The moment they arrived at Byeoksong Palace, Wei Wuyuan roughly dragged Ha-hyeon toward the bathing chamber. It was already thick with warm steam. Wol and the maidservants had prepared it so that the Emperor could bathe comfortably whenever he arrived, no matter the hour.
Sa Ha-hyeon watched Wei Wuyuan’s expression carefully. His face was set hard — whether from the cold or something else, it was difficult to say. Perhaps anger. Or perhaps both at once.
Ha-hyeon dropped a few drops of fragrant oil into the bath and scattered flower petals across the surface. He set out towels for drying and a fresh change of clothes, then returned to the Emperor’s side and spoke.
“The water temperature is just right. Your Majesty, please go in quickly.”
He had just moved to help Wei Wuyuan out of his outer robe when —
“Stop.”
Wei Wuyuan swatted Ha-hyeon’s hand away roughly. When Ha-hyeon looked up in surprise, Wei Wuyuan twisted his lips with an expression of disbelief.
“Yeong-ui, there is something you do not know. Before coming to Byeoksong Palace, I always perform a ritual cleansing. Without fail, not a single day skipped.”
“You mean you already bathed before coming here?”
Ha-hyeon blinked and asked again. He genuinely had no idea. Well — setting that aside — if he had already bathed, why was he bathing again upon arriving at Byeoksong Palace? It made no sense at all. Twice in one day, back to back? Could he have mysophobia? Everyone said he was impossibly busy with affairs of state every single day — could it be that half of that busy time was spent bathing?
“That is correct.”
“I had no idea. I apologize. Then, shall we proceed directly to the bedchamber?”
“You wouldn’t have noticed, because you have no interest in me.”
“No interest? That is absolutely not the case. What a hurtful thing to say.”
It wasn’t an empty protest. Aside from the time spent honing his martial arts — the one joy in his day — Sa Ha-hyeon’s daily life was consumed entirely by efforts to cater to the Emperor’s taste and earn his favor.
For instance: every day, mountains of elaborate ornaments and silk robes were sent down, and he had to coordinate the colors so they didn’t look gaudy. He wore fragrant sachets with a subtle scent, smoothed hair oil until his hair gleamed, and kept himself meticulously groomed.
And that wasn’t all. Sitting still as a doll with perfect, unwavering posture while waiting, warming the bedchamber’s bedding until it was soft and cozy before the Emperor arrived — what was all of that, if not entirely for the Emperor’s sake?
He was working this hard to keep his superior’s mood, and yet — no interest. That was too much.
“Hurtful? If anyone should feel hurt, it is me. I was worried about Yeong-ui, training in the falling snow, and set aside a mountain of state affairs to rush here at once. And yet, when I arrived, Yeong-ui was wearing another man’s robe — a man who is not even her husband — carrying on in that secluded storage shed.”
It was an absurd stretch. The storage shed had been desolate rather than secluded, and carrying on was even further from the truth. Wei Wuyuan shook his head as if it weren’t even worth listening to.
“Right now, your body reeks of that filthy man’s stench.”
“That is…….”
Sa Ha-hyeon was at a loss for words. The filthy man’s stench the Emperor was detecting might very well be Sa Ha-hyeon’s own. Well — no matter how much someone sweated, a woman’s body shouldn’t smell quite like this. Ha-hyeon subtly tilted his head diagonally and tried to sniff himself.
Hmm. I don’t think so. I can’t smell anything…….
“Take off your clothes and get into the bath.”
“Your Majesty…….”
What was this now?
“That is an order.”
The imperial command fell like frost. But Ha-hyeon stood there, lips pressed firmly shut, not moving an inch. Even if he was the Emperor, treating a person like an object like this — that wasn’t right.
Ha-hyeon dug in stubbornly and refused to move.
“Yeong-ui, is this also because you are unfamiliar with the laws of the imperial palace? Did the maidservants not even teach you something this basic?”
“…….”
“Very well. Whose head must I take first before Yeong-ui comes to understand? Shall I start with that Wol girl, or perhaps…….”
Is this Emperor out of his mind?
“No! I will get in immediately. How can you say something so terrifying? I’ll bathe. Bathing is all it takes, isn’t it?”
Ha-hyeon panicked. He couldn’t stand by and watch innocent people die because of him. He locked the bathing chamber door, let down his hair, and removed his outer robe. Layer after layer of clothing piled up at his feet. Ha-hyeon did not remove the last remaining undergarment. Wrapping both forearms over his chest as if to cover it, he stepped onto the wooden steps leading into the bath. The Emperor, who had been watching this, tilted his head slightly to the side.
“You did not say to remove everything.”
Ha-hyeon mumbled in a voice that was barely audible. He was trying to get into the water and hide his body before Wei Wuyuan could add that he should take that off too. He stepped up onto the wooden steps beside the bath and moved to dip the tips of his toes into the steaming water.
“Huh? Whoa!”
Perhaps it was the urgency. His foot caught on the hem of his skirt. Ha-hyeon’s body tilted. He lost his balance and tumbled headfirst straight into the bath.
Splash!
A massive wave of water erupted. Ha-hyeon’s backside hit the bottom of the tub. Water rushed mercilessly into his nose and mouth. Only after gulping down several mouthfuls of water was he able to press his hands against the floor and push his face back above the surface.
“Pfhah! Cough, cough!“
His eyes stung so badly he could barely open them. What miserable luck. The embarrassment was enough to make him wish he’d just blacked out.
“Yeong-ui!”
