The Hated Male Concubine

“Who wants to eat this kind of thing…” 

Yihan, who received another box of food from Jeongan Palace, was frowning, unlike Jeongan Palace’s wish. The reason was that he was very, very, very displeased now.

“The snacks from the Imperial Kitchen are far tastier. Does he think I won’t be able to eat these snacks because I don’t have them?”

“Your Majesty. His Highness Yeonbin probably just wanted to express his gratitude to you.”

In response to the answer that came as if he were trying to calm him down, Yihan squinted his eyes and stared at Eunuch Oh with a fierce face as if he was going to scream right away. The obvious answer from Eunuch Oh seemed to have set Yihan’ heart on fire in this situation. Those words were surely right. There was no way Yihan got angry like this because didn’t know that. Unable to hold back his exploding mind, Yihan immediately continued,

“If he is really that grateful. Okay? Instead of sending this thing. You see?”

Frivolously pointing his finger at the innocent food box, the Emperor said,

“He should have come and said thank you in person!”

That’s it. That was what Yihan was really displeased about. What’s the deal with these snacks? Does it make sense to express his gratitude by sending only this? I can’t believe he didn’t bring it with his own hands but instead sent it through a court lady from Jeongan Palace.

He couldn’t even sleep properly, doing an unwanted night walk because the figure of Yeon Hwawoon who knelt in front of him didn’t disappear from his eyes. But Yeon Hwawoon, the very problem for him, was trying to put back this problem with some food, which made him very frustrated and angry. 

Hence Yihan, who couldn’t hold back that anger anymore,

“I’m going to Jeongan Palace!”

He quickly moved his steps, while raising his voice. That was really because Yeon Hwawoon was so mean, and it would never never be because he wanted to see his face last night whatsoever. 

***

“Where is everyone…?” 

Yihan murmured in dismay at the sight of no one walking around, let alone those who came to greet him until he reached the courtyard of Jeongan Palace. Eunuch Oh also stepped forward a little and looked left and right to call anyone, but there was nothing he could do because there was no one to see.

At that time, Eunuch Oh’s eyes caught a court lady walking by hurriedly in the distance. 

“Hey there!”

Only after Eunuch Oh raised his voice and called her, did the court lady realize that the emperor had stepped here, and she came running with a pale face in an instant. However, the closer the court lady got, something entered Eunuch Oh and Yihan’s eyes clearly. That thing was the court lady’s face with both cheeks looked full like a squirrel.

“Gree-greetings, Your Majesty the Emperor…!”

The court lady, who looked too young at a glance, kneeled shakily as if it was the first time to see the emperor in front of her eyes. The pronunciation was muffled by her plump cheeks, but the young court lady, unsure whether she should swallow it in haste or whether it was forbidden to swallow food in the presence of the emperor, was bowing her head at a loss. Eunuch Oh then said,

“Why is there no one in the palace?”

“That, that is… today, His Highness Yeonbin gives us precious food, and… time to rest…”

The court lady, who was frightened even though she didn’t say nonsense, stammered and couldn’t finish her sentence, but Yihan and Eunuch Oh could easily guess what she was saying. If they had to call it precious food, it was clear that they were given the food that the owner of the palace should have eaten, which would have never been dreamed of from the perspective of ordinary courtiers.

After thinking that far, Yihan opened his mouth first before Eunuch Oh could ask anything else.

“… Is Yeonbin inside?”

The court lady, who eventually put her forehead on the ground because it was a direct question from the emperor, not Eunuch Oh, answered,

“His, His Highness is not here…”

“He’s not here? Where is he?”

“His Highness… we-went for a walk to Suhwawon… so that we, we could eat with ease…” 

Yihan let out a vain laugh at the court lady’s answer. Not only giving his food to his subordinates, now he even emptied the palace for them? He’s really a lightweight and unruly master.

Yihan was lost in thought as he looked down at the court lady prostrating before him. Even though there were divided ranks from the moment of birth, and servants were those who had to live for their master, here, the imperial palace was the most sensitive place to power than any other place. It was even crueler to those who lost their power as a master.

