An Unintended Promenade

“What were you two whispering about?” Yeo-ui asked as he walked back into the courtyard.

“I was merely verifying whether the Young Master’s heart had eased after that dreadful ordeal at the banquet,” Jin-cheong answered casually.

“…Are you truly completely fine, Young Master?” The moment the banquet was mentioned, Yeo-ui’s expression turned desperately solemn as he questioned me yet again. If he had only asked once or twice, I would have laughed it off, but enduring this inquiry every single day was becoming rather exhausting. I leveled a playful glare at Yeo-ui and spoke with an intentionally grave cadence.

“If you keep pestering me like this, my newly thawed heart might just freeze right back over into a block of solid ice.”

“Heavens!”

“And if it freezes over, I suppose those little monetary bonuses I frequently hand out on top of your regular salary will completely dry up. No more delicious snacks for you, either.”

“I shall never utter another word about it!”

“Excellent.”

While silver was certainly a great motivator, Yeo-ui’s true weakness lay in sweet delicacies.

The moment I mentioned treats, he shut his mouth so fast his teeth practically clicked, his eyes darting around guiltily. Chuckling at the thoroughly endearing sight, I leaned back and rocked the comfort chair, looking up at the sky.

‘…’

We had just been laughing and conversing a moment ago, yet staring up at the vast, cloudless expanse above, an immediate wave of boredom washed over me.

Staring blankly at the sky, I let my thoughts drift out loud.

“I wonder when exactly I will be permitted to step outside.”

“I am certain you will only have to endure a few more days, Young Master,” Jin-cheong offered reassuringly.

“Ah, let us hope so.”

Though my family hadn’t provided a detailed explanation, there had to be a valid reason why they strictly insisted I remain within the Inner Court for the time being.

‘…’

Even so, to truly shake off this suffocating restlessness, I felt I needed to at least cross the threshold into the Outer Court and stretch my legs.

Since Jin-cheong had promised to seek permission regarding my radius of movement from either my father or older brother, all that was left for me to do was wait for their response. Earnestly hoping to receive a favorable answer swiftly, I stood up from the comfort chair the moment a servant arrived to announce that my bathwater was ready.

“Up we go.”

Having pushed my fragile frame past its limits today, if I didn’t immediately soothe my muscles right now, I would undoubtedly be plagued by agonizing body aches tomorrow. I resolved to take my time, thoroughly enjoying a relaxing half-bath while cleansing myself.

“In that case, Young Master, I shall immediately go and present your request to the Young Master,” Jin-cheong stated.

“I leave it in your capable hands.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Hearing my polite request, Jin-cheong seemed to pause for a fraction of a second before the corners of his eyes crinkled into a soft smile, and he bowed his way out of the courtyard.

I watched his retreating figure slip past the gates of the detached pavilion before finally making my way toward the bathhouse.

Yes, that was indeed the plan…

“I was informed that you have not crossed the threshold of your estate once these past few days.”

“…Your Highness.”

‘Why on earth is he popping out from here?’

After cleansing myself, I had stepped into the guest hall intending to head straight to my bedchamber, only to find an entirely unexpected guest waiting for me.

And of all the people in the world, it had to be him.

I leveled a flat, questioning stare at Jin-cheong, who was standing quietly behind Prince Eighteenth. However, before I could demand an explanation from him, Prince Eighteenth smoothly shifted his stride, completely blocking my view of my attendant.

“I found myself hesitating immensely before venturing to your pavilion, but the moment I heard that you were feeling profoundly stifled and yearning for a small promenade, I simply could not contain myself and rushed over.”

‘A promenade? Me? Alone?’

I desperately wanted to ask Jin-cheong how a simple request for light exercise had somehow mutated into a romantic promenade, but the royal figure standing before me showed absolutely no intention of backing down.

Ultimately choosing to defer extracting answers from my attendant until later, I locked my gaze onto Prince Eighteenth.

As if he had been eagerly waiting for my undivided attention, Prince Eighteenth immediately delivered his next words.

“Therefore, would you care to accompany me on a small excursion outside the estate?”

‘…’

His words were delivered with immense caution, and the slight, nervous flinch of his shoulders the absolute moment our eyes met did not escape me.

To any casual observer, it was blatantly obvious that the man was incredibly tense. Yet, when a figure of such staggering royal authority phrases a command as a gentle inquiry, the answer has effectively already been decided for you.

With all my heart, I wanted to tell him that I simply wished to lie down and rest, but there was no telling what terrifying consequences might befall me if I dared to reject an Imperial Prince to his face.

