34 – VCR

After hearing Joo Min-hyeok’s words, I stared at him blankly. For a very brief moment, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. But a moment later, I realized I had made a huge mistake unconsciously. A memory that only I possessed had manifested in my behavior without me realizing it.

I had read the events of the place I currently live in as a novel, so I know who Han Hee-sung is—including parts of the future that the current Joo Min-hyeok does not.

Han Hee-sung is Joo Min-hyeok’s Omega, the Movie Palace, and the next Empress. In the novel, Han Hee-sung and his family were staunch imperialists, serving as a reliable pillar of support and strength for Joo Min-hyeok. It was only natural and an expected sequence of events for the two of them to fall in love. And that is the extent of the relationship between the Movie Palace Han Hee-sung and Joo Min-hyeok that I know.

In this world, too, I had an encounter with Han Hee-sung without Joo Min-hyeok’s knowledge. Of course, it wasn’t intentional. Han Hee-sung recognized me first, and we shared a buy-one-get-one-free ice cream. And the person who hugged me while covered in blood was also Han Hee-sung. Although, I only found out later that the person I ate ice cream with was Han Hee-sung.

After that, I witnessed him having a conversation with Joo Min-hyeok in front of the palace pond, but Joo Min-hyeok doesn’t know that I saw them that day. It was an unexpected encounter because of a sudden appearance, but regardless, that is how I met Han Hee-sung.

For now, that is all I know about Han Hee-sung. Joo Min-hyeok doesn’t know that I knew Han Hee-sung before the incident where a blood-stained Han Hee-sung attacked me. So, things must seem strange to him right now. Specifically, what’s strange is…

“Why are you accepting the existence of someone like Han Hee-sung so naturally? Usually, if a stranger attacks you on the street, aren’t you curious about who that crazy bastard is? But our Grand Imperial Concubine is far too indifferent. To a strange degree. That’s what I’m curious about.”

See, something like this. With Joo Min-hyeok’s personality, this is exactly what he’d be curious about. I had forgotten that I must act on the premise that I ‘do not know’ Han Hee-sung. I should have pretended not to know, but I didn’t even register it. Since I already knew Han Hee-sung, I had nothing to be curious about. If anything, it was: Why on earth is Han Hee-sung, Joo Min-hyeok’s Omega, doing this to me? That was the extent of it. Thus, I made a huge mistake.

“…You mentioned it when you called, Your Majesty. That his name was Han Hee-sung… So I knew it was him.”

As if he had expected my answer, Joo Min-hyeok smiled brightly. Ugh, I hate seeing that.

“Right. I mentioned the name. But I only mentioned the name. I didn’t say who he is or what our relationship is. So why aren’t you asking anything?”

…Because I already know, so I’m not asking. I really have nothing to say. I just wanted to avoid Joo Min-hyeok’s eyes. But this fox probably knows exactly what I’m thinking.

“Maybe… because I’m not curious?”

“Really? Is that how people usually are? As I said before, he’s a human who molested your body like a madman. I know that crazy bastard, so how can you not be curious? If it were me, I’d be curious.”

True. It’s normal to be curious. If I didn’t know who Han Hee-sung was, I would have made a fuss, asking who he is and why he’s doing this to me, and if His Majesty knew about it. Yes, that reaction is the normal one. Should I just tell him I saw the two of them at the pond? But honestly, it hurts my pride too much to say I saw the two of them being affectionate. Should I leave that part out and only mention meeting him outside?

“Look at this. You’re overthinking again. I was puzzled. Han Hee-sung clung to you like that, so why did you just let it slide? Isn’t that too strange? You’re not someone who likes physical touch that much. No, well, even someone who likes skinship would hate it when a stranger clings to them.”

…He’s asking because he already knows. He knows everything. It was clear that Joo Min-hyeok knew something right now. At the very least, he had definitely noticed that I knew Han Hee-sung.

“Actually, I’ve been curious every day since that day. It was a question for me.”

“That day?”

“Yes. The day Han Hee-sung asked me to give him you. The day that lunatic dared to utter such insolent words. I wondered where this madman saw Cha Hae-joo to act like this. Where did he see you to be so obsessed?”

…Huh? What is he talking about? This is the first time I’ve heard this. Han Hee-sung asked Joo Min-hyeok to give him me? My god, he really is out of his mind. While my pupils shook in surprise, Joo Min-hyeok shook his head as if the mere thought was absurd, his eyes gleaming.

“Shall I tell you instead? From the conversation I heard over the phone, it clearly sounded like the two of you knew each other. Especially on Han Hee-sung’s end. I wondered how he knew you, and I never imagined such a cute encounter had taken place. When did you two eat ice cream?”

