Fake Concubine 27

‘What ​should ​I ​do…’

In ​this tiny body, ​the ​baby ​had ​been ​exposed to so much ​cold ​wind, and because ​he was so ​clumsy ​at ​childcare, ​the ​child ​must have suffered ​in ​ways ​he didn’t even ​realize. It was only ​natural for ​the baby ​to be ​exhausted. In ​fact, ​it ​was a miracle ​he had ​held out this long.

It ​all felt like his ​own fault. No, it ​actually was. ​If ​he had been a proper father, ​Bok-deong-i wouldn’t have suffered ​like ​this ​from ​the ​moment he was ​born.

He wanted ​to ​raise him with ​the ​utmost care and love. He ​would have ​done ​anything for Bok-deong-i. ​But ​heart ​alone ​achieved ​nothing. It ​was ​because his ​own abilities were so lacking.

Still, there was ​one thing he ​could do well: ​keeping Bok-deong-i warm.

“Huu…”

Moon Hae-min ​breathed warm ​air onto Bok-deong-i.

Suddenly, ​old ​memories surfaced. When ​he lived at ​Lord Moon’s ​estate, ​Moon Hae-min ​would ​gather every ​piece ​of clothing ​he ​owned ​and wear them ​all, ​shivering every ​winter. ​In ​those ​moments, he felt the piercing realization that there was no one to share warmth with. Moon Hae-min hated that cold, that loneliness.

“Huu, huu…”

But it was different now. Moon Hae-min had Bok-deong-i. A good baby who didn’t even cry despite the hardship, but instead beamed a bright smile. Overwhelmed by love and heartache for the child, Moon Hae-min gently fiddled with those tiny, fern-like hands.

The baby’s lips parted. He wondered if the child was stolen contenttrying to babble, [stolen content]but no sound came out. Instead, Moon Hae-min spoke.

“Bok-deong-i.”

Regardless of the circumstances, he had given him this prenatal name to signify that the child had come to him, and in the hope that the child’s life would be blessed. Moon Hae-min reflected on that wish once more.

“Just endure a little longer. Your father has found a ship to Wonya. You’ll be able to live much more comfortably there. Once we just get out of Yeomyeong…”

Yeomyeong… The country where Moon Hae-min was born, raised, and had lived his entire life. He now had to leave behind the homeland he had never once thought of departing.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t afraid. But for the sake of his own survival and Bok-deong-i’s, he had to leave. For in Yeomyeong, he could never escape the eyes of that man, Song Seol.

“…Don’t worry. I have a plan. I heard that Wonya is a hub for merchant guilds, so talented people who are good with numbers are rare. If I work diligently, we’ll be able to make a living. Even if things don’t go as planned, a living mouth won’t be covered in cobwebs.”

He had managed to endure in Hanseong and Songdo. There was no reason he couldn’t survive in Wonya.

“So, we’ll be able to live happily.”

The moment he whispered those words to Bok-deong-i in his arms.

Bang!

A thunderous noise echoed. The door flew open, and a blizzard surged inside.

“We found him, Your Highness!”

An armed soldier shouted. He wouldn’t have been able to defeat even one of them, but looking outside, there were dozens of soldiers. Realizing the situation, Hae-min trembled. Had he been found… could it be? Please, let it not be…

As he clung to his futile hope, the soldiers stepped back one by one. Someone walked through the gap. A man as cold and bold as if he were draped in the north wind.

It was Song Seol.

“…Ah…”

Song Seol gazed at ‘Moon Hee-yul.’ No, at ‘Moon Hae-min.’

Moon Hae-min was holding a child in his arms. That child was Moon Hae-min’s child, and at the same time, likely his own.

That wasn’t the only absurd fact. The man he had believed to be the legitimate eldest son of Lord Moon was actually a concubine’s son. He had entered as a concubine in his brother’s stead, deceiving him all this time.

