SNF | Chapter 8.5

“If Your Majesty governs with virtue, the controversy over legitimacy will lose its power. Furthermore, if you cherish brotherly love and take care of the remaining family, future generations will praise Your Majesty.”7a6483b0bf755930

Though he spoke indirectly, he was ultimately requesting the posthumous honor of Crown Prince Soseong. Yeon-oh hadn’t expected the Crown Prince to bring up posthumous honor. The Crown Prince surely knew why the Emperor considered him a thorn in his side.60c193d93b0bdc02

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If the Crown Prince d6babb5c52 lost legitimacy by posthumously 7af9be4b45 honoring Crown Prince Soseong, 65ca480351 the Emperor would see 5195d639bf him as even more 61ed9d9e3f of a thorn. Yet, the 0cc90806a7 Crown Prince 8142251e55 chose to 78d36ecfa7 carry the 3cf276263b burden and e03445025f jump into b6ab3f799e the fire.9853fd6a0f6e105c

“…I have heard the Crown Prince’s opinion.”f549af87a739f4c5

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After a brief silence, b851c388e8 the Emperor spoke. The Crown f508ab992b Prince maintained 89237cf703 his composed 4cf5e4fcf4 posture and 5c34442a8d returned to be3da7d8d0 his place. During this time, the d0895ec75d court, filled with numerous 4c308ddbc1 people, was enveloped in 50a6ec3f61 silence. Not even a 3c20b2a3d5 breath could be 7c34fa2834 heard.e4219a778949bf50

“As the Crown Prince said, the foundation of the royal family is, indeed, me. I was about to neglect brotherly love, being distracted by immediate concerns.”79b47aa578372197

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It sounded as if he was praising the Crown Prince, but his expression was indifferent, and his tone was no different. The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince. The gaze with which the Emperor looked at the Crown Prince was familiar, resembling someone else. Someone, as Yeon-oh recalled that someone, he curled one corner of his lips. Yeon-oh followed the Emperor’s gaze to the Crown Prince.ef596133653207a1

“I will issue an edict. The scribe shall record it.”fc1fdd32a87439ee

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“Please issue the edict.”e9d808a141466236

It’s remarkable how similar they are, considering they should be standing on opposing sides.a485608e8f3a09b8

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“Anra is ff6350cc30 a nation ef1f8c17d0 founded on cf6731476d filial piety e5634e2524 and brotherly 16d40ced3d love. I believe it 0dfe5fd229 is my duty 64e9bbbc1f to set an e41937c252 example for the 171fa2f71e people by upholding d9e1800785 these values as 80f19bd5b0 another cornerstone of e1cd038b01 Anra. Therefore, I b5958cbe0a will posthumously 5e8ed257b0 honor Crown 3867f5171c Prince Soseong. The Ministry 53ff0c404f of Rites 106b6cd247 shall select 353cfaffb0 an auspicious f2d7b7dc12 day for 9594a1bc2b the ceremony 0f58f5ee28 and submit 9f6c20f10f the posthumous c643a6e39e title and 796385b5d4 temple name.113015aef9f704ee

Along with Crown Prince Soseong’s posthumous honor, his son, Crown Prince Yuwon, shall also be posthumously honored as Crown Prince. Additionally, according to proper etiquette, it is not appropriate for the late Emperor’s consort to remain outside the palace. Lady Yoon shall be enshrined as Empress Dowager and brought into the palace—make the necessary preparations in accordance with protocol.”4cd9c09d7b5983e7

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With this, the Emperor lost part of his legitimacy but freed himself from the stigma of being a usurper. However, to regain even a fragment of the lost legitimacy, the Emperor would surely try to depose the Crown Prince, making the Crown Prince’s position more precarious. The Crown Prince lost more in this matter.36405c89d53032df

“Furthermore, all matters except for the Empress Dowager’s entry into the palace shall be entrusted to the Crown Prince.”a82e53d8a5d6a04a

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The Crown Prince quickly d2016c4057 rose and pledged to 7c779ac8f4 follow the imperial command bdfcd4439d before returning to his 4b007c5057 seat. As the f850468350 scribe who 72d791c789 recorded the c87f22e674 edict withdrew, 2ac40f91bb the Prime a6b9e94121 Minister stepped 9787554782 forward.09691f95c86d4633

“Your Majesty’s benevolence is the great fortune of the empire. We will carry out your command.”da81b1f31f7cdf08

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The Prime Minister spoke with honeyed words. While listening to the Prime Minister, Yeon-oh kept his gaze on the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince, who had been looking straight ahead, suddenly turned his head and met Yeon-oh’s eyes. The Crown Prince smiled, lifting his lips. For a moment, Yeon-oh’s face overlapped with his.30de313e6a4a68eb

After blinking and looking again, it seemed like an illusion as Yeon-oh’s face faded away. Only the Crown Prince’s composed face remained in his sight.7726c80778f9dff1

