The Hated Male Concubine

Ahem. Ahem. Yihan, who faked a cough several times, moved a piece of meat on the table to Hwawoon’s plate and tried to speak curtly.

“Eat well. How can you only nibble at your food?”

“… Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you. You should also…”

Handing food personally was not something the emperor usually did even to the empress. Hwawoon, who had been somewhat stunned by the grace-like act, met the gaze of Yihan, who was staring at him with an expectant expression. It was a face that even the most clueless person would recognize. As Hwawoon, embarrassed, hesitated for a while, Yihan gestured with his chin more explicitly this time.

“… Hurry up and eat, Your Majesty.”

Unable to resist the gaze, Hwawoon picked up another food and carefully placed it on the emperor’s plate. Actually, it was against the law, but no one could point it out because everyone, including Eunuch Oh, was sent out.

In the silence that followed, the meal began in earnest. It was a good time even though there were not many words exchanged between them.

***

“Hmm…?”

As Seocheon was walking out of Seojeong Palace after his shift, he saw a familiar figure in the distance and stopped. Seocheon, who guarded the gate when he was in Jeongan Palace, had moved to the inner courtyard with Jamun when he came to the Myeonghawon.

“What’s wrong? Oh, isn’t that Eunuch So?”

Jamun, who also stopped, followed Seocheon’s gaze and recognized the figure. As Jamun said, So Jeong was standing there alone. Seocheon did not bother to reply, but stood there and looked at So Jeong. He was standing in front of the pond, staring at the water. 

Seocheon remembered there was a similar situation last time. One night at Jeongan Palace, Seocheon found So Jeong standing alone in the courtyard, watching Yeonbin’s bedroom. Seocheon squinted his eyes. He didn’t recognize it at first, but So Jeong became more and more suspicious every day. After that night, he always acted like a person hiding something whenever he met Seocheon, and Seocheon felt uncomfortable whenever he met him. At first glance, he looked like a weak and timid eunuch, but Seocheon’s instinct had always warned him that there was more to him.

Even now, he felt uneasy looking at him standing alone in front of the pond, even though he was looking from a distance.

“What’s wrong?”

Jamun asked Seocheon, who couldn’t take his eyes off So Jeong. Only then did Seocheon shake his head, looking away from So Jeong. 

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

He moved his steps again. Even if So Jeong really did something suspicious, it was none of Seocheon’s business, and there was no way to tell Yeonbin about it with just a hunch. Seocheon, who was walking a few steps further with Jamun, turned his head once again to look at where So Jeong was. Seocheon had no way of knowing what kind of emotion was in So Jeong’s eyes that sank deeply to an endless ground.

***

After the luncheon, Sukbi visited the Empress Palace after a long time. Sukbi, who received an offer from the Empress Palace to enjoy a good tea together, was thrilled with it and immediately went to the Empress Palace. It bothered her that Songhyun would be alone, but she thought that there must be a reason why the Empress gave the invitation only to her. Sukbi, Biyoung, also happened to want to have a quiet chat with the Empress, so she didn’t tell Songhyun about it.

The subtle, deep, and refreshing scent quickly filled the room. Jaran, who slowly savored the tea scent and took a sip of the tea, soon looked at Biyoung and said. 

“Are you feeling okay?”

Biyoung smiled lightly and glanced playfully at Jaran. 

“Everyone I meet always asks me that these days. I guess I’ve been deserted by His Majesty.”

“Haha. Is that so?”

“Jeongbin has already asked me first.”

The empress, who had a small concern inside, was relieved as she heard Biyoung’s voice, which was much lighter than she had thought. In the past, no one in the internal court was obsessed with the emperor’s love except for Yeonbin, but was a person’s heart something as simple as that? Humans could get obsessed with something when they thought it was taken away from them, even though they weren’t when it was in their hands. Jaran said, looking at Biyoung with a more comfortable gaze. 

“So, what was your answer?”

“I said that even animals don’t forget the favor they owe.”

