Chapter 70: A Debt of Warmth, A Memory That Won’t Fade

Hae-min stayed holed up in his quarters again today, just like yesterday.

He had nothing in particular to do, so he was bored. To pass the time, he kept idly turning the turtle paperweight over in his hands.

“No matter how I look at it, it just seems ordinary…”

Of course, as a high-quality item, it did look refined. The clear jade glaze shimmered softly, and the turtle itself was rather cute. But beyond that, there was nothing particularly special about it.

‘What on earth does Seong Seol dislike so much about this thing?’

Even he, who had once used it to take his own life, felt nothing in particular toward it now. Even if faint memories had resurfaced, Seong Seol’s reaction still seemed excessive.

There were too many things in this world he didn’t understand. As he absentmindedly rolled the paperweight in his palm, a voice called from outside.

“Young master, Young Master Hee-yul.”

“What is it?”

Hae-min opened the door and saw the same servant he had sent on an errand yesterday.

“My lord has summoned you.”

“At this early hour, for what reason?”

“I do not know, sir.”

The servant looked unusually downcast. Just yesterday he had been beaming after receiving the yakgwa bundle, had something bad happened overnight? Hae-min tilted his head in puzzlement.

“Alright. I’ll go now.”

He wasn’t particularly eager, but since he was called, he had no choice. Setting the turtle paperweight down, Hae-min left his quarters.

As he entered the men’s quarters, he saw a man standing on the wooden floor of the veranda. It was Seong Seol.

“You called for me?”

Though he must have noticed his presence, Seong Seol did not turn around. He simply stood there, straight as a bamboo stalk.

“My lord.”

When Hae-min called again, Seong Seol finally reacted, though he merely lowered his gaze slightly instead of turning.

Moon Hae-min was baffled. He hadn’t barged in uninvited, he had come because he was summoned. Why was he being treated like an unwelcome guest?

“For what reason did you call me?”

“I heard you are meeting Yoon Seung-hyuk today.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

So that was the issue. Now that he knew the cause, he felt oddly relieved. At least he no longer had to stew in confusion like he had yesterday and today.

“The weather isn’t too cold today. The pavilion should suffice.”

“…Are you planning to meet Young Master Seung-hyuk together with me, my lord?”

At that, Seong Seol finally turned. His gaze as he looked down at Hae-min was cold.

“Is that not obvious? Did you intend to meet Yoon Seung-hyuk alone? And where, exactly?”

“Well…”

Hae-min hesitated. He had already been worrying where to meet Yoon Seung-hyuk. Outside, there wasn’t a suitable place, so he had settled on meeting at Seong Seol’s residence, but even here, there wasn’t an ideal location.

“Um, in my quarters…”

The moment he cautiously suggested it, Seong Seol’s eyes sharpened. Hae-min hurried to correct himself.

“O-or perhaps at the front gate…”

“Enough. How far do you intend to drag down my dignity?”

“…My apologies.”

Hae-min lowered his head deeply.

Indeed, it would be strange for a concubine to meet a man alone. He hadn’t sent the letter to Yoon Seung-hyuk without knowing that.

“I went through the trouble of buying you yakgwa, and you hand it over to some random fellow…”

“…”

How did he know about that? And more importantly, why did he care?

For some reason, it seemed the servant’s earlier gloom might be related. Hae-min suddenly felt a bit sorry for him.

While Moon Hae-min stood there awkwardly, Seong Seol summoned the steward and gave instructions to prepare for a guest arriving in the afternoon.

“Why are you just standing there blankly? Come inside.”

“…Yes.”

He had only been standing there because he hadn’t been permitted to enter. But aside from that, he had no desire to step into Seong Seol’s space. Swallowing his dissatisfaction, Hae-min entered the room.

Even inside, however, he found himself just standing around. There was nothing for him to do. He simply stared at the landscape painting on the folding screen, pretending to be occupied.

‘Oh, plum blossoms.’

Beneath towering mountains, a small plum tree bloomed. He had never looked closely at the screen before, but now he noticed snow resting on the branches. It seemed the scene depicted winter.

“Snow-covered plum blossoms.”

