Arriving at Inyeong Palace, Huian at once ushered his guest into the main room.
“Wait here a moment, please.”
After the courteous request, he went to his room and first changed his clothes. Leaving his trousers as they were, he changed only his upper garment into a jade-green layered robe made to cover the wings, then headed back to the main room.
When Huian arrived, Prince Igun was sitting alone before the tea tray. The fidgety manner of before was gone, and he sat with proper posture gazing at the teacup — and seeing him sunk in silent thought with his head bowed like that, he did seem rather like the Crown Prince, unlike before. Perhaps it felt more so because, of all the princes, these two alone were strikingly tall and of much the same build.
Strictly by features, they were two utterly different-looking men. The Crown Prince, with his supremely splendid and vivid beauty, made people feel awe unbidden, while Prince Igun gave a far plainer, simpler impression — one that inspired pity rather than awe. But the thick brows, the deep yet gentle eyes, the straight nose — these did make one nod that brothers were brothers. Of course…
“Ah, Your Highness, you’ve c-come?” The moment he opened his mouth, it was a different story entirely.
“Forgive me for keeping you waiting.”
As Huian spoke, sitting opposite Prince Igun — “No, no. Pray do not say such things.” Prince Igun even waved his hands as he spoke, then suddenly cried “eh?” and stared wide-eyed. For a long while he just blinked without a word, then at last, shoulders drooping, murmured in a listless voice, “You… changed into clothes that hide your wings…”
Seeing him mutter without even trying to hide his disappointment, Huian was quite flustered.
However wondrous a winged person might be, how could he be so openly disappointed?
Seeing a grown man — a prince, no less — behave exactly like eleven-year-old Son Gwi-in left him with nothing to say.
“Doesn’t keeping them covered like that… feel stifling?” Prince Igun said on, plainly still unable to hide his regret, knowing nothing of Huian’s feelings.
“This is more comfortable.”
Huian said it deliberately flat. Only then seeming to realize he had gone a little too far, Prince Igun bowed his head, saying, “Forgive me.”
“I spoke out of turn. Pray forget this one’s disgrace.” Seeing him apologize over and over, red up to his neck, Huian felt needlessly sorry in turn. Too curt, perhaps. It would have been better to speak more gently. He regretted it belatedly, but it could not be helped. Better to move quickly to another topic — and Huian turned the talk naturally.
“By the way, were you not in the provinces? I recall it was quite far from the capital.”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. I, um, went to Sangju.” Even said like that, to Huian, benighted in this land’s geography, there was no telling whether it was south or north.
But if he asked where it was, the man would surely startle again — “Forgive me, my thoughts were short” — and stammer through a long explanation, so Huian only nodded, saying, “I see.”
“What business took you to so far a place?” he asked, lifting his teacup, and Prince Igun said, “Ah, that is,” his face a little brightened, and told the tale.
“Whether Your Highness knows it I cannot say, but in Sangju there is a great reservoir called Cheonryangji. Just now is the season when the migratory birds gather there in full force. Last year I missed the time, to my great regret, so this year I vowed come what may to go. So I set out a little early, but the birds arrived four days later than in ordinary years, and my return was delayed by just that much.”
…In short, he went bird-watching.
Huian had nothing to say to that.
Of course he knew well that a prince could not take office, so there would be no official duties to undertake, and no business to take him to the provinces. He knew it well, but… even so, he was the Empress’s son. While his mother was straining every nerve to drive out the Crown Prince and make her own son emperor, that this son of hers could be so carefree as to go wandering off to look at birds — truly, he could never have imagined it.
But then, if he really said nothing at all, this man would surely grow restless again and only watch his mood. Huian gave one low false cough, then nodded, saying, “I see.”
“I have heard you enjoy falconry. You seem to prefer hunting winged beasts to running ones.”
“Yes, I go bird-hunting more often.” Prince Igun said it smiling, then at once looked as if he had startled and waved both hands wildly in excuse.
“It does not mean I like catching birds to kill them! No, absolutely not. A well-trained hawk never kills its quarry! It only catches it neatly and holds it in its beak. Then I quickly take it and put it in the cage without hurting it. I never kill them. Ab-absolutely. Of course, sometimes, by accident, there are cases of killing by mistake, but it is never on purpose. Believe me. I have no wish to kill birds to catch them.”
With Prince Igun’s color changing as he spoke, Huian was flustered in turn and stammered, “Ah, is… is that so.”
“But you need not explain yourself to me at such length. Whatever purpose Prince Igun hunts with, that is Prince Igun’s will–” “But Your Highness is Hye’s demigod, is that not so?” Prince Igun said, still pale.
“What would you think of me, if I harmed birds, birds, in such a way? I should hate that. I have not the slightest such heart. No heart to harm birds. Pray believe me.”
Prince Igun was on his knees before Huian knew it. Fearing the sight if anyone saw, Huian hastily soothed him.
“I never thought so. Pray do not worry. And a demigod is only a demigod — not the roc, and even less the god who governs birds. Only a person with wings, so you need not mind it.”
