Fake Concubine 40

“Oh ​dear, ​what ​to ​do. How did ​you ​come ​to ​catch ​a cold?”

The maid spoke ​with ​genuine distress. Unable ​to admit that ​he ​had ​done ​it ​on ​purpose, Hae-min gave ​a ​short ​reply.

“Because it is ​winter.”

“I suppose that is ​true.”

It was ​a season ​where it ​wouldn’t be ​strange ​for ​anyone to catch ​a cold. ​Thus, the maid didn’t ​find it odd at ​all that Hae-min had ​fallen ill ​overnight. ​She simply repeated phrases like, “Oh ​my, you’re coughing so ​much, ​what ​shall ​we ​do?”

Was she actually ​worried about ​him? ​Since she was ​his ​attendant, it might be only ​natural, but ​Moon ​Hae-min found the ​feeling ​strangely ​novel ​and ​awkward.

“You may ​leave ​now. What ​if you catch it from being with ​me?”

“I will be ​fine.”

“Besides, nursing a ​cold is ineffective anyway.”

His ​tone was ​cold. However, he ​had ​to speak this ​way for the ​maid to ​actually ​leave. It ​was ​better for ​her ​sake.

“Are you ​truly ​sure ​you’ll be alright?”

“I ​said ​I’m fine… ​cough.”

Contrary ​to ​his ​words, another fit of coughing erupted. Moon Hae-min covered his mouth with one hand and waved the other away, signaling for her to leave quickly.

“You must drink plenty of water. Please, you must.”

After emphasizing this, the maid left the room. Afterward, Moon Hae-min continued to suffer from coughing, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

“Haa, haa…”

His throat felt raw from the constant coughing. But in a way, this worked out well. He now looked like a sick person to anyone who [visit our site]saw him. Since he had unauthorized copymade up his mind, he felt that this level of misery made the effort of catching a cold worthwhile.

Hae-min lay back down. After coughing intermittently for a while, he sensed a presence outside the door. It was likely the maid.

He had told her to leave, yet she was still lingering in front of the room. Clicking his tongue at her persistence, Moon Hae-min called out.

“Is something the matter?”

“No, Young Master.”

“Then why haven’t you left?”

Moon Hae-min forced his weakened body up. He practically crawled on his knees to open the door.

“…”

What he saw was not the maid, but the steward. The steward was standing firmly in front of the maid.

“My, why is someone as busy as you, Read on Read BL Novelsmanaging the [Read on Read BL Novels]household visit our siteaffairs, here… Did the Master send you?”

“I did not.”

“Then why…”

Just then, a gust of cold wind blew in. He had welcomed it last night, but there was no need for it today. He spoke to the steward.

“Come inside for now.”

“No. How could I.”

The steward replied bluntly. He was likely reluctant to step into the quarters where the master’s concubine resided. While it was a form of etiquette, Moon Hae-min found it more unpleasant.

“Is this place the main house? It is, so just come in. Assuming you have business here, of course.”

“…”

“If not, then close the door.”

As he tapped the door handle as if urging him, the steward finally stepped forward. The maid followed him. Once the two entered the room, Hae-min closed the door.

The air inside became warm again. At the same time, an awkward atmosphere lingered. Moon Hae-min had nothing to say to the steward, and the steward seemed to feel the same, keeping his mouth shut. Only the maid muttered, “You’ve hardly drunk any water,” while checking the kettle.

“I shall lie down for a bit.”

Moon Hae-min lay back down, hoping that whatever business the steward had at his quarters would be finished quickly so he could leave.

“Has the medicinal decoction been served to the Young Master?”

“Not yet.”

The maid answered the steward’s question in a cowed voice. At that, the steward clicked his tongue.

“How are you attending to the Young Master? This is why he has caught a cold.”

“I am sorry…”

“Forget Ssanghwa-tang; you should have at least served him some pumpkin tea.”

Moon Hae-min frowned slightly. The loud voice right next to him made his already aching head throb. Even if the words weren’t directed at him, he didn’t want to hear a scolding.

“…If you have no business with me, you may leave now.”

When he spoke in a voice raspy from coughing, the steward fell silent. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. After a moment, the steward gave a curt farewell.

“Take care of your health.”

Then, the steward hurried out of the room. As the door closed, Moon Hae-min let out a sigh.

“Phew…”

He couldn’t tell if that was a greeting or a threat. Even if he was in the position of a concubine, did he have to be ignored to this extent? He hadn’t felt particularly sorrowful about it before, but perhaps because he was sick, it suddenly bothered him. Just as he was letting out small, hacking coughs, unable to do anything about it…

“I think Mr. Jang was quite worried about you, Young Master.”

