YCHW Ch 55

The more he delved into it, the more miserable he became, and a lump formed in his throat. It was devastating that he could no longer even look back on the moments he had wanted to cherish so dearly. Hwi had given him everything, and then taken everything away.

How foolish had been the arrogance of thinking he was bound to the Son of Heaven by a sense of kinship, and the mistaken belief that His Majesty might pity him.

As a procession formed around the palanquin carrying Yoonso, the outside grew somewhat noisy. Shouts of joy, exclaiming that our emperor finally had a noble consort, that the precious Yeongchunwha would save His Majesty and us, soon spread into cheers of “Long live the Emperor!” that surrounded the palanquin.

On the journey to leave his hometown to become the empress of a nation from an ordinary commoner, the heavy and cumbersome robes weighed down on his shoulders. Yoonso gripped the hem of his clothes as if to wring them out, using all his strength to trample down the clamoring emotions.

He was a Yeongchunwha, so all he had to do was fulfill his duty; any further sentiment was unnecessary. Yoonso closed the door to his heart and bolted it shut. He simply wanted to become a stone statue, unable to feel anything, unshaken by anything.

After a lengthy process, he arrived at the palace building. The palace, situated apart from the others, also contained a beautiful rear garden, so it did not seem desolate. With a tranquil pavilion and a pond where lovely fish swam, it was too grand for a temporary stay, but it failed to evoke any emotion in him.

In front of the building, Yongrin, royal guards, eunuchs, and court ladies, among other palace staff, were lined up on guard. He knew who was waiting for him here, and a corner of his heart felt as if it were sinking.

All Yeongchunwha, after their blossoming, had to have an audience with the emperor to have the suitability of their guardian star judged. Typically, the Yeongchunwha whose guardian star was most harmonious with the emperor’s spiritual power ascended to the position of empress, while those with less suitable stars were appointed as royal concubines.

It was said that the current emperor’s power was as deep as the great sea and as strong as a diamond that had been tempered countless times, comparable to the Dragon’s Scion of the beginning, Emperor Taejeong. Perhaps for that reason, no Yeongchunwha had been able to handle the current emperor, and the empress’s position had been vacant for a long time.

The ministers had advised time and again to enthrone an empress and solidify the foundation of the nation, but the emperor had ignored them all. The memory of his father’s words, that it was because of him who had not yet blossomed, came to mind, and Yoonso swallowed a bitter laugh.

Had he really waited for him to blossom? Because of his power, his potential to be an empress? But before blossoming, there was no way to know how suitable that power would be for a Yongrin. He had only been judged to have potential because his vessel was unprecedentedly large and deep.

What would happen if his guardian star was not suitable for Hwi?

The edict to make him empress, the gifts and magnificent litter given even before entering the palace, this entire process of entering the palace… all of it was a declaration that he would be welcomed as the empress. In the past few days, he had used all his energy just to accept the current situation and hadn’t had a chance to reflect, but it was strange why he had been called Gagun and treated accordingly without even checking his power.

Even if he were not truly empress material, it would be difficult to reverse such a major event. But what if, by some chance, the compatibility between him and Hwi was absurdly bad… so bad that this whole affair had to be overturned…

Yoonso’s steps came to a sudden halt, as if caught by something. The image of another person standing by Hwi’s side flashed before his eyes, and his pale face turned white as a sheet.

A eunuch extended a hand toward the open door, silently urging the petrified Yoonso forward. His mind was a jumble of encroaching thoughts, and his head felt heavy, as if a large stone were resting on it. He even felt a faint headache from it, but Yoonso composed his expression and slowly stepped inside.

The first thing that caught his eye was the beaded curtain obscuring the person seated on the throne. The memory of his world turning upside down after first holding the hand of an unknown boy at the age of eight naturally came to mind, and a bitter smile touched his lips. To think that boy was none other than Hwi.

Yoonso, guided by the eunuch, approached the front of the curtain. The sound of his footsteps bounced off the surfaces, echoing emptily. Through the tightly woven screen, he could not see what kind of face the other person wore. To be observing such formalities with someone with whom he had shared even his naked body was simply absurd.

“Yoonso of the So clan greets His Majesty the Emperor. May you enjoy eternal spring.”

After paying his respects in an unwavering voice, he knelt. Yoonso lowered his eyes to hide the loathing in their depths. Soon, a neat hand appeared from beneath the curtain and gestured for him to rise. The movement was so familiar that Yoonso briefly glared at his fingertips before standing up.

Once he was seated opposite, a royal physician approached and bowed. When she said she would take his pulse, he placed his hand on the table and rolled up his sleeve. She paused upon seeing the bracelet. It was only for a very brief moment, but Yoonso did not miss her reaction and looked anew at his own bracelet.

