Chapter 7: The Reason for His Interest

Whoosh.

Releasing the limp Eun-gyo, the Crown Prince took a long, deep breath.

Had he ever unleashed his desires so completely like this before?

With women, he always held back to some degree, afraid they might break if handled carelessly.

The women who entered as Crown Princesses were like logs laid in bed—they didn’t arouse any interest.

The courtesans from the pleasure quarters would cling to him with coquettish airs, but their affected voices grated on his ears.

Eun-gyo, was it?

No matter how smaller and prettier his face was compared to women, this one was a man.

He was different from women.

Yet, the sight of him shuddering with pleasure without any pretense or act made the Crown Prince burn with lust for the first time in his life.

To think such a thing would happen in his lifetime.

A hollow laugh kept escaping him in disbelief.

Having seemingly lost consciousness entirely, the moment he was released from the Crown Prince’s arms, Eun-gyo collapsed limply onto the bed.

Wondering if he was even alive, the Crown Prince held a finger to his nose, but could barely feel his breath.

Only when he placed his palm on his chest did he feel a heartbeat.

Rising from his seat, he draped only his dragon robe over his naked body and looked down at Eun-gyo’s face, which looked especially pale in the moonlight.

King Seongrim…

What was he thinking, bringing this one into the palace?

Did he simply grant a favor to help a dancer make a living?

King Seongrim of all people?

That was impossible.

And to go so far as to have a man cross-dress.

He wasn’t someone who entertained idle thoughts, but neither was he someone to be trusted.

He always wore a smile, yet that smile never felt genuine, which made him unsettling.

But he never pulled any tricks either.

Thus, he was one of those the Crown Prince kept an eye on.

Which side are you on, with this one behind you?

The side that seeks my life?

Or the side that tries to flatter me?

He chuckled to himself at the thought.

At least not the latter.

A sycophant wouldn’t dare stare him in the face and speak their mind so freely.

It was absurd that this face belonged to a man.

Despite being a man, he had dared to enter his bedchamber—whether by his own will or another’s—so at first, the Crown Prince considered killing him.

But the eyes that looked straight at him piqued his interest.

Moreover, he heard nothing.

Why was it that from this one alone, he heard nothing?

Curiosity about that made him spare the child’s life.

‘How could they close their eyes and leave the young Crown Prince behind?

I can only pray the new Empress is a gentle soul…’

‘That brat is crafty.

I don’t like those eyes from the start.

I will surely dispose of him and make my child the new Crown Prince…’

‘He’s brilliant, but he’s frightening.

Those eyes aren’t like a child’s.’

‘If we send him to the battlefield, we could get rid of him without dirtying our own hands.’

‘We need to pick the right side.

The Crown Prince will eventually become Emperor, so it wouldn’t hurt to show him favor.’

From childhood, he had heard the thoughts of everyone in the world.

Whether they looked at him with sinister intent, disrespectful thoughts, or even schemes to kill him—he heard it all.

‘Am I going to die too?

A bride of a demon…

I don’t care about being Crown Princess or anything.

I never wanted this marriage!’

Listening to the complaints pouring from beside him throughout the Crown Princess investiture ceremony was also a trial.

The same went for banquets.

The Emperor, the Empress, and all the ministers would be so entranced by the dancers that they’d only think crude thoughts.

He rather enjoyed banquets because he was spared hearing all sorts of useless thoughts.

Even at such banquets, the Crown Princess was filled with resentment toward her parents who forced her into the position and fear toward her husband, the Crown Prince.

Sitting right beside her and hearing all those thoughts poured out was exhausting.

He had no desire to spend his wedding night with such a woman either.

He chose the dancer who had performed the sword dance, intending to avoid the Crown Princess.

Fortunately, because her dance was uniquely beautiful enough to catch everyone’s attention, even if he chose her, they would likely dismiss it as one of his usual whims.

He hadn’t brought her with any particular sexual desire.

At first, that was certainly the case.

But as he led her to his bedchamber, he realized something was strange.

She was too quiet.

Even the attending ministers were noisy with endless worries about what he was planning, but only Eun-gyo was silent.

When he looked back, her expression wasn’t good.

She seemed frightened, then grimaced as if steadying herself, then relaxed her face again.

With such vivid changes in expression, her inner thoughts must have been equally colorful, yet he heard nothing.

Thus, he became interested.

Occasionally, there were people whose minds were hard to read.

Those who hid their feelings well.

But even with them, when he looked straight into their eyes, he could read them clearly.

‘Don’t look away.’

He commanded, but he didn’t expect much.

Even those who happened to meet his eyes by accident would most hurriedly avert their gaze.

To them, the Crown Prince was a venerable being born of divine grace.

So even if he commanded it, he thought there was no way they could look him in the face.

There had never been anyone who held his gaze for so long.

Meeting someone who faced him with an unwavering, upright gaze was astonishing in itself.

Since he had commanded it, he had no reason to call it disrespectful.

Most couldn’t follow his command even when given, but Eun-gyo was different.

As if to say ‘so what,’ he looked at him without hesitation.

