Record of Mad Love

Inside the cramped and uncomfortable palanquin, Mugeon fiddled with his sleeves because he was uncomfortable with clothes that didn’t fit him.

His thought that he would immediately go to the palace as soon as he boarded the palanquin was wrong. Prince Hwa took Mugeon to a brothel at dawn, saying that he couldn’t bear Mugeon’s appearance. Then, he changed Mugeon’s outer appearance. He was honestly puzzled, but he didn’t feel bad about it.

Then he spent the time alone. It was about the common time needed to finish a meal. Prince Hwa Jin Pyeong, who went somewhere saying he had something to do, returned to the palanquin. He walked in with a slightly exaggerated gesture and spoke to Mugeon.

“You’re waiting more calmly than I thought.”

Smiling as if that was interesting, Jin Pyeong closed the door. Mugeon didn’t feel hot that much, but the clothes seemed to be tightening on his neck, so he pulled his collar and stared at Prince Hwa.

“When will we arrive in the imperial palace?”

Enough time had passed even since he followed Jin Pyeong, who was fiddling with his sleeves and dusting off anywhere, and the moon too, had slightly moved.

No one could have guessed that he was taking in a fugitive that was almost assassinated. It would have been a great plan if he actually was putting on a charade, but it didn’t feel like he was doing that.

“You are impatient.”

He was just a very relaxed person himself. His attitude was in contrast to Mugeon, who wanted to go see Jin Ye as soon as possible.

Because of that, Mugeon even forgot to reply to him.

“…”

“It’s not good to be impatient.”

Just like what he said, Mugeon was impatient. Some time had passed since he was kicked out of the palace, and Jo Seoyeob was hindering him. In conclusion, Mugeon was doubting whether the person in front of him really planned to bring him to Jin Ye.

The reason was the thing that Jin Pyeong wanted from Mugeon was…

“You don’t have to do anything,”

Nothing.

“… Nothing?”

“Rather, there seems to be a lot that I can do for you.”

More than that, he even offered to help him. Helping Yeon Mugeon, an ordinary person who had nothing in his possession.

“Go into the palace and do whatever you want. I will support you.”

Unconditional goodwill was bound to be questionable. Mugeon’s mind became complicated owing to his hidden intention that couldn’t be seen.

He was convinced that Jin Pyeong would ask for something in return for helping him get into the palace. This was only his imagination, but he thought he would ask him to bring over some of Jin Ye’s things.

Yet, whether it was his sincerity or if it was a facade to hide his true intention, Jin Pyeong told Mugeon to just do what ‘he wanted to do.’ Mugeon expected the reason to be the latter, but it was difficult for him to predict how accomplishing what he wanted would benefit Prince Hwa.

“Your Highness…”

Feeling the shaking of the palanquin that he was unfamiliar with, Yeon Mugeon talked in a low voice. Jin Pyeong turned his head and paid attention to him.

“Do you know what I want?”

“Well, obtaining my sister’s heart?”

Mugeon was silent for a moment as he listened to the reply. He didn’t say her majesty, but ‘sister.’ It might be because he was doubting him, but from his perspective, it felt like he was deliberately trying to pretend to be close to Jin Ye.

He wondered why he felt something was out of place.

For Yeon Mugeon, who had lived a normal life so far, the worry had always been about survival. Making money, not starving, buying things cheaply… Things like that. Things that people around him also worried about.

However, Jin Ye, Jo Seoyeob, Jin Pyeong, they all were people that didn’t need to worry about such things. Perhaps the things they wanted, they were aiming for, were something that Yeon Mugeon had never coveted. As a result, Mugeon had no idea how they did their calculations.

Taking advantage of him like this would surely be easier than twisting a child’s wrist for them. If he didn’t keep his mind straight, he would get swept away in no time… Even Mugeon had that much awareness.

However, he felt like he had been involved from the start.

From the moment Jin Pyeong reached out to him, saying he would give him what he wanted the most.

Thus, Mugeon slowly opened his mouth. He didn’t know what kind of aftermath this choice would bring, but he didn’t have an eye to look a thousand miles away anyway, so shouldn’t he take what’s right in front of him?

“I.”

Mugeon’s choice was one anyway.

He could just use Prince Hwa to his heart’s content to achieve his goal.

“I want Her Majesty to acknowledge my value. Will you help me with that, Your Highness?”

When the question ended, Jin Pyeong slowly moved his eyes and looked sideways at him. The moment he met Jin Pyeong’s black eyes, Mugeon felt a sharp gap.

As he thought about it, Jin Ye’s eyes were beautiful red. The inside was transparent like a garnet, so beautiful…

However, an unexpected question came back at Mugeon’s question.

“Then, do you want to be my adopted son?”

“…”

For a moment, Mugeon almost completely lost his expression. Adopted son? He wondered why such nonsense exists. The age difference between Jin Pyeong and Mugeon didn’t seem so big enough to be talking about adopted son. When Mugeon did not reply, Jin Pyeong smiled and shook his head.

“Don’t look at me like that. I just wanted to tell you that it’s impossible with your status.”

“… With my status.”

Mugeon fiddled with the words he pointed out.

