Chapter 57: The Greatest Misunderstanding

“Ladies send letters like that almost every day,” the chief attendant said.

“Some beg to become His Majesty’s mistress. Others write that if their love cannot be fulfilled in this life, they will throw themselves into the pond or leap from a window in hopes of the next. They pour out such passionate confessions, yet every one of them is still perfectly alive. Ah, I’ve spoken out of turn again. Please don’t worry, Lord Fria. His Majesty isn’t moved by them in the slightest. And as far as I know, there has never been anyone he has looked after as attentively as you. I’m sure he’ll recognize your feelings before long.”

The chief attendant regretted having brought it up at all. Fria already had eight rivals within the palace, if he learned there were dozens more outside, he might collapse from the shock.

“Chief Attendant, I’m honestly curious. What exactly is His Majesty supposed to recognize? And what does that have to do with my illness?”

Looking at Fria with sympathy, the chief attendant replied,

“You became ill because you cherish such deep feelings for His Majesty. I’ve watched over him as though he were my own son, so I can’t say I bear no responsibility. I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

‘I became sick because I admire the emperor?’

Such an illness sounded suspiciously like lovesickness.

“Wait… the person who became ill from loving His Majesty…?”

“Lord Fria, it must be difficult for you. They say there’s no medicine for an illness of the heart.”

The chief attendant gazed at him as though he were the most pitiable person in the world.

“…Me? You’re saying I have lovesickness?”

“You truly didn’t know? When emotional suffering grows severe enough, it manifests in the body.”

Fria’s jaw dropped.

He had admired the imperial physician for identifying his mysterious illness after a single examination, only to discover this was the diagnosis? Lovesickness?

Gir had been right all along. His condition was never going to be recognized so easily.

“So that’s what the physician diagnosed? Lovesickness? Then… His Majesty heard it too?”

“He did. That’s why he’s been treating you with such care.”

At last, everything made sense.

The emperor believed Fria was suffering from an illness brought on by unrequited love for him.

“Frankly, it’s hard to believe you have such an illness.”

“When did it begin?”

“Long enough to become a habit? Not recently?”

“Did you know of me before you came to the Empire, despite never seeing me in person?”

And what had Fria answered?

“Quite a long time ago.”

“Thank you for saying so. I’m used to it now.”

“It started long before I came to the Empire.”

Remembering those replies, Fria nearly toppled over.

From Owen’s perspective, Fria had fallen hopelessly in love after seeing nothing more than a portrait, volunteered to become his male concubine, and spent his days pining for him.

The chief attendant had gathered portrait after portrait because he genuinely believed he was helping a lovesick admirer.

Even Owen’s strange comment from the day before finally made sense.

“If you wouldn’t become Arthur’s concubine, were you planning to become another royal’s male lover instead?”

The “other royal” had meant Owen himself.

Fria wanted to cough up blood from sheer embarrassment.

How could he possibly untangle this misunderstanding?

“No! No! That’s not it!”

Seeing him stagger, the chief attendant hurried over in alarm.

“Oh dear, Lord Fria! This is entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have mentioned those ladies’ letters. From now on, I’ll make sure not a single one reaches His Majesty!”

Ironically, Fria developed another fever.

This time it was from frustration.

Lying in bed, he overheard the chief attendant speaking quietly with the emperor.

“It’s my fault, Your Majesty. The moment he heard about the flood of love letters from noble ladies, he collapsed.”

“He collapsed over something so trivial?”

“So trivial? To Lord Fria, it must have struck like lightning from a clear sky.”

‘I was shocked, but not for that reason!’

“I don’t understand.”

‘Neither do I! How could you possibly conclude that I’m in love with you?’

“You’ve never loved someone that desperately yourself, Your Majesty, so perhaps you can’t understand.”

“And neither have you.”

“Oh, but I have! In my younger days I was every bit the rake Master Byron is!”

Fria realized he should have figured it out the moment Byron’s name came up. The mysterious illness Byron supposedly suffered from half the year was simply lovesickness. For a brief time Fria had thought they shared the same ailment.

Nothing suited Byron better.

