Fake Concubine 26

“Ah, ​so ​cute….”

Only ​after ​spending a long ​time ​doting ​on ​Bok-deong-i ​did Moon Hae-min finally ​calm ​down. He reviewed ​his plan in ​his ​head.

‘In ​two ​days, ​I ​have to go ​to ​Yesong ​Port.’

That was the ​only way he could ​join the ​Muam Merchant ​Guild, which ​the bookstore ​owner ​had ​connected him with. ​Moon Hae-min ​planned to leave Yeomyeong ​on their ship. His ​destination was the Geumo ​Kingdom, specifically ​Wonya.

He ​had heard that since Wonya was ​a hub for merchant ​guilds, ​talented ​people ​skilled ​in calculation were ​rare. Moon ​Hae-min ​would be in ​charge ​of accounting at the local ​branch there.

Regardless, ​that ​was a matter ​for ​the ​distant ​future; ​for now, ​the ​priority was ​reaching Yesong Port without drawing anyone’s attention.

‘By ​now, Grand Prince ​Byeokran’s private residence ​must be in an ​uproar.’

Everyone would ​have noticed that ​Grand ​Prince Byeokran’s concubine ​had vanished. They ​might not ​suspect ​that he ​had ​run away, ​but ​thinking he ​had ​met ​with some misfortune, ​they ​might have ​already ​organized ​a ​search party. Whatever the reason, he could not be caught by Song Seol’s subordinates. If that happened, all this hardship would have been for nothing.

“I’ll have to stay hidden for two days….”

Hae-min murmured softly.

To avoid the eyes of a search party, hiding thoroughly was the best strategy. Since he had nothing to do for the time being, he intended not to leave the inn.

For two days, Moon Hae-min devoted himself to recovering his health and childcare.

Doing both simultaneously was not easy. It was an exhausting task to care for a newborn who needed frequent feedings and couldn’t even roll over on his own.

However, simply by not wandering outside, Hae-min’s physical condition improved significantly. Bok-deong-i was also growing well. He had worried the baby might catch a cold in the chilly wind, but the child hadn’t so much as coughed once, which was a great relief.

“Our Bok-deong-i is such a filial son. He’s filial because he’s healthy.”

Not only that, Bok-deong-i could now open his eyes.

The moment he first saw the baby’s eyes, Moon Hae-min couldn’t hide his admiration. Bok-deong-i’s pupils were jade-colored. Unlike his own, which looked muddy with mixed colors, they were a pure, clear jade.

Moon Hae-min spoke while locking eyes with him.

“Bok-deong-i, we have to go to Yesong Port today. Even if it’s hard, you can hold on for me, right?”

Since it was the dead of winter, he was incredibly worried. Moon Hae-min dressed Bok-deong-i in layers of clothing to keep him warm, then changed his own clothes. This time, he wore trousers instead of a skirt. Since he had to meet the guild members, he could no longer cross-dress.

Having finished his preparations, Hae-min left the inn.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

The outdoor air, which he was feeling for the first [visit our site]time in several days, was beyond cold—it unauthorized copywas stinging. Every time he breathed in and out, he visit our sitefelt as if his airway were freezing. Hae-min walked with quick, short steps, clutching Bok-deong-i tightly.

‘Why is it so cold? Did I forget the cold because I’ve only been inside?’

The question naturally arose. Even though he had suffered through the severe cold last year, it hadn’t been to this extent.

“Goodness, it’s freezing.”

“Sister, this is the first time in my life I’ve felt cold like this.”

“Me too. No matter how deep winter is, for it to be like this….”

He overheard the conversation of people walking ahead of him. Seeing that even the people of Songdo were saying such things, it seemed the winter cold was exceptionally severe this year, rather than him being overly sensitive.

‘It would be great if I could ride a horse.’

It wouldn’t necessarily be warm, but at least he could reach his destination sooner. Moon Hae-min briefly considered borrowing Read on Read BL Novelsa [unauthorized copy]horse but decided against it. With his clumsy riding skills, it would be difficult to ride while holding Bok-deong-i. Moreover, the roads were covered in thin ice, making it even more dangerous.

“…….”

Suddenly, Moon Hae-min recalled last winter.

On a day that was unusually warm despite being mid-winter—far from the cold he felt now—he had gone to Yesong Port with Song Seol. It was to inspect the exchange goods to be sent to the Geumo Kingdom.

While that was the official reason, Moon Hae-min had been more interested in the journey than the goods. His heart had pounded with anticipation for the new world he was about to encounter.

And the sea he saw for the first time in his life!

‘It was overwhelming.’

There was an immense amount of water. It was a magnificent sight, but Moon Hae-min was the only one amazed. Song Seol seemed more interested in Hae-min’s reaction than in the sea itself. It made sense, as it likely wasn’t Song Seol’s first time seeing the ocean.

That was Song Seol’s world. A world where one handled state [stolen content]affairs, was [unauthorized copy]skilled in horsemanship, and could see the sea whenever they wished. And [unauthorized copy]thanks to Song Seol, Moon Hae-min had been able to catch a glimpse of that world.

