UTPT Ch 14

He didn’t fail to meet expectations. Just like the night before, Yihyun looked back and forth between Doyoon and the meal in disbelief. He wouldn’t cry again, would he? Thinking about the tears that had fallen onto the table yesterday left a bitter taste in Doyoon’s mouth.

“Do you like seafood?”

“Huh? Ah….”

Yihyun hesitated, unable to answer right away. Maybe he hadn’t eaten something like this before? Doyoon wasn’t sure what his mother thought of Yihyun’s reaction, but she simply smiled as if nothing was amiss and began eating.

“…Can I eat this?”

Yihyun asked in a hushed voice. Without responding, Doyoon picked up a piece of grilled scallop and placed it on Yihyun’s rice. Yihyun clumsily held his chopsticks and barely managed to bring the soft scallop to his mouth.

His already large eyes widened as he slowly chewed and swallowed. His eyes subtly welled up again, making him look like a cat. They say cats cry when they eat something delicious because their tear glands are close to their salivary glands due to their small heads.

It was fascinating how, despite clearly enjoying the food, he never showed any greed. Maybe he had gotten into the habit of chewing thoroughly for a long time. After taking one bite, Yihyun spent a long time slowly working through it.

“Is it good?”

“…Yes.”

When Doyoon’s mother asked the question, Yihyun swallowed what was in his mouth before answering. This time, he tried to challenge himself with a new dish, but the slippery octopus kept slipping from his chopsticks. After failing three times, he seemed a little discouraged and instead reached for the vegetable side dish in front of him.

“Try this too. It’s marinated squid—tangy and really tasty.”

She even moved the dish closer to him, encouraging him to eat. Even though it was clear that every dish was unfamiliar, Yihyun wasn’t afraid and ate everything without hesitation. When he tasted something sour, his eyes scrunched tightly, and when he ate something sweet, the corners of his lips subtly curled up.

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“…Yes, it’s delicious.”

Seeing that Yihyun ate without being picky, Doyoon’s mother warmly took care of him. She filled his small plate with a variety of side dishes and watched with satisfaction as he enjoyed them.

Yihyun, however, seemed awkward with such care and didn’t know what to do with himself. Judging by the way he kept fidgeting in his seat, he was clearly uncomfortable. Yet, at the same time, the food in his mouth was too delicious to refuse, leaving him visibly conflicted.

It seemed he liked the grilled scallops the most, as his chopsticks frequently reached for them. Noticing that both his side dish plate and rice bowl were nearly empty, Doyoon asked.

“Do you want more?”

“No….”

But his expression showed just how much he regretted not being able to eat more. Still, he had finished an entire bowl of rice for breakfast.

“Since we’re done eating, we should have some tea, right? Yihyun-ssi, what kind of tea do you like?”

“Um… I think I like green tea.”

At the uncertain phrasing, everyone paused for a moment.

“Both my sons drink coffee. Do you want to try some too?”

“Yes.”

Yihyun’s answer came with a clenched fist, as if he were preparing for battle. She ordered four cups of coffee and one cup of green tea, and soon, the tea table was brought in. As per her taste, the dessert was buttery cookies.

Yihyun was observant and quickly mimicked what the others were doing. However, his reaction to the taste was different. The moment he took a sip of coffee, his expression clearly questioned, “What on earth is this?” He eyed the cup suspiciously before turning his gaze to Doyoon.

“It’s supposed to be a little bitter.”

“Ah… why would anyone….”

His reaction made it seem like he couldn’t understand why people would drink something like this. Doyoon, barely holding back a laugh, pressed his lips together and broke a large cookie in half, handing a piece to Yihyun. As soon as Yihyun put the sweet cookie into his mouth, his expression once again turned blissful.

“Well then… shall we talk now?”

Doyoon’s mother, having finished about half of her coffee, was the one to break the silence. Still, she had waited patiently until Yihyun finished his cookie.

“Han Yihyun-ssi.”

“Yes?”

“Um… I heard that you’re a man.”

“Oh….”

“I was also told that this wasn’t your intention.”

Yihyun briefly glanced at Doyoon before looking straight ahead again. He had seemed weak, but when it was time to speak, he didn’t hesitate.

“Yes. I wasn’t informed about the marriage either.”

“Not at all?”

“I only found out from Doyoon-ssi yesterday that what happened was a wedding.”

At the use of “Doyoon-ssi,” she and Dohun simultaneously turned to look at Doyoon. Their expressions were as if they were staring at a scoundrel, leaving Doyoon with no choice but to shrug.

“Han Yihyun-ssi, you’ll be living with Doyoon from now on. Do you perhaps want to return home, or would you prefer to annul this marriage?”

At that question, Yihyun’s eyes widened. As if he had been punched in the gut, he let out a few shallow breaths before looking back and forth between Doyoon and his mother. Then, with his head deeply lowered, he let out words between his uneven breaths.

