"The mouths of court attendants who have freely run to speak carelessly about the Emperor and the Inner Palace are extremely reckless."
"They have committed a capital offense, Your Majesty."
"Jo Sanggung. Give these people an appropriate punishment and strictly educate them so that such a thing does not happen again."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The two court attendants were taken away by Taeugim and their seats were empty. This young man was someone who could not but be spoken about with resentment — so there was nothing else to say. Not knowing how to soothe this young man, when he had wet his lips and was trying to say something, he put on a biting smile.
"Please speak, Your Majesty. Are you indeed monopolising the Emperor's favour?"
"This young man."
"Have you ever even once asked for His Majesty to step foot in other palaces?"
"Your feelings are your own. Why would you take out your resentment on the Emperor."
Hyeonbi firmly told him off, but this young man who had been pushed back stared at Yunseo with wide-open eyes. It could touch his pride, it could also hurt his self-respect, and knowing that flower consorts behind him could hear such words — Yunseo could not readily give any answer.
"Your Majesty will also know the old story of Taeanje. I sincerely hope you do not step on his footsteps."
This young man as if stabbing bowed his head deeply to express his respects and then turned away.
Taeanje's old story. The past story of the Emperor whose fall had been caused by a certain Empress Consort's choice — Yunseo's face went briefly blank.
"Your Majesty, do not take this young man's young and foolish words to heart."
Watching this young man's retreating back and then coming to his senses at Hyeonbi's call, Yunseo tried hard to raise the corner of his lips.
"No. The part I failed to think about in time, this young man has pointed out well. I am sorry not to have been able to look after their positions sufficiently."
"How can you say such a thing to the young men."
At Hyeonbi's words Yunseo could not raise his face before them. That Hwi's first was himself, that he was glad knowing he was not another person — and yet he had not once thought of their position.
These people too were guarding Hwi's side as flower consorts — so how could they be alone appropriating Hwi to themselves. The advice Taehu had given struck tenfold inside him and all at once he felt uneasy.
Moreover even if he produced a Yongsin heir for Hwi, the calls for a flower consort would continue. Hwi was none other than the Emperor.
And his own seat……. He was not a flower consort of an ordinary prefecture but a noble consort.
As something seemed to press up from below his head grew heavy. Through the window a single sound of rain dropping fell and soon the drips grew heavier and the sound of rain came pouring down refreshingly. Yunseo feeling a sense of dizziness with his body lay gazing blankly out the window.
After the rain had stopped the inside became even richer. The dusk mixing with gloom spread out redly and the ink-dark clouds cutting through it gave quite a gloomy air.
Below the eaves the bamboo grove let out a cool sound shooting fresh air with the wind. In the daylight Manguwon had been quite warm but entering the grove it seemed as if one could forget one's worries. The atmosphere was cooler than the palace's garden and besides the garden having an abundance of trees with many branches was nice.
"I had been expecting Yeondeok to go first and look, so it was indeed good."
"Your young man takes good care of you and shoots well."
"……Please keep calling him that. If Yeondeok hears he would be pleased."
"Should I be concerned about that?"
With a languid and grumbling yet graceful and elegant voice — it was of a different quality entirely from a rough sycamore-like tone. A wise person straight staring at him — Hwi had turned his head lowering it and brought his lips to Yunseo's lips and pulled back.
"Mu, what……"
"I thought you were going to fly away."
"Your Majesty is truly incorrigible."
"Only with you."
Trivially absurd yet this small and petty time liked this and ultimately ended in laughter. Yunseo also following Hwi raised a smile.
While swinging his matched hand back and forth walking, Yunseo found a fallen vine on the floor and came to a stop. Long and sharp as something that could be used as a neck cover — the cold air of it around him.
"Your Majesty, I heard you sometimes had duels with Mugwan before?"
"Yes. It is quite helpful for skills training."
"Then how about showing me a demonstration?"
"Really?"
Hwi looked at Yunseo as if hearing strange words, then with a smile held his face and asked again.
"Great. I'll use just one finger and bring all the strength I can."
"Guidance can be given anytime, but a duel is not possible."
"Of course I cannot beat Your Majesty so I would like Your Majesty to start on uneven conditions. I want to see what my level is."
At the endless question Hwi looked at Yunseo's face and gave a short laugh several times new before raising his hand.
"Alright. I'll use just one finger so bring all your strength."
"What? One finger is not enough!"
"I have the confidence to beat you with this."
Thinking of beating him with just one finger — it felt like too much of an underestimate, while on the other hand the opponent being Hwi he couldn't help but admit it. But the second and third rounds were a matter of training — and what I'm holding is a stick.
"Even so that's not good. If the finger breaks what do we do?"
"Haha."
Worriedly staring at Hwi's finger, Hwi let out a sound and laughed. That he laughed like this openly was the first time seeing it and Yunseo's eyes went wide. His eyes were so full of laughter and those eyes warmly held Yunseo.
"However it goes, just fix it. You can."
"You cannot be hurt, Your Majesty."
Hwi came up to Yunseo and pulling him into his arms pressed his lips to his forehead.
"My strong arm — even hair won't be hurt."
With an attitude that was originally self-assured Yunseo was dazed for a moment and then grabbed the vine and swung. At once a single bit of power was applied and the arm trembling with that Yunseo was flustered and stared blankly at the vine. Obliquely rising up Hwi's brow corner was showing his amusement.
Yunseo shaking at the side of the tree swung the vine gently. The clumsy movement was of course thwarted by Hwi and Hwi had even more — to avoid Yunseo's attack at a speed that was impossible to follow, going so far as to grab the vine and poke his cheek and nape with a stick.
"Ugh……"
The vine and stick colliding produced a quite dull sound and even so Hwi was not at all in pain his lips wore a smile. Yunseo to knock down his head in this instant grabbed Hwi's back and came down the tree and in that same instant Hwi stretched out his arm below and with a single large sweep of the arm he could not overcome and let the vine go.
As the vine fell to the floor sliding Hwi pulled Yunseo in laughing and pressed his lips to his head. Yunseo suddenly breathing hard grabbed Hwi's clothes.
"I did my best, yet why are you like this."
"……Why are you so like this."
"That is truly native talent — it is natural talent."
With a voice that could not be bothered to resist, Yunseo's lips parted in a pout. Burying himself into Hwi's arms, laughter burst out and only after that he sealed Yunseo firmly and let it out.
"When Your Majesty is at leisure, please teach me. I'll become outstanding."
"Guidance can be given anytime, but a duel is not possible."
"Of course I cannot beat Your Majesty so I would like Your Majesty to start from unfavourable conditions. How much is my level I want to know?"
At the endless question Hwi scanned Yunseo's face and gave a short laugh several times before raising his hand.
"Alright. Instead, don't fall away from me."
"You put an impatient man there."
Familiarly spreading his arm Hwi grabbed Yunseo and carried him into his arms. He bit Yunseo's earlobe sufficiently hard to hurt and then leapt. Yunseo swallowed his complaint and tightly wrapped his arms around Hwi's nape.