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Join the ServerSirak was a child who took after his mother perfectly.
Hyeon-pyeong had found that to be the most regrettable thing when he first saw him.
How wonderful would it have been if he had resembled his son instead?
Despite such thoughts, whenever he had a spare moment, he would find himself sitting in the pavilion of Jayangnu, listening to Sirak’s performance.
Listening to the clear sound of the zither made his longing for his son fade, if only for a moment.
Since the mother was not a formally recognized concubine and because of Se-chang’s transgressions, the fact that he could not take the child home quickly became a lifelong regret.
Seeing Sirak, who smiled for him every time they met, eventually became Hyeon-pyeong’s small joy.
And a desire to help the child live a better life began to sprout anew.
That was why he pushed him into the Imperial Palace, so he could at least receive better treatment than living in a gisaeng house.
If he bore an Imperial heir, he could be made the Empress; or, after pulling the Emperor down, he could even place his own grandson’s child upon the throne.
If Sirak could build a life of affection with the Emperor, that would not be bad either.
He wondered if that was possible since the Emperor was his mother’s enemy, but then again, changing a person’s heart was not so difficult.
Therefore, he felt it would be good if Sirak could live while being cherished by the Emperor.
The Emperor and he were arch-enemies, but there was nothing he wouldn’t endure for the sake of a grandchild who was the apple of his eye.
Was he not a child who had lived a life of nothing but hardship since his youth?
If Sirak could live while receiving proper affection, Hyeon-pyeong would have been fully satisfied.
Yet that Emperor, who was less than a beast…
“Ahem. Cough.”
Hyeon-pyeong let out a dry cough as he thought of the Emperor.
The rage rising from his chest made his throat tickle, causing rough coughs to burst out repeatedly.
If only Sirak had conceived an Imperial heir as planned.
Then he wouldn’t have had to start this troublesome business of meddling with the Empress for no reason.
The reason he had gone out of his way to nominate the prince of a small nation as the Empress was to make it easier to elevate Sirak later.
However, the current Empress was, frankly, far too good a person.
Even though he failed to win the Emperor’s heart, he managed the palace reasonably well and cared for the people.
Moreover, those who knew him were well aware of his character—a man who never spoke a single word carelessly.
He was simply less known because he lived so quietly, as if he were barely there.
Therefore, the original plan had been to quietly depose him or send him back to his homeland once Sirak secured an heir early on.
However, now that obtaining an heir had become even more difficult due to the Emperor’s whims, and the Empress was actually winning his heart, he could not simply stand by and watch.
Hyeon-pyeong let out a groan of distress and gently stroked his long beard.
But what could be done?
This was all the Emperor’s karma.
It was the karma for killing countless people in war, and the karma for massacring the Imperial family to seize the throne.
And the fact that someone was constantly watching for a chance to take his neck was also part of the Emperor’s karma.
Hyeon-pyeong made a vow, his eyes flashing sharply.
From now on, the Emperor would lose everything, bit by bit.
After stripping him of everything, he would surely place his precious grandson in the highest seat of all.
****
Since there was no morning assembly during the period of the Founding Festival, there was leisure to sleep in.
This meant there was no problem with waking up a bit later than usual.
Yet, why had this person been rolling his eyes and twitching for a while now?
Gangcheon, awakened by the movement, opened his eyes slightly and looked at the crown of Haeryeong’s head resting in his arms.
Judging by the look of it, the man seemed unable to move properly because I had fallen asleep holding him so tightly.
Gangcheon closed his half-opened eyes again and tightened his grip on his arm, pretending to still be asleep.
As he was pulled into a tight embrace, Haeryeong hunched his shoulders and let out a small sigh.
Still pretending to be lost in sleep, Gangcheon exhaled deeply and rested his cheek against the smooth crown of the head.
Moving his hand to stroke the back, he slipped it beneath the jacket.
The moment he touched bare skin, Haeryeong inhaled sharply.
“Do you not intend to breathe?”
The sight of him stopping mid-breath was quite amusing.
When he spoke with his eyes still closed, Haeryeong used the crown of his head to push Gangcheon’s cheek away.
As Gangcheon opened his eyes, he met the scowling gaze of Haeryeong, who had lifted his head.
“Since you have awakened, please let me go.”
Gangcheon acted as if he hadn’t heard and gently stroked the bare skin as he asked.
“Why have you risen so early? Since there is no assembly today, I had intended to wake up a bit later.”
“Please release your servant so I may sleep a bit more.”
“Where do you think you are going, leaving me behind?”
“I was thinking of returning to my quarters to prepare for the hawk hunt. Please grant your permission.”
‘He’s excited.’
‘That’s why he opened his eyes earlier than usual and was fidgeting.’
His voice was calm, so much so that one wouldn’t even know he was excited just by listening.
