The path leading out of the emperor's chamber was deep and long, like a garden within the palace. The vast, open space was filled with columns and artificially created lights, giving the feeling of wandering through an endless cave. As he walked, the red light grew denser, making his vision blur. The lines doubled and tripled, making the columns appear multiplied. Even though he wasn't ascending or descending any steps, his breathing became irregular. Despite his labored breaths, Kang's plump cheeks were tinged with a well-ripened shade of blue. His lips also turned bluish, as if soaked in blue dye.
As he exited the corridor, which rippled with waves of light, and entered the stone path leading to the outer and inner courts, Kang stopped walking and collapsed to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, gasping for air. Damyeong and his followers, who had been watching Kang closely, quickly approached to check on his condition. The healthy color had drained from his face, making him look as pale as a summer's water evaporating or a blank sheet of paper. Biting his lower lip and closing his eyes, Kang didn't even register their touches and concerned glances as he hugged himself, trembling like a delicate creature.
"Your Highness. Should we call for a physician?"
"No..."
Kang answered weakly, his voice trailing off as he half-opened his eyes. His arms, which had been clutching his stomach, slowly loosened. Damyeong instinctively grasped Kang's hand tightly, kneeling beside him and asking gently in a very low voice.
"Your Highness, if your stomachache is severe, it would be better to inform His Majesty."
Kang stubbornly frowned and shook his head. His eyes, now watery as if he were about to cry, remained steady. As Damyeong patted his back, Kang seemed reassured, exhaling his broken breaths slowly and murmuring in a hoarse voice.
"If I complain about my pain now, it will only burden Abamama. Right now, my brother is the most important..."
Kang gave Damyeong a bitter smile. However, with his pale face, smiling only made him look more in pain. Noticing the maturity quietly etched into his pale features, Damyeong fell silent and let his gaze trace over Kang's face.
"I don't want abamama to worry about me."
Kang looked especially exhausted today, likely due to the persistent pain from the medication he had been taking. His usually lively eyes had lost their sparkle. The pale nape of his neck, which the emperor had been caressing, stood out starkly as he bowed his head, the light emphasizing its whiteness. The skin, translucent with visible veins, was as white as fine jade. A few stray strands of hair fluttered above his neck. It seemed that the emperor had once again untied Kang's neatly arranged hair to run his fingers through it, leaving it in a disheveled state.
When the emperor’s pale hands wandered through Kang’s thick, dark hair, it was like watching a white snake swimming through grass. His hands, knobby and veined like the branches of an old tree, stroked Kang's hair with both delicacy and determination, causing a heat to rise in Kang’s belly. Kang, innocent and unaware, lowered his eyes and let out short, rapid breaths. The emperor's gentle laughter, mingling with the sound of hair and sleeves brushing against each other, broke down Kang's inner defenses. Kang was nestled in the emperor's broad chest, his arms around the emperor's neck, and his slender, firm legs wrapped around the emperor's waist like long leaves. Kang’s eyes, pure and clear, gazed up at the emperor as he smiled, not knowing what doubt was. The emperor smiled back, a puppet-like grin on his face. His hands continuously caressed Kang’s soft neck, hair, wrists, waist, and thighs. When the emperor leaned in to whisper something into Kang’s ear, too softly for anyone else to hear, Kang would let out a bright laugh and nuzzle his forehead against the emperor's shoulder. Watching Kang in such a state, the emperor would blink slowly and finish the act by exhaling heavily.
The behavior was akin to that of an animal marking its territory. Although the emperor appeared human, half of his being was beastly, which explained the lack of suspicion. However, as time went on and his actions grew more obsessive, Damyeong sensed confusion and retreated each time.
Such was the case now. Seeing Kang sitting halfway between the outer and inner courts, hunched over and silently suffering, Damyeong felt helpless. All he could do was offer one hand for support and use the other to gently stroke Kang’s back along his spine. Even this he did with the fear that the emperor might notice and have him beheaded.
Eventually, Damyeong withdrew his hand from Kang’s back. His gaze shifted to his subordinate who had been standing by. Understanding Damyeong’s silent command, the subordinate bowed and turned away to find a court physician to tend to Kang.
“Your Highness. If you are feeling very unwell, why not rest in the palace for a while? I can escort you,” Damyeong suggested.
Kang curled up tightly like a pill bug but used Damyeong’s hand for support as he stood up. His long, slender body wobbled slightly, likely from dizziness, but he managed to steady himself. Kang’s breathing was hot and rough, as if he had just run with all his might. He placed a hand on his waist and bent slightly, still feeling the pain in his abdomen. His face, already stern, now looked irritated, giving him an appearance of having a bad temper.
“Let’s go,” he said.
At Kang’s brief command, Damyeong bowed his head. If the emperor were aware of this situation, he would have already sent for the court physician. Damyeong took a few steps back to follow behind Kang. Kang walked slowly but steadily, maintaining a constant pace as he approached the waiting palanquin. The attendants lifted the palanquin, and the diffused sunlight enveloped Kang’s body. Kang, sitting upright, grimaced again and covered his face with one hand. He seemed to be trying to find a position that would lessen the pain, twisting his back or shifting his upper body.
