Chapter 72: Shadows Beyond the Veranda

Eunuch Seok swallowed his troubled breath. In approximately two hours, the fireworks would begin. Securing a prime seat at Unhwa Pavilion now would be harder than plucking stars from the sky. He suppressed the sigh threatening to escape his lips, bowing his head in respectful obedience.

“I shall obey Your Highness’s command.”

“I shall be going out personally as well, so prepare accordingly.”

“Pardon, Your Highness?”

“I am simply far too anxious.”

Though he had intended to grant Anok a day to relax in complete freedom, his own underlying anxiety had reached its peak. He could no longer bear it. If Anok was not within his line of sight, a suffocating unease consumed him.

Given the modest pile of official dispatches, he should have finished long ago. His far slower pace today was largely because his thoughts kept drifting back to Anok.

“How is your headache, Your Highness? Shall I summon Master Physician Do after all?”

“After drinking the tea you brought, it has eased considerably. I am fine, so there is no need.”

“I am relieved to hear that, Your Highness. I shall hurry with the preparations so you may venture out in comfort.”

“Do not cause a commotion. Anok would not desire that.”

“I shall keep Your Highness’s words firmly in mind.”

Ever since their marriage, Yeo Jae-won had frequently displayed a surprisingly lenient side. Eunuch Seok mused that even his stern, formidable lord seemed to soften during the early days of matrimony. Smiling in quiet relief, he hurried out to carry out his orders.

Meanwhile, the fiery red tail of sunset began to settle over the waterside shops along the river. As it was early summer, the sun lingered longer than usual before dipping below the horizon.

Once twilight fully descended, crowds would begin filling the grand, multi-tiered pavilions overlooking the Red River.

Yet Anok wished to remain among the bustling streets along the water, repeatedly declining Eunuch Im’s earnest suggestions to move.

Eunuch Im was visibly disappointed at his inability to guide his master to a comfortable, elevated seat. His master had arranged a magnificent spot even for a child he had barely met, making it entirely baffling why Anok insisted on remaining buried within the common throng.

For Anok, however, this outing was a rare luxury. Counting from his past life, it had been nearly seven or eight years since he had experienced anything like it. Even while residing at Baekya Manor, Anok had been unable to walk among dense crowds—whenever he did, he heard nothing but stinging insults hurled at his back.

Yet here, no one spared him a second glance. The mere fact that he could exist as just another ordinary passerby to those around him was a strange, wondrous sensation he had rarely experienced.

Even amidst such a vast crowd, not a single person pointed a finger or uttered a curse. Anok simply wished to savor this precious feeling a little longer.

“Your Highness.”

Yet even that modest wish was not granted.

The moment he heard the formal title—one he had hoped to escape in a place like this—Anok’s expression slowly hardened. Standing before him as he turned was Court Lady Lee.

“His Highness Prince Myeong has sent me. A private suite has been prepared at Unhwa Pavilion. Would Your Highness be pleased to view the rest of the fireworks comfortably from there?”

Though Court Lady Lee offered the suggestion in a deferential tone, Anok knew that Yeo Jae-won sending his personal attendant to deliver such a message was practically an ultimatum.

“His Highness is deeply concerned for Your Highness’s safety.”

“Concerned…… Yes, he must have sent you out of concern.”

Anok offered a bitter smile and nodded. In that moment, a quiet thought washed over him: Yeo Jae-won and I are fated to remain at odds like this forever.

He knew, in truth. Accidental panics and brawls were frequent in crowded places, and Yeo Jae-won merely wished to ensure Anok was not caught up in harm’s way.

Furthermore, Anok rarely engaged in idle conversation with Yeo Jae-won unless strictly necessary. They did not understand each other well enough to grasp what the other was feeling, or what choices they would make in a given situation.

Thus, even knowing Yeo Jae-won had intended to express genuine concern—and that he had secured the seat so Anok could watch the fireworks in peace—Anok could not suppress a surge of quiet resentment.

I thought things would change. I believed he was trying to change. He had allowed himself to believe that he was not the only one desperate to avoid repeating their past life. That was precisely why the disappointment cut so deeply. In the end, Yeo Jae-won still sought to keep everything under his absolute control, just as he had in their past life.

Though he tried to distance himself and dismiss it as meaningless, Anok was still forced to confront the fragile, lingering expectations left within his heart.

Releasing a shallow sigh filled with quiet resignation, Anok gave an indifferent nod.

