CH 96

“Then what is this about?” 

Hwawoon was forced to continue. 

“It’s just that… because it’s the first gift Your Majesty gave me…” 

Hwawoon slurred his words, but Yihan could recognize the meaning. There was an awkward silence between the two. 

Of course, technically speaking, it would not be the first gift Yeon Hwawoon received. But it was the first gift that the current Hwawoon remembered. Yihan did not know all the truth, obviously, but Yihan already recognized the current Hwawoon as a new person, so it was actually the first gift he gave to Yeon Hwawoon as well. 

After realizing it, suddenly Yihan felt the same about drinking all of that tea. He thought it would be nice if it stayed at Jeongan Palace for a very long time. He hoped Hwawoon would look at it for a long time and think about him. Furthermore, he also thought that it would be good to have more objects in this Jeongan Palace that would remind Hwawoon of him.

“… I’ll send you another tea as soon as possible.” 

Yihan said after a brief silence.

“You can save my first gift as you wish, and drink the new tea frequently.” 

“… Thank you very much for your kindness, Your Majesty.” 

Looking at Hwawoon, who gently lowered his eyes and thanked him, Yihan suddenly thought that he wanted to have the first gift from Yeon Hwawoon, which he could cherish and look at. He couldn’t bring it out of his mouth, so the emperor was heartbroken.

***

“How are His Majesty and His Highness?” 

Eunuch Oh, who was waiting outside, asked Ahjin who quickly left after putting a simple refreshment in the bedroom. Ahjin glanced at Eunuch Oh and walked a little away from the door. When the eunuch followed her and stood next to her, Ahjin spoke in a low voice. 

“When I went in, both of them stopped talking. They seemed a little awkward, but the atmosphere looked good.” 

“Hmm.” 

“Lord Oh. Will His Majesty stay at Jeongan Palace today?”

To Ahjin’s question that followed, Eunuch Oh answered with a frown, as if questioning what kind of nonsense she was asking.

“That’s impossible, obviously. His Highness hasn’t fully recovered yet…!” 

Ahjin, who was thinking that it would be better if the emperor would be by her master’s side since he hadn’t fully recovered, soon realized the hidden meaning of the eunuch’s words and said, frowning in the same way. 

“Wha, no! Does… does he have to do something to stay?”

He can just stay by my master’s side doing nothing. Eunuch Oh, who managed to hear Ahjin murmuring so quietly with her lips pouting profanely, glared. 

“Seems like you became daring because His Highness spoils you too much. Will you come to your senses if you get punished?”

“Did I say something wrong?” 

When Ahjin answered back despite shrinking her shoulders at the scolding, Eunuch Oh shook his head and clicked his tongue. He then asked.

“Well… So, did His Highness Yeonbin think about His Majesty today?”

It was a serious voice full of worries. Nowadays, Eunuch Oh had a lot of worries that he had never thought about before. 

It was the same yesterday and today. It was not like the emperor was separated from Yeonbin for thousands of years nor was he forced to not see him, but the emperor was nervous all day about someone he could see if he called or visited. The emperor didn’t express it in words, but Eunuch Oh, who had served the emperor for a long time, could easily understand what his lord was feeling. 

It was longing. The emperor was anxious all day, longing for someone he could see in a few hours, a concubine he could call in at any moment if he wanted. He was annoyed with the time moving so slowly, and he suddenly looked into the air and sighed while looking at the reports. Eunuch Oh couldn’t help but worry about the appearance of the emperor that he saw for the first time in his life. 

There would have been nothing to worry about the past Yeonbin because he was a person who would run in stocking feet to anywhere the emperor was, but Eunuch Oh wasn’t sure what the current Yeonbin really thought about the emperor. Thus, Eunuch Oh was also worried. Of course, the recent Yeonbin was courteous, and genuinely concerned about the emperor, but Eunuch Oh did not know what kind of heart those actions were based on.

