“I’ll use those attendants to confuse the location. The attendants will all return to the kingdom together with the priests you send.”
If he handled things that way, there certainly wouldn’t be anyone who would suspect the prince was at the imperial palace.
However, a prince of a nation wandering around without attendants. In this foreign country, not even his own?
“…No matter how much it’s the imperial palace, it could be dangerous.”
“I have the power to protect myself.”
Angel just nodded her head. She had to leave the Temple soon, so there was no time to argue with the prince.
‘He must have some means.’
Up until now, she had dealt with the prince in various ways to find out other secrets he was hiding, but the prince never opened his mouth unless he wanted to. Angel tidied up her seat and spoke.
“Then I’ll be going. Should we meet in front of the imperial palace as planned?”
“Yes. Make sure to go on time.”
Angel left the room, leaving the prince behind. And she went to find the high-ranking priests who would depart for the kingdom and exchanged greetings with them.
Those who had decided to depart for the kingdom at Angel’s request were people who respected Angel as the Holy Maiden, and they readily granted her request without her even giving them a proper reason.
‘I can only hope they find out something.’
Angel, who had boarded the carriage, leaned back against the chair and let out a long sigh.
***
Making his nervousness feel pointless, Rosetta who had returned last night hadn’t particularly made any special remarks or actions.
Except for Rosetta really attaching a string to the eunjangdo to make it like a pendant and putting it around his neck, there was nothing special.
Seoho, who had been treating Rosetta a bit stiffly, also had his awkwardness quickly disappear when Rosetta acted as usual and smiled a few times.
‘Am I a bit simple?’
And now, having slept well and woken up, Seoho felt like what had happened yesterday morning really was nothing.
‘Though it actually is nothing.’
Seoho, who had glanced back at Rosetta, smiled awkwardly at him who met his eyes as if he had been waiting.
“Seoho, why?”
He couldn’t say he had been reminding himself that the kiss you gave the day before really had no meaning. Seoho took in the appearance of Rosetta who had his hair swept back revealing his forehead, unlike usual, and answered appropriately.
“Since you swept back your hair, you look like a different person.”
Rosetta frowned and asked back.
“Is that bad?”
Rosetta looked ready to call a servant again right away to mess up his hair. As Puti’s face, who was standing behind Rosetta, darkened, Seoho quickly answered.
“No, you’re handsome.”
Rosetta with his hair swept back was actually handsome. He looked neater and more cold than usual, and it suited him well.
At Seoho’s words, Puti was greatly relieved along with Rosetta.
“You’re beautiful too.”
And at Rosetta’s words that flowed out, Seoho let out a laugh close to a hollow laugh.
It felt like a lie when such a handsome person said such things. But Seoho didn’t bother denying Rosetta’s words and nodded his head.
‘It’ll be the same pattern as last time.’
Seoho turned his head forward and looked at the mirror.
‘I did dress up too.’
The white shirt that seemed to flow down softly and the neat black pants looked ordinary at a glance, but the overall bearing was different, whether it was because the fabric was luxurious.
‘It’s like I’m not wearing clothes.’
Though he wasn’t particularly short originally, he seemed to look taller than usual. On top of that, his hair was neatly trimmed and he even had light makeup, so his features looked more distinct.
“I feel a bit awkward.”
At Seoho’s words, Rosetta approached him with long strides and said.
“I want to preserve this in a painting. Since you’ve dressed up like this for once, it would be good to paint a portrait too.”
“A portrait?”
Rosetta ticklingly fondled Seoho’s nape that was neatly revealed thanks to Puti’s trimming. At the uninhibited skinship, Seoho flinched and raised his shoulders. But Rosetta continued speaking regardless.
“Yes, should I look for a painter who can preserve this appearance as it is?”
At his face that showed no sign of ulterior motives at all, Seoho dropped his tightly raised shoulders. Since he was someone who originally had a lot of skinship, it wasn’t anything new.
Seoho tried to ignore Rosetta’s hand that was still fondling the back of his neck and focused on his words.
‘Doesn’t it take quite a long time to paint a portrait?’
Since he had never had one painted, it was difficult to gauge the exact time. It would have been nice if there was a camera at a time like this.
Though it was a bit awkward, he didn’t dislike this appearance where he was more dressed up than usual. Seoho asked with a hopeful heart.
“Um, isn’t there a way to preserve it with magic?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Is there?”
At Rosetta’s question, Puti answered.
“I’ll ask Aris-nim.”
“Also find out if there’s a decent painter.”
Puti, who had nodded, checked the time and said.
