Chapter 55
The deeper he delved, the more devastating it became, choking his throat. It felt futile that even the moments he had wanted to cherish so dearly could no longer be revisited. Hwi had given him everything, and then taken everything away.
How foolish had been his arrogance in believing he shared a kinship with the Emperor, and his mistaken belief that His Majesty might pity him.
The procession formed around the palanquin carrying Yun-seo, and the outside grew increasingly noisy. Joyful cries that finally our Emperor had found a consort, that the precious Yeong Chunhwa would save His Majesty and all of them, quickly spread into cheers of “Long live!” surrounding the palanquin.
On this journey from being an ordinary commoner to becoming the Empress of a nation, heavy and cumbersome garments weighed down his shoulders. Yun-seo clutched his robes tightly, using all his strength to trample down the emotions that threatened to burst forth.
He was Yeong Chunhwa, and he need only fulfill that duty—no further emotion was necessary. Yun-seo closed his heart’s door and bolted it. He wished only to become a stone statue, unable to feel anything or be shaken by anything.
After a lengthy procedure, he arrived at the palace. The separate, isolated palace contained a beautiful garden, so it didn’t appear lonely. With a serene pavilion beside a pond where pretty fish swam, it was almost sacrilegious for a temporary stay, yet it evoked no sentiment in him.
The Yonglin, Imperial guards, eunuchs, and court ladies stood in formation guarding the front of the palace. Knowing who awaited him here, Yun-seo felt a corner of his heart slowly sink.
After blooming, all Yeong Chunhwa were required to have an audience with the Emperor to determine the compatibility of their guardian spirit. Traditionally, the Yeong Chunhwa whose guardian spirit was most harmonious with the Emperor’s power would ascend to the position of Empress, while those less suitable would be made consorts.
His Majesty’s power was said to be as deep as the ocean and as strong as well-tempered diamond, comparable to the first Yongson, Emperor Taejeong. Perhaps for this reason, no Yeong Chunhwa could sufficiently handle His Majesty, leaving the Empress position vacant for a long time.
The ministers had repeatedly advised that the Empress position should be filled and the royal succession secured, but His Majesty had ignored them all. Yun-seo swallowed bitterly, recalling his father’s words that this was because he had not yet bloomed.
Had he truly waited until his blooming? Because of that power destined for the Empress? Yet before blooming, one couldn’t know how suitable a guardian spirit would be for the Yonglin. He had merely been assessed as having an unprecedentedly large and deep capacity.
What would happen if his guardian spirit wasn’t compatible with Hwi?
The imperial decree naming him Empress, the gifts and splendid banquet before entering the palace, this entire process—all declared his intention to welcome him as Empress. Having used all his energy these past few days just to accept the current situation, he hadn’t had time to reflect, but he wondered why Hwi had treated him as a husband without even confirming his power.
Even if he truly wasn’t suited to be Empress, it would be difficult to reverse such a significant matter. But if by some chance the compatibility between them was so utterly lacking… if it was bad enough to overturn everything…
Yun-seo’s footsteps halted abruptly as if caught by something. The image of someone else standing beside Hwi flashed before his eyes, and his clear face grew pale.
A eunuch silently urged Yun-seo forward, who stood like a statue before the open door. His mind was complicated with rushing thoughts, feeling as if a heavy stone sat on his head. Though he felt a faint headache, Yun-seo composed his expression and slowly entered.
The first thing that caught his eye was the bamboo blind that concealed the figure seated on the throne. He smiled bitterly, naturally recalling how his world had been turned upside down since first holding the hand of an unknown boy at age eight. To think that boy was none other than Hwi.
Guided by the eunuch, Yun-seo approached the blind. His footsteps echoed emptily. Through the tightly woven blind, he couldn’t see what expression the other wore. It seemed absurd to observe such formalities between those who had pressed their naked bodies together.
“So Yun-seo of the So family greets His Imperial Majesty. May you enjoy eternal spring.”
He paid his respects with an unwavering voice and knelt. Yun-seo lowered his eyes to hide their loathing. Soon, neat hands appeared beneath the blind, gesturing for him to rise. The familiar movement made Yun-seo briefly glare at his fingertips before standing.
After sitting across from him, the royal physician approached and paid respects. When told she would take his pulse, he placed his hand on the table and rolled up his sleeve. She paused upon seeing his bracelet. Though it was a very brief moment, Yun-seo noticed her reaction and looked anew at his bracelet.
Was it truly an important object? More than that, he was conscious of what the Emperor behind the blind might think seeing it. Would he find it amusing? But this belonged to him. A token given by his lord, not the Emperor.
