Chapter 103: A Step Out of Line

“Even though I sang lullabies for Your Highness until you were past ten years old?”

Heamyung added with a gentle smile.

“I also remember how you were terrified of thunder until you were past twelve; whenever the monsoon season arrived, you used to hide in Haeyoung’s quarters.”

“Exactly; there were several times the eunuchs on guard were driven into a panic while searching for Your Highness.”

Haeryeong simply puffed out his cheeks in a sense of injustice.

“That was only because I was worried Haeyoung would be too scared to sleep…”

“Oho, but that is quite different from the story I heard? I was told that every time the eunuchs went to find you, Haeyoung was sleeping soundly, unaware he was being carried away.”

“Sister…”

Though he grumbled, hearing about his youngest sibling made him miss those times dearly.

They talked about their family in Yeonseo without realizing how much time had passed.

Iryeon, who had been moving busily for a while, approached and whispered discreetly into his ear.

“Your Highness, the time to begin preparations for the ceremony has already passed.”

“Has it already been that long?”

Haeryeong decided to bring the gathering to a close, despite his lingering regret.

An Empress could not be late for an important ceremony honoring the nation’s founding.

“I lost track of time while talking with you both; you arrived late last night and surely haven’t even recovered from your travels, yet this younger brother has held you far too long.”

As Haeryeong rose first, the others followed suit.

Scanning the crowns of their heads as they bowed their knees, Haeryeong suppressed a sigh and forced a smile.

“The ceremony will be quite chaotic; I shall hope to see you again at the banquet. Brother, Sister—you will stay and rest for a while even after the Founding Festival is over, will you not?”

He hoped they would stay and rest after their long journey, but he wondered if the Emperor would find some fault with it.

Heamyung and Heasu looked at each other with subtle expressions.

They were surely harboring the same concerns as he was.

Haeryeong did not wait for their answer.

Instead, pretending to be in a rush, he sought their understanding first and exited the pavilion.

He could feel Iryeon’s restless presence following closely behind him.

“Has His Imperial Majesty returned to the Great Hall?”

“Yes, Your Highness; it has been over half an hour since he departed.”

“You must have gone through a great deal of trouble.”

Since the Emperor had been left alone in the inner chamber, she must have been frantic, moving between the pavilion and the chamber to gauge the atmosphere.

Moreover, given how Haeryeong had been obliviously absorbed in conversation with his siblings, she must have been burning with anxiety as time ticked away.

Behind him, Iryeon let out a sigh of relief.

It was very quiet, as if she were trying to suppress the sound, yet Haeryeong caught it due to the silence of the surroundings.

“What trouble could your servant have possibly faced?”

“Being caught between a sensitive man and a tactless one is an ordeal in itself; I am always sorry toward you and the other girls, and I am grateful.”

Iryeon’s voice drifted from behind.

“Is it not your servant’s duty to attend to His Majesty and Your Highness? Please, withdraw such words.”

Haeryeong let out a quiet sigh.

“I know that even between parents and children sharing the same blood, it is not easy to fulfill one’s duties; how much more difficult must it be to serve a master to whom you are not even related?”

Iryeon followed behind in silence after that.

Back in the inner chamber, she helped Haeryeong into his ceremonial attire with quiet efficiency.

As he was weighed down by the multiple layers of the vestments, he stole a glance at Iryeon and saw that her expression looked quite bright.

‘Did her heart ease just because I offered a word of appreciation?’

Watching her move so diligently, as if she had never let out a sigh of worry, Haeryeong thought of the Emperor.

‘To think a person’s mood can be shifted so easily by a single word.’

‘What is to be done with a man who stands above all yet remains ignorant of such small things?’

In a way, one could say that because he was the supreme ruler, he had no need to walk on eggshells around others.

However, was that position not one where he had to employ people and lead the nation through their strength?

What greater profit could there be than gaining loyalty through a single kind word?

‘Even a mere Eumin Empress understands this, so why does the Emperor not?’

Haeryeong felt stifled, knowing that the man’s way of speaking was not much different when dealing with his officials as it was with him.

Perhaps it was because he had been harboring those thoughts throughout his preparations.

The moment he met the Emperor in front of the court for the ceremony, his brow furrowed involuntarily.

The Emperor, who had arrived first and was waiting for Haeryeong, mirrored the frown.

“Why is it that you have such an expression the moment you see Me, after having such a joyful breakfast?”

Haeryeong hadn’t even realized he was scowling until the Emperor asked.

What should he say to a man seeking an answer?

After a moment’s hesitation, Haeryeong parted his lips.

