Chapter 15

In the fierce wind, Kang couldn't open his eyes for a while. When the wind subsided and the sun, which could hardly be called warm, shone on his face, Kang slowly opened his eyes.

He was standing in a snowy field. He gently wrapped his reddened cheeks with his tender palms and looked around. There was nothing to be seen. The sunlight covering the snow blinded him. Kang furrowed his brows and walked forward, digging through the snow with his eyes to find someone.

"Is anyone there?"

Kang called out in a youthful yet dignified voice, searching for people. But all he got in return was echoes. Kang exhaled heavily and continued walking forward.

"Please, anyone, just come out."

But once again, only feeble echoes mixed with the wind reached his ears. Kang spread his hands wide and stood still. His eyes gradually narrowed as he concentrated on finding someone. The loneliness emanating from this vast snowy field was terrifying. The endless expanse of white made it impossible to see clearly. It felt like when he used to look at the lake with his Abamama. The bluish, almost sickly lake scared him, so he clung to Abamama. He chuckled happily, bursting into tears, as he cried out from the boat. His mother, standing behind him, looked at Kang anxiously. He could clearly see her face, as he was resting his face on the Emperor's shoulder. Kang reached out to his mother, tears streaming down his face.

"Mother, I want to go to mother. Abamama, please send me to mother."

At that moment, the Emperor openly expressed his anger. Simply because his son wanted to find his mother.

"Why?"

Feeling the Emperor's anger, which seemed bluer than the sea, Kang stiffened his body. The Emperor suddenly put Kang down on the ground and grabbed his shoulders firmly. Kang wanted to cry from the pain that felt like his bones would break, but he couldn't even shed a tear as his mind was locked in the prison of his own heart. When Kang started to sob and get scared, the Emperor sighed and embraced him. This time, he completely blocked Kang's view so he couldn't even see his mother.

"Why do you seek your mother when Abamama is here?"

Since then, Kang never mentioned his mother again. The Emperor's face, sternly asking, "Why?" while staring at him without blinking, remained vividly in Kang's mind. He thought it would have been better if he had expressed his anger or even hit him. The Emperor's gaze, seeming to know nothing, yet directed only at him, was terrifying.

"Okay, I'm sorry..."

Kang swallowed his tears and grasped the Emperor's robes, begging for forgiveness.

"It was my fault... Please, let it go..."

The Emperor smiled. Relieved, Kang let tears stream down his face and hugged the Emperor tightly.

"Please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry."

The Emperor gently kissed Kang's cheek as he whispered.

"You’re so adorable when you cry. I always want to make you cry, but... if I do, baby will suffer."

"Abamama."

Following the Emperor's instructions, Kang sought out Abamama. This vast snowy field belonged to him, and since it was snowing, the Emperor must be somewhere. The Emperor loved the snow. If asked how much, Kang could say he loved it second only to him. Whenever it snowed, he would suddenly disappear, leaving Kang alone. Perhaps right now, he was somewhere rubbing his back against the snow and panting... Kang, thinking about the Emperor, who ignored him like a puppy but acted just like a dog, forgot his fear and began to laugh.

"Abamama!"

As Kang's shout subsided, something came running from afar. It was moving at an incredible speed. At first, it was just a dot, but it gradually took shape at a rapid pace. It was the Emperor. Sure enough, the Emperor, transformed into a wolf, was playing here. Kang smiled happily when the Emperor appeared, but when the beast, as big as a tiger, charged at him, he became frightened. Kang suddenly found himself running away from the Emperor. He couldn't bear to take on that massive creature with his own body.

"Agh!"

However, there was no way a human could match the beast's lightning-fast speed. The wolf crashed into Kang's body in an instant. There was a dull thud as Kang's body collided with the wolf's. Kang's small body rolled like a tumbleweed for quite a short distance. After rolling swiftly for a while, Kang finally stopped and lifted his snow-covered face. The spot where he collided with the wolf throbbed painfully, causing tears to well up momentarily. Sensing Kang's pain, the Emperor, unsure of what to do, spun around in place, whimpering and shedding tears himself. Seeing the Emperor in such a dilemma made Kang's slightly angry heart melt. Kang reached out and grabbed the Emperor's tail, which was swaying in front of him. The wolf turned its head. Though faced with a mere child's fist-sized golden eyes, Kang felt no fear. It was the Emperor, who loved him. Kang smiled and grabbed the tail, stroking and patting it.

"Abamama, your tail is so soft!"

The Emperor, with a look of disdain, lowered his eyes as if disliking it, but knowing that his son liked it, he stayed still. Stubbornly. Kang sat on the Emperor's hip, playing with the tail and rubbing his face against it.

"Ahh, it's so soft. Feels good..." Kang murmured lazily. As he buried his face and exhaled, a pleasant scent wafted up. It emanated from the fragrance oil that softened the Emperor's body.

"It tickles...."

However, instead of the wolf's voice, the voice of a person, the Emperor's distinctive lazy and elegant voice, was heard. The pronunciation was very accurate, piercing Kang's ears. Kang looked up at the sweet voice coming from above his head.

"...Abamama."

The Emperor was lying beneath him. Even the saliva stains and disheveled hair adorned the Emperor's bed, filled with the Emperor's silvery locks.

Kang, mesmerized by the sparkling silver strands more than his eyes, snapped out of his reverie at the touch of a hand caressing his cheek. As Kang tried to scramble down, the Emperor grabbed his waist and spun him around. Now Kang was obscured by the Emperor's thick frame.

Kang felt intimidated by the beautiful dragon eyes so close to him. As he recoiled and turned his head, the Emperor, with a seductive smile, leaned in and kissed Kang's cheek. The Emperor's silvery locks veiled Kang's sight like a curtain.

