TMTISTBH CH 12

Chapter 12

“You say he’s not a spy, and yet you want him released. What is the reason?”

“According to the Royal Stables, the luma (騮馬) we brought this time is an exceptionally rare and fine horse. They say it surpasses even the best of the Hwarwon Palace stables. Yet, those who rode the horse here were poorly dressed and unkempt.”

Grand Prince Eunhun, who remembered the clever horse that had recognized someone who would save it and walked all the way to Hwarwon Palace despite being on the brink of collapse, nodded and stroked his chin.

“It was certainly no ordinary creature. You think those children are fugitives who committed a crime.”

“They even bear the marks of corporal punishment. There’s no need to say more. Whether they are runaway slaves or criminals on the run, if other palaces find out that we’ve harbored such children, it could cause trouble later.”

“Hm. I understand what worries you. Still, they are guests who have come to my palace. I would like to shelter them until they recover. It is also the first time that Gasari has shown interest in a human.”

“I expected you to say as much.”

Jaun, who responded calmly, stopped walking as they reached the Grand Prince’s residence. Eunhun looked back at him.

“You’ll be gone by tomorrow, then. I’m sure you’ll do well, but it’s been a while since your last visit down there—be careful.”

“Yes, I’ll take my leave.”

“Travel safely.”

Once Grand Prince Eunhun had walked far enough to no longer be visible, Jaun took a ring from inside his robe. It had fallen from the injured child’s belongings.

Inside a small, broken wooden case were a red silk sachet and the ring.

“…Foolish. Of all things to steal, they took this.”

The intricately carved ring, featuring twin dragons holding a pearl with both their mouths and claws, was so pristine that it gleamed with purity even at a glance—clearly a high-grade item. Such rare ornaments are hard to sell at full value even as stolen goods. The child had likely stolen it simply because it looked valuable.

While the sachet had been handed over to the Grand Prince, Jaun had kept the ring hidden. He intended to look into it himself while in the capital.

Though the capital was a maze of countless noble families, narrowing down where both a horse and such a luxurious ring had been lost would not take long. Jaun tucked the ring deep inside his robe.

His body felt as heavy as water-soaked cotton, unwilling to move as he commanded it. With even the smallest motion triggering waves of searing pain, Inho let out a faint groan as he struggled to lift his eyelashes.

When his blurry vision cleared enough to show the pale silhouette of a man, Inho flinched and abruptly tried to sit up.

“…Hyungnim?”

[Note: “Hyungnim” is an honorific used to refer to an older brother or a senior male one respects, particularly in hierarchical or traditional settings.]

The man did not respond. He only stood by the window, leaning slightly against it, cold eyes gazing down at Inho.

Realizing this man was not Taeseon, Inho asked in a hoarse voice, heavy with suspicion,

“Who are you?”

As Inho struggled to keep his eyes open to verify the figure shimmering in and out of focus, the man stepped closer.

“Who are you?”

“There’s no need for you to know.”

Inho frowned, not because of the man’s stunning appearance, but because of the hostility radiating from his gaze. Even the slow flutter of his long eyelashes seemed as sharp as blades under the blue moonlight.

“If you wish to keep your lowly life, stay quiet. Please.”

Despite the frigid warning, Inho’s hazy consciousness continued to fade in and out.

Where is this place? It’s not Uihoejae… Then who is this person?

As the man turned and walked away, Inho’s eyes finally shut again.

A cold towel wiped the sweat from his clammy forehead. Amid the faint noise from outside, a quiet voice reached his ears.

“Has he awakened?”

“Not yet. Shall I try to rouse him?”

“No need. He likely hasn’t fully recovered. Let him wake on his own.”

Sleep more.

A firm yet gentle hand patted his shoulder in encouragement, the deep, kind voice washing over his head.

I need to get up. I must escape…

Yet that desperate urgency was meaningless. His body refused to move. The moment he released the last bit of concentration he had, the fleeting alertness he managed to gather dissolved.

Inho did not wake until the next day.

A strange herbal scent filled his nose. Gentle, whispered conversations and a rhythmic, clear sound like something being ground reached his ears.

As his senses slowly returned in this strangely calming space, Inho blinked dazedly.

A dispensary? Someone must have treated me. Where is Seol?