“Your servant has a wish for Your Imperial Majesty.”

The Emperor’s expression shifted into something ambiguous.

It was a strange look, somewhere between a scowl and a smile.

“To speak with such a face… it is almost frightening; very well, what is this wish?”

Haeryeong whispered toward him as they approached the Hyeonjeongmun Gate for their entrance.

“Please, think once more before you speak.”

“If it is difficult to weigh how the other person might feel, please consider just once how Your Majesty would feel if someone said those same words to you.”

The Emperor let out a hollow laugh and leaned his head in close.

“Telling Me to watch My tongue? Is that what you are saying?”

Lifting his neck, which was stiff under the weight of the gold crown, Haeryeong stared at the Emperor for a moment before turning his head toward the gate.

“Your servant was insolent; please, forget it.”

The Emperor’s piercing gaze struck the side of his face.

However, Haeryeong did not grant him even a sidelong glance, staring only at the closed doors.

‘I acted in vain.’

‘How do I keep forgetting that advice is only for those who are willing to listen?’

Haeryeong reflected on his own foolishness and applied strength to his heavily aching neck.

Just before the palace doors opened, while Iryeon and Mok bustled about arranging the trailing hems and sleeves behind them, the Emperor’s gaze continued to sting his cheek.

Was it because his nerves were sensitive to that gaze?

The sound of the Emperor parting his lips to draw a breath sounded as if it were right against his ear.

However, before the Emperor could utter a word, a Bureau of Food official informed them it was time to enter.

Simultaneously, an official’s voice announcing the entrance of the Emperor and Empress echoed through the court, and the palace musicians began to play.

When the firmly closed doors before them opened with a heavy sound, the courtyard—elevated to chest height—was visible through the gap.

Rows of people stood upon the white-shining paving stones, reflecting the sunlight as they kowtowed toward them.

The sight of the officials, dressed in green, blue, and red robes according to their rank, was quite magnificent.

Watching them prostrate themselves like waves, Haeryeong recalled the day of his wedding.

It had looked just like this back then.

Even the way his neck felt ready to snap under the weight of the heavy hairpiece and ornamental pins—as heavy as the gold crown he wore now—was the same.

Back then, even in the midst of it all, he had been too busy stealing glances at the Emperor to properly register the dazzling path ahead or the sight of the prostrate officials.

The two of them stepped through the open doors following the official’s signal.

Taking one step, pausing briefly, and then extending the next foot.

Even during the slow entrance, he could feel the Emperor’s gaze flickering toward him.

Haeryeong did not turn his eyes toward the Emperor.

He simply stared intently at the back of his own hand, held up near his lips.

It was the same after they climbed the stairs and reached the top of the courtyard where the hundred officials lay prostrate.

Concentrating only on matching his steps with the Emperor, he looked ahead, finding the paving stones of the courtyard blindingly bright.

Of course, there would be a difference in the sun’s brilliance between March and May.

Yet, despite that, on his wedding day, he had walked this long path without even realizing it was bright.

At that time, he had walked this same path unaware of the bitterness to come, only stealing glances at the Emperor with a nervous gaze.

As they entered the path cut between the long lines of officials starting from the lowest ranks, a sigh escaped him involuntarily.

His arms, held at shoulder height, trembled due to the weight of the sleeves, which felt heavier than usual.

“It brings back memories of the wedding ceremony.”

Had he been thinking the same thing? The Emperor spoke tentatively.

Haeryeong shifted only his eyes to look, finding a familiar scowl on the man’s face.

‘You wore that same scowling face on that day as well.’

But there was something definitely different.

The way the corner of his mouth quirked up as he stole a glance this way, and the way his eyebrows twitched, were markedly different from back then.

His expression was so full of life that one might wonder if this was the same man who had stared ahead with vacant eyes during that long walk.

Aside from the fact that it was a spiteful expression, the way his gaze was directed at Haeryeong was also quite different from the wedding day.

In this world, no matter how little things go as one wishes, surely nothing is as difficult to manage as the Emperor.

That man always insisted on dragging out memories that Haeryeong deemed unnecessary.

“It is a memory your servant wishes to forget.”

The moment Haeryeong replied, barely moving his lips, the Emperor came to a halt.

Haeryeong, who was supposed to match his pace, realized this and stopped only after taking one step further than the Emperor.

The Emperor resumed walking before the flustered Haeryeong could turn back.

Drawing right up beside him, he matched Haeryeong’s pace again and whispered.

“It seems you wish to test My patience.”

Hearing the voice that was clearly offended, Haeryeong cast his eyes downward.

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