“Didn’t I tell you not to frolic recklessly in the palace? How dare you play in His Majesty’s snowfield! You’re lucky His Majesty spared you with his boundless generosity; otherwise, you would have lost your head long ago!”
Lady Bo-rim raised her hand sharply, the thin, nimble switch slashing Yeon Kang’s tender flesh like a whip. Yeon Kang, trembling and trying his best to endure, finally burst into tears. His exposed buttocks stung terribly.
“I’m sorry, Mother…!”
Even as Yeon Kang cried with his cute face, Lady Bo-rim merely scoffed and didn’t relent. The emperor, having transformed into a wolf and brought Yeon Kang back, had shown leniency, but Lady Bo-rim was determined to punish him harshly to ensure he would never commit such an act again.
She whipped him until Yeon Kang’s buttocks turned a fiery red, and small droplets of blood began to trickle down. The nanny, who was watching, bit her nails anxiously, while the chief eunuch, An, looked on indifferently, reading a book.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Mother!”
The more Yeon Kang’s cries intensified, the more brutal Lady Bo-rim’s strikes became. When Yeon Kang had first disappeared, she had truly feared that the boy might be lost somewhere in the palace forever. Her heart sank, pounding heavily with anxiety. Her hands trembled with fear, and even her breathing became unstable. But then, the boy had appeared, clinging to the emperor, who had brought him to Cheong Palace. Relief turned to foreboding, and when the emperor left without a word, it shifted to fury. Because of Yeon Kang’s mischief, not only Lady Bo-rim but also Eunuch An and the nanny had almost lost their lives.
Today, the crime Yeon Kang committed was one of desecration. It was a crime for a prince who could not transform into a wolf to enter the hills where royal family members who could transform into wolves roamed. Given the gravity of the offense, which had nearly led everyone to their deaths, it was only natural for Yeon Kang to be beaten by Lady Bo-rim. Until the age of six, the upbringing of a prince or princess was entirely the responsibility of their biological mother. After that, it depended on how powerful the mother was and how much favor she had with the emperor. Lacking such influence, Lady Bo-rim intended to educate her child at least to the minimum standards to avoid drawing ire.
For Yeon Kang to survive, this was the best strategy. The only thing a mother who never caught the emperor's eye could do was ensure her child didn't attract negative attention, to live quietly, crawling on the ground like a mouse. Becoming a prince was out of the question. Even considering the position of crown prince was beyond reach.
What Lady Bo-rim desired was merely for her child to grow up healthily, to become a grown man and leave the palace. She earnestly wished for him to enjoy freedom, even if she herself had to die there.
“I cannot forgive you. Do you not understand that your single mistake could result in everyone's death?”
Lady Bo-rim shouted, striking the child's buttocks the prescribed number of times. Eventually, the switch snapped with a crack. Yeon Kang buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Lady Bo-rim, panting, looked at Yeon Kang's trembling back.
His buttocks were redder than cheeks exposed to the winter wind, swollen like a well-ripened apple. Seeing the deep red bruises, Lady Bo-rim sighed and looked at Eunuch An. Finally, after observing for a while, Eunuch An stood up. He set aside the book he was reading, approached slowly, and picked up Yeon Kang. As the child, still sniffling, tried to cling to him, Eunuch An glared at him sternly.
Yeon Kang hiccupped and trembled, clearly wary of his surroundings.
"How long will you continue to act like a child? Soon, you will have to study with the other princes. Are you going to cry there too?"
"But... but..."
Yeon Kang mumbled in a tearful voice, wiping his tear-filled eyes.
"I didn't know... that place was where my father..."
"When will you stop using that language?"
Eunuch An gently but firmly chastised the child as he put him down and helped him pull up his fallen pants. Yeon Kang groaned from the pain and heat in his stinging buttocks, his shoulders trembling. Only then did Eunuch An take a closer look at the child's appearance. His sweat-soaked black hair clung to his forehead, and his eyes were swollen and red from crying so much. He looked pitiable, like a puppy caught in the rain. His cheeks, flushed and rough from the cold wind, and his chapped lips added to his woeful appearance.