In doing so, Moon Hae-min had deeply wounded the Grand Prince’s pride. However, more intolerable than all those transgressions was the fact that…

This man before him, Moon Hae-min, had dared to run away from him.

“Is this the place you went to all the trouble of fleeing to?”

Even now, Moon Hae-min was faltering backward. It wasn’t even funny, wondering where he intended to escape to in this narrow room.

Moon Hae-min’s face was pallid. His already slender body looked like a withered tree branch. It was even more appalling that he looked so haggard [stolen content]from every angle. If he had gone through the trouble of [visit our site]escaping, he should have at least looked healthy; instead, he was [Read on Read BL Novels]in a pitiful state that couldn’t even be compared to when he was at the private estate.

Moon Hae-min gave a weak smile. Breath escaped from between his pale lips. Seeing the amount of breath, Song Seol furrowed his thick eyebrows.

“Who is that child?”

“…”

“Am I the father of that child?”

It was a question asked for confirmation.

Not because he was truly curious about who the father was, but to see how Moon Hae-min would answer.

And Moon Hae-min answered calmly.

“No. I am the child’s father.”

“You must have some mystical talent for bearing children alone. Come to think of it…”

A fragrant scent emanated from Moon Hae-min. He had smelled it from the moment he entered the room, but he hadn’t consciously noticed it due to his anger.

“Did you know how to produce a Chromatic Scent?”

Moon Hae-min’s Chromatic Scent was that of plum blossoms. [unauthorized copy]Unlike his elegant appearance, the [unauthorized copy]plum blossom visit our siteheld a deep, lingering fragrance; indeed, it shared a resemblance with Moon Hae-min.

Moon Hae-min dropped his head low. Finding that even more insolent, Song Seol spoke coldly.

“I will ask. You must answer this one question.”

“…Please speak.”

“Is your name Moon Hee-yul?”

Moon Hae-min snapped his head up. His wide, jade-colored eyes trembled slightly.

“It is not.”

“Then.”

“…As Your Highness said, this humble servant is not Moon Hee-yul. I will gladly accept the punishment for deceiving Your Highness, so please punish me.”

“That is not what I asked.”

The conversation with Moon Hae-min had been slightly off-track for a while now. Frustrated by this, Song Seol frowned slightly.

“What is your name?”

“…My name is Moon Hae-min.”

“Moon Hae-min.”

Song Seol murmured the name as if learning a new word, then asked.

“That you were Moon Hee-yul was a lie, and that you were a Scentless Eumin was also a lie.”

“…”

“Then, is it also a lie that you do not love me?”

“…That much is the truth.”

It was an answer he had internally expected. However, expecting it didn’t mean he wasn’t angry.

He felt a sensation as if frost were settling on his heart. Feeling that something would explode if he touched it, Song Seol consciously suppressed his emotions.

“Take him.”

Song Seol commanded briefly. At that, two soldiers who had stormed into the room grabbed Moon Hae-min by each arm.

“Let me go!”

Moon Hae-min didn’t go quietly and struggled. Just then, Bok-deong-i burst into tears.

Hue, hue…

It was pitiful to see him unable to even cry properly due to lack of strength. Seeing this, the soldiers couldn’t bring themselves to be too harsh.

Song Seol could no longer stand to watch. Finally, he stepped forward.

He snatched Bok-deong-i away from Moon Hae-min. After handing the baby to a soldier, Song Seol dragged Moon Hae-min away with a firm grip.

“Please let me go!”

Moon Hae-min resisted with all his might. The more he did, the more Song Seol’s anger intensified. His frozen rage suddenly surged hot.

“Your Highness! My Lord, please…”

Song Seol was intentionally rough. He forced Moon Hae-min onto the horse and pulled the reins. The loyal horse began to gallop.

“No…!”

The fierce wind swallowed the cries. Moon Hae-min tried to turn his head, but Song Seol didn’t even allow him to look back. Soon, Moon Hae-min trembled as if in deep grief.

