Chapter 67: Special Side Story 6: The Unwavering Light of the Inner Court

Ihan persistently widened Hwaun’s opening with his fingers. Perhaps due to the somewhat awkward position in the chair, Hwaun felt tighter than usual, and the mere thought of thrusting his member into that heat made Ihan feel as though he might suffocate from anticipation.

“It might… hurt a little.”

Unable to endure any longer, Ihan hurriedly loosened the front of his robes and lined himself up against the opening. Hwaun’s hands gripped the Emperor’s forearms tightly.

“It is fine. Please… Your Majesty, quickly…”

“Huu…”

Taking a deep breath at the sight of Hwaun pleading without knowing the intensity of what was to come, Ihan pushed forward without hesitation.

“Ugh! Ah-heuk…!”

A pained moan escaped Hwaun’s lips. Between the lack of preparation and the unfamiliar posture, the pain of entry was magnified. Yet, instead of pushing the Emperor away, Hwaun panted and strained to take him even deeper. To him, this invading heat was a physical manifestation of the Emperor’s affection, making even the pain feel like a branch of pleasure.

“Wun-ah…”

“Hng…! Your Majesty…!”

By the time Ihan was fully seated within him, Hwaun’s body was nearly folded in half. Suspended in the air, pinned between the chair and the man’s solid frame, Hwaun trembled with every upward thrust. It was a sensation unlike any they had shared before.

Rustle, slide.

Because they both still wore their silk robes, the sound of the fabric clashing and sliding with Ihan’s increasingly violent movements stimulated their ears. The friction of the fine silk against their sensitized skin only served to fuel the fire.

Precious, expensive robes were ruthlessly crumpled as Ihan’s fierce member ravaged Hwaun’s insides. Every time Ihan struck the inner wall of Hwaun’s curved belly, Hwaun’s entire frame shook. He felt a fleeting fear that something deep inside might actually break, but the pleasure was so overwhelming that he truly didn’t care.

“How can you be… so erotic…!”

The Emperor’s voice, thick with arousal, poured out between hot breaths. Feeling that no matter how hard he thrust it wasn’t enough, Ihan gripped the back of the chair with both hands and began to drive into him with even greater force.

Thud, thud.

Their bodies collided violently. Hwaun’s legs, hooked over Ihan’s shoulders, swayed helplessly in the air.

“Hng, heuk! Ah!”

Hwaun let out a string of short, sharp cries as he was struck repeatedly in his deepest core. They were sounds closer to screams than moans. Reaching the peak of his own stimulation, Ihan leaned in and captured Hwaun’s open mouth with his own.

He thrust his tongue deep into Hwaun’s throat, cutting off his breath. Hwaun let out a muffled, struggling sound, but Ihan had no reason left to be gentle. With his breath stolen and his body being raked by heat from both ends, Hwaun’s eyes began to roll back. Even the lack of air became a form of ecstasy; his lower abdomen twitched with spasms, further driving Ihan to the edge.

Finally releasing Hwaun’s lips, Ihan let out a low growl and bit into the white, clean skin of Hwaun’s neck. Hwaun couldn’t even scream. Having already climaxed once, fluid leaked from him, staining their clothes.

At that moment, Ihan draped Hwaun’s arms around his own neck, pulled him into a crushing embrace, and buried himself to the hilt in Hwaun’s deepest reaches as he finally released his heat.

“Heuu… hng…”

Hwaun’s eyes grew hazy as he relished the hot, filling sensation within his belly. He wanted to stay lost in the Emperor’s pleasure forever. As if sensing this desire, the Emperor stood up while still holding Hwaun’s body.

“A-ah, no, nng…!”

The sudden movement caused Ihan’s still-erect member to push even further against the wall of Hwaun’s colon. The constricted inner walls, tightened by the precarious position, bit down hard on him.

Ihan nipped at Hwaun’s shoulder and whispered, “Brace yourself. This is only the beginning.”

Just as the Emperor said, the night had only just begun.

“Empress Mother, are you truly saying no?”

