"It is the same as the Empress Consort's."

Taehu explained, having sensed his gaze.

"To be precise, it is an object made in the same form by the same craftsman. It is a keepsake given to those who ascend to the inner court."

"Ah…… I see."

"Even before entering the palace a copy was brought in — it will likely only be at the Empress Consort's side."

Whether the words that followed were simply revealing a fact or subtly giving a pat on the back was difficult to distinguish. Yunseo stroked the bracelet and made an awkward smile.

---

Having received the dishes from the court attendants, Yunseo went alone into the Grand Palace. The wide reception hall also had a wide desk as expected, and at it Hwi was sitting and looking over numerous documents.

He had surely heard the signal of Taehu's omen and felt the omen too — yet Hwi was indifferent and focused only on the work in front of him. That man will trip me up again. Yunseo stood blankly staring and opened his eyes wide looking at Hwi.

Hwi was playing dumb and Yunseo — the longer he stared at him — Hwi's lips began to curve into the faintest smile. Yunseo chose not to miss that moment and caught it, then quickly turned his eyes away.

"I am going to look and leave."

"Did you think I didn't notice you?"

"There's no reason that would be."

"You only just missed it for a moment."

At the word 'just' his pride hurt and he looked away and Hwi laughed and pulled Yunseo into his arms. He briskly walked him over to the armchair and set Yunseo on his lap. Immediately wanting to get down, Yunseo — not knowing what to do — squirmed and eventually ended up closing his eyes and sitting still.

"Someone will come in, so what are you doing."

"My order is here so who would come in. This is something wrong."

"I brought rice cakes to share. It's noon and I thought since it's a bite, eating together would be nice……"

Saying that, Hwi bit Yunseo's cheek. As his lips slipped in freshly the flesh stretched and Yunseo wriggled.

"Stop it!"

"Ah, I thought you'd brought rice cakes to eat."

Hwi clicked his tongue in a vexed manner and put his lips together. His body pulled taut at the attitude of Hwi taking ownership of his own things — and Yunseo, grumbling, traced the place where his lips had touched with his finger and turned to face him bluntly.

"That is no way to behave."

"Other than you there is no one to keep me in line."

Hwi rested his head on Yunseo's shoulder and quickly kissed him on the nape. Both his playful and sincere behavior were ticklish, and since it was the first time seeing it since the morning, Yunseo's lips eventually softened.

"What have you been doing?"

"I was looking over reports that came up from the patrols installed in each district."

"Is it reports about flower spirits who have not entered the palace?"

"No. Tracking scattered flower spirit associations and managing them is certainly one of the patrol's main tasks, but in truth they have more other work."

"What is it?"

"Since Yongrin move quickly and are free, it is good to have them infiltrate the district and monitor and patrol. They give me not just ears but also illuminate blind spots that the commanders fail to see."

"Can I look too?"

"Of course. Freely."

While Yunseo was reading the documents, Hwi stroked his belly.

But what had started out as an unremarkable hand was gradually becoming more subtle. He tried to bear it but the feeling grew strange and he eventually ended up grabbing Hwi's hand in a firm grip. Even so Hwi was not careful and with his fingertips grazed Yunseo's palm. With the sensation like something turning over and calling out to him, his body flushed hot and the hand holding the documents trembled slightly.

Reading to the end of the documents while fending off his wrist, Yunseo spoke.

"The reports they send up are quite numerous. Yet the blind spots are always there."

At Hwi's side a memory of the alley slum he had seen floated up and he nodded at his words.

"A single patrol has only a small Yongrin dispatched, but they too cannot stay too long in one place due to restrictions so it is a problem of manpower that is always a concern for the patrol. If I want to expand it there is not an insignificant budget and as a result the strong opposition from some would follow. When I expanded the existing patrol it also met with strong pushback from the ministers they say."

"This time looking over the documents, expanding the patrol seems like a good choice. Always needing to bow at Hell and the commanders who can suppress the Yongrin single-handedly — that being a dragon that cannot fail to rise to guard the borders, the many border people could live without suffering and enjoy a long era of peace. So therefore it seems good."

Hwi was glad about those places, the people of those places — he was glad as the Cheonja. Yunseo picked up a rice cake and brought it to Hwi's lips.

