The figure lying on the bed looked noticeably dejected. When Kang hugged his pillow and lay down, Seol jumped up onto it, oblivious to his master's mood, and settled down with a placid expression. Despite being a young puppy, Seol had grown to a size comparable to an adult dog, but Kang remained in the same position, afraid that Seol might feel uncomfortable.
"Your Majesty."
Damyeong's voice came from beyond the door. His stern voice, combined with impeccable pronunciation, was authoritative. Kang stretched his pillow forward and raised his chin, looking at the door with dull eyes before getting up. Seol, who had been lying on top, quickly hopped down and sat neatly under the bed, wagging his tail at Kang. Kang gently stroked Seol's round, small head, then began to undress as he walked toward the door. He unlocked it and opened it.
"Come in."
Kang said with a courteous smile. Damyeong's indifferent gaze swept over Kang's entire body like the unfiltered sunlight. His obsidian-like eyes were fixed squarely on Kang's exposed neck and chest. Thanks to his diligent physical training, Kang had broad shoulders and well-defined muscles. Despite the taut texture of his beautiful bronze skin, which would make anyone drool, Damyeong, out of respect for Kang's royal status, helped Kang adjust his collar, fearing who might see Kang. Kang looked at Damyeong's hurried hands and eyes with a puzzled expression.
"Why?"
Unable to resist his curiosity, Kang asked, and Damyeong replied, "Because someone might admire Your Majesty."
"Who admires me? I always cover my face."
"But you can't hide your inherent nobility."
Damyeong loosened and tightened the strap emphasizing Kang's slender waist. Kang blinked slowly as if feeling guilty for committing a forbidden act. He felt like he was being swept away by a slow-moving current. Kang's will was not included in this atmosphere.
"Your Majesty, doesn't His Majesty cherish you? If someone else admires you, they might offer their neck to His Majesty."
Kang frowned at the cruel words, but he couldn't deny them. The Emperor migh not only stopped at cutting throats but might also severed limbs or turned people into human pigs for his pleasure. It was the Emperor's preferred method of torture. After cutting off limbs at the joints, gouging out eyes, slicing vocal cords, and cutting off ears, they would brand the forehead with a branding iron.
"I didn't want His Majesty's favor. What I wanted was a role befitting a prince. Not to act as His Majesty's wife or..."
A heavy sigh escaped Kang's lips. Breaking free from Damyeong's grip, Kang clenched his fists and paced around the room under the moonlight.
"I didn't come into this world to play the role of a marionette."
"Then shouldn't you show His Majesty your will?"
Damyeong approached Kang slowly. Seol, who hadn't forgotten the time spent with Damyeong, came closer, wagging his tail. Damyeong glanced at Seol, who was still immature, and rare smiled, patting Seol's head. Perhaps because Kang had raised him with care, Seol had gained weight and his fur had become much softer than when he was a stray.
"Your Majesty, aren't you also afraid when you send Seol outside because he seems so small and fragile? His Majesty, as a father before being the emperor, is also afraid of sending you out. It's because he's worried you might get hurt. I can guarantee that."
Damyeong paused for a moment, then continued with a subtle smile as a father. "I am also a father of two children. Every time my children grow up in my arms, I feel proud, but I'm always afraid. I worry they might get sick or leave me while I'm not around. His Majesty must feel the same way. You're a special child to him."
"He must have really cherished me as his child," Kang expressed his true feelings. His transparent black eyes were dancing with a murky mix of anxiety and fear. When Damyeong frowned and stepped back, Kang grabbed his hand as if urging him not to go. Kang, with his hands neatly placed on Damyeong's shoulders, whispered in a dry voice.
"It shouldn't have been like that. I found myself unconsciously kissing His Majesty's cheek out of fear that my brothers might die. It was like when I was a child. Luckily, His Majesty liked it and saved my brothers, but it still weighs heavily on my mind."
