7 The Palace🌸 七

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Chapter 7

The Palace

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Part 1

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Unedited as of 12/10/2022

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

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Yeon Myeong=Yeonmyung

I made a late-night spelling-chek error early on in the translation. I edited in Docs and I used FIND AND REPLACE to correct the spelling of Yeonmyung’s name and it somehow ended up as Yeon Myeong. I accidentally posted it without realizing my error. However I was too lazy to go back and fix it so I just continued on with that incorrect spelling. I am now making an effort to re-edit and fix previous errors and this is one of them. Sorry for any confusion this may cause

61 minutes

1

Something had changed. 

If Heun had to put his finger on it, he might say what he had seen had changed.

If this were one’s first time seeing things, it might look trivial, but in fact, things were so extremely uncanny and mixed up that one couldn’t point out just one or two things.

Heun didn’t realize it, but, since the incident where he was poisoned, Taewoongseong had been shaken up several times over. The fact that Bangui was about to be decapitated couldn’t be ignored, not to mention something that one could never have imagined had happened, Wei-Jeong was banished.

As a result, the Inner Palace and the Palace Women of the Consort were thrown into a frenzy, and all the Palace Women belonging to the concubine had been transferred, and in particular, all the private female servants brought by the Consorts called Haein (亥人), were expelled from the palace without exception. 

Because of this, Hyi-bi, who was now known as one of the most important ranking Consorts of the Yukwon, knelt all day in front of Ganghwa-jeon to seek an audience with the Emperor, but she immediately withdrew when the Emperor gave a single statement via Sudang-Taegam¹.

What Sudang-Taegam said was,

– Is a maidservant any different from when a Guest is expelled or vanishes without a trace in the palace?

It was.

The concubines gathered in the front garden of Gyotae-jeon² every morning, which was next to Gangnyeong-gung Palace³, under the pretext of remembering the dead (追念: 죽은 사람을 기림)⁴, saying that the entire Yukwon would die out.

When this matter was forced to ascend to the Emperor’s ears in the hope that it produced a change, the Emperor responded by saying that if they wanted to keep it up, arrange it so they could do so, then, the conveniently timed memorial stopped.

The next day Outer Court Officials swarmed. 

Then the question that followed was whether it is appropriate for all the concubines to be treated as criminals just because of one Guest? That question went further back to whether it was acceptable for a Guest born as a slave and who refused to enter the Inner Palace to be bestowed with a palace in the inner court. Then the old question of ‘why had the Gyotae-jeon¹ been empty for the last several years’ was brought up again.

It was noisy inside and outside of the palace every day. 

This time the concubines opened their mouths to their fathers and attracted shamans and fortune tellers (卜者: 점쟁이). 

‘If the yin qi⁵ is confined in one place, then the path of the yang qi⁵ will also lose its direction’, in the end, a series of similar fortunes were made like an appeal to the royal family. In Taewoong-Palace, the center of the royal family, the silent tears(泣:) over the lack of a daily royal consummation⁶ soon became loud cries(哭) that this was going to upset the balance between nature’s order and heaven’s plans on earth.

Heun woke up in the middle of this and was able to guess what had happened in those few days just by looking at things.

Even at the morning meal, the table setting changed, he saw the indications when the Sangseon-taegam even brought a silver spoon. 

No matter how much the malice died down, even if it was only under the proviso of it only having been for a few days, it was enough to make one shrink with fright. The Emperor’s intention to turn his eyes this way and that, as well as filling his mouth with venom if he didn’t like it, was also blatant. 

The good news was that the only food Heun could eat was plain rice porridge. If the table had been set up like other Concubines, the Sangseon-taegam would have had to stay in Yiyang Palace for a long time. 

The Sangseon-taegam face remained sallow the whole time Heun was eating until his bowl was emptied by more than half, as Heun watched his face, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

The Sangseon-taegam’s mouth gaped open whenever Heun’s hand that was holding the spoon dipped even a little, and every time he swallowed a mouthful, the Sangseon-taegam breathed a sigh of relief. The same was true of palace women that were nearby. 

This way of doing things didn’t deviate even a little from what Wonje did. Whenever something happened, Wonje would increase the time his hands and feet were bound. 

The more this happened, the more complicated the eyes that looked at Gok Yeo-Heun became. Those eyes that looked at him were nothing new because he had suffered because of them in his previous life.

One strange thing that was new was that there were people who were sincere. 

“My Lord, My Lord!”

One of them was Yeon-Myeong. 

After having two of her toes crushed while being interrogated, Yeonmyung was now lame.

Since her body suddenly became injured, anyone else would have resented Heun, but Yeonmyung looked at him with sunnier eyes than before. He couldn’t figure out how that was possible, so he was even more anxious about it. 

Yeonmyung limped in and approached Heun, who was sitting next to the window basking in the sun after returning from the table.

“What’s going on?” 

He looked with pity when he saw Yeonmyung walking with a whimper. 

“Didn’t I tell you not to move if you don’t have any work?” 

“I want to comb your hair. Come on, My Lord. Turn around this way.” 

Heun furrowed his brow.

“There is no need to do that. Didn’t you comb my hair this morning as well?”

“You have already combed it, so there is no need to add extra effort. What does His Majesty coming here have to do with anything?” 

Yeonmyung tilted her head as though what he was saying was bizarre. 

“What do you mean, My Lord Guest? When His Majesty is coming, you must freshen yourself up and change your clothes too.” 

“There is nothing that will make my appearance better than this. I’m not a naturally beautiful person so nothing will change by you adorning me. Now please sit down and relax your feet.” 

“Oh, but……”

Yeonmyung pretended to hunch up her small shoulders. 

“But I’m afraid of His Majesty.”

“…… Yes?” 

“I know that I have to be careful with my words a hundred thousand times more because I am a servant who has no rank yet……Still, I think I can say something like this to My Lord. His Majesty is scary. They didn’t even listen to us lowly subordinates this time….. If it wasn’t for My Lord, everyone would have died. But His Majesty cares about My Lord. He listens to what My Lord says. So uh……no, I mean, I think His Majesty will be really, really, really angry if I neglect to brush your hair…….”

At the end of the long struggle, Yeonmyung said one more thing. 

“You said that every single strand of My Lord’s hair belongs to His Majesty. So, I won’t neglect to comb it. Even if you want to you can’t say anything about it.” 

“Stop.” 

Heun, who couldn’t hear anymore, ended the conversation with Yeon-Myeong.

“……What? Ah, I said too much. I’m sorry, My Lord.” 

“No, it’s not like that……,” 

“Yes?” 

With her clear, large eyes, she seemed to have no idea what she just said to make Heun react like that.

“…… No.” 

He told him to take it so that he would not have any more regrets, however, hearing it from someone else’s mouth sounded bizarre. As though he had any kind of relationship with the Emperor, his stomach twisted into knots when he heard that the Emperor cherished and held him, dear, to such a bizarre extent.

“Well, can I comb your hair, My Lord?”

Heun bit his lip and endured the undulations inside.

“Do as you please.”

Yeonmyungg smiled softly as though she had heard something nice, and pulled out a comb and oil. 

He couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable every time he caught sight of her limping.

“I’ll lower my body, so please sit down on the chair.” 

“My Lord.” 

Yeonmyung smiled broadly. The combing was more careful and longer that day, but if the effort was in vain, then it was in vain, and if it was not, it was not. 

Indeed, someone did visit Yiyang Palace.

