Fake Concubine 35
“Mmm….”
“Ah, Young Master.”
“Are you awake?”
As he opened his eyes, two men greeted him politely, as if they hadn’t been doing anything else. Moon Hae-min looked back and forth between their faces. He felt as if he recognized them from somewhere, though the memory remained just out of reach.
‘No, more importantly….’
Where was he?
His mind was hazy, like the morning after drinking too much. After racking his brain for a while, everything came rushing back.
“Ah! Could this be… Songdo?”
At the exclamation that escaped his lips, the two men exchanged glances. One of them spoke.
“Not yet, Young Master. But we are close. We should arrive in Songdo shortly.”
“I see….”
This wasn’t an answer to the man, but a monologue to himself upon his realization.
‘I’ve returned to the past.’
To be precise, it seemed to be the moment he arrived in Songdo about a year ago, in place of Moon Hee-yul. Before he could even be surprised by this incredible event, the man urged him.
“Let us hurry. You must meet the man who will become your husband within the day.”
“…….”
Husband. Moon Hae-min’s face hardened at that word, which held nothing but [Read on Read BL Novels]unpleasant memories. He had gone through so much to escape Song Seol, and yet he had to meet him again. He felt hopeless, but escaping immediately was difficult.
The two men before him were servants appointed by Lord Moon to serve as both guards and monitors. Even if he managed to slip away from them somehow, he would be caught before long. The fact that he had very little money on hand was also a problem.
“Right, I understand. Let’s go.”
Swallowing the words, ‘I can just run away when the time is right,’ Moon Hae-min pushed himself up. His returned life might not be entirely smooth, but Moon Hae-min was determined not to repeat the same tragedy.
In the past, he had been captivated by the bustle of Songdo, letting out continuous sighs of admiration while forgetting his troubled mind.
But it wasn’t like that now. Since it was a city he had lived in for a year, there was nothing more novel or surprising to see. The scenery was so overly familiar that it almost felt strange.
Instead of sightseeing, Moon Hae-min checked his physical condition.
‘It feels the same as it did a year ago.’
Just before his suicide attempt, Moon Hae-min had been utterly exhausted. His overall health had been so poor that it was hard to pinpoint exactly where it hurt. It was only natural, given that he had just given birth, hadn’t been able to recover properly, and had been confined while suffering a great psychological shock.
In contrast, he felt vibrant now. He felt refreshed, as if he had woken up after a deep sleep, without a single trace of fatigue. Furthermore….
“…….”
Hae-min rolled up his sleeve and looked down at his wrist. The last time he remembered his wrist, it looked like a crushed dandelion stem, but now it was simply white. There wasn’t a scratch, let alone a self-inflicted wound. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Lowering his arm, Hae-min looked around. The servants, the guide, the passing pedestrians—everyone looked ordinary. As if today were just another day like any other. He was the only one who had returned to the past; for them, this moment was the present.
Realizing this gave him an indescribably strange feeling. Just as he let out an unconscious sigh, a Chromatic Scent leaked out with his breath.
“Gasp.”
Startled by his own scent, Moon Hae-min stopped breathing. He covered his mouth with both hands and looked around anxiously. Fortunately, it seemed no one had noticed his Chromatic Scent. Since the majority of people in the world were ordinary people, it was only natural.
‘But a sexual-person would have definitely smelled it.’
Moon Hae-min inhaled cautiously. Now that he was aware of it, he could feel a scent so thick it was impossible to ignore. Even when he tried to suppress his Chromatic Scent, it was impossible. Unlike blinking or bending a finger, this was not something he could control with his will.
“What do I do….”
Setting aside others, Song Seol would detect his Chromatic Scent immediately. He would find it suspicious that ‘Moon Hee-yul,’ a Scentless Eumin, was wafting a Chromatic Scent.
While he was anxious that he might face a crisis right from his new beginning, a part of him felt, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ In the worst-case scenario, what more could happen than death? Having already come to the brink of death once, he wasn’t afraid of that much.
“Young Master, this way.”
The guide led the way. Moon Hae-min followed him.
Soon, a mansion as vast as a whale’s back appeared. A place that had once been his residence, and also the space that had been his prison.
“…….”
Hae-min swallowed hard as he entered the main gate. Come to think of it, he remembered being incredibly nervous when he first entered Grand Prince Byeokran’s private residence. He was no less nervous now. The thought of meeting Song Seol again made his heart pound so hard that his Chromatic Scent began to pour out even more intensely.
Finally, Moon Hae-min stood before Song Seol.
“Greetings.”
