FIB Ch 15 part 3

PR by neji

MoonWon pressed her ear to Heon’s chest and smiled.

After they finished making love, MoonWon liked to listen to Heon’s heartbeat.

“Even if I didn’t get married, I wouldn’t have minded. But if I had to get married, I wanted to marry someone normal. I wanted to worry about how we’d live the next day and lead a simple life.”

As Heon lay stretched out on the bed, he opened his eyes when he heard her whisper.

“Of course, that simple life would not have been easy.”

“According to your standards, it seems that I was not a good husband.”

“It could be because I was a narrow-minded woman.”

MoonWon burrowed her face deeper against Heon’s chest. She hoped Heon could feel the sense of ease that she felt.

Although their current situation wasn’t an easy one, she did not want Heon to hesitate because of her. MoonWon wrapped her arms around Heon’s hips and whispered.

“As I traveled throughout SeoMoon and other countries, I realized that the sky remained the same. But there was only one sky in my heart.”

Although the Consort had abandoned Heon’s father and chose the Emperor, MoonWon was not going to follow in her footsteps.

“So no matter what you decide to do, I will do it with you.”

No matter what Heon decided, she’d stay by his side.

That was why Heon was going to protect her no matter what. The first and last woman to ever enter his life. He could not let JaeHoon take such a precious person.

Heon placed his chin on top of the crown of her head and closed his eyes.

* * *

Doyoon tiredly propped his chin in his hand as he sat on his throne. The heated discussion that had started in the morning was still in progress in the afternoon.

“Although SeoMoon is a great nation, it is merely a tiger that has lost its teeth. How can Ju, a great nation in its own right, be wary of SeoMoon?!”

“We must use this opportunity to curb SeoMoon’s power! We cannot stand by and watch as the foolish Crown Prince creates a ruckus without knowing his place!”

Doyoon admitted that he did not like what the Crown Prince was doing. However, he also did not like how his subordinates were eager to wage war without a second thought.

The unusually cold winter was finally coming to an end.

“Once it grows warmer, the farming season must begin. Are you saying that we must go to war with SeoMoon during this time?”

Doyoon’s words caused all the nobles’ mouths to close shut. He looked at them with a scornful gaze.

They had grown drunk from the continuous victory of war. Their minds weren’t thinking straight as they proposed to trample SeoMoon.

‘But that Crown Prince of SeoMoon is also pathetic.’

That wishy-washy fellow had begun to move dangerously once he had been seated in a position of power. How foolish could he be to wage a war in the spring? Doyoon had received the report that the Emperor had woken up, but it was said that it would be difficult for him to return to his throne.

‘I cannot sit still and merely watch things unravel.’

After having received a report that Heon and MoonWon had returned to the bamboo grove and were doing well, he had been in a good mood. However, that good mood vanished as soon as he heard that SeoMoon was behaving arrogantly. He didn’t want to rally his troops for another battle, but he could not do nothing and watch.

“Your Majesty must take in an empress and some concubines to secure this nation and…”

While he had been lost in thought, the subject of the conversation had changed. They had changed the topic from the war with SeoMoon to the future empress. He was trying to think, but all these old farts had gathered inside the royal court and were not letting him have his way.

“Just a moment ago, you were asking me to wage a reckless war against SeoMoon. Now you’re telling me to take an empress? It seems that all of you have plotted to complain to me about all sorts of things today.”

“We cannot allow the seats of the empress and consorts to remain empty!”

“I believe we all agreed to let me choose my own empress and consorts.”

“How much longer are you going to disappear and travel in secret? You must secure your throne more than ever.”

Doyoon sighed in frustration as they continued to whine. His eyes roamed around the court and landed on his guards. The moment the nobles all began to follow his gaze, Doyoon stood up.

“Let’s end things here for today.”

“Your Majesty.”

The flustered nobles tried to stop him, but Doyoon had already gotten up from his throne and was making his way outside. As soon as he entered his study, a eunuch that was waiting inside began to approach him.

