CH 56

Hwawoon unconsciously flinched when Songhyun asked him about his younger siblings. He was ready to answer that he had no siblings, but he quickly shut his mouth because he realized that was his answer, not Yeon Hwawoon’s.

As Hwawoon hesitated, couldn’t answer because he didn’t know whether Yeon Hwawoon actually had younger siblings or not, Ahjin, who was a step behind him, walked forward and gave the answer to Songhyun.

“My master has one younger sister.”

Ahjin’s answer that there was a little sister made Songhyun’s face immediately brighten up. Songhyun thought this was fate. She had a brother she missed in her parents’ home, and Yeonbin had a little sister he couldn’t meet as well. Thus, she thought it would be good if he and she thought of each other as siblings and supported each other in the palace.

If only there was no Jooah, who watched her from earlier with cold eyes, Songhyun might express her happiness by clapping her hands right away.

Even before they came to this place, Jooah warned her, asking if she forgot Yeonbin’s true nature and telling her he could return to his past self anytime and harass her. However, Songhyun opposed, asking whether they should see Hwawoon as a different person from the past if Hwawoon really lost his memories and decided to be a new person, which led Jooah to get speechless. People said humans are helpless once they get blinded, and in Jooah’s eyes, that was the case with her master.

So, when Songhyun was about to say that. When she did not stop herself from approaching Hwawoon despite Jooah’s pledge, and about to ask, ‘how about we live here as brother and sister and rely on each other?’.

A sudden unwelcome guest came in.

“Here comes His Majesty the Emperor~!”

Surprisingly, that unwelcome guest was the emperor.

***

“Did you say Jeongbin went to Jeongan Palace?”

As the Empress, Jaran, asked back, Seon bowed her head and answered.

“Yes, Your Majesty. I heard she even kindly asked Yeonbin if she could visit Jeongan Palace on the way back after the morning greetings this morning.”

“Haha, things are going interesting.” 

Jaran burst into laughter like someone who really heard a very interesting story. When Yeon Hwawoon changed, and when the Emperor began to get disturbed by that changed figure of Yeon Hwawoon, Jaran did guess the flow in this imperial palace would change through Yeon Hwawoon. However, she didn’t expect that would affect not only the emperor, but also the concubines. 

As the empress’s face seemed genuinely happy, Seon only bowed her head because she was still unable to read the empress’s mind. Then, Jaran put down the book in her hands for a moment and continued, 

“I was wondering if he’ll be able to do it because he’s in a very unfavorable situation even if he really decided to change…”

Even if an ordinary person lost their memory, it will not be easy to continue life without memory, but how helpless it is to have to be hated and despised by everyone without knowing what he did in the past. Therefore, Jaran thought it would not be easy for his actions to have significant results, regardless of whether she believed or not believing that Hwawoon has really changed.

In particular, if the original character was not beautiful, he could turn into a twisted person as before even if he did not regain his memories due to the disregard and ignorance of his surroundings.

Nevertheless, Yeon Hwawoon did not yield. Even though people around him did not believe him, tried to test him, mocked and ignored his changed self, he straightened up himself without tired even with his fragile body. And now, through his unwavering self, he changed the heart of the emperor and people who were like his sworn enemies.

“… Then, does this mean this was the true character Yeon Hwawoon had?”

Jaran mumbled while grazing her fingertip freely on the page of the book she held. She wondered if Yeon Hwawoon, whom she considered to be helpless because he never changed even if she tried to persuade and make him come to his senses, was not like that actually. 

The thoughts that did not persuade her mind, either way, led Jaran to deepen her gaze. Anyway, the recent Yeon Hwawoon was an interesting person to her.

***

Yihan looked at the two people, who greeted him side by side, with a somewhat stupefied expression. It was obviously flustering to see the two people, who were eager to fight each other whenever they met, together. Furthermore, even though he saw it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe that Jeongbin, who even heard all kinds of harsh words from Yeonbin, was at Jeongan Palace.

However, what was more ridiculous and incredible than that was,

“What suddenly brings you here, Your Majesty?” 

