The Hated Male Concubine

“Your Highness, His Majesty must have really cared about you…!” 

Seojeong Palace, the place where Hwawoon would stay in Myeonghawon, was the closest palace to Jungcheon Palace where the emperor would stay beside the Empress Palace. The interior was meticulously and carefully decorated, making it didn’t look like a palace that had been empty for a year. When Ahjin quietly turned the pinwheel placed in the inner room, a gentle scent spread with a cool breeze. Officer Jung of the Department of Internal Affairs, who guided Hwawoon to the palace himself, smiled proudly and opened his mouth.

“There was an order from His Majesty to pay particular attention to your residence.”

“Really?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It would be much cooler if you put ice here, but His Majesty also told me not to put it too close to you because you are weak.” 

Ahjin’s expression changed as Officer Jung continued. Although Hwawoon couldn’t remember, the courtiers of Jeongan Palace didn’t like coming to Myeonghawon for summer vacation. The refreshing Myeonghawon must have been a paradise-like place for others because water flowed throughout the palace, but because of their owner, who was like an uninvited guest, the courtiers of Jeongan Palace were always intimidated and stayed at the palace in the corner like parasites. 

Yeonbin’s place, without the splendid dignity of Jeongan Palace itself, was literally like a cold palace, and Yeonbin always became more brutal due to the irritation caused by the hot weather, so it was just like hell. 

Ahjin turned her head and glanced at the figures of courtiers lining the garden. They were still standing straight because there was no order from their master, but the faces looking around looked excited as if they were out on an outing.

“Thank you for your care, Officer Jung. I will thank His Majesty in private.” 

“Yes, Your Highness. I’ll leave now.” 

As soon as Officer Jung left, Hwawoon examined the inside of Seojeong Palace, which he had not been able to look through in detail because there was Officer Jung. In terms of size and splendor, it couldn’t be compared to Jeongan Palace, but the neat and clean room suited Hwawoon’s taste. Besides, it was close to Jungcheon Palace. In the past, Yeonbin always received the furthest palace, but Hwawoon, who had already heard from Ahjin that the Emperor seemed to really care about him now, had to sweep his chest with both hands. 

Hwawoon’s gaze as he looked around the room stopped at the vase by the window. The ones who put the flowers were likely those sent from the Department of Internal Affairs, but in Hwawoon’s eyes, it looked like the Emperor was the one who put the flowers. It wasn’t just the flowers. To Hwawoon, everything filling this Seojeong Palace seemed to have been given by the Emperor himself. It wasn’t wrong in particular, since the Emperor himself gave Hwawoon a palace he had never stayed in before.

Suddenly, he couldn’t help but miss the Emperor. Hwawoon had not met the emperor since the last day when he was unable to distinguish between dream and reality. This was because Hwawoon had to focus on his recuperation before moving to the second palace, and the emperor had a busy time dealing with his work. Of course, they did not cut off communication completely. Several times a day, the emperor and Hwawoon would send letters back and forth between their palaces. It was something that always made his heart tickle, but it was not as much as talking face-to-face.

Hwawoon’s hand carefully touched the petals. Once he thought of the emperor, he couldn’t get rid of the thoughts that filled his head. How is his condition? I hope he’s not skipping sleep to take care of political affairs. It was always mentioned in the letters that he was healthy, but Hwawoon could never believe it. As he was trying to push down the desire to run to Jungcheon Palace right away, he felt Ahjin’s presence behind him. Hwawoon said. 

“When can I go to see His Majesty?” 

The Emperor must be busy because he just arrived at Myeonghawon. He might not have time today. Hwawoon wondered if this was what being fidgety felt like. He had an embarrassing dream and couldn’t bring himself to see the Emperor’s face, but now he didn’t care about such things anymore. Hwawoon had been longing for the Emperor ever since he first met him, but strangely, the recent longing seemed to be subtly different. Hwawoon, who was anxious for no reason, asked Ahjin again since she gave him no answer. 

“Huh? Ahjin. When will it be okay for me to go?” 

“Can’t you just see him now?” 

Just then, a voice that he wanted to hear so much came over his shoulder. When he turned his head in surprise, Yihan, with a somewhat bashful face, stood there. Hwawoon had no idea when Ahjin left. There was no one left in the room except the Emperor and Hwawoon. 

