Snow fell, and a fierce cold wave cut into his cheeks. Kang gently caressed the cheeks of his younger brother, who had grown significantly despite being a year younger, with trembling hands, smiling faintly. King Sohyeon still avoided the gaze of his kind and gentle brother. Seeing his brother rejecting him, Kang withdrew his hand.
"It must be cold."
Kang handed King Sohyeon a stone he had preheated. Hesitant at first, King Sohyeon eventually held the stone tightly with both hands, as the cold was no lie. His once smooth and white hands had become chapped and cracked from being confined. Though Kang applied animal fat to his brother's hands, it wasn't enough. If cleaned and treated with flower oil, they would return to their original state. Overwhelmed with pity, Kang impulsively grabbed his brother's hand.
King Sohyeon turned his head at the soft call of "Husband." His wife, now an ordinary woman of a common household rather than a royal wife, stood there. Though she wore humble cotton clothes, she smiled warmly, looking much more at ease. She was holding the child she had given birth to in her arms. Though both wore shabby cotton clothes, the emperor seemed to have spared his granddaughter, sending her warm clothing and a swaddling cloth. Kang looked at his brother's child with a bitter gaze. The snowstorm intensified. Following Damyeong's guiding hand, Kang stepped back. The man who had once been King Sohyeon did not look back at Kang. King Sohyeon held his wife's hand, who had saved him by killing his mother. They smiled at each other, finding solace in their survival. Seeing his younger brother find peace in what had been hell, Kang let his shoulders droop.
"Abamama, please spare Ahjeong's child."
"And if I do?"
When Kang pleaded while held by the emperor, the emperor embraced Kang's waist and asked back. He pressed his cheek against Kang's, sharing warmth as he subtly inquired.
"If I spare them, what will you do for the Emperor?"
"...Anything."
Kang swallowed hard and embraced the emperor with his whole body, pleading.
"Abamama, since you love me... if I wish for it..."
Kang, with his eyes lowered and trembling as he made his wish, closed his eyes and placed kisses on the emperor's cheek, just as he had when he was young. The emperor, with his clear and dark eyes swaying, gazed intently and smiled. He playfully tapped Kang's nose and, uncharacteristically, whined.
"Give me a kiss."
"...On your eyes."
Avoiding the emperor's gaze, which refused to close, Kang lowered his eyes. Embarrassed, Kang bit his lip but mustered the courage to cover the emperor's eyes with his hands. The emperor, though laughing in disbelief, did not stop Kang. Kang then kissed the emperor.
The touch of lips to lips, the warmth transferred, became a burning sensation.
"...Good."
The emperor, who had a habit of laughing while kissing, kissed Kang back. The soft sounds of their lips meeting continued to echo in the stillness.
Kang had to keep kissing and embracing the emperor until he was told to stop. If it meant his younger brother could live a normal life, even if it was this way.
"Hyung."
"Yes."
Seeing Kang from a similar position, King Sohyeon bowed and handed him a stone he had been holding. Kang, unsure why he was being given the stone, tried to refuse, but King Sohyeon quickly moved his lips while keeping his head bowed.
"Be careful of the Emperor."
Kang shifted his gaze to King Sohyeon's reddened ears. King Sohyeon continued to warn Kang as he spoke.
"Think carefully about what the Emperor truly desires... Avoid it if you can."
Confused and about to question King Sohyeon further, Kang halted his hand. Any further contact or curiosity would arouse the emperor's suspicion. The emperor's eyes and ears were behind him. Kang stood in a straight posture, emotionlessly watching as his younger brother and the woman walked away into the snowy world with the baby in their arms. As they faded into the distance, Kang remained rooted to the spot.
"Your Royal Highness, you should go."
"I understand."
Kang responded in a cold, subdued voice. After clenching and unclenching his fists several times, he looked at the palms of his hands, marked with fingernail scratches. The icy aura that seeped through the snow was gradually fading away. Even here, the snowstorm continued to blow.
Kang was crying without tears, genuinely mourning the fall of his younger brother’s family and trying to understand the emperor. He had no choice but to. Before being a father, he was an emperor. He had to deal with criminals according to the law impartially.
As the people said, the emperor showed a warmer side as well.
