When he opened his eyes, faint light was spreading through the darkness. Hwi had lit one candle and was looking at something. When he tried to sit up, Hwi turned to look at Yunseo, apparently sensing his movement.

"Have you woken?"

"Yes. It seems I slept for a long time."

"How do you feel?"

"Light. My stomach is much better."

"Try to sleep more."

He could not tell the time but it seemed to be the small hours. He felt like he could sleep more if he tried, but Yunseo deliberately sat up.

"What were you doing?"

"I was looking at some dispatches. I was just about to sleep, so let us lie down together."

Yunseo stood there blankly looking at Hwi and then shook his head.

"I do not think I can sleep again."

He walked right up to Hwi's side. Hwi raised an eyebrow. Yunseo overcame his embarrassment and sat voluntarily on Hwi's lap. Hwi immediately took the nearby blanket and wrapped it around Yunseo's shoulders.

"I want to look at them together."

Though clearly not pleased, when Yunseo opened his eyes wide, Hwi reluctantly unfolded the dispatches again. Yunseo listened to Hwi's quiet voice and asked questions about things that were unclear in between.

Questions and answers went back and forth and discussion continued. When the dispatches had been read through, Yunseo brought up a new topic.

"About when I talked with the laborer yesterday."

"Yes."

"I heard that it is not easy for them to see a physician when they are injured at a site. This would not only be a problem for laborers."

"That is right."

"I hope that everyone could receive immediate diagnosis when unwell, just as I was able to. For that to happen, the number of physicians would first need to increase……"

"We are continuously testing* physicians, but since the examinations are difficult there are not many who pass. That said, we cannot lower the standards for a profession that saves lives. So while we are putting effort into training students, we will need to invest even more time and resources."

"There are quite a few court nobles among the Yeongchunhwa who also serve as physicians."

Those Yeongchunhwa who had talent among them studied medicine and examined and treated other Yeongchunhwa. Most of them gathered in the imperial palace dealing only with court nobles — which was truly a waste.

"Having lived as Yeongchunhwa they would have a deeper sense of calling, so if they could pursue their dream as physicians, would it not be a mutual benefit?"

"Hmm. If they are dispatched with the purpose of medical education and physician training, that could lend strength to the justification for expanding Hwasicheong. Let us discuss it further after returning to the palace."

"Yes."

When the topic concluded, Yunseo got ahead of Hwi before he could speak.

"Then I will now read to you."

Saying that, he reached out and picked up the novel that had been sitting in the corner. Hwi tilted his head and scanned Yunseo's face. Yunseo pretended not to notice and briefly explained the plot of the novel.

When Yunseo opened to the last place he had been reading and began, Hwi quietly held him closer. Yunseo read slowly in a gentle voice, as though reading aloud to a child. As time passed, Hwi rested his chin on Yunseo's shoulder and let his body go languid.

Initially it had been a method chosen simply to get through the long small hours, but reading like this together was quite pleasant. In between, Hwi asked about Yunseo's thoughts or the contents of the novel, and Yunseo answered him as he read through almost the entire book.

After closing the book, a yawn was about to escape and he pressed his lips firmly together. While barely swallowing the yawn, Hwi's hand circled Yunseo's belly in slow rounds.

"Now let us sleep. I also slowly want to close my eyes."

"Really?"

"Yes. It seems your voice is some kind of magic potion."

Yunseo studied Hwi's face and nodded. Hwi lifted Yunseo just as he was and got onto the bed.

His eyelids had certainly grown heavy, but Yunseo did not immediately try to sleep and traced Hwi's face with his fingertips. He stroked his eyelashes, poked at the tip of his nose, and pressed at the corner of his mouth — and yet Hwi just quietly accepted Yunseo's touch.

That sight of him made a laugh escape. Hwi gave a short laugh and pulled Yunseo in so he could not move.

"One should not play around on the bed."

"In case it becomes teasing?"

At the vaguely provocative question, Hwi narrowed his eyes and looked at Yunseo before pressing his lips to his forehead. And then the hands patting his back were endlessly simple and unremarkable. Yunseo twitched the corner of his mouth and held Hwi in return. He gave back the same thing Hwi had done and soothed him.

After closing his eyes, his eyelids felt as though paste had been applied and could not be raised again. As the sleep that had come once more drew Yunseo in, he recited inside himself. That he needed to wake up.