"Did you really act like that?" Damyeong pierced with a calm face. Kang could only nod, unable to continue. Despite vowing not to do it again, his body, contrary to his will, continued to deviate from the right path and showed affection to the Emperor. In the Yeon Kingdom, the average age for marriage was 12, and it was the age when they would later form a family by giving birth to children. Demonstrations of affection, such as kissing or hugging one's parents, were rare for him.
However, Kang was behaving in a way that deviated from the norm. Surprisingly, the Emperor didn't criticize him for it. Instead, he became angry whenever Kang distanced himself, fearing that Kang might leave him.
"...This kind of behavior is not right. How is it possible to kiss the Emperor?"
Habit was the most terrifying. Kang feared not being able to control the reality in which he had to act as the Emperor desired. He tightly closed his eyes to the traces of the Emperor that emerged like illusions. The Emperor wasn't there, yet his scent lingered. His scent was like a forest—refreshing yet somewhat damp... It was a persistent aroma that only grew stronger the more you smelled it.
Kang vividly remembered how the Emperor touched his back. He wrapped his arms around Kang's neck and waist, his fingertips exploring Kang's skin as if savoring every touch. Each time his hand brushed over Kang's back, shivers ran down his spine. It was a sensation that spread throughout his body, leaving him with no choice but to cling to the Emperor's clothes. The final destination of his actions was always Kang's neck. Just like when they first met, he buried his nose and lips in Kang's neck and collarbone, not intending to withdraw. With each breath he took, his chest pounded as if his heart was racing.
But Kang couldn't stop because the Emperor liked it too much. Whenever Kang smiled or reached out his hand for an embrace, unsure of what else to do, the Emperor chuckled softly. Then the world changed. He became the world itself, the epitome of beauty.
Kang wished the Emperor would at least set boundaries, but he made no demands or restrictions.
"I wish I could stay like this forever as His Majesty's child," Kang thought to himself.
"I wish it was just me and him."
He remembered his voice whining weakly.
"Your Majesty, do you think you're overflowing with His Majesty's love?" Damyeong's blunt question made Kang hesitate. Seeing that Kang didn't need to respond, Damyeong adjusted his belt and moved without making a sound. His steps were smooth and neat, like those of a soldier. He approached Kang without a sound. Looking at Kang standing at the end of the hazy moonlight, Damyeong saw a tall bamboo tree, straight and upright. It was honest and straightforward, its eyes knowing only goodness and ignorance of evil. Looking at Kang's transparent black eyes, which were like misty moonlight at the end of the sky, Damyeong sighed softly.
One fleeting thought crossed his mind.
The fundamental rule of becoming the Emperor's concubine. That is, one must not be defiled. Both in mind and body... it had to be as pure as spring water. To achieve this, they were raised in seclusion within the family from a young age to become the Emperor's concubine.
Come to think of it, did Kang receive sexual education? He wanted to ask, but Damyeong deliberately remained silent.
Perhaps.
As the thought extended to that point, Damyeong was startled, trembling. It was an absurd idea. No, it might be possible to say it, but it was an area that one should not dare to imagine. Damyeong took a step back from the moonlit spot where only Kang, seemingly wrapped in pure linen, stood. Kang blinked with a dumbfounded expression, staring at Damyeong.
“Why do you find His Majesty's favor burdensome? You should be proud. You don't have to care about the eyes or words of your brothers. After all, His Majesty is the ruler you serve, isn't he?”
“I know. But the problem is that His Majesty does not consider me his subject.”
“Didn't I tell you? Show your determination. His Majesty still longs for the young you from your childhood, and that's how he sees you. Show him how much you've grown, how dignified you've become... Show it in the hunting competition.”
Damyeong, speaking confidently, chuckled as he firmly held Kang's hand.
“Aren't you a pupil recognized by your master?”
Kang's eyes grew dim. Looking at Kang's sparkling eyes, not as bright as the Emperor's golden eyes but still shining, Damyeong smiled wryly.