If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.

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Part 2

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2

“Present yourself and kowtow. It is the Crown Prince of Pa.”

“……” 

Heun saw Yeonmyung biting her lip as he stood at the edge of the women. It seemed appropriate to be wide-eyed at circumstances that were highly unfair, but that was the inevitability of the situation.

It was Hwa-bi (華妃) who came to Yiyang Palace.

She was the deceased Empress’s cousin. The reason why she became Hwa-bi⁸ at the young age of thirty-two was because of the Empress’s Will (遺音: words left before death), which requested she take over the role of mother to the Prince. 

There was a saying that it was the most difficult to become the Emperor’s (寵妾)favored concubine because one would always be carrying the Empress’s shadow on their back, however, conversely, Hwa-bi was the one most likely to be sealed as the Empress Dowager. 

With the Crown Prince at her back, Hwabi was able to take a step back from the usual battle for the rank of the concubines. There was no reason to fight with others for a seat next to the Emperor as Emperess when she would be Empress Dowager. Hwa-bi just had to wait. 

Then Hwa-bi visited Yiyang Palace with the Crown Prince at the head. 

“You are also a member of the Inner Court roster, so you should greet the Crown Prince. I’ve heard the story about the violent business that happened the other day, but shouldn’t you still perform your duty? Though the Crown Prince is still young, how can you know the degree to which he is immature?”

For such a thing, it was a situation that made things very difficult. 

Behind Hwa-bi the female servants and the Courtiers that she commands lined up in a row, and next to them was another bunch of people from the Crown Prince’s Palace. When Heun bowed, it would be like bowing to all of those people at once. 

Ji-Wol, who was of lower rank, stepped forward.

My Lady Hwa-bi, My Lord is still weak, so if the situation is difficult he may become faint(眩症), to avoid relapse wouldn’t it be better to move inside to be bowed to……?” 

“How dare you mindlessly interfere!” 

Hwa-bi’s female maiden cut off her words at once. Ji-Wol shut her mouth and backed away from the female servant who openly glared at her.

“All right. Since you’re such an unwise person, I’ll let you bow to him here instead of moving around. How can anyone in the Inner Court not recognize the Crown Prince, and because he came here directly, shouldn’t you show your sincerity?

“… …”

Heun hesitated to avoid showing a troubled expression. 

There was no reason to not bow to him as there was no reason to hold on to unsuitable pride. 

What made Heun hesitate was this was a bout of Inner Court drama playing out.

Even if he had been tied up to Wonje’s side for years, he had never compared himself to the concubines.

Wonje emptied the Yukwon so there was no Inner Court roster, but he was still an injection from the Gok family. As long as the Palace walls rose and the canals were opened, there was no way for him to be seen as a concubine as he was now.

Once again his position as a Guest had made his life difficult.

He thought that he had truly become his property.

As his chin moved slightly, his painstakingly brushed hair moved against the nape of the neck. 

The sensation caused goosebumps to erupt all over. It felt as though Ja-Ryung’s hand was touching him. 

The hair that was given away without any regrets, which was there without ever being noticed until now suddenly reminded him of the presence of its owner in every movement. 

“What is the Guest from the Gok family doing? How long are you going to make His Highness the Crown Prince wait for you?” 

The woman browbeat Heun. Then Hwa-bi had nothing else to say. 

Rather than being offended, he looked at the Crown Prince who was wearing a small golden crown and black robes with a silver collar, with an awkward expression. 

He was a small child. He looked about the same age Heun would have been when he was imprisoned.

“Gu……est of Yiyang Palace greets his Majesty the Crown Prince.”

It was customary(正禮) to kneel putting both of one’s hands together and placing them in front of your eyes, bend your waist, then straighten your back and lower your hands, repeating the process twice before standing up. 

It was time to bend over from his waist. 

Suddenly, a child’s hand came up and grabbed a handful of Heun’s hair. The first thing he was bewildered by was Yeonmyung standing on the edge. 

“Oh no, My Lord’s hair!” 

Ji-Wol pulled Yeonmyung and warned her to keep her mouth shut, 

“……” 

Whatever he was thinking, the Crown Prince clenched his small fist and pulled as hard as he could. There was a sound of a snap as his hair was being pulled out. Tears welled up in his eyes from the pain. 

The Heun held his head still and said, 

“Your Majesty. You have to let go of my hair so that I can finish bowing.” 

“……” 

Without saying a word the Crown Prince gave more strength to the hand that was pulling his hair. Hwa-bi watched the scene silently. 

Anyone could tell that no one had any intention of stopping it. 

“Oh no, you can’t!” 

Yeonmyung shook off Ji-Wol and came to Heun’s side. Yeonmyung bowed her head as much as she could next to the Crown Prince and said, 

“Please let go of your hand, Your Majesty. You must not touch My Lord’s hair.” 

It was neither the Crown Prince nor Hwa-bi who spoke out, but a young girl.

“What is this shameless business?! What kind of rankless thing dares step forward before our eyes? Step back right now!” 

“Really, I can’t. You can’t do this. His hair……Your Majesty, come on, let go of your hand,” 

“Bring this wretched thing out! What do you think you’re doing!?” 

When the girl shouted, the guards who followed Hwa-bi blocked Yeonmyung’s path.

“Your Majesty! Let go of your hand!” 

Yeonmyung urgently grabbed the Crown Prince’s hand and tried to free Heun’s hair. The ladies were desperate and grabbed Yeonmyung’s hands.

 Such insolence……! How dare you put your hand on him!” 

As though she had been waiting, Hwa-bi finally stepped up. She pointed her finger at Yeonmyung and spoke.

“Take her out, beat her, and sprinkle it with salt water. She is a disrespectful bitch who dares to put her hand on the Prince’s jade body.” 

“Yes, Your Ladyship Hwa-bi.” 

She was aiming for this from the beginning. To find fault in order to harass, and to harass in order to torment. 

Now that the Yeo-bi and the Hyi-bi are both shutting their mouths and looking out for themselves, it is likely that because of the Crown Prince, Hwa-bi’s place within the ranks of concubines would reorder and shift forward at once. 

It was Hwa-bi who was looking to become Empress Dowager since she became a concubine.

So, the appearance in advance at Yiyang Palace was not aimed at the male Guest, but rather at the concubines as a warning to other concubines who might produce an Imperial child at any time. 

Since this is the way the Inner Court always operated, this was nothing new.

“Wait, My Lady Hwa-bi.” 

Heun grabbed the small wrist of the Prince with his own hand. Hwa-bi, whose complexion had changed, took a step forward and spoke. 

“Where are you touching now? How dare you, a Guest, do such a thing!” 

“The one who raised his hand first was the Crown Prince, so I know this is not an excessive action.”

He made eye contact with the Crown Prince, who looked at him and spoke slowly. 

“Please let go Your Highness. There is nothing I can do to you if you hurt me as long as I am in the Imperial Palace where the law takes precedence over that of people, but what His Highness is holding no longer belongs to my body.”  

“… …” 

No matter how mean-faced he looked, he was only a five-year-old child. When Heun grabbed him, the Crown Prince’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“For the same reason as myself, Your Majesty cannot damage my hair either. My servant knew this and tried to stop His Highness. It was completely wrong for her to put her hand out first, but please also take into consideration that it was not for done to be disrespectful, but rather for His Highness’s sake.” 

“… …” 

“Your Highness.” 