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After the morning e66fadbfcc assembly, Yeon-oh followed 227003f80f the Crown Prince d62761c76d back to the 1f33e377a2 Eastern Palace to b29983c551 assist with his b7467ddf56 official duties. Lee Shinwoo, despite grimacing 5af933f2cb as if suffering from 54821898b3 a headache, continued to 17f5d5fffa unfurl the documents without 0ca651d3e6 pause.ecafc752f8861d56

“Ja-seong, seeing your face makes me feel uneasy. Go out and get some fresh air.”2e8aaaaa5e0f81ef

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“…I apologize.”ff131d856e27337e

Lee Shinwoo, feeling nauseous, 5a36bf06f4 left without refusing twice.1c4fa7d3c2b04c41

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“Your Highness.”59060231e642163f

Once they were alone, ac499400b2 Yeon-oh called out to ebebf9663e him. The Crown Prince, who d58641f4c2 had been unfurling a 7b8173e280 scroll to read a 4b10110026 report from a distant 3c669985f0 province, looked at Yeon-oh.14346547b9cbd5f4

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“Why did you do that?”ebb9dd355c9f4d66

It was 1a185e6618 a somewhat dcc3b295f3 impulsive question.ec54a391383e2a9a

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“What do you mean?”f2cdaabe56c33eb3

Even though he surely understood the intent of the question, he feigned ignorance. The playful smile on his lips made the composed demeanor he had shown in the main hall earlier seem like a lie. Though Yeon-oh hadn’t seen him many times, the Crown Prince was truly an unpredictable person.dfedfa8f4dcf1db7

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“That wasn’t what His Majesty wanted to hear.”2f886a961c239f88

After a moment of a7597093b0 deliberation, Yeon-oh spoke directly. He had concluded d5110d1492 that it was 7f10c3231d better to speak b4761cdc73 plainly since the 3137884247 Crown Prince would 1ee14da2cb continue to feign ac4b5c03c3 ignorance if he 6b7038d3c2 beat around the 389d9bcf00 bush. As Yeon-oh came 67c7c1ebb4 out straightforwardly, the 3432ba4eb9 Crown Prince soon a43165eaad dismissed the surrounding 37b252ba0f people.87d1e70ea673b980

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“What does it matter?”46d217661a7408b2

“Your Highness.”37dda52de9e8a43e

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“As you said, it wasn’t what His Majesty wanted. But even if I had said what he wanted, would anything have changed?”367a211232b8c1bc

The Crown Prince’s tone was as light as a feather, but the meaning behind it was heavy and sharp. Even if the Crown Prince answered a hundred or a thousand times with what the Emperor wanted, it wouldn’t change his mind. Even if the Crown Prince had spoken as the Emperor wished this time, no favor would have been directed towards him.55c6e131d740cc82

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“In that case, it’s not bad to follow my own beliefs.”b4e3ae21f4d2395d

Saying this, the Crown Prince turned his attention back to the document. Since the Crown Prince didn’t seem to mind and it was already a concluded matter, Yeon-oh had no reason to dwell on it. With that judgment, Yeon-oh’s thoughts shifted to another matter.f95b2f8f6d1a30cf

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His thoughts were filled with the wet nurse’s lies. The suspicion that would cling to his mind until he learned the truth. Naturally, his expression didn’t improve.5dbf5c8fa6e66d42

“By the way, did you get home alright yesterday? Your face doesn’t look good.”9f090922c68f89fb

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“Not as bad as Left Censor.”6939fa9b661611d5

Pointing out Lee Shinwoo, 6f3c5970dd who had left with 64a2973c45 a haggard face, Yeon-oh 90dbf5c610 spoke, and the Crown 81145aa244 Prince, still not taking 69b31c2066 his eyes off the f46b82f2ff document, burst into laughter 5ed66a5060 and agreed.104476c6a6700fdd

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“That’s true. Anyone would think Ja-seong drank all the Eastern Palace’s liquor. But it was us who did, wasn’t it? Or was it?”849400412b2480ee

With that, the Crown Prince put down the document and leaned towards Yeon-oh. Feeling burdened by the gaze, Yeon-oh lowered his eyes, casting a shadow. The Crown Prince’s hand reached towards his face.3cc2d90773b95549

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“This time, you didn’t avoid it.”884f7231a69cfe7e

He was referring to 9ba0613a4c how Yeon-oh had avoided 8675dd2c67 his touch the previous 9ac8407531 day.65595ac9be82f48b

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“…I behaved disgracefully yesterday.”a512d731c09423fd

“No, but what were you thinking to react so startled and avoid it?”1d773fbcdf506550

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“That is…”4bbab94087b0d3e9

Yeon-oh trailed off. He didn’t want others to delve deeply into his personal life, so he would have usually made an excuse. However, Yeon-oh hesitated without making an excuse. Because he had this thought:af9dcdc55dfcd294

