Chapter 31: Before the Heat Breaks

Haeryeong blinked in confusion at his words.

“Shall I tell the Bureau of Food Service to prepare it for you?”

The Emperor’s shoulders shook as he let out a stifled giggle, as if Haeryeong’s question was incredibly amusing.

Even after some time had passed, he could not wipe the smile from his face before finally speaking.

“It is not something the Bureau of Food Service can provide.”

‘Was there such a thing?’

As Haeryeong’s expression grew even more puzzled, the Emperor offered a smile so gentle it was almost comforting, and reached out his hand.

“I shall take my supper this evening.”

“Do not worry; I shall eat my fill once the Empress’s preparations are complete.”

“Is there something I must prepare?”

‘What does he want me to make?’

‘I have never cooked a single dish in my life.’

Faced with the Emperor’s sudden demand, Haeryeong could not hide his bewilderment.

“Nothing.”

“Pardon?”

‘What on earth is he talking about?’

Haeryeong’s brow furrowed slightly at the Emperor’s vague, airy words.

“If there is something for me to prepare, please command it.”

“I shall prepare it with all my heart and soul.”

The Emperor asked back, his face still full of mirth.

“Truly?”

There was something in his tone and expression that sent a sudden chill down Haeryeong’s spine.

He had a premonition that if he misspoke here, he would end up suffering for it.

Unable to answer, Haeryeong simply tilted his head and lowered his gaze.

“I asked if you were being truthful; why do you not answer?”

“If it is something Your Majesty desires, I shall prepare everything.”

The Emperor scanned Haeryeong with a lingering, sly smile, then leaned across the table to draw closer.

“Then I shall tell you what I desire.”

“Yes. Please command me.”

“When the heat stirs, cleanse your body and wait for me.”

Ah.

Only then did Haeryeong realize what the Emperor was implying, and he narrowed his eyes.

His face flushed involuntarily with shame, but the Emperor burst into a hearty laugh, seemingly mistaking it for shyness.

“Yes. I shall do so.”

Haeryeong replied quietly and set down his spoon.

His appetite vanished instantly.

The thought of lying prostrate like a dog to wait for him again made his skin crawl.

“Why are you not eating?”

Haeryeong turned his gaze toward a distant point beyond the canopy and quietly shook his head.

“I am too tense; I do not think the food will go down.”

He didn’t even need to feign his expression.

Shame was still making his face burn, and a flush was undoubtedly blooming.

He made a show of swallowing the porridge stuck in his throat, and the Emperor let out a soft laugh, brushing his lips against Haeryeong’s heated cheek.

“There is still time, so finish your meal.”

“Do not leave a single bite of lunch or dinner, either.”

“Only then will you have the strength to endure the entire heat cycle.”

Haeryeong’s eyes went wide with shock at the phrase ‘the entire heat cycle,’ and he turned his head.

The Emperor’s face was inches away, wearing a languid smile.

“By ‘entirely,’ you mean…”

“Until your cycle reaches its end.”

Haeryeong swallowed hard instinctively.

In the past, the Emperor had always left after a brief, rough encounter, but did he truly intend to stay for all three days this time?

‘Just how much must he hate me to plan such a three-day torment?’

‘How malicious.’

He felt a sense of unfairness.

Haeryeong bit his lip hard, his eyes drooping at the corners.

****

As they ate, he could feel the heat in his body growing more pronounced.

Perhaps his scent had grown stronger as well, for the Emperor lingered for a long time with his face buried in the crook of Haeryeong’s neck.

Every time he felt the man’s hot breath, a restless itch stirred in his lower abdomen.

Haeryeong tried his best not to let any of those sensations show on his face.

He had no desire to begin the heat cycle with him so early.

The Emperor, sensing his reluctance, released his scent as if daring him to endure it.

It was only a matter of time before Haeryeong’s breathing grew heavy in the bedroom, which was now filled to the point of suffocation with the scent of peach blossoms.

Even as he intentionally poured out his fragrance, the man spoke to Haeryeong as if he were oblivious.

“Your face is quite red; I worry that your fever might be returning.”

“No, it is not. It is simply that Your Majesty’s body heat transferred to me while I slept.”

The Emperor’s expression shifted subtly at Haeryeong’s flat response.

“I am glad to hear that then. Go to the stables early.”

“I shall do so.”

Haeryeong had worried the man might insist on staying, but fortunately, the Emperor left sooner than expected.

Haeryeong opened all the windows in the bedchamber and finally exhaled the breath he had been holding.

Perhaps because the morning air was still chilly, a shiver ran down his spine.

Standing by the window where Changcheon was perched, Haeryeong let out a quiet sigh.

His gaze lost focus for a while as he stared at the scenery outside.

‘What am I to do? It is too late to back out now.’

