Dojin, who had been standing at the door, looked down at Doha with a bewildered expression. A bow? Did he mean the kind you draw and shoot? Why on earth would he need that… Dojin’s expression grew more distorted as he began to understand Doha’s words.
“A bow… you say?”
“Yes. I need to learn archery before the hunting competition.”
He couldn’t avoid the hunting competition with the excuse that he couldn’t shoot a bow. Moreover, his opponent was the Chief State Councilor. Having already fallen out of the Chief State Councilor’s favor after the incident at the banquet hall, he couldn’t afford to show any more weakness at the hunting competition.
For now, he had to obediently comply, even if it wasn’t to his liking.
‘Besides, in the original scenario, Hyunseo falls off his horse.’
The family’s downfall begins after the horse-falling incident. When the arrow embedded in Hyunseo’s horse is revealed to belong to their family, all their accumulated wealth and reputation would be scattered. Family was too good a card to discard that way.
Doha’s eyes sparkled brightly. If possible, he aimed to prevent both Hyunseo’s fall and the family’s downfall. He reached out with both hands and grabbed Ungeom’s hand.
“You’re the only one who can teach me.”
For that, he needed this innocent man who blushed at the slightest touch. After all, Ungeom was in charge of running the hunting competition.
Moreover, he couldn’t be too direct with a man conflicted between love and loyalty. He needed a pretext—a reason to stay close. Asking to be taught archery was quite a good excuse.
Everything had to happen secretly. Like clothes getting wet in a drizzle, it should happen slowly. Doha blinked his pretty eyes.
“…”
“Just until the hunting competition, okay?”
Doha looked up at Dojin with desperate eyes, like someone confessing their love. Unable to withstand that gaze, Dojin turned his head away. His reddened ears were visible beneath his headband.
“Please don’t look at me like that.”
It had been just this morning that he had resolved to control his feelings. Yet here he was, his heart wavering before a day had even passed. His loyalty to His Majesty was being called into question.
The relationship he had built with His Majesty wasn’t one to be so easily shaken. They had fought back-to-back on the battlefield and planned a coup at the risk of their lives to guard against the enemy that was the Chief State Councilor. Between them, there existed neither secrets nor betrayal.
‘Then why is my heart so complicated?’
Dojin’s gaze subtly turned toward Doha. Even knowing that seeing his face would disturb his heart further, he couldn’t stop his eyes. As Dojin straightened his tilted head, Doha brought his face closer.
“Will you teach me?”
The pink-tinged cheeks that looked so lovable, the round eyes gazing directly at him, and the white face filled Dojin’s vision. Facing Doha, his heart wavered again. Was this how all Eumin were? Dojin placed a hand on his chest, feeling his rapidly beating heart.
“Ungeom…?”
His heart was beating as fast as if he’d sprinted at full speed. Even on the battlefield, his heart had never raced like this. Feeling his body heat up, Dojin looked at Doha.
He knew he could never refuse this Eumin. Meeting those pitch-black eyes, Dojin sensed a certain future. With his beast-like intuition, he often sensed future events, and those premonitions were usually right.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
With a worried face, Doha reached out his hand. His small hand crossed the threshold and touched Dojin’s cheek. It was Doha who had first stepped outside the room.
“No, I’m fine.”
Since he hadn’t entered the room, he hadn’t disobeyed His Majesty’s orders. Besides, he had the responsibility to confirm whether the assassin who infiltrated last night was Bin Mama.
Trying hard to justify his actions, Dojin placed his hand over the back of Doha’s hand. The warmth of their touch overlapped. Doha let out a small laugh at Dojin’s red ears.
“Help me not to be embarrassed.”
“…”
“After all, I’m the highest-ranking person after His Majesty—how can I not know how to shoot a bow?”
Doha spoke with a clear, childlike face. Beneath Dojin’s palm, Doha’s hand wiggled slightly. Even that small movement tickled his heart, making his expression crumble repeatedly. Dojin let out a low sigh.
“What do I need to do? That thing.”
Dojin asked while running his hand through his hair. Caught. Doha looked up at Dojin with a satisfied smile.
“From today, you can teach me in the garden of Siyeong Palace.”
“…I just need to teach you archery?”
“Yes. I need to be able to sleep without worrying about the hunting competition.”
A mole digs two holes. In case the scenario truly didn’t change, he needed to prepare an escape route in advance. Eunsung was too risky a card, and returning to the family lacked sufficient information.
If that was the case, Dojin was the better choice.
“I’ll be counting on you.”
He extended his hand again, the same one that had touched Dojin’s cheek.
“The pleasure is mine.”
Dojin took Doha’s outstretched hand. It was small enough to fit in one of his hands. Not knowing he was walking into a fire pit, Dojin bowed his head.
From that day on, their special training began.
* * *
It was well into the night when Jeonghyeon arrived at his family home. The distance from the palace to the main house was quite far, making his return time later than expected.
“Jeonghyeon!”
As soon as he opened the door, he encountered his mother and father, who were pacing with small steps in front of the entrance. Their faces brightened instantly upon seeing Jeonghyeon.
“How is our youngest doing?!”
There was no concern for Jeonghyeon’s well-being. Why he was late or whether the journey home had been difficult was beyond their interest. Lord Kim grabbed Jeonghyeon’s sleeve and urged him.
“Hurry up and tell me, you rotten boy. What is our youngest doing?”