Even at Huian’s words, Prince Igun could not lift his head. It was pitiable by now. To lighten the other’s heart even a little, Huian smiled on purpose and said, “By the way, what birds does Prince Igun like?” At the pointedly curious question, Prince Igun — just as expected — cried “Eh?” and snapped his head up, then answered fumblingly, his face shy.
“There is no bird I especially like. For me, birds… all birds are good. If it is a bird, it is good.” From his face, it did seem so.
“When you say you catch them without hurting them — is it to keep them cooped at home?”
“Th-that is true, but I do not keep them cooped. I release them in my garden and let them play to their hearts’ content. With no worry for food, and never attacked by other beasts or raptors, so they can sport happily. And the garden is wide, so the birds are likely not greatly cramped. I had the woods made good and deep, and made two big ponds besides, so it is a fine place for birds to play.” Prince Igun, who had been explaining eagerly, soon wilted and hung his head gloomily.
“Still, say as I might, the fact is I do confine them in my garden… whatever I say, it is only excuses.”
Huian thought so too, but he had no wish to reproach him for it. Rather, a garden of that size meant the household’s scale was proportionately great — he only wondered what a mansion it must be. And he was amazed that he had landscaped a garden of that scale with such devotion, solely for birds.
“Prince Igun must love birds dearly.”
At his wondering words, Prince Igun could not answer and bowed his head still deeper. From his neck and ears going all red, something — he knew not what — was evidently very shameful and embarrassing to him. It was strange, but fearing to seem to press him, Huian could not bring himself to ask, and only stared at his innocent teacup, when Prince Igun murmured in a small voice, “I… shall take my leave now.”
There was nothing to detain him with, and even less reason to detain him, so Huian conveyed his farewell by rising together with him.
Still, as the Crown Prince’s elder brother, merely waving a hand from inside the room seemed discourteous, so he came down with him as far as below the main hall.
“I thank Your Highness the Prince for gracing me with your far journey.”
“No, no. I should have called on you sooner… Pray forgive my dullness.” Bowing again and again, Prince Igun turned away, saying he would call again. The hawk, which had been waiting perched on the elm branch, knew its master’s footstep and came down like a ghost to sit on his shoulder.
Just then Yuyeong, carrying books, was entering Inyeong Palace, and seeing the sight he stopped short in surprise and bowed.
“Ah, is that Yuyeong? Long time.”
“Yes, it has truly been long, Your Highness. Have you been well since we last met?”
“I am, well, so-so?” Prince Igun answered, abashed, then asked, “Have you come on His Highness the Crown Prince’s errand?”
“Yes. I have come to choose good books for Her Highness of Inyeong Palace to read, on his command.”
“Is that so…?” To the somewhat surprised Prince Igun, Yuyeong showed an exceedingly pleased smile and said, “You cannot know how profound His Highness’s care for Her Highness is. Did Her Highness not come from especially far away? With no kin nearby to keep her company, His Highness — even in the midst of his many pressing concerns — commanded me to visit often, lest her health suffer from longing for home in this distant foreign land.”
At Yuyeong’s words Prince Igun murmured, “I see…”
“Hearing you, the two of them seem devoted — I am truly relieved.” Sighing softly, Prince Igun nodded at Yuyeong and said, “By His Highness the Crown Prince’s word, keep visiting Her Highness often, and look after whether she wants for anything.”
“Of course.”
Yuyeong said it with force in his voice. Prince Igun nodded over and over, told Yuyeong to go in, and left by the main gate. Yuyeong watched the retreating back a moment, then soon turned toward the palace’s main hall himself.
“You’re here.”
Huian, who had been standing below the main hall until then, greeted Yuyeong first.
“Yes, Mama. I, Heo Yuyeong, have come again today on His Highness the Crown Prince’s orders.” At Yuyeong, pointedly declaring first that he came on the Crown Prince’s orders, Huian gave a wry smile.
“You need not say it — everyone knows you come on His Highness’s orders.” Come in. So saying, Huian first stepped up onto the main hall.
The two entered the main room together and sat facing each other across the fresh tea tray a court lady had brought in.
“I did not know Prince Igun had come.” No sooner seated, Yuyeong said it.
“Who would have known?”
At Huian’s words Yuyeong asked, “Ah… there was no word beforehand?” with an “ah…”
“None at all.”
Huian shook his head.
“In many ways, a different person than I expected.” At the short sigh, Yuyeong smiled as if he knew what was meant.
“Did you expect him to resemble Her Majesty the Empress a great deal?”
“Her Majesty, yes… and I thought he would resemble His Highness to some extent as well.” At Huian’s words Yuyeong blinked, going “Hm?”
“And yet, of the eight princes, those two resemble each other most.”
“I don’t mean the face.”
Only then seeming to catch the meaning, Yuyeong murmured, “Ah.”
“True. Very, very different.” Nodding repeatedly, he lifted the teacup before him and said, “This is only my own thought, but Prince Igun seems to have inherited a great deal of His Majesty the Emperor’s temperament–“
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