Fake Concubine 68

“I’ll ​take ​ten.”

“Yes, ​yes!”

The ​esteemed nobleman had ​paid ​for ​the ​yakgwa. ​To draw so much ​attention ​only to buy ​honey cookies—Hae-min suddenly ​found ​the ​entire ​situation ​absurd.

As ​they stepped out ​of ​the ​shop, the people ​who had been staring ​began to ​avert their ​eyes one ​by one. ​They ​seemed ​conflicted, unsure of ​whether they ​should bow or not. ​The only person remaining ​composed was Song Seol.

‘If ​he was ​going ​to be like this, he shouldn’t ​have dressed so simply, ​or ​he ​should ​have ​just disguised himself ​properly.’

Hae-min grumbled ​inwardly ​as he followed ​him. ​Whether he noticed or not, ​Song Seol ​held ​out the bundle ​of ​yakgwa.

“Eat.”

“Yes.”

Hae-min ​took ​one ​and took ​a ​bite. Sweetness ​flooded his mouth. It tasted exactly like ​the luxurious treat ​it was, rich ​with flour, honey, and ​grain syrup.

However, ​no matter how ​delicious ​the food, eating ​ten of them ​alone was ​too ​much.

“Please have ​one ​as well, ​My ​Lord.”

“I have ​no ​desire ​for it.”

“You can ​just ​be honest ​with ​me.”

Hae-min ​threw ​his own words back at him. When he went as far as taking a piece of yakgwa and thrusting it toward Song Seol, the latter accepted it with a reluctant expression.

“It is sweet.”

“Is it not to your taste?”

“It is edible.”

It’s either delicious or it isn’t; Hae-min didn’t understand what ‘edible’ was supposed to mean. He let out a small chuckle.

“Ah, perhaps My Lord wanted some yakgwa but feared it would diminish your dignity, so you used me as an excuse to come here?”

He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. Far from wanting to converse with Song Seol, he actually felt the opposite, yet he didn’t know why his mouth insisted on spouting jokes.

“Do you think I lacked excuses to the point of needing yours? More importantly, it would be better to change how you address me.”

“Why?”

“Because you keep calling me ‘My Lord, My Lord,’ and people are recognizing me.”

“…….”

There was no frame-up more unfair than this. People recognized him because Song Seol was so famous, not because of the title ‘My Lord.’

The urge to ask, ‘You are a Grand Prince; if I don’t call you My Lord, then what should I call you?’ rose to the tip of his tongue. However, Hae-min was wise enough to remain silent. He could already envision Song Seol’s response.

‘From now on, call me “Husband.”’

Hae-min had bad memories associated with that title. Rather than calling Song Seol that again, he would prefer to keep things vaguely ambiguous.

Suddenly, fatigue washed over him. He felt he had had enough of the market outing and wanted to finish their business and return home quickly.

“I will be careful. By the way, what would you like in return?”

“Hmm.”

Song Seol let out a light hum. He seemed to ponder for a moment before replying indifferently.

“Perhaps a brush.”

To demand a reward first and then maintain such a lukewarm attitude—Hae-min couldn’t fathom his psychology. Then again, there was likely no need for Moon Hae-min to understand.

“A brush sounds good. I know a shop; shall we go there?”

“Very well.”

This time, Hae-min took the lead. He headed toward the street that sold the Four Treasures of the Study. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but a faint scent of ink seemed to linger in the air.

Hae-min entered one of the shops. It was the same shop he had visited in the past to buy the paper, ink, and brushes he had borrowed from Song Seol.

“Welcome.”

The owner of this shop seemed not to know Grand Prince Byeokran’s face. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spoken so informally.

He didn’t know how Song Seol felt about it, but the calm atmosphere made Hae-min feel much more at ease. He made a request to the owner.

“Please show me some brushes. The highest quality ones, please.”

“There are so many types of brushes; which one do you need?”

“Um, well…….”

The owner brought out several brushes. Hae-min, who loved the Four Treasures, examined them closely before suddenly remembering his purpose.

“Which brush do you prefer?”

He had forgotten for a moment that he [unauthorized copy]was here to get a visit our sitebrush for Song Seol, not himself. It was because Song Seol’s attitude had been so indifferent.

“This one will do.”

Song Seol picked one. The decision was so fast that Hae-min wondered if he had even looked at it properly. However, that brush looked strangely familiar.

‘Oh, that’s…….’

Moon Hae-min quickly realized why. That brush was one of the three brushes he had gifted to Song Seol in the past.

Of all the brushes, to pick that specific one. It was too coincidental to be a mere accident. He could have ignored it, but he felt that if he did, it would bother him for a long time.

