Chapter 35

It was good that she had an older brother, and that he had been born before her.

When Lee Won was young, many shaman rites and ancestral rituals had been held to rid him of illness. But his body only worsened little by little. If one sickness improved, another emerged, and in the end they gave up. It was much easier to give up because there was healthy Lee Hyang.

Lee Hyang stood out more than the Crown Prince whose sickly condition was obvious.

The royal family put healthy Lee Hyang forward so no one would dare speak of curses or punishment falling on descendants.

By the old rigid principle of eldest succession, her older brother, being of age, took the position of Crown Prince. Yet no one discussed affairs of state with him.

“My brother is soft-hearted, so it’s fine to sort it out on the day he leaves. Leave it alone for now.”

As the servants’ voices continued drifting over, Lee Hyang spoke generously to Hyoseon. Her light steps turned toward the opposite side of the corner. Following behind, Hyoseon swallowed dryly.

By the time Hong In-nam reached the royal villa, the sun had already set.

He had meant to leave early, but there was too much to prepare. First he had to polish up his appearance. Then he spent the whole morning choosing the most splendid autumn outfit he owned. In the capital, young noblemen all wore bright elegant clothes. Ever since returning from the capital, he had all his clothes remade with fabrics fashionable there.

After that, he had to personally sort through precious gifts for the Princess. Hong In-nam selected everything himself, which delayed things greatly.

He was shorter than Hong Yeom-rang, but he too had often been called finely handsome.

It was something to thank his late mother for.

And above all, he had gotten the chance to meet the Princess before his younger brother, who was probably buried somewhere in the mountains.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance.

Ever since Hong Yeom-rang, who had always been one step ahead of him and was even taller than him, became the sacrifice, it felt as though his life had started flowing smoothly.

He grinned as he waited for the villa gates to open.

When the gatekeeper gave him a strange look, he awkwardly opened his fan and covered his mouth like the young noblemen of the capital.

His feet wouldn’t stay still and kept shifting on their own.

“You may enter.”

The gates opened, and a court lady along with several guards emerged.

The servants he had brought weren’t allowed in. Only Hong In-nam could enter.

The gifts he had hurriedly prepared were taken up by the guards.

Following the court lady, Hong In-nam quickened his pace.

“Her Highness isn’t feeling well today, so she says she’ll only receive your greeting.”

At Hyeonhyeon Palace, the villa, there were more than thirty halls.

To Hong In-nam, who had never even once been to the royal palace in the capital, even this villa looked like a small royal palace.

His mouth fell open.

“Could it be Her Highness caught a cold on the way here? I’m worried hearing she isn’t well…”

At that, the court lady glanced back at him with unreadable eyes.

Her expression was peculiar.

Thinking she found it ridiculous that he was already worrying over the Princess’s well-being, his cheeks flushed.

“Ha ha, so there’s still someone who worries for me.”

“Your Highness.”

The court lady, who had worn that strange expression, startled at the low laughter behind her and turned.

She immediately bowed deeply, and the guards behind Hong In-nam lowered themselves too.

Only Hong In-nam stood frozen, then hurriedly bent at the waist.

“Y-your Highness, I pay my respects to the Crown Prince.”

After Lee Hyang left, Lee Won had stepped out for air because his chest felt heavy.

Hearing a pretty man dressed in flower-pink worrying over him made him laugh aloud for the first time in a long while.

No matter how much cloth was laid over it, his flesh kept decaying and discharge kept flowing, leaving his shoulders hunched.

Dressed in plain clothes, Lee Won approached the one who had made him laugh, hands clasped behind his back.

“So it’s you. The man who’ll marry my sister.”

“Well…”

Hong In-nam didn’t want to say even in death that it wasn’t him, so he trailed off.

“Raise your head.”

On the way to see the Princess, to run into the Crown Prince of all things.

Hong In-nam felt dizzy realizing he had overlooked something crucial.

When he raised his head, he saw the Crown Prince looking perfectly intact.

He had thought he’d be bedridden, but he looked nothing like someone dying.

Only weary and gaunt.

And in the way he smiled openly, he briefly saw the Princess’s face.

