Fake Concubine 15
The day of Seollal was no different. Aside from eating tteok-manduguk for lunch, the day passed by in a dull manner.
‘This is the first time I’ve spent Seollal so quietly.’
However, that tranquility did not last long. Shortly after Seollal passed, Song Seol returned.
That wasn’t all. A few days later, a swarm of Song Seol’s maternal relatives visited to exchange New Year’s greetings.
“It is so heartwarming to have everyone gathered like this after such a long time,” Lady Jeong said with a smile. While everyone else replied with a chorus of “Yes” and “Indeed it is,” Moon Hae-min could only manage a forced smile.
‘Why on earth am I even here…?’
This was a gathering for Song Seol’s maternal kin. Since it was a place for his blood relatives to [Read on Read BL Novels]gather, Hae-min [unauthorized copy]felt it was not a place where a mere concubine should dare to intrude.
However, since Song Seol had no legal spouse, Moon Hae-min ended up occupying the seat beside him. In short, he was a makeshift substitute. Yet, he wasn’t acting as the mistress of the house; he just sat there like a bundled sack of barley, feeling utterly awkward.
Furthermore, Song Seol’s maternal family was a prestigious clan of great renown. They had held high government posts for generations and had produced four queens. Because of this, Moon Hae-min, a commoner, felt himself shrinking even further.
“I heard the news that you had a daughter, Seong-ho. Tell me, are your wife and child healthy?”
“Yes, both are healthy. The newborn is so sturdy that she looks like a hundred-day-old baby.”
“What a relief, what a relief. Health is the most important thing, after all. The Samshin Grandmother must have helped.”
“Thank you, Uncle. Please come and see her once the twenty-one days have passed.”
“I certainly shall. My goodness, it feels like only yesterday that Seong-ho had his wedding, and yet he already has three children…”
News of the Jeong family continued to flow. Since Hae-min knew nothing [unauthorized copy]of these stories, he remained silent, and Song Seol was silent as stolen contentwell. stolen contentThen again, was he not naturally a taciturn man?
‘He’s taciturn even when he’s with his family.’
As Hae-min glanced sideways at Song Seol with that thought, Lady Jeong posed a question.
“Does the Grand Prince have any good news?”
Good news. This was not a question about career advancement or fame. What Lady Jeong was asking about was a more intimate part of his private life—namely, news of children.
“I do not.”
“Well… before that, you must first take a legal spouse.”
“…”
“How long has it been since you performed your coming-of-age ceremony, yet [stolen content]you still have no spouse? You must quickly welcome a virtuous spouse. Otherwise, what will people think?”
Though she seemed to be speaking to Song Seol, Lady Jeong’s gaze was fixed on Moon Hae-min. Hae-min realized quite easily that the true target of her criticism was not Song Seol, but himself.
“If you just say the word, this aunt will immediately find an Eumin from a prestigious family…”
“Aunt. This is my family matter.”
Song Seol rejected the proposal softly but firmly.
Lady Jeong’s lips twitched in dissatisfaction, and she shifted her target to ask another question.
“Right, you said your name was Moon Hee-yul?”
“That is correct, Aunt.”
“Is your father doing well?”
“Yes, thanks to your concern, he is doing well without any trouble.”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Hae-min was slightly flustered but answered smoothly. In truth, he didn’t even know if Lord Moon was doing well or not. He simply assumed he was, believing that no news is good news.
“Hmph, concern, my foot…”
It wasn’t just because Moon Hae-min had good hearing that he caught that small, snorting voice. It was meant to be heard, so naturally, he heard it.
‘She has a grudge against my father. Well, it’s understandable.’
Long ago, when the late King ruled Yeomyeong.
The late King loved only the Queen with utmost devotion—so much so that he didn’t take any concubines at all.
In this unprecedented situation, the court officials petitioned him to select a royal concubine to solidify the foundation of the royal family. [Read on Read BL Novels]Lord Moon had been at the center of that movement.
In other words, to Lady Jeong, Lord Moon was the ‘wicked man who whispered to her sister’s husband to take a concubine.’ No wonder she found Lord Moon so detestable.
‘Father, just how many enemies did you make?’
Hae-min inwardly resented Lord Moon. He had thought it was just his imagination that the Jeong family’s gaze toward him wasn’t very kind, but seeing this, he realized he had felt correctly. It was so blatant that he felt guilty even though he had committed no sin.
“By the way, do you have no thoughts of having children?”
“Pardon? That, well…”
He hadn’t expected her to ask so bluntly. As he trailed off in embarrassment, everyone chimed in as if they had been waiting for the moment.
“He doesn’t look like the type whose body would easily conceive. He’s a male Eumin, too. And I heard he’s a Scentless Eumin?”
“One never knows. Some Scentless Eumins manage to bear three or four children just fine.”
