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Join the Server‘He still did not know my heart.’
Or rather, perhaps he simply had no interest in it.
How could a heart expressing its grievances be seen as merely a test of his patience?
Since things had changed from when I could not even part my lips in fear, was this not why I was finally able to offer such a petulant complaint?
As Haeryeong’s pace slowed slightly, the Emperor let out a sigh and matched his stride.
Haeryeong, walking with his mouth firmly shut, whispered quietly as they climbed the stairs to the Great Hall at the edge of the courtyard.
“It is not easy to voice even a single complaint.”
“Since Your Majesty takes offense every time, your servant shall say no more from now on.”
After they finished climbing the stairs, their eyes met for a brief moment as they turned around.
Haeryeong, having stolen a glance at that stiffly set face, clamped his mouth shut again, finding the man’s expression full of resentment.
The hundred officials who had been prostrate rose to bow toward the Imperial couple, and the ceremony began.
It was first the Emperor’s turn to declare the start of the Founding Festival with a short congratulatory speech.
Standing side by side with Haeryeong, he took a step forward and let out a small, dry cough.
“I suppose I acted without intuition.”
Having whispered that quietly, he stepped forward and recited the prepared speech to the officials.
However, the words he had whispered stayed in Haeryeong’s ears much longer.
‘Was it truly that difficult to simply say “I am sorry”?’
Watching the back of the Emperor’s head, Haeryeong pouted so slightly it was invisible, then allowed a stealthy smile to form.
After the lengthy ceremony concluded, they had to change out of their formal vestments to prepare for the banquet.
By rule, they should have prepared at the Empress’s Palace, but the Emperor had stubbornly insisted they prepare at the Great Hall this time.
Haeryeong moved to the Great Hall in a palanquin the Emperor had prepared separately.
By the time Haeryeong’s palanquin arrived, the Emperor had already dismounted.
As the palanquin touched the ground, the Emperor approached.
He extended a hand toward Haeryeong, who was shifting his body to descend.
Haeryeong, using one hand to steady the crown so it would not fall, lifted his heavy head to look up at the Emperor.
The Emperor, looking lukewarm as he offered his hand, whispered tenderly.
“My arm is about to fall off.”
‘He truly is a man gifted in strange ways.’
‘How can he speak such words with that expression yet keep his voice so tender?’
When Haeryeong reached out, the Emperor did not take his hand but instead supported his forearm near the armpit.
Though he only held one arm, the Emperor’s robust strength made Haeryeong feel as light as if he were being lifted bodily.
As he stepped down so gracefully he didn’t feel the weight of the heavy robes or the gold crown, the Emperor clicked his tongue in regret.
“I wish I could hold you, but my own clothes are too cumbersome to allow it, so I ask the Empress for his generous understanding.”
‘Who even asked for such a thing?’
Haeryeong covered his mouth with his sleeve and laughed.
‘Is he not truly a strange man?’
‘To speak so naturally as if he expected others to want what he enjoyed doing.’
The Emperor narrowed his eyes and leaned in close.
“It is good to see you smile, but what is so amusing?”
Having asked crookedly, he added more words as if in a hurry.
“I ask out of curiosity, so that we may laugh together if there is something good.”
Still holding Haeryeong’s arm, he led him naturally.
As he was led toward the Great Hall, Haeryeong replied with a smile he still had not wiped away.
“I suppose I laughed because it felt so novel.”
“What was so novel?”
“Your Majesty…”
He started to speak but realized it might sound thoughtless, so his mouth closed of its own accord.
Haeryeong bit his inner lip and looked up at him.
The man, who had been turning his head this way, let out a chuckle.
“You were planning to curse me again.”
Haeryeong slowly released his lip and replied hesitantly.
“It was not like that…”
In front of the Great Hall, Head Court Lady Hwang and the other servants were bowing toward them.
Haeryeong acknowledged them with his eyes, but the Emperor didn’t even seem to see them as he walked, his eyes fixed only on Haeryeong.
“Enough. I would rather not hear it than go looking for a scolding.”
Contrary to his words, he did not seem particularly offended.
Relieved, Haeryeong followed the Emperor down the corridor.
He stole glances as they walked to the inner chamber; despite his sharp profile, a smile—however crooked—remained on his face.
For some reason, a long sigh of relief escaped Haeryeong.
The Emperor let out a snort as if he heard it, but he felt less spiteful than before.
The moment they entered the inner chamber, the Emperor sat Haeryeong in a chair and personally removed the gold crown.