Yet, even though he tried to understand it intellectually, his heart was oddly pushing him away and rejecting it. His heart was so cold that Kang shivered. Even with the fur bestowed by the emperor, he felt unbearably cold.
At 17 years old, Kang learned about separation in that way. He learned how to endure sorrow.
---
A cough echoed through the emergency meeting opened at dawn. The silence shattered like a broken mirror. The anxious cough drew the attention of the officials and princes participating in the emergency meeting. The one coughing was King Jinyeong, who had rapidly withered, his face darkened and showing signs of imminent death. After the collapse of the state, his condition worsened, leaving him constantly coughing and complaining of headaches. His once iron-willed spirit had weakened with his worsening illness.
“Kuhk…”
King Jinyeong irregularly coughed, covering his mouth with a piece of plain cloth. The white cloth turned red. It was blood. Kang's eyes widened in shock. His previously beautiful face hardened instantly. His lips, which wanted to call out "hyung," trembled weakly. Kang looked first at the emperor. Perhaps he would give King Jinyeong some rest or even call a physician to check his pulse.
However, the emperor glared coldly at King Jinyeong, who could not stop coughing and coughing up blood, and expressed his anger.
“How could the state have been destroyed to the point that they have now joined forces with the barbarians to attack the Yeon Kingdom?”
The emperor clenched his fist and slammed the desk with a loud bang. The room fell silent. The next to speak after the emperor was the Grand General, who sat calmly to the emperor’s right, studying the map.
“Your Majesty, they are in no position to win. They lack the money, manpower, and weapons compared to the Yeon Kingdom. I am well-versed in the tactics of these lowly barbarians. Please leave this matter to me.”
“Who says a war is fought with generals alone? A prince is needed to command the general and boost morale. This matter…”
“I will take charge, Your Majesty.”
Kang spoke with a dignified expression, looking at the emperor. The sudden declaration from Kang drew curious looks from the generals and scholars. King Jinyeong, who was covering his face with a cloth and catching his breath, also looked at Kang in surprise. At 17 years old, Kang had never participated in a war. He had always followed the emperor’s orders and had never explicitly expressed a strong desire to join.
The emperor seemed somewhat surprised as well, raising the corner of his lips slightly. The atmosphere between the emperor and Kang became tense. Kang’s clear and resolute gaze showed no signs of wavering. He looked at the map with an expressionless face, focusing on the locations of the barbarians and the bordering areas. With a determined voice, he spoke.
“I am 17 years old now. I am neither too young nor insignificant. I have learned archery as per Your Majesty’s teachings and have thoroughly acquired tactics and magic. Please trust me and send me. I will offer a great victory at Your Majesty’s feet. I will achieve their absolute surrender with my own hands.”
Kang’s words were neither fast nor slow. They were monotone yet powerful, and though not loud, they reached the emperor from afar. The emperor, dressed in military attire, slowly withdrew his hand from the desk and clenched his fist underneath. The emperor’s eyes narrowed.
He smiled. It was a smile he habitually wore. Kang, who knew this well from close observation, silently maintained his stance and watched the emperor.
Kang was determined not to hide behind the emperor like a child anymore. Just as Kang was about to speak, the emperor rested his chin on his hand and said with a languid smile.
“Why do you have to do that?”
“…Because I am Your Majesty’s subject.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
The emperor’s smile deepened. Kang’s eyes widened slightly at the clear implication of the emperor’s intentions. Kang was taken aback by his sincerity. Calmly observing the emperor, Kang coughed awkwardly and said.
“No, my role is…”
“To bring joy the Son of Heaven. There is no need for any other role.”
The atmosphere in the emergency meeting grew as cold as if ice had been poured over it. Kang was left speechless, staring blankly at the emperor. The emperor had never treated him in this way or spoken to him like this. Though he had unofficially known, hearing his role defined in such a manner in front of so many people made his face flush with anger.
As a man, a son, and now being treated like a mere concubine, Kang licked his lips and fidgeted. The emperor, who had been watching him intently, rolled up the map. Though the meeting was not yet over, he intended to end it.
“King Yeonghyeon will not be dispatched. King Jinyeong will be sent to prevent the coordinated attack between the barbarian tribes and the state.”
“Your Majesty!”
