Fake Concubine 13

“Come ​in.”

“……Yes.”

It ​seemed ​he ​had sensed his ​presence. ​Moon ​Hae-min ​entered ​the guest room looking ​as ​crestfallen as a ​puppy caught by ​the ​scruff ​of ​its ​neck. ​Song Seol’s gaze ​landed ​on ​his face, but ​Hae-min did not relax ​his expression. ​He wasn’t ​in the ​mood for ​it ​right ​now.

“Sit.”

As he sat ​down in ​silence, Song Seol asked ​casually.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“No.”

Now ​that he had blurted ​it out, ​it ​sounded somewhat emotional. Ahem. Hae-min cleared ​his throat and added,

“I ​believe ​I ​will ​be ​fine after resting ​for a ​few ​days.”

“Is that so.”

As ​if ​recalling something, Song Seol’s eyes ​grew deep ​and ​sunken.

“You are excessively ​frail. ​It ​seems ​you ​need to ​take ​care of ​your health.”

“It is not to that extent.”

“Does ​someone who says ​it’s not to ​that extent faint?”

“…….”

“Did you ​have dinner?”

“Yes.”

Song ​Seol narrowed his ​eyes. ​He seemed to ​think Moon Hae-min ​was making ​excuses. ​To that, ​Hae-min ​elaborated.

“It is ​true. ​I had ​gukbap.”

“Good. ​You ​must make sure ​to ​eat every ​meal. ​Only ​then ​will you put on some weight.”

Surely, telling him to eat well and gain weight couldn’t be the sole purpose [Read on Read BL Novels]of the summons. [Read on Read BL Novels]It stolen contentwas frustrating not knowing for what reason on earth Song Seol had called for him. Unable to bear the anxiety, Moon Hae-min asked point-blank.

“I was told that you summoned me, My Lord. May I ask for what reason?”

“I called you to take back the item you left behind.”

Song Seol pointed to something placed in a corner of the room. It was the white garment that Moon Hae-min had neatly folded yesterday morning.

“Is that not your clothing, My Lord?”

“It was my possession. However, since I have given it to you, it is now yours.”

“……You gave me your clothes?”

“Yes.”

It was absurd; there was a giver, but the receiver had no memory of receiving. While he was grateful for the kindness, Hae-min’s honest feeling was that it felt so burdensome it made his throat tighten.

“There is no need for this, My Lord.”

“Though you are not the primary wife, since you have entered this residence, you are as good as my family. If you walk around in such a worn-out coat, it will reflect poorly on my reputation.”

“…….”

“Therefore, accept it for the sake of my reputation.”

The calm voice spoke only the facts, without adding or subtracting anything. That made it feel even more embarrassing. He hadn’t seemed to care at all until now, so Hae-min had no idea what had suddenly gotten into him. With a flushed face, Moon Hae-min answered hesitantly.

“Yes……. Thank you, My Lord.”

“Try it on. I must check if it fits.”

“I will try it on later in my quarters.”

Hae-min said as he picked up the padded garment. However, Song Seol exerted a silent pressure. Overwhelmed by the aura, Hae-min had no choice but to slide his arms into the padded coat.

“…….”

Song Seol’s gaze obsessively followed Moon Hae-min’s movements. He was already a difficult person to deal with, and being stared at so intently made it feel burdensome.

Flustered, Moon Hae-min began to fumble. He managed to get the coat on, but his hands kept missing as he tried to tie the goreum ribbons.

Unable to watch any longer, Song Seol stood up. As he approached, an overwhelming pressure rushed in, as if a giant boulder were crashing down upon him. Startled, Hae-min instinctively recoiled.

“M-My Lord…….”

Song Seol seemed surprised by this reaction. Nevertheless, he eventually reached for the ribbons. Hae-min watched with wide eyes as he tied the goreum.

‘Last night, he untied these ribbons with those very hands…….’

Naturally, the events that followed came to mind. He tried to stop thinking, but the more he did, the more vividly the scenes played out. Feeling the heat rise to his face, Moon Hae-min shut his eyes tight.

Just then, something touched his hand. It seemed to be Song Seol’s hand. Startled, Hae-min reflexively opened his eyes.

“You left this behind as well.”

Song Seol placed something in his hand. As the brief contact of skin parted, what remained in Hae-min’s hand was a turtle-shaped paperweight. Looking down at it, Hae-min spoke.

“Ah……. I must have dropped it in my confusion. However, this is something I brought to give to you, My Lord.”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

Even as he said it, Moon Hae-min expected Song Seol to refuse. He had declined once when Hae-min returned the borrowed writing materials, so why would he accept a paperweight he had never even borrowed?

However, the expectation was wrong. Instead of refusing, Song Seol silently opened his palm.

“…….”

It seemed he was asking for the paperweight. After hesitating, Hae-min summoned his courage and placed the turtle paperweight onto Song Seol’s palm.