“I am Hong In-nam, eldest son of General Hong.”

“I met General Hong when I was young. To think a son like you came from him. Astonishing.”

Lee Won searched his memory.

General Hong had been the largest man among those he had met, and even the young Lee Won could tell why his reputation was great. He had been overflowing with spirit.

It had only been for a moment, but Lee Won had once thought he wanted to grow up like that too.

“I mean astonishing in a good way.”

“I-I’m honored.”

Even with his head raised, Hong In-nam still couldn’t quite meet the Crown Prince’s eyes.

Until now he’d thought his luck had been soaring, but suddenly it had collapsed.

“Your Highness, the air is chilly. Please go inside.”

“I just came out. My guest has arrived, so I should greet him.”

Of course Hong In-nam had assumed word of his visit had reached the Princess.

He hadn’t considered the frail Crown Prince, said to be only waiting for death, at all.

He never imagined they’d even meet.

And yet the Crown Prince, said to spend more days lying down than standing, was walking around just fine.

And even said he would receive his greeting.

Hong In-nam looked around at the darkening surroundings.

There wasn’t even a glimpse of the Princess’s skirt.

“These are gifts for Your Highness.”

As Lee Won looked at the layered silk-wrapped boxes, the court lady spoke without even asking Hong In-nam.

At that, the guards unwrapped the silk bundles one by one and laid out the contents.

Walking over slowly, Lee Won looked over pearls, red jade, blue jade, fine silks, gold hairpins, and a small mother-of-pearl cabinet meant to sit by a writing desk.

“They’re all women’s things.”

That was right.

There wasn’t a single gift intended for the sick Crown Prince.

Every single item had been chosen with the Princess in mind.

Lee Won spoke in a voice still carrying laughter.

Just looking at Hong In-nam’s pale face made it obvious he had never been considered at all.

Yet he didn’t feel offended.

He already knew the man had come to see Lee Hyang.

And because Hong In-nam had mistaken Lee Hyang for the one who was ill and worried over her, it had made him laugh greatly.

As Lee Hyang had said, perhaps there truly was some healing power in this place.

Somehow the tightness in his chest eased, and watching Hong In-nam fidget was amusing.

In the capital, all he ever saw to exhaustion were the royal physician’s face and his mother’s face, who cried whenever she saw him.

No one ever requested audience with him.

And his only pleasure was when Lee Hyang occasionally visited, chattered, then left.

“I’m ashamed, Your Highness!”

“Seeing signs of a devoted husband already puts my mind at ease.”

At the words devoted husband, color returned at once to Hong In-nam’s pale face.

He was an amusing man.

Not Lee Hyang’s type, perhaps, but his thoughts showed plainly on his face, which made teasing him fun.

“I… don’t know whether I’m fit to be the Princess’s match, but I’ll do my utmost.”

As long as Hong Yeom-rang wasn’t by his side.

Then Hong In-nam, himself, looked like quite a decent man.

Even the women in Mountain Deity Village used to steal glances at him when he went out, before Hong Yeom-rang appeared.

“Brother! It’s rather chilly out. Why are you outside?”

At the sound of Lee Hyang’s lively voice, Hong In-nam turned before even Lee Won did.

Dressed in trousers like a man for ease of movement, Lee Hyang was striding over boldly.

Her gaze landed on Lee Won, then turned to Hong In-nam.

“Hyang, this is the man you spoke of.”

Lee Hyang had definitely seen Hong Yeom-rang briefly at the military exam grounds.

A man much larger than this one, and far more delicately handsome.

Someone who looked like he had never once held a fan.

Looking at a man who seemed to have spent his life doing nothing but holding a fan, Lee Hyang replied.

“What? That’s not the face.”

“What? This is General Hong’s eldest son…”

“The one I spoke of is General Hong’s second son.”

She said it flatly.

That man looked completely different from this one, and was at least a head taller.

Hong In-nam’s head dropped.

To be told right to his face that this wasn’t the face.

He couldn’t raise his head.

“Hyang, in front of a guest, saying this isn’t the face…”

“But if it isn’t, it isn’t. Right? Eldest son…”

“H-Hong In-nam.”