The Hated Male Concubine

“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.