Fake Concubine 53

‘Why ​do ​I ​keep ​acting like this? ​How ​stupid.’

As ​he ​scolded ​himself inwardly, Song Seol ​murmured ​beside him.

“To yourself, ​is it… It ​seems ​you ​two ​have ​become ​close in such ​a ​short ​time.”

“…Should we not ​be close?”

He hadn’t particularly ​planned on ​becoming close, ​but when ​he asked ​just ​in ​case, the other ​man spat ​back coldly.

“Do as you ​wish.”

“…Yes.”

Having nothing more to ​say, he fell [unauthorized copy]silent, ​and a ​hush ​settled Read on Read BL Novelsbetween the two of them. ​Only the rhythmic sound ​of ​galloping ​hooves ​echoed ​through the air.

For ​Moon Hae-min, ​this ​silence actually felt ​more ​comfortable. After all, what business ​did he ​have ​engaging in small ​talk ​with ​Song ​Seol? ​A certain ​distance ​needed to ​be maintained between them.

“It is there.”

After galloping ​for some time, ​a house with ​blue roof tiles appeared. ​Even in ​this neighborhood of ​noblemen, ​where wealthy tile-roofed ​houses were lined ​up, it ​was ​a strikingly ​luxurious ​mansion. Its ​grandeur ​could be ​guessed ​just ​by looking at ​the ​main gate.

“Wow…”

An ​exclamation ​escaped ​him ​instinctively. Those eaves, stretching boldly as if to pierce the sky. Though he didn’t know the owner, he suspected the master of the house possessed a very magnanimous nature.

Meanwhile, Song Seol dismounted and knocked on the main gate.

“Welcome, My Lord.”

The gate opened shortly after. A servant bowed deeply and took Song Seol’s reins. Another servant approached Moon Hae-min.

“Please lean on my shoulder to dismount.”

Perhaps it was because he looked unfamiliar with riding, or perhaps this was simply how they served guests. Regardless, Hae-min, who was clumsy at getting off a horse, was grateful for the help.

“Then, I shall ask of you.”

Just as he was about to lean on the servant’s shoulder to dismount, Song Seol stepped forward abruptly. He grabbed Moon Hae-min’s hand as if snatching it and pulled him toward himself.

“Uh…”

Suddenly, Moon Hae-min found himself practically embraced by Song Seol. Though his feet touched the ground, Song Seol did not let him go. Instead, he pulled him closer by the waist. When a flustered Hae-min tried to push him away slightly, a voice dropped in an extremely low tone.

“If you accompany me, you must behave accordingly, Moon Hee-yul.”

The voice, so quiet that no one else could hear, was a clear warning. A warning not to diminish Grand Prince Byeokran’s prestige by acting clueless. It was a reasonable point, and thus, he had no choice but to agree.

“…My apologies.”

Only then did Song Seol release Read on Read BL Novelshis arm [visit our site]from around his waist. As he walked inside stolen contentthe gate, Moon Hae-min followed silently behind.

‘It’s incredible.’

Once inside the walls, the Yoon residence was luxuriously opulent. Every window featured flower-lattice doors with floral patterns carved into the frames, and only the straightest and thickest wood had been selected for the pillars. The highlight was the dancheong—the traditional multicolored paint—which was so vivid it looked as if it had been gilded with gold.

If Song Seol’s private residence was elegantly beautiful, the Yoon residence was breathtakingly beautiful. Thus, while Moon Hae-min’s eyes were delighted, he also felt a sense of concern. Was it appropriate for a nobleman’s residence to be more lavish than a Grand Prince’s?

‘It’s not my place to worry about others, but…’

Looking again, it seemed the house had been constructed to barely skirt the line of violating social protocols. Moon Hae-min clicked his tongue, thinking that this, too, was impressive in its own way.

“Welcome!”

As they entered the sarangbang, Yoon Seung-hyeok rose from his seat and greeted them warmly. His smiling face was as bright as a full moon. Perhaps because he was in his own home, Yoon Seung-hyeok seemed particularly confident and in high spirits today.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“I am the one who should be grateful that you readily accepted. Please, have a seat.”

Moon Hae-min sat down. He unconsciously fidgeted with his fingers, then stopped upon realizing he was acting restless. But then, he became anxious because he didn’t know how he should behave.

Come to think of it, this was his first time being invited to someone else’s home. Therefore, there was no way he knew how a normal person acted in such a situation. Glancing sideways at Song Seol, he saw him conversing with Yoon Seung-hyeok in a natural posture.

“Is your grandfather in good health?”

“He is indeed. At his age, he is even planning a tour of the Geumo Kingdom.”

Meanwhile, a maidservant brought out refreshments. Hae-min cupped the teacup with both hands, pretending to savor the aroma of the tea.

“Since you are here, would you like to admire a piece of calligraphy by a master that I managed to acquire with great difficulty recently?”