Kneeling on the ground to meet Yeon Kang's eyes, Eunuch An's softened gaze made the boy burst into tears again.
"I understand, so please stop," he said gently.
If Yeon Kang had been the child of a favored concubine loved by the emperor, Eunuch An would never have dared to act as he did. Realizing he had overstepped, Eunuch An bowed his head.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
Yeon Kang nodded glumly, his round cheeks red and damp. Tears clung to his eyelashes, making him look even more pitiful. The sight tugged at Eunuch An's heart, and he led Yeon Kang to the Inner Servants' Room.
The Inner Servants' Room, where only a few eunuchs remained on duty, was quiet. Eunuch An motioned for the eunuchs who had risen to greet him to sit back down and retrieved a jar. He intended to give Yeon Kang the sweets allotted to princes and princesses each day. As he did this, the eunuch on duty took out a brush and began to record everything: the time, Yeon Kang's name, the name of the person giving the sweets, the location, and the specific jar used. These meticulous records were kept to hold the responsible party accountable if any prince or princess fell ill after consuming food.
"You haven't had your sweets today, have you?" asked Eunuch An.
The eunuch spoke kindly as he placed the sweet in Yeon Kang's tiny hand. Normally, Yeon Kang would have eagerly bitten into it, but today he simply clutched the sweet and squirmed. Was it because of the pain from his spanking by Lady Bo-rim? But the way he was shifting his dark, bead-like eyes around suggested there was more to it. The eunuch’s droopy eyes twitched with suspicion. What on earth is this prince up to?
Yeon Kang slyly hid the sweet behind his back. Though he tried to conceal it, his childlike actions were plainly visible. The eunuch found the prince both adorable and amusing, so he chuckled softly, tucking his hands into his sleeves. To the aging eunuch, waiting for the end of his days, Prince Yeon Kang was like a grandson.
“Are you planning to give it to someone?” the eunuch asked perceptively. Yeon Kang awkwardly smiled and mumbled, “Uh… well, you see…” He seemed uneasy, glancing at the other eunuchs in the room. With a bird-like flutter of his lips, he made a request.
“My bottom hurts. Can you carry me?”
With innocent eyes, Yeon Kang asked the eunuch. Ready to grant the prince’s every wish, the eunuch lifted him and carried him outside. Only when they reached the more secluded back garden did Yeon Kang seem to relax. He let out a long breath and looked at the eunuch.
Unable to sit due to the pain, the child stood and smiled sheepishly at the eunuch. The sight of the pretty child’s endearing smile made the eunuch’s heart skip a beat, leaving him dizzy.
“I met a very big puppy today. It was very kind and brought me here. I promised to give it a sweet to thank it,” Yeon Kang explained.
When Yeon Kang mentioned the word "puppy," the eunuch's expression hardened. Although hunting dogs were raised in the palace grounds, there shouldn't be any puppies at the moment. Puppies were small creatures, after all, and there had been no news of the Emperor's dogs breeding. But a puppy…? The eunuch bent down, unease growing, and met the prince’s eyes. Yeon Kang, unaware, continued to smile innocently, clutching the sweet tightly.
“The puppy was very kind. It licked me and comforted me…”
“Do you remember the eyes of this puppy, by any chance?” the eunuch asked in a lowered voice. Yeon Kang blinked and answered cutely, “Yes. They were the same gold color as Abamama’s.”
The eunuch's complexion turned pale. It wasn’t just any common puppy but the Emperor himself. The Emperor, who loved snow, had likely transformed into a wolf and was playing in the snowy field when he found the child. Since the eunuch had only seen Lady Bo-rim scold the child after bringing him back, he hadn't heard the full story and didn't know who had brought Yeon Kang to the garden. Realizing belatedly who had accompanied Yeon Kang, the eunuch closed his eyes and groaned.
He now understood why Lady Bo-rim had been so furious. Not only had the prince ventured into the snowy field, but he had also dared to call the Emperor a puppy. The offense was grave enough that it could have cost the lives of the eunuchs, palace maids, and nurses responsible for his care.