“Why is Your Majesty…!” 

“Why? Have I come to a place I can’t get to?” 

“No. It’s not that, but… Oh… Greetings, Your Majesty…!”

Flustered, Hwawoon rolled his eyes around and then he tried to put down one of his knees to give his greetings. However, Yihan held Hwawoon’s arm so that he could not kneel. Yihan said, facing Hwawoon who looked up in surprise. 

“You’re weak, so don’t kneel.”

“But…” 

“In the future, when there are only two of us, you don’t have to greet me on your knees.”

“But, Your Majesty…” 

“No buts. I told you not to.”

He was surely giving an order as an emperor, but for some reason, he had a face and voice of a young boy complaining. Finding it cute, Hwawoon forgot that he was just surprised and burst into a light laugh. Yihan lost his words as he saw the smile spreading on the beautiful face. He felt that his heart, which was stuffy until he came here, was relieved at once. 

Although he was busy, he could spare enough time to stop by Jeongan Palace if he made up his mind. If he couldn’t spare time at all, he could just call Hwawoon to Cheonggeon Hall or Anjeong Palace. Nevertheless, Yihan only sent a few letters regularly and did not face him because he was shy about what happened the last time.

Anyone would laugh at that. What was there for an emperor of a nation, who lived with several concubines as well as the empress, to be embarrassed about just because he kissed one of his concubines? Yihan’s ordinary and familiar things become strangely twisted and unusual whenever it was related to Yeon Hwawoon.

“Erm… Your Majesty.” 

Hwawoon, who stopped laughing in the meantime, opened his mouth again with a subtle smile. Yihan made eye contact with him to show that he was listening, and gently led Hwawoon to sit down at the table in front of him by the arms he was holding. He did it out of worries that it would put too much burden on Hwawoon’s body if he stood for a long time on a hot day. Hwawoon, who walked slowly and sat down as Yihan led, said.

“I heard you have given me permission to stay in this palace.” 

“Well… That’s…Ahem khm. Yes.” 

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This palace is so beautiful and I like it.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

Yihan briefly smacked his lips, looking at Hwawoon’s face as he seemed genuinely happy. In Yihan’s opinion, there must be something more important than the beauty of the palace, but because Hwawoon didn’t say it, he felt sad for no reason.

The beauty of this palace has no significant meaning. It is the location of this palace.

Of course, Yihan could not say those out his mouth because the dignity of the emperor was very important. 

“By the way…” 

Besides, there was something else that was really important to Yihan. Actually, it was something he should have said a long time ago. Yihan glanced at Hwawoon, who was paying attention to him, then averted his gaze somewhere on the table for no reason and continued. He hadn’t yet brought up the important matter, but his heart was already beating like it was going to explode. 

“About what happened before…” 

“What do you mean by what happened before…?”

When Hwawoon asked back as he couldn’t understand at once, his heart shook even more. The memory of the day, which he had tried to forget, came back vividly, making his whole body hot. The heat that he had felt that day, the soft mouth and the thin body that had writhed weakly, haunted him as if he had seen and felt it only yesterday. Yihan faked a cough a couple of times for no reason and continued. 

“I’m talking about the last time when you were sick.” 

“Ah…” 

Then Hwawoon’s face also flushed red in an instant. Yihan couldn’t see it as he was looking down. Hwawoon answered, averting his gaze from the emperor and glancing somewhere over his shoulder. 

“Oh, that day… I’m sorry. Your Majesty.” 

“Hmm?” 

“I was told that you stopped by, but I couldn’t go to thank you because I was not in a good condition.” 

“You… were told…?” 

Yihan’s gaze, which wandered around as if he had lost his way just a while ago, stopped at Hwawoon in great surprise. This time, Hwawoon lowered his gaze to the table and said. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. That day, I was out of my mind… I thought I saw your face in my sleep, but I thought it was a dream…” 

“Ah… Then…”

Yihan’s expression crumpled down. Because of what happened that day, Yihan couldn’t stay focused and showed his indignity to Eunuch Oh, but the person who made Yihan become like that didn’t remember anything about it. As Yihan found this to be unbelievable, he leaned over to Hwawoon and asked in a desperate voice.

“Then… You don’t remember what happened that day?”