His heart sank under an overwhelming, helpless sorrow that flooded in before he could do anything about it. The conclusion Hwi had arrived at after crossing an entire season, his anguish, the terrible time he must have endured — all of it finally reached him and fell away like late autumn leaves.

"However — wherever you go, you must be accompanied by an escort. Your every move will be reported to me, and even if you leave this country… I would prefer you not let it go past a year."

The hands clasped behind his back had gone white with the force he was putting into them. While Yunseo was staring blankly at those hands, Hwi slowly turned around.

"I hope that our child will not hold you back by the ankle."

"…"

"So I would suggest, from the start, not seeing it at all."

Yunseo faced Hwi without rashly answering, swallowing many things. Hwi's eyes, darkened even further by the shadow that dyed them, were settled in quiet calm.

How wonderful it would be if one could fully convey one's heart simply by meeting each other's gaze. But being mere humans incapable of that, it was why one put feelings into words spoken aloud and shared warmth by holding hands.

"Help me sit up."

When he reached out his hand, Hwi came over without hesitation and carefully supported Yunseo's upper body to help him up. That even with Hwi's help it was difficult showed that his physical and vital strength had fallen considerably.

He let out a small sigh when the door opened and Yeondeok entered together with Court Lady Jo. Court Lady Jo greeted Yunseo with a warm gaze soaked in joy. Yunseo smiled and nodded vigorously, and she handed a deep-bottomed basket to Hwi.

Inside the basket was a soft cushion, and on top of it rested the egg. It was a larger egg than one might expect to contain a small earthworm. Yunseo looked at the egg curiously, then carefully brought his finger toward it.

He had expected the shell to be very hard, since it was an egg — but it was not. The firm yet soft texture was pleasant enough that it was difficult to take his hand away.

"When will it be born?"

"Since the egg left your ranju three months early, it is difficult to predict. Normally an egg hatches within one month of leaving the ranju, but I can only surmise that this child will take longer."

He had a feeling it would rest sufficiently inside the egg before coming out — it must have been busy and exhausted leading him back onto the path of life. It was not an unfounded or fanciful thought. Perhaps because they had been at the edge of death together, that belief had settled firmly in place.

The egg showed no reaction and was quiet. That was natural, of course. He was just poking at the shell here and there out of curiosity when Yeondeok and Court Lady Jo vacated the room.

"Your Majesty. While I was there… I was with this one."

"Is that so."

"Yes. There it was a small earthworm. A glowing earthworm. Only about this big."

He spread his thumb and index finger to estimate the earthworm's size, and Hwi let out a short laugh.

"Even as an earthworm, it seems it had the form of a dragon."

"Ah! So it wasn't an earthworm, it was a dragon. Of course. I thought the reaction was oddly vague when I called it an earthworm."

He had called it a child, but in truth it still hadn't quite sunk in. To him, it had only been an earthworm that was familiar and lovely and precious. Yunseo stroked the egg with curious and affectionate hands before turning to look at Hwi.

"This child saved my life."

"Yes. It struggled hard."

"It resembles you. That… light."

Hwi's gaze rested on the egg. Now that the Hell's Gate had collapsed, at least they would not have to pass on that painful shackle. But the position of the Son of Heaven would bring hardships no less severe. How to lessen those. How to help the child endure in good health. That would become our new task.

But if it was Hwi — if it was that beloved little earthworm — it would be alright, he thought.

His eyelids grew heavy. Fatigue surged in an instant and his body went limp. Hwi set down the basket and laid Yunseo down.

Yunseo held Hwi in his fading vision. In Hwi's pupils, a whirlpool of deep, rich shading was stirring.

"I'll get up again. I'm just going to sleep a little. So… it's alright."

He forced up his limp, loose hand and cupped Hwi's cheek — and Hwi supported Yunseo's hand and gently leaned his head into it. Yunseo smiled faintly and closed his eyelids. A peaceful sleep drew him down into its depths.

* * *

Days continued where he would wake from sleep, eat porridge and medicinal broth, fall asleep again, wake once more, and try to rest again. He wanted to shake off the sickbed already, but it did not go as he wished. The physician told him it was a natural process of recovery and to bear with the frustration, but still.

More than anything, the reason he wanted to get better was because of Hwi. Since Hwi had to travel between the imperial palace and Geumju Fortress for the morning council that met every day, the fatigue from that must have been considerable — and to return to the palace promptly, his body needed to heal.

"Here."

