CH 9.2

“Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was planning to have a short walk because this is the time for you to have lunch after doing Imperial affairs, and-”

“Ah, so you’re saying that you really never expected that you would meet me. And that’s why you come to Suhwawon that I like to visit at any time and idling around the pond that I like the most, huh?”

The clear, sarcastic voice of the emperor led Yeonbin’s shoulders to crook even smaller. The emperor hated that appearance as well. He felt more uncomfortable because the person, who had never pretended to be afraid of him despite having pretended other schemes, was trembling pitifully. 

“Stop saying those dishonest words and go back. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Despite saying that, the emperor actually thought that he wouldn’t go back compliantly. He could easily predict Yeonbin’s next move.

He was sure Yeonbin would furtively come to his side and say this cutely, ‘Your Majesty, look at how vast this palace is and how long is the day. Don’t you think the fact that we meet here at this time has a meaning behind that? So, please forgive me already, Your Majesty. Okay? Please.’ All those while shamelessly sticking to his side.

While the emperor was determined not to let this go easily and to give him a lesson no matter how annoying it might be this time, Yeonbin slowly stood up and spoke to the emperor—just like what the emperor had expected.

“My apologies for making you annoyed, Your Majesty. From now on, I will not step out of Jeongan Palace even for a step until you bestow your forgiveness on me, so please calm your anger. Then, I will go now.”

However, what Yeonbin said wasn’t like what everyone there had expected.  Even Eunuch Oh raised his head out of confusion and looked at Yeonbin. Those who knew Yeonbin—not only the court ladies attending Yeonbin but also those who were attending the emperor—were confused and held their breath.

Still, amongst them, Yihan was the one who was most taken aback.

Yihan couldn’t understand any of Yeonbin’s words properly, so he replayed it in his head. Alas, he still couldn’t understand anything.

In the meantime, Yeonbin bowed his head deeply to give his greeting and walked back. That action of his was so neat, without any hesitation. It was to the point to make those who didn’t know to wonder if he was running away because he didn’t want to see the emperor.

Silence filled in the air where Yeonbin furtively disappeared from. A long moment later, Yihan, being speechless, asked,

“Did… did he just leave me…?”

Eunuch Oh only bowed to the emperor because he was at a loss whether he should have answered that or not. Therefore, the emperor repeated his question sternly. 

“Did he… just leave me be and walk out on his own?”

Yeonbin left the emperor of his own free will. This was something that had never happened across the history of this nation. 

***

“Haah…”

Hwawoon, who was leaving the garden in a hurry, finally halted his steps when he couldn’t see the emperor anymore and took a deep breath. He felt like his heart was about to jump out. 

Ahjin quickly came, asking, “Your Highness, are you okay?” 

Yeonbin then held her arm to straighten up his pose before looking at the sky and calming down his ragged breath.

It was his fault to be relaxed because the emperor usually did his work after morning assembly, and then went to the empress or other concubines’ residence for lunch. He thought he shouldn’t have dawdled there just because the emperor would have his lunch while he took a stroll. Regret adorned Yeonbin’s face.

It was the same with how he came closer to that pond. He should have acted wisely and avoided that place when Ahjin told him it was a pond adored by the emperor and Yeonbin often visited it in the past. No matter how curious he was about how graceful and beautiful the beloved pond of the emperor was, he shouldn’t have walked there.

Wait, even if I went there because of that reason, it would be fine if I just look at it for a moment then go out. I should have done that.

The reason he couldn’t leave easily was that he got his gaze caught by the simple yet small pond, which was different from his expectation to be very extravagant. There were many larger and fancier ponds in the gardens of the imperial palace. Looking at how the emperor liked this small pond, he was reminded of the emperor’s nature.

In Hwawoon’s eyes, the appearance of the supreme emperor personally taking care of his subjects—even those in the lowest place, ruling over the nation as the father of its people, looked like this small pond in this extravagant garden.

Somehow, this led Hwawoon’s heart to like that pond and made him keep staying—a bit more, just a bit more—dawdling there, which resulted in this kind of situation.

“Your Highness… is it really fine for us to go back like this…?”

Ahjin asked after coming closer to Hwawoon, who was calming his breath.