After the change, Yeonbin was as friendly as the spring breeze to not only the emperor but also each courtier he met while passing by, so Eunuch Oh was worried that Yeonbin’s attitude toward his lord was no different from that. Ahjin, who had been lost in thought for a while, answered Eunuch Oh’s question. 

“Erm… He said no, but from what I saw, he seemed to be waiting for His Majesty very much yesterday and today.” 

“Is that true?” 

“How dare I lie about this? Today, even with that sick body, he wandered for a long time in front of the pavilion…”

“Then, even after His Highness changed, do you think… so, does he still…”

Eunuch Oh, who continued to speak that far, hesitated. He wanted to ask something, but he suddenly hesitated on how to express it.

The emperor’s concubines had to devote all their hearts to the emperor only. It was a matter of course. What kind of heart and purpose they entered the palace had no meaning. It didn’t really matter whether or not they devoted their hearts to the emperor. Once they became the emperor’s concubines, everyone in that position had to love the emperor. They had to do that. That was the law. 

So, how unreasonable was it for Eunuch Oh to ask Ahjin a question like, ‘Does His Highness Yeonbin still love His Majesty?’

“No. Forget it.” 

In the end, Eunuch Oh couldn’t continue his question. He was still anxious and worried about the emperor’s heart, but he could not ask a mere court lady a question that damaged the emperor’s dignity. 

“By the way, it would be nice if His Majesty stayed tonight…” 

Listening to Ahjin, who fortunately did not dig into the eunuch’s words further while still muttering presumptuous sounds, Eunuch Oh shook his head quietly. He was frustrated and anxious, but it seemed that Yeonbin also spent the day waiting for the emperor, so he took it as a small comfort.

***

“You often wear blue clothes.” 

Yihan, who was chewing a fruit brought by Ahjin in his mouth, suddenly asked while looking at Hwawoon’s clothes in front of him. It was a fact that he suddenly realized while thinking that the clear blue fabric really fit Hwawoon’s white skin. Certainly, the recent Yeonbin seemed to wear a blue color frequently. 

Meanwhile, Hwawoon, who was looking seriously at which fruit the emperor eats more, flinched his shoulders at the emperor’s sudden question, then soon bowed his head slightly and answered. 

“Oh… It’s my favorite color…” 

“Really?” 

Yihan nodded with a heavy face as if it was such a significant story. He was already thinking about how many blue fabrics there would be among the things that came in as tribute. It was natural that the thought of sending blue silk that would suit Hwawoon next time followed. At that time, Hwawoon, who had been silent for a while, opened his mouth. 

“May I ask what color you like, Your Majesty?”

It was a question that took a lot of courage. This was because Hwawoon was still not sure if he could speak freely, ask, and wonder about the emperor as he wanted in front of him. As though it was so difficult to ask about the color the emperor likes, the end of Hwawoon’s voice trembled noticeably. 

However, Yihan didn’t notice that tremble. Rather than noticing, he just stared blankly at Hwawoon. Hwawoon was also flustered by the unexpected reaction, so he was rolling his eyes only, wondering if he should ask for forgiveness or such. Meanwhile, Yihan replied in a voice that sounded as if he was somewhat intimidated. 

“Well… I… I’m…”

“…?” 

“… I’m not sure what color I like.” 

There was an awkward air in the room. Yihan was embarrassed because what he said sounded stupid, and Hwawoon just blinked because he didn’t understand what he just heard. Yihan then added, making excuses. 

“I haven’t really thought about it…”

Saying that, Yihan realized that he particularly never gave a thought about his personal preferences in his life.

In a good way, it meant that he didn’t have to choose based on what he liked. The emperor could always use the best things even though he chose roughly. The best food, the best tea, the best books and pictures, and even people. Yihan didn’t have any problem even if he roughly chose what people around him recommended without considering his tendency. 

In a bad way, it also meant that Yihan was not very interested in his own desires. Whatever food served at the palace would be good, so he wasn’t fussy about what suits his taste better or not.