The Hated Male Concubine

As Songhyun nodded eagerly and plopped back on the chair, Jooah finally drew a relieved expression for a moment. Then, Songhyun once again made a teary face with her very eyes. She looked up at Jooah and said,

“Should I at least send him tea that is good for the body…?”

Jooah shook her head with a firm expression.

“Your Highness. His Highness Yeonbin isn’t your brother. You’re acting like this because you haven’t seen your brother for a long time, but if you send something to Jeongan Palace, it could lead to a problem for you.”

“But Her Majesty visited Jeongan Palace…”

“It is because Her Majesty is the Empress. She has the responsibility to take care of the internal court.”

“Hmm…”

Jooah wondered how on earth Yeonbin’s expression of that day shook her master’s heart—making the one who would hate to meet Yeonbin even in her sleep change this much.

In the first place, it was wise for someone like her master, who didn’t have any skill to defeat Yeonbin whether with influence or words, to stay away from Yeonbin; because she wasn’t the empress, who could do something about Yeonbin, wasn’t Her Highness Sukbi, who didn’t lose in term of family and personality to Yeonbin. Jooah once again engraved it in her mind and looked firmly at Songhyun, who was still sitting while grumbling.

“But, if Yeonbin is really changed like what everyone says… it won’t harm to be close with him…”

Jooah couldn’t stop her mouth from opening stupidly as she was really dumbfounded by Songhyun’s words. Her master was really a spineless person.

***

“From Jeongan Palace?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. His Highness Yeonbin prepared the snack and sent it.”

Yihan forcefully stuck his gaze from looking away as soon as he heard ‘Jeongan Palace’ to the letter he was holding. But then he moved his gaze slightly when he heard Yeonbin sent some snacks, looking at the things held by Eunuch Oh. There were appetizing rice cakes and snacks of various colors. Yihan turned back his gaze looking aside to the front and said,

“Hmph, trying to change my mind by sending those mere snacks? What a big dream.”

He was exceptionally careful so there wouldn’t be any other feelings noticed in his voice.

Yihan had all sorts of thoughts on his way back from Jeongan Palace last dawn. It was because he was embarrassed that he had visited Jeongan Palace twice after hearing the obvious ‘sick’ reason when it hadn’t been long since he told Yeonbin to do his best and that he wouldn’t get fooled.

There was more, however. If he thought about his answer to Yeonbin’s question, which was influenced by the early dawn about becoming someone else or whatever it was, he wanted to hide his head under the pillow, not caring about his dignity or anything else.

Yihan then thought this all was caused by the dawn air, making him talk nonsense because he was tired. He had justified himself intensely like that, so there was no reason for him to pay attention to that mere snack.

Looking at the Emperor’s side profile that showed his firm will to never look aside, Eunuch Oh said,

“Then… I will immediately send this back to Jeongan Palace, Your Majesty.”

Yihan’s hands holding the letter flinched. Eunuch Oh moved his body slightly.

“I will clearly let them know to never send this kind of snack ever again as you wish, Your Majesty.”

Only after Eunuch Oh talked that far, did Yihan turn his head and looked at Eunuch Oh with a dumbfounded expression. Eunuch Oh bowed again and said,

“Or, should I just throw this out, Your Majesty?”

“You’re really trying to play me with me now, huh?” 

“How could this person dare to… That is not true, Your Majesty.”

Yihan felt Eunuch Oh, whose hidden mind was hard to read as he had been living in this palace longer than the emperor, had become very sly recently. As though he didn’t like that, Yihan narrowed his eyes, glaring at him, and said,

“Give me.”

“…”

“We don’t even know what kind of problem will happen if we send that back.”

Like a habit, the emperor made an excuse that didn’t work anymore and glared at the innocent snacks. Looking at that, Eunuch Oh smiled briefly, then unlike his usual self, he talked with a deep voice.

“Your Majesty. Don’t you already know that His Highness Yeonbin wouldn’t do that?”

