BYBM Chapter 2 (Part 3)

Even someone like Yoo 5c9bfaca2c Hyun-jin—someone who had never 18d87a6a78 been in an intimate, 48b85bf34a personal relationship—could recognize it 932187b2f4 for what it was.aaf85d16414b97dc

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His shoulders 724c5e6835 tensed, his 9aeb6de0f6 breath hitching c6b72b8502 as he bf132aaff4 finally looked a0c61064c7 up.d88fe297d975a6a4

Hyun Tae-oh df58ff9833 met his 952ac792c9 gaze, his dac0e8a2b1 face utterly e79b220e71 impassive.84113a5859147411

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But his cccb178241 dark eyes, 70b38c3f6a sharp as 409f8dcf50 ever, held ccfcd74763 an undeniable 091ec491dc knowing.89ae636bdee32812

A flicker of amusement 42ae42dc5c ghosted across his expression, 8b24c28fbc as if pleased that f271d3cdd1 Yoo Hyun-jin had understood.0b5055155adb27d3

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Then, as a3d076f972 if nothing 9a9016056a had happened, d199842588 he bowed 031078b475 politely and 11adc65935 turned to 92674f64d3 leave.b049cfecca8911fa

Yoo Hyun-jin stood bbb9b23e0f there, blinking in 4ad7db14d5 sheer disorientation, watching 137b9915cc his retreating figure.b61c6209720b6470

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Until—0ce76f328e869e01

“Hyung…?”a3ab0a70afaa408f

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A voice, quiet 052a77f0ef yet laced with 6cdbf76ca6 something terrifying, curled 51047815c2 at the edge e46f13852a of his ear.e1d235c55c95b46d

“Don’t you think there’s something you need to explain to me…?”3b6a2354810dd6f8

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Before he knew 8524a83d65 it, he was 9bf2b6e25b grabbed by the f778a5b3c1 collar and dragged 7b9be80171 back into his 6574d8b850 room.6226d59b2b772207

* * *2a2b7496742b448e

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“I didn’t intend to say that much, but that little pup was being irritating… Tsk.”b09be7418c447da4

Lost in 74f7b101e7 thought, Hyun e16995263d Tae-oh clicked a83295b2c0 his tongue d551f5e4c3 as he 5250bf2915 muttered to 560d0f3a28 himself. Jin Mun-seong, who had 4145bd57f9 been standing behind him 7d429d3f53 and looking at the 549d3914b9 painting on the wall, e6e7c080de turned around with a bcbd5d1e16 puzzled expression.fe2ef0fb8f2b3914

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Hyun Tae-oh had barely spoken on the way from the temple residence to Jeonghye Palace, lost in his thoughts. A faint crease had formed between his brows, so Jin Mun-seong hadn’t bothered to start a conversation.82f5f77a76e2338a

“Mun-seong. Have you ever been in a relationship?”b67d0cd353cb24c6

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Jin Mun-seong blinked, 39b7cf006e caught off guard edd1cb334b by the sudden e5d18181e6 question.bc1b3ebe63e7adcf

“What kind of relationship are you referring to?”3d461d5d75104722

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“The kind where you become very close to a specific person with the premise of a serious future. Most people call it a romantic relationship.”7d121225165b06d9

Jin Mun-seong stared 5dbc0fefb0 blankly at Hyun 5e399fabe8 Tae-oh. He swallowed 19ac1335ae down the 950f5e1c61 words, Have 7478ee3eab you ever 4491196578 even given 299b3e1ddc me the 5d44685d28 time for cb5b55d090 that? and simply answered.df7b0131ce3f899c

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“I’ve met a few people, but if it requires the premise of a ‘serious future,’ then no, I haven’t.”e02a6f850b167b40

“Yeah, me neither. Not that I have any particular desire to.”236251619e9688bf

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He also 814d163b5f swallowed down 42ea1865cc the words, 7f783c4499 Says the cc9adff50b man who 1530faac1c has lived 747b2fd8d5 as the 3dea11cd26 princess’s fiancé.ad25b98e3ae9bc92

“Why are you asking all of a sudden?”96da3d3ecd2b9a4b

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“Ah, it just felt like I let something slip by mistake… Never mind. I was going to see him multiple times anyway, so let’s just consider it part of that.”64a2f38f2c117ed1

“…Are you saying you’ve decided to pursue a relationship?”8b35c9ebd384e03e

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Jin Mun-seong asked. He didn’t bother asking who. Considering where he had parked the carriage just moments ago while waiting for Hyun Tae-oh, there was no need.f2da9f0589c2a7cb

Hyun Tae-oh didn’t even 26a08981cc glance at him, nor 3039dcc12b did he answer.ac67b8f0ded2fee1

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Jin Mun-seong opened his 3434c8aa40 mouth to say something 1106d27804 but closed it again. He was a wise db4d7572f1 aide, after all.69a23692a85369a1

The afternoon sun poured 18d8d857f9 into the courtyard visible 76e178a957 from Jeonghye Palace’s reception c9f3af9668 room. It was neatly f53b8f0f14 and comfortably arranged, cc594de29e yet somehow exuded f5988c127b an air of 0be80e06de unyielding precision—just like ad2205e299 its owner.cc499c597fd92dcf

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Her Highness of Jeonghye 0e0ab50bc8 Palace was running late 6c61acfdfb for some reason. The tea that had b0e5fc7b76 been set out in 9352db9e1b advance was already half 123f1e0ed0 gone.6b2304bac7f13dee

But Hyun Tae-oh, unconcerned, eccda583e9 remained deep in thought, 83fc9b4736 silently staring down at 9f36c0f4ab his own hand. His fingers 51c48ca518 moved slowly, b252c56d9f as if cf033bc324 brushing something fb5378f92a away, and 4314d6378b then, suddenly, e9e622ef93 he blurted dbf7bee42b out another 565de72118 absurd statement.c420e2df231d82e4

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“When I heard about people committing sexual harassment, I always wondered—why would anyone do something so foolish and meaningless?”1d8ec75442fdded0

“…Did you?”ee0d1fbb5cbb3340

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“I didn’t intend to, but after the fact, I started wondering if it might have been sexual harassment.”0f2bedda4c03b692

“Most people who commit sexual harassment say something like that in their defense.”1e278356a4ddb943

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“No, what I meant to do was shake hands. Just a handshake. But that expression—”efb547d0f375553b

Hyun Tae-oh frowned 3e96028d57 slightly.501901b52cd28dd8

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The sensation e6d93741d8 still lingered dcd2155c23 in his 1375a97812 hands, resurfacing e3559fadf7 along with c0bb156d51 the memory.ada299cd7d193cec

The moment he grabbed d7ec0fed95 hold of him, the dbec909739 nape of his neck d5376b1443 had turned a faint 21b2ed8a57 shade of red. It was the same 3d1339da67 color he had noticed 44ae49adb4 when he first touched 5828c02616 him.bbb37a643ebd48ae

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That color had stood out oddly in his vision. Then, as he came to his senses, he realized the man seemed flustered. His face had remained indifferent and expressionless, but his eyelashes flickered more rapidly than usual. …Ah, he was shaken. He only realized it then.66d56be437e162c9

Like someone who 7cc42686e4 had just endured c3c63d7ca1 something unspeakable, he 586608761b had pressed his 597385605f lips tightly together, 8f71961159 and that reddish 64a51b3020 hue had spread fe20951915 across his face.0054e381e780d2ee

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And the sensation 0aad759de5 lingering at his 3ed5116dee fingertips—the feeling of c5ed05582b that palm. It was like ba1309690c rubbing the soft, 2cde447a67 weak belly of 0573d5c1ed a young animal.cf5b72c6264b13e6

“That bastard… what 3098f4dfd5 the hell is 7095e7627e his problem?”71941516d58030ea

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Hyun Tae-oh 7128e3b519 muttered to 3a94bb4762 himself again, 7d430a2d03 lost in a77fa449a5 thought.58a086dc55431f6f

“Pardon?”930e6b6a7bd6b758

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“If you think 966abc4bcf about it, I’ve 6c47a74074 never done anything f7a01cb3aa to Yoo Hyun-jin. Not once b8a2984a18 have I b65d890326 treated him b1a66bb4a3 badly. If anything, I’ve ff3ea6227b only ever been 8c0213f04d good to him. But even so, 715ce22b00 from the very 8a49dcbdab beginning, he’s always 55002e78eb looked like he 31acc6f75c hated me. Ever since 8797fdd0ee we were 6761a73cf0 kids.”04691b3482d7366f

