked at the night sky alone.

How could life be so cruel to you till the end?

A night full of sadness continued. And Seocheon would not be able to sleep again today.

"Ah…!"

Hwawoon, who couldn't sleep, raised his body and touched his arm strongly without thinking. He burst out a small moan at the numb pain felt from his wrist and laid back on the bed.

Hwawoon, who was worrying if Ahjin would hear his moan, covered his mouth with his hand for a while. He breathed a small sigh of relief and relaxed his nervous body only when there was no sign outside.

Hwawoon smiled quietly without realizing it because he remembered Ahjin's face that looked sad while she held Hwawoon's wrist until he lay down to sleep as if she was the one who was hurt. Soon, he erased the smile from his face and raised his arm to look at the hand that was grasped by the emperor.

The spot where the bruise had already come up blue seemed to get worse tomorrow. While silently looking at that bruise, Hwawoon thought about the emperor he saw today.

"What are you?"

The emperor's question shot through the current Hwawoon very accurately. He had the body of Yeon Hwawoon, but he was not Yeon Hwawoon. He had lived a life named Hawoon, but he had also lost all of Hawoon's life.

Even Hwawoon was confused with his life, so there was no need to say how much confusion the emperor had to see a person who he had seen for years suddenly acted like a completely different person.

"There's no way Yeon Hwawoon can do this. This… you… you can't do this to me."

The emperor's voice sounded very fragile. Like someone who lost their way. Like a frightened boy. Although the emperor held his wrist with a strong force and hurt him, Hwawoon knew that it was not intended to hurt him.

The emperor was only having a hard time. Because of the change that was suddenly shown by the man Yeon Hwawoon.

"It must be because His Majesty is very kind, thus Yeon Hwawoon lost his mind and became obsessed with him…"

Hwawoon's voice spread into the serene room. Hwawoon could not understand most of the terrible things the previous Yeon Hwawoon had done, but the only thing he could understand was that the old Hwawoon really loved the emperor and wished for him to be his only lover.

He must be unable to give up even though he knew that the emperor could not be a lover of one person alone. He must have felt like his heart was torn when he saw the emperor with the other concubines. He must have loathed the world because that person couldn't love him only.

That could never be the consent for all the evil deeds that Yeon Hwawoon had shown, but Hwawoon understood one thing. Regardless of all the reasons, their emperor was so beautiful that they could not help but give their hearts.

Just like Hwawoon at this moment.

Just like how deep in his heart, he wished to receive that person's affection—even in this kind of situation. Even though he thought he shouldn't dare to wish for it when he was engulfed with the serene atmosphere in the night just like now, he looked back on his life, and suddenly thought of his face and endlessly longed for him.

Just like how he brazenly wondered how it would feel to receive warm attention, gentle touches, and soft smiles from that person, Yeon Hwawoon of the past must have been unable to stop his heart from running toward the emperor.

"…"

Hwawoon quickly closed his eyes before his useless thoughts wander further. A human's feelings were so difficult.

"Did Jeongan Palace call the physician last night?"

The emperor asked on his way to do morning assembly in Cheonggeon Hall. Even though he wasn't ordered to find out about that in advance, Eunuch Oh bowed his head and answered without any hint of panic.

"Your Majesty, Jeongan Palace didn't call the physician, and a court lady only visited the physician to ask for an ointment."

"… Seems like it's not that severe, then. I can't believe he whined as something bad will happen to his wrist."

Although he said that, Yihan bit his lips like someone who was nervous about something. The reason was he knew that Hwawoon didn't exaggerate his pain. Yihan was the one who knew better than anyone else how much strength he gave last night while holding Hwawoon's wrist.

It was clear that the thin arm would have had bruises all over because he held the man, who easily turned red and had traces everywhere, outrageously.

"…"

Then, Yihan suddenly felt despondent.

The reason Yihan knew that traces could easily be left on Hwawoon's skin was purely because of the night he spent with Hwawoon in the past.

Now they were completely like this and the days he stayed at Jeongan Palace had come to a distance, but since Hwawoon entered the palace as a concubine in the first place, it was natural for Yihan to sleep with him.

He didn't want to remember those memories because he became disgusted with them, but yesterday's incident made Yihan aware of Hwawoon's body, which left a clear mark everywhere he touched.

He should feel unpleasant about it. It was the right thing for him to be unpleasant about it. On top of that, the last time he visited Hwawoon's bedroom, Yihan became completely tired of Hwawoon's evil acts for ridiculous reasons, and he even left Jeongan Palace in the middle of the night. Therefore, even if the nights in the past came to mind now, Yihan should have only felt unpleasant, and in fact, Yihan was afraid and reluctant to remember the night with him for a while.

However, Yihan recalled Yeon Hwawoon, who endured the small moan even though he was holding his wrist so painfully last night. He then naturally thought about what Hwawoon would look like if he stayed at Jeongan Palace tonight.

He unknowingly imagined Yeon Hwawoon, who lowered his gaze gracefully and struggled to endure all the senses he felt, barely letting out hot breathing sound through his small lips. Then, he pictured Yeon Hwawoon with an attitude he had never shown and a slender gesture, stretching out his thin arms to him, doing his best to accept and handle everything the emperor gave to him.

