Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 100

No matter how busy one is, time waits for no one. These days, it felt like even having several bodies would be insufficient for Hongyo. What with preparing for the Taegwahap and doing his work as the Vice Commander, before he knew it, summer was already at its very end. Seeing the servants hanging lanterns from the eaves, Hongyo only then realized that the lantern festival would be held before long. The lantern festival, held every year around the end of summer, announced its beginning by hanging lanterns along every street. When that time came, Hongyo used to hang lanterns from the eaves together with his grandmother too. And after that, he would always go out to the marketplace with Gamyoung to look at the lanterns, but….

“We did not come out to play. Stop casting your eyes about.”

Hongyo stared at Jeonghwan with a startled face. It seemed he had been caught glancing at the front of a temporary stall selling food just a moment ago. While Hongyo respected Jeonghwan for not neglecting his duty even on a day like this, on the other hand, he felt mischievous. No, of course, although they came out to perform a patrol duty, how could one not be excited even after seeing a festival like this? Unconsciously distracted again by a stall selling snacks, Hongyo stole a glance at Jeonghwan. Then, Jeonghwan spoke with a solemn expression.

“Vice Commander.”

“Ah, I get it! I won’t look anymore!”

Even while saying so, Hongyo looked at the honey-preserved fruit with eyes full of lingering attachment. That is truly delicious…. It was a snack he always bought and ate whenever he came to the festival with Gamyoung. Where would it be just sugar candies? There were so many things that couldn’t usually be eaten, without exception, whether it was fruit jelly, cheap sweets, grilled skewers, or shaved ice. If one made a round like that, before long, their pouch would be completely emptied. And as if he had expected as much, Gamyoung used to always buy two grilled skewers.

As Hongyo stared with deeply wistful eyes, the sound of Jeonghwan letting out a small sigh was heard. Then, he soon offered a small dish containing sugar candies.

“It is only for this once.”

Hongyo looked at the sugar candies offered in front of him, then looked back up at Jeonghwan. He had a nonchalant face as if asking what was so delicious about such a thing, but it did not matter to Hongyo whose eyes were riveted on the sugar candies. Lest he take it back, he swiftly snatched the dish.

“Thank you.”

Yes. I wanted to eat this so much. Putting the sugar candies, which he had only been salivating over, into his mouth all at once, the sweet juice preserved in honey spread fully inside his mouth. Becoming happy over a single sugar candy, Hongyo grinned sillily. Seeing that sight, Jeonghwan unconsciously turned the corners of his mouth upward. What was that for him to be so delighted? Since neither he himself nor Bian particularly enjoyed sweet things that much, seeing Hongyo so delighted over food was fascinating, yet for some reason, it made him feel pleasant as well. Having picked up and eaten a few more like that, after eating a certain amount, Hongyo offered a single sugar candy skewered on a stick, as if he only then became conscious of how it looked.

“Would you like to have one?”

Jeonghwan stared at the grape piece heavily preserved in honey. Just looking at it, it was so sweet that it was thoroughly unappealing. Yet, for what reason it was, Jeonghwan put the grape piece into his mouth.

“Mmh…. It is decent.”

“Right? I’m telling you, one must absolutely eat this here!”

Excited by the not-so-bad reaction, Hongyo chattered away wildly. Jeonghwan silently watched that sight. The fruit inside his mouth was so exceedingly sweet, just as he had thought, that it was to the point of making his face frown. However, occasionally something like this wouldn’t be bad. More than anything, watching Yeo Hongyo like that over a single sugar candy was more pleasant than he thought. Enough to make him want to buy him as much of this paltry thing as he wanted.

From a certain moment, he became infinitely generous whenever it came to Yeo Hongyo. Jeonghwan was feeling that fact himself, but his steps were already approaching Hongyo, who was peering at the next stall. Clearly, he knew well the fact that patrolling was their duty. Even so, with the Juan guard unit deployed all around, what did it matter anyway?