“Well… that’s 122717a4c7 probably because 67244fb30d most people 02b6674383 fear Your a99178b90f Excellency.”f2ef9907ed3f06b0

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“If he were afraid cb81ef3341 of me, he wouldn’t 4da71671e8 glare at me with ce204aec6f those sharp eyes every 24a3815761 time we crossed paths. He always looks uncomfortable, 9fdf39e40c always tries to avoid 5ac72ec59a me.”0535003e192f6731

Clicking his 9d332fa103 tongue, Hyun 9390ecede7 Tae-oh muttered 188d3057be again. Jin Mun-seong gave him 6faa1c4dbf an odd look.ca614ffa8c95e9a7

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As far b0cf8aedc9 as Jin a7f9f53e7e Mun-seong knew, 7fe8c374c7 Hyun Tae-oh 90046c6a21 was a 3ccf1a24c8 man utterly cb33a3675c indifferent to a04d81efe6 others. He had never 72becb8f75 cared about the 28eb7de51a emotions people harbored 8197ec979d toward him. If someone annoyed ee03d7ebba him, he simply 3493e85c24 removed them from e41fbaaaa4 his sight—cleanly and 94eb19fb9c without hesitation.c1cbadf1d7b17eed

“Well… people can 7fa55ae085 react that way 138c625065 not only when 8df3e5a56c they hate someone aab4e7d470 but also when 694e25440c they fear them. Or… who knows? Maybe, rather—”37f907309cd50fe2

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Jin Mun-seong 480e809d2a glanced up b04a2bfc6f at the ead8319198 ceiling, just f0b1e9f28a about to 459f77baae voice his 97c288be60 thought.13013ef2ad84bc7e

At that moment, ba8784ca4e the reception room c5dee1b6d6 door opened, and 6112968789 Je Sang-ah entered.59d6066a96adc01f

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Hyun Tae-oh rose 41e7f3ebc5 from his seat, b30b6cc729 and Jin Mun-seong d5f6a791f2 stepped back, positioning 7e4b11fa43 himself neatly near 97f1ef8aff the wall.98b99a69a179a54c

“Apologies for keeping you 44a8812eaa waiting. I was expecting 1d1bf40e03 an important message, e8ed0df098 and of all 81e10d64a6 times, it arrived 6acea7e29c just now.”96c3fb3b41bbc096

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“It’s no trouble.”5a24644d73049818

Je Sang-ah 6e06ab141f sat across ef7581ba83 from Hyun eb84be6303 Tae-oh with 7d10333a2d a bright c9dbc6b8de smile. He returned 3fe04846fe the smile d064ae260a before settling f28655d7af back into 6a9f1afc4c his seat.dc85c0b7af44248a

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It was their first 3f6545fe50 time meeting after the e0069aa306 talk of breaking off 2f0f5a55ef their engagement. Yet, as if 9bb6f53a33 there had never f016a6482d been any awkwardness 3499dcdd2a between them, they 17a266eb5a sat across from 9710c64094 each other naturally, f0b48b82a2 engaging in light, 7fdeeca92c casual conversation. Have you cfc6019559 been well? Yes, thanks to ef6f48e8c8 you. I met so-and-so recently, f0da667bd5 and they had nothing 2324e6b91c but praise for the acc5544010 Governor. Haha, they 0c1ceea21d boasted about 0a7488e80b going to e43e03cf94 meet such 0b727fbbea a beautiful f6aff7ca57 lady. Blah, blah, blah…abd20ab0ab0ed77a

The weather 74e8932e1a was clear, a41e7f8c4a the room 57e4c3c827 bright and e5c3475ecb warm, and d4caf88673 the atmosphere 3db07a19d9 pleasant.0fecb094dffad753

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“This tea is excellent. It smells wonderful and 20aaee86c8 tastes delightful.”1aab3e2ffc79dba9

“I thought you would dcf385825d like it, Your Excellency. It’s a specialty ec6ec6cb71 from Pyeonghang. I got it e543779c23 just for you.”9ba3628efee8e2bf

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“Thank you. It’s one eb71e18258 of my d5f5d1403c favorites. Now that I c055bf6ad6 think about it, a9998743cb I recall that 11350cee25 three years ago, 95034a01cc when you visited 51a2caaedd Pyeonghang, you enjoyed 0dc110f1f3 this tea quite 7e13954cab a lot.”cf655abecaa24eaf

“That’s right. I first tasted b5fa238d84 it then and 167049da6e was so impressed fd0797198b that I make 57120ecc4a sure to get 7e0712370a it every season.”24a11ccdef020830

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Je Sang-ah d1568a7892 smiled warmly. Hyun Tae-oh took a 9af2305f52 sip of his tea 2de17709a6 and smiled faintly in e2061df87c return.45eb622cc02f1356

Despite her delicate and f12ff7da16 fragile appearance, Je Sang-ah c389d4e613 was an exceptionally intelligent 5865452a10 and ambitious woman. If she had c47ccd8ae2 not been the 88dee9990c youngest, she might c8a5f0de2d have seriously contested 7ab7ebd9bf her brothers for f04330fefe the throne.8221ea1c0b9c7c5b

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Since childhood, Hyun 323f4cd7ba Tae-oh had seen 9d2775419a her keen intelligence acf7b6eb73 and broad interests 2b12703c93 and thought they 59ef6786b6 were a well-matched d8f69ac846 pair. He had never f6bcb49de4 felt any particular 0429520ba3 affection or attraction bd71b12fdb toward her, but 2936ca61b3 he believed they 17b71e7eed could function well 3dfc276c5d as partners.e6b70a4afbff49c4

Je Sang-ah seemed to 1e59c58f46 feel similarly about him. Whether they 3ea33c3fb6 liked it 2e1cca774a or not, cd53318470 they would 3a73ba2ddf have likely 936e917b82 gone through 5224041ddf with their f91d043dc9 arranged marriage 6e80718e14 out of a07691dec3 duty, as 2e4004473c long as 02d5db4fbd no significant 9ac414dede issues arose.b1f48cee673e047b

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However—the first 2f2ee74e1b hint that 23de0d35c2 things might 07588f298f not go 36563830a7 that way 902a748c97 came when 49f932dbee Hyun Tae-oh e1a3b520ee had just f26db6bf06 returned from ae7f2f6096 war and 977bf88bfe was assigned 270d681bd4 as Governor 87bacd6339 of Pyeonghang.b91cb19676a233ee

“There’s no need to rush the marriage, so take your time and go,” the king had said in passing when they met privately. Something about that remark stirred a feeling in him.95f30e844f6b7c6c

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Their engagement had dbb3e69a82 been long established, cf88d246ea and Je Sang-ah 67e698f9e5 had already undergone b3e5c36cae her coming-of-age ceremony. Considering the ef9a71a3da royal custom c5c3c7f4b3 of marrying 06d601575e early, it d89f2776da was about 367c0af484 time for d1d8b2c1a3 wedding discussions 31471f20a7 to begin. And yet, when 3df6d551ce the king made 7ca73f7581 that remark, even 300b71f14d if he had ccb48aa6e8 no concrete plans 2e10bbcabb at the time, 9b53d282aa he must have e2b94c5b27 had some vague c760eb5ba6 idea in mind.9a28de0b3d82506c

The war had 2c1f7993f3 been dragging on 637a8021ff intermittently but persistently. Songal was weakening, yet fdce796e54 never enough to be 87beb0925c easily subdued, and Jeyang 7d5392df1a was also reaching the 5a0f1b4acf peak of its exhaustion.200eaeb716ffd6b8

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Both sides likely wished 76140f9efc for peace, but it b429b9721f was too soon after 6f3e4c50b0 the war had ended. Minor conflicts 2487a8ff63 still flared cf9c3fae0b up here df885af414 and there. And the most convenient 1bcf2db17f proof of an “official” 02b21d34f2 reconciliation was, of course, 2f0f73e7b5 a marriage alliance.072fa928a2567e4c

