Chapter 16 : The Emperor’s Birthday Greeting

“…Are you awake?”

At that very moment, a bright voice—one capable of pushing away all the anxiety and nightmares in the world—reached his ears. The tension that had coiled within Hwaun’s heart instantly unraveled. His Majesty was by his side. With that single fact alone, there was no fear Hwaun could not overcome.

“Oh dear… it seems my Consort is quite exhausted.”

With a tender voice as if soothing a child, a warm hand cradled Hwaun’s face, gently rubbing the corners of his eyes that were struggling to open. Relying on Ihan’s touch, Hwaun finally opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, his focus failing to snap into place immediately. Yet, even through the haze, he could recognize the Emperor’s affectionate face looking down at him.

He loved this. He loved that the first thing he saw upon waking was the face of his one and only lover. Hwaun slowly opened his mouth to call out to him.

“…….”

However, what spilled out was not the title “Majesty,” but only a sharp, raspy breath. As Hwaun blinked in embarrassment, Ihan cleared his throat with a sheepish “Ahem,” and spoke up on Hwaun’s behalf.

“That… it seems I pushed you far too hard last night….”

At those words, the memory of last night’s intense passion flooded Hwaun’s mind with vivid clarity. While their union was always a challenge for Hwaun’s stamina, last night had been exceptional. Ihan had held onto him as if the night were their last. The reason Hwaun had lost his voice was surely because he had wept and moaned far too much.

The Emperor had repeatedly delved back into him, even after they were both slick with oil and seed, and had eventually gone so far as to seat Hwaun on top of him, mischievously urging him to move his own hips. That particular position was one Hwaun usually avoided out of fear, as it allowed the member to reach so deep it felt as if it were pressing against his very organs, threatening to pierce through his abdomen.

Hwaun had to struggle not to recall the details—how he had tried to move his hips in that state, or how explicitly the Emperor’s hands had toyed with his chest and belly while whispering lewd words. Despite his efforts, however, he could not stop his face from flushing a deep red.

“I will not say I am sorry,” Ihan whispered in a voice that was tender yet playful, kissing Hwaun’s slightly swollen eyelids as if the blush were the most precious thing he had ever seen. When Hwaun simply looked up at him, unsure of the intent, Ihan continued.

“The reason I pushed you so is because you were far too lewd. How can that be my fault…?”

“Your Majesty!”

Startled by the Emperor’s bold and shameless words, Hwaun forced his voice out to cut him off. He still found it difficult to adjust to the way Ihan habitually called him “lewd” or “seductive.”

Ihan burst into laughter, having expected exactly that reaction. Hwaun gave him a slightly sharp look—finding him, quite impiously, rather obnoxious in that moment—and then groaned softly as he tried to sit up. Ihan’s face immediately fell into a look of worry, and he pressed Hwaun back down.

“Now, now, why are you trying to get up? Lie back down. You overexerted yourself last night; you must rest more.”

“Majesty.”

“Eunuch Oh will attend to me today, so do not worry and sleep some more. Hmm?”

Though he spoke playfully, the Emperor was always extra sensitive after a particularly rough night. He was plagued by guilt at the thought of Hwaun collapsing because of him, and he also didn’t know what kind of pressure the unusual Internal Court—which was excessively protective of Yeon Hwaun—might put on him.

The current Imperial Internal Court was strange beyond words; at times, they seemed to treat the Emperor as nothing more than a thoughtless man who bullied Hwaun. Having to walk on eggshells around the Empress and the other concubines—who watched him as if monitoring whether he was “bullying” Hwaun—Ihan found the situation so absurd he couldn’t even vent about it to anyone.

“Majesty. Wait… there is something I must tell you today.”

Ihan’s hands paused. Hwaun had leaned his cheek slightly against Ihan’s hand, which was still cradling his face. The movement was so affectionate and intimate that there was no reason for alarm, yet Hwaun’s words—there is something I must tell you—strangely made Ihan’s heart skip a beat.