Yoon Seung-hyeok asked with sparkling eyes. It seemed he had noticed that Moon Hae-min, who had no common topics of conversation, was being left out and was trying to be considerate. Grateful for the gesture, Hae-min nodded.

“Yes, I look forward to seeing the master’s calligraphy that you worked so hard to obtain.”

“Haha, you won’t be disappointed.”

Yoon Seung-hyeok said as he stood up. Song Seol rose as well. Moon Hae-min was slightly flustered that they were getting up so soon after sitting, but he followed their lead.

Yoon Seung-hyeok threw open the middle door. A fairly large space was revealed. Filling that space were books, books, books, and more books.

“Wow…!”

An exclamation burst out naturally. Moon Hae-min’s eyes widened as he looked around the room. Though he didn’t know for sure, every single volume likely was a precious book.

“How did you collect all of these?”

“Ah, some I collected myself, and many others have been in my grandfather’s possession for a long time.”

“If it is not an imposition, may I take a look?”

“By all means.”

Permission granted. Hae-min walked toward the bookshelves as if possessed. Having spent his time only peeking into Lord Moon’s study (and being scolded whenever he was caught), Read on Read BL Novelsstanding before stolen contentsuch bookshelves felt as if his vision were opening up.

‘What should I look at first?’

A joyful tremor ran through his entire body. He pulled out a random book that was within reach, and upon checking the title, he let out a gasp.

“You have Chae Gang’s collection of essays?”

“Yes, you may borrow it if you wish.”

“No…”

He started to refuse out of habit, but Hae-min slowly corrected himself.

“W-would that really be alright?”

“Of course.”

“Even though it is a precious book?”

“Books are objects brought into the world to be read. Among the book lovers of the world, there are those who cherish books so much they cannot tolerate even the smallest flaw, but I, Yoon Seung-hyeok, am not like that.”

Furthermore, he added that the young master seemed like someone who would handle books very carefully.

“Then I shall read it carefully and return it to you.”

“Please do. I believe this book will also be happy to be read by you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Moon Hae-min was curious. Why was Yoon Seung-hyeok being so kind to him? Although the Geumcheon Moon clan was a prestigious noble family, they could not match the wealth of the Yoon family. There was nothing Yoon Seung-hyeok could gain from ‘Moon Hee-yul,’ so why on earth…

“Did you not say you would show us the calligraphy?”

Suddenly, Song Seol cut in. At that, Moon Hae-min stopped his swirling thoughts. Yoon Seung-hyeok also seemed to remember the forgotten errand, exclaiming, “Ah, that’s right!” as he headed somewhere.

“It is this.”

Yoon Seung-hyeok pointed to a hanging scroll on one side of the room. Moon Hae-min was surprised once that there was still space for a scroll in a room filled with bookshelves, and surprised twice by the masterly calligraphy on that scroll.

“Wow…”

The handwriting was exceptionally elegant. Written with a delicate brush, yet it possessed a bold spirit, as if written without hesitation.

Spring Dawn Occasional Writing

What can be done, for the water that flowed east does not return,

The seasons hurry on, yet the person does not come.

The affectionate morning rain falls in a drizzle,

And the lovely flowers bloom and bloom again.

Moon Hae-min read the poem as if savoring every single word. Yoon Seung-hyeok stood silently stolen contentbeside the scroll, waiting until the two of them finished their appreciation. Considering his usual personality, he could have bragged, [unauthorized copy]“How is it? [unauthorized copy]Truly a master’s work, isn’t it?” but the fact that he didn’t allowed Hae-min to guess how much Yoon Seung-hyeok truly loved calligraphy.

“It is a good piece.”

Eventually, Song Seol offered a plain critique. His voice was as dry as ever, making it doubtful whether he actually felt it was ‘good.’ Or perhaps Song Seol possessed the aesthetic eye to distinguish good calligraphy from bad, but was not the type of person to be moved by it.

Hae-min expressed his appreciation on Song Seol’s behalf.

“Thank you for letting us see it. It is a work of strange charm, both delicate and bold. I can see why you cherish it so much.”

“I am glad you recognize it.”

Yoon Seung-hyeok smiled broadly. He then lightly stroked the scroll. No… Yoon Seung-hyeok’s fingers did not touch the paper. He simply moved his hand as if tracing the scroll.

“Ah…”

Yoon Seung-hyeok let out a sighing sound. Feeling as if he were peeking into someone’s private life, Moon Hae-min felt inexplicably embarrassed.

“Why are you making such a face?”

“Pardon? Are you referring to me?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of face am I making that…”

When he asked bewilderedly, Yoon Seung-hyeok answered.

“It is as if you are looking at a pervert.”

“P-pervert? No, you are mistaken.”

Flustered, Moon Hae-min even waved his hands. However, inwardly, he felt a prick of guilt. It was because the moment he heard the word ‘pervert,’ he thought it suited Yoon Seung-hyeok quite well.

Footnote:

1. A Chinese poem by Choi Chi-won (857~?), a scholar and writer of the late Silla period.