Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 10

The old saying, “Words have power,” proved true. A merchant Gamyoung had once worked for, when starting his trade business, contacted him, asking for help due to a shortage of hands. Consequently, Gamyoung ended up missing three days of training because of his new, demanding job. Standing in front of the training hall’s door after three days, his unease grew, feeling as if he’d acted rashly toward someone who was ill.

‘Should I apologize when I see him? But we didn’t have a fight, did we? I can just pretend nothing happened, right? Yeo Hongyo isn’t narrow-minded. By the way, I wonder if he had any more nightmares that night. Maybe I should have just stayed over…’

Just as Gamyoung was agonizing over this in front of the training hall,

“Hey! What are you doing here?”

A cheerful voice suddenly called out from behind. Startled by the hand that tapped his shoulder, Gamyoung froze as he recognized the voice. It was the very person he had been thinking about. He watched as Hongyo opened the training hall door casually.

“Why haven’t you been coming?”

“Ah, I was busy. Remember that merchant I worked for before? He asked me for help.”

“Really? I thought you were sulking because of what happened that night.”

…Did he know? Gamyoung felt a pang of guilt, but he didn’t show it. Hongyo seemed to live life without much thought, yet at times like this, he could be surprisingly sharp. Gamyoung breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Hongyo appeared nonchalant. He looked healthy, and the atmosphere wasn’t awkward.

“Did you have any nightmares after that night?”

It was the question he had been wanting to ask. Hongyo seemed to flinch at the question, but seeing his calm expression, Gamyoung thought he must have been mistaken.

“Nope. I had some meat stew and I felt completely fine. Like you said, I guess I’ve been overdoing it with training lately, so my body was weak.”

It wasn’t an empty boast; Hongyo looked a bit thinner than the last time Gamyoung saw him. Just as he was about to comment on it, Hongyo turned and looked directly at Gamyoung.

“Thanks for taking me home that night. I didn’t even realize it was alcohol. It tasted awfully strange for water.”

As if the taste still lingered, Hongyo made a face and pretended to spit. Finding his expression amusing, Gamyoung burst out laughing. Hongyo raised an eyebrow and glared.

“Hey, are you laughing? Do you think this is funny?”

“Ah, sorry.”

His voice, still laced with laughter, lacked sincerity, even for an apology. Hongyo glanced at Gamyoung, nudged his shoulder, and chuckled. At the lighthearted laughter, Gamyoung smiled faintly. Then, as if remembering something, Hongyo stopped walking.

“Ah! Now that I think about it, have you seen a silk pouch that was in my pocket?”

A silk pouch? As Gamyoung repeated the words, he suddenly remembered the forgotten hair ornament.

“This?”

“Oh, thanks. I thought I’d lost it.”

“Kyungrak told me to make sure you kept it safe.”

Watching Hongyo’s reaction, Gamyoung cautiously asked,

“Why didn’t you give it to him?”

Hongyo replied with a bitter expression.

“I was stupid.”

“…”

“What man would give his wife a hair ornament from another man?”

Ah, so that’s why.

Gamyoung’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought of it that way, but it made sense. No fool would give his wife a gift from another man. Why didn’t I think of that…? While Gamyoung was reflecting on his own ignorance, Hongyo tossed the pouch in the air and caught it again.

“I should ask for a refund. I have no one to give it to anyway. They should give me my money back if it hasn’t been used, right?”

Hongyo asked, turning back. Gamyoung nodded.

“Probably.”

“Great! Then let’s go together after training. We can also stop by the butcher shop to sell the hides while we’re at it.”

Hongyo grinned. It was an innocent, playful smile. Gamyoung looked at his face and smiled back. I should buy him some meat later. He was still concerned about Hongyo looking a little thinner, even though he claimed to be fully recovered.

˖°⛩️⋆˙️

“Can’t you just refund me this once? I really haven’t used it at all.”

“No, young master. It doesn’t matter whether you used it or not. Where do you get the nerve to ask for a refund after buying something?”

“I’m really sorry. But I don’t need it anymore.”

“Oh, come on. Buying when you need it and returning when you don’t. How am I supposed to run a business like this? No way. Now, off you go, young masters.”

He had expected it wouldn’t be easy, but this was really tough. To a seasoned merchant, the customer was king, but a customer asking for a refund was no longer king. However, Hongyo was persistent. The argument between Hongyo, pleading for a refund, and the stubborn merchant seemed endless.

Gamyoung, who had been watching the scene for quite some time, discreetly shook his coin pouch behind Hongyo’s back. Then, he subtly opened the pouch and showed it to the merchant. It was brimming with silver coins.

‘Pretend you don’t know.’

Gamyoung mouthed the words silently to Hongyo. The merchant, a true businessman, caught the signal perfectly and said magnanimously,

“Well, it’s against the rules, but I’ll make an exception just this once. Don’t expect this next time.”

Then he refunded Hongyo.