“Angel-nim should have arrived at the reception room by now.”
At the words that Angel had arrived, Rosetta looked at Seoho.
“Seoho, are you ready?”
“Whew, yes.”
Actually, the reason Seoho had dressed up like this today was to meet Angel together with Rosetta. At Seoho’s sigh, Rosetta asked worriedly.
“Seoho, are you nervous?”
“…I am a bit nervous, but still, since Rosetta is here, I’m okay.”
Because he had faith that Rosetta would solve any problems that arose, he had accepted without hesitation Rosetta’s proposal to meet Angel together.
‘And I’m also curious about the story about the mirror.’
Since it was something related to himself, he wanted to know information without omission or addition.
“……”
Seoho, who had been taking a deep breath to relieve his tension, looked up at Rosetta at the stinging gaze he felt on his face.
“Rosetta?”
At Seoho’s call, Rosetta smiled.
“Yes.”
Unlike the gently rising corners of his mouth, his eyes weren’t smiling at all. But before Seoho could notice it, Puti noticed such a Rosetta and stepped forward.
“Ahem, shall we go now?”
“Yes. Seoho?”
Seoho lightly pushed away Rosetta’s hand that reached out as if telling him to link arms and stood next to him. No matter how much Rosetta liked skinship, linking arms was a bit much.
‘I wonder if he’s disappointed…’
He sneakily watched Rosetta’s mood, but he was lowering his hand and moving his feet as if it wasn’t a big deal. The relieved Seoho moved in step with such a Rosetta.
Since they were within the same palace, the reception room wasn’t very far. Rosetta raised his hand to stop the servant from announcing their arrival, then looked back at Seoho as if asking if he was okay. Seoho moved his lips saying thank you.
Rosetta’s hand suddenly rose up, then dropped down without doing anything. He was looking at that hand as if it was strange when Rosetta turned his head and gave the servant a look.
The servant announced their arrival while opening the door.
“His Majesty the Emperor and Seoho-nim have arrived!”
Soon, Seoho, who spotted the silver hair beyond the door that opened wide, had no choice but to put aside his puzzlement for the moment.
***
Angel, who had been waiting for Rosetta in the reception room, became more upright in her posture while being conscious of the prince standing behind her.
The prince she had met before entering the imperial palace as promised was wearing priest’s clothing that she had no idea where he had obtained.
And having entered the imperial palace with Angel and now seated in the reception room, he was brazenly attending to Angel.
‘He must be planning to deceive even the imperial palace servants.’
Angel was looking distastefully at the prince’s hand filling her empty cup when she heard the servant’s voice.
“His Majesty the Emperor and Seoho-nim have arrived!”
Angel’s eyes widened in surprise and she jumped up from her seat.
‘Coming together with Seoho?’
Her doubt that the servant might have misspoken was brief. Seoho really did enter the reception room together with Rosetta.
The person who drew more attention than the emperor with his splendid appearance—it was partly because of his different features from them, but Seoho had a unique atmosphere that caught people’s gazes.
Angel, who had been blankly looking at Seoho, slightly lowered her head as soon as her gaze met with Rosetta’s.
“Your Majesty, may blessings be plentiful. And Seoho-nim.”
Rosetta nodded slightly and Seoho raised the corners of his mouth and bowed his head in return. And Rosetta’s indifferent eyes turned to the prince standing behind Angel.
Rosetta, who had been looking at the prince without a word, gestured to the sofa for Seoho.
“First, let’s sit down. Seoho?”
“Ah, yes.”
Having confirmed that Seoho and Rosetta had sat down, Angel sat down accordingly, and Rosetta immediately opened his mouth.
“What brings you here with someone?”
Since Angel had never brought another priest when coming to the imperial palace before, it was a natural point to raise.
Within the Temple, it was natural for ordinary priests to attend to high-ranking priests, but since the Temple outwardly espoused the ideology that all people were equal…
“That’s how it turned out.”
Before any more talk about the prince could come up, Angel gave a look toward the servant who was setting down teacups in front of Rosetta and Seoho.
“Since you don’t like dragging out words, it would be good to get straight to the point, wouldn’t it? Your Majesty. Would you dismiss the people?”
Rosetta, who had been looking at Angel without a word, soon raised his hand and sent out all the servants.
“Now, so what about what I ordered?”
The word “ordered” was extremely grating, but Angel maintained her smile. And she turned her head to look at the prince behind her.
“Before that, there is someone I must introduce. Your Highness the Prince?”
Eunjangdo (은장도) – (Korean ornamental silver knife)
