Fake Concubine 44

On ​the ​other ​hand, ​Song Seol was ​completely ​composed. ​His ​wrist ​sprain should have almost ​healed ​by now; Hae-min ​didn’t understand why ​he ​was ​still ​borrowing ​his ​hands.

“No matter how ​many ​times ​I see it, ​your speed is astonishing.”

“Is ​that so?”

“Yes. ​I would ​believe it ​if someone ​told ​me ​you were born ​to work.”

“…….”

It ​was a comment that ​could be taken as ​either a compliment or ​a curse. ​In ​this situation, it felt like a ​curse, yet he didn’t ​feel ​particularly ​offended. ​He ​simply found the ​current state ​of ​affairs absurd.

‘Of course ​my ​working speed is fast.’

The work ​he was ​doing ​now was almost ​identical ​to ​the ​tasks ​he had ​handled ​in the ​past. From Hae-min’s perspective, he was merely ​repeating unauthorized copywork he ​had [stolen content]already done, ​so there was nothing ​particularly difficult ​about it.

“I am ​merely ​assisting with your ​affairs, My Lord.”

“You ​are humble.”

“Yes…….”

The ​conversation ​died out ​after ​that awkward ​response.

Song ​Seol also ​seemed ​focused ​on his own ​work. ​Ssh, ssh. ​Amidst ​the ​sound ​of the brush gliding across the paper, Song Seol’s gaze occasionally tickled his cheek. Song Seol’s eyes were deeper than the ink, making it feel as though they would leave a mark wherever they touched.

After a while, Song Seol rose from his seat. He approached Moon Hae-min and handed him some documents.

“I leave the cross-checking to you.”

“Yes.”

It was ridiculous how Song Seol assigned the work as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and it was even more ridiculous that he accepted it [Read on Read BL Novels]just as naturally. Regardless, he had to help until Song Seol’s [visit our site]right wrist was fully recovered. Moon Hae-min brought over the abacus resting on one side of the desk.

“After the cross-checking is finished…….”

Song Seol trailed off. Suddenly, as if lost in thought, he frowned slightly.

“My Lord?”

“……You may hand them over to Yoon Seung-hyeok.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Yoon Seung-hyeok, who always seemed a bit scatterbrained, was actually an official who performed his duties well. (There were jealous rumors in some quarters that his grandfather, Old Man Yoon, had bought his position with money.) Hae-min had known this, but for some reason, the fact felt surprising today.

“After delivering the documents to Yoon Seung-hyeok, return to the office immediately.”

“Yes.”

“Do not get distracted.”

“……Yes.”

Though he answered obediently, a sense of rebellion was slowly bubbling up inside Moon Hae-min.

He was already accumulating grievances since he spent every waking moment with Song Seol. He could overlook being worked like an ox, but…

‘Isn’t it too much to not even allow me the leisure to slack off?’

Whether he knew these inner thoughts or not, Song Seol added,

“Normally, I would have accompanied you, but I must step out shortly…….”

“Are you going out?”

“Yes, but I will not be gone long.”

“I see.”

He had asked without much thought; he wasn’t particularly curious. Perhaps it wasn’t an important matter, as Song Seol didn’t elaborate further.

Breaking the naturally fallen silence, the sound of abacus beads clicking began to fill the room.

After finishing the cross-checking, Moon Hae-min left the office. Just then, Yoon Seung-hyeok was passing by the wooden veranda.

“Young Master Moon!”

Upon spotting Hae-min, he approached with a welcoming expression. His stride was wide and brisk.

“What brings you here?”

“I have some documents to deliver.”

“Ah, I wasn’t asking about your errand, but rather why you were alone for once.”

Moon Hae-min blinked. Having lived alone his entire stolen contentlife, he couldn’t understand unauthorized copythe question. Of course he was alone; was he supposed to be with someone?

“Haven’t you always been with Grand Prince Byeokran?”

Yoon Seung-hyeok added a further explanation. Only then did Hae-min let out a small “Ah.”

“My Lord has stepped out. Besides, the recent days were merely an exception; I am not originally close to the Lord.”

“Haha, is that so?”

His tone suggested that while he didn’t believe it, he was willing to play along. He seemed to think Hae-min was merely being shy.

“I’m telling you, it’s really not like that.”

“Why do you deny it so firmly? You two seemed to have a very deep bond.”

“Exactly what did you see between Grand Prince Byeokran and me to make such a misunderstanding? A deep bond…….”

Just uttering the word ‘bond’ [unauthorized copy]made his stomach visit our sitechurn, making it impossible to continue. Yoon Seung-hyeok, however, spoke as [visit our site]if it were the most natural thing.

“The two of you are always together like a pair of wild geese, aren’t you? From the moment you enter the office until the moment you leave. Rumors are rife that you are together in the office the entire time.”

“Ru-rumors have already spread?”

“Well…… calling it a ‘rumor’ might be inaccurate. It’s a fact that anyone working here at the Songdo Provincial Office naturally comes to know. It’s not that someone went out of their way to spread it.”

