By Zephyria 
Hyun-wook, having gauged Min-hyeok’s mood, cautiously continued.
“At the time, the user had to take care of his sick younger sibling while also looking after his own health. It must have been overwhelming for a frail body. He didn’t even have time to process the grief of losing his father at such a young age.”
It was a story Min-hyeok already knew, but his heart ached every time he heard it. Hae-joo had been young, and on top of that, his body was ravaged by illness. In that state, he had to shoulder everything alone.
“Because he was so overwhelmed, his resentment and hatred toward the mother who left home had piled up to the limit.”
That was only natural. In such an environment, even a sage would have had no choice but to harbor hatred and resentment. Having gone through such things at a young age, those emotions were perfectly normal. Young Hae-joo must have fought to survive in his own way. He had to live like that to protect himself and his sibling, so it was the best choice he could make.
“Wounded, Hae-joo built a thorough wall to shut out his mother in order to defend himself. So that he wouldn’t be abandoned again.”
The words ‘so that he wouldn’t be abandoned again’ pierced Min-hyeok’s heart like a dagger. In Hyun-wook’s eyes as he recalled those days, complexity and tenderness were intertwined.
“He chose that method because if people didn’t approach him, he wouldn’t be abandoned. I apologize for saying this, but once the door to his heart is closed, it will not open easily.”
This wasn’t meant to discourage him or make him give up. Hyun-wook was simply reminding Min-hyeok of the reality he needed to understand. It was a wake-up call, telling him to keep his wits about him.
“…Thanks for the useful information. I’ll keep it in mind for now.”
“Your Majesty. The real reason he closed his heart is not because he is sad or angry.”
“Then what is it?”
Min-hyeok had naturally assumed it was because of anger, so he was puzzled to hear it wasn’t due to those emotions. He didn’t press the hesitating Hyun-wook.
“If it’s the user I know, it’s simply because he is very fearful.”
“Fear? Because he’s fearful?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. He’s afraid of being abandoned again. Just imagining going through the same thing twice is horrific. Those anxious feelings gathered to create a defensive shield.”
That the reason he built such a wall was because he was fearful was completely unexpected. Min-hyeok had thought Hae-joo was simply angry; he hadn’t considered that he would feel fear. The more he heard it, the more plausible it sounded.
Back then, Hae-joo must have struggled to endure each day. He probably didn’t abandon hope amidst his grueling life, vaguely wishing and waiting for his and his sibling’s health to improve. But soon, he died.
The place where he was reborn after death wasn’t exactly a better environment. While there were no material hardships, it was a place more desolate and lonely than the previous one. Min-hyeok couldn’t even fathom how Hae-joo’s heart felt, waiting for his family and friends from his past life without any hope.
Ultimately, a great wound was carved into his heart in this life as well, and the person who caused that wound was his husband—Min-hyeok himself. How was this any different from Hae-joo’s biological mother in his past life? Hae-joo, who had suffered from illness his entire life, happened to be born as the Emperor’s concubine and lived through hardships different from those before his possession.
He must have wanted to be happy, but the difficult surrounding environment made things too hard for Hae-joo. Min-hyeok felt terribly sorry that he, along with the grandfather who shared his blood, was at the center of that. The only thing that allowed Min-hyeok to feel even a slight sense of relief in this situation was that there were other family members by Hae-joo’s side.
At first, he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge that bizarre relationship of being family from a past life. He had denied them, claiming that he was Hae-joo’s only family. However, the ones who provided comfort to Hae-joo from beginning to end were them. It was never him.
So now, he was simply grateful for their existence, and it gave him solace. As long as Hae-joo wasn’t alone, that was enough. In truth, every time Min-hyeok heard Hyun-wook’s stories, he felt very strange. The stories of childhood that Hyun-wook told weren’t events from a few years ago.
They were events from a distant past life that Min-hyeok knew nothing about. It felt strange that Hyun-wook could bring up those events so casually, and that he himself was listening to them so casually. He said he had accepted everything, but he couldn’t help feeling odd every time he heard them. Moreover, every time he heard a story, he felt an unsettling lingering feeling in strange places.
“This is a slightly different question… about the Grand Imperial Concubine, the mother from the past life. Did that woman not meet him here?”
“The mother? Hmm, I didn’t hear that she passed away at the time. Wouldn’t she be living well over there?”
Min-hyeok nodded at Hyun-wook’s words, but he felt strangely anxious. If ties from a past life continued into the next for people like them, there was no reason it couldn’t happen to Min-hyeok as well. However, the biological mother who had been rejected by Hae-joo was not here. There might be a reason she died early, but if it was because Hae-joo didn’t want her, that was a different story.
A thought suddenly occurred to Min-hyeok. If he died here and was reborn like them, would he be excluded by Hae-joo, or would he be born as a connection Hae-joo remembered? Would they be able to meet again? Considering he couldn’t even win over Hae-joo’s heart right now, worrying about the afterlife was utterly useless. However, once that useless imagination started, it made Min-hyeok anxious.