“Your Majesty, the bamboo grove has sent you a gift. But…”

Doyoon narrowed his eyes. When Doyoon sat down, the eunuch brought a table holding a box. He opened the box.

“Y-Your Majesty.”

“Well, would you look at that?”

The eunuch swallowed when he saw what was inside the box. Doyoon silently stared at the box as a smile stretched across his lips. That quiet, moody guy had just done something so delightfully fun. Wasn’t this why Doyoon would always visit the bamboo grove whenever he was bored?

“Hmm.”

Inside the box, there was a sword that had been broken into two. The handle and the blade.

After clinging onto MoonWon for so long, was he now saying that he’d gotten everything he wanted? Although Doyoon was happy for him, he also felt a bit disappointed that Heon had returned to his old self.

“He’s asking if I’ll still take him even if he chooses to stop being a soldier. What a jerk.”

Heon had finally answered Doyoon’s request to come to Ju. However, the answer was one that he had not expected, and that was a problem in and of itself.

Although he was glad that Heon no longer wished to charge into danger like a moth to a flame, he had grown to be a lot more manipulative than before.

But the bigger problem was that Doyoon didn’t feel angered by all these mind games. On the contrary, he felt entertained.

“Are you saying you no longer care? What do I care? Wicked bastard.”

Doyoon muttered, but his lips were still smiling.

“Even though he doesn’t care, why do you keep holding onto the man in the bamboo grove, Your Majesty?”

When one of Doyoon’s guards saw how different Doyoon’s words were from his facial expression, he hesitantly asked. When another guard opened his mouth to scold his colleague for daring to ask such a thing to the emperor, Doyoon cut him off and answered.

Doyoon looked at the guard who asked the question. Instead of avoiding his gaze, the guard furrowed his brow.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I like looking at you.”

“Pardon?”

“The more I look at you, the more beautiful you look. I’m sure the court ladies love looking at you.”

The defiant guard quickly swallowed when the emperor called him beautiful. When the flustered guard lowered his head, Doyoon burst into laughter before turning back to the broken sword. He took the blade and brought it to the fire for a closer look.

“I know I should respect this rascal’s decision. But it seems that he has also given me an assignment.”

A warrior laying down his sword meant that he would not accept a government post in Ju. But the problem was that there was no way to know whether Heon was testing him or whether he truly felt this way.

“How should I respond to this?”

Although Heon was the most difficult man he’d ever dealt with, that made him even more entertaining. A lot of his subordinates would pass out if they knew he thought this, but Doyoon believed it would be fun if Heon became the emperor of SeoMoon.

What was the foolish Crown Prince going to do now? And what would he do in response?

Although his lips were grumbling, his eyes flashed with excitement.

* * *

One long year finally came to an end and another began.

A carriage stopped in the middle of a bustling street. Heon got out first and held out his hand. A few moments later, MoonWon grabbed it and slowly descended the carriage.

“Ah…”

No longer in the quiet silence of the bamboo grove, MoonWon’s eyes sparkled. She excitedly looked around as she tightened her hold on Heon’s hand. Heon quietly waited by MoonWon’s side until she was finished looking around.

“There are so many people. Do you think we can still go?”

“Mm, it’ll be okay as long as we go slowly.”

Every New Year, the people of SeoMoon erected a tower as they asked the heavens for protection during the new year. When MoonWon had first met JaeHoon, she had attended one of these celebrations after SoYoon begged her to go.

Because of these memories, MoonWon was a bit hesitant to go. But it was New Years, and she wanted to make a wish at the shrine.

“Husband?”

They had been walking hand-in-hand when Heon suddenly stopped. Just as MoonWon was about to ask what was wrong, a cold gust of wind blew. Even though the weather had gotten a lot warmer, it was still wintertime. When the bone-chilling gale blew through the street, everyone stopped moving due to the cold.

While everyone flinched from the wind, MoonWon was able to avoid it thanks to Heon blocking it with his body.

