CH 74

Doctor Joo, who entered the emperor’s bedroom, was being watchful in front of the emperor without knowing what to do. The Empress and the concubines immediately followed to Anjeong Palace to see Hwawoon’s condition, but because the Emperor sent everyone back, there were only three people in the bedroom, the emperor, Hwawoon, and the doctor.

The emperor’s gaze that he felt from behind his back while he laid down Hwawoon, who lost consciousness, and looked at the wound after taking off his blood-soaked clothes was so stinging and fierce. Even Doctor Joo, who stayed in the Imperial Palace for a long time and faced the emperor many times, couldn’t help his trembling hands. 

The emperor soon opened his mouth to the doctor, who finished urgent treatment first. 

“How’s Yeonbin’s condition?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Firstly, the wound is not as deep as I was worried, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

“But how come he’s in so much pain and can’t come to his senses?”

Hwawoon still had a pale face and broke out in a cold sweat, and even when he lost his mind, he was groaning in pain. The scratch of the toenails on the body, which was so thin that the bone showed up, looked disastrous. When the wound was first revealed, Yihan unconsciously clenched his two fists so tightly that his palms had a dent. 

Hwawoon’s skin was so thin and fragile that he got bruises just from Yihan squeezing it tightly, so how much pain must he feel from the animal’s claws that dug into the thin skin? When he thought of it, he felt wrenched inside and his anger was ready to rise. However, when the doctor said that the wound was not that deep, Yihan could barely calm down his anger after breathing out several times. 

The doctor, who was drenched in sweat because of the emperor’s response, then replied,

“That, that is… because His Highness Yeonbin is so fragile that it’s hard for him to handle this much pain and bleeding…” 

Yihan’s eyes went back to Hwawoon in bed. Blood was already reflected in the bandages surrounding the small, thin backs and shoulders. Yihan’s finger, which had been clenching fists the whole time, slowly swept through the air this time. It was just like touching Hwawoon’s wound.

In the meantime, the doctor continued. 

“Speaking of, Your Majesty…”

“Say it.”

“We will do our best, but the scarring is…”

“…”

“For the scarring to disappear completely… I think it’s going to be difficult.”

The doctor looked distressed. It was a matter of course. Even if Yeonbin was a man, he was the emperor’s concubine. For the concubines, who had to show their bare bodies to the emperor and spend the night with him, the wound on their body was always a fatal disadvantage. There was a case where a previous emperor abandoned and did not return to his beloved concubine after she accidentally burned her thigh. 

Therefore, the doctor had no choice but to feel bad for bringing it up. For some concubines, scarring their bodies can be worse than dying.

“Scarring is not an important thing right now. The Imperial Doctor should make Yeonbin feel as little pain as possible and make sure that the wound is healed soon.”

But the emperor, who slowly approached the bed and looked down at Yeon Hwawoon, said something completely different. The doctor was so surprised that he opened his eyes wide and looked straight at the emperor without realizing it.

The Imperial Palace had an ironclad rule that the concubine’s body should have no scar no matter how small it was, should have nothing bothering when touched with hands, and that the emperor’s eyes should be entertained with perfectly white jade-like skin. Previous concubines bathed in milk every day to get even a little clear and clean skin, were careful about everything they usually eat, and lived in fear of even one pimple that anyone would have at least once in their life. 

But the emperor in front of him now. His Majesty, who sat quietly on the bed and looked at the wound of a concubine as if he was not even breathing properly. He was saying that the scar that will remain is not important even after seeing such a large and hideous wound on the concubine’s body.

“… Yes, Your Majesty.” 

The doctor suddenly felt so overwhelmed. He felt like he had caught a glimpse of the emperor’s mind that he shouldn’t dare to peek at. Therefore, the doctor, who suddenly got chills down his spine, hurriedly bowed his head and replied. The doctor could not dare to handle the emperor’s gaze looking down at Yeonbin. 

*** 

At the Empress Palace, there were the Empress, Sukbi, and Jeongbin. At first, everyone went to Anjeong Palace because they were worried about Yeonbin, but the Emperor issued an order for everyone to go back except for the Imperial Doctor, so they came out without hearing the situation inside. As they tried to go back to each residence, they did not want to be separated from each other because they were disturbed, so they came together to the Empress Palace. 

“Sukbi. Are you okay?” 