“Oh dear…” The eunuch pressed his forehead, groaning in distress. Yeon Kang looked at him anxiously, trying to figure out what he had done wrong. He counted his chubby fingers, thinking hard.
Unable to recall any misdeed, the child whimpered and tugged at the eunuch's sleeve. “What did I do wrong? I don’t understand. Please tell me.”
The eunuch leaned against the wall and looked at Yeon Kang, who seemed like a small, helpless animal. Due to his mother’s lack of favor, this pitiful prince had never been embraced by his father since birth. He didn’t even receive a name until a year after he was born, when a minister petitioned for it. Such was his status that he hadn’t even seen his father transform into a wolf. Both the eunuch and Lady Bo-rim were well aware that the Emperor showed no interest in Yeon Kang. The sole reason Yeon Kang was raised as an unloved, disposable child was that he didn’t inherit the wolf’s blood. He was an ordinary child. Apart from his extremely cute appearance, thanks to his mother’s exceptional beauty, he was considered unnecessary in the palace.
In fact, many of the Emperor’s children, like Yeon Kang, had faded away without leaving a trace. Children born among numerous concubines and mistresses often died before they reached a year old or even before they turned six, so the eunuchs didn’t pay them much attention. The Emperor himself was a cruel man who didn’t blink an eye even when his Empress and two children died when he was seventeen. He had even ordered the demolition of the palace where they died, calling it cursed, despite the ministers’ pleas since the Empress Dowager lived there. The Emperor didn’t revoke his command.
The eunuch felt perplexed as to why such an Emperor had kept Yeon Kang alive.
“What’s wrong?” Yeon Kang asked innocently, noticing the eunuch’s pale face standing out in the darkness. The eunuch sighed and touched the boy’s cheek. The rougher texture compared to the day before was pitiful.
The face, smiling innocently and without knowing anything, felt heartbreaking. Yeon Kang was a prince who could have been loved enough, yet he was treated like a weed growing in the street, always having to be cautious.
“It wasn’t a puppy,” the eunuch said.
“What?” Yeon Kang tilted his head in confusion. The eunuch, with his wrinkled and rough hand, cupped the boy’s cheek and spoke clearly.
“That wasn’t a puppy.”
“He is the esteemed Heavenly Emperor. Do you understand?” Yeon Kang looked at the eunuch with innocent eyes, not knowing anything, then nodded, first to the right, then to the left. The eunuch’s heart, swaying like a flower in the breeze at the sight of the innocent child, almost yielded. Amidst the eunuch’s gentle smile, Yeon Kang answered clearly.
“No.”
“What?” The eunuch asked, not understanding what Yeon Kang meant. Yeon Kang tried to split the candy in half to make it easier to eat, but it crumbled in his chubby little hands. Yeon Kang looked gloomy. He handed the shortest piece to the eunuch, indicating that he should share and that he wanted to eat the candy. Eventually, the eunuch chuckled aloud. As he crumbled the candy and popped it into his mouth, he spoke.
“So, you're saying it wasn’t a puppy, but the Emperor?”
“Yeah.”
“No, it was a puppy. The Emperor is scary, but that puppy wasn’t. So… there’s no way it was the Emperor.”
Yeon Kang seemed satisfied with his deduction, but the eunuch paled. Uttering such words anywhere else could cause serious trouble. The eunuch looked into the child’s eyes and explained patiently.
“I know it’s hard to understand, but that wolf is indeed the Emperor. Do you understand? If you say such things elsewhere, Your Highness will be in big trouble. Remember that. He is the Emperor.”
“But it was a puppy…”
The eunuch hurriedly interjected at Yeon Kang's naturally innocent statement.
"Referring to him as a puppy is unacceptable. That alone constitutes an act of disrespect. When His Majesty appears in the form of a wolf, you must quietly prostrate yourself before him. Do you understand how to prostrate properly?" the eunuch asked. Removing his hand and sending a stern look, Yeon Kang rolled his eyes, then nodded his head. His face still showed signs of not fully understanding, but there was a hint of memorization as he heard that it wasn’t a puppy but His Majesty. It seemed better than shouting "puppy!" somewhere and getting punished for blasphemy.