“Won’t you look further? In my eyes, I think another brush might be better…….”

Hae-min subtly tried to guide Song Seol toward another item. In response, Song Seol picked up the one next to it and said,

“Then how about this one?”

“…….”

Hae-min was speechless. The second brush Song Seol chose was also one of the brushes he had given him.

‘How is this possible?’

The vague unease took a clearer shape and stepped closer. Hae-min [stolen content]contemplated whether to [unauthorized copy]test Song Seol again but decided against it. If he picked the third brush, it wouldn’t just be unsettling; it would be eerie.

“It looks good.”

Hae-min forced himself to speak as if nothing were wrong, deceiving not only Song Seol but himself.

‘In a way, it might be a natural choice.’

The reason he had chosen these brushes in the past was that they looked similar to the ones he had borrowed from Song Seol. In other words, perhaps this style of brush was Song Seol’s preference? He wouldn’t keep a brush that didn’t suit his taste.

In short, Song Seol had simply chosen a brush according to his own preference, and thus, this incredible coincidence had occurred.

“Do you prefer brushes of this shape?”

Hae-min asked to confirm his hypothesis.

“It depends on the situation, but generally, yes.”

“I thought so.”

He finally breathed a sigh of relief. Indeed, there could be no other reason than ‘coincidence.’

Moon Hae-min pointed to the two brushes Song Seol had chosen.

“I’ll take these two.”

“You’ve chosen well. I shall wrap them.”

The shopkeeper told him the price. Just as he was about to pay, a paperweight in a corner of the shop caught his eye.

“Ah!”

Hae-min let out an involuntary exclamation.

A tiny turtle paperweight. That was truly familiar. It was inevitable, as it was something he had gifted to Song Seol in the past, only to smash it with his own hands.

“You have a keen eye!”

Noticing Hae-min’s interest in the turtle paperweight, the shopkeeper spoke in a proud tone.

“That paperweight is the best of the best. Celadon paperweights may seem common, but such a clear color is rare. Besides, isn’t the turtle a symbol of longevity and faith?”

“Haha, indeed.”

Hae-min laughed hollowly. He had ended his own life with that symbol of longevity, so nothing could be more contradictory. Yet, it was strange how he felt as glad as if he had met an old friend.

‘They say even a bad bond is still a bond.’

Since his connection with this turtle paperweight stolen contentwas quite deep, he Read on Read BL Novelsthought it would be good to take it with him since they had reunited. Hae-min picked up the turtle paperweight.

“I’ll take this as well.”

“Wise choice.”

“Do not buy it.”

The shopkeeper and Song Seol spoke simultaneously. The two looked at each other. The winner of that confrontation was Song Seol.

“Do not buy it, Moon Hee-yul.”

“Why?”

“It looks unlucky.”

At the blunt words, the shopkeeper grumbled.

“The turtle is an auspicious animal included in the Ten Symbols of Longevity, and you say it looks unlucky…….”

Song Seol glared at him. Even without knowing his rank as a Grand Prince, it was a terrifying gaze. Completely overwhelmed, the owner slunk back.

“Isn’t it cute, with its round head and shell?”

“It is not cute at all. Put it down this instant.”

“……Why are you being like this? It’s just a tiny turtle paperweight. It’s not as if I’m buying some ghost-possessed object.”

“Moon Hee-yul.”

Song Seol called his name in an extremely low voice. It was only three syllables, but it was laced with deep anger. No…… it was outright anxiety. The anxiety was so deep that it felt like anger.

‘Why on earth…….’

This time, not even a hypothesis came to mind. He had no idea why Song Seol was reacting so hypersensitively.

Hae-min gripped the turtle paperweight tightly. Regardless, it was certain that Song Seol extremely disliked this paperweight. Even if the cause was unknown, the result was clear; he had to buy the turtle paperweight just to uncover the reason.

“I really want this paperweight.”

“Even if I give you a better one?”

“Yes. My apologies.”

“……Do as you wish.”

Song Seol glared intensely at Moon Hae-min before turning around abruptly. He swept his sleeves with a flourish and marched out of the shop.

After paying the bewildered shopkeeper, Hae-min hurried after Song Seol.

‘When did he get that far?’

Perhaps because his legs were long, his stride was wide; Song Seol had already moved far ahead. He could have caught up if he ran, but the crowd made it difficult. Eventually, Hae-min raised his voice.

“My Lord!”

He had only just decided to keep the title ambiguous, yet his resolve had already crumbled. Swallowing a sigh, Hae-min shouted loudly.

“Please do not leave me behind!”

At that, Song Seol came to a dead stop.