CNC 257

Even though he had eaten a filling dinner, the smell and appearance of the food made his mouth water instinctively.

“Please, help yourself.”

Hae-sung spoke generously to Hong-seo, whose eyes were wide as he scanned the spread. Feeling ashamed that he had been momentarily captivated by the food, Hong-seo turned his head away and scolded himself.

Having spent his entire life with hunger clinging to his side, securing a meal had always been his top priority, and he had never once felt ashamed of it. Yet, for some reason, he felt his face flush in front of Hae-sung. He didn’t want to show such a side of himself.

Was it because he wanted to become even slightly like the man?

Someone who moved with grace, who valued books and writing over meat or sweets, and who possessed a kind yet steadfast character…

Of course, he knew all too well that someone of his background could not even hope to imitate such a person.

Though they had agreed to drink together, Hae-sung remained silent, merely emptying his glass. He didn’t touch the side dishes until a new bottle of refined rice wine was brought in.

Leaning against the armrest with his temple propped on his [unauthorized copy]hand, he seemed deeply immersed in his own Read on Read BL Novelsthoughts, though at times he Read on Read BL Novelswould observe Hong-seo, who sat opposite him, with great intensity.

His gaze shifted from moment to moment.

At times, he looked as if he were observing a new object of curiosity; the next moment, he seemed to simmer with anger, as if staring at an object of resentment. Then, he would eventually withdraw his gaze with a look of resignation and tilt his glass.

Tense under the weight of that silence and scrutiny, Hong-seo repeatedly gulped down the unfamiliar liquor. Combined with the warmth rising from the brazier, the alcohol seemed to loosen his tension.

Occasionally, the cries of a grass bird or an owl could be heard from not far away.

“There is something I have been curious about since before.”

After a long while, words finally flowed from Hae-sung’s lips.

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Under what circumstances did you drift all the way to this village?”

“……”

This time, Hong-seo could not answer readily. He pressed his lips tight and [stolen content]lowered his [unauthorized copy]head. Seeing his profile, [Read on Read BL Novels]Hae-sung let out a soft sigh, as if he had expected as much.

“You still do not wish to speak of it, I see.”

“It is not that I do not wish to tell you, but…”

“It is alright. You need not force yourself to speak.”

“It is truly not that…”

He had vowed never to reveal who he was or where he came from. Had he not made that resolution, he would never have run away.

However, he felt an impulse to tell Hae-sung. Because he was different from other noblemen. Because he was a truly peculiar man.

Perhaps it was because of the birdsong that sounded as if it came from another world, or perhaps it was the alcohol that had blurred his consciousness.

“I… I originally came from the slums outside Namdaemun Gate in Hanyang.”

“Do not force yourself.”

“No. It is not that…”

Though he could not look Hae-sung straight in the face, Hong-seo summoned his courage and added,

“To you, My Lord… I wish to be honest. If it is you.”

In the silence as the man quietly waited for the rest, Hong-seo continued his story.

“I had many siblings, but we grew up starving for half of every ten days. Thus, to reduce the number of mouths to feed, my parents sent me to a Namsadang troupe as a ppiri.”

A pained lament escaped Hae-sung’s lips.

“At what age did this happen?”

“I was around ten years old.”

“Your hardships must have been extraordinary.”

Hong-seo did not go into exhaustive detail about the suffering he had endured since then. There were some noblemen who liked to treat the tragic life journeys of Namsadang performers—so different from their own—as mere conversation pieces over drinks, but Hae-sung was not the kind of person to find interest in another’s misery.

“Even if I had stayed home, it would have been a different [stolen content]kind of hardship. I do unauthorized copynot harbor much resentment toward my parents.”

“……”

“The grueling training, the insults, the beatings… at some point, I became accustomed to them and could endure it. Fortunately, I was quick to learn the tricks, so I could avoid the beatings. However…”

“However.”

Hae-sung, having removed his gat and draped in a light green jungchimak, shifted his posture, showing a focused interest.

“Even after I had trained enough to become a ga-yeol, they would not let me leave the traveling troupe. Because…”

“……”

“Because…”

Even having come this far, the words would not come easily.

It was partly because painful memories were resurfacing, but he was also afraid that Hae-sung might despise him.

Hong-seo’s lips parted several times, only to be pressed Read on Read BL Novelsshut again as he swallowed Read on Read BL Novelshard. Despite this, Hae-sung never rushed him to finish.

