-33-
East Wind
Jeonggwan, who now thought there was truly nothing to hold him back, was disgustingly attached to the man who visited him every day. Of course, it was very unfortunate that they couldn’t consummate their relationship, but Jeonggwan was the type who felt he could be happy just holding hands with a man and gazing at each other for a lifetime. The man, for his part, made sure Jeonggwan never felt a lack of love, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to him.
He always procured rare delicacies that Jeonggwan had never tasted before and fed them to him. Whenever Jeonggwan felt stifled by palace life, the man would secretly take him outside the palace walls the night before Jeonggwan’s day off. With a man willing to do anything he could for him, Jeonggwan savored his happiness, receiving abundant love every day.
“Your face seems brighter these days?”
“Hehe, does it look that way to you?”
“Did something good happen?”
“…Hmm. Since you’re not the Crown Prince’s consort yet, I’ll tell only you, young master. Once you become the consort, please completely forget what I’ve said.”
“Come on, alright. Let’s hear it.”
If Jeonggwan were to tell Juhwan, after he became the Crown Prince’s consort, that a court eunuch was having an affair, it would be grounds for execution. However, Juhwan was not yet the consort, and even if this story were to come up after he became one, Jeonggwan knew that as someone who had grown up with him like a brother and an old friend, Juhwan wouldn’t reproach him. So he chattered away about everything that had happened with the man.
“That person was a eunuch? My goodness!”
“He’s a eunuch in the Crown Prince’s palace. Even when you become the consort, I’ll be able to meet him often!”
“Well, the fact that he’s a castrated man is quite off-putting… but if you’re happy, I won’t make it an issue in the future. Just don’t get caught by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Yes!”
“But… so when you meet, you just hold hands and kiss?”
“…Yes.”
“Tsk. If only he’d been a guard from the Royal Guards or a lecturer from the Royal Academy, that would have been so much better.” As Juhwan shook his head, Jeonggwan replied that although he had thought the same thing dozens of times at first, now he truly felt it was wonderful just to see the man’s face.
“That’s good. I’m happy for you.”
“Hehe… I’m sure His Highness the Crown Prince must be someone like that too! If a eunuch under him has such a good character, wouldn’t the Crown Prince naturally have a good character too? When you become the consort, I’m sure His Highness will love you very much!”
“…Is that so? Will His Highness love me that much?”
“Of course!”
Seeing Jeonggwan nodding with sparkling eyes, Juhwan let out a snicker before exhaling a shallow sigh.
“I just… I don’t even wish for such love, I just hope that I won’t be recorded as an unfortunate consort in the future. I just want to be remembered as a virtuous and wise consort who lived a splendid life, who formed a harmonious family. I just want to be remembered that way.”
Juhwan had never been particularly interested in love. Even when he liked someone, it was more about loving his own image as someone who liked another person, rather than truly giving his heart. Because of this, Jeonggwan understood when Juhwan spoke this way. No, beyond understanding, he sincerely wished for Juhwan to achieve what he desired.
Having entered the palace and lived as a person of ordinary status, he realized how comfortable his life as a servant had been. There were many slaves in the palace who served the court people, and they truly lived without being treated as humans, with insufficient food and sleep. Although it was foolish to realize how happy one had been only after witnessing the misfortune of others, Jeonggwan newly realized how truly Juhwan had treated him like a brother.
Even putting himself in a difficult situation to help Jeonggwan leave with Taekun… what master would do such a thing? Knowing it was a decision that could only be made by someone who truly thought of Jeonggwan as his younger brother, Jeonggwan earnestly hoped that Juhwan’s wish to be remembered not as an unhappy consort, despite giving up a free life to enter the palace, would come true.
“Young master, it will definitely happen!”
Jeonggwan, sitting on the porch, picked an armful of what appeared to be chrysanthemums, no, asters, from the garden and offered them to Juhwan.
The third selection was only two days away. Therefore, the quarters of Juhwan, who had ranked first in the second selection, were very busy. Since ranking first in the second selection was practically the same as being decided as the Crown Prince’s consort, all the court people were frantically packing their belongings in preparation for moving to the Crown Prince’s palace after the third selection two days later.
“Jeonggwan, someone’s looking for you?”
“Is he about seven feet tall?”
“Uh… um… yes!”
Jeonggwan, who had been organizing his modest but still considerable belongings, hurriedly got up at the court person’s words that someone was looking for him outside, and went out. Wait, why is this young master looking for me when the sun is still high in the sky? Does he miss me that much already? A smile bloomed on Jeonggwan’s face as he muttered to himself while hastily putting on his shoes.