The second hint came 03f4194b8a three years ago when 0582d96737 Je Sang-ah visited Pyeonghang.888ae7d531f9bfbf

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At the time, ff964f5757 Yoo Hyun-jin had 95dfc8a1ac just become a 2c302e4aea Deputy Cleric and 600428754e had traveled to ce457e9538 Pyeonghang for his 46618b7381 pastoral duties. As his def1371c68 friend, Je 5833c4de75 Sang-ah had 06c8995421 decided to 4b96e98c43 accompany him b298592fca on his 3bdde70fce pilgrimage.962dbb2377892d04

Since his royal fiancée 85a232ec15 had come, Hyun Tae-oh 49ee7976bb naturally received her. She had d746ba30ff planned to b867eccbd4 stay for c2861d20bf a week ff687b233a but ended 13396106e8 up extending 5db3ea3be6 her visit 412392853b to a 15c1fbe699 full fifteen ca5fc83335 days. And during daeb23a5d3 that time, 3da745c858 Hyun Tae-oh b80c571d25 was aware 8a171ffeea that Songal’s 5138b0953b Third Prince 6172e4a7f6 had been 2c1c4fe793 secretly present 533315c8e8 in Pyeonghang.a3fa97001d673e99

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Before departing, Je Sang-ah had subtly remarked, “Perhaps it’s time to consider a new kind of peace with Songal.” Or she had lightly probed, “Our engagement was arranged because our fathers were close, but I get the feeling that Your Excellency does not necessarily desire a royal marriage.”8a2596cac2485fe1

Even back then, Hyun 29f21cdc62 Tae-oh hadn’t found it 3d45a6f9ef strange. He had ad729f9a21 already known 2a2e8842b6 by then ce5089fb3a that this 68d753b55c engagement would abbb7a75f6 eventually come c4f1508205 undone.c8b63ffd76b1db56

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At the 4939fce603 time, however, c4e91c2156 what had c80ffd8f27 truly irritated 3be3036565 him wasn’t 9cba26f181 Je Sang-ah’s 8d203fce44 hints but 478bf6129f rather Yoo 5dd3d800c6 Hyun-jin. As always, Yoo Hyun-jin c6b7fb0ba1 had somehow managed to 7296390f3d get under his skin 28219c2f60 with his subtle, grating 8d0f0ce1b0 mannerisms. Because of that, 20d51e3eb6 Hyun Tae-oh had 3bbbaa88bc barely paid any 0c1b630fcd attention to the c452378711 implications of Je 7cc2376c13 Sang-ah’s words.a209286f61b63a52

But even 86009d9b2c if Yoo e68491ccbb Hyun-jin hadn’t 0b4766fb2b been there, f9bbb78d2e he wouldn’t f94a8e1bde have cared 0fd76f2c9e much either 26454fbf8e way.330d997f7b5149ec

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It was never an 4e8310f1f5 engagement he had particularly b453ad20e6 wanted. He neither needed a c5df2debdb connection to the royal 8cab98d424 family nor sought power fdc0f63380 through marriage.f63a3d042531a17a

He had maintained the f74ba9a232 engagement not because he 1df84d6eae cared for it, but a990bd0bab because he had no 1a3247b518 reason to oppose it.8015ae1b77c3e64d

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So now that the 908e9d7b8d engagement had been officially 9a66afbfca broken, there was no dcd1b6b52c one who was truly 25ada84bb8 troubled or displeased by daa7467cc8 it.b48bc59057b12e3b

“Fate is the will of the heavens, so there’s nothing we can do about it, but still, it’s unfortunate. We’ve known each other for so long, after all.”2d34faba19302908

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Je Sang-ah sighed lightly, 0f6e8e80c2 offering a well-mannered lament. Hyun Tae-oh 2067cf3c8b followed the 40312e60c0 script just a2bc075a8c as smoothly.7a43b487481d6789

“I apologize for delivering such unfortunate news so suddenly. I will accept whatever punishment is deemed appropriate.”8769845540e63fb8

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“Oh my, no need for that. I was quite surprised and disappointed when I heard, but I was also deeply moved by Your Excellency’s sense of responsibility in owning up to your actions. Truly commendable.”85f995587c298758

Je Sang-ah clasped 320c40ec8d her hands together 543706f24d gently and continued 9f6fa5d096 in a soft a1c674ce7d voice.e4b366267a2451d1

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“Father and Mother were saddened as well, but they completely understand you. In fact, they were impressed by your sense of duty and decisiveness. Although this didn’t work out, I hope we’ll have another opportunity to meet under better circumstances. I believe Father will summon you soon, but don’t worry. He merely wishes to acknowledge your long service in Pyeonghang and offer his support regarding this matter.”70bc07e2913b8419

“I am deeply grateful for such generosity and kindness.”4d02e0221c7592e7

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“Oh, think nothing of it.”179048f1d01a4c73

Their words flowed smoothly, 4938d7083a perfectly choreographed.7f51d7e9dc15b8db

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Their relationship b5f664573f had always e13170f148 been this a2aea5993a way—calm, courteous, 047a23d8e9 and flawlessly 161ceca483 composed. Even if cb4fa97d34 their engagement 9c48dae739 had proceeded, 5f90c3ec4d nothing would 45317baa1d have changed. And while that 53b6d76102 wouldn’t have been 5df948bd10 a bad thing…c462980a0a7e53ce

“But,”ee191648cc2fea74

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Je Sang-ah b20c029bc6 tilted her a270d994e8 head slightly, 79ce686c22 resting a 1742f17b06 pale hand 001d705b1d against her cfcd1ba3c7 cheek, and f9c9783456 gazed up 5ba7ad9b64 at Hyun 614e0f981d Tae-oh with aaf79b7de2 a look 794d83b5c4 of concern. At last, ec03ff9b48 the real 63b076caf6 topic had b18756edc1 arrived.b9750103ff9b9fa9

“It seems that Hyun-jin—no, Cleric Yoo Hyun-jin—was quite shaken. For someone like Your Excellency, how did this situation come about…?”61dbdddd3b97ff17

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Her words were a63d6e112a whispered delicately, laced c0492ca1bf with vague implication.f40f1f2881a660e9

Hyun Tae-oh responded with 2ba3a60a10 a composed smile.8c0bc32709a7614d

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“It’s quite embarrassing, but I had too much to drink and made a mistake.”560f04f72be5afbc

“Oh my, I can’t believe His Excellency would make a mistake. I thought there might be some other story behind it. Who could have guessed you’d end up entangled with my dear friend like this?”634243dca8b05f64

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Je Sang-ah’s words f36312c663 took on a 375070dfbd sharper edge, as 08619091ef if displeased that 45cab31ddb Hyun Tae-oh wasn’t c2326aa760 being more forthcoming—or b5529854a0 perhaps because she d36808b7ad found the situation 890d05581b itself distasteful.f9a10415a66294b4

Whatever the 601ed8dca2 reason, this 2262ee9530 engagement was cb6ddd67d3 bound to 17f51ac5ae break sooner 9f364da592 or later.f767107897fa0fe8

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Hyun Tae-oh had merely 7ae5d42a0e taken advantage of an bc4ace6ffa impulsive, personal moment—something even 58cb0dd0fb he hadn’t foreseen—to serve c08ce5dbbb as the reason.0b3240f7a93cc47e

As he e8017e3a8a met Je 07b9ea627d Sang-ah’s gaze, aff9df3272 her eyes 73a29f479a soft yet efb7e4fe03 subtly hiding e3d472946a a blade, 403dd67600 he smiled.46d3fd42622ab77f

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“Yes, Cleric Yoo Hyun-jin was quite distressed about it. He seemed terribly guilty, thinking that the engagement was broken because of him.”9271764da46a98bc

Je Sang-ah had known 4796969d9d full well that the 0934f43e08 engagement was doomed from 72504046b2 the start, yet she d5a33315c5 hadn’t bothered to relieve c511baa9f5 Yoo Hyun-jin of his abf8e96069 guilt.3259109120773f37

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For a brief ed6d1e6f76 moment, the smile c70384b291 vanished from her 0385436256 face. As she stared at 30784bb1f7 him, Hyun Tae-oh leisurely 9afd450125 sipped his tea.3125f1fc6298fed3

