Chapter 7

The Emperor's golden eyes scrutinized every corner of Lady Borim's face openly. Lady Borim, captivated by the fine dust-like gold sprinkled in his eyes, wanted to ask what wrong she had done. However, since she couldn't speak carelessly from the bed, she clenched her teeth and looked at her hands. His thick, long fingers moved and touched Lady Borim's flushed cheek. As his hand slid a bit further inward, it reached Lady Borim's eyes. The Emperor bowed his waist and approached Lady Borim closely. Was he going to kiss her? Startled, Lady Borim tightly shut her eyes, and the Emperor burst into laughter.

"You resemble him, yet you don't."

Not understanding his words, Lady Borim opened her eyes and looked at the Emperor. He laughed. Despite knowing she shouldn't be affected by the charming smile spreading on his beautiful face, her heart raced wildly. The Emperor's fingertips touched under her eyes, the flesh beneath her flushed cheek, and her jaw. As his face drew closer, his scent grew stronger. Her heart pounded even harder.

"Ahh..."

She whimpered, her face reddening as if tickled. The Emperor lightly kissed her cheek. His lips were so tender that for a moment, she mistook it for his fingertips. But as the Emperor's face came closer, she widened her eyes. He chuckled softly as he kissed her cheek repeatedly.

"Your scent is different from your child's too."

Was it an accident that his lips touched hers while he intended to let her smell his fragrance? Lady Borim shook her head in confusion. The Emperor grabbed her loosely hanging hand and lifted it to hold it. His sharp and sturdy nose now touched her neck. It was where the scent was the strongest. The Emperor pressed his nose against it and exhaled a languid breath, murmuring.

"Weird. Different from the child. Your face resembles each other, but the feeling, the scent, everything is different."

"Are you referring to Kang?"

Lady Borim gathered her courage and asked. The Emperor lifted his face from her neck. His silver hair cascaded down and spread over Lady Borim's collarbone like water. After blinking innocent eyes, he gave a serene smile.

"Is the child's name Kang?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

It is a name given by Your Majesty. Lady Borim swallowed the words. The Emperor mumbled the name and then added with a smile.

"It's a name that suits the cute face well."

The Emperor grasped Lady Borim's slender waist. He wrapped her with his strong, masculine arms and sat her on his lap. Lady Borim, who hadn't properly nestled against him before, blushed and lowered her eyes. The Emperor's gaze scrutinized her features. She resembled the child a lot. The child had a gentler appearance.

"The child likes sweets. What kind of sweets does he like?"

With a whimper, Lady Borim managed to speak.

"He... likes all kinds of sweets."

"I see."

The Emperor muttered curtly and called in a servant. As soon as the servant entered, they prostrated themselves on the floor. The Emperor, with indifferent eyes, looked at the servant's bowed figure and commanded in a low, grave voice.

"Tell the kitchen to make all kinds of sweets."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The servant replied politely. The Emperor, raising his calm face contrasting Lady Borim's flushed one, looked at the servant and said calmly.

"Now, send Lady Borim away."

The cold intensified as the days went by. With the rising sun and the wind that seemed to freeze the world the next day as the moon set, snow poured down fiercely. The royalties, including the Emperor who inherited the blood of wolves, usually went about in light clothing, but even ordinary royal members, wearing fur and leather coats, shivered in the cold.

"Achoo!"

Even Yeon Kang, about to turn five, shivered despite wearing a deer coat. Yeon Kang held his frozen little hands near the hearth brought by the palace maids. Although the warmth thawed his hands, it was not enough to warm his body. Yeon Kang couldn't bear the cold. Staying in the small corner of the palace, he often caught the chill wind. This year, as always, when the cold wind hit, Yeon Kang sniffled. Lady Borim gently stroked Yeon Kang's face with a worried touch.

"Oh dear, you're so warm. Feels like you have a fever..."

"Should I call the physician?"

A nanny, in charge of Yeon Kang's care, approached, setting aside the sewing she was doing. Lady Borim hugged Yeon Kang to her chest and rubbed his hands and feet. Yet, despite her efforts, when Yeon Kang shivered, he pressed his face against his mother's chest.

"Mother, I'm cold..."

His whimper weakened Lady Borim's resolve. At first, she thought he was just feeling cold, but when she touched his tender neck, she felt the warmth. Lady Borim suddenly felt anxious. The faces of dying children flashed before her. The cold in Yeon was as bitter as torture, and the children, fragile as swaying reeds, struggled to endure it. Just a few days ago, one of the children had died after suffering from a fever. The sight of the mother cradling her child and crying was vivid in her mind. Lady Borim pressed her cheek against Yeon Kang's hand and murmured softly.

