Chapter 45: Side Story 17: Lingering Warmth and a Promise for Tomorrow

Yeong tilted his head in confusion. He had a fairly good memory, but he could not recall the man standing before him at all. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to protest that the man had mistaken him for someone else. There was a strange, undeniable sense of familiarity about the stranger.

“I was so grateful back then… I truly wanted to meet you again and say thank you.”

No matter how hard he tried, Yeong couldn’t place the face. This was clearly a nobleman, a person of high status—there was no way a former beggar like himself could know such a refined individual. And yet, the déjà vu was overwhelming.

“…Have you been faring well lately, without much trouble?”

“Yes…. Yes, I am doing well….”

Yeong answered obediently without even knowing why. It wasn’t just because a noble-looking person was asking; there was something about the man that made Yeong naturally compliant.

“I am glad. Here, take this.”

“What is this…?”

“It’s a bit late, but it’s a reward for helping me back then.”

The man handed Yeong a small pouch. Even to an untrained eye, the exquisite embroidery suggested it was anything but ordinary. He gently placed it in Yeong’s hesitant hand.

“It’s nothing much. I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t repay you somehow.”

To an outsider, it might have seemed like Hwaun had been the one helping Yeong in the past—giving him food and protecting him from bullies. But Hwaun knew what the boy truly meant to him. Yeong had been one of the few precious things Hwaun had during his life at the bottom. He was a younger brother; he was the closest thing to family.

If Hwaun hadn’t been taken to the palace, he likely would have saved every penny to buy a tiny room for the two of them to call home. He had always been grateful to Yeong for following him and staying by his side as if Hwaun were someone great.

Yeong clutched the pouch. Normally, he wouldn’t accept such a mysterious gift from a stranger, but he found he couldn’t refuse this man.

“T-thank you, sir….”

The man watched Yeong with a look of deep satisfaction before turning back to the other man standing beside him. Yeong watched blankly as the two men naturally joined hands.

“Stay healthy and live well.”

As the man passed by, Yeong finally realized why the voice felt so familiar. It resonated just like the voice of the person he missed every single day—the one who used to speak to him with that same gentle, refined tone.

The man is clearly a different person… and yet… Yeong stood there for a long time, watching them leave, trying to shake the image of a familiar face that seemed to overlap with the stranger’s.

Samun, the innkeeper, who had seen the guests out with a deep bow, rushed over to Yeong.

“Do you know them?”

“I… I don’t know. I’ve definitely never met him, but he felt so strangely familiar… I wonder if I really did meet him before….”

Samun nodded, looking thoughtful. He had felt the exact same thing. As an innkeeper, he never forgot a face, and he was certain he had never seen those two before today. And yet, seeing that guard had made him feel as though he were reuniting with an old friend.

“…Well, never mind. No harm came of it, so what does it matter? Let’s get back to work.”

Samun returned to his post, comforted by the heavy weight in his sleeve. Yeong stared at the door for a moment longer before turning back to his chores. It was a day that left his heart feeling unusually warm, thinking of the person he wished he could tell, “I’m doing well, thanks to you.”

“Mmm…….”

The moment they entered the carriage, Hwaun collapsed into Ihan’s arms, finally letting out the moans he had been suppressing. The carriage was spacious enough for him to stretch out his legs and lean against Ihan in a half-reclining position.

Seeing Yeong had given him a temporary burst of energy, but his body was utterly spent. He had practically been carried into the carriage because his legs refused to hold his weight.

Ihan patted Hwaun’s back gently and spoke in a small, sheepish voice.

“…I went too far. I am sorry.”

Truthfully, Ihan hadn’t intended to push Hwaun that hard. He hadn’t wanted to take Hwaun so roughly in such a poor environment. He really hadn’t.

But the thrill of being so close to Hwaun’s past had made him lose his mind. Moreover, hearing Hwaun call his name alongside the title “Young Master” had been a stimulant far more potent than he had anticipated.

Normally, Hwaun would have immediately waved off the Emperor’s apology. But when he remembered how the Emperor had sat him on that table and thrust into him with such violence despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t bring himself to say it was fine.

“You said you would visit the mountain where my master taught me…” Hwaun murmured, his eyes closed as he tried to find a comfortable position for his aching hips.

“…I was wrong, Una.”

Hearing Hwaun openly grumble about not being able to go because of him, Ihan’s voice grew even more somber. However, the corners of the Emperor’s mouth were twitching as he struggled to suppress a smile. He loved that Hwaun felt comfortable enough to scold him. He would apologize a thousand times if it meant hearing Hwaun speak to him so freely.

“Let’s come out again next time,” Ihan continued.

“…….”

“Today isn’t the only day. We will come out again and climb the mountain where you stayed with your master, and… and we will come see if that boy is doing well again.”

Hwaun opened his eyes and sat up slightly, gazing at his Emperor.

History was full of Emperors who favored a concubine and gave them every luxury. But he had never heard of an Emperor who would willingly leave the palace for a concubine to walk the streets where commoners lived.

To Hwaun, this was a greater feat than building a new palace. For an Emperor to leave the safety of the walls involved immense risk and weight. He could have easily been jealous of Hwaun’s past or pushed those people away to satisfy his own ego.

But Ihan hadn’t. He had treated Hwaun’s past connections with respect and had personally descended to walk the path Hwaun once trod. It was an affection of immeasurable depth.

Hwaun slowly reached out and cupped the beautiful face of the man before him. Closing his eyes, he pulled Ihan closer and gently pressed his lips against the Emperor’s.

Feeling the Emperor freeze in surprise, Hwaun felt a surge of love. He did something uncharacteristic—he poked his tongue out and lightly licked Ihan’s lips. The tip of his tongue tasted sweet, perhaps because it was tasting the Emperor’s devotion.

As he teased the seam of Ihan’s lips, the Emperor groaned and pulled Hwaun into a crushing embrace.

With their lips still touching, Hwaun whispered:

“It isn’t because I don’t cherish you, but strangely, I haven’t said this to you enough.”

“Una….”

“I love you, Your Majesty.”