Indeed, when dealing with members of the Imperial Court, it was always infinitely more advantageous to stroke their egos and keep them thoroughly pleased.

If I accidentally alienated Prince Eighteenth now, then later down the line—when he inevitably lost his heart to Yeon Ji-oh—this trivial rejection might remain a bitter grudge in his mind, causing a royal backlash that could incinerate our entire merchant bank.

Staring at Prince Eighteenth’s shimmering, intensely hopeful eyes, I gave a resigned nod.

“Splendid! We shall begin our preparations immediately. There are countless sights I wish to behold alongside you, Young Master. Servants! Come forward at once and assist Young Master Seo-yul in preparing for his excursion!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

At Prince Eighteenth’s command, the attending servants deeply inclined their waists. Soon after, Yeo-ui stepped forward and gently guided me back toward my chambers.

“Young Master, how about this particular robe?”

“Prepare something that allows for easy, comfortable movement. Ah, and make sure it is something entirely inconspicuous, so put down whatever flamboyant garment you are currently holding.”

We weren’t heading out to participate in a high-society fashion exhibition; it was a simple excursion, so there was absolutely no reason to drape myself in cumbersome, restrictive silk layers.

Yeo-ui, who had been humming with immense excitement while sorting through a vibrant array of lavish robes, instantly pouted before reluctantly reaching for the more understated garments.

After he pulled out a few options, I chose a robe crafted from a muted, midnight-blue satin—by far the most unassuming piece among them—and stepped back out into the guest hall.

‘…’

The royal prince, who had been quietly sipping his tea while awaiting my return, widened his eyes the exact moment he looked at me.

Simultaneously, a brilliant, crimson flush rushed up his cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.

“…Who was the one responsible for dressing the Young Master today?”

‘Why on earth is he suddenly asking that?’

A brief spike of tension flared within me, but it dissipated the moment I recognized the intense look of profound satisfaction washing over Prince Eighteenth’s face. I immediately gestured toward Yeo-ui, who was bowing respectfully behind me.

“He is my personal attendant, a boy who serves as my very hands and feet.”

“The boy possesses an exceptional eye for refinement. Though it is a modest token, I shall see to it that he is handsomely rewarded.”

“My deepest thanks, Your Grace!” Hearing the mention of a royal bounty, Yeo-ui’s face flushed a deep crimson from sheer joy. Watching him bow repeatedly in gratitude, I smoothly placed my hand over Prince Eighteenth’s palm the moment he elegantly extended it toward me.

“Then, let us depart for a light, leisurely stroll today.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I had absolutely no inkling as to what a royal prince considered a ‘light stroll,’ but I supposed I would find out soon enough.

‘If worst comes to worst, I can always just pretend to faint and lie down,’ I thought to myself as I stepped past the threshold of the merchant bank alongside Prince Eighteenth.

…Utterly oblivious to the shocking individual we were fated to cross paths with.

Clop, clop, clop.

The rhythmic, crisp echo of the horse hooves pulling our carriage sounded exceptionally loud, entirely because the man sitting directly across from me had fallen into a deep, heavy silence.

Furthermore, he was staring fixedly at my face without breaking eye contact for even a second.

‘…’

If I had known it would be this suffocating, I should have begged for an exception and brought Yeo-ui or Jin-cheong into the carriage with me.

Though, of course, a royal prince would never have permitted such a thing to begin with.

Feigning complete ignorance as I desperately avoided Prince Eighteenth’s burning gaze, I finally shifted my eyes back to him when a loud, awkward cough cut through the silence.

“It has been such an immense duration since I last beheld your countenance that I fear I have been terribly discourteous. I must have made you feel exceedingly uncomfortable.”

‘Did you truly only realize that just now?’ I wanted to shoot back. Swallowing the retort deep down, I watched as Prince Eighteenth’s gaze grew incredibly deep and soulful.

“You were a vision of ethereal beauty in your youth, but seeing you now, fully grown… I find myself completely losing my wits, hopelessly entranced.”

Now, that was an objective truth I couldn’t possibly deny. Even I occasionally found myself staring at the mirror in sheer awe of this body’s visage.

Choosing to offer a modest, demure tilt of my head to avoid his gaze rather than responding verbally, a serene stillness once again settled over the carriage.

“…Ahem, ahem! How is your physical health faring these days?”

“It is steadily improving with each passing day, Your Highness.”

I crafted a deliberately ambiguous response—one that wouldn’t arouse his suspicion now but would leave me an escape hatch to claim illness later. Hearing this, Prince Eighteenth gave a profoundly relieved and satisfied nod.