Yeon Hwawoon in his imagination was Yeon Hwawoon, but at the same time was someone else, not Yeon Hwawoon. That figure was never seen by the emperor, and before, it never suited Hwawoon. However, now Yihan could clearly imagine it as if he had actually seen it just by recalling the recent Hwawoon.

"Fuck…!"

When his thoughts reached that point, vigor somehow filled all over his body and his lower abdomen became stiff, so Yihan was surprised and unintentionally spat out swear words and bit his lips tightly. Surprised, the eunuch quickly asked, "Your Majesty, what's wrong?" But Yihan shook his head violently and only waved his hands, gesturing it was nothing.

I must be crazy. I must have been out of my mind.

It was so ridiculous that Yihan kept scorning himself in his head. He couldn't understand what was going on, even though he had boasted that he would not get caught on Yeon Hwawoon's vain tricks.

As soon as Cheonggeon Hall, where he had to do political affairs with numerous ministers in front of him, began to appear, Yihan took a deep breath and tried to soothe his mind and body. After all, no one knew about what he was thinking, so Yihan only pretended not to feel the incomprehensible desire he had just felt.

"Yeonbin."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After the morning greeting was over, the empress, who ordered everyone to leave except for Yeonbin, stared at Yeonbin sitting in front of her with a polite attitude and bowed his head. Hwawoon's face with his gently lowered eyes evoked many thoughts for Jaran.

Of course, it was not that she didn't know about his great beauty before, but the recent Hwawoon she encountered was clearly— she felt like looking at a completely different person despite the same face. It was not simply because his way to dress up was totally different and how he stayed calm and not caused an uproar.

Previously, she only looked at him as a concubine with a fancy beauty. Of course, she thought that to be unique because he was a man, but she didn't see anything that made him special from others. But Hwawoon in front of her at this time seemed to have become not only beautiful, but also a stronger, upright, and neat person.

At first glance, he didn't seem like a concubine seeking the emperor's favor, but only a little weak-looking, strong-minded, and great-looking nobleman.

It was a very novel and strange feeling, so the empress only watched Hwawoon for a while, trying to imagine the emperor's feelings while facing the same face she was facing now.

The empress knew about the emperor's complicated mind when he visited the empress' palace last night. She also knew where and from whom that complication originated. However, the emperor didn't seem to want to talk more, so she just feigned ignorance.

The empress's position was in charge of the internal palace and to thoroughly look and help the emperor from the closest. That was why today's Empress told Yeonbin to remain. The empress opened her mouth with a soft yet heavy voice.

"I know that you lost all your memories before you fell into the water. But you already know that the relationship between me, and you were not that smooth, right?"

"… Yes, Your Majesty. I deeply reflect on the fact that I treated Your Majesty rudely and arrogantly when I was only a concubine."

While sitting, Yeonbin bowed even deeper. Both of his gestures and voice answering that he was reflecting on himself showed no signs of pretending or being sarcastic to the empress.

Even though the empress had already prepared her heart for that neat, polite attitude, she was flustered and held her armrest tightly. She felt like she could guess how deep the panic and chaos His Majesty faced was.

"Then, I don't need to say anything pretentious, and I'll ask you straightforwardly."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Please ask me."

"Do you have bad thoughts because His Majesty treats you harshly?"

When the empress asked, Yeonbin looked surprised and looked up at the empress. The empress only stared at Yeonbin with a heavy gaze. Taken aback, Yeonbin, blinked his big eyes for a while, then hurriedly got up from his seat and knelt down in front of the empress and said,

"Your Majesty, I already know that I could stay in the position of concubine so far because of His Majesty's and your unlimited grace."

"…"

"So how could I say the admonition His Majesty gives me as a harsh treatment, and how could I dare to have bad thoughts because of it?"

Listening to Yeonbin's answer, which sounded sincere, neither excessive nor insufficient, the empress looked at Yeonbin's skinny body kneeling in front of her. It was such a firm voice that even the empress, who ruled the internal palace and already heard all kinds of lies and excuses from Yeon Hwawoon, could feel no sign of lies.

She wondered if she could believe him— if it was fine for her to trust the one who never changed for a long time.

The empress pondered for a while but soon discarded her thoughts. In fact, whether Yeonbin's answer and behavior were a lie or not, it wasn't important to the empress. If only Yeonbin knew about what's right and wrong and behaved properly according to his status like now, then was there any importance with his sincerity?

"Raise up."

The still heavy voice of the empress rang. When Hwawoon sat back, the empress continued.

"His Majesty…"

"…"

"His Majesty is a strong, brave, and daring person when he leads this nation, but when he treats his people, he is kind, careful, and also tender-hearted."

Hearing the empress's words, Hwawoon recalled the warm moments of the emperor he had. The warmth that he even gave to him—to a lowly person like him.

Then, the empress spoke to Hwawoon while directly sending a very sharp gaze to him.

"I wouldn't intervene whether you sincerely changed or even if you're lying to get His Majesty's heart. It is impossible to completely read someone's heart, so is there any meaning if I keep asking you?"

"…"

"However, Yeonbin."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Don't disappoint His Majesty ever again."

Don't disappoint His Majesty.

Those words weighed down and penetrated into Hwawoon's heart.

