"Ooooh!"
What came out from Hwi's arms was a flower made into a bunch, the colour as red as flame. As this young man held out one stem of it, this young man was slightly startled and then closed his mouth tightly and received the flower with a deliberately expressionless face.
Hwi broadly laughed and this time pulled out a yellow flower and handed it to Seongbin. When did he prepare that — Hwi who had flair and was showing off was truly impressive, and Seongbin received it holding back her laughter with one hand.
The flower given to Hyeonbi was blue. Hyeonbi seemed to want to enjoy wearing it and still feel attached to it even now, and Heeije who had her arms spread wide tilted her head and Hwi turned his body toward Hyeonbi.
After that Hwi's eyes landed on Yunseo, and Yunseo braced himself prepared to receive anything. But Hwi moved to bow his respects to Hwi and turning around descended to the prayer enclosure.
He's not giving me one……
He stroked the hem of his robe fidgeting and Hwi drew close and whispered.
"If Heeije has eyes she would not pass a flower to you in front of me."
"……Then I cannot even receive the expression of respect?"
"Receiving a greeting is enough."
Not a joke but truly this man is quite narrow-minded.
Feeling a little stronger by comparison, he had been staring persistently when suddenly a sweet scent touched his nose. He raised his head as a white thread was put into water and pulled out, a leaf-shaped flower rolled down rounding Yunseo's knees and fell.
Yunseo picked up the wide-open flower petals and looked behind him. There was a Chinese juniper tree near the prayer enclosure and it seemed to have come from a flower that had flown from there.
"What a waste of his power on this."
"There is no more important matter for me."
Hwi who had been holding back Hyeonbi's teeth came to mind and Yunseo put a smile on his lips. This time he himself wanted his liking of something to be clearly shown to Hwi without hesitation — and yet the gaze wrapping around Hwi's eyes rested on Yunseo's lips and his face was difficult to read with a hint of dark expectation.
Sometimes this large and great man felt only cute. Yunseo gathered the scattered Chinese juniper flowers and bound the stems together into a rough bundle and handed it to Hwi.
Hwi took the flowers and looking them over brought them to his nose and smelled them. As he took in the scent, his dim eyes held the hint of laughter fully, and his appearance was so unfailingly peaceful and warm that even being in his shadow felt somehow festive and it made the body go limp.
The two exchanged looks and Hwi scored another point while the audience seats slipped. Yunseo raised his head and looked back at the upright and fierce match that was unfolding. The horses' busy hoofbeat sounds and the sharp crack of the balls colliding rang out across the ground, a bird-like cloud passed blocking the sun and then moved on and the light spread wide.
A scene that could only be seen here. Yunseo was savouring a new joy and at last sent warm applause toward the competitors who had finally won.
Manguwon was a pleasure ground where one could ride a horse to go — a place from Geumjuseong where one could reach in two 이각二刻*, a pleasure ground where Yongrin and flower spirits could go to play freely at any time of year.
When he had heard the story that the name Manguwon meant to forget worries, at first he had not understood. Could worries really be forgotten from so close by Geumjuseong. But the moment he stepped foot in Manguwon, Yunseo had no choice but to accept that meaning all at once.
Wonwon who had come along was lively everywhere. Thick trees and flowers, a landscape seemingly not of this world with wild animals roaming — every building and each pavilion was as if to be seen as beautiful was difficult, with a wild beauty evoking the natural landscape of each place.
That if one wandered here at leisure one could forget one's worries for a moment. Or perhaps it was the ruler's effort to try to appear that way.
"Wow, I love it so much!"
Yeondeok's eyes went wide and he looked around somewhat lost. Yunseo smiled hazily and followed behind him.
"Can I also look around?"
"Of course."
Seeing Yeondeok happy just set his heart at ease. Yunseo sent Yeondeok and had his own rest in mind. It was more comfortable than the palace's garden and there was also an abundance of trees with many branches in the garden.
Yunseo took the books he had brought and headed under the tree. The shade was large and cool and the sunlight not coming in was cool and refreshing.
"Your Majesty!"
Wanting to lie on the floor he asked the Josangung to bring a chair. He had to wait until a chair was brought in the end, but it was good to have a chair to sit in often in this place and the waiting was not too regrettable.