After receiving a scolding from the eunuch and dropping the candy he was about to eat, Yeon Kang was startled by the wind, thinking it was a ghost, and dropped the candy with a loud thud.
"Eunuch An!" Yeon Kang called out and hugged him tightly. The eunuch comforted the trembling Yeon Kang, thinking of him like a father, and Yeon Kang, who followed him closely, nestled in his arms. The eunuch chuckled at Yeon Kang's adorable appearance. No matter how well he spoke, he was still just a child. The eunuch's heart softened as he continued to stroke Yeon Kang's back. When he calmed down, Yeon Kang turned his head to look for the candy, only to see it lying on the ground, causing his shoulders to slump in disappointment. His calf-like black eyes shook with shock.
"The candy…" Yeon Kang murmured desperately. But the eunuch was firm.
“Didn’t I tell you not to frolic recklessly in the palace? How dare you play in His Majesty’s snowfield! You’re lucky His Majesty spared you with his boundless generosity; otherwise, you would have lost your head long ago!”
Lady Bo-rim raised her hand sharply, the thin, nimble switch slashing Yeon Kang’s tender flesh like a whip. Yeon Kang, trembling and trying his best to endure, finally burst into tears. His exposed buttocks stung terribly.
“I’m sorry, Mother…!”
Even as Yeon Kang cried with his cute face, Lady Bo-rim merely scoffed and didn’t relent. The emperor, having transformed into a wolf and brought Yeon Kang back, had shown leniency, but Lady Bo-rim was determined to punish him harshly to ensure he would never commit such an act again.
She whipped him until Yeon Kang’s buttocks turned a fiery red, and small droplets of blood began to trickle down. The nanny, who was watching, bit her nails anxiously, while the chief eunuch, An, looked on indifferently, reading a book.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Mother!”
The more Yeon Kang’s cries intensified, the more brutal Lady Bo-rim’s strikes became. When Yeon Kang had first disappeared, she had truly feared that the boy might be lost somewhere in the palace forever. Her heart sank, pounding heavily with anxiety. Her hands trembled with fear, and even her breathing became unstable. But then, the boy had appeared, clinging to the emperor, who had brought him to Cheong Palace. Relief turned to foreboding, and when the emperor left without a word, it shifted to fury. Because of Yeon Kang’s mischief, not only Lady Bo-rim but also Eunuch An and the nanny had almost lost their lives.
Today, the crime Yeon Kang committed was one of desecration. It was a crime for a prince who could not transform into a wolf to enter the hills where royal family members who could transform into wolves roamed. Given the gravity of the offense, which had nearly led everyone to their deaths, it was only natural for Yeon Kang to be beaten by Lady Bo-rim. Until the age of six, the upbringing of a prince or princess was entirely the responsibility of their biological mother. After that, it depended on how powerful the mother was and how much favor she had with the emperor. Lacking such influence, Lady Bo-rim intended to educate her child at least to the minimum standards to avoid drawing ire.
For Yeon Kang to survive, this was the best strategy. The only thing a mother who never caught the emperor's eye could do was ensure her child didn't attract negative attention, to live quietly, crawling on the ground like a mouse. Becoming a prince was out of the question. Even considering the position of crown prince was beyond reach.
What Lady Bo-rim desired was merely for her child to grow up healthily, to become a grown man and leave the palace. She earnestly wished for him to enjoy freedom, even if she herself had to die there.
“I cannot forgive you. Do you not understand that your single mistake could result in everyone's death?”
Lady Bo-rim shouted, striking the child's buttocks the prescribed number of times. Eventually, the switch snapped with a crack. Yeon Kang buried his face in his hands and sobbed. Lady Bo-rim, panting, looked at Yeon Kang's trembling back.
His buttocks were redder than cheeks exposed to the winter wind, swollen like a well-ripened apple. Seeing the deep red bruises, Lady Bo-rim sighed and looked at Eunuch An. Finally, after observing for a while, Eunuch An stood up. He set aside the book he was reading, approached slowly, and picked up Yeon Kang. As the child, still sniffling, tried to cling to him, Eunuch An glared at him sternly.