Instead, he lowered his voice soothingly and put strength in his hand. He didn’t know if it hurt, but the child frowned. 

“What is the Guest doing now?” 

Hwa-bi intervened straight-faced, and Heun took the lead.

“Come along, Your Highness. You have to let it go, so I can release you too.” 

“… …” 

The stubborn Prince looked up at Hwa-bi. It was the look of a child asking for permission, Heun immediately understood what his behavior meant. 

It must have been Hwa-bi who ordered him to make an incident at Yiyang Palace. 

He moved his tongue in his mouth, which was as bitter as after drinking medicinal tea. 

Now, he knew the reason he should avoid it, however, the only way to avoid Hwa-bi as a Guest was to invoke the Emperor. 

“His Majesty owns my hair. Since he has already taken possession of it without letting go of a single strand and now treasures it, everyone who did not keep it properly will commit blasphemy. Her Ladyship Hwa-bi probably didn’t know that.” 

“That…… !” 

Everyone saw Hwa-bi’s face turn sallow. 

The bitter taste in his mouth grew stronger. After having lived in the palace for so long it seems as though Heun had become a royal courtier. Words that evoked the Emperor, using him like a shield flowed casually from him.

What a ridiculous spectacle he was. A man using the Emperor to save himself. What did he consider himself as just because the Emperor killed a few less people?!

However, regardless of how much self-ridicule he felt, it was impossible to sit by and watch as Yeonmyung was beaten.

As the Crown Prince saw Hwa-bi fall into silence, he loosened his fists.

A few hairs which were pulled out were buried in the creases of his fingers. 

As the Crown Prince let go, Heun continued to bow as though nothing had happened. 

“May I stand up now, Your Highness?” 

“……” 

The Crown Prince looked up at Hwa-bi, whose mouth was shut tightly, and nodded. Heun straightened his bent knees, stood up, and spoke to Hwa-bi. 

“This is the Palace Woman that brushes my hair with great care. If she is flogged, she will not be able to comb it anymore. It was a small mistake, so if her Ladyship Hwa-bi extends her benevolence(仁恩) two lives will be saved.

Consort Hwa-bi’s teeth chattered as she glared at Heun.

“……Wicked thing! Wearing seung-eun⁹ by performing wicked acts with a man’s body, is the same thing as slitting one’s throat a thousand times over. You’re trying to show contempt for the Crown Prince and reign without knowing how shameful you are. Your shameful arrogance(恣行) will surely be your poison.”

Her words did not insult him, nor did they hurt him, because he knew it was just her misdirected rage speaking.

It was just pitiful.

Why didn’t Ja-Ryung or Wonje love anyone amongst these women? All these beautiful women who were always ready to love him unconditionally. 

“As you can see, even if I’m a Guest I am just a man. I pose no threat to the Crown Prince. If you are only concerned about the welfare of the Crown Prince, you need not pay attention to Yiyang Palace.” 

“Why should I believe the words of someone who acts in such a way?”

Heun received Hwa-bi’s words with calm, neutral eyes. 

“I won’t live much longer. Just as there are no regrets left in this life, I also have no feeling invested in the palace. However, I want to stop people from dying or being hurt because of me. That is all.” 

“… …” 

Hwa-bi shut her mouth at Heun’s words. So she didn’t order the palace women to be taken out and beaten. 

“My Lady, My Lady.” 

The Crown Prince carefully opened his mouth and called Hwa-bi. Hwa-bi took the Crown Prince’s hand. 

“I do not believe your words.”

The words, which should have been spoken imbued with power, sounded like they were being addressed to herself rather than to Heun, so they fell weakly.  

“I will leave now. Come along, Crown Prince.” 

When Hwa-bi’s words were spoken, the Palace Women and the courtiers bowed their heads. 

“Yes, My Ladyship Hwa-bi.”

Unlike when she entered, the steps she left with were a bit heavy and they were less audible.

Yeonmyung, who had not been able to breathe until then, burst into tears as soon as Hwa-bi’s shadow completely disappeared from Yiyang Palace. 

“Huhh…! My Lord!” 

It must have been terrifying and sorrowful. 

Yeonmyung’s small body slipped on the dirt floor with a loud noise. 

Heun, who was embarrassed, lowered himself and patted Yeonmyung’s shoulder for a moment. 

“It’s all over, so don’t cry.” 

“My Lord…… !” 

Ji-Wol kicked her tongue and lowered herself down like Heun as though she pitied him, and hugged Yeonmyung.

“Yes, what was that? Why were you so reckless? I have told you a hundred times to shut your mouth and a thousand times to close your ears. This is what it takes to live in the palace!” 

“But…… but, Her Ladyship Hwa-bi intentionally…… and purposefully…… Ugh,” 

“Yes, you’ve only been living in Yiyang Palace without any problems, but for the other concubines, this is just a part of life. You know you’re lucky that it turned out like this.” 

“But……still, My Lord was being injured…… you know. Rea…… Really that’s going too far! My Lord hasn’t even fully recovered properly after eating the poisoned matsutake! Huh…… !” 

Yeonmyung seemed to be sad that the person she served was constantly being treated harshly. She had forgotten that she was now lame and that she was nearly beaten moments ago.

For Heun, it was both worrisome and embarrassing that there was such a defenseless Palace Woman in Taewoongseong.

“Stop crying, and the next time something happens, just stay put.” 

“How…… How can I do that, My Lord! You lost a handful of hair!” 

“I didn’t. No matter how strong a five-year-old child is, he can’t do that.” 

“Y,Yes!”

Yeonmyung looked up at Heun with tears streaming down her face. 

“His Majesty will be very upset if he finds out. This is the hair he adores.”

He felt shame hearing that. He felt dirty thinking about such unclean things.

No matter which way one looked at it, it couldn’t be said that he liked what Wonje had done to him.

“Don’t say things like that in the future.” 

Heun got up and headed to the bed alone. As Ji-Wol followed behind, she quickly lifted Yeonmyung and did not forget to poke her in the side. 

“How can you be that way? The Lord saved your life but you choose to say what should not be said……open your eyes, little one.” 

Yeonmyung lifted her eyes with bewilderment.

“……What? What did I do?” 

“You really don’t know?”

“What?” 

Ji-Wol sighed. 

“The Lord said with his own mouth that he doesn’t have but a few days left to live. That is…… if his life meant something to him, why would he say such a thing? No matter how much His Majesty favors him it means nothing to the Lord. Got it, don’t keep mentioning His Majesty to him. Do you understand?” 

He said it was in vain and she wondered how he could not know. 

It was obvious to her eyes that the male Guest did not like the Emperor. He hates dressing up, and even when the Emperor came, he never greeted him warmly. 

Jiwol did not know, but she heard about it. It is said that sexual intercourse between two men is different from that of men and women, so those who do not want it would rather die first and wouldn’t be excited about it. If this is how it was with the Guest of Yiyang Palace, then his aversion to His Majesty would not be a grievous crime(重).

“……? That’s because he was so ill. But now he’s getting better day by day. The doctor also reduced the medicine to twice a day. Compared to when he first came to Yiyang Palace, his wounds have disappeared and his complexion has improved. Isn’t it because of His Majesty’s love for our Lord Guest that he gives him precious ginseng daily?”

“This child, if you keep talking like that……,” 

“Yes Madam, I know. My Lord is male so he won’t be able to bear his Majesty any children, so no matter how much his Majesty loves the Guest, it won’t be of any use, is that what you mean? 