The Emperor’s arms plunged into the water and seized Ha-hyeon by both forearms in an iron grip. When Ha-hyeon fluttered his waterlogged lashes open, Wei Wuyuan’s face was right there, inches away. He was wide-eyed, his face drained pale white — as though he had just watched someone die right before him.
“Your — Your Majesty!”
“Are you alright?!”
Wei Wuyuan paid no mind to his silk sleeves being completely soaked through and plunged both arms deep into the bath, hauling Ha-hyeon upright in one swift motion. The grip holding Ha-hyeon was so powerful it felt like his arms might be crushed.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. Please calm yourself.”
The commotion in the bathing chamber came to an anticlimactic end as Ha-hyeon hastily dried himself and scrambled out.
As if he had never threatened to lop off the maidservants’ heads just moments ago, Wei Wuyuan returned to his usual self.
The two of them lay side by side on the wide bed as they always did, sharing a single blanket. Perhaps because the tension had finally released — Ha-hyeon’s body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. He had trained through a blizzard in the afternoon, shivered in the storage shed, and then made a disaster of himself in the bathtub — it would have been strange if he hadn’t come down with something. The chills creeping through him were unmistakably the signs of a cold setting in.
Wei Wuyuan clicked his tongue at the sight of cold sweat beading across Ha-hyeon’s forehead.
“Summon the Imperial Physician.”
A short while later, an elderly man leaning on a cane entered the bedchamber. Wei Wuyuan draped a thin silk cloth over Ha-hyeon’s wrist and gave the old man a short, cool command.
“Take his pulse. Nothing more.”
The old man bowed his head with practiced ease and carefully placed his fingers over Ha-hyeon’s wrist atop the silk. Ha-hyeon held his arm still and studied the old man’s face. His eyes were hazy and unfocused, gazing into empty air. The movements of his hands didn’t look like he was working by sight — rather, he seemed to feel his way by sense alone.
After furrowing his brow for a long while, the Imperial Physician opened his mouth.
“The natural constitution is strong, but the current vitality is severely depleted. Absolute rest for both body and mind is essential.”
“And so?”
“For the time being, strenuous physical exertion must be avoided. Only with ample rest will it be possible to restore one’s energy.”
The moment the Imperial Physician delivered his verdict, Wei Wuyuan nodded as though he had been waiting for exactly this.
“Did you hear that, Yeong-ui?”
Wei Wuyuan dismissed the Imperial Physician, then pulled the blanket up to Ha-hyeon’s chin and spoke with firm resolve.
“From today, martial arts training is forbidden. Rest well.”
……What the hell?
Ha-hyeon turned his head slightly so Wei Wuyuan couldn’t see his face, and shot a glare at the old man. It was a silent threat to retract his diagnosis — but there was no chance the old man caught the meaning.
Martial arts training forbidden — just hearing it made him feel like his muscles were already dissolving. Building physical strength was important, but Ha-hyeon had things he needed to learn through his Instructor. He had to find out the contents of the memoir left behind by the predecessor who had possessed this world. If he couldn’t train, he couldn’t see the Instructor either.
“Your Majesty, I am perfectly fine! This is just a moment of fatigue, nothing more — I have more than enough stamina! By tomorrow morning I’ll be completely…….”
“Enough.”
Ha-hyeon arranged his face into the most pitiful expression in the world in an attempt to appeal to the Emperor’s sympathy.
“Your Majesty. This consort truly is fine. I am actually the type whose constitution grows weaker without physical activity. If I stop training, my energy may deteriorate even further.”
He gently tugged at the Emperor’s sleeve.
“Is that so…….”
Wei Wuyuan stroked Ha-hyeon’s cheek with an expression of gentle concern and spoke quietly.
“So it is because Yeong-ui’s body is not well — that despite our nightly unions, there is still no news of conception.”
“……Pardon?”
Ha-hyeon’s eyes went wide as saucers. What on earth is this man saying?
“Every night I pour my heart and soul into planting my seed within you. And yet there has been no word of pregnancy — I had wondered why, and it seems it is because your vitality is depleted.”
“……!”
What utter nonsense. Planting his seed? We just hold hands and sleep. How is holding hands planting a seed?
Ha-hyeon’s vision swam. Was this a joke? It was far too unfunny to be one. Surely he didn’t actually believe that a child could result from merely holding hands while sleeping. Surely. Truly surely. Did he think children were brought by a phoenix, or perhaps delivered by the goddess of birth……
But whether he knew Ha-hyeon’s inner thoughts or not, Wei Wuyuan’s expression was dead serious. What was even more baffling was the Imperial Physician’s reaction upon hearing this.
“Your Majesty speaks wisely.”
The blind Imperial Physician nodded gravely, like a sage who had just arrived at enlightenment.
“This physician now understands what Your Majesty’s concern is. When preparing the medicinal decoction, I will spare no expense — not only on herbs to restore vitality, but on precious medicines to aid in conception as well.”
“Good. I am counting on you. The senior ministers of the court have been expressing much worry that I have yet to produce an heir. I understand there are those who place the blame on me — but it turns out the issue lies with Yeong-ui after all.”
Wei Wuyuan let a subtle smile cross his face, then continued.
“This puts my mind at ease. However, Yeong-ui must recover her strength as soon as possible. I too shall exert greater effort each night. See to it with special care. Yeong-ui’s body is the future of the imperial family.”
“I will bear it in mind. Most earnestly.”
Watching the Imperial Physician’s retreating back as he withdrew, Ha-hyeon screamed inwardly.