---
Kang screamed. Rising abruptly, he looked at King Jinyeong, who couldn’t hide his misery at the order to go to war. The prince’s half-closed eyes reflected his resignation. Sending him to war in his condition was tantamount to sending him to die on the battlefield. Even the civil and military officials, knowing this, tried to dissuade the emperor, but he remained firm. The Grand General, stroking his thick beard, finally spoke.
“Your Majesty, King Jinyeong is gravely ill. Sending him to war could lead to his death, which would demoralize the soldiers and negatively affect the war. Therefore, it would be better for King Yeonghyeon to lead this campaign.”
The Grand General, true to his military nature, spoke plainly. The emperor, knowing his general’s straightforwardness, did not get angry. He simply smiled and spoke smoothly.
“No. I cannot send Kang to the battlefield and risk him getting hurt or dying.”
“…Then what about my brother? Your Majesty,” Kang whispered, his face turning pale. The emperor stood alone in the vast hall, looking at Kang with rapture. With each passing day, Kang grew into a perfectly handsome man. His once chubby cheeks were now sharp, his lips were red and full like flower petals, and his eyes were long and clear.
I want to make him cry, the emperor thought. He wanted to lay Kang beneath him and thrust into him until those lips wept. Suppressing his rising desire, the emperor smiled, covering his mouth with his hand but failing to hide his laughter.
Finally, giving up on containing his laughter, he shrugged and said, “Yes. It doesn’t matter if he dies.”
Kang stopped breathing. The civil and military officials fell silent. King Jinyeong did not react to the emperor’s words, “It doesn’t matter if he dies.” He wiped the blood from his mouth with an expressionless face, as if he already knew. The white cloth was half soaked in red. His life was as fragile as a candle in the wind. The emperor, knowing King Jinyeong had little time left, was effectively sending him to die on the battlefield.
He couldn’t let Kang die.
King Jinyeong closed his eyes and took a short breath. His coughing prevented him from responding. His frail body hunched. The emperor stood up to leave. Kang, unable to retract the emperor’s order, ran to him and tightly held his hand.
“Abamama, no. Hyung is sick. Please, for my sake, let him live. I will go. Not my brother, Abamama.”
Kang knelt, clutching the emperor’s white hand with both of his, and begged. Seeing this, the Grand General also knelt. King Jinyeong, watching his brother and the officials plead for him, tried to clench his fists.
But his dying body had no strength left. Even trying to clench his fists left him feeling powerless. Struggling to breathe, he looked at the emperor with trembling eyes. The emperor looked indifferently at the now bluish King Jinyeong and lovingly at Kang, who was kissing his hand.
Witnessing this, King Jinyeong gave up his dreams of becoming the crown prince.
He would not become the crown prince. He would die in this war. If he did not die, the emperor would find a way to kill him.
“Do you want Song to live?” The emperor asked, caressing Kang’s tear-streaked face. Kang lifted his pale face to look at the emperor. The emperor’s hand, filled with affection, wiped Kang’s tears and warmed his cold cheek. Kang pressed his cheek against the emperor’s hand. It was an act he loved. The emperor, stroking Kang’s black hair, spoke.
“I asked if you want Song to live.”
“Yes, Abamama.”
“But, Kang, I don’t want you to die. But it doesn’t matter if Song dies.”
The emperor withdrew his hand, stepped back from Kang, and smiled kindly.
“Heaven’s will is unyielding. King Jinyeong will lead this war.”
It doesn’t matter if Song dies. In fact, I would prefer it if he did. The emperor, mixing his true feelings with his decree, turned away with a smile. Kang watched the emperor’s broad back recede with a look of despair. He tried to follow the emperor with staggering steps but was stopped by the sound of a chair falling over.
King Jinyeong had collapsed, bleeding.
---
When the victory was secured and the emperor returned, he looked down at King Jinyeong, dressed in red armor. His descending gaze was as cold as ever. King Jinyeong, looking like he would die at any moment, suppressed his cough and stood up. His body, weak enough to be blown away by the wind, had been a miracle of survival despite his year-long illness.
Having shown his loyalty to the emperor one last time, King Jinyeong walked slowly out of Taihwa Hall. The soldiers following him looked at his back with mourning faces. His back, which had grown smaller, seemed sturdier only because he wore armor. Watching this, Kang’s shoulders stiffened at the sound of sobbing behind him. Concubine Suk, biting her lip, was wailing at her son’s departure.