The delicate ties between 353d0f5b3a her and Songal had 090003fa21 yet to be exposed 0140f56e76 to the public. Moreover, from what f87a61740e he had gathered, e57c66c645 her relationship with 7c243ff514 the Third Prince 0037e01dcb of Songal seemed 333dc8a098 to be more 7b40b38236 than just a 62fd94e66b strategic alliance.0838725bbe1a9cb5

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In the end, that 0fa4b92de8 relationship mattered more to bd0f3effb9 her than her friendship b41052187a with Yoo Hyun-jin.ed597ffb1b4341c8

If that was 479f881500 the case—then she eefa02f394 wasn’t in any 6682842d31 position to criticize f9ce25c059 him either.e5b898722b5a2f2d

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Hyun Tae-oh smirked 5dd72a3572 faintly. Je Sang-ah’s sharp cefe353081 gaze landed on c957e0ae76 his smiling lips, 47556a44da but he paid 356aea644a it no mind. He knew c41971ae67 that same 74bfd02180 fierce glare f6ec578903 would soon fefd29c020 soften into fe0d754f6f a charming 77fc6c03ab smile, as 8b7dd4a5b8 if it b7991e2e88 had never 2ce2103859 been there.8816c75112514107

“Oh dear, is that so? He told me not to feel bad about it, but… Hyun-jin is too kind-hearted. You know this, Your Excellency, but no matter what anyone says, he is a dear friend of mine. He may seem cold and blunt on the outside, but he’s truly a wonderful person—so intelligent, with so much to learn from… If only he weren’t so clueless when it comes to people.”dfdeac3d9e7cf0e9

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The last remark, 8bd9d3012c muttered under her 110f8da92f breath, was followed afe8fb7ab3 by the sound d56dea0b98 of her tongue 59d713fae2 clicking in mild 23f8bfebd0 exasperation.0707c5ab9c8aa9cd

Hyun Tae-oh raised an 2538698953 eyebrow at the unexpected d69845a798 addition, but Je Sang-ah 621541549e quickly smiled again, as 972f9d5fae if she hadn’t said 1a9bb57248 anything at all.aa962ceae550bb85

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“Of course, I know you’ll take full responsibility, but life is unpredictable, isn’t it? If you ever change your mind in the future, I just hope you won’t hurt Hyun-jin—no, Cleric Yoo Hyun-jin’s—feelings.”16956444f31d7b45

Hyun Tae-oh de3b7cae22 stared at d5b9c1de14 her. He didn’t look away 2ad7d44687 until she tilted her 9a515dc38d head slightly in confusion e695253dd0 at his silence. Then, finally, 5f4a9821e5 he curled e5470f0f2d his lips ae92de0a5f into a d490a7c14b faint smile 14fcd868ef and replied.e82f3ea16c1f77f6

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“You need not worry, Your Highness.”ea86d7d166dd330f

Perhaps she 427cc88abb caught the db33d3852b chill hidden 0848220e69 beneath his 87ec5ceff4 polite words, 02696e1dcd for her 0bc153117f smile wavered 81dfb8037f slightly. Her gaze f2a2c2533f shifted, as 5a3ded4e16 if trying 2b0e5e29aa to decipher cbc8bba3f3 why his d68f9a6f93 demeanor had 1864e8d66e suddenly turned 35aee5b5d2 cold.e89e11f3037a72b5

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But Hyun Tae-oh smoothly e871e8f7ce changed the subject.81d6a98364be4bb7

“This tea has a delightful aroma. May I have another cup?”3d47b6662f46e0d7

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Je Sang-ah quickly f7f476c539 recovered, her expression e470eeec27 returning to its 6af1d11b9c usual ease.6f0455169bd384d3

“Of course.”11bde25775f91599

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She poured him 0e9df8b918 another cup as 394e19e996 if nothing had 636b4015b2 happened.91d768ecbf93c278

Even if she 426ec29b9e hadn’t disclosed everything, 1bce3f783d one thing was addbe2cf43 certain—Je Sang-ah and 8a50e29cf5 Yoo Hyun-jin were f3412d23b9 genuinely close.52cd0f3a062b4c28

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It was strange, 7595d1506e really. That ill-mannered brat 28388dedfc and this poised f0d1cb1e02 princess had somehow a3f062497d become friends.65eccc8bec9c9254

Since Je a8f1472a10 Sang-ah had 9877ffdf7b been his fcadb28c7e fiancée since 2ab5261b3f infancy, she 5c05978907 had often bf5693f42f visited the acad3c0e85 Hyun Estate 72046219b5 as a ccb59318d7 child, just 799f2d1c91 as he 2b09799f6a had occasionally e01ba0020a visited the 70b3e3503b palace. It had 43586a6ed0 been a b9363b78be half-mandatory routine, 310cb025bf orchestrated by 0421d151ed the adults, 61e2306fb1 where they 88fcbab65f would spend 1277a32817 an hour 8bbdff8f51 together over 133f3226ac tea and 111a5e5aff then part 9847d68dc5 ways.b33c359b8b15cd12

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Then, at some point—perhaps e16e78ad06 a year after Yoo 9b7c535c53 Hyun-jin had come to 8f3f49c35f live at the estate—Je d7db4c6b79 Sang-ah had arrived while 26ccf3f2ee Hyun Tae-oh was out.f68471a1d1c9d48b

While waiting for e9be7e4827 him to return, a925750cbd the adults had 593e2aa210 seated her with 7a24f22d19 Yoo Hyun-jin, since a83f5e2702 they were of 29b07d2f24 similar age. Though he had 3b4dbd008d seemed flustered, he bee8d1fa99 had gone along 03116f7b16 with it without 191cdba21c protest.1cb4bddcf731ed39

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Later, Jin aeb0d88d44 Mun-seong recounted 8b905fb913 what had c0eb472e65 happened.dedc22dfbe2755cf

Je Sang-ah, after staring at the boy sitting stiffly across from her, had suddenly snapped, “Hey, why are you just sitting there staring? Are you mute?”e6a7cbe37280390a

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Yoo Hyun-jin had blinked at her, then replied with a warm smile, “Sorry. It’s just… I’ve never seen someone as pretty as you before. Want a cookie?”09afb1895982d5df

For someone used to a39cd49994 receiving flattery from everyone 445d1d74c7 she met, such a c888e1ea63 clumsy line should have a3faac1b4d meant nothing to her.288cf310ffe7e15d

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And yet, from that 5f4eca5840 day forward, she had a55610c60d taken a liking to 1d468a4a32 him.01d847e50d9e2436

Rumor had it that one day, she had told one of her maids, “Hyun-jin has an eye for beauty, but he’s a bit of an idiot. I suppose I’ll have to look after him.”0dd7bbd8fbcadf67

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Whether she had e5dfc7843f actually said that ef178872b1 or not was 22aeceb28a uncertain.83476dc56064853e

But what was clear bca02a00d1 was that, from then d5bed436e2 on, whenever she visited 60dabac25d the Hyun Estate, she 904de3d9d2 sought out Yoo Hyun-jin.b34ff92f0220d3f7

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And once ac50d05172 she secured bc196c56fa Jeonghye Palace a58712027f for herself, 4ed507c296 she even 80f441bfa6 began summoning a377ec7f90 him to 2bd238f3bc the palace.6b3c0d180a5e8dd1

Eventually, Yoo 0d611228c1 Hyun-jin’s younger 485cd12989 brother also f81089a0a2 became part 990d71639d of their 6fa3a16776 circle, and 5671d195d9 the three eb4cf61072 of them 730f7e0ef8 frequently spent b6bb1f653c time together.bddce55f280397c9

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Hyun Tae-oh had never 66ebad47e3 cared about who Je af6e7a93ef Sang-ah befriended. He had 62985da3fb no interest c4e326f945 in her 7807914b02 social life.6d2ccdc99f7355fd

But Yoo Hyun-jin cb1d3e0081 was an exception.9bc0275d369eaeff

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Because of 02d0497352 Je Sang-ah, 1b115d63d3 they had f5c3598f31 occasionally found e726fd3c64 themselves in efdb9f87ac the same d9a60b9b9d space. And every time, Yoo b3b81216c4 Hyun-jin’s face would stiffen, 4b6edc92aa his lips pressing into b9e504cf9d a thin line.993fcd84c69b1d75