As the weight constricting his head was lifted, a sudden languor swept through his body.
While Haeryeong closed his eyes and endured the dizziness, the Emperor placed a hand on his cheek.
His scent was felt from close by.
Then, something soft and supple touched his other cheek briefly before pulling away.
“You look pale.”
A light scent of peach blossoms wafted from the man as he fondled his cheek.
Perhaps intending to soothe him, the faint fragrance carried an unknown tenderness.
Haeryeong, still feeling the languor tingling through his body, breathed deeply without realizing it.
Finding it hard to hold up his head, he leaned into the Emperor’s hand, and a low laugh poured down from above.
“Are you acting like a spoiled child?”
The Emperor’s voice grew distant in an instant.
It was only natural for things to be dark with his eyes closed, but strangely, that darkness felt far too thick.
Only then did Haeryeong realize his consciousness was sinking into the depths.
‘I must open my eyes.’
‘I must prepare for the banquet that starts soon.’
“Empress?”
His voice sounded muffled, as if someone were covering his ears.
****
A drumming sound echoed in his ears.
Haeryeong winced at the noisy sound thumping in a rapid rhythm.
But there was another, even louder sound.
“How can there be nothing wrong! Does it make sense for a healthy man to suddenly lose consciousness!”
It was a voice so loud it felt like it was screaming directly into his ear.
As he scowled at the muffled sound, the voice of a desperate old man followed.
“But Your Majesty. Upon checking his pulse, there are no blockages… and his heartbeat is fine. Could he not have grown weary from wearing the heavy ceremonial vestments in this heat?”
“Does it make sense for him to lose his mind just because he is weary!”
Haeryeong opened his deeply furrowed eyes at the sound of the Emperor bellowing.
He had wondered why the sound was so loud, and it turned out to be because he was cradled in the Emperor’s arms.
A strange feeling washed over him as he realized the “drumming” sound was the man’s heartbeat.
“Do not just stand there saying he is fine, do something immediately!”
Haeryeong placed a hand on the cheek of the man who was so busy shouting at the physician he didn’t even realize Haeryeong had woken.
The Emperor looked down with a look of pure shock as their eyes met.
‘Is that unknown thing shimmering in his eyes concern for me?’
Haeryeong could not speak for a moment as he gazed at that unfamiliar look.
Instead, it was the Emperor who regained his senses first and spoke.
“Haeryeong-ah, are you awake?”
The man who had been shouting loud enough to burst eardrums now whispered in a voice barely audible.
‘Is the end of his voice trembling? Or is it because I have not yet fully regained my senses that it sounds that way?’
Haeryeong stared at the Emperor and then wrapped his arms around the man’s back.
As he rested his head against the chest from which it had moved, the loud drumming echoed again.
‘Why is it getting even faster?’
‘Was a human heart meant to beat this quickly? Or is it because the Emperor is so robust that his heart beats faster than others?’
The sound, recognized for the first time, was so unfamiliar and strange that he found himself listening intently.
“What is it? Does something hurt? Are you truly unwell?”
Hearing it without looking at his face made it sound even more like a worried voice.
The Emperor continued to ask as he carefully rubbed Haeryeong’s back.
Haeryeong listened to his voice for a while before lifting his head to look up at him.
“Were you worried about your servant?”
The Emperor stared at Haeryeong with a subtle expression before answering after a moment.
“How can you even ask such a thing?”
It was a small voice, no different from before, yet hearing it while looking at his face made it feel spiteful.
“Just say that you were worried. Then your servant shall smile and say I am fine.”
The Emperor fell silent with a lukewarm expression.
Looking at that face, Haeryeong wondered what the use of such a struggle was.
Just as Haeryeong took a deep breath to let out a sigh, the Emperor replied bluntly.
“I was worried. Very much so.”
The voice was so gruff that he could not help but laugh.
As he let out a small laugh, the Emperor’s expression grew even stiffer.
Haeryeong smiled and lightly stroked the Emperor’s cheek.
“Your servant is fine.”
The Emperor lowered his eyes.
A heavy gaze lingered for a moment before being broken by his sigh.
“Your hands are cold.”
The Emperor tilted his head and rubbed the bridge of his nose against the hollow of Haeryeong’s palm.
It was just like Nureongi, who would toss and turn as if acting like a spoiled child.
His fingertips curled at the hot breath, yet he could not bring himself to pull away.
No, he could not pull away, because the Emperor’s hand had covered the back of his own.
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