He wanted to avoid touching him as much as possible, but their hands brushed slightly. Hae-min flinched as if burned and withdrew his hand.

“I, then…… I shall take my leave.”

Fearing he might be stopped, Hae-min hurriedly left the guest room before the words to dismiss him could even be spoken. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but he felt a lingering gaze following his back.

By the standards of the world, it was insolent, but for Moon Hae-min, it was only natural that he did not want to see Song Seol anymore. He felt like packing his bags and running away this instant.

However, the reality was that there was no way to avoid Song Seol. Setting aside the fact that they lived under the same roof, the work he had been assigned was the problem.

“…….”

Moon Hae-min glared at the innocent official report. The task he was assigned this time was simple: just transcribe a scribbled report into a neat copy. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to pick up the brush.

‘Can I really keep doing this?’

In truth, performing the tasks Song Seol assigned was a dangerous act. It [stolen content]would have been fine if he were ‘Moon Hee-yul.’ But Moon Hae-min—a commoner who had faked his Read on Read BL Novelsidentity and could not even Read on Read BL Novelssit for the civil service exam—could not. The moment he was caught doing something so presumptuous, he would face severe punishment.

He had known about this risk from the beginning. Nevertheless, the reason he continued the work was not solely to earn money.

‘If not now, when else would I ever get to touch state affairs?’

With that single thought, Moon Hae-min had willingly accepted the work. Even now, when he wanted to avoid Song Seol, that foolish greed did not subside.

But now was truly the time to stop. It wasn’t just because he was hiding his identity. That was a problem, but for some reason…… he had an ominous feeling. He felt he must avoid becoming more deeply entangled with Song Seol, for whatever reason.

“……It can’t be helped.”

Eventually, Hae-min closed the report. At that moment, a call came from outside the door.

“Young Master, My Lord is calling for you.”

It was the steward’s voice. While his heart sank, he also felt that the inevitable had arrived. Hae-min forced himself to stand up.

“I understand.”

Moon Hae-min opened the door and stepped out. He intended to head toward the guest quarters, but he paused at the steward’s words.

“Today, he has summoned you to the pavilion.”

“To the pavilion?”

“Yes, he wishes to have dinner with you, Young Master.”

“……Dinner.”

Hae-min let out a heavy sigh, forgetting he was in front of the steward. The steward frowned as if looking at a wretched man, but Hae-min didn’t care. Even someone as loyal to the master as this man wouldn’t be able to be purely happy if he were in Hae-min’s position.

‘I feel like I’m going to get indigestion.’

His stomach was already churning. But perhaps this was for the best. To tell him he wanted to quit the work, he had to face Song Seol at least once anyway.

“But is this not the inner quarters?”

“There is a pavilion next to the inner quarters.”

“I see.”

Hae-min nodded and followed the steward. Although it had already been over a month since he began living at Grand Prince Byeokran’s private residence, he didn’t know every nook and cranny. The residence was so vast that there were still areas he had never stepped foot in. The pavilion in question seemed to be one of them.

As they walked along an unfamiliar path, a tranquil garden [Read on Read BL Novels]appeared. Being visit our sitesituated between the inner quarters and another [visit our site]building, the garden felt even more cozy.

In the center stood a small pavilion. Since it was built open on all four sides without windows or doors, the interior was clearly visible. Having a meal outdoors in the dead of winter. Song Seol must not feel the cold. He was already sitting before a table where the meal had been set.

Had he been waiting for him? If so, for how long? An inexplicable sense of pressure made his stomach ache again.

“You’ve come.”

Song Seol acknowledged Moon Hae-min upon seeing him. As Hae-min stopped and gave a slight bow, Song Seol gave a short invitation.

“Sit.”

Since there was only one remaining chair, there was no need to wonder where to sit. He hesitated for a moment because the seat faced Song Seol, but Hae-min soon sat down.

‘Something is…….’

Hae-min discreetly observed Song Seol. Today, Song Seol seemed to be in a low mood. Since he was a man with naturally little expression, Hae-min couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was unusual, but he could feel it through the atmosphere. That something unpleasant had happened to Song Seol.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t ask if there are any foods you cannot eat.”

Song Seol picked up his chopsticks first. Following suit, Hae-min picked up his and answered.

“There is nothing in particular that I avoid.”

“Does that mean you can eat anything?”

“Yes.”

“Still, there must be foods you like and foods you relatively dislike.”

At those words, Hae-min reflected on his preferences. But no matter how much he thought about it, no particular food came to mind. It was because, while living at his family home, he had consistently eaten only a few types of seasoned vegetable side dishes. Since there were no options to begin with, what was the point of considering what tasted good?

‘Do I have no foods I like, nor any I dislike?’

It was a fact he realized for the first time. Moon Hae-min was slightly shocked. Generally, the pleasure of eating is one of the great joys a person can enjoy, yet he had lived without even enjoying that. Suddenly, his life felt as bland as a soup without salt.