“That is a tremendous blessing. I was gripped by an immense, agonizing worry for you.”

Lifting my head at his confession, I noted that the expression painting Prince Eighteenth’s face was remarkably dark and solemn.

‘…Looking at the trajectory of this conversation, if I dare to play the frail invalid right now, he will undoubtedly suffocate me with an overwhelming deluge of excessive royal coddling.’

Intending to signal that I was genuinely perfectly fine, I straightened my spine and leveled a poised, confident stare directly at the man before me.

“…You truly are…”

Despite my clear display of well-being, a heavy shroud of profound melancholy seemed to drape itself over Prince Eighteenth’s features.

How long did I have to sit across from a man whose heart was clearly an absolute tempest of roiling, tumultuous emotions? Suddenly, Prince Eighteenth squeezed his eyes shut for a brief moment. When he opened them, a violent, overwhelming torrent of intense emotion swirled within his pupils.

“Every single day, I was tormented by the agonizing thought that I might arrive too late. I was consumed by a paralyzing fear. Yet, in the end, I still managed to arrive entirely too late.”

Because he completely omitted the subject of his sentence, I had absolutely no way of deciphering what exactly he was claiming to be late for.

I racked my brain furiously, desperately trying to parse the hidden meaning behind his cryptic words.

“Seeing you conducting yourself with such poise and resilience brings a modicum of peace to my soul, yet it breaks my heart to see you straining yourself so desperately to maintain such a facade. In my presence, you do not need to exert such agonizing effort to stay strong.”

For a moment, I was utterly bewildered by what he could possibly mean—until it finally clicked that he was referring to the absurd pregnancy and miscarriage rumors. Feigning absolute ignorance, I offered a completely detached, innocent response to steer away from the topic.

“My frame has been exceptionally delicate since my youth, Your Highness, so I am merely accustomed to frequent bouts of illness.”

“Ah, I know. I am well aware…”

‘…’

‘If you are so well aware, I desperately wish you would do something about that tragic expression on your face.’

Watching Prince Eighteenth sink into an increasingly despondent, gloomy state, I felt my own mood beginning to plummet in tandem.

Even so, I had absolutely no intention of offering him any words of comfort or attempting to brighten the atmosphere.

After all, Prince Eighteenth had not yet cross paths with the main character, Yeon Ji-oh.

If I chose to meddle unnecessarily in this volatile situation, Prince Eighteenth’s romantic obsession might just anchor itself even more firmly onto me.

And if there was one thing in this world I absolutely, unequivocally refused, it was that.

I had a profound aversion to entangling myself with the Imperial Court, and I harbored an even deeper dread of becoming romantically intertwined with a primary character from the original novel.

As far as interacting with the original plot went, given that the main top and main bottom of this Murim world were currently residing under this very same Hefei sky, catching a fleeting glimpse of them in passing on the streets once or twice was more than enough for me.

As a heavy silence descended upon the carriage once more, I cast my gaze downward. Turning my head slightly, I directed my attention toward the window.

Because a translucent silk curtain draped over the frame, the passing scenery outside wasn’t entirely crisp. Even so, the blurred, vibrant shapes filtering through were more than enough to give me the exhilarating sensation of finally enjoying an excursion after a long confinement.

I spent a peaceful, seamless stretch of time drinking in the obscured vistas beyond the curtain.

Then, as if we had finally arrived at our intended destination, the carriage brought itself to a smooth halt.

‘…’

I had naturally assumed a royal prince would escort me to a secluded, scenic pavilion in the mountains or a quiet lake, so this was entirely unexpected.

Hearing the bustling, roaring din of a crowded marketplace filtering through the silk curtain, I froze in mild surprise. Prince Eighteenth immediately stepped forward to dissolve my confusion.

“There was a specific location I yearned to visit above all else the moment I embarked on an excursion with you, Young Master.”

“Is that so, Your Highness?”

“Therefore, I thought we might thoroughly explore this place first before making our way to other destinations.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

If that was his wish, there was no reason for me to question it any further.

Nodding politely, I turned my gaze back toward Prince Eighteenth just as the carriage door was elegantly thrown open. The moment the outer veil was pulled back by an attendant, Prince Eighteenth was the first to descend from the carriage.

“This way.”

Extending his hand toward me, our eyes locked, and the corners of his eyes curved into an exquisitely tender, elegant smile.

Staring at the royal prince, whose entire demeanor practically vibrated with a flutter of nervous excitement, I accepted his hand and stepped down from the carriage. Turning my head to take in our immediate surroundings, my eyes instantly widened in absolute shock.