Even though he knew it was impossible, Ihan sometimes felt a hollow anxiety when Hwaun set such a serious mood. He feared that Hwaun might be about to say goodbye.

Of course, it made no sense. A concubine saying goodbye to an Emperor was something that could never happen in a thousand lifetimes. Ihan knew this well.

But they were lovers, weren’t they? The relationship between Seong Ihan and Yeon Hwaun could not be explained simply by the terms “Emperor” and “Concubine.” They were partners who shared their hearts and had pledged their lives to one another.

Those bonds were tied solely by heart to heart, independent of any duty or rank. Even if the roles of Emperor and Concubine were inescapable, what if Hwaun’s love suddenly cooled? What if it vanished? What if his heart left, as if he had never truly loved the Emperor at all?

If that happened, Ihan could never paint the future he desired. That was the reason why, at this moment, Seong Ihan felt a tremor of fear and shrank back.

“Why… why do you say that…?”

Instantly cowed like a young boy about to be scolded, Ihan slowly helped Hwaun sit up and asked in a subdued voice. Hwaun did not answer immediately. He reached out to pick up his discarded inner robe from the floor, wrapped it around himself, and quietly smoothed back his disheveled hair.

Ihan couldn’t imagine what could be so important that Hwaun had to tidy himself before speaking. While Ihan sat there fidgeting aimlessly with his fingers on the blanket, Hwaun cleared his throat and finally spoke.

“Majesty.”

“…….”

“I offer my sincere congratulations on Your Imperial Majesty’s birthday.”

Ihan’s eyes, which had been wandering the floor in an attempt to avoid Hwaun’s gaze, finally snapped back to look at him directly. With a clear face and the most beautiful smile in the world, Hwaun spoke again.

“Please forgive me for offering my greetings in such a disheveled state, Majesty… but I wanted to be the very first to congratulate you.”

“No, I… I….”

“If not for Your Majesty, the person I am today would not exist. Your birth is my life, my happiness, and my everything.”

“…….”

“With all my love… I celebrate you, Majesty.”

It wasn’t that Ihan didn’t know it was his birthday. The Emperor’s birthday was a massive event that set the entire palace buzzing long in advance; no matter how busy he was with state affairs, he couldn’t forget it.

However, on this particular morning, Ihan had briefly forgotten. It simply wasn’t the most important thing. Checking on Hwaun’s condition, facing his lovely face, kissing him, and whispering of love—that routine was so profoundly important that while he was with Yeon Hwaun, nothing else in the world mattered.

Even if that “nothing else” included himself, the sole Son of Heaven. He was simply not as precious as Yeon Hwaun. And so, Ihan had completely forgotten.

Birthdays were not a new thing. He had heard grander words of celebration more times than he could count. This wasn’t even the first time he had heard it from Yeon Hwaun.

And yet, his heart swelled uncontrollably. He felt breathless. He was so happy it felt unbelievable that he was welcoming this day with Yeon Hwaun once again. Struggling to keep his tears from falling, Ihan spoke in a trembling voice.

“You said… that all the trials you endured were merely the path you walked to meet me, and so none of it was difficult….”

The Emperor’s hands tightly gripped Hwaun’s two small hands. Even though he experienced it every day, he sometimes couldn’t believe how much space this slender, small, and fragile person occupied in his life. Ihan did not doubt for a moment that if there were one person in this world capable of destroying Seong Ihan, it was the man before him.

“It is the same for me….”

“…….”

“To be right here with you now, I have passed through countless lonely nights and endured many harsh days….”

Ihan’s lips lingered lightly on the back of Hwaun’s hand. It was less an expression of romantic love and more one of awe—a mark of respect toward the only being capable of instilling fear within him.

At that moment, a tear from the Emperor fell onto the back of Hwaun’s hand with a soft thud. An Emperor shedding tears for a mere concubine was something that should never happen, yet neither of them saw it as a problem. Rubbing his forehead against Hwaun’s damp hand, Ihan continued.