“That…”

“Yes, that’s correct. The most important thing that a concubine must do is to bear a royal heir. If a concubine doesn’t produce an heir, even if they receive the royal favor of His Majesty, it will be difficult to maintain their position next to that of the other Royal Concubines. Well, that is true but……”  

Yeonmyung stopped talking as though she were thinking, and then she laughed bashfully to herself. 

“However, a person can just be pretty too.” 

“What does that mean?” 

After seeing her expression, Ji-Wol gave up saying anything because she didn’t want to hear what she might say next. 

What is there to do? Seeing what the Lord Guest is like, it is unlikely that he would punish her harshly just for speaking immature thoughts aloud. I don’t think anyone is going to get off. He saved her life twice, so he wouldn’t end it frivolously. 

“Just…… when his Lordship is ill his Majesty comes and watches him for a long time, right? I think it’s really……how should I say it, well……that’s what makes my heart pound. He just stares at him, which means he likes looking at him. I don’t need to know what the other reasons are. It’s good enough just to be that way.” 

“Is that……so?” 

“The way his Majesty treats the Lord, there’s no way not to notice how lovely he looks in his eyes. How can that be a bad thing?”

After listening to Yeonmyung’s words Ji-Wol also wondered if that was the case. So far, Ji-Wol has only been concerned about the fact that the Guest of the Gok family had shown fear and dislike of the Emperor. However, when one thought about it from the Emperor’s point of view, he felt the opposite. 

As she thought about how the other Guests who were chosen to wear silver⁹ would just get casually cast aside, it suddenly occurred to Jiwol that it was just as Yeonmyung had said, the reason the Guest was placed in the Inner Palace was just that the Emperor cared for him.

“I guess that’s what it is.” 

Ji-Wol was wrong, and she laughed softly like a passing breeze. 

“Yes, you’re right. That should be a good thing.”

“Hehe. Is that right, Madam? Am I right?” 

Ji-Wol shook her head as she supported the crippled Yeonmyung. But she was still uncertain and added this,

“Still, don’t they say to never laugh too carelessly? It is something that could turn around and burn you. Well, in the palace, wouldn’t it be like this? Still, it’s something you don’t know. Today’s matter must never pass His Majesty’s ears. If you told him that Our Lord Guest’s hair was treated carelessly, and she hears about it, you’ll never be left alone.” 

Yeonmyung pursed her lips. 

“That’s……oh, it makes me angry that he’s been hurt, but it’s better not to say anything, right? If we do, even the Crown Prince might be hurt.” 

“Yes, yes. So, let’s watch what is said.” 

“Yes, Madam.” 

< three-row break >

Yiyang Palace went quiet again without any major incidents, especially when considering that Hwa-bi made a grand tour with the Crown Prince at the forefront.

However, Yeonmyung and Jiwol were completely unaware that an incident had already occurred in an unexpected place.

If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.

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Part 3

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3

“……as we have come to that, we are being cautious in recommending a new Supervisor, it takes time, Your Majesty.”

“Ah-ha.” 

Fine lines appeared around Ja-Ryung’s eyes as he sat on the throne in Ganghwa-jeon and listened to the appeals by the Special Advisor.¹⁰

“Come to think of it, that was at a standstill. Did you say that nothing happened after that?” 

“They say that they are diligently taking care of the aftermath left by the Gok family. There is nothing for you to worry about, as we have already moved the Jwadoesoa(左边都御使)¹¹ and the Gamchaeosa(監察御使)¹². A new survey is being carried out with the momentum of a plow in the land. As soon as the new surveying is completed, the existing construction will be continued.” 

“What materials went to the Dodokbu¹³?” 

“We left the precursory budget to the Gok family. Sooner or later Gok’s Taebo will find out and try to use his hand.” 

“Confiscate it before Gok returns. It was something the sinner recklessly coveted so he will come to the Imperial City.” 

The Special Advisor nodded as if he knew that would be the case. 

“Of course, Your Majesty.” 

“What next? How is the vacancy left by Cheomsa being handled?”

“I have already selected candidates and sent them off to the Minister of Military Affairs(兵部尙書). However, since it’s related to provincial control, the Lords of the East and West seemed to be having a difficult time in their discussions.”

“What sort of difficulties? Tell the superior to write a letter putting pressure on my in-laws. Tell him to take the letter. I’ll wait until tomorrow morning. After finishing his crimes with Cheomsa, he seems to have lost touch with his senses.

“I have received your orders, Your Majesty.” 

When the Special Advisor bowed his head, the secretary immediately wrote down the Imperial Order on a piece of paper and offered it with both hands. 

The Imperial Order, which boasted solemnly on a bamboo screen wrapped in splendid red silk and was harmonized with the handsome handwriting of the chief signature of Imperial Academy(翰林院)¹⁴, which is said to have the most elegant handwriting in the empire, however, it was scrambled into the palace immediately. 

Ja-Ryung nodded after checking the imperial edict, and the Special Advisor pressed the jade seal under it.

When the signature was handed to Sudang-Taegam, Sudang-Taegam took it and sent it to Tongjeongsa Temple. After a while, the Governor(知事) there would deliver the imperial edict to the chief secretary by horse. 

Every time an inscription had to be delivered the same process had to be carried out, which made the body tired even if there was nothing to do with the Imperial Court. Then, over the Senate of Internal Affairs(知事) the Special Advisor talked over the tax-related edict (封章問)(T/N: with the Imperial seal on it) brought by Chamui, as they talked, time passed without interruption as though they were chasing their tails. It was around that time that the Doji-gam knocked on the door of the Ganghwa-jeon. 

“Your Majesty, his Royal Highness, wishes to see you.” 

This had never happened before, so Ja-Ryung wondered if he had heard wrong. 

“Who is it that’s coming?”

Ja-Ryung didn’t even know what the Crown Prince’s childhood name was. He thought that his subordinates should have figured that out properly. However, like Sunginje, he had no reason to call the Crown Prince by his childhood name.

It wouldn’t have been possible for the Crown Prince to have finished his education and had reached a useful age yet, so the Emperor had no need to seek out a child who had just passed the age of five and who couldn’t even speak properly. It was enough to see the Crown Prince at various ceremonies. That was twenty times a year, and it alone was enough. 

Of course, there was never a need for the Crown Prince to step out and visit the Emperor. So one had to say that it was an unusual and peculiar situation for sure. 

“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is here.” 

“Does the Crown Prince even know how to talk? He’s still young.” 

He replied in a flustered voice. 

“……What? Oh-ah, yes. Of course, Your Majesty.” 

The Doji-gam was sweating profusely. 

He knew that his Majesty was indifferent to the Crown Prince, but it being to this extent left him speechless.

“Ah……so it’s already that way. It bothers me when one can’t speak.” 

Ja-Ryung spoke as though he were talking to himself. However, there was no way one wouldn’t hear it. 

“Tell him to go back. I’m busy.” 

“……What? Y,Your Majesty,” 

The Doji-gam nervously wrung his hand because the Crown Prince could hear the Emperor’s voice coming from inside the closed door.

“His Highness, the Crown Prince, says he has something urgent to give you.”

“You take it. Aren’t you still a Minister(都給事中)?”

Ja-Ryong gave a rough answer to the Doji-gam and turned to the Special Advisor. Doji-gam spoke again.

