The Hated Male Concubine

The corners of his lips kept running wild as he tried to recall the feeling of the skin, which was a little hot and soft.

It was like a heavy heat rising from his lower abdomen, and then he felt a chill in his spine. He felt like he wanted to run to Jeongan Palace right away, and he also felt like he wanted to never see Yeon Hwawoon again.

Yihan had already experienced this feeling that ran wild 12 times a second all night. However, as soon as he heard Yeon Hwawoon’s name, his emotions, which he thought he had dusted off, were running wild again. He didn’t even have a clue what to do with this. 

“Your Majesty…?” 

It was the Empress who broke Yihan out of his thoughts. She smiled briefly alone while looking at Yihan. Jaran then said to the emperor, who was surprised and looked at her with an innocent face like a boy.

“What are you thinking so deeply?”

Yihan, who couldn’t say Hwawoon’s name, was just smiling awkwardly at the Empress’s question. 

***

“Uncle, when will Hyung come?”

The young boy, who was holding a package of dumplings from the owner of the inn, looked up at the man with a desperate face and asked. The owner of the inn, Yong Samun, who had already packed dumplings to the children who came to the inn, answered casually to such a child. 

“Do you think it’s easy to come and go here from the palace like going next door?” 

“But still… I want to see Hawoon Hyung…” 

“Just be thankful and eat well because he even went to the palace and sent money to take care of you all who don’t share a drop of blood with him. He said he would come to visit if he gets a break after adjusting well to life in the palace, so stop whining to me.”

“Yes… If he comes, you should tell him that he has to visit me. All right?”

“Alright, alright.” 

The child looked back a few times as if he couldn’t believe Samun, who nodded roughly and waved his hand. The child then disappeared somewhere in the alley where he lived with other children. And Samun, who entered the inn, looked inside the inn, which was finally a little quiet. He thought about Hawoon, who sent the money for the dumplings to those children every month.

He liked Hawoon, who was quiet and calm compared to ordinary men who started to show off once they learned a bit of martial arts, so he fed him, gave him a place to sleep, and made him work. When there were quarrels or drunk people making ruckus in the inn, he came forward to suppress them, but he did not raise his voice or swear at anyone. Hawoon, who worked hard at everything he was told to do, and who was also good at everything, was the most cherished by Samun among those who worked in the inn.

Hawoon seemed to judge himself as an unfriendly and boring person because he lost his parents when he was young, and had no proper experience of people. However, in Samun’s eyes, he was a very affectionate and warm person even if he did not have to consider that he had endured all the hard life. 

Perhaps because he had grown up with difficulties, Hawoon rarely passed by when he saw hungry people on the street. Even though Hawoon did not express anything through words, his sincerity was revealed when he dealt with the children with a gentle expression and when he gave a short greeting to the guests. 

In addition, his appearance was elegant and neat, unlike ordinary men, so once he held the sword and wielded it, there was an elegant atmosphere that was unlike someone who worked in the inn on the market. In a way, it was natural for women and men to come and go and look for opportunities, as they had their eyes on Hawoon. Of course, it was common for them to step down without even trying properly due to the wall around Hawoon as he did not understand that some people had a crush on him. 

Speaking of Samun, he was a person who lived only for himself and his family. He had been working for a long time in the inn, and he had a principle not to be deeply involved with those who have nothing to do with him and not to meddle for no reason. This was because he was well aware that goodwill toward others does not always return as the same goodwill. Therefore, he didn’t understand Hawoon, who took care of hungry children every time, even though he didn’t always live leisurely either. 

Samun did not want to be close to the people who worked in the inn privately, and he did not want to take care of them in particular, so he usually did not talk much. When Hawoon became a soldier and entered the palace, he said he would send some money once a month, and asked Samun to take care of the children he usually cared about so they wouldn’t be too hungry. Samun thought that he was really asking for useless and troublesome requests. 

It was so stupid in Samun’s eyes. Regardless of whether helping children is a good thing or not, he couldn’t understand why Hawoon sent money without even knowing how Samun would use it as he couldn’t come out and check it himself. When Samun asked so directly, Hawoon replied with a light smile that he could know that much because he had been watching, but Samun just snorted and grumbled that in trust is treason. 

So now, if he looked at his daily life, it was really funny. As Hawoon requested, he took care of the meals of the annoying children with the money Hawoon sent. And when he saw old and weak people in the face of death wandering around the market in front of the inn, he would feel uncomfortable and give them at least a dumpling.

“I wonder if the naive guy is holding up well at the palace…” 

Samun clicked his tongue once and mumbled, dusting the hem of his clothes for no reason. The short letter that comes with the money always said he was okay and that he was doing well, but even if something happened to Hawoon, Samun would never write and send him a letter.

Hawoon’s face suddenly came to mind as he smiled, saying that he would do what he wanted to do for the first time in his life. It could be called luck for the man, who always lived as if he were rich and had nothing he desired. Again, it was Samun, who stopped worrying about Hawoon, as it was not his business. 

***

“Stop.”

The imperial palanquin that was heading to Cheonggeon Hall stopped at the emperor’s command. Eunuch Oh then bent over. 

“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?” 

Yihan the Emperor, however, turned his head without answering Eunuch Oh’s question and looked at the empty road. Eunuch Oh’s eyes followed the emperor. The location where the emperor’s gaze stayed was the path to Jeongan Palace. 

There were ministers waiting in Cheonggeon Hall. They were called by the emperor to discuss political affairs. Nevertheless, Yihan stood on the road and thought of Hwawoon. Did he sleep well last night? How’s the pain? Does he feel dizzy or have a fever? Does he take care of the wound well so that he won’t get infected because the days are getting hotter? There was a lot he wanted to ask, so he just wanted to run to Jeongan Palace right away.

His life was not at stake, and the wound would not be a problem if it was getting taken care of well. However, Yihan didn’t know that from the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until now, he would be bothered and curious about it. Yihan had never felt so anxious about a person before. 

Eunuch Oh opened his mouth as he could not see Yihan looking at the road endlessly. 

“Your Majesty.” 

“Huh?” 

The emperor’s expression as he roughly answered with a blank expression was too defenseless to be called as the emperor of a nation.

“The other day, you said that tea that came as a gift from Seoju helps you sleep well.” 

“Hmm?” 

“Why don’t you send it to Jeongan Palace?”

Yihan’s eyes went off the road and turned to Eunuch Oh. He felt embarrassed because his impatient heart of wanting to go to Jeongan Palace in person, but unable to, was found out. But then he thought of Yeon Hwawoon’s happy face as he received the tea he sent. Come to think of it, after sending a gift to ease Hwawoon’s temper before he completely fell out with Hwawoon a long time ago, he had never sent anything directly to Jeongan Palace. 

Yihan was lost in thought and Eunuch Oh continued. 

“His Highness will be deeply moved by your vast grace.”

He will be surprised and open his eyes wide when he hears that the emperor has sent him a gift. He will not easily believe it and ask again and again if it is really sent by the emperor. Then, if the person who brings it affirms it over and over again, he will accept it with an emotional face, convey his gratitude, and eventually fill his face with a happy smile. And every time he drinks that tea, he will think of the person who sent it. 

Yihan, whose thoughts reached that point, slowly opened his mouth. 

“First, show it to the doctor to see if it’s safe for Yeonbin to drink, and if there is no problem, send it to Jeongan Palace.”