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Chapter: 21

I had a good dream, though I couldn't quite remember what it was about.

But then, a thunderbolt struck, shattering my peaceful sleep.

"Your Highness, I apologize, but it's time for you to wake up!"

"Mmm... I want to sleep more."

"That won't do!"

The voice waking me up this early in the morning, of course, belonged to Han, the eunuch. He wouldn't let it go, anxiously trying to rouse me from my slumber.

Why can't I even sleep in today?

Grumbling, I opened my eyes to see Eunuch Han holding my ceremonial robes, looking at me with a worried expression. He held the robes neatly folded over his arm, his other hand repeatedly reaching out towards me then pulling back. It was quite a sight, seeing him so careful not to even touch a single strand of my hair.

That's when the intricate embroidery on the robes caught my eye.

Those robes... they look familiar. What were they for again?

What were they for?

Suddenly, I remembered what the robes were for.

They were the ones I had prepared to wear to my birthday banquet.

And with that realization, it hit me.

"Ah."

It's today.

"It's today."

My birthday banquet.

It was today.

"Please wake up quickly."

If that's the case, I need to get up.

Reluctantly, I sat up. The warm embrace of the blankets on the heated bed felt more confining than the ropes of the Royal Guard.

But I had no choice but to overcome it with superhuman willpower.

"I'll help you wash up first."

Eunuch Han opened the bedroom door and peeked outside. He said something, and soon, the court ladies entered, carrying water for my morning ablutions. I stared blankly at the flower petals floating in the metal basin for a moment, then washed my face, still half-asleep.

"Ugh, I can't seem to wake up."

Even after washing my face, I was still drowsy.

Was the ringing in my ears and the foggy feeling in my head due to lack of sleep or a side effect of my abilities?

I figured it was probably both.

What a mess.

"Eunuch Han."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I glanced at the court ladies who were still in the room.

"Bring me that cup of tea. It's earlier than my usual time, but I need to have a cup before I leave. If I make even the slightest mistake today, it'll be a spectacle, so make it stronger than usual."

Would it be okay if I lost my temper in front of the foreign envoys?

If that happened, the throne would be out of reach. Today, I needed to be a extra cautious.

Eunuch Han replied quickly with a startled expression.

"Yes, I'll prepare it with special care."

With that, Eunuch Han left the bedroom. The court ladies who had brought the washing water also disappeared, following the eunuch.

Speaking of which...

"Hmm."

I stroked my chin and looked into the mirror on the table.

"Quite handsome, aren't I?"

My face was decent enough to make me wonder why I was called a scoundrel.

It was probably because the rumors about my recklessness were so widespread that they overshadowed any talk of my good looks. There was a reason I was lamenting this. In fact, my face was more than just decent.

A smoothly shaped forehead. Pale skin that looked almost powdered, thanks to my frequent nighttime outings and infrequent daytime strolls. Eyes that curved gracefully, with a hint of mockery always playing at the corners of my lips due to my habit of sneering. Fine hair that was unusually dark compared to others.

Of course, just because I had a handsome face didn't mean it was always pleasant to look at. My slanted eyes, while elegant, also looked quite sharp. My pale complexion made me seem sensitive. Of course, it wasn't just an appearance. I actually had a temperament similar to what my looks suggested.

Is this what they call physiognomy?

Even if I were on the verge of death, I couldn't say I had a kind face, but at the very least, it was on par with a work of art that a craftsman or painter had painstakingly created over several days and nights.

This wasn't arrogance or a joke. To put it plainly, my looks were good enough to stand out anywhere. If I had been born into a common household, I would have been called a gisaeng's brother.

The problem was that despite this face, I was a good-for-nothing. It was a shame that I couldn't be seen favorably by others because of my reputation, despite having such a face.

If I had just sat still and breathed, I would have been loved and cherished. The problem was that I didn't just sit still and breathe.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

If I had always looked like this, would begging have been a little easier?

If a handsome young man like me was begging for a few coins to get a meal, wouldn't most people have thrown him a few?

It's my fault for not being born this way. It's all my fault.

* * *

I arrived at the banquet hall.

The King hadn't appeared yet. As the main guest of the banquet, he would be the last to arrive.

"Is that my seat?"

I asked in a small voice, and the eunuch replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

The eunuch's face was filled with tension. He looked as if he was worried that I might cause some unexpected trouble.

If I cause trouble today, Eunuch Han might just have a heart attack and die.

For Eunuch Han's sake, I decided to just quietly observe the banquet and leave. I couldn't send our dear Eunuch Han, who tirelessly served me day and night, to the afterlife.

I approached my designated seat.

The seat next to mine was, of course, for the Second Prince.

As I approached, he looked at me with a strange expression, as if asking why I was there.

But if this wasn't the place for me, the First Prince, then whose seat was it? Even if this rascal of a prince was a good-for-nothing, he didn't need to be so unfilial as to skip his own birthday celebration.

But the Second Prince had a look on his face that suggested he wished I were that kind of bastard and would just disappear from this place.

It wasn't that I was misinterpreting a normal expression because of some negative bias. He really did have that look on his face.

