It was confinement without term. In truth it was no different from turning Cheongu-dang itself into a cold palace — save only that he was not sent to one.
It was the same logic.
Understanding him, surprise flickered across Won Yu-sang's face — but he soon obeyed.
"Y-Your Highness…."
Woo Hui-seo called to him in a trembling voice. Instead of answering, Je Hyeon-wi turned first, boarded the palanquin, and beckoned.
Soon the palanquin moved.
Je Hyeon-wi never once looked back.
The ransacked Cheongu-dang was like a ruin. The furnishings lay strewn about, or tumbled around broken.
"…Mama."
When Hui-seo got down from the palanquin and limped inside, the frightened court ladies huddled around him.
"Mama, are you all right?"
"Mama, your face…."
"What do we do. Quickly, the physician…."
One court lady tried to dash out to fetch the royal physician — but before she could, Won Tae-gam blocked her way.
"…Tae-gam, what are you doing."
"It is His Highness the Crown Prince's command to seal the gates of Cheongu-dang."
With those words, Won Tae-gam went outside, closing and latching the gates of Cheongu-dang behind him.
"Tae-gam, but Mama…!"
"Hey now — do you mean to defy His Highness the Crown Prince's command!"
A court lady pounded on the gate, but only a sharp rebuke came back.
On the already-frightened children's faces, worry gathered like dark clouds.
"What do we do, Mama."
Watching the children stamping their feet, Hui-seo blinked slowly.
It all felt like a dream, unreal.
"…Mama…?"
Even as the ground gave way beneath his feet, he simply closed his eyes, without any resistance.
"…Mama!"
Consciousness sank — and what swallowed Hui-seo was pitch-black darkness.
The sound of festive music ringing from afar came faintly over the walls.
Hui-seo, hovering half on the border of unconsciousness, turned his head at the sound.
Was it the Emperor's birthday already?
He had no idea how much time had passed. Ushering in the festive day, the noisy world outside and—
As if time at Cheongu-dang had stopped on the day it was latched shut.
His memories after being swallowed by the pitch-black darkness were rather faint.
He suffered in the fiercely encircling heat, as if he would melt away into it — and each time he came to his senses, the scenery had changed.
It had clearly been day, then dawn, then night again. Then he woke once more at a dawn thick with the smell of rain.
"Mama might take a wrong turn, so we really, truly…….."
When he barely opened his fever-glazed eyes, the court ladies' sniveling words — their eyes reddened — told him only that the time that had passed was not so short.
"Mama, I am coming in."
Before permission was granted, the one who came through the cracked-open door was Choi Sang-gung.
Why the Crown Prince's wet-nurse — and while having incurred the Crown Prince's wrath at that — had come to his residence, he could not fathom.
He asked the court ladies, but they seemed not to know either; Choi Sang-gung only answered that it was the Crown Prince's command.
"The fever has come down quite a bit, at least."
After checking Hui-seo's temperature first with a hand to his forehead, she drew toward him the small tray she had set down briefly while taking it.
The medicinal decoctions brought in each time — he had grown used to them over the days, and drank them down obediently.
"You still have a lingering fever, so it would be best to rest more in your chambers."
In any case, he lacked even the strength to walk outside — nor did he wish to. Nodding, he set the emptied medicine bowl beside him, and Choi Sang-gung tidied the bedding so that Hui-seo could lie back down.
"I…….."
Watching her, Hui-seo carefully opened his mouth.
"Yes, Mama."
He wanted to know whether Sae-yeong was unharmed, and brought himself to address the lower-ranking woman. Even if he asked, there was no knowing whether Choi Sang-gung would tell him — and he feared needlessly stirring trouble. And since she had returned to Sedapbang without incident, her body might suffer a little, but her heart at least would be at ease. If his health improved, they might meet once.
"No, it's nothing."
"If you ever need anything, please call for me."
In the end, Hui-seo swallowed his words. Choi Sang-gung tucked the blanket around him, then quietly withdrew. The door closed, the footsteps faded, and at last silence returned.
The only sound, if any, was the faint festive music drifting through the window.
His Highness was probably seated there. And Elder Brother too….
It was inner-court business, close to scandal, so no details would have leaked — but news that Hui-seo was under confinement might have gotten out.
What if Elder Brother worried, seeing my empty seat.
His Highness surely had not let go of the disappointment he harbored toward me. That Sae-yeong was safe was some comfort — but the fact that his dignity had been bent on my account remained unchanged.
I never wanted to become the Crown Prince's flaw.
To have stayed by his side — my choice — perhaps it was wrong….
His exhausted body interrupted his thoughts. No — rather, his body interrupted before faint regret could stain him. Hui-seo closed his eyes slowly, as if surrendering to sleep, leaving the festive music behind.