“Your Majesty Emperor, …… sir…… I apologize, but what the Crown Prince has something to give you……, that…… really……,” 

The voice of the Doji-gam, who could neither disobey the Emperor nor neglect the Crown Prince, became increasingly helpless. A Special Advisor who saw his weakness stepped forward. 

“Your Majesty. Now that the time has come, how about taking a break for a while (放暇: spare time)? Until the contractor arrives, it would be nice to think of it as a place to rest.” 

Ja-Ryung turned his head as though annoyed. 

“What is this noise?”

The Special Advisor quickly bowed low.

“Nothing good will come of it being known that you have kept Your Highness standing idol, Your Majesty. After all, this is the first time His Highness has visited the Imperial Court. Taking a peek at it in advance will greatly help the Crown Prince in the future.”

In the imperial palace, the Emperor’s slightest whim or laziness would no longer be a trivial matter after going through people’s mouths a few times. 

Ja-Ryung frowned and gestured with his chin.

“Open the door.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

The door, which took four men to open, opened on both sides. The five-year-old Crown Prince seemed much shorter to Ja-Ryung who was sitting on the throne. 

“What do you want to give me?”

As Ja-Ryung asked, the Crown Prince walked in front of him on his small feet, bent his knees, and held out his small fist. The reason Ja-Ryung didn’t stop him was that the shape of the Crown Prince’s hands was a little strange. While he bent his waist with his hands together, the Crown Prince did not open his fist.

“Come closer.”

When Ja-Ryong beckoned, the Crown Prince straightened his knees, stood up, and approached him.

“What are you holding in your hand?” 

The Crown Prince glanced at the sides of the throne and asked in a small voice. 

“May I come closer, Father Emperor?

“Come.”

The Crown Prince, who had come right in front of the throne, lifted up onto his tiptoes and raised his fist over the table. As he opened his fist, a few black hairs fell onto it.

“I came to give this to you because it was said to belong to Father Emperor.” 

“What……?”

Ja-Ryung looked from the Crown Prince to the hair that he dropped. 

It didn’t take long until he guessed what his little mouth was talking about. As far as Ja-Ryung knew, there was only one person’s hair that he owned. 

“Was it Hwa-bi?” 

The Crown Prince blinked as though he didn’t know what the Emperor was talking about. Then,

Swift!–

“Your Majesty!” 

“E,Emperor!” 

Ja-Ryung, who stretched out his arms above the table and grabbed the Crown Prince’s throat, and lifted him up. The Crown Prince struggled as his face reddened in an instant. 

“Who told you to do this?” 

“Ah…… no, ah……,” 

The Crown Prince shook his head eagerly, even as his expression became vacant, he seemed to be saying no. The Special Advisor and Inner Palace Overseer (T/N: A Doji-gam) came forward to stop Ja-Ryung. 

“Y,Your Majesty! This is the Crown Prince. He is still little!” 

“Emperor. Please hold back your anger. First, let’s listen to his explanation..… Emperor, His Highness the Crown Prince is shocked!”

Ja-Ryung finally let go of the child only when he couldn’t even shake his head anymore because he was gasping for breath. 

The Crown Prince suddenly fell with a thump as his bottom banged on the floor, Ja-Ryung kicked off, away from the throne.” 

“Look at me.” 

Ja-Ryung approached the Crown Prince. He got his attention with a gesture of his hand. The Crown Prince’s eyes were all red, but he didn’t cry out loud. 

If Wei-Jeong had been there he would have praised the Crown Prince to the highest. It would be obvious what would have happened if he had cried there like any other child. 

“Why do you take what’s mine? Did you pull it out?” 

The Crown Price nodded, his lips quivering. Ja-Ryung gritted his teeth once, as though his mouth were filled with vigor. 

“It looks as though you’re tired of living, what do you mean by doing this?” 

“Papa……”

There’s no way a five-year-old would already do something like that, so Hwa-bi obviously instructed him to do so. There was only Hwa-bi whom the Crown Prince would have listened to. 

“You took it by your own hands, didn’t you? What is mine!? Hwa-bi must have been so reassured by the fact that you are my bloodline, right?” 

“Ja-Ryung sharpened his gaze this time. The face of the Crown Prince receiving that look turned pale“

“I was afraid the old girl’s greed might grow, but she seems to have let it become something terrible. Tell me, what did she say to you to instruct you to do this? That I would have no intention of kicking out the only Crown Prince so you could ignore that he was MY Guest of the Inner Palace, and have you rip out his hair?” 

“Ah……,” 

Ja-Ryung smirked with sharp eyes. 

“That arrogant bitch! She would dare treat me as a fool after I spared Bangui’s neck? She had his hair pulled out knowing it was mine?!”

Ja-Ryung raised a finger and pressed the Crown Prince’s forehead. 

Very simple. It was an action with meaning. If you press it, it will be pressed. If you push it, you will fall off. 

Whether or not to step on the Crown Prince who had fallen on the floor was purely in Ja-Ryung’s prerogative. 

“Ilcheon, go get some feral(野犬)dogs.”

“……What?”

Jimok-cheon, who habitually prepared to receive his orders, hesitated for a moment and had an uncertain look in his eyes. 

“Your Majesty……feral dogs, what are you going to use them for…,” 

“Get as many as you can. I will close the gates of Ihwamun and release them inside.” 

“Your Majesty!”

It wasn’t just Jimokcheon who cried out to Ja-Ryung. Everyone, including Special Advisors, was shocked and could not keep their mouths closed. 

Ihwamun was a gate that divided the East Palaces and the West Palaces of the Yukwon. All concubines, including Hwa-bi, who had a residence in the Crown Prince’s Palace annex, were in the East. Since the Emperor wouldn’t let stray dogs loose in the courtyard of Yiyang Palace, where he went in and out of so often his shoes were worn out, the meaning was clear.

“How many strands of hair does the Crown Prince bring? I will count the same number of days with the gates locked. Don’t be lazy and go quickly.” 

“Y,Your Majesty,” 

Jimok-cheon stuttered, but Ja-Ryung didn’t take his eyes off the Crown Prince who was so exhausted that he is on the verge of hiccups. 

“Tonight, after a long time, it will be okay to call in the Gukgoo(國舅:King’s father-in-law)¹⁷ and drink(行酒:: alternating pouring alcohol into a glasses)¹⁷. It will be a spectacle, there’s not only the moon, but there are lots of dogs, so it will certainly be interesting.”

“Your Majesty! P,Please stop your anger and be mindful of your Imperial etiquette(嚴儀: majestic attitude)!” 

The Special Advisor raised his voice with spirit as though throwing himself into it, but Ja-Ryung didn’t even pretend to listen. 

“Would you like to come too? Ah, since you’re young it’s probably too much for you to drink alcohol. Then will you play with the dogs?” 

“Your Majesty!” 

“Emperor!”

All around they knelt on the ground crying out to the Emperor. Regardless of what the Courtiers did, Ja-Ryung kept at the Crown Prince, treating him like a joke. 

“What are you going to do, huh?” 

However, he disregarded(父情) their words past the point where one could even make the analogy of him being deaf to them.

“Ah, I’m not ……no Sir, no……Your Majesty.” 

The Crown Prince barely uttered the words just before the last expression on his face disappeared. 

“What do you mean, no? Are you saying you don’t like alcohol or you don’t like playing with dogs?” 

“N,No……Father Emperor ……no one put me up to this…… that is……it’s because I heard you treasure it so much…… I wanted to……to give it..it to Father Emperor……because I was the one trying to give it…… I came alone.” 