Even if they were born precious and now serve the emperor, the concubines were the ones who could receive the most miserable treatment here than anyone else at the moment when their family lost power and they lost the emperor’s favor. In the past, how many concubines were ignored and ridiculed by mere eunuchs for losing the emperor’s favor, and how many empresses were persecuted by concubines?

If he thought about those things, Yihan couldn’t help but think again about the eyes and treatment of the lower ones toward Yeonbin, which he ignored. Of course, his father was still dominating the emperor’s trust, and the Empress was also careful not to let it happen, so such a scenario would not happen as before, but Yihan was concerned that Yeon Hwawoon was being too soft in everything. 

“I know that Yeonbin of the past was too harsh on all of you.” 

So, while Yihan thought it was none of his business, he couldn’t stop the words that came out without him knowing. 

“However, I believe you are also well aware that the generosity Yeonbin is showing now is something you cannot easily wish for.”

“Of-of course, Your Majesty. How, how could we not know about that… We are well aware that it is an, an abundant generosity.” 

“Therefore, everyone at Jeongan Palace must be deeply loyal to their master and do their best to take care of him. Do you understand?”

His Majesty the Emperor. The person who has never given a good word about Yeonbin. The same person who blamed Yeonbin in front of everyone at Jeongan Palace last time told the young court lady at Jeongan Palace that they should take good care of Yeonbin for the first time.

It was the first time since the owner of this palace became Yeon Hwawoon, so even as she answered with trembling under the tremendous pressure, the young court lady had no choice but to resist her desire to cheer by clenching her hands on the floor. 

***

“The days are starting to get hotter.” 

Hwawoon, who was sitting on a large stone chair by the pond in Suhwawon, talked while quietly looking at the petals floating on the pond. Ahjin, who stood there, refusing Hwawoon’s request to sit next to him today as well, opened her mouth with a slightly worried expression on her face. 

“Yes, Your Highness. You have a cold body, so it is a good thing that the cold days go away, but I’m worried because you lose energy easily when the days get hotter…”

“I see that there’s no season that doesn’t cause you any worries.” 

Hwawoon, who heard Ahjin’s worried voice, said it to make her feel better by joking, but Ahjin became even more tearful. The reason was that she suddenly realized that recently there was no day when she didn’t worry because the day was cold, hot, or dry.

Previously, if the weather was bad, she only had to worry about whether Hwawoon, who was sick, would take his anger out on her. But now that she was sincerely concerned about Hwawoon’s physical condition, it seemed that there were literally no seasons where she could put her mind at ease.

“What do we do so that you can be a little healthier…”

She had no such intention, but because Ahjin’s expression turned sadder, Hwawoon also looked sad and said, “I know, right…” In fact, it was Hwawoon himself who felt more frustrated than anyone else with his body getting sick and collapsing easily.

Now that he was a concubine, he didn’t have to fight or use his body as much as he did before, but Hwawoon, who had been using his body freely since he became an adult, had so many restrictions that made him feel stuffy. Let alone doing martial arts, even breathing was a really difficult task for his body. 

“… Ahjin.”

However, as if he suddenly thought about something, Hwawoon called Ahjin quietly. Ahjin immediately responded, “Yes?” And Hwawoon, who looked hesitating for a moment, opened his mouth.

“If… if I make a request to the Department of Internal Affairs…”

“Yes, Your Highness. Is there anything you need?”

“Can I get a wooden sword?” 

“… Wooden sword?”

Ahjin asked back with her eyes open wide because of the unexpected word. Wooden sword? Sword? That was a word she never thought she would hear out of Hwawoon’s mouth. Ahjin quickly asked Hwawoon again.

“Where are you going to use the sword?”

There was quite a bit of curiosity in the questioning voice. She never doubted him now, but if it was a little back in the past, the question would have flowed out as a question if he was trying to hit the girls of Jeongan Palace with that. Hwawoon, who could feel how much Ahjin’s puzzlement was right now, despite not listening to each one, replied while looking around.

“Well, I’m just… a bit curious… so… can’t I?”