Even looking straight at him like that, he remained silent.

No noise arose around Eun-gyo.

When he opened his mouth, his way of speaking was also unusual.

Just in case, he asked if he wasn’t from Sinhye Kingdom, and he answered without hesitation that he wasn’t.

Even though admitting he wasn’t from Sinhye Kingdom would bring disadvantages, he didn’t lie.

Moreover, he even dared to advise the Crown Prince about taking care of the Crown Princess.

His heart moved.

He became interested in this person called Eun-gyo.

The only being from whom he heard nothing—the first silence he had encountered in his life—that alone was enough reason to embrace him, make him his own, and keep him by his side.

And he was a man?

One who entered the palace through King Seongrim’s influence?

The Crown Prince’s eyes, looking down at the sleeping Eun-gyo, grew coldly dark.

What should he do with you now?

He had thought you were a type he’d never seen before and wanted to keep you, but now King Seongrim is involved.

Should he cut his head off and send him back to King Seongrim?

His behavior wasn’t offensive, but he might serve as good bait to entrap that man who had always irked him in subtle ways.

He drew the sword he had placed beneath the bed and aimed it at Eun-gyo’s throat.

He brought it close enough to slice that pale flesh, but stopped just before touching.

The well-honed blade glinted in the moonlight.

A suffocating silence passed.

The Crown Prince quietly withdrew the sword and returned it to its scabbard.

You may have entered the palace by your own will and on your own two feet, but you will not leave the same way.

It would have been simpler if you had been a woman.

Turning away, the Crown Prince stepped out of the bedchamber.

At his disheveled appearance, Court Lady Han and the other ministers hurried over.

“Prepare my clothes.”

“It is late.

Where are you going?”

Court Lady Han expressed concern.

“I will see King Seongrim.”

“If that is the case, there’s no need for Your Highness to move—I shall summon King Seongrim here.”

“Only two guards shall follow; the rest will wait here.”

“Your Highness!”

Court Lady Han said in surprise, objecting.

“Court Lady Han has duties here.

Let no one inside.

Until I return, neither shall the one inside come out, nor shall anyone, including yourself, enter and see that person.”

At the Crown Prince’s command, Court Lady Han’s eyes widened.

‘He doesn’t want anyone to see her…

Could His Highness the Crown Prince have developed true feelings for that dancer?’

Reading Court Lady Han’s thoughts flowing into him, the Crown Prince smiled bitterly and turned away.

He didn’t care if she misunderstood, but the content was absurd.

In truth, it was to prevent anyone from discovering that Eun-gyo was a man.

Whether he would execute him or keep him by his side, he planned to decide after meeting King Seongrim.

There was no rush to decide after gauging his intentions.

Until then, no one must know that Eun-gyo was a man.

Ding-dong.

The sound of wind chimes shaking in the breeze.

Standing by the window, King Seongrim looked up at the sky.

A full moon shone through the thick branches.

The day he brought Eun-gyo to the castle had also been a night of a full moon.

Normally, no matter how grand the banquet or how late the hour, he would have returned to his own estate, but today he decided to remain in the palace.

He felt he could leave only after confirming that Eun-gyo was safe.

In hindsight, it wasn’t a very wise decision.

If things went wrong, he could be charged with defiling the imperial court for having a man join the banquet as a dancer.

Of course, such a thing wouldn’t necessarily endanger his safety, but it was far from wise considering it could render all his careful maneuvering over the years meaningless.

The right thing to do with a useless piece was to discard it, so why was he still here?

Leaning against the window, he recalled Eun-gyo’s smiling face and chuckled.

It seemed he had been infected by that child’s optimistic nature.

Once this night passed, the direction of events would naturally be decided.

There was no need to rush or grow impatient.

Closing his eyes and listening to the wind, he sensed someone’s presence.

Turning his head, he saw the Crown Prince entering.

He quickly rose and bowed.

“What brings you here at this late hour?”

Although he had gone to seek an audience himself, he had thought it unlikely they would meet tonight.

He had been emptying his mind when the Crown Prince appeared unannounced.

He would need to stay sharp.

“Was it you who brought that child, Eun-gyo, into the palace?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Did you know he was a man?”

“I apologize, but yes, I knew.”

“And yet you brought him in as a dancer?”

“As Your Highness has seen, his sword dance is unlike anything seen in this land.

I believed His Majesty the Emperor, who enjoys sword dances, would be pleased to see it.”

“For that reason, you defied imperial law?”

He seemed to be pointing out the omission of the dancers’ physical examination.

“It was not a premeditated decision; it simply happened that way.

Had there been sufficient time, I would have found a way for him to attend the banquet as a man.”

The Crown Prince gazed steadily at King Seongrim.

He seemed to be gauging whether his words were true.

King Seongrim raised his head and met his gaze.

There was no need to hold the look for an impolite length of time.

A brief moment of eye contact was enough.

Judging that he seemed sincere, the Crown Prince turned his head away first.

“About Eun-gyo…”

The Crown Prince, who had been expected to leave now that his business was done, opened his mouth.

“Do you know where he is from?”

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