Chapter 56: Performed Affection

Finally, Haeryeong whispered right into his ear so that the workers coming and going couldn’t hear.

“I feel some pain because of the saddle. Please understand my concubine’s pain.”

The emperor, who had a short laugh, came close to Haeryeong’s ear as if following his lead.

“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing I can do. Instead, please ease my frustration a little.”

The emperor was more annoying than he thought. If he just let him go, what would happen? The more he learned about him, the more he realized how remarkable the concubine truly was.

In the end, Haeryeong only managed to sit in his own place after kissing him.

The proprietress, who had been confirming the food delivery, burst into a peal of laughter near the door.

“The two of you seem so devoted to one another….I am so jealous”

‘You know nothing,’ Haeryeong thought.

Haeryeong feigned embarrassment and cast his gaze over the table, which was so heavily laden it looked as though the legs might snap.

After the warm rice and liquor were brought in last, the proprietress approached with a bottle.

She filled the Emperor’s cup and then thrust the bottle toward Haeryeong.

He wondered if he was even allowed to drink.

Having shown such a disgraceful display not long ago, he found himself glancing at the Emperor to gauge his reaction.

Noticing Haeryeong’s flickering gaze, the Emperor snatched the bottle and poured him only half a cup.

“It is a strong spirit, so only wet your lips.”

“Yes… Husband.”

The proprietress shot the Emperor a coy, narrow-eyed look for snatching the bottle.

“My, you really are something else, my lord.”

“How is a woman without a husband supposed to live through such sorrow?”

The Emperor let out a chuckle and emptied his cup, prompting her to give Haeryeong a pointed look.

“This girl wants to pick up the morsels for you herself, but I fear it might ruin the harmony of a married couple.”

“Young lord, why do you not pick up a snack for your husband?”

Haeryeong had just picked up his chopsticks to begin eating but froze mid-motion.

The proprietress who spoke was beaming.

She urged Haeryeong on with a coy smile, as if she had merely stated the obvious.

The Emperor was watching the scene with his chin propped on his hand, waiting to see what Haeryeong would do.

Being the target of both their gazes, Haeryeong remained frozen, unsure of how to proceed.

Swallowing a sigh, Haeryeong picked up a piece of egg-battered pancake and placed it in the Emperor’s mouth.

‘Since the Emperor does this often enough, I shall consider it a repayment.’

Even if it was a kindness Haeryeong never asked for.

“It seems to taste even better when you feed it to me.”

“You should try some as well.”

The Emperor picked up an identical pancake and placed it in Haeryeong’s mouth.

The pancake simply tasted like a pancake.

A generic taste of minced meat fried together without anything remarkable.

Before Haeryeong could even finish chewing, the Emperor pressed for an answer, asking how it tasted.

“It is delicious.”

The Emperor let out a chuckle, as if the answer was meager, and began to banter with the proprietress.

“My spouse is quite the shy one.”

“So it seems.”

While the two of them laughed and chatted, Haeryeong chewed and chewed the pancake the Emperor gave him as if trying to melt it in his mouth.

It would be a disaster if he swallowed it carelessly and it became stuck in his chest.

“Then, I shall leave the two of you to enjoy your meal in private.”

“Please call for me if you need anything.”

Just as the proprietress was about to leave, the Emperor signaled her with a flick of his hand.

“It is a face I haven’t seen in a while; it would be a shame to send you away so soon.”

The Emperor filled the empty cup before her and brought up a topic with an air of mystery.

“Have you had no contact from him at all?”

The proprietress tilted her head to drain the cup, then stole a glance at Haeryeong and gave a soft smile.

“That is exactly the problem.”

“He is a child with nowhere to lean, so I worry if he met with some misfortune on his long journey.”

“I am worrying day and night to the point that I am developing grey hairs.”

Haeryeong pretended to be uninterested in their conversation while picking at his food, but he secretly tilted his ear toward them.

“Where did he say he was going?”

“He said he was crossing the border and heading north.”

“Since the war has been over for quite some time, I thought he might be going to visit his mother’s grave, so I gave him plenty of travel money… Ah, dear me.”

“The north, you say… Shall I release some men to look for him?”

The Emperor was testing the proprietress while feigning ignorance, even though he was hiding Sirak in the Imperial Palace.

Unaware of his inner thoughts, she smiled brightly with joy.

“Truly? I have asked the traveling merchants for word, but I was growing anxious as there has been no news.”

“If a lord such as yourself looks into it, I would be moved to tears of gratitude.”

“To worry so much about a mere musician, the two of you must have been very close.”

“Oh, do not even speak of it.”

“Was his mother not my own peer, who learned the zither with me since we were children?”

“I ended up in this line of work, but my peer caught the eye of a noble person before she even put her hair up and became a concubine.”