After fidgeting like a child unable to find a comfortable position in bed, Kang finally leaned back languidly and stayed that way until they reached the gate of Eunwoo. As he attempted to mount his beloved horse, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, causing him to grit his teeth. His mouth twisted, and a faint groan escaped, rising like mist. The pain, relentless and storm-like, broke through without pause. Momentarily disoriented and losing his balance, Kang was steadied by a strong arm that wrapped firmly around his waist. Gaining composure, Kang involuntarily murmured, “Aba mama….” The whiny, exhausted murmur made the person holding him chuckle heartily and set Kang on the saddle.
Kang, straining to open his eyes, saw who had caught him and gaped in surprise.
“Goodness….”
Incoherent mumbling and a muddled laugh followed, then abruptly stopped. King Jihong watched Kang’s hand clutching the reins tightly and turned his head. His clear eyes fixed on the palace, towering like the emperor himself. He smiled playfully, a mischievous grin spreading across his face, contrasting sharply with Kang’s confused expression.
“You look quite unwell. If you go to the royal palace in this condition, you might collapse.”
King Jihong pretended to ask kindly, but Kang was cautious not to trust him easily. In the crimson-walled palace, there were only three people Kang trusted: his mother, the emperor, and Jinyeong. Everyone else had smiles that hid daggers.
“I am not that weak,” Kang murmured weakly, and King Jihong chuckled, stroking his chin.
“Yes, you must not be that weak. You need to be strong to have your wedding and bear many children.”
King Jihong shrugged and spoke casually, adding a sly smile as he watched Kang’s wary eyes.
“With your wedding approaching, you must become even stronger.”
“How do you know about that?” Kang asked, suppressing his pain. King Jihong, who seemed ready to make a joke, gradually softened his smile and spoke kindly.
“His Majesty has decided on your marriage. Good news will come soon. As a member of the royal family, you must fulfill your duties.”
“There is no need for you to tell me that, Your Highness. I know my responsibilities,” Kang replied, his face pale but resolute.
Kang lowered his eyes and responded coldly. The chill on his stern features made him look more like a cat raising its claws in caution than someone truly hostile. King Jihong, who had been scrutinizing Kang’s loosely tied hair, stepped forward briskly. His stride was unhesitant. Before Kang could tell him to stop, King Jihong mounted the horse behind him with skilled ease, without even using the stirrups. He wrapped one arm around Kang's waist and took the reins with the other, turning the horse's head.
“What are you…!” Kang stammered in surprise, but King Jihong hushed him from behind. When Kang whipped around to look at him, King Jihong smirked.
“If you want to fulfill your duties as a royal, you need to take care of your health first. If you go to the palace in your condition, you'll fall severely ill and might even delay the wedding. Let’s go to His Majesty. He will take good care of you.”
“No. I will return to my palace. Get off,” Kang commanded with stern authority, but King Jihong ignored him and moved the horse forward. Glancing at the pale and distressed Kang, King Jihong murmured with a laugh, “You really are something else.”
“Pardon?”
Kang heard the murmur clearly but couldn’t make sense of it. King Jihong laughed quietly and wrapped his hand around Kang’s waist, searching for something like the emperor did. His hand paused as Kang’s pain worsened, making him tremble and stop breathing momentarily. Knowing exactly what caused Kang’s pain, King Jihong clicked his tongue. Continuous intake of the medicine creating nonexistent conditions had to be painful. Remembering the warnings repeatedly emphasized by the man from the Western regions, King Jihong hardened his expression and quickened the pace.
The horse couldn’t go much further. Watching Kang's tearful suffering with indifferent eyes, King Jihong gently dismounted him. After setting Kang on the ground, King Jihong untied the chin strap of his headdress and threw it aside. He then ripped apart his elaborate azure robe with both hands.
“If I transform into a wolf, climb on my back.”
Kang, now with tears brimming due to the relentless pain, looked at King Jihong. He thought King Jihong was smiling, but when he blinked again, an enormous wolf stood before him. The wolf nudged Kang’s face and chest with its long, thick snout. The sensation was similar yet entirely different from the emperor’s touch, causing Kang to shiver.
However, as the pain intensified, Kang finally gave in and quietly climbed onto King Jihong's back, grasping his thick fur weakly. King Jihong, sensing the tug on his fur, dashed towards the palace. Silver lines appeared and disappeared like ghosts. The palace servants who witnessed this hurriedly bowed in reverence.
King Jihong sniffed the air to locate the emperor. His sharp eyes, framed by silver fur, keenly identified the emperor's whereabouts. The emperor was in the garden. As the wolf approached the heavily guarded entrance to the garden, the guards stepped aside, allowing them entry.
The wolf entered the world tinged with green and blue. Kang, crouched on its back, trembled slightly. Why was his stomach hurting so much? Was it something he ate? Perhaps he had run too fast at the request of the eunuch to come quickly... He considered various reasons but could not fathom why he was in such pain, and tears of frustration welled up. He hated being in pain and looking weak.
He was at an age where he should be confident and strong, an adult ready for marriage. He needed to be strong and dependable to protect his loved ones and become a prince the emperor could rely on. But he feared that the emperor might not see him as fit for a prince if he appeared this weak. Not wanting to show his tears, he wiped away the sweat and tears that had just begun to form with a tightly clenched fist.