The faint disappointment in Jeongbin’s eyes as she asked that question. She looked like she wasn’t happy at all with the Emperor, who made his appearance in this place. The gaze was unfamiliar and dumbfounding, so Yihan looked at Jeongbin without saying a word for a while, but Jeongbin was just pouting her lips without noticing the emperor’s gaze.

Jeongbin was really upset. She was sad. She finally managed to get here and set the mood for what she wanted to say, but she lost my chance to say it because the emperor suddenly came. Even though Jeongbin knew it was irreverent of her, she kept feeling the emperor was inconsiderate.

If only he didn’t come. No, if only he came five minutes later. Then, just as I am now close to Biyoung as her sister, Yeonbin and I could have been like my brother and his youngest sister. 

If anyone heard that she had a bad thought for the emperor just for that reason, they would pass out, but that was the honest feeling Songhyun felt at this moment.

However, Yihan also had a lot to say. He came to Jeongan Palace while feeling sour because the courtiers gossiping that Yeonbin is a beautiful gentleman and such, but Jeongbin was sitting face to face with Yeonbin and talking in a friendly manner, when he, the emperor, hadn’t had a proper conversation with the changed Yeon Hwawoon yet.

Therefore, he was the one who strangely felt hurt in this situation, but Jeongbin rather looked like she was the one being upset. Yihan was really speechless that he was close to letting out a vain laugh. Yihan, who was feeling hurt without knowing the reason, soon said to Jeongbin,

“I came here because I have something to say to Yeonbin, so Jeongbin, go back now.”

Songhyun’s eyes turned big in an instant.

“Bu-but, Your Majesty, even I just arrived…”

“Your Highness!”

Jooah, who was taken aback by Songhyun’s words that came out before anyone could stop her, quickly pulled her arm and stopped her. Only then Songhyun realized that she had been acting rude, then she closed her mouth and bent one knee in front of the emperor.

“Yes… I will take my leave now, Your Majesty.”

Yihan, who saw Songhyun’s gaze as she left Jeongan Palace after greeting him was filled with regret until the end and did not leave Hwawoon, turned his gaze and looked at Yeon Hwawoon standing in front of him with a calm look. The moment he saw his white, clean, and calm face, his heart ached again.

Perhaps because he wore clothes of dark color today, his skin looked paler. As the pants like the ones worn by men were shown under the end of his neat clothes, he hardly looked like the emperor’s concubine now. That’s why they come to see that face. Yihan really didn’t want to admit it, but there were indeed people who wandered around this imperial palace to see the face of the said beautiful gentleman. 

“Your Majesty, please take your seat.”

Hwawoon talked first to the emperor since the emperor only stared at his face without saying anything for a while. Yihan did so because he was dumbfounded and curious by the sentiment of the courtiers, and without knowing it, he was out of his mind for a while as he saw him. Yihan, who finally realized he endlessly stared at him while still standing, quickly looked away, faked coughing for no reason, and then sat on the seat where Jeongbin sat earlier. 

Yihan once again felt disturbed for no reason as he saw the tea with a nice aroma and the colorful prepared snacks. 

“Since when did you get this close with Jeongbin?” 

Eventually Yihan couldn’t hold himself and asked. Hwawoon answered him without hesitation.

“Today is the first time Jeongbin came to Jeongan Palace. I had done many wrongdoings towards Jeongbin, but fortunately, Jeongbin sees the effort I do in a good way.”

After hearing the answer, Yihan’s heart sank again. The reason was Yihan himself was the one who didn’t see the efforts did by Yeonbin in a good way, insulted him more passionately than anyone else, and intensely did not believe him. There was obviously no sign of blaming or comparing Yihan to Jeongbin in Yeonbin’s face as he gave the answer, but Yihan, who felt more guilty at that, moved his eyes around. 

And fortunately, Ahjin came with new tea and snacks just in time. Yihan, who avoided Hwawoon’s gaze, looked at Ahjin, and Hwawoon opened his mouth again.

“Speaking of which, Your Majesty… did you perhaps come here because you have something else to say to me?”