Hwi's pitch-black pupils seethed with every manner of emotion. He fixed his gaze without blinking once, as though witnessing something he could barely believe, or as though he would not miss a single moment. The light and shadow of that intensely surging gaze slowly melted through Yunseo's body.

He wanted to speak and opened his mouth, but his throat was dry and stinging as though it had sealed shut. When he furrowed his brow, Hwi reached out and brought a bowl of water.

When Yunseo tilted his head up, Hwi supported the back of his neck. Taking one sip of water made it feel as though life was flowing back through his whole body. Parched as he was, he tried to drink quickly and pursed his lips — but Hwi tilted the bowl to the other side.

"Slowly."

He swallowed the water slowly and unhurriedly, as Hwi's gentle voice said. He could clearly feel the sensation of the water entering his throat and making its way to his stomach. After emptying the entire bowl, he felt as though he might survive, and tried to sit up — but it was not easy.

"Lie down."

Hwi carefully patted Yunseo's chest. Yunseo felt a welcome, familiar warmth in that touch, and looked up.

He traced in turn the eyebrows with their rich texture alive, the eye corners that swept sharply and cleanly but held tenderness, the nose bridge that rose proudly and descended with delicacy, and the lips that drew a soft line.

It felt as though he had traveled an impossibly long road and met Hwi again. The reality sank in that he had struggled his way back in order to be with him — and at that, the fullest, most complete affection for life began to fill him tight.

"Did you wait long?"

He didn't know how much time had passed. He could only hope that it hadn't been too long, for the people who would have been waiting for him.

Hwi moved his lips once. The raised corner of his mouth trembled finely, as though barely holding its place. His throat bobbed hugely, as if swallowing something enormous.

"I knew you would come, so I was waiting."

He shrugged with considerable composure. It was a quotation from the words Yunseo had said when Hwi had finally returned after his sudden departure.

The corners of Yunseo's mouth softly crumbled. Yunseo looked tenderly at Hwi's gaunt cheek. When he reached out, Hwi took Yunseo's hand and pressed his forehead against it.

"Thank you for coming back."

A trembling breath swallowed Hwi's voice. The shoulders of a man who had seemed immovable as a mountain became endlessly small. Yunseo pushed back the tears that surged up. He felt sorry and grateful to Hwi. Sorry for giving him time that must have been terrible, and grateful that he had waited and endured to the end.

Yunseo and Hwi felt each other's warmth for a long while with their hands clasped. Between their palms, emotions too deep to see the bottom of pooled steadily. This love, met again after crossing the river of death, brought them a joy of life incomparable to anything else.

"Your Majesty."

Just then the royal physician entered the sleeping quarters. She saw Yunseo, who had regained consciousness, and knelt in reverent astonishment.

"I am truly overwhelmed."

"You must have had a hard time of it."

"My skill was insufficient — I could only depend on the Empress's strong will."

The physician came forward with brimming eyes and took Yunseo's pulse. But as the examination continued, she wiped away her tears and hardened her expression carefully — which made him inexplicably tense. As though sensing that mood, Hwi lazily stroked the back of Yunseo's hand.

"With the exception of the parts where the energy is still weak, you are healthy. For the time being, you must not overexert yourself and must get sufficient rest."

"Thank you."

"I will bring medicinal broth at every meal, so you must drink it without fail, and if anything feels unwell you must be sure to tell me."

He was just wrinkling his mouth at the news that he would have to drink medicinal broth at every meal. A noisy sniffling sound came from somewhere, and when he turned his head, Yeondeok could be seen standing to one side.

"Yeondeok!"

Had he returned from his grandmother's house? He was glad to see him, but thinking that Yeondeok must have been so worried made his expression cloud — at that moment, Yeondeok glared at Yunseo and wept, tears falling drop after drop.

Since Yeondeok was not one to cry easily, it felt as though his heart dropped. He carefully studied Yeondeok's face and reached out his hand — and Yeondeok let out a shriek.

"Why do you keep doing this? Why must you cause trouble every single time and keep my heart from being at peace for even a moment? Does it feel good to you? You must truly feel so relieved!"

His own tears welled up alongside Yeondeok's crying. Yunseo opened and closed his lips several times with his chin wobbling before letting out a sniffle.

"I'm sorry…"

At those few words, Yeondeok ran over and took Yunseo's hands. Tears streamed sadly at the touch that checked every inch of him to see if there was a single wound left anywhere.

Hwi, who had been quietly watching the reunion between the two companions, wiped Yunseo's tears with his hand and threw out a remark.

"Your young mistress is saying something sensible for once."

"…Pardon?"