“But I believe the reason his vigilance and defenses are so severe is that he liked Your Majesty very much. Because he trusted and liked you, the shock and sense of betrayal were that great. That is all I can tell you.”
“I see….”
“What I’ve said now isn’t to flatter Your Majesty. This is just my intuition, but perhaps the user is waiting while wandering… I had the presumptuous thought that the user might also need a chance to forgive. That is why I dared to say this.”
Like a friend subtly sliding over an answer sheet, the hint Hyun-wook gave was quite helpful. And a chance to forgive—just hearing it was something to be grateful for. But would Hae-joo actually want that?
Hyun-wook might know Hae-joo well, but perhaps his intuition was wrong this time. In the eyes Hae-joo cast upon Min-hyeok, there was only resentment and hatred. He saw only a resentment so deep it was scary to even recall.
“But just clinging to him blindly is a bit… It’s not a matter of my pride, but I don’t want to keep provoking Hae-joo. I’m afraid something might happen.”
Recalling Hae-joo losing his reason while looking at him, Min-hyeok lost his confidence, unlike his usual self. At first, he thought everything would go according to his will. But the more he saw Hae-joo, the more he realized it was not an easy path.
“Then, Your Majesty. Are you going to stay still like this? I’m not saying this for anyone else, but for the user’s sake, please show at least a minimum of sincerity. Because the only person who can soothe his heart is Your Majesty.”
“…I understand what you mean. Thanks for the advice today.”
Despite not having many positive feelings toward him, Hyun-wook didn’t hold back his advice. Even if it was for the sake of the Grand Imperial Concubine, it was helpful for Min-hyeok regardless.
∗ ∗ ∗
Today, as usual, I closed the cafe a bit later than other days. Since spring is coming, I’m preparing new drinks to match the season. I lost track of time while drafting recipes and conceptualizing new menu items. Although my body was tired, this felt more comfortable than going home early.
If I go home early and am alone, stray thoughts creep in, and because of me, the other family members end up returning home early too. The effort my family made to avoid leaving me alone since Joo Min-hyeok’s visit was almost enough to bring me to tears. I was grateful for it, but it was also quite burdensome. I felt sorry that their lives seemed to revolve too much around me.
I hated that the people who loved me and whom I loved were struggling and anxious because of me. They were family members who had already given up so much to protect me; I didn’t want them to have to adjust their daily routines to fit me. That’s why I’m trying to work as much as possible and reduce the time I spend alone at home. That way, my family can be at ease.
After checking here and there to make sure the cafe door was locked properly, I turned and walked away with heavy steps when I heard the sound of someone getting out of a car parked in front of the adjacent building. The presence was detected at such an exquisite timing that I instinctively turned my head.
Sure enough, Joo Min-hyeok was standing in front of the car. But this time, he hadn’t come alone; he was standing there having stepped out of the back seat, not the driver’s seat. I narrowed my eyes and scanned the area around the car to see if there were a few more people besides Joo Min-hyeok and why he hadn’t come alone today.
It was normal for someone in the Emperor’s position to move like this, but everything seemed suspicious. But why was he dressed like that? He was always impeccably neat without a single wrinkle, but the hems of his pants were all crumpled and wet. His rolled-up sleeves were also full of stains. What happened?
“You don’t have to be so guarded. I’m not taking you away.”
Seeing my bristling posture, he walked toward me, slightly holding out a document envelope.
“I came today to deliver what you wanted. I’ll leave as soon as I give this to you, so relax.”
Joo Min-hyeok, who had been approaching me slowly, stopped at a certain distance and held out the envelope. I was almost flustered by how quickly he had brought the divorce papers. It felt almost hollow that he had agreed to the divorce so readily, making me wonder why he had visited me in that manner before.
“There’s a pen inside. Sign it, and I’ll take it immediately, so sign it.”
“…Yes….”
Without letting go of my suspicion, I took the documents out of the envelope. They were undoubtedly divorce papers, already stamped with Joo Min-hyeok’s seal. Seeing them, my chest tightened strangely. After examining the documents carefully, I began to fill them out.
I finished signing accurately so that no other words would be necessary. To think we dragged this out for five years when it could end this quickly…. Joo Min-hyeok’s gaze as he scanned the documents I handed over was serious. After confirming there were no issues with what was written, he took the papers.
“Then, will the lawyers handle the next steps on their own, like last time?”
I cautiously asked about the next schedule. It’s my divorce; I should know too, right?
“Yes. The divorce will proceed cleanly so that there’s nothing to worry about.”
I see. As expected, it seems he intends to handle it quietly. While I was nodding and organizing my thoughts, Joo Min-hyeok continued.
“Once the divorce cooling-off period is over.”
……?
What period?