"Is that so. Please do as you said. I hope His Majesty will also come to directly experience that scenery sometime."

"Yes. I am grateful that you are showing such consideration."

"Right then."

Inchinhwang paid his respects and turned away. His stature was similarly large as Hwi's so naturally the eye level had risen.

Was this meeting a coincidence? For an island person the conversation had no substance. But simply as a coincidence…… suddenly the reputation of Inchinhwang circulating among the people brushed past his ear.

Right, he was a good person……

While quietly watching his back, some movement caught his eye in the distance. Following it with his gaze, Yunseo's expression turned freshly sharp like a blade.

The lantern light illuminated Inchinhwang's back obliquely and his right hand was clearly exposed. He was subtly raising it in a circle with thumb and index finger rounded before lowering it, tok, tok, tapping. From that hand a small slender finger appeared and floated, brushing past the face lodged in his eyes for a moment.

His heart leapt. Between the new lips a breath trembled and in the darkness the pupils wavered uneasily.

That plain, ordinary hand. But he had never had occasion to touch his own hand. He had intended to heal Wang and keep him safe — the Empress Consort and then Hwi's brother — it would be more accurate to say it was a coincidence rather than a scheme. Keeping Wang under his control — as a contingency to use as a hostage against Hwi.

Coincidence. Coincidence……

Even if he rationalized it, his clearly unsettled chest was not settling. Yunseo closed his eyes tightly then opened his heated mouth.

"Jungju."

In the darkness Jungju appeared. Yunseo thought about what would be best to do but the fragments of thought were in such disarray that he ultimately discarded everything and asked the most direct question.

"What sort of person is Inchinhwang?"

"I dare not make a judgment of a person I cannot speak about plainly, but regarding his character — I have heard he is magnanimous and untroubled, that he regards the world with ease."

Magnanimous and untroubled. Not different from what he knew. Yunseo swallowed that expression and slowly moved his steps. Growing further from the pavilion.

"Do you know the news of that palace official?"

"That palace official — do you mean the criminal?"

"That's right."

"Thanks to His Majesty's great grace his life was saved, and there could be no greater blessing. From now on the matter is that of the criminal so it will not reflect poorly on His Majesty."

It seemed there was no news to convey. It was also a place that could not be easily pried into from this side. But if a loose tail were caught, it would be fine to let it go in peace — I'll consider it just getting through.

He had heard the story that Wang had managed the Empress Consort's connection to palace officials, but he did not fully believe all of it. However, the fact that that official had made things difficult for the time being and he had had no choice but to accept it — and someday the end would show itself — he had only let it pass.

"Could that child have seen the Empress Consort? It would be a different person than the Ministry official."

"Gangpilseok was said to have never had dealings with another person even once, and that the face was not seen."

"He could not identify who that person was?"

"Apologies, that is also the case."

Not seeing the face, though there were clearly other things seen. Meaning he had been in one place. Yunseo could not move anymore and lowered his voice at the same standing spot.

"Can my words here be heard by Heeije?"

"They cannot."

"Will all things concerning me reach His Majesty's ears?"

"Yes, that is so."

"From now on, can you not convey it to His Majesty?"

"I cannot do that."

"But if you yourself wished it you could."

Jungju lowered the eyes that had been downcast. He had a firm expressionless face with not a needle going in, but Yunseo could not forget the line he had slipped past him carelessly.

After a short while had passed Jungju answered.

"Command me."

"The backer of that affair…… could it possibly be Inchinhwang?"

If only the direction of his suspicion were wrong — what on earth could Inchinhwang have intended by doing that? The reason was not clearly deep and so the shadow of suspicion could not take on a firm shape.

In the situation where everyone had been expecting Inchinhwang to come to his senses, Hwi unexpectedly came to his senses instead. For the retainers, coming to his senses must have held some meaning. Especially so for Seonjae's retainers.

But even holding some grudge against that matter, to plot against him would not make sense. If a flaw were on his name, Hwi would be robust enough.

"In that affair, Hwi did not intervene even when Gonghwanjeol erupted seven years ago. Had he intervened at the time it would not have been appropriate, would it. Inchinhwang is young and is the Emperor's * Bomae — he is outwardly a vassal state."

