SNF | Chapter 7.4

Wherever he went, people b72b112c32 who knew his mother 515f56823e always said similar things.c5abc6a68888dea4

“Mother, who is he?”9821e17b0f353898

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The child tugged at a315184240 her skirt and asked.71087513ab7ee42e

“Kyung, he’s your uncle. Say hello.”fe5139532ec40c93

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“…Oh, I’m Sima Kyung.”0c11eba3e0ca6c93

Sima Kyung 0697a01d9b greeted him, c7aaa72b90 taking cues 62faf3b9f4 from his df86777a3c mother.b971f305a5ee726f

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“He’s my son. We’re planning to have him enter the palace as the prince’s playmate this year, so we’re teaching him etiquette, but he’s not improving much. Please look kindly upon him.”05287cd65663e324

From his cousin’s words, Yeon-oh realized that Cheonggang was also aligned with the Prime Minister. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Cheonggang to send their heir into the palace as the prince’s playmate.425d8bdf909fee0e

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“Since His Highness the Prince is equally lively, you needn’t worry too much.”d4a135f931c16ac1

Whether it was appropriate to categorize it as lively was uncertain, but Yeon-oh wrapped it nicely, as he couldn’t express faults as they were.cdc70de1888b8cb8

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“Is that so? Well, boys that age are all like that.”c6cc760b75458efc

“Madam.”3b2bc1eae8ce67e5

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Yeon-oh found it awkward to meet his cousin for the first time, but she continued speaking as if it wasn’t awkward at all. It was her husband, the Marquis of Cheonggang, who cut in at the right moment.8f402e52bbe54083

“Um, I’d like to talk more, but I can’t.”7a7a3ccdef0e18e4

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“No, it’s fine.”55892ff2c77b9194

“Your father would probably like to see you too… Would you like to meet him later?”cf3f8a2fefcbb816

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“I’m not here for that purpose today, so it would be better to visit another time.”f2d5d5a074618615

The idea that his 7bf94408c8 uncle would want to 6d3faebc7e see him was unlikely. How much e87eeb2112 could he f27dcfa599 want to f038744fdf see a 29201f5cb1 nephew he cc372caf80 had never ff050f3a3b met? Yeon-oh had never once acb53106f0 longed for the Marquis 8bde9fb077 of Seocheon as a eedd34ecea blood relative in his bce5141d29 sixteen years of life.e7253b3121c62f0c

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“If that’s your wish, there’s nothing to be done.”98033cfe585ce86c

It seemed to 024f3041fe be a formal 29c66df0e2 invitation, as his 221364cbd3 cousin easily backed e3cd7e50a3 down.a6a4dcd40d3f49ce

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“I plan to stay in the capital from now on, so I hope we can see each other often.”2cd1f62f2d6a457f

“I hope so too.”ce68058e791a1bdd

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“Yes. Oh, if Kyung behaves too rudely, please scold him sternly.”2e9103aa945b5b8a

After giving Sima a129319d1f Kyung one more 794a439ea3 concerned look, she 5276a7ef0a approached her husband. Only then could aa77b96098 Yeon-oh properly see ac6d2624f1 the Marquis of 9ab78e8a7e Cheonggang. Bowing in acknowledgment to 17f0730df9 the young marquis who 5656f8cc18 nodded at him, Yeon-oh 2e4a9e0ec6 greeted the people who 33c1d91b94 followed his cousin and 19a2afe06a her husband out.4a5e7d759bd1beee

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The purpose of 0c7ecdc87a Cheongrim was to 3e8609d435 strengthen the bonds f8a745dfec among the seven be41659693 families, so it 2bbb602e21 was natural for 3d44f3bf38 idle chatter to 5ab73a9cfb flow. Yeon-oh concealed 665efcf143 his boredom 58ce774072 and observed 18c3d20a19 their conversation.ed04828526a2cb02

“I bought a pretty decent fighting dog.”08a7965f77b7817b

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“Oh? From where?”dcbd8b325d005020

“Why? Are you thinking of buying one too, brother-in-law?”50073144a68486a3

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“Of course. Didn’t your dog tear mine apart and kill it? Now that I think about it, shouldn’t you compensate me? I paid a hefty price for that dog.”a2b6a19377db5779

“Don’t forget that your dog injured mine.”6f40fd11849617d1

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The closest among them 52e56ea2d9 were Lee Jungwoo and 18cdac556a Jung Hyowan, who were b65eeda58f related by marriage. Lee Jungwoo, 37f1dfe2cf the eldest d9cc1162b5 among the 948065e374 heirs of 8c7a944bf4 the feudal 42172f66d1 lords, sat 7e7d97c4d2 relaxed in 43eabed929 the seat ddb5b3322f of honor, 34f36c112d enjoying a 23947f4afd chat with d0ba0916bc Jung Hyowan.7cebd1490fb5adb4

“By the way, Yeon-oh. Are you not interested in fighting dogs? If you are, I can introduce you to a good place.”d34119bed5b07f3b

