Chapter 75

Although there was still no strength in his hand, the face kneeling before the man understood his will and moistened his cracked and chapped lips with his tongue. He opened his mouth, moistening his red lips to make them even redder with an indifferent attitude.

Seonjae quietly smiled at the face that took a deep breath as if to solidify a resolve. His smile quickly became distorted. Strength involuntarily entered his fingertips at the movement of the warm, soft tongue carefully touching him.

“Eum…”

Even with the movement of barely swallowing and sucking the tip of the glans, a hot stimulus traveled up the sensitive area.

Finding it hard to swallow the entire thick phallus, Yeon-oh gently touched the man’s member with his hand. The movement was incomparable in cautiousness to when he played the Geum.

Yeon-oh’s downcast eyes fluttered with fear at the sight of the large hand that came up to the back of his head.

Seonjae knew the other party was afraid, yet he applied slight pressure to the hand placed on the back of Yeon-oh’s head. Unlike his flawless, clear face, his lips, which had been persistently sucked and chewed by him, were a mess, as if he had been ill for a long time.

He moved the hand that was touching the back of Yeon-oh’s head to his neck, intending to move with as much greed as he desired.

Simultaneously, he lightly moved his waist.

“- Eum. Eung. Eum!”

A sticky sound echoed from the lips opened wide, struggling to swallow the phallus. The squelching sound and the strenuous throat vibration stimulated the man.

If he moved as he pleased, the frail Gyo Yeon-oh would have to starve for three days. His lips would be chapped like rags, and the inside of his mouth would be so raw that he would not be able to drink a single sip of water.

Raised as an aristocrat, he was not someone whose problems could be solved by applying sweet honey to his injured lips.

“Gyo Yeon-oh…”

Yeon-oh quickened his movements just at the sound of Seonjae calling his name in a low, breathy voice. He opened his lips in a circle, applying a little more pressure to the large phallus.

The physiological tears hanging in the corners of Yeon-oh’s eyes streamed down. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Seeing this, Seonjae stopped suppressing the strength that was entering his fingertips. Strength entered the large hand, and Yeon-oh’s head moved vehemently back and forth.

A sigh-like breath poured out of the man’s mouth.

Wet sounds burst out incessantly.

Seonjae pulled his member out of the mouth that was a mess of tears, fluid, and saliva. Just removing the thick phallus caused Yeon-oh distress. The face shedding tears was surprisingly giving off a terrible sweet scent.

The moment he was about to ejaculate.

“…”

The familiar ceiling of the stately bedchamber looked down at Seonjae. The man’s face, waking from sleep, crumpled.

He couldn’t believe he was having such a dream, like a boy of thirteen or fourteen. The fact that the partner was Gyo Yeon-oh was also a problem. He could not understand what had come out in the dream, either.

Putting aside the lack of restraint, he thought that if Gyo Yeon-oh’s lips were all cracked, he should give him two jars of the peach honey bread he cherished. It was a childish and irresponsible thought. He was ashamed, lest anyone know his thoughts.

“Your Majesty, have you risen?”

Grand Eunuch Wan’s voice echoed from the door leading to the inner chamber. Seonjae, about to get up, realized his state and twisted his lips. He sighed and slowly got up.

“Wait a moment.”

“Yes.”

Grand Eunuch Wan’s voice was much closer. Whether before or after becoming Emperor, Seonjae did not try to hide anything related to his private life from his close eunuchs. They were not people he could hide things from even if he tried.

“Withdraw.”

But he did not want to deliberately let them know that he was masturbating at this age. A normal imperial family member would summon a chamber lady or someone he intended to bestow his favor upon, but that did not suit his temperament.

Perhaps because it was an unexpected command, Grand Eunuch Wan’s reply was slow.

“…I withdraw.”

He felt the presence of the eunuch, who had been lingering by the door of the inner chamber, receding. Seonjae only pushed back the blanket after the presence beyond the door had completely withdrawn.

“It’s healthy, what’s wrong with it?”

A sigh-like breath, like a hollow laugh, burst out of the man’s mouth upon checking his state. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] He slowly repeated the words the imperial physician said as a formality and sighed heavily again.

The Emperor sought Grand Eunuch Wan after quite some time had passed. The Chief Eunuch led the palace servants into the bedchamber. Young eunuchs and palace maids quickly tidied the interior of the chamber.

The eunuchs, led by the Chief Eunuch himself, approached Seonjae.

“I will visit Seon-in Palace after the audience chamber meeting.”

The Emperor said lightly as he left the chamber.

Glances were exchanged among the young eunuchs tidying the chamber. The Emperor, who had continuously visited Consort Gwi-bi Gyo for a while, had completely excluded him for several days after that. So, they thought he might visit Giryung Palace today. However, seeing he continued to visit other consorts, it seemed his previous continuous visits to Consort Gwi-bi Gyo were merely a whim.

A subtle smile played on the faces of the eunuchs and palace servants close to Consort Hyeok.

******

A splendid spring had arrived even in the courtyard of the Empress Dowager’s Palace. Stones were piled up in the perfectly square courtyard to create identical patterns, and the identically pruned flowering trees bloomed with their own different blossoms.