Haeryeong kept the windows open until every trace of the Emperor’s scent had dissipated.

He then spent a long time being groomed by his court ladies before eating his breakfast.

Just as he finished, Han Su-yong of the Black Shadow Unit arrived.

Like when he went to the falconry, Haeryeong took a palanquin to the Imperial Stables at the edge of the palace grounds.

It was Haeryeong’s first time visiting this area during his stay in the palace; he was surprised by its immense size, and even more so by the fact that there were no horses inside.

“Are there no horses here?”

“A horse is a creature that falls ill if it cannot run; therefore, we let them all loose during the day.”

At the stable master’s reply, Haeryeong looked at Su-yong.

‘Then why did he bring me here? Did he intend to make me walk for nothing?’

‘Master and servant are truly two of a kind.’

Under Haeryeong’s quiet gaze, Su-yong flinched and took a step back, bowing his head.

Haeryeong soon looked away and asked the stable master for guidance.

“Lead me to where the horses are.”

The stable master led him to a vast pasture not far from the stables.

‘I never knew such a place existed within the Imperial Palace.’

Looking at the wide grassy field enclosed by wooden fences, he felt a strange sense of frustration.

‘To think I lived so long and knew so little.’

He felt like a frog in a well, and a sigh threatened to escape his lips.

Haeryeong barely suppressed it and watched the horses running through the pasture before addressing the stable master again.

“Listen. I know nothing of horses. Could you choose one for me?”

The stable master thought for a moment and then asked Haeryeong several questions in return.

“Will Your Highness be riding personally? Have you ridden a horse before?”

“I shall be taking it to the hawking, so it would be difficult for someone else to lead it for me. I have rarely ridden.”

He decided not to mention his experience with the pony, fearing the man would mock him just as the Emperor had.

The stable master agonized for a while before pulling his lower lip and letting out a long, sharp whistle.

As the horses scattered in different directions, one horse seemed to hear the whistle; its ears flickered as it galloped toward them.

Its pale golden coat, sparkling in the spring sunlight, stood out even among the hundreds of horses gathered there.

Its long, flowing mane and the tail swaying near its haunches were both a polished, gleaming gold.

The sight of it running with its long legs stretched out was so beautiful that Haeryeong narrowed his eyes and stared.

The horse, having reached them, blinked its large eyes and tried to bite the stable master’s face.

Seeing Haeryeong startled and unable to even make a sound, the stable master looked embarrassed.

“He is a bit mischievous, but he follows people well and is quite gentle. How does this horse seem to you?”

Haeryeong stood in silence for a long moment before asking:

“What if he tries to bite me?”

The stable master let out a boisterous laugh and stroked the beard trailing from his chin.

“He only does that to me, so you need not worry. He is just playing, so it is merely a gesture of biting. He acts that way more with people he likes, but he is actually quite a shy fellow.”

‘Shy, he says.’

Haeryeong engaged in a staring contest with the horse that was looking at him with clear eyes, and then let out a hollow laugh at the description.

‘Why are all things in Yeoran like this? Even the horses.’

He watched the horse for a long time, fearing it would try to bite if he looked away, until the horse shook its head with a snort.

“What is this one’s name?”

“Among His Imperial Majesty’s horses, only that black stallion over there has a name. The others are managed by numbers.”

The stable master showed him the shell tag hanging from the horse’s neck, which bore the number four-three-one (431).

“Your Highness, shall you take this one?”

It was smaller than the other horses, which was the most reassuring thing for Haeryeong.

Thus, he nodded to the stable master.

“His name… since his coat is yellow, shall we call him Nureongi?”

As soon as Haeryeong finished speaking, the horse let out a loud snort.

“It seems he likes it, so let it be so.”

“Would you like to try riding him once?”

“Not today.”

Haeryeong shook his head.

Part of it was because the Emperor had told him to only choose a horse and return, but the main reason was that the heat in his body was becoming much more intense than before.

After a distant greeting to the horse, Haeryeong hurried back to the Empress’s Palace.

As soon as he parted with Su-yong at the entrance and stepped inside, Iryeon rushed toward him.

“Your Highness, could it be…?”

“Leave us. I must rest.”

Perhaps because of the years they had spent together, she seemed to recognize his condition immediately.

Haeryeong silenced Iryeon with a single sentence and entered the bedchamber alone.

“Your Highness, at least let me help you change your robes.”

“It is fine. I shall not have lunch, so do not let anyone in until I call for you. Understood?”

During the return journey, his fever had risen sharply, and his breathing was becoming increasingly shallow.

Haeryeong took a deep breath and straightened his posture.

Even inside the bedchamber, he could not allow himself to appear disheveled.

The Emperor’s Black Shadow Unit would surely be watching.

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