The frightened child’s voice flowed like a soft sob. Ja-Ryung’s eyes seemed to be less cold. 

Perhaps it wasn’t because of the child’s voice, or perhaps because of another reason. 

“……Who said I treasure it?” 

“That’s what……the Guest……said.”

“The Guest?” 

“Yes…… Father Emperor.” 

“… …” 

Ja-Ryung narrowed his eyes. In the end, Ja-Ryung rubbed the space between his eyebrows with his fingers, perhaps because his eyebrows were too tight.

“He said it was precious to me…did he?” 

“Yes. Father Emperor.”

“That’s what he said?” 

“……Yes, Father Emperor?” 

The last words were not inquiring of the Crown Prince. Ja-Ryung made a strange expression, furrowing his eyebrows, and even the bridge of his nose. 

“Gives over and then shifts onto another as he pleases.”

Ja-Ryung muttered something to himself that was hard to understand.

“…Well. I paid a hefty cost for it. If it wasn’t valuable, that would be foolish.” 

Ja-Ryung stood up. 

His face was very different from when he sat down to make eye contact with the Crown Prince. The Special Advisor was unable to grasp the meaning of the look and he hesitated, taking a step back. Jimok-Cheon also opened his eyes in bewilderment as though surprised, and the other attendants also acted similarly. 

“To Yiyang Palace now……No..,” 

Ja-Ryung, who was about to say something, turned around and returned to the throne. 

There was nothing special about it, he was just muttering to himself but he looked abuzz. His physique didn’t look particularly unusual, so it was his expression that appeared boisterous. Then again, his expression seemed purposefully unchanged.

The Special Advisor shook his head unconsciously.

If Head Palace Eunuch had been present he would have given some advice.

It must be said again, that the absence(不在) of Wei-Jeong from Taewoongseong would have repercussions on the surface of wounds that cannot be easily healed.

It was also a well-known fact that there was no one who truly believed that Wei-Jeong could be completely replaced by the Sudang-Taegam, who was said to be the closest thing to his right-hand man. 

“I have to finish with my task at hand. Ilcheon, go and pick up some wild dogs, make sure they’re ferocious with big teeth.” 

“Ah……” 

A groaning sound leaked from his mouth. Ja-Ryung didn’t even pay any attention to it. 

“Is the contractor crawling here? Send someone to muzzle and drag him here. If he likes to crawl, tell him I can make it happen for him.” 

With Ja-Ryung’s words, the sighs flew away.

The fact that it was not the time to miss a person who left, or worry about Hwa-bi, made the Courtiers of Ganghwa-jeon stand up and take notice.

If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.

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Part 4

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4

It was past Jasi¹⁵ when Ja-Ryung visited Yiyang Palace. Most people were asleep. The vitality he had gained from the medicinal tea had increased, and now he was somewhere between falling asleep and dreaming. 

It was a type of night where everything was so quiet that even his dreams were suspicious. 

Heun was confronted with the day when he was first locked up in the prison.  

At the age of five years old, he had no memory of his previous life, so he could hardly understand why he had to be alone in an unfamiliar dirty room away from his biological mother. 

Unexpectedly he heard them say it was because his eyes were strange. In the morning when he was brought water to wash, he looked at his eyes reflected in the water until they hurt. He couldn’t figure out what made him different from others. 

The nights were cold, and the days were not warm either. 

On the days when the lamps were lit, he would turn his back and try to sleep. Then the lamp was caught on the hem of his clothes and burned his arm. Tears welled up, and he burst out crying tears that he had been holding back for a long time. He said he would only cry until the pain in his forearm went away. 

He cried until all his tears dried up, but the pain did not go away easily. He cried all night and was so distracted that he did not know that the breakfast which he had served the next day, was gone. When he woke up he was all alone, and the cold rice lying on the floor was spoiled and half empty with more than half of it eaten by a rat beforehand. 

His burned flesh was as cold as moonlight, but it still hurt. No, it hurt more than the day before. His eyes were burning and his throat hurt, but he couldn’t cry anymore. It was as though the water inside his body had dried up. 

Heun headed for the place where the morning’s breakfast was placed with a face that had become pale in a day. 

A bit of moonlight leaked through the cramped window giving off light.

Heun leaned his face into the basin and tried to quench his thirst like animals do. At that time, his face was reflected in the quiet water. 

His eyes were blue. 

Alas, his eyes were really strange. 

Heun forgot that he was thirsty and looked at himself in a daze. 

The tears that he thought he had poured all out that night formed small drops in his eyes and fell onto the water mixed with moonlight. Tears flowed down his thin face and swayed on the water’s surface.

The Heun ran his dirty fingers over his cheek. 

It was cold. 

Tears welled up in his eyes. No, it must be because his eyes are cold. 

It’s cold. 

Heun muttered. 

– Cold. 

It was at that moment that someone’s voice that echoed in his head suddenly came to his mind. 

– The coldest thing is you. 

Heun raised his head and looked around. 

– Who……Who is it? 

It wasn’t a person nearby, but a person living in a corner of his mind. Heun didn’t know about anything until then.

Cold.

Those words made him so sad. He moved to a corner of the room where the moon was not shining, curled up, and tried to sleep as much as possible. The silvery-white moonlight shimmering like powder looked just like snow, and it seemed to freeze him as it touched his body. 

He didn’t like being cold either.

As the moisture barely touched his skin, it was like he couldn’t wait and his tears began to flow drop by drop.

He wanted to be warm.

When he finds out who he is, and when he meets him someday, he wants to say that to him. 

He didn’t wish to be surrounded by the cold.

He hated the cold too.

It was for such small reasons that he was able to somehow endure those days alone when the tears that he squeezed out all night would make his hands soft by the morning.

The buried memories of his previous life abruptly came back one year after he turned thirteen or fourteen years old. He remembered that the first person who said he was cold was Wonje and the reason why he said that. Even though those memories were immediately replaced by physical pain, he still sometimes felt the urge to express the injustices he suffered when he was only five years old. 

He wasn’t cold. No one wants to be cold and alone. 

Strangely, it must have been because he was too hot. 

“It’s cold.” 

He thought he felt a soft sound that seemed to coil around the nape of his neck, and then a warm feeling touched his forehead. 

Heun pulled his foot off the path of an ambiguous dream. 

He closed his eyes on it and the midnight moonlight shattered and fell. Perhaps because his forehead was warm he felt colder himself. 

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Even though he knew it was just a sound, he startled awake and his shoulders stiffened. When Heun got up to avoid his hands, Ja-Ryung, who had been alone with Jimok-cheon behind the door, sat on the bed as if it were his own.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up.” 

Before Heun could say anything, Ja-Ryung spoke first. He exuded a heat that was not befitting of this quiet hour. It was that part that was still bothering him. A person exuding such heat was not one to understand, he wasn’t a person to whom he could complain about the cold. 

“It’s late at night.” 

Heun said hesitantly. Ja-Ryung was annoyed, but then his expression suddenly changed, and smiled strangely. 

“Yes. What’s wrong with that?” 

“It’s time for you to……” 

“If you think I’ve come to you after embracing another bitch, there is only one answer. These days, the only one I want to embrace is you so don’t worry.” 

“..….” 

As Heun closed his mouth, Ja-Ryung grabbed a little bit of his hair and pulled him toward him. 