However, looking closely, unlike his usual self, his feet were wiggling beneath the quilt.
As if that weren’t enough, the Empress was creating quite a bustle in his own way, his body squirming bit by bit.
“The hawking does not begin that early. So set your mind at ease and close your eyes for a while longer.”
“But… your servant must return to the Empress’s Palace. I fell asleep here for some reason last night, so must I not return in a hurry to prepare?”
‘Was he so drunk that he didn’t even realize he fell asleep after coming to the Great Hall?’
Gangcheon smacked his lips with a bitter smile.
“If the Empress is to become that intoxicated every time there is a banquet, I suppose I should never hold a banquet again.”
“Your servant was not that intoxicated.”
“I doubt you were in your right mind if you fell asleep without even knowing where you were.”
“That is…”
Gangcheon waited to see what kind of nonsensical excuse he would make.
Having nothing to say, Haeryeong looked up at Gangcheon with a pouting expression.
As their eyes met, his resentful gaze dropped even further.
“I am… sorry.”
“You should be very sorry. I wonder how many times you have shown me your drunken state already. It seems it will soon be difficult to count them on my ten fingers.”
Feeling quite wronged, Haeryeong let out a rare complaint.
“But did Your Majesty not continue to fill my cup?”
“It is not because you received my cups that you became so drunk. It is because you accepted every cup offered by everyone else…”
As he spoke, Gangcheon suddenly went silent.
It sounded as though he were acting jealous because the man had accepted drinks from others.
Haeryeong seemed to feel it too, as he sent a silent look his way.
“Anyway, I am telling you to drink in moderation. Moderation.”
Haeryeong replied after a short pause.
“I shall be careful in the future.”
Usually, he would have bowed his head or lowered his eyes.
Yet, for this once, he spoke while looking directly into his eyes.
Why was it so hard to meet those sparkling eyes that showed not a hint of sleepiness?
Gangcheon, feeling strangely bashful, pulled him into a tighter embrace and closed his eyes.
“Let us sleep a bit more. I shall send you back when the time is right. Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Your servant simply wishes to get up now.”
‘Is his tail on fire?’
Hearing him whimpering uncharacteristically, a laugh escaped Gangcheon involuntarily.
Gangcheon hid his smile by pretending to be asleep and did not reply to his words.
Then, Haeryeong, who had been whimpering like a dog caught in the rain, let out a sigh.
When Gangcheon gathered him close and patted his back, Haeryeong snapped his head up.
Even with his eyes closed, Gangcheon could feel a gaze scanning his face intensely.
It felt as though the man were trying to bore a hole through his face.
After searching his face thoroughly to see if he had woken, Haeryeong whispered in a tiny voice.
“Have you awakened?”
“I am sleeping.”
When he replied quietly, did it startle him?
Haeryeong’s body went rigid in his arms.
Then, a moment later, he grumbled in a blunt voice.
“How can you answer while you are sleeping?”
“You managed it quite well yourself.”
The man seemed speechless now that he had been paid back for what he had done before.
With a small sigh, Haeryeong relaxed his body.
He thought the man would stay still in his arms now, but he couldn’t hold out for even a second before he started fidgeting again.
Eventually, Gangcheon opened his eyes and glared at the crown of Haeryeong’s head.
“The sun hasn’t even risen yet. If you keep acting so restless, I might find myself not wanting to go hawking today.”
Haeryeong hurriedly burrowed into his chest and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Your servant has also fallen back asleep.”
Gangcheon let out a soft laugh and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
Looking at him, Haeryeong clearly bore the marks of having been raised with love.
This side of him suited him better than his usual solemn demeanor.
‘How much must his heart have suffered, being treated like a mere decoration for three years?’
He felt he now understood at least a little of why the man had wept so sorrowfully.
Gangcheon wrapped his arms around Haeryeong and closed his eyes.
He didn’t think he would fall back asleep, but his consciousness soon grew hazy.
Just as he was drifting off, Haeryeong’s arm, which had been resting obediently, slid beneath his armpit.
The sound of peaceful breathing reached his ears from afar.
Gangcheon fell into a deep sleep, unaware that he was wearing a smile.
****
When he woke up again, the preparations were at an awkwardly late stage.
Haeryeong, also fully lost in sleep, opened his eyes and bolted upright the moment a eunuch entered to inform them of the time.
Gangcheon suddenly felt the loss of the embrace and did not want to get up.
He lingered under the quilt as long as possible and only emerged when the breakfast table was brought in.
Haeryeong, who had finished washing before the table arrived, was acting restless before finally speaking with difficulty.
“Your servant shall return now.”
“You could prepare here and go; must you really return?”
‘There should be plenty of things brought to the Great Hall for yesterday’s banquet preparations anyway.’
‘You could just have someone bring your clothes; why act so troublesome?’
‘Do you hate being with me that much?’
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