Yeon Kang hiccupped and trembled, clearly wary of his surroundings.
"How long will you continue to act like a child? Soon, you will have to study with the other princes. Are you going to cry there too?"
"But... but..."
Yeon Kang mumbled in a tearful voice, wiping his tear-filled eyes.
"I didn't know... that place was where my father..."
"When will you stop using that language?"
Eunuch An gently but firmly chastised the child as he put him down and helped him pull up his fallen pants. Yeon Kang groaned from the pain and heat in his stinging buttocks, his shoulders trembling. Only then did Eunuch An take a closer look at the child's appearance. His sweat-soaked black hair clung to his forehead, and his eyes were swollen and red from crying so much. He looked pitiable, like a puppy caught in the rain. His cheeks, flushed and rough from the cold wind, and his chapped lips added to his woeful appearance.
Kneeling on the ground to meet Yeon Kang's eyes, Eunuch An's softened gaze made the boy burst into tears again.
"I understand, so please stop," he said gently.
If Yeon Kang had been the child of a favored concubine loved by the emperor, Eunuch An would never have dared to act as he did. Realizing he had overstepped, Eunuch An bowed his head.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
Yeon Kang nodded glumly, his round cheeks red and damp. Tears clung to his eyelashes, making him look even more pitiful. The sight tugged at Eunuch An's heart, and he led Yeon Kang to the Inner Servants' Room.
The Inner Servants' Room, where only a few eunuchs remained on duty, was quiet. Eunuch An motioned for the eunuchs who had risen to greet him to sit back down and retrieved a jar. He intended to give Yeon Kang the sweets allotted to princes and princesses each day. As he did this, the eunuch on duty took out a brush and began to record everything: the time, Yeon Kang's name, the name of the person giving the sweets, the location, and the specific jar used. These meticulous records were kept to hold the responsible party accountable if any prince or princess fell ill after consuming food.
"You haven't had your sweets today, have you?" asked Eunuch An.
The eunuch spoke kindly as he placed the sweet in Yeon Kang's tiny hand. Normally, Yeon Kang would have eagerly bitten into it, but today he simply clutched the sweet and squirmed. Was it because of the pain from his spanking by Yeo Soo-eui Bo-rim? But the way he was shifting his dark, bead-like eyes around suggested there was more to it. The eunuch’s droopy eyes twitched with suspicion. What on earth is this prince up to?
Yeon Kang slyly hid the sweet behind his back. Though he tried to conceal it, his childlike actions were plainly visible. The eunuch found the prince both adorable and amusing, so he chuckled softly, tucking his hands into his sleeves. To the aging eunuch, waiting for the end of his days, Prince Yeon Kang was like a grandson.
“Are you planning to give it to someone?” the eunuch asked perceptively. Yeon Kang awkwardly smiled and mumbled, “Uh… well, you see…” He seemed uneasy, glancing at the other eunuchs in the room. With a bird-like flutter of his lips, he made a request.
“My bottom hurts. Could you carry me?”
With innocent eyes, Yeon Kang asked the eunuch. Ready to grant the prince’s every wish, the eunuch lifted him and carried him outside. Only when they reached the more secluded back garden did Yeon Kang seem to relax. He let out a long breath and looked at the eunuch.
Unable to sit due to the pain, the child stood and smiled sheepishly at the eunuch. The sight of the pretty child’s endearing smile made the eunuch’s heart skip a beat, leaving him dizzy.
“I met a very big puppy today. It was very kind and brought me here. I promised to give it a sweet to thank it,” Yeon Kang explained.
When Yeon Kang mentioned the word "puppy," the eunuch's expression hardened. Although hunting dogs were raised in the palace grounds, there shouldn't be any puppies at the moment. Puppies were small creatures, after all, and there had been no news of the Emperor's dogs breeding. But a puppy…? The eunuch bent down, unease growing, and met the prince’s eyes. Yeon Kang, unaware, continued to smile innocently, clutching the sweet tightly.