"Try it."

With a freshly opened mouth he put the rice cake in and Hwi together with Yunseo's fingertips ate it. Yunseo stared fiercely at Hwi with his eyes, then drew back his finger and picked up the teacup on one side of the desk.

Hwi's hand came to give him the teacup and a familiar scent hit his nose. Yunseo brought the teacup to his nose and smelled it.

"Is this flower spirit tea?"

"Yes. Try drinking it."

Taking a sip of the lukewarm tea, a fragrant smell wrapped around the inside of his mouth. The taste was similar to ordinary tea but since the scent was familiar somehow it did not feel strange. Yunseo handed back the teacup and Hwi received it and drank a single sip of tea and set it down.

"Do you always drink this?"

"Yongrin drink this like water. They carry it in their mouths even when treatment is not needed."

"Do you feel the effect?"

"About as much as not drinking it, that degree."

Hwi wrapped Yunseo's nape and kissed him and put it in his mouth. As if giving a signal, he tapped Yunseo's front teeth with his tongue. Yunseo gathered the sacred sword that had pooled and passed it over to him. Hwi licked his lips enjoying it and then softly stroked Yunseo's cheek.

"Hmm……"

As the inside of the belly grew heavy, Yunseo barely managed to push Hwi back. Hwi with eyes full of longing gazed at Yunseo and followed him.

"There is more to say."

Something like this at a place he was about to treat — Hwi's eyebrow twitched and it seemed like he was amused.

"What is it."

"That……"

Just as he was about to bring the words out, he hesitated and faltered and Hwi tapped Yunseo's body.

"Say whatever it is."

"Your Majesty……. What was your relationship with Yeonhwegwitaebi?"

At the unexpected question, Yunseo's downcast eyes surged up waveringly. Hwi tilted his head and tapped Yunseo's belly with his finger, tok tok.

"Well. There was no relationship to speak of. She was hostile from the start and I dealt with her before I came of age."

"Is that right."

"Why, have you heard something about her?"

"……Nothing like that."

He was only curious. He had not wanted to dig out the inside of Taehu and Yeonhwegwitaebi's relationship. He was just wondering about their connections and situations — Hwi had let him know what he was curious about.

"Imperial Father greatly loved Yeonhwegwitaebi. He was distressed that he could not raise the person he cherished most to the inner court, was unable to see his child by her too and grieved even more. In my view, that was what became the foundation of his affection, shoring it up further it seems."

Hwi finally spoke at least something about how he thought of Seonjae. As Yunseo stroked Hwi's nape, his smile became difficult to read.

"The one to give is one thing, but in truth the party themselves would be at a loss, and the Empress Consort's mood can't be good. She is already gone from this world, so there is no need for you to be considerate of her."

After Yeonhwegwitaebi passed and a hand later, Seonjae had also passed — and Yunseo wondered whether Yeonhwegwitaebi's death had any connection to the Empress Consort. The reason why was unspoken, but for Hwi an unkind absence was an unkind absence regardless.

"Please hit me."

"How can I hit you when you have climbed on top of me?"

"Then let me get down."

"I will let you down if you hurry."

"……"

Just barely touching lips had only been something done in a moment. A sudden low sound came out involuntarily and at the same time his body flipped and rolled upward. Yunseo opened his eyes in surprise. Hwi had lain him down on the desk and in an instant buried his face in the long stretched out sleeve.

"Mu, what are you——!"

He could feel the warm hand coming down the nape. Hurrying to pull the sleeve up, the moment he did, the moist warm mouth swallowed his wrist joint. The strong intake of breath was a signal. A damp thing touched the surface of his forearm joint and swallowed it. With the strong breath in, the sensation from the belly bursting was coming and his eyes went unfocused.

"Right now, hm, wait……"

Yunseo tried to close his mouth quickly and looked behind him. The door was shut tight but if a sound came out someone would surely hear. Instead of the long lance he tried to push Hwi's body back but Hwi clasped both his legs with his two hands and held them fixed and buried the sacred weapon even more deeply.

In the quiet reception hall a wet sound flowed and rose and fell as it was repeated. Having no time to push Hwi away, Yunseo bit his lips and swallowed the feeling.