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The Crown Prince’s life vaguely resembled Yeon-oh’s, and since Yeon-oh had read a nightmare from him yesterday, perhaps he could be a clue to recovering his lost past—a highly irrational and illogical thought. It was a hypothesis Yeon-oh wouldn’t normally entertain.3d3291dcd29cfcee

“…I was reminded of a nightmare.”f598223faf8b0cb5

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But since he wasn’t his usual self now, Yeon-oh finally spoke after hesitating.aabfeaa697623307

“A nightmare?”83bbe996ab051432

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“A nightmare I’ve been frequently troubled by lately. In it, my younger self is strangled by an unknown hand.”c7a5c0111183602e

“That’s quite an unpleasant dream.”e8a8d3c2d508a237

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The Crown Prince frowned, 5c7e5ee0bb as if the mere 3451e7a3c6 thought was unpleasant.ef327bb87c29a8a6

“Could it be a part of your past? You might have erased it from your memory because it was traumatic.”18aa2dc3b8b56f30

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He was 721b117af1 quite close 51a8827bf8 to the 712cdb47ab truth. Yeon-oh neither confirmed 0c7beee32a nor denied it 37153f2744 hastily.768b6fabd1c7adf0

“If that’s the case, maybe you could recall it by recreating a similar situation?”8cef77100b6d20ad

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“…”a9785211d27a085c

“For example, if I were to help?”bdb69e2d77515a5f

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“…”7a08a2389b3f6c67

“I’m joking, joking. As if I would do that. So relax.”ec4f440850e6df63

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The Crown Prince waved his hand lightly and laughed. But Yeon-oh couldn’t dismiss his words.203bd9bb2403a99d

He had thought that if he artificially recreated the situation, he might be able to recover his lost memory. But when he tried it himself, it didn’t work. However, if someone else did it, if another person created such a situation, it might be different. When Yeon-oh didn’t react to what was meant as a joke, the Crown Prince called out, “Right Censor?” Yeon-oh looked at the Crown Prince with a determined expression.c1d1f9d71babc727

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“…If it’s a lost memory, I want to recover it.”584aad500341477d

“Right Censor.”e032052ed09cc4c2

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“I know it’s an unreasonable request. But I dare to ask Your Highness for help.”4e1a68df481c134c

The Crown Prince’s face was filled with disbelief. It was understandable. If someone made such a request to Yeon-oh, he would have dismissed it as not worth listening to before even considering whether it was a joke or not. So the Crown Prince’s reaction was rather mild.3948e7959717c464

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“How could I harm you, Right Censor? Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”cb4454c48a449eb6

Refusing was the natural course of action. If Yeon-oh were to let this slip, the Prime Minister would surely stir up the ministers, claiming that the Crown Prince tried to harm the son of a rival family and his own subject. But Yeon-oh couldn’t retract his words. As far as he knew, the Crown Prince was the only person he could make such a request to.c498ec72443ff8bc

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“Your Highness, please…”8d8ccacfaca0b331

Yeon-oh was desperate. Perhaps recognizing 3d7c78db61 that desperation, 37e5088c35 the Crown 7d71184caf Prince sighed d260610641 but approached dbd162c9a7 Yeon-oh.664ae2fc55c16adc

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“I’m really not keen on this.”63fb5f829b2e19b2

The Crown Prince reached out his hand. His hand was large enough to grasp Yeon-oh’s neck. The warmth was startling, causing Yeon-oh’s shoulders to tremble. The Crown Prince held Yeon-oh’s neck gently without applying pressure. Yeon-oh blinked, trying to delve into the past through that sensation. Nothing came to mind.6007e99fe7ecd756

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He held Yeon-oh’s neck for a long time. Their eyes were locked for a long time. Up close, there was a strangely exotic feeling. It was a very subtle difference that he wouldn’t have noticed under normal circumstances. How long had they been staring at each other?7c7b243654267def

Just as much as Yeon-oh scrutinized the Crown Prince’s face, the Crown Prince also examined Yeon-oh’s face thoroughly. Around the time when enough time had passed for both to have done so, the hand that had been gently holding Yeon-oh’s neck began to apply pressure. As the feeling of being strangled set in, Yeon-oh coughed dryly, his body trembling with psychological rejection, but the Crown Prince’s grip didn’t relent. In the fleeting glimpse of his gaze, there was unyielding hatred and darkness. It wasn’t directed at Yeon-oh.30a19970c5a8bc6b

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Whether it was directed 8633c48fcd at him or not, f4dc5f9284 facing pure hatred, Yeon-oh ced735e676 finally recalled his powerless b71fee3deb six-year-old self.8384c567c22962b7

“…Huh!”059079ac31beb9fd

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With each breath, only coughs escaped. Tears welled up in his eyes. Through the tears that gathered moistly, Yeon-oh could see someone’s face in the Crown Prince, a face obscured by darkness. Seeing that face, he slowly closed his eyes. …The Prime Minister’s face grew distant.4ee2b404b27839fd