Leaning comfortably against the chair Yunseo turned pages and read the sentences one by one slowly. Books he had read as a young child were refreshing to hold in his hands again. The thing that had changed the most compared to then was that the story of Yongsin and flower spirits which had been a stranger's story was no longer someone else's story.
Not long enough to read, Yunseo finished the book and closed it and stared at the empty sky. Thoughts were flowing in his head but no shape was forming.
As he cleared his thoughts and carelessly lifted his head, in Yunseo's field of vision the smoke rising far off entered. Two signal fires. Hell was opening.
Even without trying hard the smoke appeared so clearly and dimly his chest dropped hugely. Yunseo fixed his gaze on the billowing smoke and opened his mouth.
"Jungju."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I'll go to Geumjuseong."
Jungju prepared the palanquin right away. Being close to Geumjuseong, departing from Manguwon was much faster than departing from the imperial palace.
The moment he stepped onto the wall Hwi's eyes met his. He showed no surprised expression and reached out his hand, and Yunseo took that hand and stood right beside him.
"You knew I was coming?"
"I heard your voice."
"Is my voice different?"
"It's different."
Wanting to know what was different, he looked from his place and could not tell the difference. He raised his head questioningly and Hwi laughed and stroked Yunseo's hair.
"Why did you come all this way. It's your first time so be comfortable."
"How can I be comfortable alone."
The ground rumbled, clouds gathered and the jaws of Yongrimbbong opened. Several times already familiar with the horrific scenery, the body stiffened in an instant and Hwi softly clenched Yunseo's hand.
On the wide field Yongrin stood prepared in formation. Their appearance was like soldiers preparing for battle with an enemy army. Indeed they had to fight enemies — that was the truth of this matter.
The Yongrin who poured out right away and encountered the demons were adept and swift at suppressing them. But adept as they were, it could not be said it was easy. The fighting was fierce and brutal and they became entangled and as the situation grew further into chaos it was heading toward Hell.
Most of those who had come to their senses before becoming adults were dedicated to throwing their youth into this Hell. A Yongrin's lifespan was shorter than that of ordinary people and they could not enjoy old age. Thinking of later, his heart ached and Yunseo gave strength to the hand he held.
Hwi's face watching the scene was indifferent and flat. Even that to him — when would he ever be able to adapt. He wanted to bite his lip but Hwi was pulling him gently around the arms and held him.
If only he could bow his head into Hwi's wide arms and block it all out — but he himself was Hwi's reversed side and the Empress Consort of this country. The moment he could not always show weakness, that too was a matter of state he had to face.
Separated from Hwi's arms he stood straight planting his feet on the ground and with his neck upright looked straight at the field. And then Hwi let out a single breath.
"Your stubbornness always puts me in a bind."
Yunseo glanced at Hwi and interlaced his fingers with his. After a little while a smile curved his lips and the Yongrimbbong's jaws closed after a short time as the demons' appearance tapered off.
What remained on the field was only pure silence. Goosebump-inducing, surreal stillness.
The Yongrin straightened their bodies one by one and returned to the fortress. They paid their respects to Hwi and Yunseo after coming and then headed toward the flower spirits waiting for them. Yunseo's eyes landed on the empty space that looked plainly like nothing and opened his mouth.
"Your Majesty."
"Yes."
"Would it be alright to go over there?"
"Do you mean heading toward Yongrimbbong?"
"Yes."
As if inappropriate Hwi furrowed his brow.
"Why do you particularly want to go?"
"The more I see the better it is to know."
"Well. There is nothing worth seeing so there is nothing to find out."
"I want to judge for myself."
When Yunseo had made up his mind to do something there was a tendency not to absolutely back down, and those eyes shining with that determination — Hwi stared at him and let out one more breath.
"Alright. Instead, don't fall away from me."
Familiarly spreading his arm Hwi lifted Yunseo and took him into his arms. He bit into Yunseo's ear canal sufficiently painfully and then leapt. Yunseo swallowed his complaint and tightly wrapped his arms around Hwi's nape.
* 이각二刻: 30 minutes. (1 각 = 15 minutes)