Chapter 84

“…Do you, do you enjoy tormenting me?”

Yeon-oh could not suppress the emotions he had been holding back and burst out. He roughly shook the hand held by the man and swung his arm violently. Yeon-oh’s free hand struck Seonjae’s arm and chest.

He knew that only he would lose out by acting this way, yet he could not control his surging emotions. Seeing the Emperor laugh instead of wincing at the blows he received, his annoyance only intensified. He was no longer even curious what terrible punishment the man, who clearly found him ridiculous, would inflict.

“Young Master Gyo, I told you that you need to learn how to yield. Why is Consort Gwi-bi so slow to learn? Your mind is not dull. Is it that you have forgotten what I am again?”

Yeon-oh’s shoulders rose and fell heavily.

He suddenly resented the Emperor, who easily subdued him while speaking freely as he writhed. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Once again, he had shown himself to be weak in the face of the man’s provocation.

“Your Majesty is the most elevated Son of Heaven. However, I know that just as I have no friends, Your Majesty also has no friends.”

“Young Master Gyo, growing up spoiled and precious in the Gyo Household….”

“Is it an inferiority complex that Your Majesty calls me arrogant because I am from the Gyo Household? I have wanted to ask you this before. No one in the world is unaware that the Imperial Family is elevated and magnificent, so why do you link the arrogance of the Gyo Household to every single one of my actions? If so, is it because the Imperial Family is taught that way that Your Majesty deceived me, misled me, and isolated me in the consort palace? Is that how the Imperial Family instructs its members?”

Yeon-oh could not precisely identify the reason for his emotional explosion. But he knew one thing clearly.

He was going to die for those words.

The Emperor remained silent. The man watched the heaving Yeon-oh with an expressionless face, having erased the smile from his lips. The lips of the wonderful, firmly closed mouth slowly opened. A slant of a smile appeared at the edge of the open mouth.

“Young Master Gyo, that is why you have no friends.”

“Your Majesty also…”

“Why would I not have friends? You are the only one who has no friends. How can you become Emperor if you have no friends?”

The man’s hand pressed down on Yeon-oh’s shoulder, which was rising and falling with panting that had not yet subsided.

Yeon-oh lowered his body as the Emperor’s hand pressed down. His face, which had looked up at the man with a gaze mixed with sorrow, resentment, surging feelings, and fierce emotions, let out a long breath. The emotions that had been wandering in his eyes, which lowered and then raised again, were instantly concealed.

“Inflict the punishment.”

Seonjae frowned at Yeon-oh’s behavior, who instantly erased his emotions and requested punishment without even begging for forgiveness. He did make him kneel to beg for forgiveness. But there were things to be done before requesting punishment.

“The crime of insulting the Imperial Family must be repaid with one’s life.”

“Inflict the punishment.”

Yeon-oh, lowering his gaze, repeated his words. The voice requesting punishment was even quieter and more indifferent than before. Not a trace of the previous anger could be felt.

“Gyo Yeon-oh.”

“I am aware of the crime of insulting the Imperial Family. Inflict the punishment. Should I leave a final message? Is it not rude to ask Your Majesty to deliver a final message?”

Yeon-oh’s voice, having shed all emotion, was even calm. There was no sarcasm or tragic quality to the added words. They were merely words added because he thought it was not proper etiquette.

The Emperor twitched his eyebrows at the other’s indifferent words. Although he had relinquished all emotion, this, too, was Gyo Yeon-oh’s stubbornness.

“Are you being stubborn with me?”

“I apologize.”

“Young Master Gyo, I have told you countless times that you need to learn how to yield. I am the one who inflicts the punishment, and you must beg for forgiveness.”

Although speaking disrespectfully to the Imperial Family was a crime punishable by death, it was rare for a life to actually be taken for it. Everyone could make mistakes. While punishment might be given for causing displeasure to the listener, a life was not taken for that reason.

Yeon-oh remained silent, his eyes cast down.

He had been gloomy recently for no apparent reason. The sharp conversation he had with Consort Bi was not cleanly resolved due to the twisted situation. His mind was confused by the irritating and uncomfortable feelings. Perhaps because of the heightened emotions in the midst of it all, his breathing became uncontrollably rough.

“…”

He could not show his feelings in front of the Emperor. As he forcibly tried to regain his breath, it kept catching in his throat. His chest felt tight, like indigestion, and a dull ache surged.

Seonjae sensed that the arrogant and clear face would never admit his guilt. Taking a life for the crime of insulting the Imperial Family was only done when someone wanted to kill, but lacked a suitable excuse.

If Yeon-oh refused to beg for forgiveness until the end, the Emperor would have no choice but to forgive him without reason. That was an action that greatly diminished the face of the Emperor and the Imperial Family.

