Gifts Prepared Long Before

“You’re still this shy. Some things really haven’t changed at all.”

“……”

“I’m happy I can finally spend some quiet time alone with you again, Young Master. While I remain in Hefei, I hope moments like this happen often.”

Strangely enough, the Eighteenth Prince had seemed rather shy in front of Yeon Ji-oh before.

Yet when it came to Geum Seo-yul, he was astonishingly proactive.

To the point that it became burdensome.

Half-listening to the Prince as he continued tirelessly advertising himself, I emptied my cup little by little until eventually the dishes we ordered were brought to the table.

“Do not eat too quickly. Take your time. If you feel full, you may set your chopsticks down whenever you wish.”

“Understood.”

“Start with this first.”

The Eighteenth Prince reached his chopsticks toward the beautifully garnished steamed fish. Carefully separating the tender meat from the bones, he placed it neatly onto the plate before me.

I gave a small nod in thanks before lifting my chopsticks.

“How is it?”

“It’s good.”

It was not quite comparable to the meals served at home, but it was still fairly decent.

The moment I nodded, the Eighteenth Prince’s expression brightened noticeably.

“Then try this as well.”

Apparently my approval pleased him immensely, because from then on he began personally selecting dish after dish for me with painstaking care.

Thanks to that, all I had to do was sit comfortably while tasting the countless dishes one bite at a time.

Eventually, I looked toward him and spoke.

“Instead of only taking care of me, Your Highness should eat too.”

“Ah, yes, of course! Since my young master is worrying about me this much, naturally I should eat!”

If twisting words to suit himself was considered a talent, then perhaps that alone made him gifted.

I slowly filled my stomach while eating whatever the Eighteenth Prince placed onto my plate, occasionally watching him eat as well.

Once I was reasonably full, I set my chopsticks down immediately.

At the same time, Yeon Ji-oh’s voice—which I had been letting pass through one ear and out the other this entire time—reached me again.

“Hwi-rang, try this too.”

“……”

“Ah, and this one as well.”

I had been hearing his voice continuously throughout the meal.

Honestly, what incredible devotion.

Clicking my tongue inwardly, I suddenly realized something belatedly.

Since they arrived, I had not heard Namgung Hwi speak even once.

Because of that realization, I unconsciously lifted my head toward the opposite table.

“……”

Yeon Ji-oh was actively placing food into Namgung Hwi’s bowl one thing after another, yet Namgung Hwi had not touched a single dish.

He was not even holding his chopsticks.

Blinking slowly in confusion at the sight, I noticed Namgung Hwi—who had been staring outside—suddenly turn his gaze directly toward me.

At first, his eyes looked utterly emotionless.

Blank, almost empty.

But little by little, emotion slowly surfaced within them.

For a brief moment, I simply stared at those eyes where emotions I could not understand swirled together chaotically.

Then the atmosphere around him changed instantly.

The very moment his gaze shifted, it was as though the entire air surrounding Namgung Hwi transformed.

My lips parted unconsciously.

Just moments ago, I had genuinely questioned whether this man was truly the novel’s male lead.

But not anymore.

Now, more than ever before, Namgung Hwi looked dazzling.

While staring at him, I suddenly heard the sound of chopsticks being set down beside me.

“Now that we’ve eaten well, shall we slowly get going?”

Hm?

The tone of his voice was no different from before, yet somehow there seemed to be another subtle emotion mixed within it.

Without showing my confusion outwardly, I turned toward the Eighteenth Prince.

He immediately extended his hand toward me.

“Let us look around a bit more before returning.”

Earlier, he had simply grabbed my hand himself.

But this time, he was waiting for me.

Quietly staring at him for a moment, I eventually placed my hand into his.

The Eighteenth Prince smiled faintly before wrapping an arm naturally around my waist.

Rising from our seats together, we immediately headed toward the staircase.

“……”

The stare burning into my back was hot enough to feel tangible, but there was no reason for me to care.

Pushing the image of Namgung Hwi—whose atmosphere had changed in an instant—out of my mind, I left the inn alongside the Eighteenth Prince.

*****************************************************************

The gifts the Eighteenth Prince had supposedly prepared for me were unexpectedly numerous.

After returning home, I stood staring at the items piled atop the round table in one corner of my room before finally sighing deeply.

“Young Master, do you not like them?”

“That’s not really the issue here.”

Yes, I had accepted them after hearing they were gifts.

But seeing everything gathered together like this only left my mind feeling complicated.

It could not be helped.

Because what lay before me now felt like only the tip of the iceberg.

During the short walk after leaving the inn, the Eighteenth Prince had constantly tried to hand me things.

And not merely the gifts he had apparently ordered beforehand.

Still…

“So he really had no plan whatsoever.”

“A plan?”

Perhaps because I had suddenly muttered something incomprehensible to myself, Yeo-ui looked at me with obvious confusion filling his face.

I waved a hand dismissively before picking up one of the fans resting among the gifts.

“Just talking to myself.”

There was no need to mention aloud how exhausting it had been following the Eighteenth Prince while he wandered wherever he pleased without the slightest consideration for direction or route.

To distract Yeo-ui, I unfolded the fan and lightly waved it a few times.

Just as expected, his attention immediately shifted toward it.

“This fan suits you very well, Young Master.”

“I rather like this one too.”

