“Uh… your sister has spoken rather passionately, hasn’t she?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying! No matter how much I’ve made a mistake, there’s a right way to express yourself and a wrong way!”
I swallowed hard, watching Yoo Gyeong passionately rant.
Emperor Yoo Gyeong.
A figure who ascended to the throne at a time when the imperial power was in decline and dramatically boosted the emperor’s authority.
Is this person really the one?
The one spitting words like a fountain, complaining about Hyeok Gi-rin, is this Emperor Yoo Gyeong?
“Haha…”
Watching the emperor in a stupor, I finally understood why Dujak had summoned me to the Sky Lounge.
As they conversed, my own story as a fellow guest must have come up, and from the emperor’s perspective, that outcast gambling frequenting various gambling houses must have irked them. However, Hyeok Gi-rin likely spoke positively about my gambling skills.
Thinking back, it’s true. How many gamblers actually teach their techniques? Those gambling folks are usually reluctant to share even their trivial tricks… I should have caught on when Hyeok Gi-rin demonstrated a technique.
Surely, Hyeok Gi-rin could hide something from the Tang Clan, but wouldn’t she show some trick akin to hiding snacks?
And what would Yoo Gyeong have thought upon seeing Hyeok Gi-rin like that? Something like, “How dare that filthy Sacheon Outcast kid reach out to my younger sister, the princess of the Great Huang Nation?”
Oh.
Suddenly, my back began to feel damp.
“Hey, what’s wrong? You look pale all of a sudden.”
“Haha! It’s nothing! Please, go on! So, what did you do for me when I was little?”
“Well… I too was prepared to be scolded when I went to see my sister…”
Dujak’s words held no deceit. It seemed Dujak, no, Yoo Gyeong, sincerely wanted me to lose. To separate Hyeok Gi-rin from gambling, or to cut me off from Hyeok Gi-rin. If Yoo Gyeong’s scheme came to fruition, I would have been a pitiful fool, falling for the eunuch’s tricks and ending up in massive debt after gambling in the palace.
For most ordinary people, it would be an instant loss of affection.
Ah.
So I am currently teaching bad gambling techniques to the imperial princess, completely shattering the emperor’s plans, playing around with the emperor, and then rushing to Hyeok Gi-rin to inform her so that she can tell the emperor, “I don’t like you, Older Brother!” This is all my doing?
In my mind, the image of the Punisher yelling, “Bring out the axe!” popped up.
Could it be that the alias Dujak was chosen so it could chop off my hands? Nah, no way. Haha, sure, he may be a jerk teaching gambling tricks to his precious younger sister, but he’s still an imperial guest and a friend of Hyeok Gi-rin.
“Back then, that child who said thank you with the brightest eyes asked, ‘Older Brother’? Are you alright? You’re sweating like a waterfall!”
“Indeed! Haha! Thank you for your concern! Sometimes my sweat glands just open up out of nowhere! Haha!”
As I wiped my forehead, my clothes quickly became damp. The moment I wiped off some sweat, it started pouring again! I managed to put on a composed expression, but the cold sweat was beyond my control.
After wiping away all the sweat and forcing a smile, I caught the skeptical gaze of Yoo Gyeong.
Yoo Gyeong’s eyes were abnormal. They seemed to suspect that I might have realized he was the emperor. I quickly opened my mouth to change the subject.
“So, are you planning to make up with your sister?”
“Haaa… that’s concerning. I told her not to come, but I worry that if I visit her rashly, I might just provoke her further. Honestly, I don’t know what to do.”
Fortunately, it seemed Yoo Gyeong’s mind was only filled with thoughts of Hyeok Gi-rin for now, so he easily dismissed his suspicious gaze.
“For now… how about writing a letter?”
“A letter?”
“Yes. You said you were close with your younger sister, so I assume she must be concerned about… those harsh words… Well, she must be worried about the severity of what she said, right?”
After saying this, I took a sip of tea to stall for time. I was just saying things off the cuff, but I needed time too.
“Go on, keep talking.”
“If your sister has even the slightest desire to forgive you now, there are words spoken and maintaining decorum. It’s hard to easily grant forgiveness after being so angry.”
“Hmm…”
I recalled Hyeok Gi-rin’s demeanor while drinking tea. Would Hyeok Gi-rin easily forgive Yoo Gyeong? To be honest, it was fifty-fifty. She showed concern that he wouldn’t apologize but felt something bubbling inside her.
“Then, wouldn’t it be better to send a letter first?”
“A letter… a letter…”
“Yes. To express sincerity while avoiding face-to-face confrontation, a letter would be a good method. Also, considering that hurt feelings would still linger, neutral words in writing would be best.”
Rather than racing ahead to bridge the gap all at once, this felt like the better path.
Yoo Gyeong pondered deeply and nodded before standing up.
“Understood. I’ll get started on a letter immediately. You don’t look well, so rest for now.”
“Ha ha. I wish you good luck.”
As Yoo Gyeong hurriedly left, Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong glanced at me, bowing slightly. Thinking about it, what exactly is Sa Ma Hwi-gyeong, who’s with the emperor? Is he a general from the Gold Guard or the East General? No, he’s merely a Hidden Bodyguard; there’s no need to overthink it.