‘Is it not because I wanted to do this that I asked him to go out together anyway.’

Jeonghwan approached Hongyo, pretending not to notice his inner thoughts which he had been deliberately ignoring. The appearance of him peering here and there, wondering what was so curious, was funny, so it was while he was following quietly. Finally, after watching all of the performance put on by the troupe of traveling entertainers, Hongyo, only then satisfied, spoke with a worried face.

“By the way, did we not come out to patrol?”

At least he seemed to have the awareness that he came to work. However, Jeonghwan, who had only stolen glances at Hongyo while the troupe performed, had nothing to say either.

“Have you not been busy with work lately and preparing for the Taegwahap? Since we managed to come out, just consider today a rest.”

Whether he had not expected such an answer, Hongyo’s eyes went round. When Jeonghwan asked, ‘Why?’ Hongyo smiled beamingly.

“You have this side to you as well, Commander. Perhaps because I’ve only seen your always disciplined appearance, it’s awkward, but thank you.”

“For what.”

“You minded me, did you not?”

Even after spitting out the words, Hongyo turned his gaze away as if embarrassed. Watching such a Hongyo, Jeonghwan turned his gaze forward once again.

“If you know that, just perform well on the exam.”

It was a blunt voice. However, Hongyo knew well by now the fact that that voice was deliberately fabricated to hide an embarrassed look. Somehow, thinking so made the inside of his throat tickle for no reason. It was the same for Jeonghwan as well. Whenever he was together with Yeo Hongyo, he felt like escaping from the heavy things weighing down on his shoulders. Even just now it was so. Simply being together was delightful, and even while watching, he wanted to keep watching. If there was anything he liked, he wanted to place it in his hand, and when he saw him smile, he ended up smiling along with him.

More than anything, Jeonghwan felt affection when he looked at Hongyo. It was far too personal to be a feeling felt toward a subordinate, yet it wasn’t a responsibility such as having to protect him as an elder brother, like what he felt toward his younger sister. However, whatever it was, he could not know from where on earth the mind wishing to make him happy originated. At that time, the owner of a stall selling ornaments called the two of them.

“You handsome lords over there. The goods of our house are decent, so why don’t you take a look before you go.”

Seeing the owner who gave a sociable greeting, it felt a pity to just pass by.

“What shall we do?”

“Well, just a look or so.”

As Jeonghwan nodded, Hongyo, with a face that looked rather more excited, approached the front of the stall. Thinking this was the time, the master shopkeeper pulled out rings and norigaes inside and showed them in a row.

“If you are such striking gentlemen, there must be a lady of the house as well, so how about something like this? It is an item very popular among wives these days.”

At those words, Hongyo waved his hand.

“No. I haven’t even had a wedding yet?”

“Pardon? How could that be? Ah, it means you have a betrothed.”

Then, this time, Jeonghwan cut the words short.

“That is enough, and show me that one.”

Unexpectedly, Jeonghwan showed interest in a ring. At that, with a face thinking ‘this is it’, the owner quickly handed over the ring Jeonghwan pointed to. Watching Jeonghwan examining the ring this way and that as if it were fascinating, Hongyo asked.

“Is there someone to give it to?”

“Bian quite likes this sort of thing.”

If it was Bian, it was Jeonghwan’s younger sister. Hongyo stared blankly at Jeonghwan, who was examining the ornament quite meticulously. Feeling that gaze, Jeonghwan looked back at Hongyo and asked, ‘Why?’ Then, shaking his head as if it were nothing, Hongyo replied.

“You are attentive. Your younger sister must be glad.”

At those words, Jeonghwan stared blankly at Hongyo for a moment. Then, looking down at the ring again, he murmured.

“Well, is it not natural as an elder brother? At any rate, I don’t know at all what kind of thing women are supposed to wear to fit right.”

As Jeonghwan spoke with a troubled face, before the owner could chime in, Hongyo spoke.