It was lightweight, elegant, and apparently usable for self-defense as well.

Honestly, was there a more practical item than this?

When inside the merchant guild, there was little to worry about.

But whenever I occasionally went out, caution was always necessary.

Of course, there were very few people within Hefei foolish or brave enough to reach their hands toward the Mangeum Merchant Guild.

Though I did not particularly enjoy thinking about it, one of the Five Great Martial Families was established nearby, and because the city was relatively close to the capital, security in this region was considered fairly decent.

Still…

Lately, things had been going wrong in increasingly strange ways.

Because of that, I found myself becoming more cautious than before.

“……”

I had just begun recalling the appearances of Yeon Ji-oh and Namgung Hwi from earlier that afternoon when Yeo-ui’s attention shifted from the fan toward the other gifts.

“His Highness truly seems to have exceptional taste. How did he manage to choose accessories that suit you this perfectly?”

“Have you never considered that everything simply looks good on me because I’m handsome?”

“Pardon?”

Perhaps because the answer was so unexpected, Yeo-ui’s eyes widened dramatically.

Then, only a moment later, he burst into laughter before immediately agreeing.

“Yes, Young Master. They suit you because you’re handsome.”

“Good. As long as you understand that.”

“Young Master, I think you’re secretly very confident about your appearance.”

Whatever else may be true, Geum Seo-yul’s appearance truly was unmatched.

I had obtained exactly the kind of face I used to dream about.

Naturally, confidence came with that.

Instead of answering, I straightened my back proudly and lifted my chin slightly.

The sight caused Yeo-ui to burst into loud laughter.

“Seriously, Young Master, my stomach hurts—I think I’m going to die laughing.”

I was merely taking pride in my appearance.

I never expected him to find it this amusing.

Watching Yeo-ui laugh made the corners of my own lips rise unconsciously as well.

Smiling along with him, I answered casually,

“Just keep breathing. I’ll save you somehow.”

Apparently that only made things worse, because Yeo-ui leaned against the table while gasping for breath between fits of laughter.

Seeing him laugh hard enough that he genuinely looked ready to collapse, I eventually turned my attention back toward the items on the table.

“Hm.”

Honestly, I had planned to simply laugh off all the pointless wandering from earlier.

After all, the Eighteenth Prince had thoroughly relieved the frustration that had built up inside me today.

Still, one thing continued bothering me.

When exactly had these gifts been commissioned?

Stopping the motion of my fan, I carefully examined the accessories on the table one by one.

“These seem to have been prepared quite some time ago.”

There was only one conclusion possible.

To produce craftsmanship this delicate, the items must have been commissioned long ago.

“……”

If he had ordered them in advance, then that meant he had already planned to come here around this time from much earlier.

While absentmindedly reviewing the original story in my head and watching Yeo-ui’s shoulders continue trembling from leftover laughter, he finally calmed down enough to raise his head again.

I immediately spoke.

“Yeo-ui, I want to wash up.”

“But you drank alcohol earlier. Will you really be alright?”

Ah, that.

I had only drunk one or two cups after the meal at the inn as a palate cleanser, so it was hardly an issue.

Besides, the alcohol today had not been particularly strong.

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere afterward. I’ll just wash up and sleep immediately, so it’s fine.”

On top of that, Geum Seo-yul unexpectedly handled alcohol quite well.

A few drinks would never be enough to make him collapse.

Even after hearing my reassurance, Yeo-ui hesitated for a while before finally sighing softly and nodding.

“I’ll prepare everything right away.”

It really was not that funny, so why could he still not stop smiling?

Watching him quickly leave the room, I lightly waved the fan a few more times before finally setting it back onto the table.

“First, I need to figure out why the Eighteenth Prince came to Hefei in the first place.”

If I asked Father or my older brother, I would likely receive an answer immediately.

At least that meant there was no need to worry too much.

I walked over toward the half-round table beneath the window and quietly gazed outside for a while.

Not long after, Yeo-ui returned.

“Young Master, everything is prepared.”

“Alright.”

I had been considering enjoying the atmosphere of the night a little longer, but this worked out too.

Walking together with Yeo-ui, I briefly enjoyed the nighttime scenery before entering the bathing room.

The servants preparing the bath quickly exited.

After removing my clothes, I waited until Yeo-ui had fully tied my hair up before stepping directly into the tub.

“Haa…”

The moment my body sank into the warm water, fatigue melted away almost instantly.

A deep sigh escaped me naturally.

Yeo-ui smiled faintly before picking up the cloth beside him and soaking it in water.

Then, using the damp cloth, he carefully rubbed my exposed shoulders.

As warm water flowed over my skin once more, another sigh slipped out without resistance.

“You worked hard today.”

“Mm.”

After pouring water over my shoulders, Yeo-ui asked me to hold out my hand this time.

I naturally extended it toward him.

He immediately began wiping my hand gently with the cloth.

“Would you like to apply scented oil afterward as well? I think it’s about time you properly took care of your skin again.”

“Next time.”

At some point, Yeo-ui had already moved to cleaning my other arm.

After lightly touching my arm, shoulder, and skin here and there, he clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.

“No. You absolutely must apply it today.”

“Do I really have to?”

Applying scented oil itself was not unpleasant.

The problem was the process of putting it on.

Looking toward Yeo-ui, I made my stance clear.

“Then I’ll apply it myself.”