He carefully raised his body and tried to grasp the situation. But as he moved, pain he had momentarily forgotten returned in full force. Especially below the waist, where the agony was so intense he was afraid to let his feet touch the ground.

Clenching his teeth, Inho managed to sit up and quietly picked up a pair of scissors from the nearby side table. He watched the shadow passing behind the white curtain surrounding the bed, holding his breath. When one shadow drew near, he swiftly grabbed the figure’s arm and pressed the sharp scissor tip to their neck.

“Where is the girl?”

The man swallowed a gasp and stared wide-eyed at the cold blade pressed under his chin, trembling as he answered,

“I-If you mean the girl, she’s in the adjacent room.”

“Where is this place?”

“This is Cheongrinwon, the medical hall of Hwarwon Palace! His Highness the Grand Prince personally saved you!”

Thinking Inho would beg for mercy once he understood where he was, the physician’s trembling stopped and he even spoke with a bit of pride. But Inho only frowned harder.

“Hwarwon Palace? Which Grand Prince are you talking about?”

“Grand Prince Eunhun!”

At the man’s answer, Inho scoffed.

“Nonsense. That’s a blatant lie. No such person exists.”

Inho knew the royal family like the back of his hand. A Grand Prince (Daegun) is a title given to the brothers of a newly enthroned emperor. Since this would one day be his own future, Inho had naturally memorized every current Grand Prince, their palaces, troops, funding details, and behind-the-scenes affairs. And to his knowledge, neither Hwarwon Palace nor Grand Prince Eunhun existed.

Convinced the physician was lying, Inho forced him to guide him to Seol’s location. Though every movement hurt, he used all his strength to mask it. Even as he moved, his mind whirled, trying to figure out how to escape with Seol safely.

The physician, choosing a moment when no one was around, led Inho to the next room and pointed at the door.

“She’s in there. The girl is being treated…”

“Open it.”

Whether the man had lost all fear or truly gone mad, he still hesitated even knowing they were in the Grand Prince’s palace. As he reached toward the door with a trembling hand—

It swung open with a bang, and a girl appeared inside.

Seol’s eyes widened when she saw Inho.

“Brother!”

“…Seol-ah.”

Seol ran into Inho’s arms and hugged him tightly around the waist. As his grip on the scissors slackened, the physician ran off in a hurry.

The scissors clattered to the floor. Forgetting the pain, Inho bent down to pull Seol close in an embrace.

“Are you okay, Seol? Are you hurt?”

“Hic… huff… Brother… huhuuhhhh.”

Seol burst into loud sobs. Perhaps remembering the instructions from that night, she didn’t say anything else—just cried her heart out.

Seeing her like that made Inho’s chest ache. Whatever plans he had made for after finding her vanished as he gently comforted her frail body.

And that’s when the other physicians of Cheongrinwon came rushing in.

When news spread that Inho had awakened and immediately threatened the attending physician, people gathered, murmuring among themselves. Before long, Grand Prince Eunhun himself arrived at Cheongrinwon.

“Your Highness, the guest has awakened—”

“Then it’s something to celebrate, not cause such a commotion. Everyone, return to your posts. Jeongnyeom, prepare a room inside.”

After settling the room, Grand Prince Eunhun turned his gaze to Inho.

“If you’re well enough, would you join me for some tea?”

Inside the innermost room of Cheongrinwon, Inho sat across from Grand Prince Eunhun, holding Seol’s hand tightly under the table as she curiously looked around. Seated beside the Grand Prince was a high-ranking physician named Jeongnyeom.

Fragrant tea was served on the dark wood table, but Inho didn’t touch it. Instead, he stared intently at the man across from him.

This man whom everyone called “Your Highness.” The master of Hwarwon Palace, Grand Prince Eunhun. But no such person had existed in his previous life. He had never even heard of a place called Hwarwon Palace.

A rebel faction? A deluded cult claiming divine right? Or… has the past I knew somehow changed?

Though he tried to appear composed, his confusion was clear. Watching him, the Grand Prince smiled slightly and spoke first.

“Is your name perhaps Inho?”

“…Why do you ask?”

Sensitive and cautious, Inho’s tone was guarded. The Grand Prince reached into his robe and placed a red sachet on the table. Inho’s eyes dropped to it.

The once-bright silk had long since faded with time, but newly embroidered on the attached string was the name “Inho.” At the sight of the unexpected stitches, Inho unconsciously reached out and picked it up.