Jeong-bin, Song Hyeon, looked up at the Empress with puppy-like eyes, her hands clasped together in a pout. One might think she was asking for something grand, but she was actually begging to dip her feet into the lotus pond in the rear garden.

Myeong-ha-won was cooler than the capital, but the height of summer spared no one. Even with a wind-fan nearby, the midday heat was unbearable. Thus, Jeong-bin had moved past merely sitting by the pond and was now pleading to wade into it.

While a bit of water play in summer seemed trivial, the issue was that she wanted to go barefoot. In a society where even a common woman would not easily show her bare feet, the strict etiquette of the Imperial Palace was tenfold. Even with the servants dismissed, it wasn’t a decision a consort could make lightly. A mistake could lead to severe punishment from the Head of the Internal Court.

“No one else is watching anyway. Please?”

Jeong-bin continued to plead, undeterred. Though she addressed the Empress, Jaran, everyone present knew whose favor gave her the courage to act so shamelessly. Finally, Suk-bi, Bi-yeong, couldn’t watch any longer and spoke up.

“Jeong-bin, do you never grow up? You should be grateful for the Empress’s mercy and stop being so stubborn.”

“But…!”

“And stop making things difficult for the Noble Consort.”

Jeong-bin fell silent, the remark hitting home. She had entered the palace at a very young age and remained the youngest of the high consorts, but even though she was well into adulthood, her childish streak remained.

Seeing Suk-bi shake her head, Hwaun couldn’t help but chuckle. Suk-bi turned her gaze toward him.

“Do not laugh, Noble Consort. In my eyes, you are largely responsible for Jeong-bin’s lack of maturity.”

“Is that so?”

“Is it not? You give in every time she pouts and begs. She acts this way because she knows she has you to rely on.”

In truth, Suk-bi herself accepted much of Jeong-bin’s rule-breaking, meaning the girl’s whims were a collective product of the entire Internal Court’s indulgence.

So, the disobedient cat and the childish Jeong-bin are both my fault. Finding the thought strangely heartwarming, Hwaun kept his smile and addressed the Empress.

“Empress Mother, since there are no eyes here but our own, why not allow Jeong-bin a moment of joy?”

“See? You are giving in again,” Suk-bi muttered, though she didn’t truly try to stop it. Jeong-bin’s innocent presence was a small joy for Suk-bi as well.

The Empress, having listened quietly, finally nodded. “The pond is deep in parts, so be careful.”

“Thank you, Empress Mother!”

Overjoyed, Jeong-bin gave a hasty bow and scrambled toward the pond. Her head maid, Ju-ah, scrambled after her, shouting for her to be careful.

“…She’s going to trip and skin her knee again.”

Suk-bi stood up with the weary look of an elder sister watching a chaotic sibling. Despite her complaints, she was the one who kept the closest eye on Jeong-bin’s bright spirit.

As the two headed toward the water, the Empress turned her gaze to Hwaun. He was dressed in a simple black robe, similar to the training gear of a warrior. For the most favored Noble Consort of the nation, he looked remarkably modest. Despite holding his rank for a long time, his appearance had only grown more understated.

It wasn’t just his clothes. Despite possessing power that could command the world, he remained polite and quiet. Especially before the Empress, he was as humble now as he had been when he was a mere lowly consort.

Yet, the Empress knew better than anyone how much stronger, wiser, and more capable he had become.

“Noble Consort.”

“Yes, Empress Mother.”

“You are aware, I presume, that the ministers have petitioned His Majesty once again to take in more consorts.”

“…Yes, Empress Mother.”

Hwaun answered quietly, offering no further comment.

The court had petitioned for the daughters of meritorious officials to be brought into the palace many times before. Each time, the Emperor had refused flatly. However, the situation had shifted after last winter’s decisive victory in the border war. Because the officials had played a key role in a victory that saved the people from a harsh winter of famine and war, they had to be rewarded.

The problem was that the ministers had brought up the issue of the harem again, knowing the Emperor’s usual refusal, but using their recent merits as leverage.