"Even if we call for the physician, will they come right away... That's my worry."

"Still, we should call, my Lady. I will request them to come immediately."

The nanny rose gracefully. As she was about to leave, Lady Borim stopped her. She took out a purse she had secretly kept under the bed. Inside was a portion of Lady Borim's allowance. After a moment of hesitation, she took out the money and placed it in the nanny's hand.

"Give this to the physician when you ask them to come."

"Yes, my Lady."

The nanny went out of the palace to find the physician. Unable to wait for her return, Lady Borim ordered a maid to brew honey tea to warm Yeon Kang. When the maid brought the tea, Lady Borim tried to feed it to Yeon Kang, but he kept snuggling into her arms, still shivering. Lady Borim pulled the blanket over him. Yeon Kang, with his face buried in Lady Borim's chest, whispered.

"Mother... I'm sorry."

Yeon Kang looked up at Lady Borim with calf-like eyes. Lady Borim gently stroked his roughened cheek due to the winter wind and touched his forehead. She didn't feel good about the warmth on his forehead.

"It's okay. The physician will come soon."

Nestled in her arms like a baby, Yeon Kang gripped Lady Borim's sleeve tightly and added.

"When I turn six... I can't live with you anymore, that's what the nanny said. Can't I really see you anymore?"

The realization that he couldn't see his mother made Yeon Kang suddenly teary-eyed. Despite his proper upbringing, the thought of parting with his mother weighed heavily on him. Lady Borim silently wiped away the tears from her son's eyes.

"There's nothing we can do. As the son of His Majesty, you must live for him. You must obey whatever His Majesty says. Do you understand?"

"But His Majesty has Brother Song and Brother Ju..."

Lady Borim pressed her finger against Yeon Kang's lips to silence him, signaling him to be quiet. Understanding quickly, Yeon Kang closed his mouth and fidgeted. When Lady Borim poured some tea into his mouth, he obediently swallowed it.

After finishing the tea, Yeon Kang started to doze off, feeling the warmth. He felt drowsy, as if the subtle warmth inside and the chilly wind outside were making him sleepy. After ensuring that Yeon Kang could lean against her fully, Lady Borim stood up. The nanny still hadn't returned. She wanted to get medical attention for Yeon Kang before the chill worsened, but perhaps due to the cloudy weather, it seemed to take a long time for her to return.

What should she do? Holding the child, Lady Borim, lost in thought, decided to wait. It seemed better to wait indoors with a feverish child than to venture outside.

After laying the child on the bed, Lady Borim glanced at the clothes the nanny had been making. Yeon Jin, the son of Sook-bi, had already turned one. When Yeon Kang turned one, he didn't even have a name, but the son of Sook-bi received his name as soon as he was born. Even the silk of the clothes was different. Apart from those, everything allocated to them was different.

She came from humble roots. Although she gained fame and wealth as a merchant selling crowns, in the palace, she was nothing more than a passing ant. The Emperor was always surrounded by beloved women.

The marriage was unwanted from the start. Her family felt the same. Seeing her being taken away like a thief being shoved into a pot, her parents cried bitterly. Her mother grabbed her departing daughter's hand and cried out.

"Please, don't die."

In the palace, many women either died or went mad easily. That was frightening. She was afraid she might also go mad and die.

"Yes, as long as I don't die..."

Lady Borim trailed off as she touched the simple clothes of her son. The nanny who had gone outside was shivering as she came back in. Lady Borim hurriedly covered her with fur and warmed her frozen hands by the hearth. Finally, the nanny looked up and spoke.

"The physician in charge of the Ahyang Palace is busy. Princess Yeri is in a severe fever, unable to regain consciousness. Not only that, Princess Sookhyang..."

The nanny trailed off as she looked at Lady Borim meaningfully. Lady Borim understood without her having to say. It was about the death of the queen consort’s daughter. She hadn't even reached her first birthday.

"Her Highness must be very sorrowful. Losing two children already."

"Yes, she's been holding Princess Sukhyang's body and crying for days."

The queen consort had entered into marriage with the emperor at the age of fourteen, and yet she had already lost two children. It felt like just yesterday when their first son had tragically died from consuming poison. Lady Borim, overwhelmed with sympathy, turned her head to look at Kang sleeping on the bed. His chubby cheeks were on full display. Seeing him sleep so peacefully with slightly parted lips, she couldn't help but smile contentedly.

Lady Borim sat by the child's head, gently stroking his dark and silky hair. She wished time could stand still, and he could stay by her side forever. She wanted to cherish this adorable sight for a lifetime. Although the emperor was arguably the worst husband, the child born from the seed he left was a precious child who wouldn't hurt a fly.