Although Biyoung said something that might seem cruel, she lifted her cup calmly, took a sip, and continued with her eyes wide open. 

“Goodness. I knew it would be the best tea since you said it was a good tea, but it really does smell and taste so good.”

“… I’m glad you like it.”

Biyoung didn’t bother to add an explanation for her answer, and Jaran didn’t ask another question. She understood everything about Biyoung’s answer. 

The empress sincerely thought that it was a stroke of luck that Biyoung was the first member of the internal court after the empress. Of course, the empress was confident she could do well no matter what concubine came in, but it would have been a little more cumbersome and troublesome if a person like Biyoung had not come in. Jaran genuinely cared for Biyoung, who respected her, followed her, and sometimes spoke unworthy words and actions on her behalf.

“I thought you might like it, so I saved it for you. Take it with you when you go back.”

Biyoung smiled with her eyes folded as Jaran let it slide. Jaran enjoyed the scent of afternoon tea and thought that she should also send some high-quality silk that had arrived at the Empress’s palace together.

***

Sung Yihan was sitting there, facing the same situation again, the one he’d thought about so many times, agonized over so many times but had always turned a blind eye to and backed away from. What Yihan was looking into was the concubine nameplates, which he had seen countless times, or more precisely, Yeonbin’s nameplate

He stroked the name on the nameplate with his finger as he did one day. At that time, he thought he should never go down that road, so the letters “Yeonbin” felt like slicing his fingers. But today was different. The carved letters of Yeonbin only felt tender and affectionate at the emperor’s fingertips.

Looking back, he had come a long way. He wondered why it was so hard to get to one of his concubines that he had to go off the beaten path, backtrack and run. When he could simply not do that. He could just come to his senses and set everything right, but he was afraid as if the world would be a complete disaster, the empress would be unhappy, and he himself would be a terrible ruler once he turned over that one nameplate.

“Go back.”

The emperor, who had been fiddling with the nameplate for a long time, soon pulled his hand back and ordered. Officer Wi looked confused. Yesterday, the emperor stayed at Seojeong Palace, and something looked definitely different today, so he was sure the emperor would flip over Yeonbin’s nameplate. Then, the emperor looked at Eunuch Oh and continued. 

“I will go to Seojeong Palace.”

“Ah, then—”

“You go.”

Officer Wi finally recognized the emperor’s will after he heard that. The emperor was telling Eunuch Oh to go and convey his will directly, not Gyeongsa-bang. While General Wi looked around with a puzzled face, Eunuch Oh bowed calmly as if he had already expected it. 

“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll be back.”

“I’ll just have dinner at Seojeong Palace, so tell him that.”

“… Yes, Your Majesty.”

That was the emperor’s desire to walk to Seojeong Palace as soon as possible. 

Officer Wi was still stunned while Eunuch Oh by his side had already noticed the emperor’s feelings.

***

“What do you think of this color?”

Yihan, who had been hesitating for a long time as if he had something to say, suddenly put out his arm in front of Hwawoon and asked. Dinner naturally led to drinks, and Yihan had already chugged about three cups. Hwawoon, who would immediately get sick from alcohol due to his weak body, was matching up the mood with cold tea with a fruit scent.

Hwawoon’s eyes turned to Yihan’s arm, which was stretched out in front of him. The dark red robe entered his view. It was a color that he didn’t see often. Yet, from the moment he met the emperor at the luncheon, he had been in awe of the emperor’s imposing figure.

Hwawoon replied, and a smile that couldn’t be hidden was on his face.

“… Although this is obvious, the prudent, weighty colors look very good on you.”

Yihan’s lips twitched. Yihan had been fed up with compliments about his appearance since he was only a prince, when he was not even the crown prince, but strangely Hwawoon’s rough and trivial praise felt special in his heart. Then, Yihan suddenly remembered that he had something to say today. He immediately coughed and took a breath. Actually, he had been thinking about how to tell this.

“This… I chose this because this reminds me of you.”