“Ah, may I take a look for a moment?”

And with that, he took the ring from Jeonghwan’s hand and put it on. The ring, of a size that would absolutely not fit Jeonghwan, fit his long and slender finger well as if tailored to it. Come to think of it, for a lad who held a sword, it was a truly fine hand. As Jeonghwan watched questioningly, Hongyo, only then feeling the strangeness, hurriedly put down the ring.

“It’s because I’ve heard many remarks that my hands are somewhat like a woman’s.”

Just as those words implied, his thin and slender fingers without a single joint protruding were similar to a woman’s hand. Jeonghwan momentarily felt a desire to hold that hand once. With an strange thought that it would be nothing but fine and soft unlike other men, he felt a state of mind wishing to strike his own cheek. While Jeonghwan, who forced his gaze away, could not find anything else to say, Hongyo, who had hurriedly put down the ring, suddenly pointed somewhere on the stall.

“Oh? Come to think of it, I needed that ankle band.”

To anyone, it was an attitude as if changing the subject, but it was enough to draw the attention of Jeonghwan and the owner. As Jeonghwan moved his gaze following Hongyo, the master shopkeeper, who snatched up the ankle band Hongyo pointed to even faster than that, showed the ankle band made of silk before them. Since it was a stall selling ornaments, it would be natural, but the ankle band the master shopkeeper showed happened to be made of silk. It was an item of such quality that even Hongyo, who knew how to look at fabrics quite well thanks to having a grandmother who made clothes, would calculate an estimate that it would unconditionally be expensive.

‘Of all things to point to, he points to that.’

The silk ankle band, which had subtle embroidery entry, looked luxurious at a single glance. As Hongyo hesitated at the appearance that seemed like the price would be considerable, Jeonghwan asked for the price. At a price slightly more expensive than the amount Hongyo expected, it was just when Hongyo was about to turn his steps, saying he begged to be excused.

“Give me that one.”

“Oh my. As expected, your eye for discerning is excellent. Yes, yes, I shall pack it for you right away.”

Unexpectedly having come to sell one of the most expensive items at this counter, the owner, grinning broadly, placed the ankle band into a silk pouch. Hongyo stared at Jeonghwan in shock.

“Commander, Your Honor. Why are you doing that? That single thing is a month’s worth of food expenses!”

Whispering quietly so as not to be heard by the owner, Hongyo’s face was urgent. Yet, Jeonghwan looked at Hongyo as if asking what the problem was.

“What is the problem with buying it because it is needed?”

Even at those words, Hongyo still could not help but be restless. No, it’s true I said it was needed, but even so, how can you just buy it recklessly like that…. However, contrary to Hongyo’s worry, to Jeonghwan, who was born into a feudal lord family ruling Hyeongju, the region where grain was produced the most even in Won’guk, it was actually a price that wouldn’t even cause a scratch on his pocket. Rather, his heart felt regretful for not being able to do something more than this for him.

Hongyo looked imploringly at the owner who had finished up to the packaging with fast hands, but the owner only smiled beamingly toward the man paying the price.

“Thank you. Go safely, lords.”

Hongyo stared at the shopkeeper with resentful eyes. However, Jeonghwan, who had already turned his steps, handed over the packaged pouch he had just received to Hongyo.

“What are you doing not receiving it? Making my hand embarrassed.”

At those words, Hongyo could not help but unwrap the silk pouch. The ankle band he saw earlier was neatly folded. Jeonghwan spoke as he watched Hongyo, who still didn’t know what to do.

“I am not giving it just for nothing. I am giving it to tell you to perform well on the exam.”

The set of lips forming an arc was refreshing.

“Do they not say that wearing good shoes makes one head toward a good place? In terms of my feelings, I would want to have even a pair of shoes made for you, but since I have only this right now, keep it. If you happen to go to Hyeongju, I shall have a pair of silk shoes custom-made for you.”