“Let’s go.”

After the wind passed through, Heon returned back to her side. He continued to walk in a casual manner, but MoonWon’s face had grown red and she wasn’t able to lift her head.

“Is something wrong?”

“……”

“Let’s hurry.”

Heon did not force his love upon her, and he did not have to try to show it to her.

Every moment she spent with him, he was always considerate. Whenever Heon was like this, her heart would flutter, and she fell even deeper in love.

“Let’s go.”

She wanted to show him her love as much as he showed her his. There were so many people around, so she almost bumped into the passers-by, but whenever that was about to happen, Heon would protect her. Thanks to him, they managed to reach the tower without any trouble.

There were a few people around that served as their guards, but they blended into the crowd around them.

But the most trustworthy person was by her side, so she was happy with just that.

“But can you truly be out here with me?”

“Is there a reason why I can’t?”

“No, it’s just that I didn’t want to be a bother when you were so busy.”

She had planned to come here quietly with Yeori. It wasn’t like it was a holy ceremony that required his attendance, and the last time she had seen one of these, it had been at the banquet when JaeHoon had approached her, causing Heon to misunderstand. Therefore, MoonWon was very cautious about bringing it up to Heon.

But just as she was about to leave, Heon asked if he could go with her.

“It’s New Years. It’s not a bad idea to go and make a wish together.”

There was no way he had been swept away by the excitement of the new year.

She heard that although the Emperor had recovered, he was still unable to leave his bedchamber. While the Emperor was confined in his room, JaeHoon had become the leader by proxy, and he had cut down the duke and the Consort’s authority and swallowed it as his own.

Now having gained power, instead of stabilizing the uncertainty of a sudden change in leadership, he began to oppress the Consort’s son, Heon.

“I plan on sitting back and watching things unfold for as long as I can this time.”

“Pardon?”

The bamboo grove was almost drowning in letters, and they had a lot more visitors coming and going these days.

No matter what Heon decided to do, things would never be the same. Heon didn’t know what the future held, but he didn’t care. Even if this was selfish of him, he wanted to spend more time with MoonWon in the bamboo grove.

“Let’s go.”

When she heard Heon, MoonWon smiled.

They walked through the crowd and arrived at their destination. When they finally arrived, some color returned to MoonWon’s cheeks. She looked up at Heon and gave him a smile before she began to walk towards the tower.

“I’ll be back soon.”

MoonWon walked in between the people who had come to make a wish and gathered her hands together. Heon silently watched as MoonWon began to pray.

Once MoonWon had returned to the bamboo grove, the stagnant residence had become more lively. He wasn’t sure what she was so busy doing, but thanks to her, he was able to relieve some of the burden he carried on his shoulders.

‘I love you.’

Heon liked to hear MoonWon confess her love for him. MoonWon often grew embarrassed and complained that, as a woman, she may have been perceived to lack vigilance and reservation, but whenever she confessed her love, he heard it as a declaration that she’d continue to stay by his side. So whenever he heard her say it, he liked to hear it.

He stared at MoonWon as she prayed and engraved her into his mind. Why had he only now met MoonWon? He had stubbornly hated her, and now it only left him with regret.

“Did you wait long?”

After she finished praying, she went back to Heon. Heon took her cold hands and warmed them with his own.

“What did you wish for?”

“You can’t tell other people your wish.”

MoonWon avoided his gaze as her face began to turn red. Heon found this strange. Her expression was identical to the one she had back when they had met Doyoon in Yeon.

He recalled something he had been wondering about back then.

“I just remembered a question I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Back when we were about to return to SeoMoon from Yeon, what did the Emperor of Ju whisper to you?”

Recalling the memory she had forgotten, MoonWon’s flushed face grew even redder as she gasped.

What should she say? She tried to think of a lie, but he was not someone who would be easily fooled.

But she couldn’t bring herself to tell him.

“That’s… I don’t remember!”

“Mm?”