“…No, I… don’t want to go back.”

Though the words that spilled out like a plea weren’t particularly loud, they carried the weight of a desperate cry. After briefly looking between Doyoon and Yihyun’s bowed head, she responded in a calm voice that lifted Yihyun from the ground.

“Then I suppose I’ll consider it as if I’ve gained a youngest son a little late.”

“…What?”

“If a daughter-in-law had come, I would’ve thought of it as gaining a daughter, but since you’re a man, I’ve gained another son.”

“…….”

“Would it be alright if I treated you that way?”

“A son….”

“Like today, we’ll eat together sometimes and meet up to talk once in a while.”

At that moment, Yihyun looked as though he had just been saved. A simple, customary phrase—nothing more than the kind exchanged between married couples—had become his salvation. If anything, it would have been better if it were just an exaggeration. But on his increasingly unfocused expression, that single word was the only thing that remained.

***

“Are your feet hurting?”

“…No, they’re fine.”

Yihyun had no immunity to concern. This was the first time someone had asked whether his feet hurt just because he wore slightly small shoes. Yesterday, walking had been more difficult due to nerves, but today, he was fine.

On the way back to the bridal chamber after leaving the Empress Dowager’s quarters, Doyoon asked Yihyun a few things. After making sure no one was around, he fastened an extra button on Yihyun’s quilted outer garment as he spoke.

“What do you want to do from now on?”

“Huh?”

“I heard you’ve been living as a woman until now. I’m asking what you want to do going forward.”

It wasn’t difficult to answer the question. In truth, Yihyun had lived in circumstances where distinguishing between male and female was unnecessary, and he was fully aware that he was a man—even when his father and older brother had forced him to grow out his hair and wear loose dresses.

Since he had eyes, he knew that most men had short hair and wore pants. But… what really mattered to Yihyun wasn’t his own feelings.

“Doyoon-ssi, what do you think I should do?”

“…Me?”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. After all, distinguishing between men and women based on appearance is a kind of prejudice. That said, either way, there will be aspects that are inconvenient for you, Yihyun-ssi.”

“…….”

“There won’t be many occasions where you need to present an identification card, so cutting your hair would probably help avoid misunderstandings.”

Some of the words were a little difficult to understand, but Yihyun wasn’t so lost that he couldn’t grasp Doyoon’s meaning. And to distance himself from his past, he thought it would be better to choose a completely different way of living than before.

“Then I’ll do that.”

Cutting off the hair that had always been a hassle every time he washed was something he had always dreamed of. However… Yihyun carefully stroked the scar on the nape of his neck.

Ever since Han Suhyun had stabbed his neck with a pair of scissors, saying the hair on the floor was dirty, Yihyun had been so terrified of getting his hair cut that he had to struggle not to wet himself each time. But could he really cut his hair as short as Doyoon’s?

“What’s wrong?”

When Yihyun shook his head as if it were nothing, Doyoon entered the bridal chamber and gathered his belongings. A peach tree branch stuck out from the top of the paper bag in his hand.

Since only designated vehicles were allowed inside the palace grounds, Yihyun and Doyoon had to walk to the main gate. As Yihyun followed Doyoon out of the palace, he turned back once. Unlike the cold wind, a glaringly bright white light struck his face.

Stepping through the large wooden gate, they were met with a vast boulevard. Cars of various shapes and colors sped past. Startled, Yihyun stepped back, bumping into Doyoon behind him.

“We’ll take that car.”

Doyoon walked ahead, opened the door, and placed a hand on Yihyun’s head, guiding him inside. The person sitting in the driver’s seat turned around and greeted Yihyun.

“Hello.”

“…Hello.”

“Sister-in-law, you’re incredibly beautiful. That rascal Doyoon has deceived people his whole life, but somehow, he still gets lucky. Life really isn’t fair, huh?”

Doyoon, who had climbed into the seat beside Yihyun, cut him off abruptly.

“Who are you calling sister-in-law? Just drive.”

“Yeah, yeah. But how about letting us introduce ourselves before we set off, Your Highness the Crown Prince? Oh, and congratulations on your marriage.”

“Haa…”

Doyoon rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache. Then, looking at Yihyun, he quickly introduced them.

“This is Im Suhwan, my secretary. You’ll probably see him often, so you should know his name.”

“Ah… Hello.”

“And this is Han Yihyun. The person I married.”

“I’m Im Suhwan. It’s a pleasure, Han Yihyun-ssi.”

At the bright tone, Yihyun, who had been stiff with bewilderment, relaxed his expression slightly. As he stared blankly at the hand reaching out toward him, Doyoon leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“He wants to shake hands. Just take it.”

Startled, Yihyun quickly grasped the offered hand. Im Suhwan gave it a couple of shakes before letting go, and finally, the car began to move. Tensed up, Yihyun kept looking around nervously, but as they left the busy streets of Gwanghwamun, his shoulders gradually relaxed.