Wow. This—he’d only heard about it, but farming really was no ordinary work.
Moreover, the sight of a prince, and Hwan at that, directly coming out to dig up potatoes seemed fascinating to everyone even though they pretended otherwise. Not only did the people working with him keep glancing sideways, but they’d also called in journalists for publicity and whatnot, who were excitedly taking photos from the side.
So how could he possibly complain about it being difficult or even furrow his brows once?
In truth, if he put his mind to it, he could have done so, but this time the story was different. He’d come here to help Huiseo even a little to begin with, so he tried not to cause a fuss because of himself.
Still, it was tiring.
Even someone like him who loved exercise and had good stamina found it more than ordinarily exhausting. Naturally, this led to worry about Huiseo. That pale guy who usually just read books indoors. If anything, it would be more tiring for him, not less.
As expected. When he turned around, Huiseo was flushed red like a ripe apple.
‘I knew this would happen.’
That’s why he’d told him earlier to switch to the children’s education volunteer side, but Huiseo had stubbornly insisted.
Since it was an outdoor event, they’d naturally brought the security team along without fail. Kang wasn’t someone who would overlook such things being so thorough. If anything, he’d even gone overboard preparing because he was sending Hwan and Huiseo. Yet Huiseo had insisted on sticking by Hwan’s side as if something would happen if he left, not knowing his place.
Since being together was also good for Hwan, he’d let it be, but it seemed that couldn’t continue anymore.
‘At this rate, he’ll fall ill again.’
Hwan, who disliked that more, grabbed Huiseo’s hoe as if snatching it away and called to him.
“Huiseo-ya.”
“Yes?”
“That’s enough. Go inside now.”
“…It’s not enough yet.”
Again. Huiseo’s lips pouted as he stubbornly insisted on something futile.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand those frustrated feelings since it wasn’t going smoothly like studying. But seeing Huiseo, who was already exhausted yet stubbornly persisting, Hwan saw his own immature self. Usually, it was Huiseo’s role to sternly admonish such behavior, but this time, amusingly, the situation was completely reversed.
“I’m not saying to rest—there’s plenty to do inside. You think dealing with kids will be easy?”
Was the sun about to rise in the west? Hwan said too many correct things. While Huiseo, who rarely lost in logic, hesitated without easily answering, Hwan seized the opportunity and his nagging grew.
“What did hyung say when he sent you? Why did I follow along obediently? Are you going to say you just dug potatoes all day without any chance to ask and learn about those things?”
“……….”
There was nothing to say. It was a complete defeat.
Thus, Huiseo, who had no choice but to give in, called out to Hwan like a last act of stubbornness.
“…Then Your Highness should come in too.”
“That won’t work. For someone like me, that doesn’t make for a good picture.”
“Picture?”
“There’s such a thing.”
Because of that, the bickering continued a bit more, and eventually Huiseo ended up being chased away as if he were in the way. Even so, watching him keep looking back as he hesitantly moved away, Hwan finally sat back down and started hoeing again only when Huiseo was no longer visible.
At first, pride filled his chest—pride that he’d finally sent Huiseo inside, that he’d kept him from getting hurt.
However, facing the repetitive simple labor, idle thoughts multiplied.
‘University students…’
Huiseo will go to university too, right?
Since they were both about to become third-years, it was a natural flow of thought.
Huiseo would definitely go to university. If a smart guy like Huiseo didn’t go, then who would? He didn’t know what major he’d aim for, but there too, what was it called. Top of the department. That would be basic for him. He’d surely sweep up scholarships too.
‘Amazing.’
He felt proud thinking that without a shred of doubt.
But on the other hand, this thought also crossed his mind.
‘…Then what about me?’
Hwan’s hoeing, which had been striking the ground repeatedly, slowed down.
Come to think of it, that was right. Unlike Huiseo, he wasn’t particularly interested in studying, nor was it suited to him. What would change if such a guy went to university? Tuition wasn’t pocket change either, and he could already see the situation where he’d just get cursed at for melting away taxes.
‘So what will I do after graduating from university?’
Could he even get a job somewhere? Though they gave him no power to speak of, they’d completely bound the imperial family’s hands and feet with things like “prevention of using power for private gain.” After blocking economic activities like that, they cursed at them for living off taxes.
Then what was he supposed to do?
It couldn’t be more unreasonable even if it tried.
Despite such circumstances, his brothers Kang and Ho had gone to university, braving the difficulties of their situation. There was probably the aspect of being the Crown Prince who would become the next Emperor and the prince right below him, and they personally had the will to learn. But Hwan was neither the former nor the latter, so his situation was a bit different.
The only reason he wanted to go to university was solely because of the wish to “be with Huiseo.”
With such a mindset, it would be problematic even if he forced himself to go to university. Unlike following the Imperial Education Institute’s course from elementary through high school until now, university had more diverse options.