‘…He really was a grateful person.’

Though he acted mischievously in ways that were sometimes incomprehensible, Song Seol was fundamentally a good person. In contrast, how wicked was he, for having betrayed that trust?

Each step felt heavy. However, Moon Hae-min did not stop. As the bookstore owner had said, he was someone who had to leave, so he was leaving.

It was a relief that he found Yesong Port without getting lost. Until the moment he met the people from the Muam Merchant Guild, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

However, it was there that Moon Hae-min received the bad news.

“The sea is frozen…?”

Hae-min murmured in disbelief. According to his common sense, the sea rarely froze. However, the weather… had not been common.

“Yes. Therefore, it has become difficult to set sail as scheduled.”

“Th-then, what do we do?”

“What do you mean ‘what do we do’? We have to wait until the sea thaws.”

“When… does the sea thaw…?”

“Well, no one knows that.”

The merchant glanced at the beautiful young man before him. He was holding the child with an expression of despair, as if the world had collapsed. The merchant felt a surge of pity and added kindly.

“Given the current weather, it likely won’t happen until after the Great Cold (Daehan). It might not even thaw by then.”

“I see….”

Moon Hae-min barely managed to pull himself together from his dazed state. Being unable to leave Yeomyeong as Read on Read BL Novelsplanned was a [Read on Read BL Novels]critical blow, but there was nothing he could do if the sea was frozen.

“There is an inn where our guild members are staying. Please wait there for the time being.”

“Yes, I will. Thank you.”

Moon Hae-min bowed deeply while supporting Bok-deong-i’s head. At that, a look of pity crossed the merchant’s face.

“Tsk tsk, you’re suffering, bringing a child along.”

“No. The child is the one suffering because of me.”

Finding that answer even more pitiful, the merchant kindly gave him directions to the inn. Hae-min expressed his gratitude and walked away.

“Sigh….”

Moon Hae-min tried his best to comfort himself. Looking back, it had actually been surprisingly smooth so far. How fortunate was it that he had stolen content[Read on Read BL Novels]given birth safely without even a midwife?

However, the anxiety clouding his mind did not easily dissipate. Hae-min knew very well what had allowed him to escape.

‘If Song Seol hadn’t been away, I wouldn’t have even made it this far.’

It had been about a month since he left. Although it felt a bit early, it wouldn’t be strange if he returned to Hanseong tomorrow. If that happened, what would become of him?

The more he thought about it, the more distressed he became. He could clearly envision the punishment Song Seol would inflict upon him. Not only had he deceived royalty, but he had also run away with that royal bloodline; at minimum, it would be execution, and at worst, death by a thousand cuts. Regardless of the method, losing his life was certain. Having imagined such a future, Moon Hae-min’s expression became as gloomy as the overcast weather.

Just then, he spotted a couple of soldiers in the distance.

“Oh.”

Moon Hae-min let out a short gasp and stopped in his tracks. He watched the situation closely.

The soldiers were stopping every passerby. They seemed to be [Read on Read BL Novels]questioning people. And [visit our site]the target of their search was likely….

‘…Are they looking for me?’

It was a highly possible assumption. Although Song Seol was away, his subordinates could have issued a search order in his stead.

Suddenly terrified, Hae-min turned around. He walked quickly, but at a pace that wouldn’t seem suspicious.

His chest burned with excessive pressure and anxiety. He had a feeling that something was going wrong. Though there was no clear evidence, Moon Hae-min could not easily shake that premonition.

The situation of being stranded, unable to move either way, continued for six days.

The frozen sea showed no sign of thawing. The merchants seemed stressed as their schedules for transporting goods by the set dates were all falling apart.

But Moon Hae-min was in an even more difficult position. Not knowing when Song Seol would return, he was beyond anxious to be stuck in Songdo. To make matters worse, Bok-deong-i’s condition was not good.

“Bok-deong-i…. Why aren’t you eating? Have you lost your appetite?”

Do babies lose their appetite too? Hae-min murmured worriedly. Until a few days ago, the child had eaten well whenever he was nursed, but now he didn’t, which was a serious problem.

‘Is it because I’m not producing enough milk….’

He didn’t know for sure since he had nothing to compare it to, but Moon Hae-min felt that he wasn’t producing much milk. At this rate, he would have to start feeding Bok-deong-i rice porridge.

“And why can’t you sleep?”

Lately, Bok-deong-i would wake up shortly after falling asleep, and even after being put back to sleep, he would wake up again quickly. He knew that babies naturally wake and sleep repeatedly at night, but in Bok-deong-i’s case, it seemed severe.

“That’s why you have no strength.”

Moon Hae-min gently stroked the back of Bok-deong-i, who was cradled in his arms. Whether it was just wishful thinking or not, it didn’t seem like the baby was sick. In Moon Hae-min’s opinion, Bok-deong-i was simply exhausted.