His gentle patience finally opened Hong-seo’s lips.

Just as a scorching sun strips a person’s clothes more easily than a biting wind.

“Among the noblemen who allowed us to enter their villages and perform… occasionally, some took a liking to me…”

He tried to speak as calmly as possible, but his voice trembled violently.

“Stop.”

Hae-sung hurriedly cut him off.

“That is enough. I have unsettled you by prying into things I should not have.”

“No, it is not that.”

Hong-seo shook his head. He haphazardly wiped away tears that had fallen without his realizing it with his sleeve.

“Come here.”

“…Pardon?”

“Come over here.”

Baffled, Hong-seo stood up and hesitantly stepped toward the boryo mattress. To Hong-seo, who stood with his hands politely gathered in front of him, Hae-sung gestured for him to come closer once more.

“Get onto the mattress.”

“I-I cannot, My Lord.”

“Do you intend to disobey the order of this Lord?”

Stepping upon a master’s mattress was unthinkable. It was an offense punishable by beating. Yet, that very master was ordering him to step upon it. A master’s order could not be disobeyed. — Hong-seo was caught in a complete dilemma.

Hae-sung’s mattress.

Embroidered with silk thread on silk fabric, it looked as if it would be stained by the mere touch of his socks. It was so exquisite and precious that one might think it belonged to a celestial being.

The moment he cautiously placed one foot upon it, Hae-sung reached out and snatched Hong-seo’s unauthorized copywrist. Pulled in Read on Read BL Novelsunexpectedly, Hong-seo flopped down. The surface beneath him stolen contentwas as soft as a cloud, to the point where he didn’t even notice his knee hitting the mattress.

And the scent.

The unique fragrance emanating from Hae-sung grew even closer. The hem of the man’s jungchimak was beneath his knees, and the man’s thigh was supporting his side. He was in the center of a scent so potent it made his mind go hazy. It felt as if he were being held fully in the man’s embrace.

Just the thought of it made his neck and ears flush deep red.

Before he could even regain his balance, Hong-seo had to jump in surprise once more while seated.

Hae-sung had taken a handkerchief from the drawer of the writing desk and attempted to wipe Hong-seo’s face.

“I cannot, My Lord! Not with something so precious!”

“You say ‘cannot’ quite often.”

“But it belongs to you…”

“Is it not for this Lord to decide what is allowed and what is not?”

“T-that is true, but…”

“Then stop your chatter and let me do as I please.”

Hae-sung once again pulled Hong-seo’s arm closer. As he was drawn deep onto the jungchimak fabric and trapped between the man’s legs, Hong-seo became utterly lost.

The handkerchief, with orchids and butterflies embroidered on silk, did not seem intended for wiping things. It looked so refined that one wondered if anything cleaner existed in the world.

Yet, Hae-sung used that precious thing without hesitation to wipe Hong-seo’s face and the traces of his tears. Hong-seo, who had flinched and tried to avoid it, eventually had no choice but to submit to his will.

This was the first time he had looked at Hae-sung’s face from such a close distance, so clearly.

The straight, bold eyebrows, the two eyes set deep and distinct, the smooth, high bridge of the nose, and the lips that looked taciturn and prudent.

“My Lord… is truly a beautiful man.”

The words escaped him before he knew it. He widened his eyes in surprise at his own boldness. What am I saying, so presumptuously…

However, Hae-sung only smiled.

“Is that how I appear to your eyes?”

“Yes… You must be the most beautiful man in all of Joseon.”

“The most in Joseon? I believe that is an exaggeration.”

Hae-sung smiled warmly and withdrew the handkerchief from Hong-seo’s face. Even then, he did not let go of Hong-seo’s wrist.

“Though I am of humble birth, I have traveled to many places. I am certain that My Lord is the most beautiful man in Joseon.”

“Very well. Since you have traveled much, I shall choose to believe you.”

Seeing the amusement in his face, it didn’t seem like he actually believed it, but Hong-seo was just glad he wasn’t scolded. He truly was a peculiar nobleman.

“And…”

“And?”

“Your character must also be the most noble in Joseon.”

This time, Hae-sung’s smile looked somewhat bittersweet.

“I cannot agree with that.”

Applying a bit more pressure to the wrist he held, he met Hong-seo’s gaze.

“Would you still say that even if you were to see into my inner self?”