“…”

“Even if you throw and step on this in front of His Highness Yeonbin, the current him will rather apologize for being unable to consider your feelings.”

The moment he heard that Yihan could imagine Hwawoon who calmly kneeled in front of him. It was so vivid as if he watched it live. It was such a wonder how he had already gotten used to that image of Yeon Hwawoon when it hadn’t been long since he changed.

Looking at the snacks which were obviously selected one by one with much care, Yihan slowly uttered out of his mouth the thoughts that filled his head at dawn when he could hardly sleep.

“Yes, that’s the problem.”

“…”

“The reason why I keep being bothered, aware, and paying attention without realizing it, is because I have yet to adapt with a person, who has never been quiet in his life to change this much overnight.” 

Yihan slowly reached out his hand and picked up a white rice cake with beautiful flower petals on it, glaring at it as if it were Yeon Hwawoon.

“I just need to get used to it. If I just accept and adapt with the changed Yeon Hwawoon, without thinking I’m being tricked or whatever it is, I’m sure my heart will stop running wildly like now.” 

He kept thinking of him as he tried to prove that he didn’t change. How could his daily life not be full of Yeonbin when he always looked and paid attention to examine him in order to find out that his actions were false?

If only I accept it.

Yeah, Yeon Hwawoon changed. He reflected on his past and decided to be a new person. If I accept it. 

“Then I won’t be thinking about Yeonbin anytime anymore like now.”

“…”

“Don’t you agree?” 

“… Yes. That’ll happen, Your Majesty.”

Eunuch Oh dared not to refute the emperor’s words since the emperor, whom he worried about because he was unable to sleep until the bright day due to a lot of thoughts, concluded such an answer.

***

“Seriously, were you always tricked?”

Ahjin’s steps as she headed to the kitchen stopped because of Seoseo’s voice that sounded serious. She hushed her movements and stretched her head. When she looked inside, she could see the girls of Jeongan Palace gathered around Seoseo. One of the girls said,

“Did His Highness really say we’re his people?”

“I’ve been telling you that. I clearly heard it with my ears and Ahjin Unnie heard it as well!”

“No way…” 

Even after they asked many times, Seoseo answered without hesitation and even raised her voice. Because of that, the other girls exchanged glances and began to stir. These times, they had often seen or heard of the higher people, who treated their subordinates kindly in the imperial palace, but they had never heard of a master who openly called low-level court ladies, not their close court lady, their people.

“Well… A few days ago His Highness gave prescription charges and other things when Jeong’s parents were sick. It hasn’t been long since she came to Jeongan Palace.”

“I heard from Ahjin Unnie that we should check to see if there’s anything we need in our quarters before the heat wave comes.”

In each of the whispering words, there were incredible stories about their master that they had experienced recently. No one in Jeongan Palace believed in Yeonbin when he gathered all the courtiers and promised that he would never harass them again like before. They were just afraid that their master would do another ridiculous thing again and harass them.

However, from then to this moment, Yeonbin had never wielded violence against courtiers as he promised. It wasn’t only that. Even his words that they caught heard of were always as soft and friendly as the morning sun of spring, so they couldn’t help but wonder if this person was really like the master who was so evil in the past.

Therefore, those, who at first were so reluctant to believe and acted cautiously, now had reached the point of wandering around Jeongan Palace for no reason, wondering when they could encounter their master.

Seoseo, who was staring at the noisy people with a triumphant expression for some reason, soon resumed.

“That’s why we need to pull ourselves together. Do you understand? His highness cares so much about us now, so we too have to work harder for him.”

Looking at Seoseo clenching her fists and making a solemn voice, the others’ eyes began to shine. So far, not to mention in Jeongan Palace, they had suffered several times more from the eyes that sympathize with or laugh at them every time they went to the Department of Internal Affairs, or wherever else in the Imperial Palace. However, they felt they would be able to walk proudly from now on, so they were excited.

In addition, the Emperor even visited Jeongan Palace twice when their master fainted last time