Fake Concubine 78

There ​is ​a ​proverb ​that says, ‘Sow ​in ​the ​spring ​to ​reap in the autumn.’ ​It ​means that one ​must prepare in ​advance ​to ​achieve ​good ​results. ​That was why ​Moon ​Hae-min ​had worked hard ​to sow his seeds ​in the ​spring.

But why ​was it ​that now, ​in ​the ​autumn, there was ​nothing to ​harvest?

“A poor harvest. A ​total failure.”

Hae-min mocked himself, ​swaying listlessly atop his ​horse.

He was ​currently ​passing through Pojoo. He had indeed ​left Songdo, but to ​think ​he ​was ​heading ​toward Hanseong instead ​of Wonya. ​Inwardly, ​he had hesitated ​to ​flee, but he hadn’t wished ​for a ​result ​like this.

The financial ​loss ​was ​also ​considerable. ​Since he ​had ​gone into ​hiding unintentionally, it became difficult to recover ​the advance payment ​he had given ​to the group helping ​him smuggle ​himself out of ​the ​country. Having broken ​the promise first, ​it was ​hard ​to ask ​for ​the money ​back, ​and what ​if ​they ​reacted recklessly? He ​simply ​had to ​write ​it ​off ​as a loss.

More than that, he regretted missing the opportunity. Now, while Song Seol was away from Hanseong for a long period, was the perfect time to escape. Still, since Song Seol traveled between Songdo and Hanseong periodically, he could just aim for the next chance. Hae-min comforted himself with that thought.

‘…Does that mean I have to live as Moon Hee-yul for a while longer?’

A bleak autumn wind blew. Hae-min hunched his shoulders.

He had been able to live reasonably happily until now because he believed there would be an end. To Moon Hae-min, the end meant hope. The hope that he could finally live freely as himself.

But now, the end was nowhere in sight. It felt as if he were walking through a unauthorized copyfog. No… Read on Read BL Novelsit felt as if he had been locked back in Song Seol’s guest house.

‘Once we reach Hanseong, Song Seol will find out my identity…’

In the past, when Song Seol returned to Songdo from Hanseong, he knew the identity of ‘Moon Hee-yul.’ Unless there was a variable, there was a high possibility it would happen again.

Moreover, that wasn’t the only problem. Song Seol seemed to be recalling fragments of his past memories. Hae-min had been suspicious when Seol filleted dried yellow croaker for him or showed a strong dislike for the turtle-shaped paperweight, but it became certain when Seol took him to Hanseong. He didn’t seem to have recovered his memories completely, but at this rate, it was only a matter of time.

‘…The place I’m going isn’t Hanseong, but a slaughterhouse.’

Hae-min gripped the reins tightly.

At this point, he felt as if it didn’t matter whether his identity was discovered or not. Since things had already gone wrong, he was in a “do or die” situation. Could things possibly get any worse?

Just then, Song Seol, who was riding ahead, slowed his horse. He looked back and asked.

“Moon Hee-yul, are you tired?”

“No.”

“Your face is pale.”

Song Seol murmured as if talking to himself. The way he carefully observed Moon Hae-min’s complexion seemed thoughtful, even tender. However, Hae-min knew. He knew how terrifying that face became when he was angry. Therefore…

“Endure a little longer. We will arrive in Hanseong soon.”

…Therefore, Moon Hae-min intended to seize the opportunity to escape specifically in Hanseong.

He had ended up stepping foot in the city he thought he would never return to.

After a brief moment of despair, Moon Hae-min began to move to find a way to survive.

“You will be entering the palace, My Lord.”

“I will.”

Song Seol glanced at Hae-min and added subtly.

“You may enter the palace with me.”

“No, that would not be proper.”

Moon Hae-min refused flatly.

It was suffocating enough to pretend to be ‘Moon Hee-yul’ in Songdo, but to do so even in the palace? That wouldn’t just be deceiving Song Seol, but deceiving His Majesty the King himself. The sins he had already committed were vast enough; he didn’t want to add another to the pile.

In the first place, it was scandalous for a concubine to enter the palace. Song Seol seemed to have realized this as well, as he nodded readily.

“Then, do you intend to stay at your family home while in Hanseong?”

“Yes, I must.”

He felt he needed to see Lord Moon and talk. He wanted to know if anything unusual had happened recently and what the current state of the country was. In doing so, he might obtain important information from an unexpected source.

“I have a residence in Bukchon. It may be somewhat desolate as it has been empty for a long time, but the servants have maintained it steadily, so it wouldn’t be bad for a short stay. How about staying there?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I should go to my family home. Since I’ve come to Hanseong after so long… I want to spend a lot of time with my father,” Hae-min said.

Of course, it was a blatant lie, but what did it matter? Since his father had been of no great help in his life, he intended to use him now.

“Perhaps it is because you write well, but your manners are quite proper,” Song Seol murmured.

