IBPC | Chapter 14.3

But despite Dubo’s urging, Seoyul hesitated and staggered towards his room.

But…

“My bag… is in the room…”

“What?”

“My bag is there—”

Seoyul began to push through the crowd of people and head towards his room. Dubo, looking flustered, grabbed Seoyul.

“You can’t, it’s dangerous!”

But Seoyul shook off Dubo and ran towards the smoke-filled stairs.

“Seoyul-nim!!”

⊹₊⟡⋆

Heegon, dressed in the heavy and cumbersome ceremonial attire, ran and ran. As he left the place where the ceremony was held and headed towards his quarters, the black smoke covering the sky grew larger, and the acrid smell filled the air.

The more it did, the more his heart raced uncontrollably, unable to calm down. Like him, many eunuchs and court ladies were heading towards the quarters. Everyone seemed to be trying to contain the flames.

Where did the fire start? How long did it take to discover it? That child, surely he had enough time to escape?

…Did he escape?

While trying to soothe his ominous feelings, Heegon frantically reached his quarters. He hadn’t even gotten close when the heat from the flames touched his cheeks.

“Your Highness!”

As Heegon entered, the gathered eunuchs noticed him and rushed over in a panic.

“Please leave, it’s dangerous!”

Despite the eunuchs’ attempts to stop him, Heegon moved forward. He saw his quarters engulfed in flames. Especially the upper floor at the end of the corridor where Seoyul was. It was blazing fiercely.

I thought not. That child’s room—

“…Where… is he?”

Staring at it as if entranced, Heegon looked around.

“Yul, that child…!”

“Your Highness!”

Pushing through the crowd, Heegon shouted in a daze. Then the eunuchs followed and grabbed him.

“Please, don’t do this and get outside first…!”

“Where is that child!!”

Heegon grabbed the collar of the eunuch holding him and pushed him away roughly. When he shouted, the frightened eunuch trembled and belatedly pointed in one direction.

“……?”

Then he saw other eunuchs gathered in one place. Four or five eunuchs seemed to be surrounding someone. Through them, he saw two legs stretched out on the ground. Bare feet, not even wearing shoes. The clothes were all severely scorched.

Just by looking at the hem of the clothes, he knew. It was Seoyul.

Heegon, clutching his heart that had sunk, staggered over there. He pushed aside the gathered eunuchs and squeezed through.

“―!!”

Then he saw it. Seoyul, leaning against Dubo, sitting on the ground.

His short hair was disheveled. His clothes were burnt to a mess. But Seoyul’s face was only slightly flushed, with no visible injuries.

“…Your Highness?”

Seoyul looked up at him with wide eyes. Heegon finally exhaled properly and looked at Seoyul. Dubo, who was supporting Seoyul, began to explain the situation to Heegon.

“Seoyul-nim is fine. He twisted his ankle a bit while trying to gather his belongings…”

Whether he heard Dubo’s words or not, Heegon took several deep breaths.

“……”

Heegon looked at Seoyul with eyes that shook uncontrollably.

His heart… was pounding with another kind of resonance. Seeing Seoyul safe was a relief, but…

Just moments ago, countless worst-case scenarios had choked him and then disappeared. The afterimage left behind was quite vivid. This relief couldn’t wash it all away.

Heegon stared at Seoyul for a long time, then bit the inside of his cheek hard.

Ah, this child…

Heegon’s throat was so tight that he couldn’t make a sound.

His feelings for Seoyul. It wasn’t just about being important or not wanting to let him go.

He had come to cherish this existence deeply.

I… love Min Seoyul.

As the unknown entity that tormented him so much was laid bare, Heegon felt both relief and despair.

It made him unlike himself, blinded by uncontrollable possessiveness, and made him desperately anxious about the possibility of losing him. Perhaps he hadn’t realized it because it wasn’t a beautiful feeling.

The first emotion of love he had ever felt for someone other than his blood relatives… he hadn’t expected it to be so ugly.

Heegon raised his hand to cover his eyes. Unable to handle his own emotions, he stood there for a moment before slowly lowering himself in front of Seoyul. Then he reached out and hugged Seoyul tightly.

“Um…!”

As Heegon did so, surrounded by eunuchs, Seoyul flinched and shrank back. Embarrassed, he tried to push him away, but he felt Heegon’s trembling.

“……?”

The thin breath escaping, the arms holding him, were trembling endlessly. Moreover, he could feel the heartbeat pounding so fiercely in his chest that it seemed to echo within him.

Why…?

Seoyul’s eyes trembled in response, unable to push him away.

While the fire in the quarters was being contained by many hands, the flames burning within Heegon and Seoyul remained.

⊹₊⟡⋆

Fortunately, the fire was well-contained, and there was no significant damage. However, half of Heegon’s quarters were scorched by the flames, and the smell of burning lingered outside.