“So then, former rake,” Owen asked dryly, “what exactly am I supposed to do?”

“The only cure for Lord Fria’s condition is Your Majesty. Even the finest physician has no medicine for this sort of illness. You must treat him kindly.”

“How troublesome.”

‘I’m going to strangle that physician.’

Unable to vent his frustration on the emperor himself, Fria merely clenched the locket containing Owen’s portrait until he wanted to crush it.

How could he possibly face Owen now? How could a mere male concubine openly declare that the entire thing was one enormous misunderstanding and that he absolutely did not harbor romantic feelings for the emperor?

Closing his eyes tightly, he silently prayed that Owen would simply leave.

In storybooks, traitors appeared every other chapter and rebellions erupted without warning.

Why was the Empire so peaceful?

Wasn’t there anyone plotting treason?

As Owen rushed over after hearing his concubine had collapsed, the physician calmly explained that Fria had suffered a severe emotional shock and needed peace and rest.

‘What a fragile man,’ Owen thought.

Seeing the sleeping concubine with dried tear tracks on his face and his fingers still tightly wrapped around the locket containing Owen’s portrait, the emperor muttered once more,

“…What a troublesome fellow.”

****

‘I want someone to comfort me.’

Fria had never missed Judith’s constant chatter more.

If Judith were here, she would probably have joined the chief attendant in making an even bigger fuss, but Fria only remembered her as someone completely on his side.

Then another voice surfaced in his memory.

“You have to come visit me, all right?”

Leon.

Unlike the emperor, Leon was kind, innocent, adorable, and lovable.

If Fria could just see him, hug him, and ruffle his chestnut-colored hair, perhaps some of this suffocating frustration would fade. He even missed Leon’s sparrow-like chatter.

The emperor had been gone for quite some time. Even after official business ended for the day, urgent matters occasionally kept him away for hours.

This was Fria’s opportunity.

He had promised to visit soon, but days had passed before he finally found a chance to see Leon again.

Not wanting to arrive empty-handed, he packed the sweets Judith had once sent him instead of palace-made pastries, fearing Leon would recognize the latter.

Night had already fallen outside the slightly open window.

Fria pushed it wider and carefully placed one foot outside, gripping the frame for support.

As he lowered the other…

Crash!

Something behind him fell with a loud clatter.

Turning, he saw Owen rushing toward him.

In an instant the emperor reached the window, wrapped an arm around Fria’s waist from behind, and hauled him back inside before he could react.

Grabbing his shoulders, Owen shook him.

“What do you think you’re doing? Have you lost your mind?”

“…?”

“What do those women matter?”

“…What?”

What women?

Interpreting Fria’s bewildered expression in his own way, Owen frowned and exhaled in relief.

“I truly can’t understand you. Were you really about to throw your life away so easily?”

“…Excuse me?”

‘Why would I throw away my life when I have so little time left?’

Then realization struck.

The women the chief attendant had mentioned.

The ones who swore they would leap into ponds or jump from windows for love.

“You said you’d settle things on your own. You said you wouldn’t burden me. Was this your solution?”

‘No! That’s not it!’

Unable to stop the misunderstanding from spiraling further, Fria could only shake his head desperately.

“What’s with that expression? So you weren’t actually planning to die? Was this some performance meant for my benefit?”

His face turned cold.

“Listen carefully. I despise people who toy with their own lives more than anything. Even if you died in front of me this instant, it would not change my feelings.”

He released Fria’s shoulders and stood.

Instinctively, Fria grabbed his leg.

“No!”

At that moment something slipped free and landed on the floor with a soft thud.

Owen looked down.

A paper-wrapped bundle had rolled open, scattering colorful sugar candies everywhere.

“What’s this?”

Fria stared at it helplessly.

‘Why did you have to fall out now of all times?’

“A man intending to die brings snacks with him?”

“That’s not it! I wasn’t trying to die-”

Owen cut him off.

“Very well. If, as you say, you weren’t trying to jump and it wasn’t an act…”

Meeting Fria’s eyes directly, he finished,

“…then were you trying to escape from here?”

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Desert Island Romance

Boys LoveComedyModern Setting

Read Now →
Not interested