The Empress asked Sukbi, Biyoung, who was shaking her hands on her knees with a pale complexion. However, Biyoung couldn’t answer and was biting her lips with an anxious face. Songhyun, who sat next to Biyoung, caressed Biyoung’s shoulders, but Biyoung could not easily calm down. After a long time, Biyoung opened her mouth.

“It’s because of me…”

“It was an accident that a hawk suddenly flew and attacked. How is that because of you?”

“No. Your Majesty, it’s because of me. Yeonbin told me that it was dangerous… It was dangerous, so he told me to come to his side.” 

Biyoung clearly remembered that moment. When everyone shouted in confusion, Yeonbin definitely reached out to her, saying that where Biyoung was standing was dangerous. It was her judgment to ignore Yeonbin’s words and continue to stand there stupidly. 

“Yeonbin… I thought it might be Yeonbin’s work…” 

Biyoung continued in a trembling voice. 

“To ruin my birthday… In the first place, I didn’t believe that Yeonbin had changed, so I thought he might have tried to hit me in the back in this way…”

“…”

“Until that moment, I doubted Yeonbin, so… I didn’t listen to him. If I listened to Yeonbin back then and moved… If I did that…”

The sense when Yeonbin hugged her still remained vividly in Biyoung’s body. He was such a thin and fragile man, but at that moment, she felt his firm wills to protect Biyoung so that Biyoung’s face could not escape from his arms. 

If Yeonbin didn’t cover for Biyoung. If he just left Biyoung who ignored his words, it would have been Biyoung to face the large hawk’s claws. And Biyoung would have suffered a big scar on her face. 

The thought sent shivers down her spine. She felt dizzy. She was so scared. As much as the weight of the fear, Biyoung felt guilty. 

“Your Majesty…”

As soon as the Empress, Jaran, tried to give another word of comfort to Biyoung, a eunuch sent from the Empress Palace to find out Yeonbin’s condition came inside and knelt down. Jaran briefly looked away from Biyoung and asked the eunuch. 

“… How’s Yeonbin’s condition?” 

“Fortunately, it is said the wound isn’t deep enough. However, for His Highness Yeonbin, who is weak, the bleeding is too big to handle, and the shock and pain are also severe, so… he hasn’t come to his senses yet.” 

“…”

“And…” 

The pain of the claws of the beast tearing the flesh off would not be easy for anyone to bear. Nevertheless, Yeonbin was worried about Biyoung until just before he left in the arms of the Emperor. Without realizing it, Biyoung clenched Songhyun’s hand, which was comforting her, and Jaran said to the eunuch, who was hesitant. 

“What are you hesitating about? Go ahead and tell me.”

“The doctor said there might be scars on His Highness Yeonbin’s shoulders and back.”

Biyoung closed her eyes tightly as she heard that, and tears fell down her cheeks.

Biyoung really hated Yeonbin. She didn’t like him. She didn’t like the man who acted up against the Empress using his father’s name on his back. She didn’t like him for doing wicked things and making trouble everywhere. She was disgusted by him who easily said rude and hurtful words, shivering curses at her. 

In this internal court, she was the only one who could face Yeonbin and prevent him, so she always faced him with the same attitude, but even so, it didn’t mean Biyoung was not hurt by the curse-like words he uttered. 

That was the reason why she couldn’t fully believe him until the end, even though the Empress paid attention to Yeonbin’s change, the Emperor cared about him, and even Jeongbin, who was like her true sister, also believed Yeonbin. It was because she was the one who faced Yeonbin’s sharpest words.

However, what Biyoung was thinking of at this moment was the appearance of Yeon Hwawoon bowing toward her. Yeon Hwawoon, who said he was reflecting on the disrespect he showed to her in the past. Yeon Hwawoon, who said in a soft tone it was natural for her to not trust him and be wary of him, even though she laughed and ridiculed him openly, kept lingering in front of Biyoung’s eyes.

Yeonbin willingly threw himself for her, who did not believe and suspected him until the end, and now he lived with the trace of wounds he had gained from that throughout his life. 

If anyone knew the circumstances of Biyoung, her actions would be understandable, but such facts were no consolation to the current Biyoung. 

“… It’s okay if he’s safe, and it’s not a big deal to leave scars. His Majesty won’t be afraid of a person just because of the scar.” 

Jaran’s firm voice was heard through the heavy atmosphere. However, there was still no one who could replace the pain Hwawoon felt, and those who filled the Empress Palace could not say anything else.