"Kang, may you grow up to be healthy and find a good woman to live happily with. That's your mother's only wish."

She whispered as she kissed the child's rosy cheeks. Whether the child heard her or not, he squirmed his tiny fingers and made a soft cooing sound while twisting his body. Kang was so lovely that Lady Borim watched him sleeping for a while.

Perhaps relieved that the child was sleeping soundly, Kang suddenly suffered from a high fever in the early morning. When the nanny, who had belatedly heard Yeon Kang crying, woke up, Yeon Kang's body was already burning up. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, the nanny was surprised to see Yeon Kang's flushed face and hurriedly carried him to the eunuch. The eunuch was not far from the Blue House. Although it was against the rules for a palace maid to go to the Blue House without permission, maids and eunuchs who served the same person could meet in emergencies with permission.

After she requested the eunuch to come to the Blue House, the sleepy eunuch came out. Like the nanny, she was startled to see Yeon Kang suffering from a fever.

"No, he was fine until yesterday..."

The eunuch was in a different state from the sobbing nanny; he seemed to have regained his composure. "Did you call for the court physician?" he asked.

"I did, but he hasn't come yet. I gave him the money the Lady provided, but he said he would come when he has time, as Princess Yeri's condition is quite severe," the nanny replied.

"For now, go to Lady Borim."

"Shouldn't you call for the court physician? I will wait with the Lady at the Blue House."

"Very well. I'll do my best to bring the court physician, so please wait a little longer."

With that, the eunuch hurried away for the sake of his grandson, who he regarded like his own son. Watching him disappear, the nanny also hastened her steps. She had to wake Lady Borim. Though she was like a fading flame in the palace, Lady Borim was the only one she could rely on. Yeon Song, who showed a little kindness to Yeon Kang, brushed past her, but she shook her head. Yeon Song was barely five years old; what could a mere prince do for them?

Breathless sounds escaped Yeon Kang's lips. His head seemed to ache, and he grimaced, indicating pain. His cheeks, flushed as if about to burst, looked pitiful. The nanny removed her own coat and wrapped it around Yeon Kang's back.

"Ah, it's cold..."

Shivering from the cold, the nanny searched the snowy path with her eyes. Despite the efforts of the soldiers and courtiers to clear the snow, it continued to pile up, having fallen again during the night. Born in a seaside village, she had found snow fascinating at first, but now it was nothing but a nuisance. To her, snow in the capital city was a dreadful thing.

She cautiously stepped on the frozen path, trying not to slip. She was on high alert, as if walking on pins and needles. The dim light of dawn sparsely illuminated the path leading to the Blue House.

When she arrived near the faint light of dawn, leaving behind a blur, she felt relieved. The illuminated Cheong Palace was visible. Soon, she would be able to go to Lady Borim. With that relief, she stretched her legs, but in an instant, slipped, causing her body to sway. Her face turned pale instantly. If the prince were injured, she would be punished, at least with a beating, for causing harm to the prince. In that moment, her own safety raced through her mind faster than the prince's health.

She couldn't even make a sound as she tightly shut her eyes.

"Huh...?"

But she didn't crash to the ground. Slowly opening her eyes due to the strength holding her arms tightly, the nanny stood, overlooking a world drenched in a dense blue light, with someone firmly holding her.

A man in black clothing, his face half-covered by black cloth, was the emperor's close guard. His indifferent gaze pierced her from head to toe. She stood on trembling legs, only staring blankly at the guard. The presence of the guard here implied the presence of the emperor nearby. Swallowing her fear, she knelt with the prince in her arms, facing the cold eyes.

She couldn't make a sound. Even her breathing was the same. She had to quietly lower her head until the emperor passed.

Please, pass quickly. Holding the prince tightly, she prayed fervently inwardly. But then, a familiar voice floated above her head like a cloud.

"Whose child are you holding?"

The emperor showed interest in the prince. Trembling, the nanny faithfully answered while nearly buried in her eyes.

"Your Majesty, the humble one holds..."

"The introduction is unnecessary."

The emperor impatiently cut off the nanny’s introduction. Exhaling lightly, he asked in a low voice,

"I asked whose child you hold. Whose child is it?"

The nanny gently lowered the child's coat covering his back to reveal his face. She kept her gaze fixed on the ground, not daring to look up as the emperor hadn't permitted her to show her face.

The emperor squinted his eyes and scrutinized the child closely. Shifting from watching through the carriage window, he stepped down and lifted the child into his arms.