Moon Hae-min greeted him in a small voice, hoping that this would make his Chromatic Scent less noticeable. But it was useless. Even to himself, his scent felt quite intense.
He had returned to a year ago, but of all things, the fact that he had manifested as an Eumin remained the same. Moreover, his inability to control his Chromatic Scent was also unchanged. As expected, Song Seol pointed it out immediately.
“A pungent Chromatic Scent.”
“…….”
“It seems the Geumcheon Moon clan doesn’t even teach how to control one’s scent?”
Hae-min lifted his head slightly.
A man sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor of the central hall, which was shaped like a wedge, was looking down at him.
Moon Hae-min realized anew how imposing his presence was. At the same time, he realized one thing.
‘Song Seol remembers nothing.’
It was as he had inwardly expected. Relieved by this fact, Moon Hae-min spoke.
“Yes. I have not yet learned how to control my scent.”
“…….”
“It hasn’t been long since I manifested as an Eumin.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. When he confessed the truth as it was, Song Seol frowned slightly. In the past, he would have been at a loss as to how to act upon seeing such an expression, but now he felt a bit of satisfaction.
“Just as I heard….”
Song Seol began to speak. Hae-min already knew the words that would follow.
“You have peculiar eyes.”
“…….”
“And arrogant eyes.”
Moon Hae-min’s prediction was right, yet wrong. The comment about ‘arrogant eyes’ was something he had never heard from Song Seol or anyone else.
“The Geumcheon Moon clan is originally famous for having peculiar eye colors.”
“I am Song Seol.”
“I am Moon Hee-yul, son of Moon Won-yul.”
The name ‘Moon Hee-yul’ felt scratchy and stinging on the tip of his tongue. However, Hae-min did not stutter this time. It was better than he thought. Introducing himself as Moon Hee-yul, and living as Moon Hee-yul for the time being.
‘I’m just enduring it for a while.’
Just as he had in the past, Moon Hae-min had no intention of staying by Song Seol’s side forever. He intended to find a way to save himself and leave when the opportunity arose.
This time, he was confident he wouldn’t be caught by Song Seol. Moon Hae-min remembered exactly when Song [unauthorized copy]Seol would leave for Hanseong and when he would return to Songdo. If he timed it well, he would surely succeed in escaping.
Living as Moon Hee-yul until then… yes, he could do that. What was truly agonizing was pain without an end. Compared to that, he could endure a year’s worth of hardship.
“Show Moon Hee-yul to his quarters,” Song Seol instructed a middle-aged man. He was the steward of this residence, whom Hae-min knew well.
Moon Hae-min gave a slight bow to Song Seol and followed the steward.
As in the past, the days passed without incident.
As expected, Song Seol did not seek out Moon Hae-min. Although they lived under one roof and were likely to run into each other, it never happened. Thanks to that, Hae-min could focus on himself.
‘T-then, can I meet Bok-deong-i again?’
‘Whether you meet again or not depends on your choice.’
‘…….’
‘Do you want to meet your child again?’
He hadn’t been able to answer Mago’s question in the end. Only now could he finally give that answer. Hae-min murmured softly.
“I want to meet him. But I must not.”
He might end up giving birth to Bok-deong-i again. But that felt like his own greed.
Moon Hae-min didn’t have the confidence to protect Bok-deong-i. He had failed once, so he might succeed a second time, but he couldn’t gamble with the child’s fate. If he lost Bok-deong-i again because of his own inadequacy, he wasn’t sure he could live with his sanity intact. He would surely regret it over and over, even in death.
‘Rather than growing up under an incompetent father….’
It might be better not to be born at all, Moon Hae-min repeated bitterly. It wasn’t because he didn’t love Bok-deong-i, but because he loved him that he couldn’t give birth to him. This would be the right choice.
“Sigh.”
Though he had finally made up his mind, he didn’t feel relieved. It felt gritty, as if sand had rolled into his chest. Hae-min let out several sighs before standing up. He felt more depressed because he had stayed in his room for several days; he felt he should at least go for a walk.
“Where are you going?”
Just as he was crossing the yard, a maid sweeping the ground asked. Hae-min replied absentmindedly.
“I intend to go for a walk.”
“Are you going out alone when you aren’t familiar with the local geography?”
Only then did a sense of déjà vu hit him. No, it wasn’t just déjà vu; he had had this exact conversation before. Back then, the maid had definitely….
“If you have nowhere to go, why not visit the Namdaemun Market? You just have to follow the main road, so it will be easy to find.”
She had told him about Namdaemun Market. Once again, the reality of having returned to the past sank in.
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