“…….”

Moon Hae-min wiped his face with his hand. He didn’t know where it started, but it seemed things had gone wrong. Very wrong.

“It’s a misunderstanding…….”

Hae-min barely managed to squeeze the words out.

“A misunderstanding?”

“Yes. It’s, well, an embarrassing situation…… but the Lord injured his right unauthorized copywrist because of me. That is why I am [Read on Read BL Novels]temporarily assisting him with his work.”

‘Only until the Lord is fully recovered,’ Hae-min emphasized again. Yoon Seung-hyeok nodded.

“Aha…….”

“Now you understand the situation, right?”

“Yes.”

Thank goodness, this nasty misunderstanding will finally be cleared up. Moon Hae-min felt relieved. However, that relief was short-lived; he nearly exploded at Yoon Seung-hyeok’s bright response.

“Now that I know the circumstances, I feel your bond is even deeper.”

“No, why on earth is that?!”

“To think that you would worry just because the Lord injured his right wrist a little.”

Heh, that man. To think you’d worry about him, of all people…….

Yoon Seung-hyeok murmured in genuine admiration. At this point, Hae-min felt the strength leave his body.

“I am well aware that Grand Prince Byeokran is robust. But what can I do? He insists on using me instead of his right hand…….”

“Ah, that’s not the part that surprised me.”

“Then what is it?”

Yoon Seung-hyeok spoke as if it were obvious.

“The Lord is ambidextrous, isn’t he? And a left-handed ambidextrous one at that.”

Not long after, Song Seol returned.

Sitting in the office, Moon Hae-min snapped his head up at the sound of the sliding door opening. His gaze was quite fierce.

“…….”

Song Seol’s thick eyebrows twitched, but that was all. He seemed completely unfazed by Moon Hae-min’s rebellion.

‘Of course he is.’

How amusing must it have been? Seeing him fret and worry, unaware that the man was ambidextrous.

Come to think of it, Song Seol had never once claimed to be right-handed. So, he hadn’t technically lied…… yet for some reason, Hae-min felt thoroughly scammed.

Actually, what is a scam if not this? Deceiving someone to cause a mistake in order to gain an unfair advantage—that is exactly what a scam is. Therefore, Song Seol had scammed him.

He felt aggrieved and embarrassed to have been fooled so completely. Fuming, Hae-min breathed heavily.

“What is the matter?”

As his emotions wavered, his Chromatic Scent was affected. The scent of plum blossoms, which he had suppressed so well until now, began to waft out in ripples. There was no way Song Seol wouldn’t smell it.

“I asked what the matter is, Moon Hee-yul.”

“My Lord, are you perhaps ambidextrous?”

He had to confirm the facts first. When he asked cautiously, Song Seol answered readily.

“I am.”

“No way……!”

Even if he had denied it, Hae-min wouldn’t have believed him, but the fact that he admitted it so readily was far more irritating. Song Seol even asked back brazenly,

“Is it a problem that I am ambidextrous?”

“It’s not a problem. But My Lord, what did you tell me? You said you couldn’t use your right hand for the time being, so you would borrow my hand.”

“Yes, I did say that.”

“But in reality, you didn’t need to borrow my hand at all!”

Song Seol tilted his head.

“That is not true. Even for an ambidextrous person, injuring one hand makes daily life inconvenient nonetheless.”

“…….”

That point was valid. Even for the right-handed Moon Hae-min, injuring his left hand would be inconvenient. It would just be less inconvenient than injuring his right. So, Song Seol’s claim wasn’t wrong, but……

‘No, embarrassing rumors have already spread throughout the office!’

Hae-min steadied his wavering heart. Recalling the grievances he had accumulated recently, he snapped,

“Regardless, there was no need for me to become your right hand.”

“So that made you upset.”

As if finally understanding, Song Seol suggested,

“Then from now on, I shall call you my right-and-left hand.”

“…….”

“Shall I just call you my hands and feet instead?”

“Stop teasing me,” Hae-min replied bluntly. He hated being fooled by Song Seol, but he hated even more that the man treated him like a child who was easy to tease.

Perhaps Song Seol thought he had gone too far, as he spoke softly, as if to soothe him.

“First, compose your Chromatic Scent. You must not let your scent leak within the office.”

“Yes, I will. However, My Lord.”

“Speak.”

“I am sorry, but I can no longer do the work you have given me.”

Song Seol gazed at Moon Hae-min intently. Though there wasn’t a single word of reproach, a strange pressure emanated from him.

“And why is that?”

“Because there is no longer any reason for me to help you. I hold no official rank, and I am merely a scholar who hasn’t even passed the Saengwon exam. In the first place, it is improper for me to touch matters of state.”

“Hmm.”

“I wish to live according to the natural order.”

Moon Hae-min concluded his argument with a solemn expression.

Even he thought it was a good excuse. If he brought up the laws of the land, no matter how high a Grand Prince’s rank was, he wouldn’t be able to push through blindly.