“Wow. Thank you!”

Hongyo, receiving the coins, looked at Gamyoung. Gamyoung, quickly hiding the pouch of silver coins, smiled innocently, feigning ignorance.

“Let’s celebrate with a feast! Tell me what you want. This older brother will buy it all for you!”

Hongyo puffed out his chest and beamed with pride. Gamyoung played along.

“Wow! Does that mean we can eat meat today? Not meat stew, but grilled beef.”

“Huh? Oh, uh…”

“Thank you, Hongyo. Thanks to a good friend like you, I can finally treat my stomach today.”

While Hongyo stammered, flustered by the unexpected response, Gamyoung laughed heartily and slung an arm around his shoulder.

“To buy meat, we have to go to the butcher, right? Since you said you have hides to sell, I’ll see you at the butcher shop. I have some errands to run here.”

Gamyoung removed his arm and gave Hongyo a pat on the back. Startled, Hongyo jumped and then stared at Gamyoung with a look of utter resentment. However, perhaps because he had already spoken, he just pursed his lips and then, seemingly giving up, trudged towards the butcher shop. Gamyoung waved him off as he looked back a couple of times.

Once Hongyo was out of sight, Gamyoung turned to the merchant. He snatched the apricot blossom hair ornament from the merchant’s hand and took out half a silver coin. When the merchant protested, saying he didn’t have enough change to return for the double the original price, Gamyoung said coldly,

“Keep the change. And from now on, if this kid comes here, tell me…”

Gamyoung paused and sighed, then changed his mind.

“No, just… give him something.”

˖°⛩️⋆˙️

With the Imnyong Festival just around the corner, Kyungrak was being fitted for his ceremonial robes with the help of the court ladies. His broad shoulders and toned physique with defined abs seemed more than enough to embrace a woman with room to spare. Even to the eyes of another man, his figure, clad only in a thin undergarment for the fitting, was impressive. So, how much more captivating must he appear to a woman? Kyungrak was well aware of the court lady’s trembling fingertips as she took his measurements and examined his physique. Moreover…

“Your Highness. Would you mind raising your arm?”

“If you wish, I shall oblige.”

As he raised his arm with a mischievous grin, a blush crept up the court lady’s face. However, she didn’t seem to mind his flirtation, as a faint smile played on her lips.

‘Playing around.’

Gamyoung, resting his chin on the side table and observing the scene, pursed his lips. He wanted to voice his disapproval, but Kyungrak was the future emperor. Or perhaps, even if it weren’t for the court lady’s presence, he might have still kept his thoughts to himself.

Gamyoung scrutinized Kyungrak. He certainly had the looks that women would adore. He had a masculine, large build and an almost fierce look when expressionless, but when a playful smile occasionally graced his lips, he looked his age.

It wasn’t just his appearance; the aura surrounding him was also extraordinary. All the men of the imperial family were born with a degree of the dragon’s power, although it remained dormant until they were chosen. However, Kyungrak, as the chosen one, possessed a distinct majesty. Even those unfamiliar with Kyungrak would sense an overwhelming aura that belied his status as a mere son of a provincial nobleman.

Therefore, Kyungrak was popular not only with women but also with young men. After all, young men admired the strong and aspired to be like them. Even Yeo Hongyo looked disheartened when he heard about Kyungrak’s upcoming marriage. Gamyoung had introduced Hongyo to Kyungrak, but sometimes, seeing Hongyo favor Kyungrak more, he wondered if he shouldn’t have made the introduction.

But seeing him flirt with a woman like this must have shattered that illusion. He was lost in thought when Kyungrak, curious about Gamyoung’s silence, glanced at him through the mirror and clicked his tongue.

“What are you thinking so hard about that your face is all scrunched up like a deflated duckling?”

Gamyoung, meeting Kyungrak’s condescending gaze in the mirror, felt a surge of annoyance. A deflated duckling? He wouldn’t call himself handsome, but he wasn’t unattractive either. What annoyed him more was the court lady’s slightly flushed face, as if trying to suppress her laughter.

“Is it appropriate for you to be giving your heart to all these women when you’re about to officially marry after the Imnyong Festival? Please maintain your fidelity, Brother.”

He said it loudly enough for the court lady to hear, and her fingertips flinched. Kyungrak let out an exasperated chuckle. Then he said with a sly smile,

“It seems you’re unaware that one of the most important duties of the imperial family is to ensure the prosperity of its lineage.”

How could he not know? He himself was the son of a concubine, not the empress. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he couldn’t help feeling annoyed.

“I will only have one wife in my life. I will cherish and love her more than anything in the world.”

“My, what admirable words. I naturally assumed you would never marry and live your whole life doting on Hongyo.”

Why is Hongyo being brought up here? Just as Gamyoung bit his lip in frustration, Kyungrak asked in a casual tone,

“Speaking of Hongyo, is he not upset that I didn’t accept his gift?”