“Very well. Let us proceed to Unhwa Pavilion.”

He raised his chin slightly to signal her to lead the way, though his gaze remained fixed listlessly on the ground below.

Eunuch Im, who had repeatedly urged a move to a safer location, had finally gotten his wish, yet no trace of joy showed on his face. Instead, he looked at Anok with an anxious, worried expression.

The entire way to the lavishly decorated Unhwa Pavilion, the retinue maintained a heavy, frozen silence, as though isolated from the noisy, joyful streets around them.

Unhwa Pavilion, with small lanterns hanging beneath every ornate eave, was already packed with eager guests. In several private suites, windows had already been thrown wide open in anticipation of the fireworks.

Though Anok wore plain, unadorned robes, the shop clerk instantly recognized Court Lady Lee and greeted the party with utmost deference. He guided them up to the third floor—the grand top floor of Unhwa Pavilion. Since a single spacious room occupied the entire floor, the layout was remarkably vast.

“As you are here to view the fireworks display, shall I open the large windows in advance?”

The clerk pointed toward a seating arrangement arranged before a grand moon window, noting it offered the finest, most unobstructed view of the river. A small tea table in front already held light refreshments—mostly dry delicacies that would not spoil or chill even if the evening breeze blew through.

“No, that will not be necessary.”

Anok offered a gentle smile and shook his head. The one who had forced him into this seat was Yeo Jae-won, not the clerk, so there was no reason to treat the man coldly.

The vast room was so exquisitely furnished that it was impossible to find a single flaw. On one side stood a twelve-panel folding screen painted with landscapes of the four seasons’ mountains and rivers. Beside it sat a pristine geomungo, prepared for a musician to enter and play at a moment’s notice.

Turning toward the south side of the room, he saw it opened onto a wide, sweeping veranda that encircled the outer structure. Anok stepped out and took a seat there. The clerk returned swiftly bearing warm tea, perceptively handing the tray to Eunuch Im.

Food or drink from the outside world had to be tested by the eunuch first. Only after verifying it was entirely free of poison could it be presented to his master. Eunuch Im tested the tea, then hurriedly moved the small table beneath the moon window closer to the veranda.

After taking two small sips of Baekho Eunchim silver needle tea from a celadon cup painted with clouds and cranes, Anok suddenly rose from his seat.

Stepping out onto the wooden veranda required only crossing a single low threshold. The deep indigo sky of dusk and the vibrant, bustling city below swept into view all at once.

Perhaps because the veranda was elevated high on the third floor, the carved wooden railing reached quite high. Resting his hands lightly upon it to steady himself, Anok inhaled deeply. The vast, open view seemed to ease the heavy tightness in his chest just a little.

“Anok.”

At the unexpected call of his name, he turned around sharply without thinking. In that split second, his body lost its balance. He felt his right foot—the pivot on which he had turned—slip against the polished wood. In the next moment, he was certain he would either tumble backward over the high railing or fall face-first in a humiliating heap. He squeezed his eyes shut tight.

“……!”

Had a firm, powerful arm not caught him tightly around his waist to support his back, he would have plummeted three stories to the stone streets below.

A rich, distinct fragrance washed over him. It was not unfamiliar, yet he could not quite bring himself to call it familiar either—heavy, yet distinctly cool. It was the exact scent he had drawn into his lungs when he took that deep breath moments ago.

Frowning slightly, Anok slowly opened his eyes.

Like a married couple keeping a deliberate distance, the two stood staring at each other in total silence for a long moment. Then, with visibly flustered hands, Yeo Jae-won helped Anok upright and guided him away from the outer railing, drawing him closer toward the safety of the inner room.

“That……”

“I……”

Both opened their mouths simultaneously, only to catch themselves and fall silent at the same time.

“I understand your desire to view the fireworks up close, but let us step inside first.”

“……Yes, Your Highness.”

Yeo Jae-won guided Anok safely into the room before stepping inside himself.

Eunuch Seok had evidently assumed they would view the display from within the grand hall. Recalling the clerk’s recommendation that this was the prime spot, the two sat facing each other below the grand moon window in the heavy, awkward atmosphere, while the attendants respectfully withdrew to the outer corridor.

“What were you about to say earlier?”

“Ah…… I wished to express my gratitude for securing this seat, but I also wanted to ask that you refrain from doing such things in the future.”

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