‘Could I go to the same school as Huiseo?’
…Realistically impossible.
Then should he tell Huiseo to lower himself to a school matching his level?
There would be no greater trash in the world.
So Hwan thought that the only path remaining before him was probably to go to the military early right after graduating high school. Since there wasn’t much else to do anyway, he didn’t have much complaint in that regard, but.
‘Then what about Huiseo during that time?’
Becoming a freshman, attending classes with other friends, doing assignments, eating… He’d probably be popular, our Huiseo. Because he’s smart and pretends otherwise but is actually very kind.
‘Then if he happens to get pushed into something like a group blind date…’
At the end of continuing that train of thought, Hwan’s hoe struck the ground viciously.
“That won’t do, will it?”
“Yes, that won’t do.”
Suddenly the village head beside him butted in, saying that and clicking his tongue.
When the startled Hwan turned around to see what was wrong, his hoe, which he’d struck down while lost in thought just now, had pierced a potato instead of the ground. Having struck down mercilessly, it was properly stuck in the hoe.
Embarrassed by the gathering gazes, he hastily pulled it off, but an explanation followed like a reproach that a potato with such a large wound had no commercial value.
Hwan silently looked down at that potato in his hand as if it were himself.
***
‘Is Lee Kang in his right mind?’
It was an absurd story, but did he perhaps want to run for Prime Minister or something? If that was the purpose, he should come out and work himself—he couldn’t understand why he was making innocent people like them do such pointless things.
The reason Hwan was heating up like this was because he’d only just now learned that what he thought would end with half a day of volunteer work that day actually included a visit to a nearby traditional market the next morning.
‘How can he handle work like this?’
Does it even make sense not to inform the actual person until the day of?
‘Is he kidding?’
If it weren’t for the overnight stay with Huiseo, he absolutely wouldn’t have put up with it.
“…Ahem.”
Though his mouth kept grumbling, Hwan’s expression wasn’t like that at all. The effort he was making to pull down his lips that kept trying to rise was obvious to anyone watching.
In truth, that was right. It was a prize he’d barely earned only after studying his nose bloody.
Compared to that, what were a few boxes of potatoes?
His limbs were trembling, but he could adequately pretend not to notice.
Moreover, rarely leaving the palace and being in such a quiet countryside, he felt as if he’d come on a trip or something.
A pitch-black night filled with the sounds of insects chirping. Though it could never be true, the illusion that only the two of them had been left in this vast place made Hwan extremely ecstatic.
Though his body weighed a ton, he still felt it was a shame for this night to pass as it was.
Thus, Hwan came outside and settled onto the wooden platform in the yard. Huiseo, who’d come out late after washing, approached his side.
“It’s dangerous if you come out like this.”
At those words, Hwan let out a chuckle instead of answering.
It was the countryside so there was little light at night making it hard to see, but the security team around them was probably almost surrounding them—what needless worry. Did he think he’d suddenly get sniped like in some movie? In our country?
“Really? Me?”
At the end of the day, he wasn’t the father or the older brother.
It was a self-deprecating question asking who would go to such pointless and troublesome effort. No matter what Huiseo said, he thought it was an unchanging fact.
But when Huiseo, who he’d expected would immediately start nagging, unexpectedly came and sat beside him without much to say, Hwan looked a bit bewildered. What? Was that agreement? Did he think what he said was right too?
‘You also think I’m that pathetic?’
Having spouted harsh words with his own mouth until now, amusingly, Hwan’s two pupils wavered endlessly. Though Huiseo should have noticed that, only a curt answer came back.
“If Your Highness says so, then it must be so.”
Somehow those words pricked Hwan’s heart.
Only then did Hwan realize that Huiseo hadn’t said anything not because he was indifferent, but because he was angry at him for putting himself down with his own mouth. He could tell well from the formal speech he was using meticulously even though only the two of them were there, or from the posture of thoroughly turning his back to him.
Like a fool. Even if it were really true, he hadn’t thought that Huiseo would be upset if he said such things himself.
“…It’s a joke. The security team came in large numbers so it’s not dangerous at all, right.”
“Don’t say such things even as a joke. No matter what anyone says, Your Highness is a prince of this country.”
“Ah, okay. I won’t. I won’t.”
“……”
“Really.”
Only after Hwan coaxed and soothed him like that did Huiseo finally give him his gaze again.
“…Really don’t.”
Though his eyes were still glaring as if upset, seeing the end of his small mutter grow shorter, he thought his heart had softened somewhat. So Hwan, riding the momentum to lighten the mood, slyly grabbed Huiseo’s hand and said playfully:
“Don’t trust hyung?”
“What hyung.”
Then Huiseo finally laughed.
Strictly speaking, it was something like a snort, but that was also needlessly pretty, so Hwan’s heart pounded.