“The puppy was very kind. It licked me and comforted me…”
“Do you remember the eyes of this puppy, by any chance?” the eunuch asked in a lowered voice. Yeon Kang blinked and answered cutely, “Yes. They were the same gold color as Abamama’s.”
The eunuch's complexion turned pale. It wasn’t just any common puppy but the Emperor himself. The Emperor, who loved snow, had likely transformed into a wolf and was playing in the snowy field when he found the child. Since the eunuch had only seen Lady Bo-rim scold the child after bringing him back, he hadn't heard the full story and didn't know who had brought Yeon Kang to the garden. Realizing belatedly who had accompanied Yeon Kang, the eunuch closed his eyes and groaned.
He now understood why Yeo Soo-eui Bo-rim had been so furious. Not only had the prince ventured into the snowy field, but he had also dared to call the Emperor a puppy. The offense was grave enough that it could have cost the lives of the eunuchs, palace maids, and nurses responsible for his care.
“Oh dear…” The eunuch pressed his forehead, groaning in distress. Yeon Kang looked at him anxiously, trying to figure out what he had done wrong. He counted his chubby fingers, thinking hard.
Unable to recall any misdeed, the child whimpered and tugged at the eunuch's sleeve. “What did I do wrong? I don’t understand. Please tell me.”
The eunuch leaned against the wall and looked at Yeon Kang, who seemed like a small, helpless animal. Due to his mother’s lack of favor, this pitiful prince had never been embraced by his father since birth. He didn’t even receive a name until a year after he was born, when a minister petitioned for it. Such was his status that he hadn’t even seen his father transform into a wolf. Both the eunuch and Yeo Soo-eui Bo-rim were well aware that the Emperor showed no interest in Yeon Kang. The sole reason Yeon Kang was raised as an unloved, disposable child was that he didn’t inherit the wolf’s blood. He was an ordinary child. Apart from his extremely cute appearance, thanks to his mother’s exceptional beauty, he was considered unnecessary in the palace.
In fact, many of the Emperor’s children, like Yeon Kang, had faded away without leaving a trace. Children born among numerous concubines and mistresses often died before they reached a year old or even before they turned six, so the eunuchs didn’t pay them much attention. The Emperor himself was a cruel man who didn’t blink an eye even when his Empress and two children died when he was seventeen. He had even ordered the demolition of the palace where they died, calling it cursed, despite the ministers’ pleas since the Empress Dowager lived there. The Emperor didn’t revoke his command.
The eunuch felt perplexed as to why such an Emperor had kept Yeon Kang alive.
“What’s wrong?” Yeon Kang asked innocently, noticing the eunuch’s pale face standing out in the darkness. The eunuch sighed and touched the boy’s cheek. The rougher texture compared to the day before was pitiful.
The face, smiling innocently and without knowing anything, felt heartbreaking. Yeon Kang was a prince who could have been loved enough, yet he was treated like a weed growing in the street, always having to be cautious.
“It wasn’t a puppy,” the eunuch said.
“What?” Yeon Kang tilted his head in confusion. The eunuch, with his wrinkled and rough hand, cupped the boy’s cheek and spoke clearly.
“That wasn’t a puppy.”
“S/he is the esteemed Heavenly Emperor. Do you understand?” Yeon Kang looked at the eunuch with innocent eyes, not knowing anything, then nodded, first to the right, then to the left. The eunuch’s heart, swaying like a flower in the breeze at the sight of the innocent child, almost yielded. Amidst the eunuch’s gentle smile, Yeon Kang answered clearly.
“No.”
“What?” The eunuch asked, not understanding what Yeon Kang meant. Yeon Kang tried to split the candy in half to make it easier to eat, but it crumbled in his chubby little hands. Yeon Kang looked gloomy. He handed the shortest piece to the eunuch, indicating that he should share and that he wanted to eat the candy. Eventually, the eunuch chuckled aloud. As he crumbled the candy and popped it into his mouth, he spoke.
“So, you're saying it wasn’t a puppy, but the Emperor?”
“Yeah.”
