Fake Concubine 94

Whether ​Grand ​Prince ​Gwang-han’s ​words were truth ​or ​lies ​remained ​uncertain. ​There was a high ​possibility ​they were merely ​nonsense fabricated to ​provoke ​him. ​After ​all, ​that ​was simply the ​Grand ​Prince’s ​nature.

…But why, then, ​did he feel so ​anxious?

He realized ​the reason ​instantly. He ​wanted to ​exclude ​any ​possibility that even ​a single ​hair on Moon Hae-min’s ​head had been harmed. ​Yet, a “burnt corpse”? ​It was ​something ​that should not even dare to ​be uttered.

Song Seol glared ​at ​Grand ​Prince ​Gwang-han ​as if he ​wanted to ​kill ​him. Rather than ​just ​glaring, he truly wanted to ​tear the ​man ​apart. He had ​no ​sword ​in ​his ​hand at ​the ​moment, but ​were there not countless ways to kill ​a person?

However, doing ​so would only ​complicate matters further, and ​above all… ​wielding force would ​not ​bring Moon Hae-min ​back. In the ​end, Song ​Seol ​suppressed his ​rage ​with supreme ​patience.

“Song ​Jeong.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“I ​will ​no ​longer stand by ​and ​watch your ​atrocities.”

“Please, ​do ​as ​you wish.”

Grand Prince Gwang-han continued to smile slyly until the very end. Song Seol brushed past him and left the Uigeumbu office.

A wind as sharp as a blade swept in. However, Song Seol didn’t even have the luxury to feel the weather. He simply clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles protruded.

‘It’s nonsense.’

Song Seol tried his best to deny the Grand Prince’s words. In the first place, it wasn’t even certain that he had kidnapped Moon Hae-min. Although the information had been obtained by winning over someone working under Grand Prince Gwang-han, even that could have been part of the Grand Prince’s scheme.

Therefore, Moon Hae-min must be safe. No, he had to be safe.

Despite believing this without a doubt, the chill of anxiety brushing [unauthorized copy]against his heart stolen contentwould not subside. With his face finally contorting, Song Seol let out a bitter breath.

“Finally…”

Two days after leaving Yangju, he arrived in Hanseong.

Hae-min stopped for a moment and looked around. The scenery was gradually becoming familiar. It was only natural, as this was the city where he was born and raised.

‘Fifteen days… no. Has it been almost a month?’

He felt a surge of emotion, but there was no time to linger. The sunset was already dipping low. If he dawdled, the evening bell would ring; he had to find an inn before then.

“If I’m lucky, I might arrive within today…”

Hae-min muttered, pulling his jang-ot low over his head. Regardless, he had to go as far as he could. He began walking toward Bukchon once more.

He didn’t know the exact location of Grand Prince Byeokran’s Read on Read BL Novelsresidence, but it was almost certain Read on Read BL Novelsto be in Bukchon. After all, Bukchon was lined with the estates of royalty and noble families.

Just then, two soldiers appeared from the opposite direction. They were carrying spears. Seeing the weapons, Hae-min lowered his head deeply, feeling frightened despite having committed no crime.

However, perhaps it was just his imagination, but it felt as though the soldiers were watching him closely.

“The age seems to fit…”

“No, it’s not him. They said he looked like a sika deer. That’s just a beggar.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, man. Even if it’s getting dark, can’t you recognize a beggar? Look at those grimy, hole-ridden clothes; he’s practically draped in rags.”

It seemed they were talking about him. Moon Hae-min let out a sigh of absurdity.

“Ha.”

To think he’d be treated as a beggar in his lifetime. But thinking about it, since he had neither a home nor money, calling him a beggar wasn’t entirely wrong. Hae-min humbly accepted this and continued on his way.

Before long, he reached the main road. Despite the late hour, there were quite a few pedestrians. Yet, among them, he could see soldiers stationed here and there.

‘Is something happening?’

He had encountered soldiers unusually often today. The atmosphere on the street felt strange. Was it an oversensitive assumption to think it might be related to him?

“Eh, no way.”

Hae-min shook his head. He wasn’t trying to be intentionally positive; it was simply the truth.

The only people who would be looking for him were Lord Moon, Grand Prince Gwang-han, and Song Seol. Lord Moon didn’t have the power to mobilize soldiers, and since Grand Prince Gwang-han had kidnapped him in secret, he wouldn’t conduct an open search. And Song Seol…

“…”

He couldn’t quite get a read on him. Even though they had lived under one roof for two years in total, combining the past and present, he still didn’t understand Song Seol this much. Was this his problem, or Song Seol’s?

‘It doesn’t seem to be my problem, so it must be Song Seol’s fault.’