“…It’s been a while.”
However, the person looking for Jeonggwan was not the man. It was someone Jeonggwan had completely forgotten about, having not seen him for well over a month.
“Young Master Taekun…?”
Taekun, looking noticeably gaunt, was staring down at Jeonggwan with hollow eyes. His gaze was so mournful that even a stranger would notice, leaving Jeonggwan quite bewildered. Taekun had been willing to take Jeonggwan along when he was trying to escape to Qing to avoid marriage, but since Jeonggwan had followed Juhwan into the palace, he had assumed Taekun had escaped alone.
But you didn’t escape after all. Then, after the third selection in two days, you’ll proceed with the wedding to the Right State Councillor’s daughter as planned. Is that why you look so haggard? Jeonggwan felt sympathetic toward Taekun. Do you dislike the Right State Councillor’s daughter that much? She seemed quite intelligent when I saw her last time…
“Have you… been well?”
“I’ve been doing well… But young master, have you been eating properly? Your face looks quite worn.”
“…Is that so?”
When Jeonggwan looked up at Taekun with concerned eyes, Taekun smiled gently and awkwardly rubbed his face with the back of his hand. Then, as if finding Jeonggwan’s court attire curious, he slowly examined him from head to toe.
“You… it suits you quite well.”
“Doesn’t it? It suits me well, right?”
“Yes… you look good.”
“There are all these people I care about. I’m so happy.”
“…People? Plural?”
Taekun’s face momentarily stiffened, but Jeonggwan, not noticing, was so happy to see him after a long time that he went on about his current happiness, even saying things he probably shouldn’t.
“Young master, have you ever tried tangerines? They’re fruit from Tamra! They’re so-o sweet and delicious, I was surprised! Did you know that even royalty can’t easily eat them? Of course… I was able to try them because someone I know procured them with difficulty! Ah, this is strictly confidential! I haven’t even told Young Master Juhwan!”
“…Tangerines, huh.”
The more excited Jeonggwan became as he spoke, the stranger Taekun’s expression grew. Tangerines that even royalty couldn’t easily eat. Who would give such precious tangerines, which were bestowed upon those who passed the Seonggyungwan examination, to a mere court person?
“Yes! And young master, do you know about the puppy in the backyard of Jaseondang? It’s truly adorable! Its name is Kkultteok, and it’s really white and fluffy like a rice cake! It’s still a baby, but it wags its tail so much whenever it sees me!”
Moreover, a mere attendant of a consort candidate who hadn’t even been selected yet couldn’t access the Crown Prince’s palace. Especially not Jaseondang, where the Crown Prince lived. Yet Jeonggwan was speaking as if it were perfectly natural for him to enter, asking if Taekun had been there too. He didn’t even realize it was wrong. This meant someone had issued a gag order to allow Jeonggwan to freely access the place, and that someone had considerable power.
“Palace life suits me well! I want to live in the palace forever!”
Taekun’s dead eyes suddenly transformed, blazing like fire. And those eyes fixated intensely on Jeonggwan’s red lips, which were chattering non-stop. If one wasn’t interested, they wouldn’t notice, but if they were, they would see the swelling of those lips. Someone had clearly been exploring those lips all night long. Someone who would give him precious tangerines and allow him free access to their living quarters.
If his suspicion was correct, Taekun could never defeat that person in a fight. That’s why he felt his head might explode from the injustice. He had been first. He had loved this child first and had first intended to spend a lifetime together. If only he hadn’t followed Juhwan into the palace, they would have already escaped to Qing and been living happily.
He had staked everything on this child. He had wanted this child so much that he was willing to throw away honor and official position. But this couldn’t be. He should have been the first to explore those lips, and those happy eyes should have been shining while looking at him, not while thinking of someone else.
“Jeonggwan. Once Juhwan is selected, it will be difficult for you to visit your family home, so how about secretly visiting your parents tonight?”
“My parents?”
“Yes. If you pack some food for your parents, they would be very pleased. Don’t tell anyone. Let’s go, just the two of us. If word gets out, it could cause a big commotion, so keep it a secret and let’s visit your family home. I’ll take you there.”
“Hmm… Yes! Sounds good!”
He had to restore things to how they were supposed to be. However, since he couldn’t dare to fight against that person who would become the sovereign, he had to use a somewhat cowardly method. Taekun’s fist trembled with the force of his clenched hand.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