Seong Seol’s voice sounded beside him. Startled at not having sensed his approach, Hae-min turned.

“A remarkable flower, blooming without concern even in the snow.”

“It seems pitiful.”

At Hae-min’s murmured words, Seong Seol asked,

“Why?”

“If it must bloom, it would be better to bloom in warm spring. Yet it flowers in the cold winter instead.”

“That is simply the kind of flower it is.”

Seong Seol answered indifferently. He clearly did not understand why anyone would pity a mere flower.

“It was born that way, so it lives that way.”

“Just because it was born that way doesn’t mean it has to live that way. Those who fancy elegance praise snow plum blossoms as the finest, admiring their integrity in the cold. Some even grow them indoors just to make them bloom in winter. I find that rather strange.”

He had said more than necessary. Hae-min quickly shut his mouth. He could feel Seong Seol’s gaze on him, but he didn’t meet it.

“You’re not wrong. Enjoying such tastes is fine, but excessive obsession with something like plum blossoms is unsightly.”

“Yes.”

Though it sounded like agreement, Seong Seol hadn’t truly grasped his intent. Hae-min chose not to elaborate further.

What was there to gain from a pointless debate with him? He already regretted speaking unnecessarily.

“Moon Hee-yul, I’ll ask one last time.”

“Please, go ahead.”

“Do you truly intend to accept Yoon Seung-hyuk’s offer? Even if I offered you twice as much to work for me?”

“Yes, I intend to accept it. It’s not just about the money.”

“And why is that?”

Because I want to escape your influence.

“I want to make a name for myself.”

Hae-min hid his true feelings as he answered. It wasn’t entirely a lie—that had once been his dream.

“I see.”

Seong Seol did not press further. Yet he hadn’t completely given up, his gaze still weighing on Hae-min. Hae-min pretended not to notice.

‘It’s not like I’m that valuable to him anyway.’

Once, he had believed Seong Seol acknowledged his abilities, not as the legitimate son of the Geumcheon Moon family, but as “Moon Hae-min,” clever and skilled in writing. But in the end, the one who could remain by Seong Seol’s side was “Moon Hee-yul.”

There had been a time when that truth pained him deeply. But not anymore. Whether Seong Seol acknowledged him or not, Hae-min wanted to live as himself.

That was why he intended to run away. To live as “Moon Hae-min,” not as the unwanted illegitimate son nor as the prince’s false concubine, he would have to leave for somewhere far away.

‘It’s better for both of us if I don’t work under Seong Seol.’

With that thought, he concluded.

****

Yoon Seung-hyuk arrived precisely at the appointed time. Hae-min welcomed him together with Seong Seol.

“Welcome.”

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Yes. And you, young master?”

“Oh, I have quite a lot to tell! I recently went to Hanseong…”

As if he had been waiting, Yoon Seung-hyuk launched into his stories, why he had gone, whom he had met, what he had seen.

Hae-min listened attentively, nodding slightly. He had never met someone who answered a simple greeting so thoroughly. It wasn’t unpleasant, just amusing and a little fascinating.

“You’re from Hanseong, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then this past New Year must have been your first away from home. You must have felt lonely not returning.”

“Not really.”

He meant it. Both in the past and now, Hae-min felt relieved not spending the holiday at his family home. In fact, he hadn’t even realized it was his first New Year away until Yoon mentioned it.

“Of course. This is Moon Hee-yul’s home now.”

Seong Seol interjected casually. That wasn’t the reason he hadn’t felt lonely, but Hae-min didn’t bother correcting him.

“Actually, I didn’t have time to feel lonely, I encountered a tiger.”

“A tiger? Do you mean that metaphorically, or literally?”

“I wish it were a metaphor. It was real. I ran into a tiger on Neopjeok Mountain, twice, in fact.”

“Good heavens… That mountain isn’t known for frequent tiger sightings. You must have gone through quite an ordeal. But seeing you well now, you must have escaped both times safely?”

“Yes. Once, I survived by tumbling down a cliff…”

Hae-min began recounting the incident. Yoon Seung-hyuk listened with such keen interest that Hae-min couldn’t stop midway. Even after they moved to the pavilion, the storytelling continued for quite some time.

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