Was it really an important item? More than that, he was conscious of what the emperor beyond the curtain would think upon seeing it. Would he find it amusing? But this was his possession. A token from his lord, not the emperor.

Even to himself, it seemed laughable and pathetic, and a hollow laugh almost escaped him. While he composed his expression, the physician retreated, and Hwi’s hand extended from beneath the curtain. Yoonso stared at the hand, larger and more slender than on the day it all began, the calluses even more firmly set.

He had not yet revealed that he had blossomed. But to have an audience with the emperor and have his guardian star checked immediately upon entering the palace meant that he knew of his blossoming. The guardian star that had slipped from his fingertips when he first encountered the Yongrin while escaping his family home must have been the cause.

Everything had been in the palm of his hand. Musing over the lamentable truth once more, Yoonso placed his hand on top of Hwi’s. Even the still-cool temperature felt familiar, and an untimely longing washed over him.

“Release your guardian star.”

Trying to control the guardian star, which he had never once released of his own will, felt extremely awkward and uncomfortable. It was as if he were truly becoming a Yeongchunwha who could no longer escape anywhere.

What if, right here, he pretended he had never blossomed? Could he hide his blossoming even in front of Hwi?

All Yeongchunwha, upon turning sixteen, had to have their blossoming status determined every month, regardless of the blossoming scent. Just like now, a Yongrin who had visited his private residence with a curtain set up had tried to draw out his guardian star, but Yoonso had protected it every time. It wasn’t simply that he hadn’t entered the palace until now because his blossoming scent hadn’t appeared. His ability was clearly, exceptionally different.

“Release your guardian star.”

As he hesitated, unable to make a decision, the physician spoke again. It was then, as his eyes, looking down at their joined hands, wavered.

The moment Hwi curled his fingers to grasp Yoonso’s hand, a certain presence dug into his skin and shot deep inside him in an instant. An energy, more intense and cooler than what he had felt as an eight-year-old child, sucked in his guardian star.

Yoonso reflexively tried to hold on to the escaping power, but there was no way he could win against the Dragon’s Scion with the greatest power in history, who must have trained and tempered himself countless times since their first meeting. The sensation of his guardian star being instantly sucked out through his fingertips and entering Hwi’s body was excessively vivid.

It was in that moment, as he tried to control his power, feeling helpless, resistant, empty, and strange. His guardian star, touched, something. Yoonso’s eyes widened, and his fingertips slowly stiffened.

It was like the black skein of thread possessed by the Yongrin whose hand he had touched against his will when escaping his family home. But it was also on a completely different level.

Inside Hwi, there was a void. It was filth, a mire. A darkness of unfathomable depth, coiled tightly, undulated heavily as if in ecstasy at the approaching guardian star.

Yoonso, who had been trying to run, to escape, to avoid it, unconsciously squeezed Hwi’s hand tightly. But instead, Hwi’s curled fingers straightened and moved away from Yoonso.

It was his first time moving his guardian star according to his will, but it was not difficult. He had learned the method from a scholar, but he naturally came to realize that this was the instinct of a Yeongchunwha, something he could control even without being taught.

Yoonso frantically poured out his guardian star and carefully unraveled the tightly twisted void within Hwi. It was said that the more a Yongrin used their power, the more poison accumulated, driving them to agony. If this was Hwi’s pain, he couldn’t believe how he could have endured it.

In this moment, he forgot all thoughts and emotions and focused solely on healing Hwi.

Just as he had continuously poured his power into the firmly embedded poison to create a gap and had finally managed to scatter it, Hwi suddenly snatched his hand away. At the hand that left as if fleeing, Yoonso was bewildered and looked up at the curtain.

The physician moved to the other side and took Hwi’s pulse. Although everyone present in this place had their heads bowed, he could clearly feel that their attention was focused here.

A seemingly endless silence filled the room. Yoonso calmed his guardian star, which was undulating as if excited to finally be let loose. Presently, the physician removed her hand from Hwi, took two steps back, and knelt.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

As the physician’s congratulations ended, he could feel the air around him stir with joy against his skin. Everyone who had been standing guard in the room knelt and offered their sincere congratulations.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty!”

Yoonso looked around with a bewildered expression. He had only, only used a little of his power. A deep, deep mire was still seething inside Hwi, so he couldn’t understand why they were so easily pleased.

Amidst the sounds of congratulations coming from all sides, Yoonso stared blankly at the man who must be beyond the curtain. The aura of poison he had felt at his fingertips made them tingle and clench, and he still could not know what kind of expression Hwi wore.