The maid whispered in a voice tinged with a smile. It seemed she hadn’t been as discouraged by the scolding as she appeared.

“Mr. Jang? You mean the steward?”

“Yes. Among ourselves, we call him Mr. Jang.”

Regardless of the title, he hadn’t seemed worried. If anything, he seemed displeased that Hae-min had caught a cold.

“He rushed over the moment he heard you had a cold.”

“…”

“He said people from Hanseong are weak to the cold, and that you are especially frail, so even a passing cold could become critical for you.”

“No, that doesn’t sound like worry at all…”

Cough, cough. Hae-min couldn’t finish Read on Read BL Novelshis sentence and broke into Read on Read BL Novelsa cough. He was stolen contentstarting to get tired of the coughing that felt stuck in his throat.

“Mr. Jang is just like that. He’s rough and his words are harsh, but he’s actually very affectionate.”

“…Affectionate?”

“Yes, he cherishes everything that enters this estate. Whether it’s a person, an animal, or even a single tree or flower.”

His temples throbbed. He didn’t know if it was because of the cold or because of this unexpected testimony. Moon Hae-min looked up at the rafters and let out a hollow laugh.

“Is that so…”

Thinking back, the steward had never openly said he hated him. He had simply been blunt whenever they met. There was plenty of room to interpret it as dislike, but it might have been a mere misunderstanding.

‘Or perhaps he does dislike me, but not to the point of loathing.’

To realize this only now, after dying once and returning to the past. It was ridiculously absurd.

“The water has cooled. visit our siteI’ll bring hot water again—no, Read on Read BL NovelsI’ll brew some Ssanghwa-tang.”

“The Ssanghwa-tang is fine. I should sleep instead.”

Drowsiness began to wash over him. Moon Hae-min pulled the blanket up to just below his chin.

“Yes, Young Master. Then I’ll bring the Ssanghwa-tang tonight.”

The maid obediently withdrew.

The room became quiet again. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence like before, but a stillness that seemed to gently envelop his entire body. Moon Hae-min closed his eyes comfortably. Soon, his consciousness began to fade.

When he came to, Moon Hae-min was in a different place.

A space entirely different from Songdo or Hanseong.

It was a tavern near Seonui-mun.

In Moon Hae-min’s arms was a cute child. A [visit our site]child with clear, celadon-colored eyes—unlike Hae-min’s—who was [unauthorized copy]smiling brightly. The moment their [unauthorized copy]eyes met, Hae-min realized he was dreaming.

‘Bok-deong-i…’

Moon Hae-min murmured like a sigh and hugged the child tightly. Tears pricked his eyes at the warm body heat filling his arms.

It was a very shallow dream. A dream as precarious as thin ice, one that wouldn’t be strange to shatter at any moment. Aware of this, Moon Hae-min struggled to keep the dream from breaking.

‘My pretty Bok-deong-i.’

He couldn’t bring himself to ask if the child was doing well there, or tell him how much he missed him. Hae-min simply stroked Bok-deong-i’s forehead gently. Despite the shallowness of the dream, the sensations were vivid. Not only the skin, but even the hair felt soft to the touch.

‘…Daddy.’

Misses you so much, he struggled to swallow the remaining words, his lips trembling.

‘I’ll come to see you later.’

That was something he could look forward to. [unauthorized copy]Everyone eventually reaches the end of their life. If only they could meet again in the [Read on Read BL Novels]afterlife, Moon Hae-min wanted for nothing more.

‘But don’t wait for me forcefully. If a good opportunity comes, you must definitely reincarnate.’

He felt that even if Bok-deong-i reincarnated, they would be able to reunite. It was baseless, and perhaps he was harboring vain hopes out of excessive greed… but that was just how he felt.

Bok-deong-i moved his plump lips. Just as Hae-min watched his lips, hoping the child might babble…

A chilly wind blew from somewhere. As if blown away by it, the dream vanished. There was now nothing in Moon Hae-min’s arms.

“…”

Hae-min slowly opened his eyelids.

He wasn’t particularly sad to wake up. It was simply too natural. All dreams are meant to break, and Bok-deong-i had left his arms.

Still, he couldn’t help the feeling of emptiness, as if a hole had been punched through his chest. Hae-min pressed his right hand firmly against his heart.

It was then that a low voice reached him.

“Are you in much pain?”

Recognizing the owner of the voice, Hae-min hurriedly tried to sit up. Immediately, his head spun, and his waist buckled.

Song Seol caught Hae-min by the shoulders and lifted him up very carefully. Moon Hae-min leaned against him, panting for breath.