After finishing the porridge, it was time to drink the medicinal broth. Yunseo pressed his lips shut ahead of time and sneaked a glance at Hwi, and Hwi, who had been stirring the medicine with a spoon to cool it, sent his gaze to the corner of Yunseo's mouth.

"You know what they say about suffering preceding joy."

"At this point even sweets are starting to taste bitter."

"I'll tell them to prepare something even sweeter from next time."

His stomach lurched as the spoon approached his lips. He wanted to take it with dignity since it was for his own health, but having drunk so much of it, the smell alone was enough to make nausea rise.

"Hmm."

When Yunseo couldn't open his mouth, Hwi looked back and forth between him and the bowl, and then abruptly took the medicine into his own mouth. Was he tasting how bitter it was? While Yunseo was idly thinking this, Hwi gripped his chin and kissed him.

His tongue pushed between his lips, and along with it came the bitterly bitter liquid. When Yunseo squirmed, Hwi put force into the hand gripping his chin and pushed his tongue in all the way.

His throat bobbed of its own accord and the medicine went down past it. Hwi's warm tongue moistened the inside of Yunseo's mouth and absorbed the bitter lingering taste.

When their lips parted, the bitterness of the medicine was no longer felt — only the warmth and sensation of Hwi came vividly alive. Yunseo breathed raggedly with his cheeks flushed pink, then covered his mouth with his hand.

"Hey, doing something like this while giving medicine…"

"Are you being coy all of a sudden?"

"What?"

"While you were sleeping, I fed you the porridge with my mouth too."

It was something he had not known at all. Yunseo blinked in bewilderment and his cheeks reddened further. Hwi laughed quietly and tapped the apple-ripe cheek with his index finger.

"We've done far more than this, so what is there to be embarrassed about?"

"W— when I was unconscious it couldn't be helped, but this sort of thing is terribly shameful…"

"Then shall I just drink it straight?"

Yunseo's gaze fell to the bowl with a considerable amount of medicine still remaining. It was pitch-black on top of everything else, and it really did not seem possible to empty it by his own will. He fidgeted his fingers pointlessly and delayed answering, but Hwi would not let him off easily.

"Will you drink it?"

The spoon approached his lips. The eyes looking at him narrowed suggestively, and a mischievous light could be read within them. Wretched man. Yunseo mumbled his lips and finally produced an answer.

"If you feed it to me…"

"Am I not feeding it to you already?"

"I mean… with your mouth."

Making him say it directly in the end. He had answered nicely and felt aggrieved, so he shot Hwi a glare — and Hwi curled his lips in a clean smile, then unhesitatingly took the medicine into his mouth and pressed his lips to Yunseo's.

The movement boring at the underside of his tongue made the medicine go down gulp by gulp. Strangely, everywhere Hwi's tongue touched left a sweetish aftertaste. Each time Hwi passed the medicine to him, Yunseo obediently opened his mouth and received him.

By the time the bowl was finally emptied, even Yunseo's lips had flushed a rosy red.

Hwi placed a sweet in Yunseo's mouth. Yunseo sucked on it and breathed in and out trying to catch his breath. Flushing with pointless embarrassment, he was toying with the coverlet when Hwi tidied Yunseo's disheveled hair.

"The medicine seems to be working. Much more color has returned."

"Yes. I can sit up on my own now, so I'm certainly getting better. So if you're very busy, you can rest at the imperial palace for a day or so."

"I come here to rest."

Hwi answered casually and kept assiduously smoothing Yunseo's forehead. Wondering if there was something there, Yunseo touched it with his own hand, but nothing in particular caught on it. As he toyed with it in puzzlement, Hwi watched Yunseo with eyes full of warmth, then took his hand and pressed his lips to it.

"Your Majesty. Do you think the snow has melted?"

"Quite a bit remains. Shall I open the window?"

"I want to see it from outside."

Hwi looked not altogether pleased. But having been unable to leave the bed for an entire day, he desperately wanted to feel the outside air.

"You can carry me in your arms."

At the bold request, Hwi tilted his head and stared at Yunseo, then finally flicked his chin in what seemed like consent. Delighted to have gotten permission in one go, he broke into a wide smile — and Hwi kissed the corner of Yunseo's mouth, then bundled him tightly in a thick, furry blanket.

With even his mouth and nose covered, only his eyes barely peeking out — he looked exactly like a newborn wrapped snugly in swaddling. It was a little stifling, but knowing Hwi's concern for him, he quietly entrusted himself to him.