Thinking quite brazenly, he turned a corner. There, he found a three-way fork in the road.

“Uh…”

Hae-min hesitated. As far as he knew, there was only one path, so why was it splitting? Either he remembered incorrectly, or the road had changed in the meantime.

“Which way should I go?”

Looking around didn’t help. For someone born and raised in Hanseong, Moon Hae-min was surprisingly poor with the city’s geography.

Thinking about it alone visit our sitewouldn’t yield an answer. Eventually, visit our siteMoon Hae-min decided to visit our siteask someone for directions.

Of all times, every person passing by seemed busy. While he was hesitating, unable to bring himself to speak, a soldier standing over there caught his eye. He had a gentle impression, the kind of person who looked like he would give directions kindly.

“Excuse me, may I ask for directions?”

Hae-min approached the soldier. The man nodded as if telling him to speak.

“Do you happen to know which direction I should go to get to Bukchon from here?”

“Bukchon? What business would you have in a place like Bukchon?”

The soldier scanned Hae-min blatantly. Sensing the misunderstanding, Hae-min quickly waved his hands.

“No, I’m not going there to beg.”

“…Hmm.”

The soldier gazed suspiciously at this grimy man. Because he was draped in a patched-up jang-ot, his face wasn’t clearly visible. However, the moment the man moved slightly, a pair of distinctly light-colored eyes were glimpsed.

“Wa-wait. Take off those rags.”

“These aren’t rags.”

“Regardless!”

To call the precious jang-ot he received from A-jeong “rags.” He felt a bit offended, but Moon Hae-min obediently lowered the garment. Simultaneously, the soldier gasped.

“Everyone, I’ve found him!”

He shouted loudly, calling over the other soldiers. Startled by the sudden situation, Hae-min flinched. He didn’t know why, but he felt he should run away for now. However, he was already surrounded by soldiers, making it impossible to escape.

“Wh-why are you doing this?”

“Please come with us.”

In his panic, Hae-min didn’t even notice that the soldier was using polite language.

“What did I do wrong?”

“We do not know. We are simply carrying out our orders.”

“N-no, I can’t. I have a place I must go.”

He had to find Grand Prince Byeokran’s residence… Hae-min muttered anxiously. At those words, the soldiers exchanged bewildered glances.

“The place we are taking you is exactly that place.”

Moon Hae-min clenched the hands resting on his lap.

‘What on earth is happening…?’

Currently, he was riding in a palanquin. It was the kind of palanquin only high-ranking officials would use, with six bearers attached. He had used a carriage in his life, but this was his first time in a palanquin.

He would have found it more acceptable if the soldiers had just thrown him in a cart. Even if he had been disheartened, thinking he was being taken to be imprisoned, he wouldn’t have been this puzzled.

Not knowing the situation made him anxious and nervous. Perhaps due to the tension, his stomach felt prickly and stinging. After sighing several times, the palanquin entered Bukchon.

“Wow…”

Despite his troubled mind, Hae-min couldn’t help but marvel. Along the wide road, tiled-roof houses as large as whale backs were lined up. His own family home was quite luxurious, but it was nothing compared to the estates of Bukchon.

The palanquin stopped in front of the most imposing residence of them all.

‘What? Could this be…?’

Hae-min froze. Before boarding the palanquin, a soldier had said, “The place we are taking you is exactly that place.” If so, this meant this was Song Seol’s residence, but for some reason, he couldn’t quite believe it. It felt surreal, as if he were dreaming a hazy dream.

The main gate opened. The palanquin slid inside. Having entered the estate against his own will, Moon Hae-min screamed silently.

‘I haven’t even mentally prepared myself yet!’

He hadn’t thought about what to say first when he met Song Seol. No, he didn’t even know what kind of face he should make when looking at him.

“C-calm down. Be composed. Composed…”

Hae-min tried to soothe himself. But since his voice was trembling, it didn’t help him calm down at all. Eventually, Moon Hae-min repeated to himself in his mind.

‘Just act normal. Just like always.’

Just then, a man appeared from the other side of the courtyard.

Because of the twilight and the distance, he couldn’t see the man’s face, but Moon Hae-min recognized who he was instantly. Men that tall were rare. Above all, the scent of a fierce winter wind was blowing toward him.

As expected, he must be angry.

While a terrified Hae-min practically shrank into his shell, Song Seol walked toward him with heavy strides. His pace grew faster and faster, until eventually, he seemed to be running, casting aside the dignity of royalty.

“Hieek…!”

Hae-min experienced the terror of a herbivore being hunted by a predator. Indeed, it was no less frightening than encountering a tiger.