I stared at the Second Prince for a moment, then smiled brightly and sat down.

It's in times like these that you have to live even more boldly.

His expression soured.

Watching his face contort in real-time, I had a feeling that today was going to be quite enjoyable.

I had started the day pleasantly with my handsome face, so of course, it would be more enjoyable than for my ugly younger brother.

Ignoring the Second Prince's intense gaze, I looked around and thought to myself.

The day of my promised duel with his bodyguard was approaching.

What kind of expression would he make when I won the duel and the Queen Dowager's keepsake?

He probably still thought I was that same good-for-nothing.

He must be convinced that I could never beat his bodyguard.

People can't change overnight. So if I were still the reckless First Prince Ikwon, I wouldn't ever be able to defeat his bodyguard.

It would probably be quite amusing.

The reasons why I needed to get the Queen Dowager's sword from him were piling up.

I really wanted to see his smug face twist and turn as ugly as if it had been trampled on.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud with excitement.

"Your Highness...?"

Eunuch Han called me with a worried look.

I guess it looked strange that I was giggling to myself.

"It's nothing."

I waved my hand and said that.

I turned my head away, thinking that if I kept staring at the Second Prince, people might misunderstand and think I loved my brother too much.

Looking around the banquet hall, many people were already seated. Since only a certain number of people could sit in designated seats, the empty seats of those who hadn't arrived yet were clearly visible. This was especially true for the royal family, including myself, who were all seated on a platform.

Everyone was wearing formal attire, making the differences in status immediately apparent. High-ranking officials wore elaborate clothes, while lower-ranking officials wore simpler ones.

Civil officials wore civil official attire. Military officials wore military official attire.

Suddenly, Shin Gwiryung's words came to mind.

“Every person has clothes that suit them.”

"Clothes that suit..."

As I muttered to myself, Eunuch Han, still unable to hide his anxiety, glanced at me.

I wonder what kind of clothes would suit Eunuch Han best. Not that his eunuch attire looked bad on him.

By the way, if it's the First Prince’s birthday banquet, would our Lord of the Fortress have come too?

It seemed like invitations were sent to most of the regional lords, so wouldn't Blood Cloud Fortress have received an invitation to the birthday banquet as well? Even though Blood Cloud Fortress was tucked away in a remote area, its history and importance were second to none.

However, in my memory, the Lord had never left Seopyung. If an invitation was sent at this point, it would have been after I entered the castle. But if he hadn't gone to the capital even once despite that... it was highly likely he wouldn't be here either.

I decided to ask Eunuch Han, who was standing next to me.

"Eunuch Han."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"To what extent are local nobles usually invited?"

"I don't know the details because it's not something I'm in charge of... but it's customary to send invitations to the lords of the eight largest castles and the lords of the castles near the border. Unless His Majesty specifically decrees otherwise."

Then Blood Cloud Fortress would have received an invitation too.

Would he have come? Or not?

It would be nice to see him, even from a distance.

I was sure he was safe, but I still wanted to check on him just once.

From my seat, I could barely see the faces of the gathered local nobles, so I squinted my eyes and searched for the Lord, but I couldn't find anyone who resembled him.

He's not here, huh? Can't be helped.

I gave up and glanced at the Second Prince again.

The powerful families who had gained power through their brushes firmly supported him. The maternal relatives, who had driven the First Queen to death and finally taken her place, would be his sturdy sword and shield on his path to the throne.

But he was mistaken. Brushes were brushes, and swords were swords. Brushes could not become swords, and likewise, swords could not become brushes. Even if he overcame the immediate crisis, the brush would eventually break.

If he sought a weapon to withstand the great storm, it could never be a brush. There was no doubt that the clothes that suited the Second Prince were not those of a military official.

Well-ironed civil official attire was only useful in times of peace.

If he intended to endure the harsh world, he should clad himself in sturdy armor.

Suddenly, the surroundings became noisy.

Thinking it might be time for the King to arrive, I quickly straightened my back and sat up straight, but it wasn't the King, rather Queen Woo who appeared.

Luxurious ceremonial robes and ornate accessories. It was an outfit that would identify her as the Queen even from a hundred paces away. So it was natural that the attention of the scattered people was drawn to one place.

With the appearance of his powerful ally, the Second Prince's complexion brightened instantly.

On the other hand, not even a single ant passed by my way.

How can anyone bear to live feeling this neglected?

As the Queen appeared, people who were seated began to stand up one by one, gauging the atmosphere. Since the banquet hadn't started yet, it wasn't an issue to move around.

They headed towards the Queen and the Second Prince. It didn't take long for the Queen's seat to be surrounded by flatterers.

This is really something.

Should I say my pride is hurt?

At the sight that made even onlookers feel embarrassed, Eunuch Han started sniffling.

I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief and asked, "Eunuch Han, what's wrong with you now?"

"Your Highness..."

Eunuch Han looked around. He seemed worried that others would look at me because of him.

Don't worry, Eunuch Han. No one's interested in me...

But soon, the people around the Queen started to return to their seats. And a little later, a long trumpet sounded.

The King had arrived.