Chapter 16: Because of Me

Upon opening his eyes, he saw the now-familiar ceiling.

It seemed he’d been brought back to the Crown Prince’s residence.

As he let out a long breath, the image of bright red blood splattering before his eyes surged back, and nausea rose in his throat.

He quickly turned his body sideways, leaning his upper body over the edge of the bed, and dry-heaved repeatedly.

Fortunately, nothing came up, but it felt like his stomach was about to leap out of his mouth.

After heaving for a while, his head throbbed and tears welled in his eyes.

The image of the Crown Prince swinging his sword down without a moment’s hesitation replayed in his mind.

Recalling him approaching, his face and robe drenched in blood, made his fingertips feel cold all over again.

He had heard rumors that the Crown Prince had killed countless people in war and later purged those who opposed him within the palace, but it must have felt no different from hearing the plot of a historical drama.

Actually witnessing someone die before his eyes was shocking.

The moment he saw real blood—not paint—spray in all directions, his vision had gone white.

Unconsciously, he raised his hand and touched his own throat.

Even when the Crown Prince had held a sword to him and threatened to kill him, until now he’d had a “whatever happens, happens” attitude.

On one hand, he’d been complacent, thinking ‘surely he wouldn’t actually kill me—killing a person couldn’t be that easy.’

‘Threats…

If it sounded that way, you’re mistaken.

There was never a time I wasn’t serious.’

Those words had been true.

Every time, the Crown Prince had been completely serious, aiming his sword with genuine intent to kill.

The fear of death now spread through his entire body with renewed force.

The idea that he wasn’t afraid of death because he’d already died once was a complete lie.

Now that he felt the genuine danger of possibly dying, he realized how reckless he’d been and how much the Crown Prince had been tolerating him all along.

“Are you coughing?”

Court Lady Han’s voice came from outside the door.

Looking around the room, the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen.

“Yes.

I’m awake.”

When he answered, the door opened and Court Lady Han entered with clothes.

Only then did he quickly check his own state.

He’d lost consciousness in the bath, so he’d thought he might be completely naked again, but fortunately, he was wearing undergarments.

“His Highness instructed me to have you change into these.”

“Ah…”

Unsurprisingly, they were women’s clothes.

“I will help you dress.”

“No, it’s fine.

I can do it alone.”

No matter how motherly Court Lady Han seemed, a grown man getting help dressing himself didn’t sit well with him.

“Then I will simply watch.”

She seemed unconvinced he could dress properly.

Reluctantly, he rose and put on the clothes she’d brought, one by one in order.

The basic order and method weren’t much different from the shaman’s costume he’d worn—just slightly different in style—so he managed to dress himself without difficulty.

After fastening the belt, he turned to Court Lady Han as if to say ‘done.’

“You dressed well.”

As he puffed up his shoulders at the compliment, she approached and adjusted the knot at the back of his belt.

“Court Lady Han.”

“Please speak comfortably.

His Highness has instructed me to serve you as I would serve him.”

That meant he was her superior.

Still, it was hard to treat her casually.

He wasn’t even a real member of the imperial court, nor was he truly the Crown Prince’s concubine.

Besides, Court Lady Han seemed far older than him.

“Aren’t you afraid of His Highness, Court Lady Han?”

She was the one who served the Crown Prince closest.

She must have witnessed countless incidents like the one in the bath.

“If you’re referring to what happened in the bath, I rather feel sorry for His Highness.”

Court Lady Han continued calmly as she smoothed Eun-gyo’s clothes.

“His Highness has always been a lonely person.

Even when the late Empress was alive, she wasn’t a warm mother to him.

Even now, there is nowhere in this palace where His Highness can rest his heart…”

“Court Lady Han.”

The Crown Prince was standing at the entrance, having arrived at some point.

Court Lady Han bowed her head and stepped back.

“Uncharacteristically talkative today.”

“I apologize.”

“Enough.

Withdraw.”

At his command, she moved to leave.

Eun-gyo instinctively reached out to stop her, then awkwardly lowered his hand under the Crown Prince’s gaze.

He’d wished Court Lady Han could have stayed a little longer…

Being left alone with the Crown Prince was suffocating.

“Your color has returned—you seem to be fine.”

His body was fine.

He’d been in the hot bath too long, engaged in vigorous activity, and witnessed a killing—it had simply been too much.

He was normally quite healthy.

But his mind was far from fine.

Even now, looking at the Crown Prince’s face, the earlier scene kept trying to surface.

He swallowed dryly.

“That person earlier…”

He tried to ask if he was dead, but the words died in his throat.

With blood gushing like that, there was no way he could have survived.

Still, there was always a possibility, however slight.

“Were you hoping he lived?”

Did merely spying on someone bathing warrant death?

Because the other party was the Crown Prince?

He didn’t know.

As a non-Sinhye person, Eun-gyo couldn’t understand why that was a capital offense.