The flowering trees, showcasing their unique splendor with the freedom of spring, enchanted the eyes of the beholder. However, no one in the Empress Dowager’s Palace paid attention to the flowering trees.

Court Lady Dong scurried around, handing silver to the court ladies and palace servants of the Empress Dowager’s Palace. While she was scattering the silver, hands filled with longing met each other beneath the shade of the flowering trees. Geumgye and Jeokju simultaneously held the hand Yeon-oh extended.

“How are both of you doing?”

“We are doing well.”

“I am happy that Young Master has become Consort Gwi-bi. You have gotten much better, haven’t you?”

Although Yeon-oh saw Geumgye and Jeokju briefly while passing through the Empress Dowager’s Palace, he rarely found the time to speak to them separately. He knew they were well by confirming each other’s faces from afar, but if he only saw one person or could not confirm their faces for a long time, he could not sleep properly due to worry.

Only today, after a long time, was he able to meet them, with the Empress Dowager pretending not to notice.

Jeokju spoke maturely while shedding tears. It did not seem like the Empress Dowager was mistreating those from the Gyo Marquisate family, as the child’s words suggested they were well.

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager told us that in the future, we are to see Consort Gwi-bi off when she returns to her palace.”

“I must go and thank Her Majesty the Empress Dowager tomorrow. Let’s hurry.”

Yeon-oh saw Court Lady Dong returning after scattering all the silver and turned his body. Court Lady Dong served Yeon-oh, and Geumgye and Jeokju followed behind.

Geumgye and Jeokju’s gazes reached Court Lady Dong’s arm, who was attending to Yeon-oh. The two looked at each other and simultaneously shook their heads. Their expressions suggested that now was not the time.

Just as they were leaving the Empress Dowager’s Palace area.

“Oh dear.”

Geumgye, who had been talking and making eye contact with Yeon-oh, who continually looked back and spoke, stopped his steps.

“What is wrong?”

Court Lady Dong reacted first to Geumgye’s action.

“What shall we do? I left behind the box Her Majesty the Empress Dowager bestowed upon Consort Gwi-bi. I will go and bring it quickly. Please wait a moment, Your Majesty.”

Geumgye signaled to Jeokju. Jeokju looked at Yeon-oh with a regretful expression and turned around to follow Geumgye.

“Jeokju, you attend to Your Majesty. I will go with Geumgye. It has been a long time since you have seen Consort Gwi-bi, has it not?”

Jeokju’s face became moved by Court Lady Dong’s thoughtfulness.

“Court Lady Dong. You don’t have to…”

Jeokju tried to politely decline the unexpected consideration from Court Lady Dong. However, Court Lady Dong gestured for Jeokju, entrusted Yeon-oh’s arm to him, and approached Geumgye.

Jeokju attended to Yeon-oh, observing the two people moving away.

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager bestowed upon Consort Gwi-bi a precious perfume pouch sent from Geumcheon and golden needles sent from Baekha. And colored silk sent from Chonyeong, too. Even though they are not heavy, there are many types, so several hands are needed.”

“They are all precious things.”

Geumgye and Court Lady Dong, who were moving away, crossed the door and entered the Empress Dowager’s Palace area. Seeing this, Jeokju said naturally.

“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager dislikes the Grand Madam of Yeongsan.”

His expression was ordinary, and her voice was quiet, no different from before. It was Yeon-oh who was flustered.

“My aunt…?”

Jeokju continued to speak in an ordinary tone toward the face that looked puzzled by the sudden words.

“But she greatly cherishes the gifts sent by the Grand Madam of Yeongsan. Young Master still doesn’t know the full extent of the two places he visits. But She knows that you managed the keys to the three treasuries in Goksan.”

Jeokju’s expression when speaking the last words was gloomy. It seemed Geumgye or Jeokju had inadvertently revealed information while answering the Empress Dowager’s questions.

“Who in Goksan doesn’t know that.”

At Yeon-oh’s forgiving words, Jeokju shook his head, full of guilt.

“We didn’t know what that meant. If we had known that managing the keys to welcome guests and open all the treasuries was the duty of the Gyo Marquisate family’s Young Master, we would have been more careful when answering.”

“My sister-in-law gave birth safely.”

Just as Jeokju had told the story of the Empress Dowager, Yeon-oh also shared what he knew. His intention was also to say something that would cheer up the self-blaming child.

“The Madam?”

Just as Yeon-oh expected, Jeokju smiled brightly and was happy.

“Yes, both the mother and the baby are healthy. It might take a few more months to return to Goksan, but they promised to visit me once my nephew is older. I will summon you then.”

“I apologize.”

“I am the one who is sorry that your situation has changed so often because of me.”

Jeokju greatly waved her hand at Yeon-oh’s apology.

“How dare you…”

Just then, a sharp sound echoed from that direction. Jeokju grabbed Yeon-oh, who was startled and looked around, and pushed him toward the wall. Jeokju observed the wall on one side as if gauging the direction of the sound, then moved her steps.