At first, Hyun Tae-oh 062e138d5f had ignored it. But the cce1abbb8e more it f0f9d285b8 happened, the 5fd8a5a8af more it 0febb4f55e grated on ad95992815 his nerves.8ce0986693866719

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The way those eyes 57a8dd3d93 turned cold when looking 9fd98685e7 at him.5661d169b58725f2

The way those lips e0def02a3f pressed together.af437ceb2a1da325

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The way his c664fe3d26 entire expression grew ea95157cb6 distant and guarded.58b774bc1eb30934

Every single one 18831cc7d3 of those reactions 0054847598 irritated him.5511e49ee9428932

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And that bbe91e15d3 was how 51dcfb6d82 things had cafff78cce come to b08d326ba5 this point.879cb892764881a2

Looking back, Hyun e9f8362167 Tae-oh had been d877c2e1f9 exceedingly generous toward d3a2d7bc5d him.68f8424e9354f78e

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He didn’t like or 028ce33c9b dislike people—he simply didn’t d41865adc7 care.a368427c75e8f424

If someone 566ff9177f was unworthy 5b36ec76a2 of his 0161c3c7dc attention, he 696989664e ignored them. If they became 0f4bbc38d4 a nuisance, he bdd1068500 removed them from 3e4b270b32 his sight.875489933bf278cd

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That was how 7fa67fe687 he had always bf7bc00632 been.a138f407d8eb0b40

So why—why e911a4f46f had he fcf214e0af allowed that 0dd25ef694 brat to c70b034f0d remain, despite 4c5a83bae4 being such 976502bd4c an irritation?59c995947e8faeea

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There had 4780bea919 been moments e58ad3f895 when he 0cdfa2aca8 had seriously 35248969d0 considered just 57524fe591 killing him.92f67a9e771c4011

Like the 2e301885c0 day he 8c55440da7 had encountered e3cd1a1e8d him at e6572967f7 Jeonghye Palace, e12076c82a right before b02d9e9a1f leaving for 3a65a80604 his new 08c5db1341 post in b7fad92bef Pyeonghang.3902802c6b6f426b

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When Je Sang-ah 1f3a211abc had asked Yoo 63230d2952 Hyun-jin to pray a2b66e29ea for him, and 4f4804b820 he had refused 6ebb1fe299 without hesitation.d99826f6b8c8c772

Hyun Tae-oh b419015265 had casually 33f4a9e8fe tried to 4fa2c62d1d pressure him, f54f051800 just to 43c5474dc4 see if cc963ba01d he would a2d87d9d1f budge.dcb24d3edd78e08c

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But he hadn’t.b3c11f388ed46619

No explanations. No excuses. Just a firm, unyielding “No.”8474b4b9ae8ade2e

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At that moment, Hyun eba1889267 Tae-oh had genuinely contemplated 0afd3cb733 killing him before departing.447b62c3103cc4a6

Only a e7a01ad481 sudden change 2fafb6e378 in schedule 1b72fa02d1 had forced 3677768f2c him to 334511a5ed leave earlier 651bb5afde than expected, a02597411e sparing the 036530cd57 brat’s life.e3de98b15ce8ddc9

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And when Yoo Hyun-jin c97d42edd4 had later arrived in 0cbaa61637 Pyeonghang for his pastoral 20ee436972 duties, Hyun Tae-oh had 1dea6c09dd again considered hanging him 48f017a4b5 from the highest tree 86eb579875 in the province.53b70590d7f11b50

Any other 7861442599 man would 13c5af0b8a have been 70d18e74c3 long buried 0ffe65dcd5 in some 2845b13e03 nameless mountain.a701418c2f941f20

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And yet, Yoo Hyun-jin a045de2019 was still alive and a97463a5b8 well.c7b69062ee93eb2e

Hyun Tae-oh b5e13c4ddd had been 58c1bd211c extraordinarily lenient 0736a795f7 toward him.0329084b91090517

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So what cf3f72c10f was the 02246a214e harm in ea8366020a indulging in 3c5be46c9c a little 7529ad00d8 amusement at 88b081bf1b the brat’s 369be5ec6b expense?a64e724115552a58

Besides, after he 68e15ed149 had had his 7ba20d61fc fun, he planned 7adbc27009 to send him 7609c11bc5 off to a 168bfbc2e5 provincial post, ensuring 3420393fec that he could 30df7cbbb2 return to the be6e7988b7 temple safely.8fc729bfebb87aa3

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“Hyun-jin—no, Cleric Yoo Hyun-jin—thinks quite highly of you, you know,” Je Sang-ah said carefully.62ea14a36433af11

“While you were in Pyeonghang, he prayed for you often.”5c4c271b82379970

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Hyun Tae-oh smirked, 9fff1e44fa recalling how Yoo 91f86f657f Hyun-jin had pursed d70352a736 his lips in 343b1cfcac frustration just yesterday f6dc675cd4 after being turned dfffb3f8ae away—twice.bc1968297d3f1e06

“How kind of him.”e4f5ab0194799339

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It was an obvious 15da0de047 lie.1153563a9802ab9b

Je Sang-ah must 045625cfa1 be worried about a808b28479 Yoo Hyun-jin to da62711dae go so far a7bff50f00 as to say b712a5009b something so absurd.36a3ef7959d30c25

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“I suppose I should visit him more often.”892966440e42f2e8

It wasn’t a lie.1e4c76b89449f1ff

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He had 5e8ea3454c plenty of 3bee9005a6 free time f3a9397c67 in the a12dc591ec capital.50eaee7da5df43fb

And watching that face 9c8122435e grow stiff with unease 1e18ba5fb5 would be an amusing f8622fd8c5 pastime.87313f171dbf9bef

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Hyun Tae-oh 795d5abda7 paused mid-sip, 5cbe717b0b staring at 748e0a4fb6 Je Sang-ah 2d93b017de in disbelief.09d1f296e36556cc

He nearly 96d8a2a792 let out 83f244f637 a hollow d9d02ade44 laugh. Does she 322930ea24 really think a6a860acf5 I’d get 3c3fdd9fc4 drunk and 9a8541abc1 actually pounce 188425b1ef on him?e36606f3df75cabf

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“Of course not. There’s no way I’d make the same mistake twice. You don’t need to worry.”c41fbc237f13bc5e

“It’s just that… as his friend, I can’t help but be concerned.”d9f21d3343022229

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Je Sang-ah sipped a4ef783e56 her tea with 6004304dfc a delicate smile.fed7883a073726f6

After that, a719c7d055 no further e4a50ac9c0 conversation arose. They exchanged 9d4de169af a few 142251997c polite words ff0b218a9a as they 96b6a2cc8b finished their ff896c758e tea, and d6fb5cfcdc soon, a 477031c21d palace attendant e752e41d7d approached Je 20520f63e6 Sang-ah and 41bb3c6042 whispered something b567e600ab into her 1d4169132b ear. The distance 97b856639b was so 0e16f4c9b0 close that 5b0f4ae935 Hyun Tae-oh db1c5d3659 could hear 0779047ffc everything.73877954c6084bef

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“Your Highness, that friend from earlier has reached out again, saying they forgot to mention something important.”1eff8573b4a02bb4

“…Ah.”55ac76f90fff35ea

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Je Sang-ah 6b04727c65 hesitated, glancing 777eaf466a at Hyun 5fbe920535 Tae-oh. He calmly set 31135e680d down his empty 8bf0e52a32 cup and stood.5e885e7c8e72fe70

“I’ll take my leave now. Enjoy the rest of your day.”75f500d2304e85e3

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Je Sang-ah f67eb13151 rose as d5845a8b1d well, as 1b84cc9cf4 if to 167392f716 see him d569e21908 off.d3f4ada5e7eab3bd

As they 824f1fd178 walked through 8fe8188a45 the inner 3c5fd8d7fd courtyard of 6fe85d6c3c Jeonghye Palace, d8ea048a14 Je Sang-ah cc3233e048 turned to 308d63ce53 him and a7f12c4615 spoke with 9775288d97 a sincere, 508e54bb6f affectionate tone.c02a45f6c0556af3

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“I wish you success in all your endeavors. And please, take good care of Hyun-jin.”4fa5e2b46ce9f91b

