The Hated Male Concubine

Eunuch Oh bent his back again as he was able to guess the emperor’s mind that if the injured Hwawoon drank it, it would have a negative effect on his weak body. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will.”

“And.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I will… stop by in the evening… Tell him so.”

There was a slight excitement in the words added in a low voice. It was a strange feeling for an emperor who was just doing what he had to do every day. Yihan, who quickly decided to finish the conversation in case anyone would catch the corners of his slightly twitching mouth, turned his head and said, looking straight ahead. 

“… Let’s go.”

Thus, the palanquin, which had stopped, moved again at the emperor’s voice, now somewhat lighter. And only one eunuch, who was instructed by Eunuch Oh, ran a different path busily.

***

“Your Highness, are you feeling stuffy?”

Ahjin asked carefully toward Hwawoon, who had been sitting in a chair and staring out of the window for a while. From Ahjin’s point of view, she was worried that sitting for a long time might be too much for Hwawoon’s body. However, it was not easy to lie down in the room all day, so Ahjin was just taking care of Hwawoon so that he could sit in a comfortable position. 

Hwawoon answered Ahjin’s question with his eyes drooping as if he had been waiting. 

“I am. I want to go for a walk…”

“No.” 

However, Ahjin’s voice was firm. 

“You were told not to move as much as possible for a few days. You can’t do it yet.” 

“Then what about tomorrow?”

However, Ahjin’s determined and cold expression couldn’t help but turn blank due to Hwawoon’s ensuing question. When Hwawoon, who was always calm and rarely asked for something first, looked up and asked with a childlike expression, she suddenly had the desire to take Hwawoon to Suhwawon right away.

“Tomorrow… tomorrow…”

“Wouldn’t it be all right tomorrow?” 

“It depends on your physical condition tomorrow. Have a good night’s sleep, and if the pain subsides a little more tomorrow, let’s walk slowly in the garden of Jeongan Palace.”

Ahjin, who barely overcame the crisis in which she almost asked Hwawoon if he wants to go now, managed to give a proper answer. Hwawoon, who was satisfied that he had escaped from the ‘no’ answer, even though it was conditional, loosened his sullen expression a little and nodded. He made up his mind to not think about useless things today, not be immersed in gloomy thoughts for no reason, and sleep well and wake up well. 

“His Majesty has sent a man, Your Highness.” 

It was Seoseo with a happy expression that suddenly made Hwawoon’s shoulders tense in an instant. Hwawoon’s eyes could see a eunuch coming in following Seoseo. Reflexively, Hwawoon opened his mouth. 

“His Majesty?” 

“Greetings, Your Highness Yeonbin.”

In the hands of the eunuch, who kneeled and greeted him, there was a box that looked very luxurious. When the permission to get up fell, the eunuch, who raised himself, bowed his head and said, putting the box he was carefully holding forward. 

“It’s tea from Seoju. It is said that drinking before bed would help to sleep well, so His Majesty told us to send it to Jeongan Palace.” 

He knew what the eunuch brought was tea, but the words that followed were hard to understand, so Hwawoon only blinked. Ahjin approached the eunuch and accepted the box he brought. The eunuch then went on. 

“It’s already been checked by the doctor, so don’t worry and drink it. His Majesty also said…”

“…”

“That he would stop by tonight.”

In the meantime, Ahjin, who came back to Hwawoon’s side, opened the box and the colorful tea storage in it to show it to Hwawoon. As the scent that quickly scattered gently brushed the tip of the nose, the warm heat seemed to spread all over the body. Hwawoon didn’t know anything about tea, so he didn’t know how good and luxurious the tea was, but he was excited as he couldn’t believe that the emperor sent him a gift to Jeongan Palace because he thought of him. 

“Tell His Majesty that I am grateful. And…” 

Hwawoon, who had been collecting his breath and inhaling tea several times, barely opened his mouth and said to the eunuch. Soon, the eunuch, who had been waiting for Hwawoon who hesitated to add, heard Hwawoon’s voice.

“And tell… him that I’d wait for him… Please tell him so.”