At his last words, I swallowed hard, unable to hide my tension. This was because Joo Min-hyeok, who had been smiling brightly with a chilling voice, had a change in his gaze at the mention of the ice cream. Joo Min-hyeok has truly lost it. He heard me say that in such a small voice? Really? If I say the wrong thing here, I’m truly doomed. I decided to be honest and confess everything to Joo Min-hyeok.

“We did eat ice cream, but I didn’t know who he was at the time. He asked if it was tasty, so I gave him the one that was left.”

“Where?”

“…I was sitting at a newly opened convenience store near Cheonggyecheon…”

“He went all the way there?”

At the mention of Cheonggyecheon, Joo Min-hyeok sat up slightly, his voice growing louder. What… it’s not even that far. It’s right in front of the palace once you step out. Well, not right in front, but…

“He seemed to know me. I think he recognized my face.”

At my words, the excited Joo Min-hyeok shut his mouth. Judging by the way his eyes were rolling, he seemed to have an idea of how the other man knew my face. If there had been conversations between the two of them, there was no way Han Hee-sung’s family wouldn’t know my face.

“…Did he say he’d seen you before?”

“Yes. I think he saw me walking around the streets first. Since he said he thought he’d seen wrong at the time. Anyway, Han Hee-sung knew me, and I didn’t know him.”

Having calmed down somewhat, Joo Min-hyeok nodded and muttered to himself, “So he saw you there?” But thinking about it carefully, this was definitely a situation that made me angry too.

Since the current situation has diverged from the flow of the novel, I don’t know exactly what will happen in the future, but regardless, I’m in a situation where I have to hand over my husband to another Omega with my eyes wide open. Joo Min-hyeok meets Han Hee-sung and even his father in the palace behind my back, and yet he’s the one interrogating me?

Who is the one who should actually be scolded here? No matter how much this is a world based on a novel, the idea of two Omegas for one Alpha doesn’t sit right with my sensibilities. Suddenly, a streak of pettiness that didn’t fit my personality welled up.

“Actually, I did see Han Hee-sung one more time after the ice cream. I didn’t know who it was when we ate ice cream because his face was completely covered, but when he attacked me, I realized it was the person I’d seen then.”

“…What do you mean? Where did you see Han Hee-sung?”

Joo Min-hyeok, who had been thinking about something with his hand on his chin, straightened up with a puzzled look. I looked directly into Joo Min-hyeok’s eyes and answered the question clearly.

“In front of the rear garden pond. When he was with Your Majesty.”

“Ah…”

Joo Min-hyeok’s expression right now was quite a sight. He’s flustered. Is he surprised that I saw them, even though they met so boldly in the palace? I didn’t let on that I knew what the purpose of that meeting was. It upset me that they met secretly for their future, yet he was giving me a hard time over a single ice cream.

“That was nothing. Not just nothing, but a day I don’t even want to remember. It’s unpleasant to even recall. It was a day I wanted to rip his mouth open because Han Hee-sung kept talking nonsense about wanting the Grand Imperial Concubine.”

Huh? So that’s what happened that day? He asked the Emperor to give him the Emperor’s concubine? That’s strange. I remember the atmosphere being quite good back then. And there was nothing special enough between Han Hee-sung and me for him to demand me. I’ll have to ask Han Hee-sung directly. Why on earth is he doing this to me?

“But why didn’t you tell me? That you saw me with Han Hee-sung?”

“How was I supposed to bring that up?”

Of course, I was upset, but I had no choice but to let it go, thinking it was inevitable. I wasn’t in a position to take any action. But then, Joo Min-hyeok suddenly hugged me tightly.

“Cha Hae-joo. We are different now than before. We aren’t just in a relationship where we exchange polite greetings. We are a real married couple now. The two of us are the closest people in the world. So, there should be nothing you hide from me anymore. You must trust me the most. Understand?”

Caught so suddenly in his arms, I was flustered and stayed quietly embraced. There was something a bit strange about his abrupt speech, but it wasn’t the kind of atmosphere where I could question him meticulously.

Not that we shouldn’t hide things from ‘each other,’ but from ‘me’? Shouldn’t he have said that ‘he wouldn’t hide anything either’? Does that mean only I shouldn’t hide things from Joo Min-hyeok? It could be something to just let slide, but for some reason, this part bothered me.

“You must not forget that I am the person you can trust the most. No matter what I do or what happens, it is all for you and for us. Just trust me, and from now on, don’t hide anything and tell me everything.”

They were mysterious words, but I thought he was just emphasizing them for the sake of our relationship. So, I obediently nodded.