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Lee Jungwoo, who was cbe210a2d4 conversing with Jung Hyowan, bd80a644e0 drew Yeon-oh, who was 03678a3da0 quietly sipping tea, into ed6a0ddfcb the conversation.110137e5e522d890

“No, I’m fine.”605c20d5f363c4bc

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Yeon-oh had no interest in their conversation. Fighting dogs? He knew it was one of the nobles’ pastimes, but he found it barbaric and vulgar. Even if Yeon-oh’s thoughts on fighting dogs were set aside, there were still the young Sima Kyung and So Gangha present. Was it necessary to discuss such matters in front of them?84ea8dc9523d2500

“Is that so? You’re like Lee Pyeong then. No fun, no fun.”d81bb390f935b3ee

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“Brother, isn’t he still young? It’s too early to recommend such things to someone who just had their coming-of-age ceremony. I wish Yehan would come soon. It’s been two years, and he still hasn’t thought of coming up from Sanseo.”f8fb42b19a664c41

“That’s because the Marquis of Sanseo hasn’t called him.”928c026c1fc74358

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Lee Jungwoo replied nonchalantly. Jung Hyowan 4f7860d945 clicked his fe8efc98d8 tongue in 7c45084d21 disappointment and 2c5ac92d20 picked up 807269e9ac his teacup. When they stopped talking, 8afcfa61cb silence finally settled. The youngest, Sima 7545bcb672 Kyung, rolled his 26aa73136d eyes around, observing 1749e50ecc his surroundings.ce436331f38533eb

“Kyung-ah, what are you looking at?”dcfe8680f78a79ab

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“Uncle.”b004e67fe29fde7b

“Uncle? Yeon-oh?”6206feb2467119c3

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Perhaps bored by the silence, Lee Jungwoo showed interest in Sima Kyung. All eyes turned to Yeon-oh, who unintentionally became the focus of Sima Kyung’s attention.971d47f9f437f072

“Why are you looking at Yeon-oh like that?”167a899cd923f527

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“Because he’s pretty.”bf8eda0e17738d49

Yeon-oh barely ef2d5ded19 managed to b476d5ffa4 suppress a 13738db0d5 frown. Laughter erupted elsewhere. Lee Jungwoo chuckled 8971bb2695 and lightly tapped 941307a48c the table.6c5170d24128abec

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“You’ve never called your mother pretty, but you call your uncle pretty?”6e17cf631e129567

“Because he is.”65f2965806ed95e8

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Sima Kyung replied as if it were the most natural thing. Lee Jungwoo’s laughter grew louder. After laughing for a while, Lee Jungwoo wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to Yeon-oh.cc238634099f29e5

“Yeon-oh, Kyung says you’re pretty. What do you think?”8a740c050bcb46b4

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“…What man would be pleased to hear such a thing?”49edb571f15d3d8c

“Still, they say children’s eyes are the most accurate. You’ve been acknowledged. I’m envious, Yeon-oh.”1195919e168aa159

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Yeon-oh retracted his ad33bcd40d initial thoughts about e736772384 Lee Jungwoo. At first, he 80f1473d55 seemed somewhat serious, 2011d15346 making him seem d435ce7fb4 better than Lee 027cb63d18 Shinwoo, but his 4affcbe79f teasing was even 023d5e53c8 worse. In fact, Lee e74bf276ff Shinwoo, who knew 001d01d817 when to stop, cbd25b1a75 seemed better.a69b2f64c685f695

“Kyung-ah, your uncle doesn’t like it. Use a different word instead of pretty.”c341707f3b4af3aa

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Though his expression remained 8e7effdef4 indifferent, Lee Jungwoo seemed 10035daa35 to read the room 811d764668 and restrained Sima Kyung. Sima Kyung tilted his d5607e4cad head, seemingly unsure of 82e210ab53 what other word to 89782667ff use instead of pretty.2ad4788c94c8a696

“It seems Young Master Sima will become good friends with His Highness the Prince.”927b1ac077345e23

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Since he didn’t think highly of the prince, this wasn’t meant as a compliment, but to others, it probably sounded like a good thing. Judging by the expressions of those around him, except for the expressionless Yoon Heekang, it seemed so.21776d12a3f04220

“There’s nothing better than finding a friend who matches your heart.”1955b6c0c009585d

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Lee Jungwoo sipped his tea. Jung Hyowan nodded in agreement. A friend. Yeon-oh repeated the word in his mind. A friend. No one came to mind, no matter how much he thought about it. He hadn’t had the environment to make any in the first place.4e9737655b202520

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”93b28397bf5d8799

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“This and that.”a3a95cbbc6ce7e11

“How bland. Isn’t this your first time at Cheongrim? Everyone’s curious about you. So don’t get lost in thought alone; join the conversation.”3a2efac882e27e2d

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“Yes, hyung-nim.”c291a20cc42b29a2