"If you're being sincere, then don't change. And if you're lying, then don't get caught. Think of this as your last chance."

The last chance. The last chance for him to stay close to the emperor.

The empress's words telling him not to get caught for Hwawoon, correction, Hawoon, who lived Hwawoon's life, were very heavy words.

"I won't tolerate you if His Majesty is disappointed and hurt because of you ever again. Do you understand?"

The one, who held the sincerity of Hawoon but had no choice but to live a false life as Yeon Hwawoon, soon bowed to the empress.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind."

To not disappoint the emperor; that was also something that Hwawoon desperately wanted.

"You look like you have a complicated thought, Your Majesty."

A court lady of the Empress Palace asked Jaran, who had been in a brown study since earlier. The empress, who finally dismissed her thoughts then, turned her gaze and said,

"Rather than complicated… I only have a lot in my mind."

"Is it because of Yeonbin?"

It was a guess she made since the empress had been in this condition ever since Yeonbin returned. Jaran smiled lightly,

"It is because of Yeonbin… and also because of His Majesty."

"His Majesty…?"

"Yeah. Because… because of His Majesty. Seon, what kind of person do you think His Majesty is?"

Seon, the court lady who was surprised by the words 'because of His Majesty', quickly bowed her back at the sudden question she couldn't deal with.

"Your Majesty, forgive me, but I could not answer that."

"Haha. Yeah, I see. Then I'll answer instead. His Majesty is… a kind person. As you already know, he always respects me, the empress, and he cares for the concubines fairly."

"…"

"However, Seon. In other words, that also means His Majesty is a very heartless person."

The unexpected words from the empress turned Seon's expression stiff. Seon quickly looked around in case there were ears that were hearing, but Jaran continued with a relaxed expression.

"Do you know the reason for His Majesty able to always treat me politely and take care of the concubines fairly?"

"That, that is because His Majesty is a very wise ruler… and…"

Jaran lightly shook her head at the answer given by Seon who was shrinking her shoulders.

"No, that's not it. His Majesty is indeed a good person. However, this is not something that is possible simply because he is a good person."

"Then…"

"It is because His Majesty doesn't know how love feels."

The wind blew the fresh scent of spring. Jaran immediately thought that this year's spring unusually smells good, while saying,

"Because he has no someone special he truly adores, His Majesty could be kind to everyone."

"…"

"Sukbi is selected as the most favored concubine, but that is only because Sukbi's father is a loyal retainer, so he only treats him a bit more. It is not because His Majesty is particularly interested in Sukbi. Has Sukbi ever received excessive treatment from His Majesty?"

Seon shook her head.

"Treats me indifferently because he loves Sukbi?"

"… No."

"Then, are there any big differences in his treatment of Sukbi and Jeongbin in front of watching eyes?"

"No. There's no big difference."

"That is not the emperor's love. I'm saying that it should not be bland like liquor and faint that it could not be grasped like that."

"…"

"The emperor's love… is the same as giving a palace to someone."

Right then, Jaran thought of Jeongan Palace where Yeonbin stayed. That grand and boasting fruit of the confident love, which the predecessor emperor did not hesitate to build for the male concubine he named as his lover.

"Pulled in by one person's smile and can't see another person's tears. Doing things that are hard to understand only for a specific person. Somewhere, only looking at that one person no matter who was there, outright showing he loves that person to everyone. That is the emperor's love."

"…"

"That's why I'm saying His Majesty is heartless. From the reign of the previous emperor until now, such a thing never occurred to His Majesty."

"… Forgive me, Your Majesty. It is hard for me to understand that."

Hearing the empress's words, Seon quickly bowed again and apologized, but the empress, who was smiling gently, only looked beyond the window with a subtle gaze and said nothing.

Yeonbin's face, meek and calm while kneeling in front of her, came to her mind again. The one who made the emperor, who hardly showed his distress in front of her, made a very troubled expression last night. Then, would that person be able to make the emperor make other kinds of expressions?

The only one person who sparked the emperor's wrath that the other concubines never had, now, could he also spark that other particular feeling?

Also, what kind of expression would the person, who reached out his hand kindly but never gave it more than that, make when he desperately craved affection?

Jaran quietly propped her chin. She felt like she had been living so peacefully.

"The people in the northwest region are vigorous as well as rash, and also aggressive. There are always a lot of disturbances happening in the northwest at this time, so take care of that region more."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll take care of it with no sloppiness since this is a matter you ordered specially."

Yihan stared at the one, who bowed and answered him, without any words.

Yeon Juwon.

He was the father of Yeon Hwawoon, the source of all his anguish nowadays.

After the morning assembly ended, Yihan caught him to ask about the management of the northwest region that he instructed him individually. But for some reason, Yihan looked like he still had a lot to say, despite their talk about the matter having ended smoothly.

Juwon, who received the silent gaze from Yihan, then opened his mouth.

"Your Majesty, is there anything else you want to ask me?"

At that time, Yihan was thinking of a big problem inside his mind. He had no other way because the old man, who had little expectations that he would bring it up first, was completely clueless.

"Khm khm. Erm… Did you know that Yeonbin had an accident and was near the brink of death recently?"

