Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 3

Gamyoung’s footsteps led him, as always, to the Crown Prince’s Palace. He proceeded without hesitation to the innermost chambers, entering as confidently as if it were his own quarters. Inside, Kyungrak, the Crown Prince of Won’guk and future ruler of the nation, was in the midst of preparations for the Imryongjae, the ceremony where the dragon would choose the next emperor. However, neither Gamyoung, brazenly barging into the Crown Prince’s chambers, nor Kyungrak, who merely chuckled at his younger brother’s intrusion, showed any sense of formality.

“Brother, are you perhaps trembling?”

His mischievous voice was undeniably playful. Kyungrak, who had been reciting the declaration he would make during the Imryongjae, responded as if it were ridiculous.

“Trembling? You should take a good look at this scene. Once I properly inherit the dragon’s power, a runt like you will be no match for me.”

“Oh dear, the soon-to-be ruler of the land is threatening his younger brother’s life. Are you so petty that you are worthy of becoming the dragon’s bride?”

“Be quiet. Bride, my foot. Stop it, it’s embarrassing.”

“Isn’t it true, though? The dragon must choose the next emperor.”

Gamyoung smiled. Despite his teasing, he was genuinely worried about his brother. Of course, Kyungrak was the legitimate heir born to the Empress, and the Hyunjingwan, interpreters of the heavens and the dragon’s language, had nominated him as the next emperor. It was only right that he receive the dragon’s power.

But what if, by some chance, the dragon refused to grant him its power? What if it took his life instead…?

At that thought, Gamyoung stopped himself from shaking his head. Among the children who inherited the emperor’s bloodline, none were as strong as Kyungrak. Not in physique, not in mental fortitude, and certainly not in their capacity to rule.

There was a reason why he, a mere third prince in terms of birth order, excluding those born to concubines, had been appointed Crown Prince. He lacked nothing; he was truly a man born to be emperor, and therefore, there was no way the dragon would abandon him.

Gamyoung waved to Kyungrak, who was busy preparing for the Imryongjae, the ceremony where he would be chosen by the dragon as the next emperor.

“I’ll be going now, Brother. See you at the Imryongjae.”

“Are you planning to leave after making fun of me? Where are you off to now, to meet another girl?”

“A girl? Hongyo may look like one, but he’s a man.”

“Oh, it’s him again.”

Kyungrak, deflated, let out a chuckle and waved his hand dismissively.

“Hongyo again? Anyone would think you two were getting married. What’s so great about two men sticking together all the time?”

“Isn’t it better than sticking with different women every day? I’m sure I’ll find someone when the time is right.”

“You have a way with words. If all else fails, I can use the dragon’s power to transform you into a woman, so don’t worry too much even if you want to marry Hongyo.”

“Don’t say such creepy things and focus on preparing for the Imryongjae. I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”

Clicking his tongue, Gamyoung left the room. The court ladies lining the palace corridor bowed deeply to him. Some, around Gamyoung’s age, blushed at the sight of him, but Gamyoung paid them no mind.

˖°⛩️⋆˙️

Gamyoung was the sixth prince of Won’guk and nineteen years old, just shy of his coming-of-age ceremony. Although a prince, he was born to a concubine, not the Empress, and thus far removed from the direct line of succession. While it was said that the dragon chose the emperor, the first prince, who inherited the strongest bloodline of the emperor, usually underwent the Imryongjae and inherited the throne. This was why it was exceptional for Kyungrak, a mere third prince, to inherit the throne. Therefore, Gamyoung, a mere sixth prince, had neither the possibility nor the desire to aim for the throne.

He was quite content with his current life. Being a low-ranking prince meant no one paid him much attention, affording him a degree of freedom. He also appreciated being able to freely enter and exit the palace with Kyungrak’s permission. He enjoyed the freedom outside, even though his living quarters there were far more modest than his palace chambers.

After all, there were many things Gamyoung enjoyed outside the palace walls. Having changed into his usual cotton clothes instead of his fine silk attire, he walked through the marketplace and entered a familiar fabric shop.

“Sir, I’m here!”

“A young lad with such a poor sense of time? Will you even get paid properly this month?”

“You wouldn’t actually deduct my pay, would you? Come on, give me a break. I was just with my brother.”

“Stop your whining and get to work!”

It might seem strange for a prince to work, but Gamyoung meticulously concealed his true identity while outside the palace, posing as a provincial nobleman studying in the capital. Of course, being a member of the imperial family, he had no need to worry about his livelihood, and Kyungrak, who cared for him, would surely offer him a position once he became emperor. But even apart from his royal status, Gamyoung wanted to earn his own living. He wasn’t going to live in the palace forever, and even if he could, he intended to live independently someday, so he wanted to live harmoniously with these people.

However, the reason he hadn’t revealed his disguised identity to the fabric shop owner was because he doubted a nobleman’s son would be hired. So, at his workplace, Gamyoung simply presented himself as a student from afar who needed money for his studies, while at the martial arts school he attended, he maintained the guise of a provincial nobleman.

He was still inexperienced and took on any available work – at the fabric shop, as a gamekeeper, and sometimes learning practical arithmetic under a merchant – but he was essentially doing whatever he could because he didn’t know what he wanted to do. Occasionally selling game to the butcher was in the same vein. Kyungrak clicked his tongue, saying he was going out of his way to suffer hardships he didn’t need to as a royal, but his nature didn’t allow him to simply idle.