Song Seol suddenly wondered. Had it not been good? While his relationship with Moon Hae-min might not have been passionate, it had been stable. Song Seol had liked Moon Hae-min quite a bit and thought they could live comfortably together for the rest of their lives. So why on earth…

“…”

While he wandered without even guessing the answer, Moon Hae-min wept silently. Snow fell like sorrowfully dropped teardrops.

1. The Price

The horse ran without rest along the snowy night road.

At some point, the passing scenery looked familiar. Moon Hae-min realized he had entered the center of Songdo and fell into despair. It had felt so far when he walked, but it felt hollow and cruel how fast it was by horse.

Song Seol headed straight for the private estate. He thought he would be locked up somewhere immediately, but he wasn’t. Song Seol forcibly embraced Moon Hae-min and moved toward the guest house.

“…Hic.”

Upon entering the guest room, Song Seol roughly set Moon Hae-min down. Having fallen almost as if thrown, Moon Hae-min barely lifted his upper body to look up at Song Seol.

The face looking down at him was stern. An expression that suggested no excuse or apology would work. He was terrified of that frost-like dignity, but the most threatening thing was the Chromatic Scent.

Song Seol released his Chromatic Scent without hiding it. A scent like a winter wind bound Moon Hae-min. Despite being formless, it felt as if his windpipe were being constricted.

“My, My Lord…”

Unable to withstand the pressure, Hae-min spoke.

“I was wrong…”

“…”

“But Bok-deong-i… the child is innocent. Where did you send the child…?”

“It is none of your concern.”

Song Seol replied coldly, cutting him off.

“I-I am the father, how can it be none of my concern?”

“I thought you were clever, but you are foolish.”

“…”

“Did you think you could claim to be the child’s father? You, of all people, dare?”

“I…!”

He parted his lips, but Hae-min couldn’t bring himself to continue. He knew it too. He knew that from beginning to end, he was the one who had done wrong in his relationship with Song Seol. If Song Seol took the child, there was nothing he could do morally or legally. But…

“…My Lord, please let me see the child. I must take care of him.”

He was Bok-deong-i’s father. He couldn’t be separated from Bok-deong-i like this.

“At the very least, could you tell me where you took the child? Please…”

“Why, if you know the location, do you intend to flee there again?”

“N-no. I will not flee…”

Song Seol’s Chromatic Scent grew even colder. Moon Hae-min trembled at the chill.

“There should be something you need to say before that.”

“I am deeply sorry. I-I was entirely in the wrong. I deceived Your Highness by pretending to be a nobleman while being a lowly concubine’s son… even with ten mouths, I have nothing to say.”

He figured the only thing Song Seol wanted to hear was an apology. Thus, Moon Hae-min apologized hurriedly, but Song Seol raised an eyebrow.

“You continue to speak foolishly. That is not what I asked.”

“T-then…”

“I am asking why you fled.”

Moon Hae-min swallowed hard.

Now that things had come to this, what more was there to hide? However, he didn’t know where to start or how much he should confess.

Even amidst his fierce inner turmoil, Song Seol’s cold Chromatic Scent pressured [Read on Read BL Novels]Read on Read BL NovelsHae-min. Eventually, Moon [visit our site]Hae-min poured it all out incoherently.

“I was originally an ordinary person. But one day, my body felt strange, and when I visited a physician, I found out that I had manifested as an Eumin and was carrying a child. I worried about what to do about this sudden event… I-I thought that if I gave birth, the child would be born of a concubine…”

“Did I not say I would take you as my formal spouse?”

“But… as Your Highness now knows, I… am not Moon Hee-yul.”

There was no way he would take someone who had deceived him all this time, especially someone of concubine birth, as his legal spouse. He would be lucky if he wasn’t executed.

“…So you thought I would change my mind.”

Song Seol murmured in an extremely low voice. The voice did not reach the terrified Moon Hae-min.