"Ah, Abamama. I'm sorry. I sleep into your bed so recklessly..."

 "It's okay."

The Emperor chuckled pleasantly as he continued to stroke Kang's head affectionately, flashing a mischievous smile. Kang rolled his calf-like eyes, peering beyond the curtain. The palace attendants observed this scene with impassive faces. Blushing, Kang shifted his body closer to the Emperor's torso, intending to shield himself from their view. He wanted to prevent others from witnessing such a sight.

"What kind of dream did you have that made you seek out your father like this?"

"Oh, that... In my dream, Abamama turned into a wolf and was playing in the snow. But your tail was so fluffy and cute that even I couldn't resist..."

The Emperor burst into laughter, a laugh filled with genuine amusement. Kang relaxed at the sound of it, looking at the Emperor. His crescent-shaped eyes twinkled, and the corners of his lips curled upwards. Seeing the Emperor laugh so freely, despite being tired and weary after court, made Kang feel proud. He gathered the silvery locks that cascaded over his shoulder like a waterfall, revealing the Emperor's face more clearly. His features were finely crafted, as if meticulously drawn by a skilled artisan.

"Did you enjoy it?"

In moments like these, he seemed like an ordinary father. Kang nodded silently. The Emperor chuckled and got up from the bed, sitting lazily on the edge. He leaned on his hand and looked at Kang, who was still lying down. Although Kang was turning twelve soon, he still seemed small and youthful. His face, reminiscent of Lady Borim, with soft features, looked innocent and pure. While his other siblings were getting married or living separately as King, Kang still remained with the Emperor. It was solely because of the Emperor's desire.

Rumors were circulating outside. The officials' words questioning when the Prince would leave the palace could no longer be ignored. Although Kang could be forcibly kept within the palace using his authority, the more he exerted power, the more precarious the situation became. The absent-minded Borim was of no help, and... Kang, who was essentially non-existent as a Prince, was of no use either...

The Emperor contemplated various thoughts while looking at his son.

Reluctantly, the Emperor knew he had to send him off now to firmly establish Kang's position. Shifting his body, the Emperor observed his son's restless hand on the bed. Each finger bore calluses, a natural mark from archery and swordsmanship.

The traces left on his son's pretty fingers didn't please the Emperor at all. They always had to be beautiful. Impulsively, he brushed his lips against his son's fingers.

"Ah... Abamama..."

Kang called out to the Emperor with a pressing voice. He smelled of youth. The scent he had when he was four was now more pronounced. It was a unique scent each person had. The Emperor, engrossed in the scent of Kang, raised his head. Kang stared at him, wide-eyed, trying to understand what the Emperor was doing.

"Did I not say?"

The Emperor jabbed Kang's cheek with his index finger. It was soft because he was a child. When he was four, even a little pressure would make his cheeks red, but now that he was twelve, they had become somewhat firm, reassuring.

"You're like a squirrel. Just like a squirrel gathering acorns."

"Huh?"

"Your eyes are round, like theirs. And your cheeks are chubby, just like theirs when they gather food before hibernation."

Because the Emperor spoke so seriously, Kang's face became even more puzzled. The Emperor knew he had hurt Kang's pride, but he didn't feel like correcting himself. If not a squirrel, then what? As always, he embraced the child. Kang, who had quietly given up as if he had been a child, remained silent.

The Emperor sat Kang between his legs and rested his chin on Kang's head. With his hand on Kang's waist, the Emperor closed his eyes and murmured.

"It seems it's time to let you go..."

The eunuch’s eyes flickered. Kang's fingertips twitched at the mention of the ennoblement. Finally, he would become a royal prince like his other siblings. Yeon Song even had a wife and celebrated the wedding. Yeon Song had received the title of a King and took a nobleman's daughter as his wife that year.

How envious Kang was when he heard Yeon Song talk about kissing his wife and spending a happy night together. Kang's heart pounded with excitement.

The Emperor, who had been closing his eyes, felt his son's excitement. Each day, his son grew. As he grew, he would naturally walk the same path as his siblings. It was natural, a part of destiny, so why did it feel so unpleasant? The Emperor couldn't understand at all. It felt like having an inexplicable illness. He was frustrated, boiling inside with a feeling of oppression, and it was cruel that his innocent son enjoyed it all unknowingly. The Emperor exerted strength in the arm wrapped around his son's waist. He didn't realize how strong he squeezed until Kang whimpered and complained of pain.

The Emperor slowly opened his eyes. He lowered his head and looked at Kang, who nestled in his arms. The child smiled back at him brightly. The child was like the sun that breathed for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't shine so brightly, and he wouldn't be so cruelly burned black inside.

"King Yeonghyeon sounds good."

"King Yeong...?"

"Yeah. Your title."

The Emperor recalled the ennoblement he had received during his own reign. It was Yeonghwi. He had pondered for a while, wanting to give Kang a title similar to his own. Kang, who couldn't possibly understand the meaning, was surprised and asked. The title meant the same as the Emperor's.

"King Yeonghyeon?"

"Yeah. Your royal title."

The Emperor smiled satisfactorily, thinking he had given Kang a title that suited him well.

He released Kang from his embrace. Looking at the child with innocent black eyes and a lovely smile, the Emperor kissed his cheek loudly.

"Even if you become a King, you must not forget your Abamama."

"Yes."

"You must always come back. Understand?"

"Yes."

The Emperor, watching Yeonghyeon, who blushed and shyly smiled, with a blank gaze, rose to his feet. He instructed the waiting court lady.

"Prepare a feast. I'll dine with King Yeonghyeon."

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