CH 8.2

“Did I usually often read books?”

Hwawoon asked, massaging his stiff neck after reading a book for a while. Then, Ahjin quickly came to his side and massaged his neck and shoulder before speaking.

“Erm. Often Your Highness… hm…”

This might be nothing for the old Hwawoon, but for the current Hwawoon, having a girl he met not a long ago touching his shoulders and neck was a very disturbing thing. 

Nevertheless, this, too, was something he had to get used to. Remembering that the court ladies even helped him wash his face every morning, Hwawoon heaved a sigh. There were a lot of things he had to get adapted to.

Instead of being bothered with Ahjin’s touch, Hwawoon decided to focus on her hesitated answer, then said,

“I can see that I’m not close with books from your reaction.”

Hearing that, Ahjin flinched and quickly examined her master’s face. The face of her master she was seeing was adorned with a light smile, there was no wrath or sign of him getting offended.

He is really beautiful.

At that moment, Ahjin stared down at her master’s face and thought like that. When he was alone with her, he was always angry or annoyed that she forgot how beautiful his face was when he smiled gently.

With his eyes staring down softly, the smiling face of Yeon-bin as if he was making a friendly joke was as beautiful as a fairy in a picture.

Ahjin mocked herself right away. Compared to the long time she was bullied by Yeon-bin, she found herself to be ridiculous for feeling like this just because her master treated her nicely these few days. 

Nevertheless, in these few days, her master altered so much that it was hard to take it as simply changing.

It wasn’t only that he didn’t get angry. It was as if he really became a different person. The gaze her master gave to her was so different from the past that led Ahjin to question if such a thing was possible if one tried. 

It was possible for him to not get angry. Holding back his temper was also possible. It was also possible enough for him to hold the desire to beat others. 

However, the change in his undertone when calling her name; the change in gaze when looking at her; were those really possible if one tried to do it? Were the higher people originally able to do such a thing? Ahjin was really confused by that.  

Still, with his even more soft voice, Yeon-bin said,

“I feel like walking after staying inside this whole time… is it okay for me to take a stroll outside?”

Ahjin quickly shook off her thoughts before answering, while bowing down. 

“Of course, Your Highness. Where do you want to go?”

“Erm… where is the place I usually take a stroll to?”

“The place you really like to visit for a stroll is Suhwawon. The most beautiful place in this palace. Would you like to go there, Your Highness?”

Ahjin looked like she was ready to get ready right away, but Hwawoon, quietly, muttered Suhwawon before asking back with a darkened expression as if something was bothering him. 

“If it’s Suhwawon… isn’t that the place where His Majesty likes to visit?”

Hwawoon knew about Suhwawon. Suhwawon, which boasted the largest and the most spectacular garden in this imperial palace, was a place that the emperor frequently visited.

Ahjin answered Hwawoon’s question with a higher voice.

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why Your Highness often goes there.”

Alas, Hwawoon’s face got even darker after hearing Ahjin’s answer. If it was the old Yeon Hwawoon, he would definitely often go to Suhwawon only to meet the emperor, but for the current Hwawoon, the one he didn’t want to meet the most in this palace was the emperor. 

He found the emperor’s scornful gaze to him to be hard to deal with, and the emperor also warned him to be careful with his behavior last time. However, the biggest problem was his heart would get hard to control if he saw the emperor. 

If Hwawoon thought of the emperor, he remembered back Hawoon’s life, where he fell for the emperor at that time which led him to enter the palace. He felt like the feelings he felt when he saw the benevolent and beautiful emperor that day surging up like a tsunami. 

Then, he naturally thought of Hawoon’s life, which was already over. When he thought that far, he couldn’t help but think that he was lying in front of the emperor. 

Hwawoon was afraid that when he saw the emperor, he would want to uncover his crime by telling him everything that had happened to him right away.

“His Majesty told me to behave, so I don’t think it’s good to visit Suhwawon…”

Somehow, when Hwawoon said so in a rather down voice, Ahjin felt her heart drop unknowingly and she hurriedly added.

“But Your Highness! At this time, His Majesty is busy with his work, and after that he will have lunch, so even if you go to Suhwawon now, you wouldn’t meet His Majesty!”

“… Is that so?”