His tone was somewhat blunt, but he didn’t seem angry. If one were to guess the emotion laced in that voice, it might be regret.

‘…Surely, I’m just imagining things.’

Why would he feel regret over being apart for a short while? It wasn’t as if they had much to talk about even when they were together.

“Let us go.”

Song Seol said as he mounted his horse. Hae-min hurriedly followed suit and asked.

“W-where are you going?”

“Did you not say you were going to your family home?”

“Pardon? Yes, I did.”

“I am coming along.”

As Hae-min blinked, unable to grasp the situation, Song Seol added nonchalantly.

“I should pay my respects to my father-in-law after such a long time.”

“…”

Hae-min vaguely remembered if the father of a concubine was also called a father-in-law. But regardless of that, the mere image of Song Seol greeting Lord Moon as ‘father-in-law’ was awkward. Song Seol harbored no good feelings toward Lord Moon, and Lord Moon was likely full of resentment toward Song Seol. Meanwhile, since he himself wasn’t on great terms with either of them, this was a meeting that would benefit no one.

“My Lord, please, it would be better if you entered the palace as quickly as possible…”

Moon Hae-min cautiously tried to dissuade Song Seol. However, those words didn’t seem to even graze Song Seol’s ear. Thus, Hae-min raised his voice further.

“Please consider what the priority is. You can pay your respects to my father later.”

Only then did Song Seol stop. He looked back at Hae-min with a disgruntled expression.

“Even if I pay my respects later, I should at least drop you off first.”

“Do you really think I would get lost in the middle of Hanseong? This is my hometown.”

Hanseong was the hometown of not only Hee-yul but also Moon Hae-min. Because of that, he could assert himself more confidently than usual. Whether that worked or not, Song Seol nodded reluctantly.

“Very well. If that is the case, I shall see you later.”

“Yes, I will be on my way.”

Hae-min bowed slightly and passed by Song Seol. Two guards followed behind him. Their presence bothered him slightly, but he let it be.

Rather, the image of Song Seol he had just seen lingered in his mind. He had been expressionless as usual, yet it seemed as if his entire body was tense… for some unknown reason.

Moon Hae-min shrugged lightly. How could he possibly guess Song Seol’s intentions? He only hoped that the man wouldn’t do anything unexpected.

He had returned to his family home for the first time in a very long while.

Moon Hae-min looked at the main gate with a strange feeling. Until the last time he had crossed this gate, he could not have imagined what hardships lay ahead of him. He knew playing the part of a fake concubine would be difficult, but he hadn’t known it would be so tumultuous.

In the meantime, it seemed the Moon family had also gone through several things. The atmosphere of the residence felt somehow bleak.

‘Is it because the weather is bad…’

The sky was gloomy today, and there wasn’t a single leaf visit our siteon the trees [Read on Read BL Novels]inside the gate. Swallowing hard, Hae-min knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

Soon, a servant opened the door. Recognizing Hae-min’s face, his eyes widened.

“My… Young Master!”

He was the illegitimate son, Moon Hae-min, not the ‘Young Master’ of this house. However, the servant seemed to grasp the situation upon seeing Moon Hae-min’s attire and the guards accompanying him. Hae-min gave the servant a look and spoke hurriedly.

“It has been a long time. Is my father in?”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“I must see my father. And please prepare a place for a guest to stay.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hae-min left the two guards behind and walked forward. The place he headed for was none other than the sarangchae. Since there were no outsiders nearby, he felt he could speak without hesitation.

The door to the sarangbang was firmly closed. Moon Hae-min stared at the door for a moment before speaking.

“Lord. I have arrived.”

Soon, the door opened. Lord Moon, stepping out of the room, stared with wide eyes.

“You…!”

Even if he had come without notice, why was he so surprised? No matter how much he had lived like a stranger, this was still Moon Hae-min’s home. Lord Moon’s reaction was as if he were seeing someone who had returned from the dead.

‘Well, that’s not entirely wrong.’

Hae-min swallowed a bitter thought and greeted him.

“Have you been in good health?”

“You, how did this, how did… No, first, come inside.”

Moon Hae-min entered the sarangbang in silence. Meanwhile, Lord Moon called a maid and gave some instructions.

After a while, a faint presence approached. Turning toward the direction, Moon Hae-min spoke as if in admiration.

“Hee-yul.”

“Brother, it’s been a long time.”

Moon Hae-min’s half-brother, Hee-yul, greeted him with a slight smile. Was it just his imagination? His face looked drained of energy. Also, his movements seemed more cautious than before. Moon Hee-yul had always moved lightly like a small rabbit, but today he was exceptionally so.

‘Is it because he’s been living in hiding…’

Since he had been ‘Moon Hee-yul’ to the outside world, the real Hee-yul would have had no choice but to hide his presence. Thinking of this, Hae-min’s feelings became complex and subtle.