Chapter 28
Yun-seo tried to trace back where his question had originated but became confused. Just as he hesitated, not knowing where this thought had been born or where it was heading, Hwi’s lips drew an oblique line.
“You speak as if you’re so fortunate. In my merchant group, I am, shall we say… no different from an emperor.”
“What? That’s far too grand a comparison!”
Yun-seo jumped up from his seat with wide eyes, and Hwi laughed as if amused.
“Would an emperor abandon his country and flee to live his own life? Is that acceptable?”
“Why not? If His Imperial Majesty didn’t want that position, doesn’t he also have the right to free himself from his constraints?”
“Impertinent words. The Son of Heaven is born to his role; it’s neither chosen nor a choice.”
Yun-seo opened his mouth but instead of answering, he took a breath and checked for any movement outside the door. After confirming there were no footsteps passing by, he continued in a lowered voice.
“His Majesty ascended to the throne because he was a Yongrim descendant who awakened, and because the previous emperor passed away early. At just twelve years old. How can all those heavy responsibilities be his duty simply because he was born that way?”
“And thus he gained this country. All wealth, honor, and power lie in His Majesty’s hands, and where there are rights, there are also obligations. Even if the obligations came first, nothing would change.”
Hwi responded calmly, as if explaining very simple and basic concepts. Yun-seo had so much he wanted to say, but the tangled sentences in his mind wouldn’t organize properly. His lips moved silently before he let out a sigh.
Why did arrows aimed at the emperor touch his own sorrow? He soon found the reason.
“Didn’t you tell me before that it’s natural for a Yeong Chunhwa to want to escape? That defying destiny was an act of courage?”
Hwi looked at Yun-seo without responding. His gaze lingered strangely, and Yun-seo, interpreting it as disagreement, quickly spoke again.
“A twelve-year-old child had to face the gates of hell. The future of this country depended on that child. If he wanted to run away, if he still harbors such thoughts even now, who could blame him? We all owe our lives to His Majesty. How could we demand anything from the benefactor who rescued us from the water?”
Somehow the conversation had circled back to the emperor, but there was only one thing he wanted to convey: that both he and Hwi could follow their desired paths. Perhaps he was also trying to justify his own footsteps and future direction.
Though aware that he had been captured by excessive passion, he didn’t know how to compose himself. As he tormented his innocent fingers, Hwi took a slow sip of tea and spoke.
“You seem to pity His Majesty.”
A hollow sigh almost escaped. Pity? Pity, he says? That I pity him? With a bitter smile, Yun-seo reflected on the emotion Hwi had identified.
“How could someone like me pity the Son of Heaven? But many others besides me would think so. That path was too cruel for a twelve-year-old child.”
“No. No. When a twelve-year-old child ascends to that position, people should doubt and worry. Especially if the existence of this country depends on that single child.”
“…How cold of you.”
At his grumpy retort, Hwi chuckled and looked Yun-seo over as if watching an amusing spectacle. Perhaps he was thinking that this youngster was speaking without understanding the ways of the world. Upset that they weren’t seeing eye to eye, Yun-seo pressed his lips together, and then a softer voice came across.
“You’re wrong.”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“A Yeong Chunhwa performs a noble duty, but Yongrim has no such thing.”
Yun-seo’s eyes filled with confusion at this unexpected topic. He couldn’t understand why Hwi would say there was no noble duty for Yongrim who went to the gates of hell to protect this country.
“Yeong Chunhwa can survive without Yongrim, but Yongrim cannot do the same. Don’t you know that? What they pursue is self-interest. They dedicate themselves to this country only because they would die without Yeong Chunhwa.”
“What do you mean…”
“Is there anything grand about a dog’s loyalty to its master? The master can abandon the dog, but the dog cannot abandon the master. The same applies to Yongrim. It’s no different from begging like a dog, licking and rubbing against the feet of the only one who feeds them.”
Yun-seo’s heart sank. It was because he sensed contempt in Hwi’s unrestrained criticism. He couldn’t tell exactly where that arrow was aimed—at Yongrim, Yeong Chunhwa, or perhaps both.