“No, it was a puppy. The Emperor is scary, but that puppy wasn’t. So… there’s no way it was the Emperor.”
Yeon Kang seemed satisfied with his deduction, but the eunuch paled. Uttering such words anywhere else could cause serious trouble. The eunuch looked into the child’s eyes and explained patiently.
“I know it’s hard to understand, but that wolf is indeed the Emperor. Do you understand? If you say such things elsewhere, Your Highness will be in big trouble. Remember that. He is the Emperor.”
“But it was a puppy…”
The eunuch hurriedly interjected at Yeon Kang's naturally innocent statement.
"Referring to him as a puppy is unacceptable. That alone constitutes an act of disrespect. When His Majesty appears in the form of a wolf, you must quietly prostrate yourself before him. Do you understand how to prostrate properly?" the eunuch asked. Removing his hand and sending a stern look, Yeon Kang rolled his eyes, then nodded his head. His face still showed signs of not fully understanding, but there was a hint of memorization as he heard that it wasn’t a puppy but His Majesty. It seemed better than shouting "puppy!" somewhere and getting punished for blasphemy.
After receiving a scolding from the eunuch and dropping the candy he was about to eat, Yeon Kang was startled by the wind, thinking it was a ghost, and dropped the candy with a loud thud.
"Eunuch An!" Yeon Kang called out and hugged him tightly. The eunuch comforted the trembling Yeon Kang, thinking of him like a father, and Yeon Kang, who followed him closely, nestled in his arms. The eunuch chuckled at Yeon Kang's adorable appearance. No matter how well he spoke, he was still just a child. The eunuch's heart softened as he continued to stroke Yeon Kang's back. When he calmed down, Yeon Kang turned his head to look for the candy, only to see it lying on the ground, causing his shoulders to slump in disappointment. His calf-like black eyes shook with shock.
"The candy…" Yeon Kang murmured desperately. But the eunuch was firm.
"No, you can only have two candies a day."
"Why?" Yeon Kang asked, lifting his head. The eunuch reached out his hand. Yeon Kang hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand, tightly holding the eunuch's hand. It was a cozy scene, like a grandfather and grandson. Although it wouldn’t last long, the eunuch decided to cherish Yeon Kang like a grandfather at that moment. Once Yeon Kang turned six, he would no longer be able to stay with the eunuch, the nanny, or the maids. According to the law, he would have to live separately. Perhaps, except on special occasions, he wouldn’t easily see the face of his nanny again.
“That's because of the law. According to the law, the treatment of a child depends on the status of the mother. Therefore, the types of delicacies such as sweets, fruits, and candies vary depending on the mother's status. That's why Your Highness can have two candies.” It was a very limited amount, but even the princes above him couldn't eat much. They were discouraged from consuming sweets from a young age to avoid picky eating and stunted growth. Moreover, children born as wolves preferred fish and meat over sweets and tended to seek out those foods.
"I see… But Prince Song used to have six candies a day," remarked Yeon. Yeon Song, the eldest son of Concubine Sook. He was somewhat attentive to Yeon Kang, knowing the child liked sweets and occasionally saved some to give to him when they met. Yeon Kang was seen as a good prince who followed him around like a puppy, which made Yeon Song find him quite cute.
Despite Yeon Song’s efforts to take care of him, Yeon Kang still felt a sense of longing. Yeon Kang spoke in a sulky voice, and the eunuch, restraining the urge to stroke the child's endearing shoulders, affectionately reassured him, "Don't worry. When you turn six, you'll be able to enjoy better meals in a better place."
Even though he received a reassuring answer, Yeon Kang still sighed in frustration. As they entered the palace, they let go of each other's hands. Yeon Kang led the way, walking gracefully. They headed for the most worn and dilapidated quarters in the palace. There were other maids with lower statuses than the nanny, but they were used less frequently by the Emperor, so the nanny used the shabbiest place. The nanny didn't complain much. Instead, she found solace in the Emperor's indifference. She couldn't help but shiver every time she met the Emperor's eyes. Though beautiful, they weren't the eyes of a human. They were like those of Yama, the King of Hell, choosing which child to kill.