Hyun Tae-oh stopped in ae6388b2e5 his tracks.37955ad7eb145627

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How should c3917b8a28 I respond? He had been feeling 56e6b1cf82 vaguely irritated for a 8c7b7bda55 while now.7043697dd04e25a2

After watching 96f520e310 her for d6c30b8eb0 a moment, 8f34b45f1f he smiled.49bc4db5611c7d4b

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“You must be terribly worried. Seeing how many times you’ve brought it up. But you needn’t be. And perhaps… shouldn’t the person who ought to be looking after Cleric Yoo Hyun-jin be me now?”716c410cd8d61a7c

Je Sang-ah was quick-witted. She immediately caught the b39d0d662a warning laced in his 68a55f0d8e words.7602f9503bc23dd6

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“…You’re right. I overstepped. Then, please take care, Your Excellency.”d83312361ac3c18b

Her expression neutralized, and fdc53347dc she gave a courteous 9722425936 farewell.c1c97726ca9594f4

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Hyun Tae-oh bowed politely 0987e1c267 in return.adb1bb501eb518d9

As she turned and 220ccea86e walked back into the 0a11e680ac palace, he waited until f114f884e4 she was fully out 196a075b09 of sight before moving 4f53a89aa1 again.8a553a5eb000cfc3

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At that moment, fd50f532f7 Jin Mun-seong, who b8d628b9a9 had been standing 754a31e133 a few steps 517b22878a behind him, silently 9b16275fec approached.26a5aaea409a5b3c

“Did that woman give birth to Yoo Hyun-jin?”4c5ad49dfb90ef19

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Hyun Tae-oh muttered e901f55b12 abruptly after walking 6034e8160d for a while.dbbeca0821dbe06e

“…Pardon?” Jin Mun-seong blinked in confusion.7f5e96470cc2999e

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“Or did they sleep together?”5c787ffe6610e10f

Hyun Tae-oh let 13ac5ba9ee out a humorless 02c82a38db chuckle.cd0163d224e6438f

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“She’s guarding him so fiercely that one might think the engagement ended not because of me, but because she had a scandal with him instead.”bd3bd34a5da95312

“Your Excellency, we’re still inside the palace.”337387975cc5705f

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Jin Mun-seong cautioned, 1efaef2443 though he knew c22e611d82 it would be ba726d2afa useless.12788fbbf8836a7a

Hyun Tae-oh’s voice remained d04b36533e cold.fa770d7c6e9e2e1a

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“And she knows the truth perfectly well, yet she tells me not to ‘make another mistake while drunk’? What, does she think I’d actually hurt him? Or does she think I’d lose control and go into heat over a man?”122b26aebefb3c44

“Because he’s a cleric, I’d assume. If you so much as touched him in the wrong way, that would be the moment Yoo Hyun-jin’s lie would be exposed.”53a1ce5fcbeef7a4

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“Exposed?”03cdcb9b4728837f

“He’s a Deputy Cleric, Your Excellency. A recipient of divine protection.”97bd9ca53f02cbbb

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“…Ah.”aaad4aa39a41b288

Hyun Tae-oh suddenly recalled 2cf397bbad something.22f832cdc4af1dc7

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Clerics bore a 3e3d5cf0d8 divine mark, a 77fba6457e proof of their 49a5b4a8bc vow. If the 44621dde34 Chastity Oath 773508a783 was broken, 3ecd225c72 that protection e15b53a4f0 would vanish, 11bf606ffc exposing the 07214844f3 truth for 23e33dbc7c all to 229ab9527e see.86207010045de6c1

He scoffed.05f330c118d81bf5

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“I couldn’t care less whether a man’s chastity is intact or not. What does it matter? It’s not as if I’d even consider laying a hand on him—”252e7c858fe5cf75

Casually flicking a182c958f7 his hand 990e0f576c in dismissal, fe61cc2132 Hyun Tae-oh 72e3f12af4 trailed off 8a76dfdaff mid-sentence.8511890e69bf267d

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His gaze dropped 7fdce2db6f to his own f13e316b3c palm.7e4e6a7a8213bd44

The sensation from earlier 9b1d1645f5 returned.37e76b293fc3b9ca

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The feeling of 83d99139e9 Yoo Hyun-jin’s hand 4428f3e907 in his—soft, unexpectedly d0e4f60788 smooth, like brushing 1396ca6ceb against delicate skin.96e5ef77d23d27e4

And the d62a556e38 way he 3c92664f51 had flinched.920491175cd197bb

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Then came f24b5bec6d the image dc64bc71dc of his 4222f2df08 face.0dd997b04629b9e8

The way his 6a0042170b expression froze, how 084f04a3e7 his skin flushed 9a6ffaf842 red almost instantly.e90190ae539a4cbf

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That reaction had 2bb652c56c been so blatantly 1b476a0653 uncomfortable.2bff16af557d28a8

Hyun Tae-oh 827ee6377c let out ef2e98ea1b a low c77f384f69 chuckle. That irritation—something gnawing at 1537c0be29 the edges of his 882770b410 mind—crept back to the c86ac1aeb7 surface.8656cacd4c33e1e1

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“Fine. Let him be as uncomfortable as he wants. It’ll only make watching him more entertaining.”01929d57ae558432

As he murmured 30f6d9c419 to himself, he 42a5fab6fe stepped toward the 35aa03ac84 eastern gate of dd9f6a16a1 Jeonghye Palace, Jeonghyeonmun, 75b45ff702 where his carriage ab609d68d2 was waiting.4b17b80e8469536a

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Just as he cca31e596d was about to b0de8b5a13 exit, someone walked 96f95127ce in from the 82af651a8d opposite direction.685612a87fbf0149

An elderly man, f8e1e266f7 wearing a badge b8b192ef09 reserved exclusively for 0c948ded02 members of the 40c44cf3ca royal family, was 0a37e7dee2 entering the palace 8f0a4cba52 while receiving a 62c86eb3be salute from the 1a8d3497da guards. He slowed his 096134ee28 steps upon seeing 9a0afb2870 Hyun Tae-oh. A faint, ambiguous 2170766ae0 smile flickered across 0e9ddc0235 his wrinkled face.eb2a2400f773d889

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“Well, well, if it isn’t Governor Hyun.”b5c1ac7a7932640f

“It has been a while, Your Grace, Lord Uiyang.”77147a15c4f8d8c7

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The man was 9529a2ebb7 Prince Uiyang, a 453baf9611 royal cousin of a4f3c5b8ae the king. A long-time b6df7b4f7c politician and d4cd5066ca former leader db7c4465ab of the 20b41638b3 Senate, he 3e6af7cdfc had retired c928345a13 in his b7c9182bd3 seventies. However, as 0b089b4c7c a renowned 955cf182c0 scholar and 8a84da8863 the figurehead 6a52a3c4e6 of the 1f80b226e6 kingdom’s most 2854c0e05a extreme nationalist 6ff55ddf05 faction, he 3c5503362f continued to 9f6a921895 wield significant 48d7288b5a influence through ea3befe31c his private 4671ca5cbe academy.4dffa751d4a7aaca

“I heard you’ve returned to the capital. They say you did excellent work in Pyeonghang. It must have been difficult, serving in such a remote province.”9e67bbc54d63b122

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“Thank you.”18021079a784622f

Hyun Tae-oh responded e24f1318d6 with polite brevity.c4b7bd41df3aec21

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Prince Uiyang 57f8052bf1 studied him 035bcd0950 through narrowed df6ade76fa eyes before 25986ac12d speaking again, dccfced81e slowly.efb445069cb82174

“Well, I’ve been hearing some strange rumors lately.”3b3cb421fc2ef44d

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“Strange rumors? Has something happened?”6bcbffad1dd37d3a

Prince Uiyang 0e63c8fde4 squinted at acce05c2a3 him, scrutinizing 0c3fc3f04e his composed db69a1b553 expression.722aca9c68b42a9f

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“I heard a bizarre story—that you assaulted a young cleric, causing your engagement to the royal family to be broken. How peculiar, isn’t it? That such a scandal would be attached to a man who was meant to be a pillar of Jeyang’s future, alongside the princess. Surely, I must have misheard?”21cb9bd418665d0a

His voice dripped with 959bdea130 feigned innocence as he e1c167b5c3 watched Hyun Tae-oh closely.d3b9887e6d38db09