According to Jungju's view there was no flaw. When Gonghwanjeol erupted and he had been a military general of Seonghwadae, this vassal was someone who had come forward to say he would govern the country against the rebels — and it was said the Empress Consort had stood up with it asserting this was the proper response. Inchinhwang's mother had come from a high minister family that had backed him for generations so there was no shortage of candidates, but to put force behind the name he would need the backing of the most prominent legitimate heir.

The assumption that the somewhat untroubled Inchinhwang had until now been quietly living and suddenly plotted against him felt far-fetched to him. The evidence was nothing more than one coincidental hand gesture anyway.

Yunseo let out a long breath. He just wanted to count it as his own keen perception and let it pass — but the habit of suspicion had seized his feet and would not let go. More than anything it was because he was Hwi's brother and so he did not want to take his mind off him.

"I see. Even so — whether there is any connection between Inchinhwang and Gangpilseok — find out if possible."

"I will accept the command."

"……Thank you."

Having handed it over to Jungju, his heart lightened a little. He might be suspecting a person he should not suspect and the guilt was there, but it was better not to be too careless around Hwi's close ones. If only his suspicion turned out to be an empty illusion in the end — there could be no happier thing, and Inchinhwang would have been shown consideration a hundred times over.

In spite of having him in his suspicions and now going out of his way to be considerate — it felt somewhat what a fool this all was. Yunseo breathed in the dry cold air on the bare wooden floor. At some point Hwi's fragrance came in and rose.

"That…… your younger brother — how old is he?"

Turning back toward Suwollu he exchanged looks with Heeije. Heeije talked freely bringing out private topics whereas Jungju spoke roughly only what was necessary — when it came to him he still didn't know him well.

"He should be about twenty-five this year."

"Not having met your younger brother until now — it seems His Majesty does not drive those around him too hard. When you have some time take a break and come."

"Yes, I'll do that."

"What do Yongrin usually do in their spare time?"

"Usually they do nothing and conserve their strength. Even without using their power, the venom naturally piles up — so as not to waste strength they do that."

"I see. You all must have your difficulties too."

"The duty one must keep — what difficulty is that."

Yunseo, squinting his eyes lightly, smiled and looked back at Jungju.

"Difficulty is difficulty. If you bend your little finger a little, you seem to need to be lenient with yourself."

Jungju's behavior sometimes felt not like modesty but like self-deprecation. And that sometimes made him recall the expressions Hwi had spoken about Yongrin in the past. Whether he had been influenced by Hwi, whether modesty was something that had passed, or whether there was some other circumstance — he couldn't know, but at least he could say that his hardship was his hardship.

"Yes, I'll take note."

"It's an order, not a request."

A firefly landed on Jungju's brow and his eyes lit up with a lovely glow. That smile meeting the faint breeze of a summer night together with the damp fragrance felt like something that could not easily be touched, like glass.

Dealing with Jungju was somehow cautious. Yunseo read his expression and hurried his steps back toward the pavilion.

"You're late."

Upon arriving at the seat, as expected Hwi had a frown. Yunseo gave a small smile and whispered toward him.

"I was out playing."

"What were you doing while playing?"

"Secret."

Hwi's eyes watching Yunseo narrowed. A hint in his gaze — Yunseo held back the laugh that was about to burst out.

"How selfish of you to go."

"We are one body so how could going separately be such a delinquency?"

As if pricked somewhere Hwi's eye curved softly and with one hand he tilted the liquor cup and with the other hand he gripped Yunseo's fingers.

The music of the instruments flowed freely and Yunseo together with those around him exchanged pleasantries with Inchinhwang to whom he had given his eyes and then looked back at Hwi. At the edge of the eave a hanging moon lit Hwi's cheek brightly. A gaze that visited him now and again — no longer did the gaze feel too much and Yunseo's heart simply fell into a festive mood.

The time they could spend together like this was precious. Yunseo wanted to hold the moment like a jewel and store it close, but not being able to, that alone was a little regrettable.

But knowing this would no longer be a moment to find again, Yunseo let the time go with ease and gave strength to the hand he held.

* 보매: 겉으로 보기에. Or: 짐작으로 보기에. Outwardly it seems / By appearances it seems. National Institute of Korean Language, Standard Korean Language Dictionary.