“Phew…”
I shoved snacks into my mouth and gulped down cold tea. As sugar rushed to my whirling head and replenished the lost fluids from the cold sweat, my mind began to clear.
For now… Yes.
I need to reconcile Yoo Gyeong and Hyeok Gi-rin as quickly as possible. If by any chance their relationship falls apart because of this incident? Yoo Gyeong would definitely kill me. It’s clear.
The fortunate thing is that I’m positioned as an advisor to both of them. Hyeok Gi-rin has no one to consult with in this palace except me, and for Yoo Gyeong… they’re likely in a similar situation.
As Hyeok Gi-rin’s meetings would be a secret, she wouldn’t be able to share anything about their quarrel with anyone other than those she truly trusts. And since the court ladies and eunuchs can’t propose opinions to the emperor, the chances of finding someone to talk to other than me are pretty slim.
I’ll observe both their reactions and try to mend their brother-sister relationship.
After all, that had been the plan from the beginning. I’ve resolved to support Hyeok Gi-rin, so this was just a fortunate turn of events.
Although I felt like I might cry…
Let’s see how Hyeok Gi-rin reacts to the letter.
* *
After dinner, Hyeok Gi-rin summoned me for tea time.
“This morning, I mentioned that I had a quarrel with my Older Brother. Today, his letter has arrived.”
“Oh! I see. What did it say?”
“Overall, he apologized for our quarrel and expressed remorse.”
Hyeok Gi-rin’s expression looked uneasy. She received an apology, but something about it felt unfulfilling.
“Is there something bothering you?”
“I don’t really know how to express it… I received his apology, but… the aftertaste is still not right.”
“Ah, I see.”
I too took a sip of tea to clear my thoughts. Up until now, I thought Hyeok Gi-rin and Yoo Gyeong were at odds due to Dujak’s punishment. But the reality was that Dujak was Yoo Gyeong.
This turned the whole situation around. Hyeok Gi-rin had heard all about her Older Brother’s antics from me, so it’s only natural she would feel ashamed and angry at him for acting that way towards a fellow companion.
It was only reasonable for Hyeok Gi-rin to be upset with Yoo Gyeong.
However, something weighed on my mind, which was the attitude of Yoo Gyeong. While he was acknowledging his mistakes and expressing regret, he also seemed quite wronged…
But asking about that was a bit sensitive.
It was a situation ripe for Hyeok Gi-rin to get angry, and if she made a mistake while getting angry, it would feel awkward to press that point. After all, she had stepped out for me.
So, I opted for persuasion.
“But you still want to reconcile with your Older Brother, right?”
“That’s true.”
Hyeok Gi-rin sighed deeply.
“I feel like it’s just going to be a repeat. I don’t even know how to put this feeling into words…”
Is Hyeok Gi-rin seeking a fundamental solution?
“Why not vent like you did yesterday? After all, I know nothing about Lord Dujak or your family.”
I obviously knew everything, but still, if Hyeok Gi-rin dropped a hint, I could connect the dots with the clues in Yoo Gyeong’s story later.
“It seems my Older Brother still thinks of me as a child.”
After some deep thought, Hyeok Gi-rin finally began to speak.
“I understand. The last time my Older Brother saw me, I was still a kid. And then, due to my life in the Jeomchang Faction, we’ve been apart for so long. But I’m also the Grand Master of the Jeomchang Faction and a Peak Stage martial artist.”
“You want your Older Brother to acknowledge your independence.”
“That’s right! No… maybe not. To be honest, it’s complicated.”
Hyeok Gi-rin looked at me with sad eyes. Well, her life as Hyeok Gi-rin is not easy. Hiding her identity as a princess and living as a cross-dressing woman must be tough.
“While I hope my Older Brother respects my decisions, it’s also silly for me to expect him to cheer for me when I haven’t reached any conclusion myself. Is it too shameless for me to wish that?”
It was a tough situation. Gathering clues one by one felt insufficient for a complete answer.
However, I might not be able to solve the entire problem, but I could certainly offer some advice.
“Then, why not send him a reply?”
“A reply?”
“Yes. Your Older Brother had the courage to send a letter, so you should put your feelings into words and write a letter too. There’s no limit to how many times you can write a letter, right?”
Hyeok Gi-rin was lost in thought. Time passed so long that the tea in the pot cooled down, and finally, she nodded.
“Yes… I will do that.”
“Good. Then take your time to organize your thoughts. I will excuse myself.”
“…Thank you.”
“Pardon?”
“Thank you. Senior Ho. For so many reasons.”
Hyeok Gi-rin’s face flushed, either from the embarrassment of expressing gratitude or revealing the inner workings of sibling relationships. I couldn’t help but chuckle, pleased by her innocence.
“I hope for a good outcome.”
“…Yes. I will do my best.”
Gazing into Hyeok Gi-rin’s determined eyes, I let out a sigh of relief.
Right, they were originally close siblings, so reconciling shouldn’t be too hard.
Feeling much lighter, I lay on my bed, waiting for the next day.
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