He could not kill a consort, especially a Gwi-bi, merely for the crime of insulting the Imperial Family.

Above all, the Gyo Household stood behind Gyo Yeon-oh. He was not just a simple member, but the sibling and legitimate son of the head of the Gyo Household, which was famous for its deep familial affection.

He could somewhat understand why Yeon-oh did not admit his guilt, and the words he had uttered, reproaching the Emperor. Therefore, the thought of killing him on the grounds of insulting the Imperial Family did not arise.

“Gyo Yeon…”

Yeon-oh’s hand was still held by the Emperor. Seonjae realized that the hand held in his was cold and stiff. Clenching the hand that was nearly devoid of body heat, he looked down at Yeon-oh kneeling. The face, which had been requesting death with lowered eyes, slowly fell sideways.

“Gyo Yeon-oh!”

Seonjae lightly caught the falling body. He frantically touched the stubborn face. The man, who swept and touched the face damp with cold sweat, lifted the unconscious Yeon-oh into his arms.

“He argues with the Emperor and then conveniently collapses when things don’t go his way.”

He muttered with exasperation and grumbled. The gesture of laying the body he had lifted onto the bed was extremely careful. The man, with familiar movements, took off Yeon-oh’s outer clothing.

He took out a wide cotton cloth from the bedside cabinet and wiped the wet body. Leaning his ear toward Yeon-oh’s face, he checked his breathing and scent, then shouted toward the outside.

“Is anyone out there!”

“Your Majesty, do you have a command?”

Court Lady Dong replied from beyond the door.

“Prepare hot water bottles.”

“Yes, I receive your command.”

After a calm voice answered, the sound of busy movement came from outside. Seonjae sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. He muttered to himself as he untied Yeon-oh’s clothes.

“Is it because he grew up precious in the Gyo Household? So foolish. Calling the Emperor an inferiority complex, he should have kept his mouth shut even if he noticed. I don’t know if he is smart or lacking. Seriously, does such a thing really exist…”

He grumbled, yet carefully took off the exhausted Yeon-oh’s clothes. A polite but urgent voice came from outside the door.

“Your Majesty, the hot water bottles are ready.”

“Come in.”

Seonjae sighed and rose from the bed.

******

Yeon-oh’s vision was enveloped in darkness. Soft peace was foremost, rather than fear. Yeon-oh sequentially realized that he had collapsed and was held in the embrace of the exposed man.

“Do you enjoy ordering me around like an attendant, Consort Gwi-bi?”

A low voice descended near his ear.

“Your Majesty…”

Yeon-oh had heard almost everything the Emperor muttered to him as he collapsed. The complaints he had whispered to him, and the urgent voice commanding the outside, all remained vividly in his memory.

At the hot hand touching his forehead, Yeon-oh moved his neck, which had been curled up. His eyes, which looked up, were filled with tears. Yeon-oh’s face rippled with sorrow, as if he would burst into tears at any moment.

“Gyo Yeon-oh? Why are you crying?”

“I am not.”

“Are you crying because I teased you a little?”

At the man’s words, Yeon-oh raised his lowered gaze.

“Your Majesty’s teasing is not a little. And I have not cried yet. I apologize, I spoke a great mistake just now, and before I collapsed. Please forgive me.”

Yeon-oh crumpled his lips and whispered.

“I will forgive you, but I will inflict punishment.”

At the Emperor’s words, Yeon-oh only nodded silently. He knew it was impolite, but he decided to rely on the excuse of being sick.

“…”

If he opened his mouth again, he felt he would burst into tears. Yeon-oh realized that he was more sensitive than usual and his mood was severely fluctuating.

Was that why?

He had gotten into a pointless tussle over the Emperor’s minor teasing.

He had been uniquely gloomy since involving the Empress in the Yun So-hwa matter. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] He thought the Empress was a good person, and his mood seemed to sink after realizing she was close to Dam So-ui, whom he could never like.

It was strangely shocking that the person he had befriended and considered decent after coming to the palace was intimate with a person he disliked. The person looked slightly different to him.

He also felt slightly deceived.

It was truly strange.

The Empress and he were not close enough to discuss betrayal. Come to think of it, the Empress was not the only one close to Dam So-ui.

The man who was currently touching him was the one who favored Dam So-ui the most. Thinking that way, the existence of the Empress, Yun So-hwa, and everyone in the consort palace felt bothersome.

The Emperor, the Empress, and countless consorts.

He thought it was a truly strange relationship. All those relationships began with the existence of the Emperor. The bizarre sense of futility shifted into resentment toward the Emperor.

He thought he had adapted quite well to the consort palace, but that was all a delusion.