Yeondeok, who had been crying in a mess, came to his senses and asked back blankly. Then he realized he was before the Emperor and hurriedly stood up to straighten himself.

"I am deeply sorry. I dared in front of Your Majesty to…"

"Is that something you brought?"

Wanting Yeondeok, who must have been worrying so much, not to be downcast, Yunseo changed the subject — and Yeondeok quickly turned to look at the snowman and went toward it.

"Yes. There is a lot of snow piled up outside. Originally it was much bigger than this, but it all melted and came to this… but I'm glad you woke up before it melted away entirely."

"It's cuter for having melted. It looks just like a baby snowman… ah."

Yunseo quickly brought his hand down to feel his abdomen. He even lifted the coverlet to feel it, but there was nothing distinct to be felt. He quickly checked his surroundings but nothing else was visible.

"Your Majesty. The worm — ah, where is the child?"

"A child?"

"Is there not a child?"

At Yunseo's question, Hwi tilted his head to one side.

"What child do you mean? Are you talking about a dream?"

A dream? Had it simply been a dream?

No. No, it wasn't. That earthworm was a real being. He had only thought of it as an earthworm while he was there — but now that he had returned here, he understood naturally. That earthworm was…

"Your child and mine."

There was nothing to be felt in his abdomen. So it had probably come out. Yunseo waited for Hwi to understand, but Hwi only slightly knitted his brow with an expression that seemed at a glance almost indifferent.

"Our child? It seems you had a dream."

Something was strange. Yunseo turned his gaze toward the royal physician standing behind him — but she averted her eyes. Yeondeok did the same.

"Did something go wrong with the child?"

It felt as though the middle of his chest had caved in. There was only one reason to claim a child who clearly existed did not exist. But the earthworm had clearly been unharmed. Had it not even saved his life? Could it perhaps be because of that?

"Please tell me the truth."

He made the request in a trembling voice, but Hwi seemed set on maintaining his claim that it was a dream — he played ignorant and put on an expression of feigned puzzlement and concern. If Hwi made up his mind to lie, there was no way for Yunseo to break through it.

Yunseo changed his target and shot a intense gaze at Yeondeok. Yeondeok, who had been quietly bowing his head, stole a glance and then shook his head side to side. At that, Hwi turned to look at Yeondeok, and the look in his eye was icy.

"Why are you lying?"

At this point it was impossible not to feel exasperated. Yunseo furrowed his brow and put force into the hand clasped with Hwi's.

"Why are you saying a child who clearly exists does not exist?"

"It is not a child. It is an egg."

"Pardon?"

"Whether there is a person inside it or a bird, no one can know."

He was going to such careful lengths to say such a strange thing. Yunseo looked at Hwi for a moment before opening his mouth.

"Yes. An egg. I want to see that egg."

Even at Yunseo's demand, Hwi gave no reaction and simply looked back at him. If the egg was unharmed, he had no idea why Hwi was acting this way. Could it be that he did not welcome the existence of the child? Because of the inheritance of the shackle? But still…

When the standoff between the two men only grew longer, Yeondeok stepped forward.

"I… will go and get it."

When Yunseo nodded, Yeondeok hurried out, and the physician offered her respects and vacated the room along with him. Only then did Hwi's lips open slowly.

"I should have driven that one out before you woke."

"Why do you keep saying such disagreeable things?"

Yunseo looked up at Hwi with worried eyes. If enough snow had fallen to make a snowman, it must be midwinter now — and having crossed an entire season, he was anxious about what Hwi must be feeling. But why he was trying to hide the existence of the child was something he could not understand, and wanting to find even a small clue, he went over every inch of Hwi's face.

Then Hwi let out a small laugh like a sigh, and carefully stroked Yunseo's forehead. His fingertips had grown a little cold. But his tender and affectionate touch was the same as ever, and Yunseo bit down on his lip.

Hwi's fingers came down and touched Yunseo's lips. When he released the lower lip he had been holding between his front teeth, Hwi tapped it twice as though praising him.

"The Hell's Gate has collapsed."

Those quiet words breathed a deep relief into the depths of his chest. So it had collapsed after all. The joy that all of that had not been in vain swelled up — just as the corners of his mouth were about to rise—

"I no longer have any justification to keep you here."

Hwi's voice was the same as always. The expression looking down at Yunseo was the same too. And so it was all the more that it brought a feeling of strangeness.

"You may leave."

Yunseo's lips parted blankly. Hwi stroked Yunseo's lips endlessly and then suddenly stood and moved toward the window.

The shadow of Hwi standing before the window, through which sunlight seeped in, deepened. Yunseo wanted to see what expression he was wearing, but his body refused to take on any strength and he could not get up.

"Do what you wish."