The Hated Male Concubine

Regardless of the result, Hwawoon had already fallen once into the pond in Jeongan Palace and almost lost his life. Hwawoon changed after the incident, so it was ambiguous to say that it was a bad thing for the people of Jeongan Palace. However, Ahjin, who served the changed Hwawoon, thought that there was nothing bad about being careful around the pond where he had once fallen into. She felt uneasy about Hwawoon getting close to such a dangerous place.

It was disturbing to see him standing so close to the pond and feeding the fish, but there was something else that disturbed Ahjin. Ahjin really didn’t like Sojeong, who still hadn’t gotten rid of his awkwardness near her master, but somehow stayed close to him as if he were a great confidant. Ahjin was actually the first one to take care of and help the children who came to Jeongan Palace, but she had no idea why she was unsatisfied with Sojeong. 

In the end, it was understandable as what Hwawoon had said. Although there had been many people in the Imperial Palace who believed that Hwawoon had changed, it was natural that some people were still afraid of him because the period of notoriety had been so long. Like herself and all the girls in Jeongan Palace, she knew that Sojeong would also change after spending a little more time at Jeongan Palace and seeing Hwawoon closely. 

Nevertheless, it was really a curious thing that she kept getting vexed when she saw Sojeong staying around next to her master because he was the head eunuch.

“Let’s hang around for a while longer.” 

Hwawoon replied, still paying attention to the fish in the pond while Ahjin’s thoughts deepened. Hwawoon’s eyes sparkled as he looked at the red and white silk carp swimming around. Ahjin asked again. 

“Do you like looking at fish?” 

“Well… I feel good looking at them like this.” 

Hwawoon answered with a gentle smile. He actually liked animals. Even when he lived as Hawoon, he always took care of street cats and dogs as much as he could. Ever since he came to the Imperial Palace, he had always been a little disappointed that there were no animals to take care of and pamper. But even if he couldn’t touch it with his hands or hold it in his arms, seeing the fish swimming around freely seemed to soothe his disappointment. 

Ahjin, who liked anything that made her master happy, opened her mouth because she thought that she should let her master watch it more comfortably. 

“Then, Your—!”

“Then, Your Highness, would you like me to set up a chair?” 

Alas, Ahjin couldn’t finish her sentence properly. This was because Sojeong intervened and uttered what Ahjin was going to say first. Ahjin’s eyebrows slanted up.

“Why are you interrupting me and saying what I’m going to say?” 

Ahjin was so annoyed that she forgot about her master and raised her voice. Surprised by the sharp voice, Sojeong hurriedly cowered himself and took a step back. Likewise, the surprised Hwawoon grabbed Ahjin’s sleeve and said. 

“Ahjin, why are you getting angry?” 

“No, it’s not that, Your Highness…! What I mean is… is… I’m sorry, Your Highness…”

It was definitely wrong to raise her voice next to her master, so Ahjin bowed to Hwawoon first. The sadness came out of her heart. 

“I was going to ask if you would like it if I prepared a chair, but Sojeong took away that chance and without realizing it…” 

“Were you?” 

Ahjin replied while thinking that she would be criticized for getting angry for nothing. That she made a fuss over something trivial that didn’t matter whoever asked it. However, Hwawoon didn’t say that. Rather, he only answered in a gentle voice as if he understood Ahjin’s mind. While Ahjin was surprised, Hwawoon looked at Sojeong and continued to talk.

“Sojeong. Ahjin has been taking care of me alone for so long, so don’t take it too personally.” 

“Yes. Of course, Your Highness.”

Hwawoon’s voice toward Sojeong was also soft, but at that moment, Ahjin felt that all of Hwawoon’s kindness was directed toward her. He was speaking on her behalf to Sojeong, whom she raised her voice to for no reason. Feeling that her mood turned good like a lie, Ahjin spoke to Sojeong.

“Well, yes. It’s not because I have bad feelings, but because I… I’m not used to it yet.”

After saying that, her thoughts seemed to clear up a little. As Hwawoon said, she had been serving Hwawoon alone for too long. She was the closest courtier and always took care of Hwawoon alone even after he changed. That was why she felt awkward with the sudden appearance of the head eunuch. Ahjin, who coughed once, said to Sojeong in a softer voice than before. 

