By Zephyria 
It seemed Han Hee-sung had been controlled and oppressed in an environment different from that of the Grand Imperial Concubine. Even if it was the high-quality education a noble Dominant Omega was expected to receive, it must have been exhausting and suffocating. If parents treat their son not as a child, but merely force the virtues and conduct of a nobleman upon him as a future mate for the Emperor, that is not love.
“Grand Imperial Concubine, were you sincere when you said those things to me back then? I’ve never heard anyone speak to me with such sincerity before. I was surprised and fascinated that I could have a conversation like this with someone. To be honest, I’d never really talked like that, so I didn’t even know if I was doing it right.”
“I was sincere. There were no lies in the conversation I had with you, Hee-sung. It had been a very long time since I’d opened up my inner thoughts to someone, either. Strangely, it felt comfortable and nice.”
“Really?”
He becomes so happy whenever he senses positive emotions directed toward him. Han Hee-sung was more innocent in his expression of emotions than I had thought. And I could roughly guess what kind of life he had lived. He likely had to go to academies on a strict schedule, take lessons, and was probably forbidden from making friends to prevent him from developing “strange habits.” He must have had some, though—excellent genes in similar environments and positions.
I hoped he had good friends, but it didn’t seem to be the case for Han Hee-sung. Seeing how he couldn’t hide his emotions and reacted and expressed them immediately, he likely hated hypocrisy and might have struggled to understand indirect expressions.
I don’t know how Han Hee-sung defined someone in the position of the Grand Imperial Concubine, but perhaps because I was nothing like the standards he had been taught, he felt a human connection. That turned into a liking, then curiosity, and the conversation at the convenience store seems to have been the decisive catalyst for him craving affection from me.
“If you had known the truth about me, Hee-sung, the things I said back then would have sounded absurd. Right? Since I don’t have a younger brother.”
“T-that’s true, but I thought there must have been a reason. It didn’t feel like a lie.”
“You’re right. There is a reason. I ended up pouring everything out to someone unexpectedly. But even His Majesty doesn’t know that reason.”
“What!”
Hearing my words, Han Hee-sung covered his mouth and looked around. He seemed worried that someone might have overheard. I had spoken softly, so there was no way anyone heard, but Han Hee-sung’s voice grew even smaller.
“Really? I won’t tell anyone. I promise. If you were worried, you can put your mind at ease.”
“You are very considerate, Hee-sung. Thank you. I thought you would be.”
“Grand Imperial Concubine, then… did you meet your brother? You haven’t met him yet, right?”
Han Hee-sung’s eyes were full of concern as he looked at me. How should I explain this? Should I say I met him, but he’s a brother who doesn’t remember me? It’s a very difficult thing to answer. Since Seo-joo doesn’t remember me, I am not his older brother right now. In fact, since Seo-joo is a year older, it makes the answer even more awkward.
And for now, even if Seo-joo’s memories miraculously returned, I don’t know if that would be a good thing for him. It might be a better choice to leave Seo-joo, who remembers nothing, to be faithful to his current life. I gave Hee-sung a lonely smile and shook my head.
“This is a matter that takes time, so I’m trying not to be impatient. As I said back then, the days spent waiting aren’t so bad. Because there is such a thing as anticipation.”
As Han Hee-sung nodded, I decided to tell him the reality. That his current behavior was far too dangerous. He needed to learn how to judge a situation before acting. Since these innocent emotions of Han Hee-sung’s could be perceived as an attack by some, it was a situation where both could end up in danger.
“I don’t know in what form your feelings for me manifest, Hee-sung, but I can tell that your affection is sincere. However, your expression of that affection is too dangerous.”
“…Yes.”
Oh? He understands as soon as I say it? It seems he had also felt that his actions were reckless.
“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. Anyway, His Majesty treats the Grand Imperial Concubine as….”
Han Hee-sung hurried to trail off, but I could guess what the rest of the sentence was. He probably thought Joo Min-hyeok had no need for me. Having grown up promised the position of Empress, Han Hee-sung was taught that the Grand Imperial Concubine was someone to be disposed of later. However, Han Hee-sung had also sensed from the Emperor’s reactions that this wasn’t the case.
“His Majesty and I are a married couple. I am someone you must not touch carelessly. Originally, one cannot even see the face of the Emperor’s concubine. Touching is, of course, forbidden. It is a crime for which His Majesty could have you imprisoned immediately, and you would have no grounds to complain.”