“Ah, Father. Why call me rotten?”
“Won’t you speak up quickly?”
Impatient, Lord Kim kicked Jeonghyeon’s shin lightly. With each kick, Jeonghyeon’s silk clothes became stained with dirt. Yunjung, who had been quietly looking down at the silk clothes, looked up at Jeonghyeon.
“You like wearing silk clothes alone?”
It wasn’t a tone concerned about Jeonghyeon’s clothes, but rather one picking a fight. Yunjung grabbed the other sleeve of Jeonghyeon’s robe forcefully. It was a movement as if she would tear the silk. Jeonghyeon spoke to Yunjung in a bewildered voice.
“Mother, why are you doing this too?”
“Our youngest probably can’t even eat or dress properly. Oh, Doha…”
How many months had it been since they had seen the youngest? Yunjung was so lovesick for her youngest that she was on the verge of falling ill. Recently, even in her dreams, she sensed something was wrong, which worried her even more. Sinking weakly to the floor, Yunjung muttered.
“That’s why I told him several times not to marry that man…”
The reason they couldn’t see him was all because of the royal decree. For some reason, a few months ago, a decree had been issued prohibiting family visits. Jeonghyeon could barely enter and exit the palace because of his official position, but Lord Kim had retired long ago and couldn’t enter the palace.
Moreover, Yunjung had no official position and couldn’t even set foot in Siyeong Palace where Doha was.
“Mother, the youngest is doing better than you think.”
Jeonghyeon quickly supported Yunjung and spoke. After helping Yunjung to the veranda, Jeonghyeon elaborated on what he had seen of Doha at the palace.
“He’s always been dignified, hasn’t he?”
“…That dignity is the problem. He’s delicate inside but doesn’t show it—that’s the problem.”
Lord Kim clicked his tongue and took a seat next to Yunjung. He didn’t forget to rest Yunjung’s weakly swaying head on his shoulder.
The night sky was bright. The stars were densely packed, suggesting that tomorrow would be clear as well. On such good nights, the youngest used to play in the yard. Then, if he tripped and fell, he would curl up like a pill bug and remain motionless.
He would bury his head in the ground and quietly hold his breath to avoid making crying sounds. His small back would tremble slightly. How heartbreaking it was—whenever Doha cried silently, Lord Kim and Yunjung felt as if their hearts were being torn apart.
He must be living the same way in the palace.
“A person should show when they’re hurt, when they’re sad… our youngest doesn’t even know his own feelings because he’s always holding back.”
While the two were lost in thought, Jeonghyeon recalled Doha’s face that he had seen at the palace. It was a face more vibrant and full of life than before. When he first entered the palace, his complexion couldn’t have been darker… had there been some change in his mind?
“Father.”
“Yes, what is it?”
Lord Kim looked up at Jeonghyeon when called.
“Is the spy placed in the palace still doing well?”
“…Yes. He’s doing well. Although security has been tightened and we can’t communicate often… we occasionally receive news about Doha.”
Lord Kim wouldn’t have sent his youngest to the palace without any precautions. Simultaneously with Doha’s entry to the palace, he also arranged for a spy to enter and provide information.
Although he was now retired, Lord Kim’s influence was still substantial. Not only had he maintained an honest lifestyle for a long time, but he had also exerted much effort for the people, so his standing in the court was still significant. While he was as gentle as water to his youngest, Lord Kim was not someone to be taken lightly as the head of the family.
He slowly closed and opened his eyes, asking Jeonghyeon.
“Why do you ask?”
“The youngest… seems a bit different.”
The youngest has changed? Yunjung, who had been weakly closing her eyes, suddenly opened them wide and sat up.
“What do you mean? My youngest has changed?”
“Mother, please calm down. I meant it in a good way.”
“Whether it’s good or not!”
With a troubled face, Jeonghyeon held Yunjung’s shoulders. Doha indeed had aspects different from the usual youngest. His tone of voice was different from usual, and he had used the term “hyung” several times, which he rarely used.
‘He’s prettier and more lovable, but… something is strange.’
Plus, Kim Jipyung? It was a title he had never heard before. No matter how long it had been since they met, there was no way he would call him by the title Jipyung.
“He called me Kim Jipyung.”
“Doha did?”
“Yes.”
Kim Jipyung… There was certainly something odd about it. Lord Kim stroked his beard, deep in thought.
“…Were there any other strange points?”
“Ah. He seemed flustered when told he had to shoot a bow in this hunting competition.”
Archery was the youngest’s only hobby. The root cause was a bow and arrow that one of Lord Kim’s guests had left behind. That tiny thing had hung the bow, ran around the yard, and eventually took an interest in archery, asking to be taught.
Since it was the first time he had shown interest in learning something, Lord Kim happily taught the youngest archery.
“It must be because it’s been a while since he shot a bow.”
Despite being a playboy, Jeonghyeon was Lord Kim’s child. His intuition wasn’t to be taken lightly. Lord Kim quietly stroked his beard and muttered.
“We’ll know at this hunting competition.”
Since he had taught the bow himself, he could tell just by seeing how the youngest held it. Lord Kim’s eyes glinted sharply.
“It’s time I visited the palace after a long while.”
His clothes fluttered in the wind. Though retired for a long time, his spirit had not yet been broken. He slowly entered the house. The youngest’s room, with its door open, seemed particularly empty today.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