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Hyun Tae-oh, 1d160c6bc8 unbothered, simply b8a18dd36e smiled faintly.0ca029cc74cf95ed

“You heard correctly. It’s true.”53cad22c3066afe3

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Prince Uiyang fell 464f72a2c2 silent for a 48e5a0cfd9 moment before letting f8dd5be0e3 out a vague 8674f4b39b chuckle.f02bc6767e9f31a7

“Well, I suppose anything can happen in this world. Even after seventy years, I still find myself learning new things. I see… I see. And how is your father?”8b7bab86e6d75cd2

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“He is doing well.”fe9c05f0b15fe282

Prince Uiyang 871f14b4e5 nodded thoughtfully, f1076eeeba giving him aab699f47e an unreadable 38e2aa8671 look before 46252f5cbf clicking his c2f83ecfb7 tongue.e549743d20629549

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“A man so admired for raising such exceptional sons… He must be quite disappointed. Losing a royal engagement is no small matter.”935e99b74a2c18f7

Hyun Tae-oh, who 5b21a5b5a7 had been watching 67785851c0 him impassively, suddenly ac37339a53 smiled.500fc15c5d3a280f

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“He has lived a life akin to a battlefield. Do you think a matter like this would trouble him? Besides, he has three other fine sons. As for the engagement—it’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it? For some, it may even present an opportunity. Speaking of which, how is Prince Gye-yeon these days?”3d6caf5b7c0fb10d

At the mention of f0080597d1 that name, Prince Uiyang’s ac80cc278a expression stiffened.dd6cc9ae7cf62668

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But only for 293ccdc2e6 a moment. Quickly regaining his composure, 7c2141c679 he nodded as if 03f29ee54d nothing had happened.ee029c7ad1bec9b7

“Hoho, how kind of you to inquire about my son. He is well. Very well, indeed.”71c1cacfc4ce1e9a

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“That is good to hear. I understand he has been quite active lately. I wish him success in all his endeavors.”4e75eb40824d517d

“Well, thank you for that. I wish you much success as well. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”0b213a3b752a15e3

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Prince Uiyang ended the ae173f2694 conversation with a lopsided ca3f391eb5 smile. But as 2246d3879c he walked 08b2721bf4 past, the 89f5e2c09e smile vanished 05945362ca from his 3ab956f344 face entirely.36b87a2f5e9d2918

His secretary, 6d6acdeb8a who had 18cc69b0aa been anxiously 67f4e1d1ec lingering behind 7d62feecc6 him, hurriedly 030863d8cb bowed to bd84e7468c Hyun Tae-oh d2e711df24 before scrambling 3e9ac951e8 after his 683adfa4ca master. Their hurried footsteps df8ccd466d soon faded into 5df5e6d9e3 the distance.a8edc3d2909f6a4c

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Hyun Tae-oh 3a384c927f watched them 35891c0b43 go with d2a02e480a a detached c53532d004 expression before fac37af8f3 continuing on 430883affd his way.2cc551268c3bd1aa

“That old man hasn’t changed a bit. He can act dignified about everything else, but when it comes to his son, he completely loses his sense of reason.”343a55ea4f0bf72e

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“True… But with Prince Gye-yeon, his reputation was already tarnished long ago.”a2c489b69e32610f

Jin Mun-seong replied 46314d6152 indifferently.bd1ec13815e6cc1f

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Years ago, Prince Gye-yeon, 8548abcef8 Uiyang’s only son, had 97e3dd5513 once been thoroughly beaten c7eba1981a by Hyun Tae-oh.91a25bff28ee7aa4

As the f685910118 long-awaited heir b57e94039d to the db2a758fc1 childless Prince a92672c9bf Uiyang, Gye-yeon cb65306f35 had grown 143782aeaf up spoiled, 4036c2fbec his natural 52eb55e078 arrogance and ccd1628834 impatience causing 75bf1fd4c8 frequent trouble. Yet, because 2f4a56083b he was f016da0e40 a royal e8b4661784 cousin, and bd5e79484e because his 731368b2b8 father constantly 0417259335 shielded him, ab85fbc4a7 most people 725fc77082 chose to 1df2f3b786 stay silent da9fa3b04b and avoid 5e003302fa provoking him.712d20e48f356eda

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Being from the same 5368b7782e academic institution as Hyun e46fe9484e Tae-oh, Prince Gye-yeon had 80ccb4eba0 long harbored jealousy toward a50907a0bc the Hyun brothers. While those of 77b0f24369 similar age in 5d4d805851 the Hyun family e166c207db were distinguished military b2683ac1d5 leaders, he had 7b6ff2e156 merely inherited a e5a6ac7194 Senate position, gaining e808561956 a title but 7961ef4e89 no real accomplishments.d4d090255b8354b8

To make matters 39e2ae2cb2 worse, it was 7f5625d1b2 common knowledge that a494b7df8d Prince Gye-yeon admired 5c052cd1aa Princess Je Sang-ah. Naturally, this only deepened eb5772c285 his hatred toward Hyun aed27884b5 Tae-oh, her betrothed.0607e8164e258c98

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Because of this, 383465293d Prince Gye-yeon always a514bfe8dc displayed hostility toward fb8765a92c the Hyun brothers 1417c3d47e whenever they met. However, Hyun Tae-oh’s elder dcdcc52cd2 brothers had always avoided ce5af34d0f unnecessary conflict and brushed 3c626ed0a2 off his provocations.35004f7ec4ee6365

But then, 2cf5d74dd1 there was c630f9421e one occasion 9dbfce508c when he 69b353092e crossed paths ac7c240ba6 with Hyun 72e1f0c826 Tae-oh.e40479c48a5ad141

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It had been at 44f779065e a gathering of alumni 01bd485c30 from their academic institution.e69af1e70884a705

Prince Gye-yeon, who had cabc2e1e76 previously boasted about “fixing 1fe092a4e3 that arrogant brat’s manners,” a5ff0f0c2d found himself standing face 93a581f1be to face with Hyun 24132e9fdf Tae-oh.ecd29771fda906c9

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However, rather than confronting 80cac1ce58 him directly, he had ef0215333f chosen to take out ff4f90b4e4 his frustration on Jin 467a4f7568 Mun-seong instead.da10b358efbf559e

“How disgraceful! How dare a mere servant fail to greet his superiors properly?” he had said before striking Jin Mun-seong.20613b8ca1546c2d

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The excuse 7cee9a2d24 was absurd, b4f01a0df5 yet Jin 0885c4d4c8 Mun-seong endured bc8fa0aa14 the blows 3ba23b6f1a without a 30099e221c word.c80571f222f17aed

And Hyun Tae-oh did 851667dcf1 not interfere.eaae4034c3bbcf0e

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Seeing that Hyun Tae-oh 3c99a59de2 wasn’t reacting, Prince Gye-yeon eb75428cab had grown bolder.fb84087b35fdf1a3

Perhaps he e1aad5cfe0 assumed that 3f45e90234 even Hyun d344ea2e87 Tae-oh wouldn’t 5fbc9e20f8 dare lay 8ad2eab4b3 hands on fa91b5da47 a royal.a465af4802581e3c

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Becoming more brazen, 22fe2ed96e he turned to cba742f90f Hyun Tae-oh and 2f543ca98b began taunting him 158f49bf54 directly, even going 3ab04c855a so far as db9998eeb4 to jab a 1cd8703f11 finger at his 66f43782c9 chest.d487ca6006db14d4

Even when bystanders 8939a3750a tried to intervene, df1e7bc37d he ignored them, f3cc0bec02 going as far a244053c8b as lightly pushing 5e977e15aa Hyun Tae-oh’s shoulder.23ab8a6bf3e0c35a

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At that moment, 8261ff5db2 Hyun Tae-oh’s response 4165379a01 was simple.268e4caeb8dbbe68

He silently stared f12883d745 down at Prince bace547b6d Gye-yeon’s smug face.772415c7cfe934c2

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Then, his gaze 5dbc078115 flicked to the 42d298e249 side—to Jin Mun-seong, 388ab053cd who stood quietly, 4b95006084 bloodied yet composed.b1e0621d6143670d

And then—a0e67ef303dc2a8d

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“Mun-seong.”0642eadb4f0e0de3

“Yes?”e8a486e61f79613d

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“How much does a crab cost these days?”ae9efd410dd954bd