Yihan talked about it as nonchalantly as he could. He was being considerate in his own way since he thought it would be difficult for Juwon to start the talk about a concubine even though he was his father. Yihan thought if he started it like that, Juwon would continue the talk himself. However, Juwon's answer escaped Yihan's expectations.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I know about it. I'm ashamed because His Highness Yeonbin could not behave properly and troubled you."

"…"

"…"

"… Is that all?"

"…"

"Even though your son had that accident, is that all you have to say?"

Hearing Juwon's answer, Yihan furrowed his brow and asked back with a dissatisfied voice. Although Yeonbin was the pain in the neck that always caused trouble in this imperial palace, Juwon was his father. What kind of father in this world could be this placid and coldhearted when their son experienced a near-death situation?

While sitting on the throne, Yihan leaned his body forward and glared at Juwon.

"I mean, he is your son, don't you worry about him?"

"Because Your Majesty don't talk more about that, doesn't that mean Yeonbin is safe?"

"I mean, that's true, but…!"

Yihan unknowingly raised his voice, then took a deep breath. Well, it is certain that one's true color will always show through, so I'm sure Yeon Hwawoon's personality isn't good even when he still lived at his parents' home.

Yihan felt like he could understand if Juwon had no affection left for his own son when he always faced that kind of person. He thought that must be the reason he gave that person to the emperor and left.

Still, even so, a son is a son, right?

"… I asked Gyeongsa-bang to take out Yeonbin's nameplate for his frivolous crime."

"…"

"Do you think my decision is harsh?"

Yihan insinuated Juwon once again. He thought that no matter if Yeonbin was a troublesome son in the family, if he was treated badly frankly like this, then as his father, Juwon would have no choice but to be perturbed.

However, Yeon Juwon originally never expressed his feelings honestly, so no matter how furious he was, he would not easily show it to the emperor. Before he could give any answer, Yihan continued to talk again.

"Well… if I think about your position, it is very harsh of me to punish Yeonbin like this…"

"No, Your Majesty."

However, Juwon's answer, which continued as soon as the emperor finished talking, was too far from Yihan's expectations again this time.

Yihan unconsciously opened his eyes wide and stared at Juwon.

"What did you say?"

"How could I intervene when you ruled over your family as you wish, Your Majesty? If Yeonbin has made a fuss and disturbed Your Majesty's mood, of course, he should gladly accept the punishment you give him, so you don't need to mind me."

"Bu-but still…"

"I will only accept your consideration for me and pay it, Your Majesty."

Then, he gave a deep bow, so that Yihan could not say anything else.

Yihan didn't really want to use Yeon Juwon to do something. He really believed so, but when he saw Juwon cut off his son like that, he felt unpleasant for no reason. His lips pouted like a grumpy boy until Juwon left the hall.

"Ahjin."

After returning from the Empress Palace, Hwawoon suddenly halted his steps and called Ahjin before he entered his room. Ahjin made a worried look while answering "Yes, Your Highness," because her master looked somewhat down. Ahjin wondered if it was because of the words he heard in the Empress Palace, but the spoken words were completely different.

"Can you prepare some snacks and… give them to the guards guarding Jeongan Palace when they take turns for them to eat."

"Pardon? To the guards?"

"Yeah. Come to think of it, they must have had a hard time protecting Jeongan Palace, and I feel like I never took care of them."

Ahjin really couldn't really understand the unexpected order from Hwawoon, but this was absolutely natural for Hwawoon.

To begin with, the ministers of this nation didn't welcome the emperor picking guards from civilians. They expected if people whose origin was unknown were selected and put into the imperial palace, and if they were placed in charge of the royal palace's safety to boot, there would definitely be someone who held a wicked intention and made a fuss.

Of course, the real reason behind it must have been that they did not want to create a flaw in the reputation of the imperial palace guards, which were mostly made up of sons of noble families.

Only the emperor's determination proceeded with the work against such opposition from the ministers. The emperor hoped he could give small hope to those who were in despair because they had no future. Although they could not be treated the same as people who were born with it, he hoped that there would be people who would achieve his dream at least once if they wanted it so badly, and hoped that they would be his own people.

In the end, the ministers had no choice but to yield their opinions due to the emperor's stubbornness. Instead, there were conditions such as meticulously checking not only their martial ability but also their personalities, making they could not take charge of major places in the imperial palace, and discriminating them significantly different from the noble sons. For that reason, many of the selected people like Hawoon were in charge of Jeongan Palace.

Because Jeongan Palace was a place that the emperor avoided the most and did not care about.

"Just… Just please do that, Ahjin."

Hwawoon said that with a subtle smile while looking back at Ahjin, who still had a clueless expression.

After he became Yeon Hwawoon, he sometimes saw those guards while he walked around Jeongan Palace. Some of them came into the palace along with Hawoon, used the same official residence, ate together, and talked with him. But now they couldn't recognize Hawoon and Hawoon also couldn't pretend to know them, so even in the midst of struggling to adapt to his sudden situation, Hwawoon felt restless whenever he saw them.

Hwawoon was in a situation where he couldn't even ask about the people closest to him. Perhaps they all quickly forgot Hawoon, but they were a few friends Hawoon had in his life.

"Your Highness."