“My Lord, please forgive me. I-I know you must hate me and find me loathsome, but for the sake of the affection we shared…”

That plea couldn’t even convince Moon Hae-min himself. ‘Affection we shared.’ How significant could that possibly be? Moreover, Song Seol was not a man to be swayed by something like affection in the first place.

“Moon Hae-min.”

“…Yes.”

“You know one thing but are blind to the second. Even if that child is the offspring of a concubine, did you truly not consider that he also carries the blood of the royal family?”

“I-I knew…”

“You knew, indeed.”

Song Seol muttered menacingly.

“Even so, the fact that you tried to leave Yeomyeong with the child suggests you were prepared never to return.”

Moon Hae-min remained silent. It was not because he had nothing to say, but because he was so overwhelmed by Song Seol’s fury that he could not utter a single word.

That in itself was as good as an answer. Song Seol leaned down, bringing his gaze level with that of his insolent concubine.

“For your foolish sake, I shall personally inform you of what has transpired due to your rash behavior.”

“…….”

“The servants who failed to attend to you properly will be punished, and the merchants of the Muam Merchant Guild have been arrested for the crime of attempting to smuggle away a member of the royal clan.”

Moon Hae-min’s gaze wavered precariously. Celadon eyes—a mixture of gray, green, and pale brown. Tears welled up in those eyes, which Song Seol had secretly found beautiful from the moment he first saw them. Paradoxically, the tear-filled eyes were more beautiful than ever.

“And as for the owner of the rental bookstore who aided your escape, their crime is grave; they shall not be leaving the prison of their own accord.”

Song Seol whispered softly, staring straight into Moon Hae-min’s eyes.

Despair spread across those wide eyes. Even in the [visit our site]dim light, unauthorized copySong Seol could see it clearly. Even the thoughts harbored in Moon Hae-min’s heart felt [visit our site]vivid, as if he could reach out and touch them.

“M-My Lord, please……. If you must punish someone, punish me. Th-the bookstore owner didn’t even know who I was.”

“I imagine they didn’t. Even I, your husband, did not know who you were, so how much less would that mere tradesman have known?”

“He has committed no crime. My Lord, how can you punish an innocent man……!”

“Aiding the escape of a Grand Prince’s concubine is a crime.”

The stern voice fell. Simultaneously, tears beaded and fell from Moon Hae-min’s eyes.

“……Hng.”

Bok-deong-i had been sent away to some unknown place, innocent servants and merchants were to be punished because of him, and the bookstore owner would likely never walk out of prison…….

This was truly the worst-case scenario among the dozens Moon Hae-min had imagined. While he could hardly believe this was all reality, he felt it with a piercing clarity: the fact that many people would bleed because of him.

“My Lord, I-I was wrong. Please forgive me. My Lord…….”

With a trembling body, Moon Hae-min knelt and prostrated himself at Song Seol’s feet. He had no thought of pride. He would willingly offer his own life if it meant saving the others.

“I beg of you, sentence me to the harshest punishment instead and hold no others accountable……!”

Pleading desperately, Hae-min pressed his forehead against [stolen content]the floor. He lowered himself as far [visit our site]as humanly possible, [visit our site]praying that Song Seol would show mercy.

However, Song Seol turned away, leaving a cold draft in his wake.

“Keep a strict watch over him.”

The command he gave as he left the guest room pierced Hae-min’s ears painfully. “Yes!” the soldiers replied in unison.

Then, the door closed. Hae-min approached the door on his knees. He pulled at the door handle, but it didn’t budge.

“My Lord, My Lord……!”

Moon Hae-min cried out as if screaming. But there was no answer. He pounded on the door before losing all strength and sliding down to the floor.

What was he to do in this miserable reality? He couldn’t even begin to think of a way out. Overwhelmed by a surging sense of grief, Moon Hae-min could do nothing but weep.