Fake Concubine 98

Leaning ​his ​back ​against ​the window, Song ​Seol ​inhaled ​deeply ​from ​his pipe, his cheeks ​hollowing. ​He exuded a ​hazy, relaxed aura. ​To ​see ​such ​a ​side ​of a man ​who ​was ​always so steadfast ​was fascinating, no matter ​how often ​he witnessed ​it.

“What does ​smoking feel ​like? ​I’ve ​never tried it, ​so I ​am curious.”

“This is not ​tobacco.”

“Pardon? Then what is ​it?”

“Suppression incense.”

Song Seol exhaled ​a cloud ​of ​smoke pointedly. A plume of white ​smoke, indistinguishable from tobacco ​at ​a ​glance, ​billowed ​out. Enveloped in ​the smoke, ​Song ​Seol looked like ​a ​Taoist immortal, or perhaps a ​carefree nobleman. ​Regardless, ​the vibe was ​so ​different ​from ​his ​usual self ​that ​it felt ​refreshing.

“If it is Suppression incense, is it ​similar to a ​suppressant pill?”

“Exactly.”

If it ​was difficult to quell ​the Heerak-gi ​even with suppressant ​pills, ​one would take ​a decoction; if ​that was ​still ​insufficient, one ​would ​burn Suppression ​incense. ​As he ​explained, ​Hae-min ​nodded his head, ​his ​lips slightly ​parted.

“I ​never ​knew ​such a thing existed.”

“I imagine you didn’t.”

Song Seol smiled bitterly to himself. People who used Suppression incense were rare. Partly because it was incredibly expensive, and partly because most people satisfied their desires before things reached this stage.

The Suppression incense he inhaled deep into his lungs felt particularly bitter today. He could feel that he was reaching the limit of suppressing his Yang energy with the incense. It seemed to be worse because the lover he had longed for so much was right before his eyes.

Yet, he could not possibly vent his lust on Moon Hae-min. Hae-min hadn’t been of a sturdy constitution to begin with, and hadn’t he returned even more gaunt after enduring all sorts of hardships? He could not force himself upon Hae-min before he had fully recovered his health.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes.”

“If anything feels the slightest bit off, you must tell me immediately. [stolen content]There stolen contentmight [Read on Read BL Novels]be aftereffects from inhaling the smoke.”

“I am truly fine. I recovered well thanks to A-jeong’s help.”

“……A-jeong?”

Come to think of it, he had mentioned that name not long ago. Song Seol furrowed his thick eyebrows. At one point, he had almost wished that Moon Hae-min had run away with a woman, but that was only because he thought Hae-min had been consumed by the fire; he hadn’t truly wanted him to commit adultery.

“Who is A-jeong?”

“A herb gatherer who helped me. I mentioned it before, do you recall?”

“……I recall.”

What Song Seol wanted to know was not A-jeong’s identity, but Hae-min’s feelings toward her. Unaware of this, Hae-min murmured wistfully.

“She fed me, gave me a place to sleep, and even gave me some money……. Looking back, I wonder if she wasn’t actually a mountain spirit rather than a herb gatherer.”

“How could that be?”

“It is just my way of saying how grateful I am. I promised to repay that kindness, but…….”

Moon Hae-min stopped mid-sentence and let out a deep sigh. At that sigh, as fragile as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing, Song Seol’s heart sank. He quickly pressed for more.

“What is worrying you?”

“……I left the money I had earned at my family home, so it has become difficult to repay the favor immediately.”

Hae-min replied cautiously. Aside from his anxious heart, this was the reason why Song Seol’s worries were misplaced.

“To think you would worry about such a thing.”

“Well, since you are a Lord…….”

Hae-min mumbled, trailing off. However, Song Seol could roughly guess what the rest of the sentence was. It was surely something like, ‘To a Grand Prince who has been granted a peerage, this would not be much of a concern.’

“Husband and wife are one body; my circumstances are your circumstances, [Read on Read BL Novels]so unauthorized copywhy distinguish between the two?”

“……Pardon?”

“Above all, I have brought the belongings you left at your family home.”

“Is—is that true?”

His jade-colored eyes sparkled. To an objective observer, it was a bundle of belongings without a single valuable item, but it seemed it was not the case for Hae-min.

“……Ah! Then, did you perhaps visit my family home?”

“I did.”

“Th-then, could it be……. Did you see the Lord—no, my father as well?”

As the questions continued, Hae-min became flustered. Facing him as he trembled with anxiety, Song Seol nodded silently.

“……What did Father say?”

Song Seol chose his words carefully. He wanted to tell him not the truth, but the words Moon Hae-min wanted to hear.

Although he didn’t know exactly what Hae-min hoped for, he was certain it wasn’t something like, ‘I shall give you Hae-min.’ Thus, Song Seol spoke heavily.

“He seemed utterly shocked. It seems he thought I would never know that you were Hae-min.”