Recalling the new fact, he felt like a chill wind blew inside his heart, so Hwawoon calmly closed his eyes. Right then, Ahjin called Hwawoon with a heavier tone. When Hwawoon turned his head and looked at her, Ahjin said,

"Your highness, you're my master, and I'm your slave."

"… why so sudden…"

"A master doesn't ask a favor to their servants, Your Highness. If you want me to do something, you just need to order me."

Only then did Hwawoon let out a small exclamation. It seemed like she said that because he might have said 'please' when he asked her to give some snacks to the guards earlier. When Hwawoon looked at her with a blank face, Ahjin soon continued to talk with slightly sad eyes like a person who was hurt.

"How could a precious person like Your Highness easily say 'please' to someone like me…"

That's right. Ahjin really looked like she was upset. The person, who used to busily apologize while bowing her head just when Hwawoon called her name, looked so sad when Hwawoon said 'please' to her.

Looking at Ahjin's face, Hwawoon felt the thoughts that had made him feel lonely gradually cleared up. This time, Hwawoon opened his mouth.

"Ahjin."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You might never know about this, but… you gave me something very precious to me."

For Hwawoon, Ahjin was like a world he saved while he fought against the guilt that he was taking away someone's life every day. Now, when he saw Ahjin smiling and talking without hesitation in front of himself, he felt like he was facing the reason he lived this life instead.

Even if someone swore at Hwawoon for being selfish after learning the truth, even if they labeled him as a brazen person, who took other people's place to survive his life, Hwawoon felt he could say he was able to make at least one person happy in this world.

"I guarantee you. Ahjin, you should get more precious treatment from me than now."

Those words were the reason Ahjin burst into tears in the middle of the courtyard in Jeongan Palace.

"What a tactless old man…"

After spending time looking at the nameplates presented by Gyeongsa-bang, Yihan suddenly grumbled with an irritated expression. No matter how many times he looked through the nameplates in front of him, he just felt uncomfortable and didn't like it, so he got irritated for no reason.

"For-forgive me, Your Majesty…!"

Even though Officer Wi didn't know the reason, he bowed because the emperor said grumpy words. Then, the emperor glared at the top of Officer Wi's head for no reason and spoke again.

"People said like father like son, it's really like them. No matter how bad his son is, did he think I would ignore him if he begged me to forgive his son?"

The unexpected words led Officer Wi to lift his head and when he tried to give a reply, he saw Eunuch Oh slowly shake his head after letting out a fake cough. Officer Wi then hurriedly closed his mouth again. He felt like something he didn't know had happened.

"Anyway, there's really nothing likable from that father-son."

"… Please calm down, Your Majesty. Lord Yeon must have been ashamed to ask that in front of you."

"That's why I kindly, generously brought up the topic first. But he even rejected that?"

"…"

"Did he think I wanted to forgive Yeonbin, huh?"

Still staring at the line of nameplates, Yihan murmured in a somewhat relaxed voice than before. In fact, Yihan had been in this state since he had an audience with Yeon Juwon this morning, so Officer Wi was the only one anxious, and Eunuch Oh standing next to them looked calm.

"He didn't even realize that I made a big decision to give him a chance because of his position…"

Somehow, Yihan's expression seemed to be sullen rather than angry the more he spoke, but Yihan, who kept glaring at the innocent nameplates with a sad expression, seemed to not even know that he was doing so. Yihan, who stayed to look at the nameplates for a long time, soon shook his hand at Officer Wi as if he was too lazy to choose anything.

The officer, who quickly walked out while wondering if another problem had occurred again, let out a long sigh and asked Eunuch Oh after Eunuch Oh followed after him.

"I can't understand anything His Majesty said. What happened?"

"How can people like us know what's on His Majesty's mind? But, what can I advise you is…"

A piece of advice from the eunuch who serves His Majesty closest? Officer Wi cocked up his ears wide to listen to the eunuch. Then, Eunuch Oh said,

"Wipe His Highness Yeonbin's nameplate nicely."

"His Highness Yeonbin's… nameplate?"

"It will be used soon."

Officer Wi's eyes were wide open as if he had heard that the sun would rise from the west tomorrow, but Eunuch Oh only nodded once with a relaxed face and went back inside. Only Officer Wi, who was left behind, kept thinking of the implausible words for a long time.

"What on earth is he planning to…"

Sukbi, Hyun Biyoung muttered while tapping the table with her finger, unusually showing her nervousness. She had already been told that His Majesty was going to stay in Anjeong Palace today, but apart from that, it was a night where she seemed not to be able to sleep. In fact, Biyoung had been in this state since the day Yeonbin gave his first morning greeting after his accident.

"Myeongju."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"What do you think about Yeonbin?"

Biyoung, who had been thinking hard alone for a long time, soon asked the court lady who was standing next to her. Myeongju, who rolled her eyes once, soon answered.

"You know Yeonbin's bad temper better than anyone else, Your Highness. From my perspective, it seems clear that he is acting because His Majesty is not thinking of looking for him again."

"Yeah. That must be it… There's no way he will change in a short time like this…"

Listening to Myeongju, whose opinion was not much different from hers, Biyoung nodded once again, but strangely, she didn't take this problem for granted.