It was clear to everyone that the emperor was sending King Jinyeong to die in Kang’s place. Even if the generals and soldiers returned alive, King Jinyeong, plagued by a soul-wrenching illness, would die.
Kang, barely holding onto his sanity, looked at the emperor. The emperor was smiling contentedly as he watched the dazzling sight of the departing army. His usual serene smile looked particularly beautiful today.
Kang wanted to move away from the smile, but the emperor’s hand on his shoulder held him back. The emperor could not endure even a moment of separation from Kang.
As the emperor wished, King Jinyeong returned victorious but dead.
---
“Look. War is this terrifying, and you still want to go?”
Kang’s body trembled incessantly. His eyes were wide with shock, his mouth open, panting heavily. Forced to face the front, unable to see sideways due to the emperor’s firm grip on his shoulders and neck, he could only look ahead.
“Baby, I will not let you die.”
The emperor, forcing Kang to look at the dead King Jinyeong’s body, spoke softly. Kang, paralyzed with shock, wept silently, unable to even blink. It was because of him. His brother had died because of him.
“…I was wrong.”
How much pain must he have felt? Dying while coughing up blood like that. King Jinyeong’s mouth was grotesquely open, showing dark blood. His bulging eyes and strained muscles spoke of his agony. He was said to have died on horseback, vomiting blood. His neck had broken because the soldier could not hold him properly. If not for the emperor’s mercy in fixing his body with wood and nails, Kang would have faced a twisted corpse.
“I was wrong… I was wrong, Abamama… I, I requested to go to war, disturbing your peace… hic… Abamama… sob… I, I was wrong… ah, sob…!”
He couldn’t stop crying, thinking of his brother who was forced into an unwanted war and died painfully at 18, unable to become crown prince. There was not a single brother left alive. When the brother he wanted to save the most died, Kang broke down. The ground felt like it was splitting under him. Despite the emperor’s support, Kang kept lowering his head. The coffin shook. Kang’s once sturdy shoulders slumped inward. He raised his hands to cover his face.
He did not want to see his dead brother.
“Oh, dear. I didn’t ask you to admit fault. Why are you crying?”
“I was wrong, Abamama. Please…”
Not even knowing what he did wrong, Kang begged the emperor. Shock had left him unfocused. He stuttered like a fool, looking for the emperor who had caused his brother’s death.
The emperor had raised him this way, to rely only on him. Kang placed his hands on the emperor’s shoulders. The emperor, laughing heartily, embraced his most beloved son in front of his dead brother.
Kang’s body collapsed into the emperor’s arms. Though grown, he was still small compared to the emperor. Hugging him tightly enough to crush him, the emperor let out a sigh. Kang clung to the emperor’s clothes, almost tearing them.
“Hic… Abamama… I…”
“Kang-ah.”
With tears streaming, Kang rested his forehead on the emperor’s shoulder. The emperor, looking at his son’s round head, laughed bitterly. So much had happened in just one year. With a greedy smile, the emperor buried his face in Kang’s shoulder. They were each other’s support. The emperor’s hand roamed down to touch Kang’s flat belly.
It wouldn’t be long before that flat belly swelled. He had waited so long for this. Kissing Kang’s tear-streaked cheek, the emperor murmured.
“I’ll give you a real sibling.”
“…Everyone’s dead… How….”
Kang, half out of his mind, mumbled. His tear-stained face was blank. The emperor pulled away and wiped Kang’s tears with both thumbs, smiling brightly.
“A truly beautiful sibling will be born. A sibling as beautiful as you. Don’t you want that?”
Kang shook his head. Silently, he approached the emperor, resting his head on his shoulder and wrapping his arms around his waist.
“…I don’t need anything.”
The emperor silently embraced Kang. Their bodies, with a slight gap, pressed against each other. The emperor’s black dragon robe enveloped Kang’s entire body.
It was darkness.
It was irresistible.
---
**End of Volume 2**
Volume 2 is now done!! What a rollercoaster this volume is. Volume 3 will start on November 10. For those who are new here, you can reread volumes 1 & 2 to catch up! See you on the new volume <3
Warning!!! Volume 3 contains mature themes such as: dubcon, r*pe, force coercion, public s*x, imprisonment, bestiality!!!