It was a fact that he surely knew, but it was quite numbing when it was pointed out openly. Jin Pyeong then added as if he felt bad after saying that.

“I don’t mean to tell you to blame your parents.”

It wasn’t a comforting comment for Mugeon. He turned helpless for real. It felt like there was a huge wall blocking his way. That wall was coming closer to him.

“Your Highness.”

Wi Doyang’s voice was heard from outside.

“We’ve arrived at the imperial palace.”

“Open the door.”

As soon as Jin Pyeong’s reply rang, the door to the palanquin was opened.

It wasn’t Doyang who greeted them, but the soldiers guarding the entrance to the imperial palace. The soldiers frowned slightly at the sight that there was another person beside Prince Hwa inside the palanquin—questioning who that person was.

Of course, it didn’t take long for those faces to be covered with embarrassment.

“I came to see Her Majesty the Emperor. Along with Her Majesty’s fated person.”

“… Fated person?”

Although he had entered and left the palace, people inside the palace that were aware of Mugeon’s existence were only a few. Rather, most of them were unfamiliar with the fact that the name seal appeared on Jin Ye.

As expected, the soldiers were at a loss, didn’t know what to do. It was also unlikely that a prince would lie so calmly, so the soldiers looked around and exchanged glances to ask if they had heard anything from others. Nevertheless, everyone shook their heads.

Then one of the soldiers signaled to another soldier. After understanding the signal, the other soldier quickly entered the palace gate.

Looking at that, Jin Pyeong sighed and tried to get out of the palanquin. Suddenly, a sheathed sword stood in his way.

“Excuse me, but please wait. It’s hard for us to let you in without an entry permit from the emperor.”

Prince Hwa paused for a while, and then looked straight at the soldier while slowly raising his eyebrows.

“What did you say to me?”

“We will open the gate for you after we find out if he’s really the emperor’s fated person.”

In other words, he meant to stand by because he couldn’t believe it. Prince Hwa laughed at that. He then looked straight at the soldier.

“You’ll open it after finding out…? Seems you know you’re being rude, so I’m glad. Did you say that without knowing who I am? I am the only blood of Her Majesty the Emperor. A member of the imperial family of only two in this Hwan Empire.”

“But this is my first time hearing about Her Majesty’s fated person.”

“Are you saying you can’t believe me because it’s your first time hearing it?”

The soldier took a step back when he was sharply being nitpicked.

“That’s not what I mean.”

“If not, then what is the reason for you to block the way? I came here bringing great joy to this imperial palace.”

As if he was wearing an iron mask, Jin Pyeong shamelessly cornered the soldier, even though the soldier was only trying to be faithful to his work. He even upgraded Mugeon’s existence into a ‘joy’.

Mugeon, who was watching that, was anxious. He wondered if it was okay to do it like that? He couldn’t figure out why Prince Hwa made such a dispute when it was obvious it would not work.

… Don’t tell me he’s trying to get in loudly.

When he was thinking that far,

“Yeah, that’s a very great joy.”

“…!”

It was a voice that he had never expected to hear here, but as soon as he heard that, Mugeon felt like both his ears were wide open. However, even if he looked outside, he couldn’t see her because he was narrowly blocked.

Still.

Still, just by the end of her clothes that came into view, just by looking at that ends,

“Your Majesty!”

Mugeon’s heart began to run wildly. Just when someone confirmed her existence, it became difficult for him to breathe.

It’s really, it’s really her.

He could feel the palanquin he was in was placed down. Jin Pyeong also opened his eyes wide as if he didn’t expect the emperor to walk here herself. Then he quickly came out the palanquin and bowed to her.

“May you be blessed, Your Majesty the Emperor.”

When Jin Pyeong finished, the other people began to repeat after him.

“May you be blessed, Your Majesty.”

“May you be blessed, Your Majesty the Emperor!”

Although he heard that, Mugeon was still in a clumsy position inside the palanquin, had not yet stood up or completely sat down. Prince Hwa sent a side glance at Mugeon. Only then Mugeon came into his senses and went outside.

Then, he saw Jin Ye, the emperor of the Hwan Empire, standing tall among the eunuchs who were holding round lanterns. As if she came out prepared even though it was still dawn, her appearance with her hair tidied up with a binyeo was still so beautiful that it blind him.

His ears began to thump. Mugeon didn’t know how to calm his bursting heart. Not knowing that it was a great disrespect to come out the palanquin belatedly, he was even committing a greater disrespect. He put his head straight, and stared intently at Jin Ye while being stunned.

Jin Ye’s eyes, surrounded by the red lanterns, looked redder just like blood. Nevertheless, Mugeon wasn’t scared at all. Rather, he fell into her jewel-like eyes. It was the same even though Jin Ye’s eyes were looking at him sharp as if slashing him.

Jin Ye eventually commented on it first while people around him were hesitant about how to bring Mugeon to his senses.

“Yeon Mugeon, do you have no plan to pay respect to me?”

However, Mugeon’s head was not bowing. He was still gazing at Jin Ye as if he was possessed. Then, he greeted Jin Ye in an unfamiliar language that no one in the palace would ever speak.

“I’m back.”

“…”

Jin Ye’s thin brows wriggled. Mugeon then added.

“Welcome me.”