If she had not faced it, then she would let it pass while asking what kind of nonsense that was. If she hadn't met Yeonbin in person, then could she imagine Yeon Hwawoon speaking with courtesy obediently?

Even when she heard him bow in front of the emperor, saying he wanted to be a loyal person to His Majesty, Biyoung might have thought of Yeonbin crying and begging unsightly, but never imagined a polite and elegant appearance as he showed in front of the Empress.

However, Biyoung saw Yeonbin right in front of her eyes. She clearly saw with her own eyes that he didn't do anything evil, and he didn't put on a detestable show—crying or complaining that he was unfair. He just calmly said what he had to say and listened to what he had to hear.

No matter how much she pondered and thought about it, she thought there must be something she missed, so this morning she persistently observed Yeonbin even when he was inhaling and exhaling. She spitted out words that agitated him before stealing a glance, but Yeonbin didn't even stare at Biyoung.

The Yeonbin that Biyoung had seen so far had only a vicious appearance while spitting insulting words, so it was the first time she saw Yeonbin's neat expression at the Empress' Palace—yesterday and today.

She wondered why Yeonbin's face, which she thought she knew so well, felt unfamiliar and strangely kept coming to mind. She wondered if the reason she kept remembering the face, whose beauty she forgot because she hated him so much, was because of the clean and neat face looking down that she saw yesterday and today was too unfamiliar.

"Forget it. His Majesty won't come today so we, too, shall take a rest now."

Because it was not a question that could be answered at this time, no matter how much she thought about it, Biyoung soon dispersed Yeonbin's face filled her thoughts, and moved her body. His Majesty was still staying away from Yeonbin anyway, and based on Yeonbin's patience, he would soon trigger His Majesty's coldness, so there was no need to think deeper.

Biyong tried to get rid of things that kept bothering her and decided to think that way.

"Stop!"

Eunuch Oh, who was walking next to the emperor's palanquin, quickly raised his voice to stop the palanquin the moment he saw the emperor raise his hand. The emperor, who was doing political affairs in Anjeong Palace, said he would go to Jeongbin's place for a drink, so the emperor's palanquin was on the way to Joengbin's residence, but the place he stopped now was a crossroad to Jeongan Palace.

After stopping the palanquin, Yihan turned his head silently for a while and only stared at the road. Yihan, who appeared to be silent on the outside, was actually suffering tremendous anguish inside.

A desire to go into Jeongan Palace like this and get angry by seeing that shameless face although he didn't know the reason why he wanted to get angry and a desire to just pass by while pretending to have no interest were fighting passionately. In fact, Yihan was annoyed and didn't feel good just because he was in such anguish.

It was because, whether he would go to Jeongan Palace or pass by boastfully, there was still an abnormal interest in Yeon Hwawoon.

Until recently, Yihan could ignore Hwawoon as much as he wanted. He could not think of him. Even though he would get angry whenever he saw him, when he turned around and did other things, he would never think of the existence of Yeon Hwawoon for a single moment.

Then, what about Yihan now? Except for when he was concentrating on his work, he had been thinking about Yeon Hwawoon all day. Even on his way to another concubine's place, he couldn't shake off that thought, so he was standing on the road. To be very honest, Yihan was even suspicious of whether he really wanted to go to Jeongbin's place.

But the biggest problem was that Yihan himself didn't know what he wanted to do. He couldn't help but get annoyed because he kept solving questions that had no answer. The emperor's hand holding the armrest kept flinching.

Soon, the emperor said,

"I will go to Jeongan Palace for a moment before going to Jeongbin."

"To Jeongan Palace!"

Eunuch Oh's voice sounded very natural as if he was going to say that from the start.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Ahjin, who was preparing to quickly give out sweet candy while watching Hwawoon drink bitter medicine, suddenly saw Seoseo running into the room and opened her mouth while frowning.

"Why are you making such a fuss at night?! You surprised His Highness!"

"Gasp…! Your Highness, for-forgive me…! Were you surprised?"

Looking at Seoseo, who hurriedly rushed in but quickly looked down when Ahjin scolded her, Hwawoon relaxed the knit on his brows due to the bitter medicine and smiled lightly. "No, I'm fine." Regardless of that, Ahjin straightly put the candy on Hwawoon's mouth then looked back at Seoseo and asked,

"So, what's going on?"

"Ah! That, Your Highness…! Hi-His Majesty is on his way to Jeongan Palace!"

Hearing that, Hwawoon said "What?!" with an unusually high voice. Was it only Hwawoon? Even Ahjin almost dropped the empty medicine bowl Hwawoon handed her. Due to the unexpected situation, the three people were completely frozen and only blankly stared at each other's eyes for a while.

Even so, Seoseo, who had already been surprised and made a fuss outside, held Ahjin's arm and swayed it, raising her voice.

"Ahjin unnie! I'm telling you His Majesty is coming!"

"Ah… ah! His, His Majesty yea… yeah… fir-first, you go to the kitchen and tell them to prepare the snacks. Hurry up!"

"Yes! Understood!"

As Seoseo ran outside again, with a faster step than when she jumped inside, Ahjin hurried to the front of the dresser and looked at the ornaments. Fortunately, Hwawoon hasn't changed his clothes yet, but she couldn't decorate him right away because he had all the ornaments off so that he could rest comfortably.