‘If that’s the case, why not use your love for martial arts and become my bodyguard? I could even bestow upon you the position of general.’

Kyungrak had said so, but they both knew it was impossible. For a member of the royal family to have a private army could be construed as treason, and knowing the implications of controlling the military, Gamyoung could only laugh. As Kyungrak had suggested, he could have used his martial arts skills to serve as his bodyguard, but no matter how much he respected Kyungrak, he didn’t want to spend his life as his shadow. If that were the case, he’d rather…

“I’m here.”

“Hongyo, you’re here.”

“Yes. How have you been?”

His excessively pretty face for a man was devoid of any shadows. After greeting the owner cheerfully, as always, Hongyo acknowledged Gamyoung.

“What’s with that goofy grin?”

“What do you mean? I’m just happy to see you after so long.”

“Ugh… It hasn’t even been that long. Anyway, give me a roll of red silk today.”

“Silk? Not cotton? Didn’t you say you needed another set of training clothes last time?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Hongyo faltered at the sudden question. Gamyoung stepped between them.

“Hongyo, here you go.”

Gamyoung held out a roll of red silk and a roll of cotton cloth, then said to the shop owner,

“Sir, you said you’d give a roll of cotton for free with a purchase of silk, right?”

“Really?”

“Of course, Yeo Hongyo. You’re in luck. Hurry up and make a new training uniform with this and come to the school. Master has been waiting for you. So has Brother Kyungrak.”

“Senior Brother Kyungrak?”

“…Aren’t you being a little too obvious about favoring Brother Kyungrak?”

As Gamyoung feigned disappointment, a flustered Hongyo stammered,

“No, it’s not like that. I like you as a friend, just like I like Senior Brother Kyungrak.”

“Your expression says otherwise. Well, anyway, this is all settled, right? I’ll come find you after I finish this work today.”

Hongyo nodded and bowed to the shop owner.

“I’ll be going now. I hadn’t even thought about the cotton cloth. Thank you!”

After bowing deeply, Hongyo looked at Gamyoung, who was standing leisurely, and said,

“See you later. Don’t slack off and do your work properly.”

He then waved and left the shop. Gamyoung looked at the owner, who nudged him in the ribs.

“What? Cotton cloth is free with silk? Are you the owner now?”

“Haha, sorry. Deduct the cost of the cotton from my wages. He wouldn’t accept it otherwise. He may not look it, but he’s incredibly skilled in martial arts. At this rate, he could become a general.”

“Tsk, that pup, a general? Anyway, I don’t understand why he needs silk. He’s not some nobleman’s son.”

“Well, maybe he got a job making clothes.”

“Come to think of it, Hongyo’s grandmother is a good seamstress.”

The shop owner, seemingly uninterested, rummaged through his goods. Gamyoung hurried to organize the fabrics at his command.

˖°⛩️⋆˙️

Hongyo’s thatched-roof house was located on the outskirts of the village, near the foot of a mountain. The sun rose and set earlier there than in the village, so Gamyoung quickened his pace. After passing through the village and leaving the quiet path, he soon reached the road leading up the mountainside.

This was where he first met Hongyo.

‘Hey! Hey, wake up!’

The hand that slapped his cheek was quite forceful.

‘If you sleep here, you’ll die!’

More terrifying than nearly becoming prey himself while hunting was the downpour that obscured even the dark night sky. It was the result of his recklessness, setting off with only a sword and a bow, without any guards. The thirteen-year-old prince hadn’t imagined he would encounter a tiger, a creature impossible to find even in the royal hunting grounds, where only rabbits and deer were released.

‘Gasp… gasp…’

The tiger he encountered on his solitary, unguarded hunting trip was far too overwhelming for a mere thirteen-year-old to handle. If he hadn’t been trained with a sword since birth, he wouldn’t have even dared to confront it. When he ran out of arrows, Gamyoung had no choice but to flee.

Rain began to fall from the already darkening sky. The lord of the mountain, the beast, pursued the intruder even as darkness enveloped its domain. And in the darkness that swallowed the mountain, even the seemingly insignificant grass roots became treacherous.

Gamyoung tripped on a vine and tumbled down the slope. Wet mud clung to his clothes, and his face was scratched. The pouring rain lashed against his face. Unfamiliar pain engulfed him. His head swam with the unfamiliar agony, his vision blurring and then turning black. How much time passed?

‘Wake up! You’re really going to die!’

When Gamyoung realized that it wasn’t the rain but someone’s hand slapping his cheek, he finally opened his eyes. A dark figure, shielding him from the harsh rain, urgently grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up. Amidst the burning pain that engulfed his body, Gamyoung bared his teeth at the stranger he had met on the mountain.

‘Who are you?’

‘Me? Yeo Hongyo.’

Despite struggling to carry a boy his size, he answered his question obediently.

…And who is that?

But Gamyoung couldn’t speak any further. A mouthful of blood spilled from his lips, and his flickering vision plunged back into darkness.

How much time passed? Even as he drifted in and out of consciousness, burning with fever and drenched in sweat, he felt the cool touch of a palm in his fleeting memories. Lifting his heavy eyelids, drawn to the cool and refreshing sensation, he saw a strange boy before him.

‘He’s awake!’

A boy with tousled hair, so pretty that he would have been mistaken for a woman if not for his male attire.