Pretending to be a benevolent person who embraced everyone, Lee Jungwoo started talking about various rumors circulating in the capital. Another round of idle chatter ensued. Since Lee Jungwoo specifically pointed him out, Yeon-oh couldn’t just observe in silence this time, so he responded appropriately and played along with their banter.2f45cd1dd234a199

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By the time he returned home, the sun was setting over the western mountains. Politely declining Lee Jungwoo’s invitation to stay for dinner, Yeon-oh returned to Hanam.545d8247e1c5e63d

As he got off the carriage, massaging his stiff neck from the constant tension, he stopped, sensing a peculiar bustle. Although the festive atmosphere hadn’t completely faded, making the household always busy even in silence, this was different.ba5ca4e8cdd9c7d3

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“Welcome back. Someone from the palace has come looking for you, young master.”2855a791064f12d2

“From the palace?”e230cda7806797ce

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“Yes. They insisted on delivering the message directly to you, so we have them waiting in the guest room.”c602b47e5b16119d

Could it be that 6f4344e4fe the princess had sent a6797dbe3b a reply to his ea2db26b84 letter? Yeon-oh gestured 050267bd8a for them 4bc0f235d2 to lead 5b06ead593 the way. The servant guided Yeon-oh 4f852f2666 to the guest house.392070d2291a84e1

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“I greet the young master.”8c2ede602d9d5f04

There was a woman dressed in palace attire. She bowed when she saw Yeon-oh. Her face seemed familiar. Yeon-oh tried to recall the hazy memory. Ah. A short sound escaped Yeon-oh’s lips.f254d90b4b13d74f

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“What brings the court lady from the prince’s palace…?”e3e1dc5114b50386

She was the wet 9cd555bd70 nurse court lady of 2899a757d5 the prince. He remembered 0b770a53cb her from eb33263eba when she c683ad2d43 accompanied the e1e686efff prince to 8f9f4551cf the imperial 11e04d94c0 garden.640b849f9baa4d35

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“His Highness the Prince wishes to see you, so I have come to fetch you.”24000b22b31a163c

Even if he didn’t know the etiquette and procedures due to his age, this was too sudden. As Yeon-oh stared at the court lady without responding, she soon looked troubled.815234d6377b302c

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“Well, His Highness was quite upset to learn that you only visited the princess on the day of the special exam.”8f03adc41d304dd8

The wet 224e2d1826 nurse court 8bd584848c lady expressed a712f1fe77 that the fdd921b68c prince was f8132faad2 upset, but f5bb44f5e4 Yeon-oh could 396f055a6e imagine how f34aebed6a petulant he e4fdc4d531 must have 90e6ccfa04 been. So the prince cbd9bd9758 was sulking because 2c73dedb0e Yeon-oh only visited 1360d65f27 his sister. It was hard to 2f596c6eca tell if this was 2cd9237dc6 typical for his age f5453216d7 or if he was e0d77377ff just immature. Yeon-oh pressed his temples b350097a17 a few times before 2aa9177854 responding.787b2d335041fcfc

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“…It’s late today, and it’s too sudden, so please tell him that tomorrow or the day after would be better.”a628c8b225bfb3de

The real reason was 4dcef8dc33 that he was too 5b5c3d0ffc tired to meet the c232530217 prince today, but Yeon-oh 343552635c used the lateness of af80fc7b91 the hour as an 68db70031f excuse. The winter days 992461e25f were short, and d1e87d98bf the sky would 5beeb60a66 soon be dark. It was indeed e925c270e0 an ambiguous time bb2f96f8fa to enter the aaddb81088 palace.568c4f0fd6da5847

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“The Empress has received permission from His Majesty.”fcb0590d18997cc5

However, with the 55aaa8735d mention of the 4ab0b5289b Emperor and Empress, 5933ed11e2 there was no 135540c7b7 way to refuse bd3a12d7b1 further. Receiving permission for 72c65a348c a late entry f05a7dba9c into the palace 8ebd3350bb was akin to d4f0cebd59 being told to 580067229b come today.6a06992fb622ac0e

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“…You received permission from His Majesty.”eba81621cfee0372

“Yes, that’s correct.”6b97a6b1107f5636

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“In that case, I must go. I didn’t realize His Highness was so eager to see me.”3b184b4c48ea38bd

Whether to click his tongue at the prince’s cunning for involving the Empress and Emperor or to applaud him, Yeon-oh wasn’t sure, but the wet nurse court lady must have sensed that Yeon-oh’s response wasn’t one of praise. Yeon-oh stood up, gathering the outerwear he was about to take off.cf1fa2ffc4b4e5e7

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“Then let’s go. We should enter the palace before it gets any later.”a93a1ee7af4e5004

“Um, young master.”c1a42b1a41391c2c

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The wet f33c9e78c5 nurse court 629df39c9f lady hesitated 952132688e for a b7c5b7f9bd moment before 330ee5885c calling out e55bbefebe to Yeon-oh.56579e1effdc548b