Hwi looked directly into Yun-seo’s wavering eyes. Like taking aim at prey that had been hunted for a long time.
“So, Yun. Don’t pity him.”
“…”
“In your position, pitying others will only hold you back.”
Did he mean “how dare you worry about others”? Sometimes it was difficult to fully understand what Hwi was saying. Whether it was because he was young, because he lacked worldly experience, or because Hwi didn’t fully reveal himself to him, either way, he couldn’t help but feel deflated.
“My emotions are my own. So I’ll pity or resent as I please.”
“Resent?”
Hwi didn’t dismiss but caught the sincere words Yun-seo had blurted out without backing down. Yun-seo was momentarily flustered but didn’t show it.
“You say you pity him, but it seems you also resent him.”
“…Is there anyone in life who hasn’t disliked the sovereign at least once?”
“True. So what did you dislike?”
Yun-seo recalled the emperor whom he had met just once, although a curtain had prevented him from seeing the imperial face.
A Yongrim descendant who had awakened at the unprecedented young age of seven. A child who had to go to the gates of hell after ascending to the throne at twelve. The man who had left him with the lifelong shackle of being considered empress material.
“His existence.”
“His existence.”
Yun-seo glanced at Hwi, who nodded absently. It was both typical and surprising that he would have such a mild reaction to such disrespectful and irreverent talk.
“Sometimes people curse the sun just because it’s too bright to look at. It’s something like that.”
As he shrugged deliberately in a light tone to disperse the heavy atmosphere, Hwi’s lips formed a smooth curved line.
While Yun-seo was momentarily distracted by that unaffected smile, the door opened and servants brought in food, causing the smile on Hwi’s lips to disappear without a trace. Regretful of its loss, Yun-seo let out a quiet sigh.
“Will you sleep here tonight?”
“Yes.”
Yun-seo smiled secretly at the answer from the opposite bed. He wondered if this was what it was like for twins or young siblings of similar ages who occasionally stayed in the same room.
Yun-seo turned towards Hwi’s direction and gazed at him. Though it was dark with the lights off, he could see the blinking of his eyes. It seemed that once again, he would not easily fall asleep tonight. Having gone through various events, Yun-seo’s mind was also scattered, keeping his eyes wide open.
I was safe again today.
While blankly staring at Hwi, this sudden thought consumed Yun-seo’s mind like a rising flame.
He had speculated that his father might have used quick-witted improvisation, but was that really possible? Was the imperial court such a lenient place? If they lost track of him after such a delay, it would truly become a serious crime—would his father choose to hide him until the end?
It was strange that the imperial court still didn’t know, and it was also strange if they knew but weren’t pursuing him. The feeling of having an unknown predator behind him made his anxiety boil.
“My lord.”
“…”
“About that woman we met before. The one who was looking for her child that someone had taken away.”
“Hmm.”
“That means there’s a kidnapper… will the authorities really help find the child?”
No answer came. It wasn’t a question with an answer, and he hadn’t really wanted to hear something specific. What he really wanted to know was…
“If someone is searching for me, why hasn’t there been any news?”
More than a fortnight had passed since he left the house where he grew up. Yet so far, he hadn’t encountered anyone chasing or looking for him. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to find him since they didn’t know his destination, but if the Son of Heaven wanted to find someone, who couldn’t be found?
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Hwi’s face became clearer. As he absently traced the high, sharp bridge of Hwi’s nose, his eyelids began to feel heavy. Perhaps he felt a little more at ease after expressing a piece of the anxiety lurking in his heart.
As his drowsy eyes blinked and he swallowed a yawn…
“Either they’ve given up.”
Hwi’s low voice cut through the silence, and Yun-seo slowly closed and opened his eyes. Could that be? Could they give up on him, a mere Yeong Chunhwa? Perhaps all the talk of him being empress material was futile. Perhaps that’s why, despite being confined to one house for years, they never showed any interest. They say the emperor already has three consorts. So…
“Or they’re pursuing you secretly.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
