The Hated Male Concubine

“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.