Fake Concubine 83

“Brother, ​what ​wish ​are ​you praying for ​so ​earnestly?”

Moon ​Hee-yul ​was ​looking at him, having ​apparently ​finished his own ​prayers.

“I wasn’t making ​a ​wish.”

“Really? ​You ​looked ​like ​you were praying ​for ​something ​with all your ​heart.”

“I just had something ​to resolve. ​Anyway, what ​about you? ​You seemed ​to ​be ​praying earnestly for ​something too.”

“Ah… ​yeah.”

Hee-yul suddenly avoided his ​gaze. He seemed uncomfortable ​talking about his wish.

Moon ​Hae-min let ​out ​a short laugh. In this situation, ​it was obvious what ​kind ​of ​wish ​Hee-yul ​would have made. ​He probably ​hoped ​that the matter ​of ​deceiving Grand Prince Byeokran would ​be resolved ​well.

“Done ​with your wishes? ​Then ​let’s ​head ​back.”

“Yeah… ​Brother, drink ​this ​bottle first.”

Hee-yul ​pulled a small gourd bottle from his ​robes and handed ​it over. Moon ​Hae-min took it and ​asked,

“What is ​this?”

“A restorative tonic.”

“A ​restorative ​tonic…? It’s not ​some strange drug, ​is it?”

“It’s ​not!”

Hee-yul ​shouted, his ​face ​twisting in ​a ​frown. Thinking ​he ​had ​said something unnecessary, ​Hae-min ​quickly apologized.

“Sorry. ​I ​once ​made ​a huge mistake after taking a strange drug… I was just wondering.”

“…It’s good for your health. So just drink it.”

“Alright.”

It must be some kind of herbal medicine. Moon Hae-min opened the stopper and tilted the bottle. A cloyingly sweet liquid flowed out.

“Ugh…”

It was better than something bitter, but it was so excessively sweet that it was a struggle in its own right. When he frowned mid-drink, Hee-yul urged him.

“Hurry up and drink. I told you it’s good for you.”

Gulp. Moon Hae-min swallowed the liquid in his mouth. The liquid, so sweet it felt sticky, slid down his esophagus.

Suddenly, the proverb ‘Medicine that is good for the body tastes bitter to the mouth’ came to mind. According to that proverb, this medicine would be bad for him.

‘But there’s no way Hee-yul would give me something bad.’

Believing this, Moon Hae-min finished the medicine. Since the dose wasn’t large, it didn’t take long.

“Did you finish it all?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“I said I did.”

“But why…”

Hee-yul tilted his head. A flicker of anxiety crossed his face.

Hae-min tried to ask what was wrong, but for some reason, his tongue would not move as he intended.

“…”

Hae-min stared at Hee-yul with wide eyes. He could feel his body slowly stiffening. It seemed this sudden phenomenon was not unrelated to the medicine he had just taken.

At the same time, he didn’t want to believe it. For what reason would Hee-yul feed him a harmful drug? Setting aside the bond between brothers, there was no reason for it. He and Hee-yul were essentially in the same boat.

‘But then why…’

If only he could open his mouth, he wanted to ask why Hee-yul wasn’t even surprised unauthorized copy[visit our site]stolen contentto see him frozen stiff.

“Brother, I’m sorry. I lied.”

“…”

“I’ll explain everything to you later. Then you’ll be able to understand me.”

His tone was laced with a hint of aegyo, as usual. That made Moon Hae-min even more confused. He didn’t seem to harbor any particular grudge against him, so what was the meaning of this? He couldn’t even grasp the motive.

“Just get some sleep for now. Let’s talk again after you wake up.”

Following his body, his mind also froze. He could no longer string thoughts together.

Hee-yul caught his body as it collapsed like a stiff piece of wood. Hugging Moon Hae-min, he whispered in his ear.

“Sleep tight, Brother.”

From somewhere, he could hear the sound of falling snow.

It was a very faint sound, but Moon Hae-min could hear it. Perhaps it [visit our site]would be more stolen contentaccurate to say he ‘felt’ it. Beyond the sound, the cold yet [unauthorized copy]slightly moist air was unmistakably that of a snowy day.

‘Since when has it been snowing…’

His head was hazy. Earlier, it was sleet… no, that’s not right. The sky had been full of clouds, but neither snow nor rain had fallen…

On a day when gloomy clouds covered the sky, he had tumbled down a cliff to escape a tiger. He had been so exhausted he could barely lift a finger, but it was alright. Because there was someone who would come to save him.

“…”

Consciousness slowly returned. Moon Hae-min lifted his eyelids. What he saw was a dim room.

“Huh?”

He had clearly fallen off a cliff… Hae-min muttered blankly. A dark night sky should have been stretching above him; where on earth was he?

“What are you talking about, Brother?”

A voice that sounded incredulous reached him. Hae-min turned his head toward the sound. There stood a silhouette that looked like a dark mass.

“Hee, Hee-yul?”

“Yeah. You slept well, Brother. I guess your constitution responds well to the medicine.”

“Medicine… Ah, you!”