“Now, go ahead and get a chair for His Highness to sit on.” 

Sojeong turned around once Ahjin finished talking. However, Sojeong had no choice but to stand tall only after taking a few steps. 

“Your-Your Highness…”

Sojeong’s nervous voice called for Hwawoon.

“What else…?!” 

Turning her head along with Hwawoon, Ahjin suddenly stopped her muttering like how Sojeong had frozen a while ago. At the same time, Hwawoon unknowingly clenched his fists in his sleeves and bit his lips.

Before their eyes stood the emperor, Sung Yihan, who had not been seen for days. 

***

Yihan was looking down at Hwawoon, who kneeled in front of him. He knew in his head that he should raise him up quickly so that he wouldn’t kneel on the cold floor longer because he was a weak person, but strangely, he couldn’t say anything. 

It was because this didn’t feel real to him. He couldn’t believe that Yeon Hwawoon was in front of him right now. No matter how many times he thought about it, he couldn’t think this was a feeling that he would feel just because he hadn’t seen him for only a few days. The figure of Yeon Hwawoon, who greeted him gently, was like a wave, so it didn’t seem realistic at all. 

“Your Majesty.” 

Yihan finally came to his senses after Eunuch Oh gave him a signal. Yihan looked at Hwawoon, who looked as if he had no dissatisfaction with the emperor who kept him kneeling for no reason, took a deep breath, and reached out his hand to him. 

At that moment, he remembered his father, who always held out his hand toward his beloved concubine and raised her up carefully. His heart sank. However, Yihan couldn’t bear to pull back his stretched-out hand. It was because Hwawoon’s eyes had already reached his fingertips. 

Hwawoon, who was looking at the emperor’s hand with trembling eyes, soon reached out his hand in a very careful movement. Yihan looked at the small hand landing on his hand like fluttering petals, holding his breath.

Yihan didn’t like how his father reached out to a concubine every time as if he was welcoming a lifelong lover. His father’s hand had never been held out so affectionately to his mother. Thus, Yihan lived his life with a determination to never give such special affection to any concubine. 

But at this moment, a concubine. A man. The one who was no more than a concubine who had been hated for a very long time. 

He grabbed the hand reached out by the emperor and raised himself. Yeon Hwawoon stood in front of Yihan. He seemed to be trying to hide his blushing cheeks but clearly showed that he was welcoming the emperor. 

Therefore, instead of feeling regret, Sung Yihan thought that he was lovely. He didn’t feel ashamed about following his father, who he promised never to resemble when he was young. He also didn’t regret for not backing down and doing this. Yihan thought that Yeon Hwawoon, who gently lowered his head and was only biting his lips because he didn’t know what to do with his hand which was still being held by the emperor, was lovely. He didn’t even want to let go of Hwawoon’s little hand. 

Eunuch Oh, who was behind the emperor, beckoned quietly to the subordinates around them to step back, then he followed as well. Hoping that either way, this meeting would make the emperor’s mind eased up, Eunuch Oh gave a glance at the man who looked more vulnerable than any other figure he had ever seen in this imperial palace. 

“Your Majesty, hand…”

“Were you looking at the pond?” 

Hwawoon opened his mouth to tell the emperor about his hand because he seemed to forget that he was still holding it, but Yihan interrupted him as if he didn’t want to hear it. Hwawoon nodded his head, trying not to wriggle his fingers in the emperor’s hand. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. I was watching the fish swim.” 

“You didn’t think of anything else?” 

“What do you mean by anything else…”

“… No. It’s nothing.” 

Yihan shook his head with an awkward face at Hwawoon’s question. At the same time, he pulled the grabbed hand slightly, making Hwawoon stand a little closer to him, and turned around to look at the pond that Hwawoon was looking at until a while ago. 

The reason why he asked him if he had any other thoughts was that this was “that pond.” A pond in Jeongan Palace. The very place where Yeon Hwawoon almost lost his life. Which turned Yeon Hwawoon into a completely different person.