There were days when he didn’t know how to wait. The Emperor would never visit Jeongan Palace, so Hwawoon never waited for him to come, send gifts like this, or share a friendly chat with him. It was even more obvious when he was Hawoon. Hawoon thought it was too undeserving of him to just be in the palace with the Emperor, so it was not common for him to hope to bump into him.

But today, Hwawoon would wait for the Emperor. Hwawoon would wait for the Emperor who would visit him, without worrying about what fault he is coming to ask him and savoring the aroma of tea given by the Emperor himself. He couldn’t believe it, even after thinking about it over and over again.

The eunuch who delivered the gift returned, and Hwawoon took a deep breath once again after receiving the tea from Ahjin. A clear and deep scent immediately filled the lungs. In an instant, he felt relieved from his frustration from staying in the room with a sick body. 

When will the sunset be? How long before night comes? Feeling the sun burning in the middle of the sky was so sad and cruel, Hwawoon couldn’t take his eyes off the window the whole time. 

***

At the news of the arrival of a person from Jeongan Palace, Biyoung forgot the custom and welcomed the court lady from Jeongan Palace while standing up from her seat. Biyoung, who hurriedly made the court lady get up before she finished kneeling, opened her mouth in a voice full of nervousness. 

“How… How is Yeonbin? Can I visit Jeongan Palace now?”

“Your Highness, the doctor said that he needs to recuperate by reducing his activity as much as possible. Our master wanted to see you right away because he worried you might feel uncomfortable, but I ask for your understanding that Jeongan Palace, which is focusing only on his recovery under His Majesty’s order, had no choice but to stop him.”

“… Very well. It’s most important to recover his body. Of course, I understand.” 

“The reason why this little person came here today is that His Highness Yeonbin, who is worried about not being able to meet Your Highness Sukbi right away, told me to send his short regards. His Highness Yeonbin is recovering without any major problems, and he said he would visit you as soon as he is allowed to go out.”

Biyoung bit her lips at the court lady’s message. Originally, according to the law, it was unreasonable for a subordinate to ask his superiors to come. Therefore, it was clearly not right to send a person to Unhwa Palace to induce Sukbi to walk to Jeongan Palace, and it was reasonable that Yeonbin would come to Unhwa Palace after recovery. 

However, Yeonbin was injured on behalf of Sukbi. In addition, from protecting Sukbi, who was stubborn and didn’t listen to him. No matter how strict the law inside the palace was, it would not be easy for anyone to say that they will visit Unhwa Palace in this situation. 

When Biyoung, whose thoughts reached that point, could not help her sinking mind, the court lady continued. 

“Also, His Highness Yeonbin told me to tell you this.”

“What…”

“I’m really fine, and Your Highness Sukbi has not a single fault in this, so please don’t make the night difficult with unnecessary worries.”

“…”

“That’s what His Highness said.” 

Biyoung had a nightmare last night. When she fell asleep, a huge bird flew toward her, and Yeonbin hugged her and bled instead. Then Biyoung woke up in surprise, and when she fell asleep again, Biyoung’s hands were wet with the blood that Yeonbin shed. 

“Don’t make the night difficult…”

Biyoung stood still there, recited the words that Yeonbin said, and then said to the court lady. 

“I understood well what Yeonbin means. Even so, I can’t ask the injured person to come and go, so if he gets better, tell him to just notice Unhwa Palace. Then I will go to Jeongan Palace.” 

“…”

“Just as you are blocking Yeonbin’s steps for his sake now, you must do so then.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Thank you.”

As though the court lady worried that Sukbi would blame her master for knowing that Sukbi had visited Jeongan Palace, but didn’t immediately come to Unhwa Palace, her face was lighter when she said her farewell and left. And Biyoung fell into her thoughts, looking at the place where the court lady had left. 

Is it possible to act up the concern about the night Biyoung is going through? Is it possible for a person who had never even imitated kindness to pay attention to others so delicately?

Biyoung shook her head quietly and slumped down on the chair as if exhausted. Even if all his feelings were not sincere, it was undeniable that Biyoung owed Yeonbin a lot, so Biyoung decided to stop measuring and doubting Yeonbin’s feelings anymore. 

However, she wondered what words she should say to express her feelings and sorry if she faced Yeonbin again.

Biyoung’s face sank deeply again as she agonized over it.