Ahjin, who was agonizing for a very short time, soon took a hair tie out of the drawer and stood behind Hwawoon, who was still frozen. With a quick touch, she took only half of Hwawoon' hair from the front and tied it in the back, before hiding her nervous voice and opening her mouth.

"Your Highness, are you okay?"

"Hu-huh?"

Nevertheless, Hwawoon still only blinked with a blank expression despite Ahjin's question. He had encountered the emperor several times, but from Hwawoon's point of view, all of those were unexpected situations, and this was the first time that he had known beforehand and had to wait for the emperor to visit Jeongan Palace after Hwawoon woke up.

In addition, Hwawoon didn't know the reason why the emperor was coming to Jeongan Palace at this time. He couldn't even guess. He quickly tried to remember all his activities today, but except for giving a morning greeting to the Empress, he never walked out of Jeongan Palace, so he couldn't understand why the emperor suddenly looked for him at all.

"Your Highness…! Take a deep breath!"

It was Ahjin's voice while she stroked Hwawoon's back that brought Hwawoon back to reality. Hwawoon finally realized that he was panting. Ahjin continued to stroke Hwawoon's back and arm, and said,

"It's fine, Your Highness. It's only His Majesty visiting."

Hwawoon slowly breathed in line with Ahjin's comforting touch. Once he took a deep breath, he felt his mind come back. Yeon Hwawoon's body was excessively sensitive and weak that sometimes he felt so unfamiliar with the senses he had now.

"Thank you, Ahjin."

Hwawoon tried to relax his expression and smiled at Ahjin, then took a deep breath once again. Ahjin's right. It is only His Majesty visiting, and it is not a bad thing since I could see His Majesty's face. Hwawoon thought so and slowly rose up to welcome the emperor.

Every step as he went outside reminded him of the days he had encountered the emperor. From the day he first saw the emperor as Hawoon to the last night. He had much more difficult memories than good memories. However, the emperor's cold appearance was actually not for Hawoon, but for Yeon Hwawoon, so in fact, Hawoon only ever had all the good hearts of the emperor.

For Hawoon, the emperor was the one who led his life and gave a meaning to his death.

Therefore, humans always seemed to be so brazenly trying to keep only good things for themselves. When Hwawoon just came out to the courtyard with such thoughts and stood looking at the way the emperor would walk in,

"Here comes His Majesty the Emperor!"

Along with a loud voice that cut through the night, he saw the emperor, Yihan.

Before entering Jeongan Palace, Yihan subconsciously took a deep breath. It was not like it was his first time coming to Jeongan Palace. It was a palace he had been in and out of countless times in the past, so it was a wonder why he was nervous and awkward today as if it was his first time here.

He walked slowly, treading the air of a spring night. One step, then another step. The sensation of walking that felt particularly heavy filled his whole body. Didn't he think this place was like Wolgung Palace when he looked at Jeongan Palace last time? Now Yihan felt like he was walking on the path to the moon so he repeatedly clenched and relaxed his fists.

The emotion Yihan felt from when he was on the palanquin until he came to Jeongan Palace was closer to anger—although he didn't know the reason. He couldn't tell why he kept being bothered and angry, but Yihan felt annoyed while thinking of Hwawoon throughout the ride to Jeongan Palace.

However, strangely, when he got off the palanquin as he arrived at Jeongan Palace, the irritation and anger he felt on his way here disappeared and only the strange beat remained in his heart. An alien feeling, which he never felt even when his life was endangered, rose to the throne and took care of the nation as the emperor, filled his heart.

He was afraid of that and thought of turning back his body right away, but Yihan couldn't stop his steps.

"…"

Just like that, Yihan reached the courtyard in front of the place where Yeonbin, Yeon Hwawoon, was staying and saw him there.

On a spring night, under the moonlight of spring, at the end of the road, which was like a path to the moon, Yeon Hwawoon stood there waiting for him.

He stopped walking and held his breath once, then exhaled. He didn't even run, but strangely he was short of breath, so he took a deep breath this time and exhaled. Even so, he couldn't stop the abnormal beating of his heart.

Yihan's toes flinched. He tried to take another step, but strangely, he couldn't move his body easily. A huge invisible wall seemed to block him, and he didn't want to move forward himself. It was as if all the senses in his entire body were screaming to warn him.

If you take a step, you won't be able to go back. If you cross this line, it won't be easy to get out again. Something like that.

It was ridiculous and absurd. What's the big deal with that? The emperor could come in and out of Jeongan Palace as much as he wanted, and he could see Yeon Hwawoon and stop as he liked, so there was no reason for Yihan to fear going a few steps further and facing Hwawoon.

Therefore, Yihan continued his paused steps. I just need to turn back and leave if I don't want to. I just need to not look for him if I don't want to see him. He kept repeating that to himself. He didn't know if he really wasn't afraid; he didn't need to keep repeating that. He really had no clue.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

As Yihan approached, Hwawoon, who was waiting in front of the stairs, bent his knees and greeted him. The last time Hwawoon greeted him like this, Yihan left him kneeling on the floor and mocked and insulted him. Ignoring the memories of that day that suddenly appeared, Yihan opened his mouth.