Even reflecting on it himself, he found it so amusing and ridiculous that a hollow laugh almost escaped. As he composed his expression, the physician withdrew and Hwi’s hand extended beneath the blind. Yun-seo stared at the hand—larger and longer than on the day everything began, with calluses more firmly set.
He had not yet announced his blooming. But having an audience with the Emperor immediately upon entering the palace to confirm his guardian spirit meant that Hwi knew of his blooming. The cause must have been the guardian spirit that had escaped from his fingertips when he first encountered the Yonglin while escaping his family home.
Everything had been in the palm of his hand. Reflecting anew on this lamentable truth, Yun-seo placed his hand on Hwi’s palm. Even his still-cool temperature felt familiar, bringing an untimely wave of longing.
“Please open your guardian spirit.”
Trying to control his guardian spirit, which he had never voluntarily opened before, felt awkward and uncomfortable. It felt as though he was truly becoming a Yeong Chunhwa with no escape.
What would happen if he pretended he hadn’t bloomed? Could he hide his blooming even from Hwi?
All Yeong Chunhwa, upon turning sixteen, had to be assessed monthly for blooming regardless of their blooming fragrance. Like now, Yonglin who visited his residence had tried to draw out his guardian spirit with a blind set up, but Yun-seo had always protected it. It wasn’t simply that he hadn’t entered the palace because his blooming fragrance hadn’t erupted. His ability was clearly exceptional.
“Please open your guardian spirit.”
When he hesitated without making any decision, the physician spoke once more. Just then, his eyes trembled as he looked down at their touching hands.
As Hwi curled his fingers to grasp Yun-seo’s hand, some presence burrowed into his skin and extended deep inside in a single breath. The sensation, more intense and cooler than what he had felt as an eight-year-old child, drew in his guardian spirit.
Yun-seo reflexively tried to hold back the escaping power, but there was no way he could defeat the Dragon Descendant who had cultivated and trained countless times since his enthronement, possessing the greatest power in history. The sensation of his guardian spirit being instantly sucked through his fingertips and entering Hwi’s body was excessively vivid.
In that moment when he struggled to control his power with feelings of helplessness, resistance, futility, and unfamiliarity, his guardian spirit touched something. Yun-seo’s eyes widened as his fingertips gradually stiffened.
It was like the black tangled threads possessed by the Yonglin whom he had touched against his will while escaping his family home. But the difference in level was as vast as heaven and earth.
Inside Hwi was a void. It was filth and mire. Darkness whose depth could not be fathomed swirled heavily as if rejoicing at the touch of his approaching guardian spirit, coiled tightly.
Yun-seo, who had tried to run away, escape, and avoid, unconsciously gripped Hwi’s hand tightly. In response, Hwi’s inward-curled fingers straightened and moved away from Yun-seo.
It was his first time moving his guardian spirit by his own will, but it wasn’t difficult. Though he had learned methods from his tutors, he naturally realized this was a Yeong Chunhwa’s instinct that could be handled without special teaching.
Frantically pouring out his guardian spirit, Yun-seo carefully unraveled the tightly knotted void within Hwi. He had heard that a Yonglin’s power accumulated poison the more it was used, driving them to pain—if this was Hwi’s pain, he couldn’t believe how he had endured it.
In this moment, he forgot all thoughts and emotions, focusing solely on healing Hwi.
After continuously infusing his power to create openings in the firmly embedded poison and barely dispersing it, Hwi suddenly withdrew his hand. Startled by the hand that departed as if fleeing, Yun-seo looked up at the blind.
The physician went to the opposite side to check Hwi’s pulse. Though everyone present kept their heads lowered, he could clearly feel them focusing their attention this way.
A silence that seemed endless filled the room. Yun-seo composed his guardian spirit, which seemed excited at finally being allowed to move freely. Eventually, the physician removed her hand from Hwi, stepped back two paces, and knelt.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”
After the physician’s felicitation, Yun-seo felt the surrounding air ripple with joy against his skin. Everyone guarding the room knelt and sincerely celebrated.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”
Yun-seo looked around with a bewildered expression. He had only used a little, just a little power. Deep and profound mire still boiled within Hwi, and he couldn’t understand how they could rejoice so easily.
Amidst the congratulatory voices coming from all directions, Yun-seo blankly gazed at the man who would be behind the blind. The poisonous energy he had felt at his fingertips numbed his fingertips, and he still couldn’t see what expression Hwi wore.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