“…Yes.”
“Your actions could put your family in danger. You must not put your father in a difficult position. He is someone essential to His Majesty and the country. Do not make things awkward between the two of them. It could drive them apart. His Majesty is more obsessed with me than you might think.”
I glanced at Joo Min-hyeok, who was unable to focus on the conversation inside and was looking this way, and emphasized the gravity of the situation. Han Hee-sung’s shoulders flinched at the mention that the relationship between his father and the Emperor could deteriorate. Talking one-on-one like this, the boy is actually normal.
I had worried he might be a reckless person who couldn’t be reasoned with. It seemed he just committed these acts blindly because he didn’t know how to approach me, but Joo Min-hyeok wouldn’t overlook it anymore. This is truly the last time he’ll let it slide as a joke.
“The first time, he let it go because he was flustered; the second time, he let it go because he was abroad; and this time, he let it go only because he had business with the guests. Do not push your father to the brink. I am telling you this for your own sake.”
“Yes…. User, thank you for the advice.”
A crestfallen Hee-sung answered hesitantly. Feeling sorry for him, I gave him a more realistic glimpse into Joo Min-hyeok’s temperament.
“By any chance, have you heard the rumor that His Majesty destroyed all the rooms in my quarters?”
“What? Yes. I just thought it was a rumor.”
“It’s not a rumor; it’s true. I slept in a different room without telling His Majesty. Because I wasn’t in the bedroom, he went around destroying the rooms while searching for me. He made the palace servants stand outside and watch. The consequences of your actions toward me won’t end at that level.”
Hee-sung’s face turned pale at my words. He shook his head and cast a brief glance toward where Joo Min-hyeok was.
“W-what if His Majesty does something to you, User? No matter how I think about it, His Majesty’s capacity is too small to contain the Palace Lord.”
“Hee-sung. You must never say things like that anywhere. Do you understand? Do not engage in any behavior that could lead to misunderstandings. It would be truly distressing not only for your family but for me as well.”
I don’t want to see Hee-sung die at Min-hyeok’s hands. Regardless, Hee-sung is the only person here who has harbored good feelings for me, poured affection into me, and told me he likes me. Joo Min-hyeok hasn’t said a single word about liking me yet. Hee-sung simply made mistakes because he is clumsy at expressing affection.
“…I can’t tell you in detail, User, but I know. His Majesty is the kind of person who can discard someone at any time if something better appears.”
Even without the details, I know what he means. Joo Min-hyeok would have been prepared to discard me at any moment. In the novel, that’s exactly what happened. He killed the Grand Imperial Concubine and Han-bin and wiped out his family. Because the Prime Minister had lived such an unprincipled life, the list of his crimes alone was enough for a death sentence.
That was how the family fell in the novel. Right now, the grandfather is so quiet that I have no idea how things will turn out. I think I need to look into this. It’s strangely calm, and that makes me incredibly anxious.
In any case, what Hee-sung is saying likely refers to my deposition and the preparation for a new mistress. Given who Joo Min-hyeok was until now, he was a man more than capable of discarding me for profit to obtain a new concubine or Empress. I cannot definitively guarantee that he isn’t like that now.
He is a man whose inner thoughts are unknowable. Even if he is obsessed with me like this now, he has never told me that it is love. Even during our argument last time, there was no mention of it. Therefore, I must always be mentally prepared to survive.
Still, I want to believe in the current Joo Min-hyeok. The words he gives me, the look in his eyes, and his actions. I want to believe that this obsessive side of him will not change. I don’t know if I could handle it if a situation like the novel occurred. I was so careful, so cautious not to develop these feelings, but in the end, it happened.
“Please don’t make such a gloomy expression, User. I was wrong. I won’t put you in a difficult position ever again. I will be careful. So….”
“I’ll be your friend. How about that?”
“What? A friend?”
Hee-sung’s eyes widened at my proposal to be friends. He seemed not to have expected it.
“I can tell what kind of emotion your affection for me is. Shall we be friends?”
Hee-sung wants me. He likes me and wants to be with me. But it doesn’t seem to be a sexual attraction. If so, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to show him what friendship is. Although I’m concerned about his family, Hee-sung charged straight toward me despite knowing the risks. Therefore, I couldn’t bring myself to push away Hee-sung, who had gathered the courage to approach me.