“A noble person?”

“He has been dead for quite some time now, but I heard he held a major office before the late Emperor ascended.”

“I heard she was kicked out like a kite with its string cut when he died suddenly, but her whereabouts have been unknown ever since.”

While listening to the story, Haeryeong’s eyes met the Emperor’s.

With his eyes narrowed like a crescent moon, the man held out an empty wine cup toward Haeryeong.

Haeryeong picked up the bottle beside the Emperor and filled his cup to the brim.

****

“Noble Consort. Since tomorrow is a day I do not attend court, I shall leave you with more assignments than usual before I depart.”

Sirak struggled to suppress the urge to gag the Master of Calligraphy and replied with indifference.

“It seems you are overestimating my abilities, Master.”

“Not at all. I have faith in your intelligence, Noble Consort.”

Seong I-chan, the Master of Calligraphy, recited the words he didn’t mean like a habit, his expression never changing.

He was truly an irritating man, just as his appearance suggested.

As soon as the man disappeared after giving triple the usual homework, Sirak summoned Court Lady Han.

“My head aches; clear away the books.”

He was sick of even looking at them, tired of pretending not to know characters he had already mastered.

While Court Lady Han tidied the books and writing materials, Sirak paced the room.

“Has His Majesty returned to the palace?”

“I am told… not yet.”

“Inform me the moment he returns.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I shall not be taking dinner, so you may leave.”

Because Sirak’s mood had been erratic lately, Court Lady Han withdrew quickly without asking any questions.

Sirak stood as if nailed to the spot, biting his thumb.

‘Where exactly did it all go wrong?’

Sirak had succeeded in keeping the Emperor’s gaze fixed on him for quite a long time.

The effort he had put in to achieve that was enough to bring one to tears.

Starting from playing the zither while barely suppressing the urge to vomit at the stench of blood during the enthronement banquet, he had worked and worked to keep the Emperor by his side in ways that were too numerous to count.

‘And yet, must I simply stand by and watch this?’

The Emperor, who had reportedly been raised in the army since childhood, was, in a sense, a provincial man.

He was someone completely removed from the sophisticated pastimes of the capital, Hanseong—to put it kindly, he was quite naive.

He was a fairly easy mark, as Sirak had been able to wrap him around his finger just by meeting him at a single banquet.

Thinking of the Emperor, who would immediately soften his expression when Sirak smiled and burrowed into his embrace, made Sirak feel as if his heart were about to burst with frustration.

‘Just what was the problem?’

‘Why has the Emperor started looking at the Empress now, of all times? And in such a short span?’

He didn’t think the Empress had used any clever schemes.

As the saying goes, ‘husband and wife follow each other’; the Empress was just as naive and simple as the Emperor.

If he were a person capable of ‘pillow talk’ and manipulation, Sirak would never have risen to the position of Noble Consort in the first place.

It was unthinkable that someone who had done absolutely nothing for three years since becoming Empress would suddenly change.

‘Then what in the world is the issue?’

No matter how much he pondered, no answer came, leaving him feeling only stifled.

Sirak pressed his palm to his heated forehead and let out a long sigh.

He could not sit comfortably for even a moment until the Emperor returned.

He had been pacing the room the entire time and was about to call for Court Lady Han when her voice was heard from outside.

“My lord, it is Court Lady Han.”

“Enter.”

Sirak approached her and asked urgently before the door had even fully closed.

“Has His Imperial Majesty returned?”

“I apologize, but that is not the reason I am here…”

Sirak scowled and glared venomously at Court Lady Han, who was bowing her head.

He had clearly stated his mood was poor and he would skip dinner, so why was this woman being so oblivious today?

“I am told the Office of the Inspector General has begun an audit of the six ministries.”

“An audit of the six ministries?”

Sirak forgot his anger and went wide-eyed with shock.

“Now, with the Founding Festival so close?”

“Yes, my lord. I am told His Majesty personally commanded it. Furthermore… both the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Public Works are reportedly in a state of ruin. I hear the Black Shadows have arrested and dragged away the Minister of Public Works and the High General.”

“The High General?”

‘The Emperor laid a hand on the Ministry of War?’

If he was only striking at the High General, the chances were high that it was actually a good thing.

There was hope that his foster father, the Vice Minister of War, could rise to the position of Jibusa or even High General.

But was the timing not too coincidental?

Had it been before the Emperor turned his attention to the Empress, Sirak would have watched the situation with a smile.

But now, things were different.

Even if the High General’s seat became vacant, would his foster father truly be able to secure the promotion?

He lacked confidence.

Sirak was already in a position where he was being judged as losing the Emperor’s favor within the palace.

An Emperor who wouldn’t even show his face was cleaning up the Ministry of War for him?

‘Could I dare to hold such hope? There is no way.’