When he suddenly opened his eyes, a faint breathing sound was heard. Yunseo waited for his vision to adjust to the darkness. The surroundings slowly began to become dimly visible.

He held his breath quietly and observed Hwi. Hwi, with his eyes closed, appeared to be asleep. Fortunately, it seemed he had gotten past the sleeplessness today. Though it would not be a long sleep.

His hand was still resting on Hwi's body. Yunseo carefully watched Hwi's movements and then slowly pushed in his guardian star.

The guardian star reached the poison Hwi was carrying. It was not as tightly coiled as the first time it touched him, but since he had not been receiving treatment every day, that much poison had accumulated.

Since Yunseo had recovered, Hwi had refused his treatment. Of course he had never mentioned it directly, but whenever he tried to offer his guardian star, Hwi would tactfully avoid it. As a result Hwi's fingertips had grown cold again and he had to suffer from sleeplessness.

There must certainly be pain that he himself could not know — just thinking about that, he wanted to grab Hwi right then and forcibly treat him, but he simply could not bring himself to do so. Because he vividly remembered having pushed guardian star into him to put him to sleep in that battlefield.

And so Yunseo offered Hwi the guardian star when he was asleep. It was an extremely rare moment to be awake alone like this, since Hwi never went to sleep first and there was almost no time when he was alone like this.

Still, when Yunseo would occasionally wake up, rise, and spend the small hours with Hwi, Hwi would tend to sleep relatively well afterward. It was a method he could not use often because of Hwi constantly worrying about his health, but it was quite effective.

Yunseo concentrated all his attention on his fingertips and focused on unraveling Hwi's poison. Perhaps Hwi knew about the nighttime secret. Since he would feel the change in his own body's condition.

But the fact that he was not raising it could mean he would allow at least this much. Just as Hwi worried and cherished him, he too worried over and took precious care of Hwi. Because they must go forward together, for a long time.

Being careful not to wake Hwi, it took quite a long time. His guardian star had diminished from before and now he had to be fully conscious of his own state as well while attending to the treatment.

After finishing the treatment, Yunseo swallowed a sigh and looked at Hwi. Perhaps because of his imagination, the sleeping face seemed a little more at ease. He held him just as he was and rested his head on Hwi's chest. The warmth and breath coming from Hwi melted sweetly and guided Yunseo toward the world of sleep.

* * *

The newly made clothes arrived in time for the day. Two red robes were placed before them. Yunseo's was a bright, clear-feeling scarlet, and Hwi's was a deeper red than that.

Hwi helped Yunseo put on the robe. Now wearing red clothes, it felt as though the atmosphere of the festival was wafting. Yunseo held his excited heart and fiddled with the hem before looking at Hwi dressing.

Yunseo's eyes went wide. It was the first time he had seen Hwi in red clothes, and it suited him far better than expected, and moreover……

Hwi finished tying his ties firmly and then raised his head — and seeing Yunseo, he raised an eyebrow.

"Does it not suit?"

"It is not that……"

Somewhere in the south there was said to be a performer famous for dancing, who possessed such an alluring appearance even in a man's body that they captivated both women and men. It might be nothing more than rumor, but looking at Hwi now, he thought perhaps that story was not false.

"You…… look sensual."

At the word that had slipped out entirely on its own, Hwi blinked slowly and then burst into a hollow laugh. With a strange expression he tilted his head and came one step, two steps closer. Yunseo gradually backed away but bumped into a wall and could not escape.

"Is it not that your head is the sensual one?"

"I, I am perfectly fine……"

Hwi came up to right before his nose and lightly caught his chin. With his head slightly tilted back, Yunseo had no choice but to take Hwi in his field of vision.

The corner of Hwi's eye, stretched long to the side, was particularly alluring. The long fluttering eyelashes and beneath them the dark pupils looking straight at him — how ticklish they were. Yunseo's gaze slowly went downward and landed on Hwi's lips.

The pinkish-red lips looked even softer perhaps because of the contrast with the red robe. Before he even realized it he was gulping down saliva, and the corner of Hwi's mouth curved up at an angle. Hwi raised his thumb and lightly swept Yunseo's lower lip.

"You are undressing me with your eyes."

"……"

"And violating me."

He tried to shake his head but with the force in Hwi's hand, he could not move. In truth it seemed Hwi's words were not wrong either. Yunseo moved his lips and then squeezed his eyes shut and pulled at the back of Hwi's neck.