“Yes, is that why you were so worried that you cried out? What the hell are you…” 

Ja-Ryung stopped speaking. The place he pulled was near where the Crown Prince pulled his hair out earlier in the day so Heun’s eyes winced without him realizing it. He said he would endure it, but Ja-Ryung noticed that his expression changed acutely. 

“Is it here?”

Ja-Ryung lifted his head and rummaged through Heun’s hair.

“It’s nothing……no, there’s nothing here. What do you mean?

“Heun’s expression changed again. Seeing his face struck pale all at once, Ja-Ryung twisted his lips as if he knew.” 

“He seems to be impatient to see whose neck I might cut again. Does he not?”

“Your Majesty…….” 

“The Crown Prince came to me with your hair, saying it’s mine. What do you think I did?”

“… …”

While Heun went silent, Ja-Ryung leisurely examined his hair. There wasn’t clear daylight so there was no way he could have noticed something like where a few hairs had been pulled out.

“I have only one thought. I lost out to your stubbornness and I spared Bangui’s life and now all my subordinates see me as a fool.” 

“…… It’s not like that…… I’m sure, Your Majesty. Who can disregard(蟻視: look at something as insignificant, as if you were looking at an ant), Your Majesty?” 

“That’s what you’re doing.”

Ja-Ryung said that as he rubbed Heun’s hair with his lips, so it was impossible to know whether or not he was serious. 

“No, Your Majesty.” 

“Ah, yes. It’s not that you’re looking at me as a fool, it’s just that you hate me?” 

“…….” 

Seeing Heun unable to answer, Ja-Ryung lifted his hair backward. Then, Ja-Ryung began to nibble on his exposed earlobes. 

Heun could feel the texture of Ja-Ryung’s teeth as though he was grazing on something, and he could hear it vividly. As Heun shuttered and tried to pull away, Ja-Ryung wrapped his arms around his waist tightly.

Ja-Ryung, who had been moving his lips on his ears, licked his lips and spoke in a whisper.

“If you thoughtlessly try to avoid it, you’ll be in trouble. Shouldn’t you at least listen to my next words? So, I sent Ilcheon to pick up some wild dogs. I wonder if it would be a pretty sight if I opened the gates of Ihwamun and let them loose inside. What do you think?”

“… …!” 

“Do you think it’ll be bad?”

Ja-Ryung’s hand moved up to Heun’s lapel. As it always was, the sensation of his touch didn’t feel very different from that of fire. Heun was prepared to endure the scorching feel of him burrowing into his chest. 

But Ja-Ryung’s hand stopped on his lapel. He was relieved that he didn’t touch his skin, however, his body temperature permeated the single-layered fabric very easily. 

“Answer me. How many wild dogs should I release? If this work isn’t done, you will be in trouble again sooner or later, so let’s nip the bud. I am also thinking of emptying Yukwon completely, just as Wonje did. 

“That’s……”

“I’ve become a fool in front of you anyway, so I’ve decided to keep going on like that. How difficult would it be to cut Hwa-bi’s throat? It’s not as though I’m picking them with my own hands, but the wild dogs would know. However, if you prefer another way, I will do that.” 

“Your Majesty,” 

The more his sighs mixed in with Heun’s words, the more greedy Ja-Ryung’s lip scoured over Heun’s auricle. As Heun tried to shake his head, Ja-Ryung lifted the edge of his hair lightly. 

“Ah, you have to be careful. If you try to move on your own again like that, it will be pulled out again. It’s not yours anymore, it’s mine, so I should cherish it more. Isn’t it very precious to me?” 

Seeing that the word “precious” was especially emphasized, it seemed that someone had conveyed what Heun had said. 

Even if I tried to make excuses that it was for the sake of saving a life, it was still him borrowing words like one of the Emperor’s concubines, just as though he were a real ‘Guest’. 

Furthermore, 

“Yes.…… Precious. Thanks to you, I knew very clearly what it means to go blind with anger.” 

Ja-Ryung said it with the same words in hand, as though he were taking a ridiculous thing seriously.

Heun’s heart stopped beating in his chest when he saw Ja-Ryung kissing his hair lightly. Heun then resisted the urge to push him away as best as he could. 

Heun would have rathered if he behaved like Wonje. His lie of saying it was ‘precious’ had become like a knife to him, and in front of a person in which he needed to be stronger than a shield, he instead felt as though he had retreated and was cut mercilessly.

“Don’t……do that, I didn’t give it to you……for you to use it to bind me.”

“It’s already too late. Besides, since it has become mine, it’s mine to inscribe in my heart. You can’t interfere with that. Since you said you would, you should have been prepared for it.” 

“Your Majesty. I,” 

“And you didn’t answer. How many wild dogs would you like? I heard that the Crown Prince really likes playing with dogs. I’m thinking of bringing the Crown Prince with me too.” 

Heun remembered that small face of the five-year-old, he was the same age as Heun was back then. 

Heun asked him a question.

“… Isn’t the Crown Prince your heir?” 

“So what? If he’s really going to be Emperor then he’ll survive on his own. Now, when was there ever someone in the Imperial Family who simply inherited the throne from his father? I got it all with my own hands. ……Oh, and I told you not to move.” 

The reason why he didn’t jerk his head away, regardless of how many hairs were pulled out, was because he knew what tricks Ja-Ryung was up to. 

Looking back at Wonje, people always died before he had time to lift a hand. If Ja-Ryung really wanted to release wild dogs, he wouldn’t have bothered to come and ask how many would be a good amount.

“What do you want to hear…from me?” 

Ja-Ryung pressed his lips against his earlobe and smiled. 

“Was I too obvious?

“Well, there’s no need to go around. What will you give me in exchange for making myself into a fool today?” 

“… …” 

He froze stiffly. He saw everything reflected in Ja-Ryung’s eyes. 

The strength in Ja-Ryung’s arms wrapped around his waist increased. Ja-Ryung hugged him tightly, as though he would touch his whole body. Strangely, his hot lips covered his ears again. 

“I like these ears too. I like how even the slightest touch of my tongue makes the fine hairs stand up. Or……,”

His lips slid down his earlobes along his cheeks. 

“Your lips would be fine too. I’ve never seen a man’s lips look like this. Suitably small, but just the right thickness. Even when the outside was dry and cracked, the inside was as red as a fox. If I put the lower part of my body here, it would fit perfectly tight without any gaps” 

As Heun pushed his chest, Ja-Ryung pressed Heun to the bed with the weight of his body. 

“Your eyes are fine too. You know what? When I look into your eyes, all kinds of thoughts come to my mind. I even want to pluck out your eyes and put them in a bowl so only I can see them. When I think of Wonje looking at these eyes with his lower body erect I can feel the blood rushing to my head. Originally I knew I wasn’t a normal person, but these days I feel like I’m becoming a madman.  

His tongue came out and covered his eyelids. When Heun closed his eyes tightly and turned his head, Ja-Ryung smiled like a child and sucked on his closed eyelids. 

“Anything is fine, eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Anything is good. Hands or feet are fine too.” 

Ja-Ryung bent over, then lowered his arm, and lifted one of Heun’s legs.

“W,What…… !?”

Looking at Heun’s disgusted expression, Ja-Ryung stuck out his tongue and licked the heel that Wonje was said to have broken. 

“Give it to me. I will cherish it. If you give it to me, if you have no feet you can’t run away, so there’s no reason for me to break them. Yeah, that would be great. Give me your feet.” 

“D,Don’t …… don’t do it…… !” 

