The Hated Male Concubine

#156

“Your Majesty! I don’t know what wrong my master has done, but he has been… he has been unwell ever since this morning…! Your Majesty, please punish me for not serving my master properly, and please… Please forgive my master!  Please kill me, and please fathom his heart for you, Your Majesty!”

“This, this fool…! What are you doing? Drag her away now!”

Ahjin’s behavior was such a heinous crime, worthy of death. Eunuch Oh hastily ordered someone to remove Ahjin from the presence of the emperor, whose eyes were now completely different from the emperor he knew. He understood that his lord would never take someone’s life for something like this, but he felt uneasy about the emperor’s current condition, which was far from normal. In his own way, Eunuch Oh had done his best for Ahjin.

Fortunately, the emperor walked away, paying no more attention to Ahjin, who was dragged away. His movements were very slow and unsteady as if he could collapse at any moment. Anxious and nervous, Eunuch Oh  hurriedly shouted to get the palanquin ready while staying close to Yihan, not knowing what to do.

“Gasp…!”

Suddenly, Yihan let out a painful gasp and leaned forward.

“Your Majesty!”

Calling out to the Emperor in a panicked scream, Eunuch Oh hurried to support Yihan. The emperor’s body, one that had never collapsed at any time or place, trembled in his arms. Yihan coughed harshly, clutching his chest as if he were about to vomit blood.

“The doctor… Hurry up and call the—!”

“No need… gasp… No need….”

Eunuch Oh, pale-faced, urgently searched for the doctor, but Yihan, who still appeared in pain, stopped him. Yihan kept moving his trembling legs as if he wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

“Just… let’s go back….”

“But Your Majesty…!”

“It’s okay! … Let’s go.”

Clutching his heart, Yihan walked straight toward the palanquin. Eunuch Oh continued to support the staggering emperor, urging the other eunuchs to bring the doctor to Jungcheon Hall. The emperor, who finally managed to climb into his palanquin, didn’t even look back at where Hwawoon was until he was completely out of Seojeong Palace.

***

“Your Highness! Your Highness!”

Ahjin, looking blue and streaming tears, rushed into the bedroom and wrapped her arms around Hwawoon, who was still kneeling on the floor.

“Your Highness, are you okay? What’s with all of this suddenly…”

“His Majesty… Has he left…?”

“…Yes. First, please get up, Your Highness. How long have you been kneeling down…”

Hwawoon’s body trembled in Ahjin’s arms, making her heart break. Ahjin wiped away the tears that kept flowing with her sleeve and supported Hwawawoon. She was trying to support him.

“Hic… Hic…!”

Suddenly, Hwawoon’s body leaned forward and sorrowful sobs escaped his mouth. Hwawoon broke down and curled up in a ball as the emotions he had been holding back for so long poured out. Ahjin, too stunned and panicked to do anything, immediately hugged Hwawoon’s shoulders and back, trying to speak as if nothing was wrong.

“Your Highness, why are you crying like this? It’s okay. Nothing’s wrong. His Majesty must have misunderstood something. It’s okay. After His Majesty calms down a bit, he’ll listen to you again, and then… Then he’ll definitely make up for what happened now. I’m sure of it.”

Even as tears streamed down her cheeks, Ahjin spoke steadfastly in a nonchalant voice, worried that her sadness might cause Hwawoon even more grief. Her master had overcome worse situations than this, and he would never defy the Emperor anymore. The Emperor was always generous with his mercy, so Ahjin believed this would all work out in the end.

However, Hwawoon, curled up, shook his head. Usually, Hwawoon would have thanked Ahjin for her comfort, even as his own heart broke. But at this moment, he couldn’t even hear her voice. It felt like his whole body was being torn by countless blades. The pain was so unbearable that he wanted to scream. It was a ridiculous thing to say. Holding on to something he couldn’t have in the first place with deceit and then grieving so much over losing it. How could he be so shameless?

But such was the nature of the human heart. Even though the start was based on a deceit, his feelings for the Emperor were sincere. Long before he became Yeon Hwawoon, he had revered the Emperor, and it was his own true feelings, no one else’s, that had unwittingly grown into feelings of love for him as they got closer. The pain coursing through his fingertips now was undoubtedly his own.