The emperor had never embraced any child other than the crown prince. Though he had cradled newborn daughters, kissed them, and even sent them off to the afterlife, this felt different. The child in his arms was as light as a feather but as hot as a heated stone. Drenched in sweat, with black hair sticking to his forehead, the child's unusually pale and flushed cheeks were even more pronounced.

"It seems he's caught a fever. Is it a trend among children these days?" The emperor clicked his tongue and pressed his palm against the child's flushed cheeks and neck. He recoiled at the intense heat.

"With such a high fever, have you neglected to care for the prince all this time?" The emperor scolded the nanny while cradling the child in a familiar manner. His thunderous reprimand reverberated through the air. Terrified, the nanny prostrated herself flat on the frozen ground, pleading.

"N-no, Your Majesty! I-I sent for the physician, but Princess Yeri was in a bad condition, too so Gui-bi called the physician.”

Upon hearing the nanny's explanation, the emperor instructed the attendant carrying a torch.

"Investigate the physicians responsible for the palace immediately. Allowing the prince to suffer like this is tantamount to neglecting the heavens."

The emperor's tone was gentle and soft, befitting an emperor, but the emotions beneath were more terrifying than a thunderous decree. The nursemaid closed her eyes and was certain. The wrists of the physicians responsible for the palace would be severed like necks. Imagining their cries echoing like smoke, she shivered.

The emperor shifted his gaze from the nanny to his young son, who was panting heavily, his chest heaving. Watching his son barely breathe, as if his breath could cease at any moment, the emperor's interest was piqued. A brief smile flickered across his eyes.

"We're heading to Cheonggeum Palace."

Leaving the frozen gaze of the nanny behind, the emperor climbed onto the sedan chair. Like someone eager to impart his warmth to the child's cheeks, he kept his palm pressed against them, reluctant to remove it. His large hand completely covered the child's face.

"Summon the imperial physician."

"At your command, Your Majesty!"

Throughout the journey to Cheonggeum Palace, the emperor held the child with one arm. For an emperor who had carried two children in his arms with ease, this was a simple task. However, what weighed on his mind was the child's weight. Despite being four years old, he was light, as if he hadn't eaten or grown properly.

He held the squirming child tightly. "It hurts... Mother..." The child muttered, pressing his hot cheek against the emperor's broad and sturdy shoulder. Tears, due to the fever, soaked the emperor's robes.

Passing silently through the 12 doors opened by the palace maids, the emperor entered the bedchamber. The emperor, having removed his shoes, drew back the curtains covering the bed. Crimson and transparent curtains fluttered gently, concealing the emperor and the child's bodies. The emperor gently laid the child on the bed. The child gasped for breath, his eyelashes fluttering with tears. Tears clung to his chubby cheeks, mismatching the redness of his cheeks. A transparent tear crawled over the chubby cheeks that didn't suit his childish face. Glittering and transparent, it left a trail.

Unhappy with it, the emperor wiped it away with his thumb. It was a very delicate and careful touch. As if afraid it might break. The emperor's tender concern was in his fingertips.

Sensing the emperor's warmth, the child's eyes slowly opened. His fever-ridden black eyes didn't recognize the emperor even as they penetrated his transparent and beautiful golden eyes. With a faint smile and a feeble voice, he spoke.

"Puppy..."

The child's hand touched the emperor's cheek. The warm hand gently warmed the cold cheek. The warmth seeped into his veins. The emperor's expression initially furrowed, but as the child's hand lingered on his skin, it melted into affection. He smiled kindly, just like before. The child, seeming to enjoy it, smiled brightly with his flushed face.

"Come eat sweets... to Cheong Palace... I'm there. My name is..."

The child lost consciousness due to the fever. Unwilling to let go of the child's hand as it fell limp, the emperor held onto his wrist. The small and delicate wrist was held in his hand with space to spare. The emperor pressed his nose against the child's palm, then gently opened his feverish lips.

"What's your name? What is it?"

The emperor asked softly. The child half-opened his eyes, barely conscious. Despite suffering from the fever, he stroked the emperor's cheek and said firmly,

"Kang."

After revealing his name, the child lost consciousness. The emperor gazed at the hand that had fallen from his cheek to the bed. Then, he felt the heat that had settled on his cheek. It was hot. It felt like his skin would melt. The emperor continued to touch the cheek, looking at the unconscious child.

"Kang... my baby."

The emperor murmured softly, smiling. "Not bad. To have a son..." He leaned down, pulling the child close. Then, seeming unsatisfied, he tossed aside his imperial robe and climbed into bed, still holding the child. Holding the child in his arms, he couldn't hold him too tightly, so he held him awkwardly with gentle force.

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