Only then did Moon Hae-min snap back to his senses. He finally remembered what had happened before he fainted.

The medicine Hee-yul had fed him. That was the problem. His body had frozen stiff because of it.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Moon Hae-min tried to bolt upright and demand an answer. But he couldn’t. The moment he tried to lift his body, something pulled tightly at his ankle. Hae-min ended up flopping back down.

“Sha… shackles…?”

Hae-min muttered, fumbling at his ankle. He felt a cold, hard object around his right ankle. Although he couldn’t see it clearly, it was undoubtedly a shackle made of iron.

“Am I a criminal? How could you put shackles on me?”

“It’s dark. Let’s light a fire before we talk.”

Unlike Hae-min, who was trembling with panic and a sense of betrayal, Hee-yul responded leisurely. A spark flickered in the darkness. Hee-yul had struck a flint.

He lit the lantern in his hand. The light wasn’t very strong, but it was enough to recognize his surroundings.

Only then could Moon Hae-min tell exactly where he was. It seemed to be a thatched-roof house, and the room was small. He guessed the house itself was modest.

Hee-yul was standing by the door. The door was open, but it was pitch black outside. Seeing as it was so quiet he could hear the snow falling, let alone any sign of other people, it seemed to be a remote location.

“Where is this?”

“Sorry, I don’t really know either. That part isn’t a lie.”

“Do you think that makes any sense? Then how did you bring me here?”

“Hmm. It’s a bit complicated…”

Hee-yul muttered, crossing his arms.

“Well, it’s a conversation we have to have eventually anyway.”

“…”

“Let me tell you this first. Brother, I don’t want you saying unnecessary things to Grand Prince Byeokran.”

Since then, Hee-yul had been anxious that he might tell Song Seol everything. Thus, this confession itself was not surprising.

“By ‘unnecessary things,’ exactly what do you mean? Telling him that I am Moon Hae-min?”

“Everything. That you are Moon Hae-min, and the fact that our family conspired to deceive Lord Grand Prince Byeokran.”

“Does that make sense? He’ll find out eventually anyway! Besides, if you didn’t want to make a scene, you shouldn’t have kidnapped me. This is a blunder!”

“I know. As you said, the truth will be revealed eventually. But it cannot be now.”

“Why? Why not?”

Hee-yul remained silent. He looked like a rabbit with its mouth tightly shut. But Hae-min knew now. Moon Hee-yul was not a cute and fragile herbivore like a rabbit.

His half-brother was a predator with hidden claws.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that much.”

“Moon Hee-yul!”

Anger surged from the depths of his gut. Moon Hae-min shouted, but Hee-yul didn’t even bat an eye. He looked down at Hae-min as if looking at a dog on a leash.

“Are you even sorry? You said you’d explain well, and this is it? At the very least, you should tell me what you were thinking when you did this!”

Hae-min struggled violently. The iron chain connected to the shackle rattled with a sharp metallic sound. However, there was no sign of the shackles coming loose, nor did it seem like Hee-yul would give him a satisfying answer.

There was even a hint of faint contempt in Hee-yul’s gaze. Noticing this keenly, Hae-min trembled.

“Moon Hee-yul… how could you do this to me? No one else, but you—you of all people shouldn’t do this to me. To me, who went to Songdo in your stead. To me, who played the part of an Eumin, something that wasn’t even in my destiny!”

“I’ll admit to other things, but saying ‘something that wasn’t in your destiny’ is a bit much, Brother. You manifested as an Eumin, so what are you talking about now?”

I guess Brother’s destiny was just like that from the start, Hee-yul chatted cheerfully.

“If anything, haven’t I found the life that fits you perfectly? [Read on Read BL Novels]Even while unconscious, you Read on Read BL Novelswere mumbling ‘Song Seol, Song Seol’ like you were talking in your sleep. You and Lord Grand Prince Byeokran must be very close.”

“…”

For a moment, he was speechless. He had called Song Seol’s name? That’s a lie. He had recalled the moment the man saved him, but even so…

“Besides, Brother, you’re the one who shouldn’t be doing this to me.”

That comment cut his thoughts short. Moon Hae-min asked, bewildered,

“I did what?”

“It’s only natural for you to move for my sake. Isn’t raising your voice like this exactly what you shouldn’t be doing?”

“…”

He was so flabbergasted that he was left speechless. Taking advantage of that gap, Hee-yul asked.

“Brother, have you ever wondered? Why you are the older brother and I am the younger.”

“That’s because I was born first, and you were born a year later.”

It was a natural fact that required no wondering. However, Hee-yul’s voice dropped low and suggestive, as if he were about to reveal a great secret.

“Think about it. Father is a man who looks down on concubine-born sons.”

“I know that, obviously.”

In the world, there were nobles who cherished and raised their concubine-born sons as much as their legitimate ones. A concubine-born son born into such a family could receive a certain level of treatment, even if they couldn’t take the civil service examinations. It was also possible to call their father ‘Father.’

However, Lord Moon did not even permit the title of ‘Father.’ Because of that, Hae-min had to live like an illegitimate child, not even a recognized concubine-born son.