“Your Majesty… Hic… Your Majesty…”

Only after the Emperor left did Hwawoon let himself cry freely, calling out his name. The Emperor had a tender heart, so if Hwawoon had cried so bitterly in front of him, he would have been shaken. He would have judged that Hwawoon had given him his sincerity. Thus, Hwawoon could not cry like this in front of the emperor.

He couldn’t guess what punishment the emperor would give him. This was a difficult matter to explain, and it involved a politically important family. The Emperor might not be able to cast Hwawoon aside or kill him outright. But what would that mean? Hwawoon thought that death could be the best punishment.

Humans could be so cunning. When he first entered the palace, he was happy just to be in the palace where the Emperor resided. Now, sitting in his quarters, he was filled with sorrow, thinking that he would never see the Emperor again and that he would be treated with nothing but contempt for the rest of his life. Hwawoon came to realize that he had been the one who had been so greedy.

Before Hwawoon became Yeon Hwawoon, he had heard that the Jeongan Palace was the most splendid cold palace in the Imperial Palace. That title had vanished into thin air since Hwawoon’s transformation, but it would soon be reinstated. Wherever Yeon Hwawoon was or would be, it would become the cold palace the Emperor would never visit.

“Your Highness…! Your Highness!”

Eventually, Hwawoon’s body could no longer hold on and collapsed. In the darkening sight was the emperor’s face whispering to him endlessly, ‘I love you.’

***

News of Yeonbin being confined in Seojeong Palace quickly spread throughout the Imperial Palace. Rumors circulated that the Emperor had the demeanor of a yaksa as he left Seojeong Palace that day, and it was unlikely that he would ever see Yeonbin again. Since nobody knew the exact reason for this turn of events, countless speculations arose. The most credible ones suggested that Yeonbin had regained his memory and his true nature, or that the whole memory loss had been a ruse that was now exposed.

Of course, those who had seen Yeonbin up close and personal at least once claimed that Yeonbin’s behavior could not be false, but even they could not refute the speculation that he had returned to his original self. Otherwise, why would the Emperor, who had been seeking Yeonbin out every night, suddenly confine him?

“So Yeonbin asked you for such a favor.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With the emperor’s orders that no one set foot in Seojeong Palace, even the Empress had no other way to meet Yeonbin. The empress brought her teacup to her mouth as she listened to Sukbi, who had rushed to her palace as soon as the rumor spread. Biyoung then added.

“Even then, I thought it was strange. However, no matter how many times I asked, he said that he was fine…”

“So you see that he seemed to anticipate this outcome?”

“Yes. He seemed to know and was making preparations.”

“What on earth is going on…”

“Has His Majesty said anything yet to you either, Your Majesty?”

Biyoung asked nervously as if she had been struck with lightning. The Empress shook her head. She hadn’t met the emperor, let alone heard anything from him. Jaran, deep in thought, couldn’t easily grasp the reasons behind these developments. She ran her fingers along the teacup’s rim and called for an eunuch waiting outside.

“Is anyone outside?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Did you call for me?”

The eunuch, who had been waiting just outside, stepped inside and knelt. Jaran spoke to him.

“Inform Officer Jung of the Department of Internal Affairs to come here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The eunuch left the room, and Biyoung, who had been watching him, nodded with a somewhat relieved expression. The Empress wanted to make sure that the Department of Internal Affairs didn’t take this opportunity to mistreat Yeonbin further. Biyoung had been concerned about the unsettling atmosphere in the Imperial Palace, so she appreciated the Empress’s seriousness and attentiveness. Jaran then turned to Biyoung and said,

“For now, I’ll try to see His Majesty. You and the others should wait and refrain from acting hastily.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It just so happened that I came here after stopping Jeongbin, who was ready to visit His Majesty as soon as she heard the news.”

Biyoung shook her head and spoke in a lighthearted manner, attempting to alleviate the heavy atmosphere. Jaran chuckled lightly, appreciating Biyoung’s effort, and replied in a similarly playful tone.

“I find it amusing that we are doing this for the favorite man of His Majesty.”

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

Life rarely unfolded as planned. The two women laughed lightly, momentarily setting aside their anxiety of not knowing what the day’s events would bring.