As a result, they had no choice but to quickly clear out the largest annex of Heegon’s quarters and prepare a place. Heegon laid Seoyul on the newly prepared bed and checked his injuries once more. His twisted ankle was more swollen than before.

“Are you okay?”

When asked, Seoyul moved his injured foot and nodded.

“Yes. It doesn’t seem broken… I’m okay.”

At Seoyul’s response, Heegon sighed.

“……”

“……”

And then there was silence.

Heegon said nothing more, and Seoyul only watched Heegon, showing no reaction.

After some time had passed, Heegon stood up from his seat.

“I’ll have the washroom prepared, so wash up first. Then have something to eat—”

But before Heegon could finish speaking, there was a presence in the annex, and the door opened without his command.

“……?”

When Heegon turned around, he saw three or four eunuchs he had never seen before entering. They were quite elderly and wore different clothes from the usual eunuchs.

Seoyul, not knowing what was happening, looked up at Heegon.

Who are they?

Unlike Seoyul’s curiosity, Heegon seemed to have anticipated this situation.

It seemed the ceremony had finally ended.

Heegon turned towards the entering eunuchs, shielding Seoyul’s body. The eunuchs stood before Heegon, briefly bowed, and spoke in a voice that carried a sense of authority.

“Apologies, but you must come with us.”

The eunuchs showed no sign of intimidation in front of Heegon. They were the senior eunuchs who served King Eulsa closely.

Heegon had left the ceremony without completing the ritual. It was obvious what kind of repercussions that would bring.

“……”

Seoyul couldn’t understand the situation, but sensing the tense atmosphere, he lightly grasped the hem of Heegon’s clothes. Heegon felt it and looked back at Seoyul. Seoyul looked up at Heegon, seemingly anxious.

“What’s going on?”

Could it be a problem because of the fire in his room?

When Seoyul asked anxiously, Heegon calmly patted Seoyul’s hand a couple of times before letting go.

“It’s nothing, just rest.”

Leaving those words, Heegon lightly held Seoyul’s face before letting go. Then he followed the senior eunuchs out of the room.

“……”

Watching Heegon’s retreating figure, Seoyul lightly clutched his chest.

And that night, Heegon couldn’t return to the annex. No, he wouldn’t be able to return for a while.

⊹₊⟡⋆

Heegon was summoned by King Eulsa but couldn’t meet him. King Eulsa, filled with anger, summoned Heegon but refused to see him. It meant one thing.

Until King Eulsa granted permission, Heegon had to kneel in front of King Eulsa’s quarters.

On the hard stone floor without any shade. Sitting there, Heegon couldn’t sleep, eat, or drink, waiting for King Eulsa’s decision.

No one was allowed to approach him. The sound of countless eunuchs and court ladies whispering echoed behind him, and there were mocking smiles filled with wariness from other princes. But Heegon endured it all with calm, kneeling on his knees. He had already prepared for this when he left the ceremony.

From then until today. It was the fourth day.

“What happened?”

Seoyul had already sent Dubo to Heegon three times today. Dubo, who had checked on Heegon’s condition, now seemed too exhausted to convey it all in words.

“Still… the same.”

At Dubo’s unchanged answer, Seoyul anxiously fiddled with his fingertips.

It had been four days since Heegon left with the eunuchs. The news he heard later was that he was being punished for neglecting the ceremony and incurring King Eulsa’s wrath.

At first, he thought it would be over soon, but it turned into two days, three days, and today marked the fourth day.

“Isn’t he the most favored prince? How long does he plan to punish him?”

At Seoyul’s frustrated sigh, Dubo replied with a sympathetic expression.

“His Majesty can’t do anything about it. He cherishes the prince, so he’s being harsher. Otherwise, the factions that don’t favor the prince would surely tear him apart.”

“……”

“Still, it’s better to be punished by His Majesty than to be targeted by other nobles.”

“But…”

It’s already been four days. No matter how much he’s Heegon, he might end up in a funeral. Seoyul felt uncomfortable, as if it were his fault. No, it was more than uncomfortable. He wanted to go to Heegon immediately, but he knew he couldn’t, which made it even more frustrating.

Running to the fire without completing the ceremony upon hearing about the fire in his quarters. He knew better than anyone how important that position was for someone hoping to be appointed Crown Prince.

Because I’m carrying his child?

But Heegon wanted a child for the sake of being appointed Crown Prince. In that case, for Heegon, completing the ceremony was more important than the child in his womb.

“……”

Seoyul recalled Heegon, who had looked down at him with a pale face on the day of the fire. The trembling arms that had embraced him.

Why… are you…?

Seoyul eventually covered his mouth with his clasped hands and closed his eyes.

He couldn’t make sense of his complicated feelings, but for now, he just hoped for Heegon’s safety.