“He has always been that way. He is highly learned, but short-sighted in matters like this…….”

Hae-min fell silent with a troubled expression. Even so, he seemed hesitant to speak ill of his own father. After thinking deeply for a moment, he cautiously spoke again.

“D-did he say anything else? For instance, did he apologize to you, my Lord…….”

“Now that you mention it, I don’t believe I heard a single word of apology. Ah, though he did say he was sorry.”

“……I shall apologize on his behalf. I am sorry, my Lord.”

Moon Hae-min bowed his head deeply. Song Seol had never wanted a useless apology in the first place, Read on Read BL Novelsand he wanted to see visit our siteHae-min [stolen content]bowing his head even less, so he grabbed the tip of his chin and forced his face up.

“Enough. As I said, husband and wife are one body, and your faults are my faults. Therefore, do not apologize for every little thing.”

“…….”

This time, a strange light flickered in Hae-min’s eyes. They sparkled so much that it almost looked as if tears were welling up. However, he did not cry.

Feeling inwardly relieved, Song Seol released his grip on Hae-min’s chin.

“There was nothing else we discussed. In truth, it wasn’t a situation where we could exchange idle chatter.”

“I suppose that is true. Still, just in case, did Father say anything strange…….”

In that moment, Song Seol felt he knew what answer Moon Hae-min truly wanted. Hae-min was likely waiting for the words, ‘Lord Moon was worried about you.’

However, Song Seol could not bring himself to say that. Even a white lie has its limits. For example, one could deceive someone into thinking a dog is a cat, but one could not deceive them into thinking it is a bird or a fish.

Therefore, knowing that Hae-min would Read on Read BL Novelsbe disappointed, visit our siteSong Seol unauthorized copyhad no choice but to answer honestly.

“I did not hear anything in particular.”

“I see…….”

As expected, a faint shadow of disappointment crossed Hae-min’s face. Though it was a fleeting moment that would have gone unnoticed without close attention, it felt as if Song Seol’s heart had been thinly sliced, leaving a stinging ache. Thus, Song Seol spoke firmly.

“Do not worry about Lord Moon any longer. There will be no problems regarding your family home, now or in the future.”

“……Yes.”

“Nor will you be held accountable for that matter again.”

This was the greatest comfort Song Seol could offer. Whether it worked or not, Hae-min nodded with an expression that looked considerably less anxious.

“I understand.”

“More importantly, I shall return your things.”

Turning around, Song Seol approached a small chest in the corner of the room.

Opening the chest, he pulled out a familiar bundle and handed it to Moon Hae-min.

“I should have returned this sooner, but I had forgotten.”

Hae-min took the bundle reflexively. He was stunned to receive the belongings he thought were lost forever. To exaggerate slightly, he was more surprised than if he had encountered a tiger in the mountains.

“Check them. See if they are indeed your things.”

“Y-yes.”

Long, slender fingers slowly unwrapped the bundle. Familiar items were revealed: a few sets of clothes, a brush case, and a money pouch. As he checked them one by one, a sense of reality began to set in.

‘I got it back……. My money.’

Hae-min fiddled with the money pouch with pride. This was not mere money. It [Read on Read BL Novels]was the culmination of [unauthorized copy]his efforts, saved penny by penny to build [visit our site]a better future; it was no different from Hae-min’s dream.

Thanks to recovering his precious money, a light of relief shone. The shadows that had cast over his heart with worry gradually faded before that light.

“……Ah, but it seems a few pieces of clothing are missing.”

He realized the fact a bit late. One set of jacket and pants was gone, and his undergarments were missing as well.

“How did they disappear? It’s not as if someone would have taken them…….”

Muttering to himself, Hae-min rummaged through the clothes. While the possibility of theft wasn’t zero, it would be strange for the money to remain intact if that were the case. He suspected they had been lost at his family home.

“You can simply have new clothes made.”

“It’s just that I find it puzzling, regardless.”

“……It is likely nothing.”

“I suppose so, isn’t it?”

Hae-min easily gave up on the clothes. They were already lost, and as Song Seol said, it was no big deal. After all, he had recovered the most important thing.

“Thanks to you, I will be able to repay the kindness I owe A-jeong. Thank you, my Lord.”

“I merely returned your belongings, so there is no need for gratitude. By the way, do you intend to go visit this woman named A-jeong soon?”

“Yes, there is no reason to delay.”

“Alone?”

“Yes.”

Song Seol put the pipe back to his lips. The fire had gone out in the meantime, so it would have no effect, but he inhaled from the pipe out of habit.

“Absolutely not.”

“I will be careful.”

“Being careful is not enough. There are many dangerous beasts in the mountains, and there are twice as many wicked people. What if you are kidnapped again because you moved alone?”

“…….”

It was a valid point. Moon Hae-min was inwardly worried about that as well, so he didn’t even dare to argue.