“But wouldn’t it be troublesome if a concubine had a child before the legal spouse even entered the house?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
As he listened, Hae-min’s face gradually flushed hot. It wasn’t because he felt ashamed. He wasn’t a body capable of bearing Song Seol’s children anyway, and even if he were, he wouldn’t do it, so a few words couldn’t possibly upset him.
However, the content of the conversation was far too explicit, making him uncomfortable. Unfiltered talk flowed about how Scentless Eumins conceive better in certain positions, or how sexual compatibility is more important than anything. He had thought that people of noble standing would keep such topics hushed for the sake of their dignity, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“None of that matters; frequency is the most important thing. Even if one shoots an arrow blindfolded, wouldn’t one out of ten hit the mark?”
Just then, Song Seol spoke.
“I welcomed you all thinking you were precious guests…”
A sharp gaze slowly swept across the room. Everyone [Read on Read BL Novels]who [stolen content]met that gaze shut their mouths. Amidst the sudden silence, only a low voice resonated.
“Now that I see, you are uninvited guests.”
“…”
“This is a place for family to exchange greetings for Seollal, not a place for interference, so uninvited guests should leave now.”
A silence fell over the room as if cold water had been splashed on them.
Everyone froze, unable to move. They only exchanged glances, glancing at one another. Moon Hae-min also stiffened, watching Song Seol’s every move.
“Your words are too harsh, My Lord. Do you not realize that this is all advice given out of concern for you?” Lady Jeong said with a trembling voice. As the younger sister of the late Queen, she was the closest relative to Song Seol among them. For that reason, Song Seol usually yielded to Lady Jeong, but not today.
“I said it is my family matter, Aunt.”
“No, in a broader sense, your family matters are also our family matters, how can you be so indifferent…!”
No matter how she argued, Song Seol seemed unmoved, as if not a single drop of blood would flow even if he were pricked with a needle. Consequently, Lady Jeong shifted her target of venting to someone relatively easier. None other than Moon Hae-min.
“This is what happens when you bring in the wrong person; the household becomes this noisy!”
“Watch your words. You are not at an age where you cannot distinguish between what should and should not be said.”
At Song Seol’s single sentence, not only Lady Jeong and her relatives but even Moon Hae-min were aghast.
He had suddenly become the center of the conflict. He knew Song Seol was taking his side, but honestly, he felt more awkward than grateful.
“Wha- what, what did you just…”
“Moon Hee-yul. Go and wait outside.”
Song Seol instructed, looking back at Moon Hae-min. [Read on Read BL Novels]Since unauthorized copyhe had wanted to escape to anywhere regardless, stolen contenthe was grateful for this much. Hae-min quickly rose from his seat.
“I shall take my leave. …Happy New Year.”
It was a rather ridiculous greeting to give in this situation. However, since it was nominally a Seollal gathering, it would have been strange to just leave without a word.
Moon Hae-min bowed deeply and then exited the room swiftly and promptly.
Returning to his own quarters, Moon Hae-min picked up a book and read it half-heartedly before soon closing it. The letters wouldn’t enter his eyes right now.
‘I wonder what happened…’
Even if the argument had ended, the atmosphere wouldn’t be pleasant. He hoped that the sparks wouldn’t fly his way, but then a call came from outside the door.
“Moon Hee-yul.”
Hae-min started. It sounded like Song Seol’s voice, but was he mistaken?
Hurrying to open the door, sure enough, Song Seol was standing there.
“Everyone has left.”
“Is that so. …Did they all leave safely?”
When he asked with the intention of meaning ‘Did they leave without their familial bonds being damaged?’, a plain answer returned.
“Yes.”
“…”
He didn’t know for sure, but he suspected otherwise. He could only hope that no harsher words had been exchanged after he left.
However, Moon Hae-min decided to stop worrying [stolen content]about [visit our site]it. Regardless, it was someone else’s family matter, and it was overwhelming enough to worry about his own future, which he had somehow been swept into.
‘It’s not like we’re in a relationship where we’ll meet them again anyway.’
Song Seol just had to take a legal spouse or send him back to his original home. Then, Moon Hae-min would have no reason to see Song Seol’s maternal relatives. Surely, that would happen in the near future.
“You must have been upset.”
“I wasn’t.”
Rather than being upset, he was bewildered. That he was experiencing the hardships of a married daughter-in-law, something that wasn’t even in his destiny.
Come to think of it, this was a natural situation. He had seen that even the Grand Prince couldn’t avoid the holiday nagging, so how much worse would it be for him?
As he nodded in acceptance, strange words reached his ears.
“I am sorry.”
“…Pardon?”
Hae-min flinched. He had never imagined receiving an apology from Song Seol. Not just for today’s events, but in any situation—even if his fault were obvious. He had believed that Song Seol would never apologize.
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