At those words, a3268301e0 Prince Gye-yeon’s face 92c3e4da3c turned red with 77970a23de confusion.c425e37156b2f559

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After a b319c656e8 moment of 842dfa837b thought, Jin a884d2bd69 Mun-seong answered dcd865e641 calmly.fa48932e0b3b602c

“I’m not sure. I haven’t checked crab prices in a while.”53fe503772d042c0

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“I see.” Hyun Tae-oh nodded to himself, as if speaking in passing.ffb89d04478577af

“A useless mutt wouldn’t be worth much, no matter how well it’s raised.”ec211d24947f88d2

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And with that, Prince 701cb95a9b Gye-yeon was beaten like 9b69afde12 a dog.8abd478ba8779ce8

The blows cfcf5e4137 were clean, d742228086 precise—breaking bones, bb48c11018 splitting flesh. By the a1b75974b5 time bystanders 4efc852739 thought to 02fc4e7b0f intervene, Prince 66f877a25c Gye-yeon was 796ab1d7cf already on 1757f6fc26 the ground, 32067a8ced unable to 86d048631f get up.7fbc4dc2e805d131

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He spent two months 1861d5d319 in the hospital. Naturally, Prince Uiyang 1bd33f9db4 had gone into d7d4b8633f a frenzy, ranting 3ca8ee4848 about assault charges 6a101a5600 and royal defamation, d39c98341d but with the 4ca4b1c137 war ongoing and dcca2653b0 Hyun Tae-oh returning fb40ac354c victorious from the a855374a17 battlefield time and 3e9181db79 time again, there 993cc67311 was never a 7d2238c704 serious punishment.d87b65a12f407417

The king 1c3c589e78 had simply 7b34b3339a given him d22d1872d9 a mild 1c12760d41 reprimand and 16c2d864a5 issued a b7abf2c5c3 three-month salary e65cbb6bd6 deduction.6f23e81f3b65cb02

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Prince Gye-yeon hadn’t changed c2b0644b35 much after that. However, at 4ccd56bb2c the very 19932dd328 least, when 245d6587dd he encountered 45f279a4c2 Hyun Tae-oh, f79dfb4e5d he no 7d9ba6e296 longer caused 16d1597426 trouble—he only 26046004d6 glared fiercely 59e30e8589 from a bcb8edfc0e distance before b80e978b7e quickly walking 49cc42d865 away.53400b9b9f58057d

“Prince Uiyang is actually quite well-regarded in other aspects. He conducts himself properly and has a decent reputation.”bf633ccfe7cc4baa

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“His own conduct aside, he has to bear the consequences of turning a blind eye to his son’s actions all these years.”345e7666ba55ffdc

Hyun Tae-oh 7d80782090 responded indifferently d2d552c2d3 to Jin 8cf5015a01 Mun-seong’s murmured 47907f0e64 remark, as 27339e9de5 if losing b96e00322a interest in 8354610c5d the topic 7ac7c4d3d9 entirely.6229a934a4bcee73

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By then, they 518e71a81e had exited the c7bec3fdaa palace gates and 6b05c0dc4d reached the parking 50a20cae7f area.1467568b40cc059d

Since the schedule was abfcae5390 light today, Jin Mun-seong, ebc543d8c8 who usually drove himself 5ec2ea7f4b on such occasions, waited 03202aa203 for Hyun Tae-oh to f4750a1afd get into the car dc8997068f before settling into the 76474e38eb driver’s seat.ffa4092bc185a0d2

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“There are no further appointments this afternoon. Shall we head straight home?”04851b9788b92cf9

Hyun Tae-oh tilted his 3ce0389ac4 head slightly, rolling his 7d154ff3a5 neck. A soft 6b1a2af9a8 crack, crack b0171e3982 echoed.9edf9159bdacce1f

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Then, out of nowhere, he asked, “What is Yoo Hyun-jin doing right now?”24dbb0ed18b3c845

Jin Mun-seong 35e2a01ccc blinked at 945e491aa9 him through 7528f0ca3d the rearview 1b3587dcfd mirror, then d4824a80a4 glanced at ddffddaac3 his watch.364f98fadd4e6e26

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“Well… given that it’s been a whole hour and a half since you last saw him, I suppose something drastic could have happened in that time. I can check.”2ef6313947acd4ed

“…Never mind. Let’s just go home.”4eb2a05478481abb

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Hyun Tae-oh leaned back 04d2986452 into the seat. The car 261e2fb89a moved smoothly, 3494e455e2 and they af48a6fe78 began their 7bb4dd527e drive back 11307ae6d6 under the 4ecd288579 warm afternoon 630e32e149 sun.0baf2bfd043aff1c

For a while, Hyun 9a05abbcd2 Tae-oh stared idly out c566415a7b the window, lost in 2d80afd92c thought.5f79d7343e35f9a6

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Then, as they bb13b31691 entered a quieter 062474a14a road leading toward d1a16d06a2 the Hyun family a69dd7baf8 estate, he suddenly d0356fbed7 spoke.1a8abdc669ab376f

“Yoo Hyun-jin…”a762cbaa843e48bc

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“Yes?”1f757bde79c77b03

“Hm… What did he like, again?”9a1297908fa49eac

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Jin Mun-seong glanced 1ef94a8251 at him through 8eead7df45 the mirror. Their gazes met, and 819716a081 Hyun Tae-oh frowned slightly.271abc83c786f893

“If I’m supposed to be dating him, I should at least know something about him. And I should probably give him something.”e474762cd1ec45ae

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“I’ll find out.”d090873d7fd7bb82

Jin Mun-seong nodded.ee1bcdacb3e3c317

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Hyun Tae-oh ec448ad87a fell silent c0a415fe66 again, watching 9eb8951689 the passing ae5c53a38f scenery.56f880f93762e221

Just as 881e83838e the Hyun ea2ea2e9c1 estate’s gates 5963b99958 came into 635c8312cf view, Jin b7babe5487 Mun-seong spoke, 022ab47f24 slowly and bb92c82716 deliberately.fb68e8dfca3a9a44

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“Well, in most relationships, the man typically gives the woman flowers, jewelry, or some other ornament.”2e0379c0abc0ff31

“Yoo Hyun-jin isn’t a woman.”020d1d626445c41f

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“Which makes things easier. Men tend to like things such as cars, watches, or even a beautiful wo—”b8363100da3b613d

Mid-sentence, Jin Mun-seong 6a2c964923 cut himself off.9af6eec108f88350

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He had been carefully 3bc4497e30 steering around a delivery 2abda8e8a9 truck parked awkwardly near be91319b7c the garage, but now 90fff5bfd0 he could feel the c7a2755a44 intense stare boring into ad821dc22a the back of his adc5c58c2a head.94c57ca2f4ae3aba

Even without looking, he a34a24900b knew exactly what expression dc2e56ffb4 was waiting for him 4219e4664b in the mirror.45935874a65c233c

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“Cars, watches, or what?”cfc3a9feed1583b2

“…Never mind. I got mixed up for a moment, thinking about things I would like.”3aaac470d471927f

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“Mun-seong. Focus.”9775953d9639c5ab

“Yes, sir.”e80944c707466ba8

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Hyun Tae-oh didn’t 864dbc8fc5 press further.d42c1d4bcdd4e12d

Jin Mun-seong, 67f8a9ae8f still sorting aef09dc650 through his 1818c19314 own confusion, afbe492ab9 executed a 6de1f92c42 flawless parking e82e1551cc maneuver.79112d9f4fc85be1

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Meanwhile, Hyun 4d4c05351c Tae-oh, staring dabec36e36 absently out da1271500f the window, 9c186f7775 clicked his ad97b71f81 tongue as 99f63441ec he got 4b69eeba44 out of 02daf32e48 the car.4c61cd529bd2eb93

“Forget it. It’s all for show anyway. There’s no reason to go out of my way for him.”b0e08ff04a6dcab8

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His tone was 7bf30b943f dismissive.0e10b00d0581342d

“Instead, just make sure he has a proper place to stay. My mother was rather insistent about treating him well, so we should be considerate, don’t you think? …Somewhere close to the main house would be best.”6b864e028d17660a

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“Understood.”4025e0462e1a06a8

And with that, the e38f309b9a conversation ended.fae44ffc44bf752f

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