Chapter 106: Deeper Than a Blade

“Your grace is boundless.”

Was he in a particularly good mood today?

The Emperor spoke to him tenderly once more.

His voice was far softer than usual.

“So, how is your body faring?”

“I rested briefly during the preparations, so I feel better now.”

He leaned toward Haeryeong and whispered in his ear.

“Drink only the first cup at today’s banquet and refrain thereafter.”

His voice was so sweet it made Haeryeong’s ears tingle.

Haeryeong barely suppressed the urge to touch his ear and replied in a casual tone.

“How could I do that?”

“Even if I were to ignore the officials, must I not share a cup with the foreign delegations?”

Surely he could not refuse the wine when the envoys offered it alongside their congratulatory gifts.

The Emperor walked in silence for a moment, then grinned like a sly fox as they reached the steps of the pavilion.

“Simply tell them you have signs of pregnancy.”

As Haeryeong’s mouth fell open in shock, the man let out a low chuckle.

“It is but a jest.”

Even for a joke, it was far too much.

Haeryeong stopped in his tracks involuntarily and stared at the brazenly smiling Emperor.

Only then did the Emperor mask his smirking expression and lead Haeryeong up the stairs.

“You keep looking at Me so sternly that I am too frightened to speak.”

Haeryeong turned serious and whispered back.

“Is it truly so difficult for you to distinguish between what should and should not be said?”

“Do not tell me you offered such a jest without knowing the gravity of an Empress’s conception.”

There were jokes that were acceptable and those that were not.

How could he be so shameless when he hadn’t even shared his Imperial seed during the heat cycle?

As Haeryeong bit his lip and shivered, the man replied in a lukewarm tone.

“Did those words truly offend you that much?”

Haeryeong stopped a step ahead on the stairs and turned to look at the Emperor.

He gazed at him, biting his lip hard, before letting out a deep sigh.

“Stabbing with a blade is not the only way to wound a person.”

“How can you not know that words sometimes hurt more than a sword?”

“Please, reflect on what Your Majesty did during this last heat cycle and consider your servant’s feelings.”

As they resumed climbing the stairs, the Emperor fell silent.

He seemed quiet, perhaps retracing his own actions.

Haeryeong wondered if the man was actually reflecting, but it was a grave miscalculation.

When they nearly reached the top of the pavilion, the Emperor asked quietly.

“What wrong did I commit during the heat?”

“No matter how I think on it, I only recall treating you with tenderness.”

How could a man wearing a human face be so oblivious to his own faults?

Haeryeong let out a sharp, involuntary scoff and replied.

“Even in a field, one must sow seeds for the crops to grow.”

“If you tell the owner of the field that this year’s harvest is bountiful without ever sowing a single seed, what must that owner feel in his heart?”

Haeryeong turned to look at the Emperor with a stiff expression.

“Could such a jest truly be enjoyable to someone standing in despair before a field where not a single blade of grass has sprouted?”

“Is a jest not supposed to be something both the speaker and the listener can enjoy together?”

“Your servant finds no joy in Your Majesty’s jokes whatsoever.”

“We…”

The moment the Emperor opened his mouth, Haeryeong turned away and cut him off.

“Your servant does not believe any words will reach my ears right now.”

“I beg Your Majesty to understand with a generous heart.”

His eyes ached from glaring straight ahead.

The Emperor stared at Haeryeong for a long moment and let out a small sigh.

However, he quietly ascended the rest of the stairs, seemingly having no intention of speaking further.

Haeryeong stepped onto the pavilion beside the Emperor, a soft smile painted on his face.

That was his duty, and Lee Haeryeong was a person who, even after dying and returning, would never neglect his responsibilities.

No matter how turbulent his heart was, or how wounded he felt by the Emperor’s jest.

Once the two were seated, the banquet commenced immediately.

After exchanging glances with the Yeonseo delegation seated a short distance away, Haeryeong shared a brief greeting with the Noble Consort, who sat beside them with the Emperor in between.

Sirak was still smiling brightly, yet his eyes seemed darker than usual.

Haeryeong wondered if it was because of the thoughts he’d had earlier, returning a smile of his own.

However, he had no leisure to sink into thought.

Following the Emperor’s congratulatory remarks and toast, the officials began to approach one by one to offer their greetings.

Starting with the Ministry of Personnel, the officials came forward to deliver blessings for the Emperor, the Empress, and the nation.

Since these were formal ritual greetings, most delivered similar sentiments with only slight variations in wording or structure.

After the Emperor and Empress responded and shared a cup, the preceding group would withdraw and the next rank would step forward.