Ja-Ryung licked the soles of his feet and put his toes in his mouth and sucked them. Hot moving flesh covered his toes. That sensation was a luxury that his feet had never enjoyed before. 

With that, his feet became something else entirely. Feet that were suitable for walking were wrapped in luxury, revealing a completely different use. 

They had become a valuable and precious thing. Just like Ja-Ryung’s words that he would cherish and value them. 

What struck his mind were the words of Wonje. 

– Why won’t you give me anything? 

Did he mean that he would cherish it if he gave it to him? Just like Ja-Ryung did now? 

“No…… ! Don’t!

There was no way!

No, even if it was, it was useless. The desire not to hate did not mean he wanted the opposite. To not hate meant that he would never think of it again not that he would forgive him for what he had done.

“Hey!” 

He twisted his foot with all of his might

Heun’s foot began to move about freely so Ja-Ryung bit the toe of the foot he had in his mouth. Heun groaned, so Ja-Ryung had no choice but to let go of his foot. 

“Foolish.”

His moist foot felt so hot that it could be steaming. Ja-Ryung saw a drop of blood welling up on his tooth mark just below the second toenail, so he put his lips to it and swallowed it. 

“It looks like it has been imprinted.” 

Ja-Ryung gently brushed his left foot, which was smaller than his right, with a look of satisfaction.

“Then, now this foot is mine too.” 

The Heun lifted his gaze and shook his head. 

“No way, I didn’t say that…… !” 

“Ah, it’s already too late. It’s mine!” 

Ja-Ryung lifted his foot and kissed the place where the ankle and the instep were connected. 

His eyelids gently lowered and covered his eyes halfway. His high nose bridge and the graceful slope above his lips made them look even redder. 

His expression was completely unfamiliar. Heun was so caught off guard that he forgot his opposition for a moment. 

When had he ever made a face like this?

After the first time Heun remonstrated, he thought that Ja-Ryung looked like a hungry ghost¹⁶. He always looked savagely hungry. He resembled a Preta¹⁶ and a beast. There were more and more times when he didn’t look human because of his cruelty and ferocity. 

However, now, Ja-Ryung, who seemed relaxed and satisfied, was human-like. He was dazzling(爛然: attractive and pleasing) enough to make the one unable to breathe for a moment. 

Ja-Ryung, who had kissed enough to be satisfied, let go. Even after he removed both his hands and lips, his eyes remained fixed. He licked his lips with regret. 

“I want to embrace you all night and put you to bed, but I will have to postpone that. I have my particularities. If I tell them to you, you will be even more afraid, so I will keep this mouth shut for now.”

Ja-Ryung pulled Heun by the nape of his neck and put his lips to his forehead.

“I will end today with your feet. Next time, I will receive a hole in your body. The place where my lower body will be bitten and chewed.” 

Ja-Ryung got off the bed while saying vulgar words that didn’t suit his appearance. 

“Sleep well.” 

“……”

Ja-Ryung, who had been making eye contact for a while finally walked away in the dark. 

In a luxurious bed that was incomparable to the hovel where he had been imprisoned since he was five years old, Heun, who was left alone, thought the same thing…

He was just filled with passion. It had nothing to do with himself.

Heun buried his face in the palms of his hands.

It was nothing but madness. He was not something to be cherished or valued. Nothing had shown him that.

But why…… 

He bit his lips unconsciously. 

Why now……why did he seem to be saying ‘that it was that way’?

That if he had given something to him it would have been different. That it must have been that way. 

Heun shook his head vigorously. 

There was no one to see his earnest denial and there was no way to prove it. 

The night obfuscated it as though it were concealing it. 

No one was awake and the pale memories that which he had lived alone could not be pulled out and spread out in front of others. 

“No……no. No…… ,” 

Heun was afraid. 

He was afraid that he would be coerced into having things turn out like that again. Whether it be affection or romance, he was afraid it would be replaced by poison or madness.

“No. No, I will not allow…….” 

His was a life to be forgotten. He didn’t have much time left. There was too much to forget, and there was no time to heap on new confusion.

“No!” 

Heun moved forward with his heart closed off. He drove all the lies forced onto his heart out of his mind. 

< three-row break >

The next day, 

The news spread that Ja-Ryung had brought wild dogs into the rear Palace. 

Out of the blue, Hwa-bi was gifted(a present) two ferocious stray dogs for which she was not grateful, however, even as her complexion paled, she was unable to refuse them. The dogs were so ferocious that the insiders belonging to Hwa-bi’s palaces(二宮)  had to tremble in fear every time they had to go to the bathroom(淨房:toilet).  

Yeonmyung was pleased, she remarked that Hwa-bi would not be able to leave her palace easily so she wouldn’t be harassing Heun at Yiyang Palace for the time being.

However, it was an unexpected surprise that the young Crown Prince was happy because he was now able to see a dog for the first time in his life.

Heun pretended not to hear anything.

If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.

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5

End of Volume 1

Continues in Volume 2

If you’re reading this anywhere other than Foolishtranslationss.wordpress.com, it was stolen from the translator’s website. Reading this anywhere other than the translator’s website ensures that the translator may never translate any other works. Thank you.

🔝

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All parenthesis inside a sentence, and the continents contained within them, were placed by the author and are NOT translator notes. All translator notes are denoted by a T/N. 

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Some Idioms or proverbs used throughout this story which may too be foreign and/or require too many footnotes were replaced by literal translations to make the story easier to read.

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taegam = eunuch

¹ Taegam is the Romanization for the Eunuchs of the Ming Dynasty (this takes place in the J.E.? or G.E?, but it borrows more from China’s Imperial systems). ↩

² Gyotae-jeon: Empresses’ sleeping quarters ↩

³ Emperor’s Sleeping Quarters ↩

⁴ The late/dead Empress ↩

⁵ Qi: in the Eastern Asian cultural sphere, qi, also ki or ch’i in Romanization, is believed to be a vital force forming part of any living entity. Literally meaning “vapor”, “air”, or “breath” the word qi is often translated as “vital energy”, “vital force”, “material energy”, or simply as “energy”.
YIN-feminine aspect, YANG-masculine aspects. ↩

⁶ Hapgung: sex between an Emperor and Empress ↩

⁷ Doji-gam – Inner Palace Overseer/Superintendent ↩

⁸ Hwa-bi (華妃) – (title), Second under the Empress ↩

⁹ Literal translations to wearing silver– meaning: a court woman who was chosen to share the king’s/emperor’s bed ↩

¹⁰ I called this person ‘Special Advisor’ in an earlier chapter. The Jungseosain or Daehaksa: Ministers of Policy and/or Prime Ministers (there should be more than 1), depending on which Era and system this book is using, which isn’t stated, they are the highest ranking administrators of policy and ethics exercising the powers of Prime Ministers, Deputy Minister, or member of Cabinet. ↩

¹¹ Jwadoeosa (左边都御使): Metropolitan Protectorate: in charge of provincial offices ↩

¹² Gamchaeosa (監察御使): Secret royal/imperial inspector ↩

¹³ Dobuku (都督部- city government) ↩

¹⁴ Imperial Academy – During the Goryeo Dynasty, this government office was in charge of decorating/penning documents at the king’s command. ↩

¹⁵ T/N: 11pm – 1am

¹⁶ Preta: A hungry ghost (a supernatural being in Buddhist folklore, the spirit of a greedy person whose divine retribution is never to be sated) ↩