A small voice flew into his ear like a dart. Kang turned his head. Hwayeong, her younger sister, was clinging to Kang's clothes.
----
"Oppa, please ask leniency to the Emperor!"
"I have no authority."
Kang tried to suppress his pitying emotions and stepped back. Soldiers under the Emperor's command approached to take the princess away. The concubine, realizing her mistake, begged for forgiveness, but the Emperor, ignoring her pleas, calmly ordered her to be taken away. Hwayeong, tears streaming down her face, held onto Kang even tighter. Kang, pulled by her increasing force, didn't know what to do and was dragged away.
"Oppa, please... Doesn't His Majesty adore you? If you help me just this once, I won't forget this favor."
Kang looked at the approaching soldiers. The concubines, unable to intervene even though they watched the princess being dragged away, and the prince, lazily observing the situation. Among the concubines, Kang spotted his mother. Yeo Soo-eui nodded her head slowly.
He had to act like a wife once again in front of everyone. It was depressing. With a melancholy expression, Kang swallowed a sigh and spoke as calmly as possible.
"This is the last time. Understand?"
"Oppa...."
Kang hid Hwayeong, who was shedding tears, behind him. The soldiers hesitated. Kang looked at the Emperor. The Emperor was smiling leisurely with his hand on his waist. His gaze felt like chains, holding Kang's limbs in place. The Emperor didn't release Kang's gaze, keeping him bound. He loosened his grip on the handle of his sword, but didn't let go entirely. Kang's gaze barely met his.
Kang walked slowly towards the Emperor, feeling the weight of death and the overwhelming loneliness of the hunting ground. Had they been this far apart? The distance between the Emperor and himself felt like a valley without a bridge. The concubines and court officials watched intently as Kang approached. He didn't wear a crown; his hair was simply tied up high, resembling a horse's tail, with a black, soft, and shiny texture, reminiscent of his mother's. The cord that held his hair together was a gift from the Emperor, made of blue, red, and gold silk threads. Amidst the chaos, these threads stood out distinctly, giving Kang a regal presence.
"Your Majesty."
Kang called out to the Emperor with a tone that mixed affection with indifference. The Emperor, seemingly oblivious to the gazes of those around him, opened his arms wide. Kang, understanding his intentions, halted his steps. The Emperor, perhaps sensing that Kang didn't want to approach, began to show a hint of displeasure. Kang approached despite the Emperor's visible irritation.
"Abamama, today is your birthday. Why would you vent your anger by killing a young child on such a joyous day? Sin should be borne by the sinner."
"Does the child of a sinner not also bear the stain of sin?"
"Abamama, isn’t the child of the sinner also your beloved child?"
"No."
The Emperor spoke firmly. He glanced over the children standing behind Kang with an indifferent gaze, then turned his gaze sharply back to Kang. They seemed as lifeless as ashes, equally insignificant whether alive or dead. As long as they didn't interfere, they were merely trivial beings.
But when he looked at Kang, it was different. Standing before him with a determined expression, Kang radiated an irreplaceable presence. It was a feeling he had never experienced before. Just seeing him made his heart flutter, and when he can’t see him, it hurts so much. The pain was so intense that it tormented him every time he tried to sleep. And when he felt his son avoiding his gaze... an indescribable sensation overwhelmed him.
As his son met his gaze again, something stirred in his chest like a fish surfacing from the depths.
Kang's hand touched the Emperor's cheek. Pretending to wipe away dried blood, Kang leaned into the Emperor. One hand rested on the Emperor's smooth cheek, while the other touched his shoulder. Kang had to take a step forward to make this contact.
"You are the only child I love."
The Emperor spoke with a clear and distinct voice, as if broadcasting his words to all corners. Kang's eyes blurred with tears. As he lowered his gaze halfway, his eyelashes fluttered.
Kang's heart raced again. Even though he hadn't been hunting, he felt a fever coursing through his body. It felt as though someone had struck him on the head from behind, causing his mind to blur and jumble. The Emperor's gaze remained steady on Kang, unaffected by any tremors. Kang desperately wanted to know where his eyes, hands, and breath were directed.
"...You are the only child I love."
The title had changed distinctly. The Emperor embraced Kang, who seemed to want to escape. Kang spread his arms wide and wrapped them around the Emperor's back. His large frame was captured by the 15-year-old Prince.
The Emperor nestled into his son's embrace, letting out a groan as he buried his face in Kang’s neck.
"I can smell it..."
"Even from His Majesty?"
Kang awkwardly responded as he tried to push the Emperor away, but the Emperor held onto him with immense strength. Kang couldn't even make a sound of pain and remained in his embrace. To soothe the Emperor, he began stroking his back with his hand. However, the more he did, the rougher the Emperor's breathing became, and his breath grew hotter. Kang shrunk his shoulders at the heat radiating from the Emperor's neck. It was too hot. Kang struggled to break free from the heat that threatened to make him dizzy.
"Kang-ah."
The Emperor whispered affectionately as he kissed Kang's cheek. Startled, Kang looked at the Emperor, who continued to playfully kiss his cheeks and chuckled with a voice filled with laughter.
"Stay still."
"But..."
"Did you come to comfort Abamama only to run away?"
"...I'm embarassed."
With a sigh, Kang faced the Emperor with a flushed face. The Emperor laughed aloud and turned away so that others couldn't see, covering Kang entirely. All people could see was the Emperor's sturdy, broad back and Kang’s precious hands resting upon it. His hands swayed lightly on the Emperor's shoulders, barely visible.
"Now, can anyone see us?"
Kang chuckled as if giving up. Then he gently placed both hands on the Emperor's shoulders. It was a meek response. The Emperor, with a bright smile revealing his tremendous tenderness, laughed heartily. Both the daughter of the concubine and the concubine herself were safe, but Kang, uncertain of his own safety, had sought refuge in his embrace.