Anyone could tell that she remembered but didn’t want to say. When MoonWon tried to avoid answering, Heon refused to let it go.

‘If it’s a child between the two of you, they will be lovely and wise. So only give him a hard time for a little while longer and hurry up and bear a child. I’ll even be the child’s godfather.’

Why was Doyoon’s request coincidentally included in her wishes? She had also wished for Heon’s health and the clan’s wellbeing. 

A child with Heon.

She had finally returned to the bamboo grove and was receiving all of Heon’s love. She couldn’t help but want more. How much happier would she be if she had a beautiful child with Heon? Although she knew it wasn’t up to her, she really wanted to bear Heon’s child.

“I don’t know! I don’t remember!”

Even if she didn’t want to hide anything from Heon, she couldn’t say it.

But her face grew flushed and warm, and she couldn’t do anything about it. When MoonWon tried to turn around, her legs became tangled up in her skirts. As she began to stumble, MoonWon grabbed onto Heon.

Her red face and startled eyes made her look like a young child who had been caught lying.

“Judging from how flustered you look, it seems that you’ve thought of something strange.”

“No! What kind of strange thought do you… No, it’s not even that strange.”

“Really? I thought I might be able to look forward to tonight.”

Completely taken by surprise, MoonWon could hardly breathe. Seeing her so bewildered, Heon burst into laughter. This was the first time she’d heard him laugh like this. Usually, the edge of his lips would merely go up into a smile.

MoonWon pouted. She had been embarrassed and her face had grown bright red, yet she still hadn’t been able to say it. However, Heon was clearly enjoying this.

“Let’s go now.”

Heon held out his hand to MoonWon. Still pouting, MoonWon grabbed his hand and glared up at him. Even though Heon had definitely grown a lot more relaxed, maybe he was too relaxed. Although she was glaring at him, he still found her so beautiful.

However, he couldn’t leave things like this. Heon approached her.

“Don’t think for a second that all that glaring is going to make me want to avoid holding your hand.”

MoonWon let out a long sigh at Heon’s threat.

She wished she could hide a little bit from Heon from time to time, but that wasn’t an easy task.

“Don’t tease me so much.”

MoonWon grabbed his hand.

MoonWon lowered her head to her chest. Suddenly, she looked up at him as if she’d remembered something.

“Did you make a wish?”

“Mm?”

When she saw that he wasn’t refusing to tell her, her eyes gleamed. She was embarrassed to tell him her wish, but she was very curious about Heon’s.

“What did you wish for?”

Heon frowned and began to ponder. He wouldn’t exactly call it a wish. It was merely a thought that popped into his head as he watched MoonWon pray in front of the tower.

However, it might be something that could hurt MoonWon’s feelings.

“I want to have a child.”

“What?”

“But not right now. After a little time has passed, I’d like one.”

MoonWon stopped walking when she heard his unexpected answer

He didn’t want a child right now.

MoonWon’s wish and Heon’s wish were completely different.

“…Why not now?”

Was it because of her background? Is that why he didn’t want a child with her?

“If you get pregnant now, it’ll be too hard on you.”

In a situation where they didn’t know what JaeHoon’s next move would be, each passing day was like a thorny path. Just getting through the day was difficult enough, but how much more difficult would it be if MoonWon was with child? He felt sorry for saying this, but Heon did not have the strength to watch her suffer.

He wanted to have a child once all of this had passed and they finally found some peace.

“I… If I’m with you, I won’t suffer, Husband.”

If it was Heon, he’d treasure the child more than anyone.

If she could stay by Heon’s side, she would be able to overcome any obstacle that came their way.

“Ah! It’s snowing.”

White fluffs of snow fell down like flower petals.

MoonWon opened her hand, and a snowflake fell onto her palm. MoonWon excitedly watched as it melted.

Even if the whole world went against Heon, MoonWon would stay by his side. She was the first and possibly the last woman in his life. Heon placed a kiss on her forehead.