“If he had lived, you would have to die.”

At those words, spoken with a steady gaze, Eun-gyo’s eyes widened.

“I warned you.

If it’s discovered you’re a man, either you die, or the one who discovers it dies.”

Ah.

A groan escaped from his throat.

So that man had died because he’d seen that Eun-gyo was a man.

It’s because of me.

Someone died because of my carelessness.

His heart ached dully, heavy as if a stone had been placed on it.

He was terrified that one of his actions could cost someone their life.

To be fair, it wasn’t really Eun-gyo’s carelessness.

That place was the Crown Prince’s private bath.

Surrounded by bamboo groves to block outside view, and guarded by the Crown Prince’s attendants and guards at the entrance.

Anyone approaching from outside the bamboo grove had to have ill intent.

That was why the Crown Prince had cut him down without a second thought.

But Eun-gyo had no way of knowing that.

He took the Crown Prince’s words at face value and believed someone had died because of him.

“Why do you lose heart over another’s death?”

The Crown Prince asked, puzzled.

“That’s obvious.

He died because of me.”

“Was he someone you knew?”

Of course not.

When Eun-gyo shook his head, the Crown Prince looked even more confused.

“Then why are you sad?”

There was a gap of about a million light-years between his common sense and the Crown Prince’s.

Feeling that explaining would only waste his breath, he averted his gaze and fell silent.

After watching him quietly, the Crown Prince said, “Troublesome.”

“I have state affairs to attend to and must leave.

I won’t return until around sunset.

While I’m gone, tell Court Lady Han whatever you need.”

He paused there, furrowing his brow as if considering something.

“Within the Crown Prince’s residence, you may roam freely.

But only with Court Lady Han.”

He’d finally given permission to leave this room.

It seemed he truly had intended to keep him locked inside—the thought made him sigh rather than feel glad.

Perhaps because Eun-gyo didn’t seem as pleased as expected, the Crown Prince’s expression hardened.

Still, could his heart possibly be as troubled as mine right now?

He turned his head away completely, shifting his gaze out the window.

He heard a short sigh, then the Crown Prince left the room.

Alone at last, the tension released and his legs gave way.

He slumped onto the bed and rubbed his face with both hands.

Only a single day had passed since he entered the palace, yet it felt like a week—no, a month.

How much longer would he have to endure here?

To escape, he had to find what he was looking for as quickly as possible.

But how?

He couldn’t move freely, and it was stifling.

Would he end up trapped in the palace forever?

As the Crown Prince’s woman, no less.

Uwaaaaah.

As he thrashed and screamed, Court Lady Han came running in, asking what was wrong.

A few men who looked like guards followed behind her. Ahaha…

Laughing in embarrassment, he said it was nothing, and Court Lady Han let out a heavy sigh before dismissing the guards.

Ah, I can’t even throw a tantrum as I please.

How do people actually live in a place like this?

“I understand that given your background, you can’t expect much, but now that you serve His Highness, it seems you must at least learn the minimum etiquette.”

Court Lady Han scolded him in a rather stern tone.

Learning etiquette at this age…

A sigh escaped him, but he couldn’t exactly refuse and throw a fit—who might end up getting their head cut off if he did?

Reluctantly, he nodded.

***

Following the Empress’s advice, the Crown Princess sent a messenger to the Crown Prince’s residence, ordering the dancer to come to her.

Her reasoning was that since the dancer had attended the Crown Prince at night and he had publicly declared he would keep her at his residence, it was only natural she come and pay her respects to the Crown Princess.

But for several days, the court lady sent to summon the dancer returned each time with a troubled expression.

“I humbly apologize, but His Highness the Crown Prince has commanded that the dancer not leave the Crown Prince’s residence.

Therefore, she cannot come to pay her respects to Your Highness…”

The court lady, who had to deliver the same message each time, bowed her head in embarrassment.

The Crown Princess bit her lower lip and clutched her skirt.

Even if she was still a Crown Princess who hadn’t even spent her wedding night with the Crown Prince, this was too much.

She was his lawful wife—so why was she being treated worse than a concubine?

If things continued like this, she would truly become a Crown Princess in name only, just as the Empress had warned.

“I will go myself.”

“Your Highness!”

The court lady was flustered, but the Crown Princess rose from her seat.

“If the dancer cannot leave the Crown Prince’s residence, I have no choice but to go.”

“But if you do that and incur His Highness’s displeasure…”

“Who am I?”

At the Crown Princess’s question, the court lady fell silent.

“Is there some law that says the Crown Princess cannot visit the Crown Prince’s bedchamber?”

“No, Your Highness.”

Finally, the court lady stepped back.

“Lead the way.”

The Crown Princess’s voice had sharpened.

The court lady, well acquainted with the Crown Prince’s temperament, worried that this might lead to disaster—but unable to defy the Crown Princess’s command, she reluctantly guided the way.

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