"Get up."

Hwawoon's shoulders trembled instantly as he heard his voice, as though Yihan wasn't the only one who recalled the memory. However, Hwawoon soon raised his body as if nothing had happened, and spoke with his head down—without making eye contact with Yihan.

"What brings you here tonight, Your Majesty?"

"Why? Did I come to a place I can't go to?"

Without even realizing it, a cold voice popped out. At that time, Yihan was quite surprised inside because he didn't mean to speak like that. However, the relationship between the emperor and Yeonbin was always like this, and he didn't want to make excuses, so Yihan looked around and feigned indifference. Then, Hwawoon continued:

"There's no such thing, Your Majesty. I was just worried that there's something wrong."

"Nothing wrong…"

"Do you want to… go inside…"

When he asked if he would come inside, Hwawoon's voice trembled subtly. In fact, Hwawoon was shaking his whole body from the moment he looked at the emperor from afar. His legs kept shaking and his voice trembled despite his effort to stay nonchalant.

He was afraid that the emperor would really go inside like this, and at the same time, he was also afraid that he would turn around and go back. Hwawoon couldn't tell what he really wanted.

It was the same for the emperor. He didn't know whether he wanted to go inside or not- whether he wanted to go back or not. There was nothing clear.

So Yihan looked at Hwawoon silently for a moment, wanting to know what he really wanted from this person now. He thought they were in a relationship that could never be restored, but he really wanted to know what was so great and special about him acting calm, like now, that made him anguish like this.

Yihan continued to look at Hwawoon standing in front of himself. Even so, he couldn't get any answers, so he moved his body again and stepped into Hwawoon's residence without replying to him.

Yihan wanted to find the answer to all this confusion, and he couldn't get anything just by running away. Yihan really wanted to escape from these difficult and unknown emotions from Yeon Hwawoon.

Yihan and Hwawoon, who sat facing each other, said nothing even when Ahjin had put simple snacks on the table. Yihan was staring around the room with a firm expression as if he didn't like everything that happened in the world, and Hwawoon just shut his mouth together because he didn't know if he could initiate talking to him or what to say if he talked to him.

Of course, Hwawoon couldn't know that Yihan was angry inside, is he shutting his mouth because I don't talk to him, so he doesn't talk to me either?

At that time, there was something that caught Yihan's eyes when he was staring at Hwawoon's face with a very grumpy expression. One cheek of Hwawoon was slightly protruding.

Yihan suddenly opened his mouth without realizing it, forgetting that he was determined to not talk to him first.

"Why is your cheek like that?"

Hwawoon looked up at the emperor with an expression of not knowing what the emperor was asking for and soon opened his eyes wide, very embarrassed.

Hwawoon had been having the candy that Ahjin put in his mouth after taking the medicine a while ago.

He was so surprised and flustered that he forgot to spit it out when he suddenly heard the emperor was visiting. Then, when he walked out and saw the emperor walking into Jeongan Palace, he was so nervous that he didn't realize he was still holding a candy in his mouth. Hwawoon was really dumbfounded.

When Hwawoon hurriedly looked at Ahjin, who had stepped back after setting the food, Ahjin finally realized the situation, then hurriedly took a handkerchief out of her sleeve and approached Hwawoon. Hwawoon hurriedly turned around so the emperor couldn't see and spat candy out to the handkerchief. Then, he knelt in front of the emperor.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I drank medicine a while ago, but I was so perplexed about your visit that I hadn't spit out the candy I ate because the medicine was bitter."

"Gee…"

At Hwawoon's words, Yihan clicked his tongue and looked down at Hwawoon with a baffled expression. He couldn't believe that the almighty Yeon Hwawoon forgot to spit out candy because he was so surprised by the news he was coming. It was rather believable if he forgot to do it after jumping up and down because he was very happy with the news.

"I got it so get up and sit."

However, instead of criticizing him, Yihan first ordered that. He didn't want to keep someone who just drank a medicine kneeling down for a long time. Hwawoon said thank you and got up, and then Yihan looked at his face again—examining his expression.

He wondered if this was all planned out because Yeon Hwawoon's cheeks, which bulged a little because of the candy—that thing—looked a little cute in a way that he would never have felt before while looking at Hwawoon.

Then Yihan hurriedly shook off the idea by himself. Cute? The fact that he thought Yeon Hwawoon was cute made his spine chill as if he had put together words that should never be said in a row. No, it doesn't make sense. I can't fall into Hwawoon's tricks like this. Yihan tried to keep his mind alert while making such a determination and spoke to Hwawoon.

"What kind of medicine was that?"

However, despite making that determination, Yihan brought it up and at the same time, he wanted to close his mouth again. This was because he had no intention of asking Hwawoon such a thing.

Well, he actually thought about it. Whether the medicine he took was the medicine he always took, whether he took it because his body had not been fully recovered from drowning, or if it was because he hurt him last time. Some thoughts like that. He was a bit—really just a bit—curious about that.

Thus, Yihan swore he did not mean to say it out loud and ask Yeon Hwawoon. Yihan knew so well that if he said a word, Hwawoon would inflate it by a thousand times and thought it had tremendous meaning. Yihan really couldn't tell why his thoughts suddenly jumped out of his mouth.