To the musicians' plucking, the dancers waved their sleeves skyward in a lotus dance. The flower buds held aloft in both hands gathered and bloomed, like waves.
Je Hyeon-wi watched it with unfeeling eyes.
"The swallow's dance is neither excessive nor lacking — truly beautiful. Even this unrefined subject is moved to admiration. Indeed, a great nation."
The envoy of Jinwol, seated two steps below, expressed his admiration in halting, clumsy words.
"I am glad it pleases you."
The Emperor answered with a gentle smile — but could not fully hide the fatigue shadowing his pale face. Of late the Emperor's health had markedly worsened, to the point that Je Hyeon-wi was overseeing even the morning audiences. The levee of the civil and military officials and the banquet, continuing from the early hours until now, could not but be wearying.
The Empress too, catching the thinly-veiled fatigue, was busy tending to the Emperor.
Perhaps the host of this banquet was casting about for a decent excuse to spirit the Emperor away from his seat unblemished.
Normally, Je Hyeon-wi would have produced a plausible pretext, sent the Emperor back to his residence, and dealt with the others in his stead — but he tapped his empty wine cup and rose from his seat.
"Crown Prince?"
The moment Je Hyeon-wi rose, the Emperor — who had been conversing with him — followed with his gaze.
"The drink is rising to my head; I would step away briefly. I beg Your Majesty's leave."
"Very well, do so."
Je Hyeon-wi, who rarely uttered a weak word, unusually pleaded drunkenness. But he had drunk a considerable amount in the Emperor's stead all day, so the Emperor, waving his hand, showed not a shred of doubt.
After a light bow, he left the banquet mat. Some gazes followed him as he went, but Je Hyeon-wi left without hesitation.
Once outside, the musicians' plucking faded.
"Your Highness — what shall I do — shall I have the royal clinic send up a good hangover decoction?"
Je Hyeon-wi let the anxious question slide past indifferently and walked blindly on. His long strides were unusually quick, so panting breaths could be heard now and then behind him — but he did not slow.
Only when he had walked a long while, and all that could be heard was the chirping of insects, did he stop.
"Won Yu-sang."
"Yes, yes, Your Highness. Do you have a command?"
Won Yu-sang answered without even a chance to steady the breath panting from his near-running walk.
Je Hyeon-wi merely moved his lips, letting out no words. Though this too was a rare thing, Won Yu-sang did not wonder at it, but waited instead of calling him again.
"…Woo Hui-seo?"
"Ah."
Won Yu-sang rolled his eyes, unable to hide his bewilderment. And no wonder — he had been keeping his head down lest he upset Je Hyeon-wi's mood, so he knew nothing of Cheongu-dang's news.
When word came that Woo Hui-seo had collapsed, he had permitted the royal physician's visits and sent in Choi Sang-gung to tend to him — but that was all.
For the past few days, Je Hyeon-wi had turned away from anything related to Woo Hui-seo to an almost fastidious degree, and behaved with extreme sensitivity.
"I shall send someone at once to find out."
Je Hyeon-wi's straight brows knitted for an instant, as if it were not the answer he wanted.
"Y-…"
Won Yu-sang, needlessly anxious at that, was just about to open his mouth.
"No. I will go."
Je Hyeon-wi's long stride was faster still.
The nearer to Cheongu-dang, the more undisguised irritation seeped into his steps. It peaked when the guards standing watch over Cheongu-dang showed inward surprise at the Crown Prince's sudden appearance.
"Your Highness, how…?"
Choi Sang-gung, hearing that the Crown Prince had crossed Cheongu-dang's threshold, came running in a rush.
A faint question crossed Choi Sang-gung's face — she knew today was the Emperor's birthday.
Instead of answering, Je Hyeon-wi walked past her. His straight steps headed for the quarters where Woo Hui-seo stayed. The bedchamber, without even a lamp lit, was dim. The only light was the dusky moonlight streaming through the lattice. Woo Hui-seo's face, catching that moonlight, glowed palely.
Je Hyeon-wi stepped closer and looked down at him. Though it was full summer, Woo Hui-seo slept with the blanket pulled up to his chin as if enduring midwinter, his body curled tight. His face, plainly tormented these past nights, had grown gaunt, the flesh fallen away.
He reached out unthinkingly and laid his hand on his forehead, then drew it back.
Woo Hui-seo's eyebrows twitched for an instant, but he only tossed, not waking.
"He's a bit feverish."
His normally cool body temperature was lukewarm.
"According to the physician, Mama is not of a strong constitution to begin with; the prolonged tension, and the heart-fire building upon it, have struck his body. But the fever has nearly broken, and he no longer vomits up his medicine, so please do not worry too much."
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