Following Personnel came the Ministries of War, Rites, and Households; the Ministry of War, whose numbers had dwindled due to the recent incident with the High General, passed more quickly than Personnel.

Haeryeong thought the Emperor might say something more, as the Consort’s father had become the Vice-Chief, but the man let the Ministry of War pass without any particular comment.

Watching the officials from the Ministry of War withdraw, Haeryeong turned his head toward the Emperor.

The man happened to be looking at him as well, and their eyes met unexpectedly.

The Emperor smiled gently.

“What is it? Does your body feel unwell after all?”

‘Are you asking me to leave if I feel unwell?’

The Emperor acted as if he wanted to remove Haeryeong from his side as quickly as possible.

Haeryeong stole a glance at the Consort beyond the Emperor and smiled back at the man.

“Your servant feels perfectly fine.”

“I simply… found myself missing Your Majesty’s face even while sitting right beside you, so I looked once more.”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed playfully.

“I should have had our seats face each other.”

“Then We too could have spent the entire banquet intoxicated by the Empress’s beautiful face. What a shame.”

His words were as smooth as a mountain stream.

Haeryeong lowered his eyes after seeing the Consort’s frozen smile past the Emperor.

‘How must this conversation sound to him?’

In truth, despite how it sounded, it was not a harmonious conversation, so Haeryeong felt not a shred of joy even if he was attracting more of the Emperor’s attention than the Consort.

Even after the officials from the Ministry of Rites arrived and took their places, the Emperor continued to direct trivial remarks at Haeryeong.

Haeryeong signaled him repeatedly to stop as he leaned in to whisper, but the Emperor acted as if he were entirely lacking in intuition.

“I only act this way because I am so worried.”

“I cannot help but worry when you insist on taking every cup offered instead of simply responding with a polite acknowledgment.”

“Your servant is managing just fine. Please, do not be so concerned.”

In fact, Iryeon was stuck to his side, diligently emptying the cups for him.

‘Why is he acting like this when he can see I’ve only been wetting my lips after the first toast?’

The Emperor truly was an incomprehensible man.

At Haeryeong’s reply, he pulled his lips into a pout.

Suddenly, the Emperor acted as if he had just noticed the Ministry of Rites officials and brightened up, addressing the Minister directly while skipping over the Vice-Chief.

“Minister of Rites, please offer some counsel to the Empress.”

“Even after today’s ceremony, the Empress complained of dizziness.”

“What do you think, Minister? My heart is quite heavy seeing the Mother of the Nation neglect his own health in this manner.”

Far from looking troubled, the Emperor’s expression appeared jubilant.

The Minister of Rites bowed his waist slightly to acknowledge the Emperor’s inquiry and replied.

“Your servant also deeply empathizes with Your Majesty’s concerns.”

“Has it not been barely a month since he rose from his sickbed?”

“Your Highness, please, look after your health.”

The Emperor looked back at Haeryeong with a mischievous, triumphant grin.

“See there, Empress? Even the Minister of Rites is worried about your health.”

Before Haeryeong could respond, the Emperor turned back and lightly slapped the table with his palm as if a thought had just struck him.

“That is right. Since it was the Minister of Rites who first recommended the Empress as My spouse, it is only natural for you to be exceptionally concerned. Is that not so?”

The Emperor gestured toward the Minister and asked:

“I wish to ask a favor of the Minister on this occasion. Since the Empress is physically weak, how about the Minister look into some medicinal herbs that would be good for his body?”

“Of course, the Imperial Palace has many fine things, but as he comes from another land, the local products of Yeoran may not suit him well.”

“Therefore, I would like the Minister to prepare a restorative medicine that is perfectly suited to the Empress’s constitution.”

Smiling slyly, the Emperor leaned over the table with his hands on his knees.

“What do you think, Minister? Seeing as you once claimed there was no one better suited as My spouse than the Empress, I ask this because you seem to cherish him so dearly. Will you grant My request?”

Gangcheon leaned against the armrest of the dragon throne while waiting for the Minister’s reply.

While leaning toward the Empress with a smile, he could sense Haeryeong’s restless presence beside him.

“Your Majesty, I do not believe this is an appropriate topic for this setting. Is this not a place for enjoying the banquet?”

Gangcheon turned almost entirely toward Haeryeong and whispered tenderly.

“I am only doing this because I am so concerned for the Empress’s health. Since the Minister seems to value you so much, I am taking this opportunity to mention it.”

Doubt clouded the Empress’s round eyes.

‘Why is this man acting like this?’

Looking into the eyes where the thoughts were so clearly written, Gangcheon smiled pleasantly.

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