Even My Life Is Yours Chapter 73

“It’s a rare vacation, yet you can’t even go to your hometown, what a shame. I’m thinking of gathering those of us who are left behind later to have a drink, would the Inspector General like to come along as well?”

After the polo match ended, Yeoryeong approached Jeonghwan, who was wiping away his sweat, and asked. Then, everyone around them, without exception, egged Jeonghwan on, saying they would also attend. At that, Jeonghwan also nodded his head without much deliberation. During training, he would have scolded them, asking if they had the mind to drink alcohol right now, but right now, as Yeoryeong said, wasn’t it a vacation obtained after a rare while? The rule was that one must train when training and rest when resting so as not to get exhausted. When Jeonghwan, having wiped his sweat, replied shortly, “Let’s do that,” Yeoryeong lightly muttered as if understanding.

“Then now, it seems only Yeo Hongyo needs to come.”

At those words, Jeonghwan flinched without realizing it.

“Did Yeo Gamhwi not go to his family home?”

“Ah, he said he had an errand at a relative’s house, so he’s coming back after going there. Let’s set out as soon as Hongyo arrives.”

Having finished his answer, Yeoryeong began to gather people in earnest. Jeonghwan looked at such a Yeoryeong, then scowled, unable to understand why he had been conscious of only that name.

‘Well, these days we do see each other almost every day.’

Since they were the ones seeing each other the most lately, it could be so. Jeonghwan thought lightly. Doesn’t everyone have someone they just naturally feel drawn to and want to look after for no particular reason?

However, he didn’t know that it would continue even into a drinking party. Jeonghwan was dumbfounded to see Hongyo, whose face was already starting to flush from just a single cup of alcohol. He had heard him say with his own mouth that he couldn’t drink well, but he hadn’t known it would be to that extent.

If he had known it would be like this, he would have just sat in the next seat himself.

Jeonghwan knitted his brows as he stared at Hongyo, who drank two cups consecutively due to Yeoryeong’s mischief. His eyes were already half-closed fuzzily; wasn’t it like that because he kept drinking every time he got caught despite not being able to drink alcohol? Lest he make a useless scene like that, it was just when he was about to stop Hongyo, who was caught in the penalty cup this time as well.

“Speak honestly. In truth, it’s correct that you have a fiancée, right?”

Jeonghwan withdrew his hand, which was about to tell Yeoryeong to stop. He didn’t know why, but at that moment, he was extremely curious about that. Jeonghwan subtly glanced at Hongyo out of the corner of his eye while pretending to drink alcohol. Scowling fiercely as if it made no sense, Hongyo said.

“Are you drunk? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

The one who looked more drunk seemed to be that side rather than Yeoryeong. However, Jeonghwan could not understand why that answer was so satisfying. So that’s how it was. You haven’t married, that is to say. Come to think of it, it seemed he hadn’t reached marriageable age yet to marry. Still, it’s unexpected that he doesn’t have a fiancée.

It was news his younger sister, Bian, would quite like if she heard it. At most, encountering each other once during the hunting ritual was everything, but whatever she saw in Yeo Gamhwi that day, his younger sister had even tidied up the headband string of the fellow she saw for the first time. Although she didn’t tell him, looking at her reaction, it seemed like she fell in love at first sight.

Jeonghwan stared at Hongyo. Although he was flushed from being drunk right now, he was certainly a handsome man. No, to be honest, it suited him better to be called a beauty. Especially his small face that seemed like it could be held in a single grasp or his slender frame evoked even a pure feeling despite him being a man. However, his firm gaze or the spirit surrounding him was manly again. Somewhere he looked delicate yet firm, and while looking robust like a man, he had an innocent side like a child. It was when he was staring at Hongyo like that without even knowing it himself.

“So, what kind of woman do you like, Hongyo?”

It was a story that naturally came out once alcohol entered. Jeonghwan, who had been sipping alcohol as if the women others were talking about were outside his interest, listened immediately when the question turned to Hongyo.

“Hmm, as expected, a gentle person is good. As for appearance, I wish they were as white as snow and neat.”

As expected, is a man a man after all? Seeing that words regarding appearance come out even though he said he hadn’t thought about it. Jeonghwan thought of his younger sister. If one were to consider it, Bian was on the glamorous side in many ways rather than being neat. Furthermore, even if she was his younger sister, she seemed far from a gentle personality.

‘This is truly too bad. Bian.’

Inelegantly contrasting with how he had been thinking whether Hongyo was a good match for his younger sister until just now, a joyous feeling for some unknown reason arose.

“I wish they smiled well. But then again, I wish they were a firm person with determination, whose center is tightly held.”

For a person who hasn’t thought about it, words come out continuously.

“When I am placed in a hard or dangerous situation, I wish they would run to me without even looking back. If they are a person who worries about me more than anyone and is someone I can rely on just by being next to me, I could wish for nothing more.”

And Jeonghwan was listening intently as if engraving the ideal type Hongyo wished for into his mind before anyone noticed. And then, though he didn’t know exactly why, also matching himself to those conditions one by one. It was then.

“I’ll go get some fresh air for a bit.”

Whether he truly couldn’t stay like this anymore, Hongyo, who stood up from his seat, went outside. And seeing that, Jeonghwan stood up from his seat.

“Uh? Where is the Inspector General going?”

Yoo Deoksu, who was drinking alcohol together next to him, asked. At that question, Jeonghwan could not understand why he himself had stood up from his seat either. He merely wanted to talk one-on-one with Yeo Hongyo, who would be outside. Although he couldn’t know at all why such a thought arose, in his mind, which had practically swallowed alcohol by the jarful, he had no other thought at that moment except that he wanted to follow that fellow out.

“Because it got a bit hot. Drink moderately, you all.”

Having finished his rough answer, Jeonghwan went outside with a look of anxiety even when he thought about it himself. Then, before long, discovering Hongyo sitting on the wooden veranda, he didn’t know why, but a sense of relief came first. He was by no means short in height, but because he placed both palms behind his back, dangling his legs suspended in the air while looking at the moon—why did that look so cute?

“What are you doing here?”

When he approached closely, it was funny how he looked up in startle. Sitting beside him while pretending to be completely unbothered, he was noticeably flustered. However, that was also temporary; seeing Yeo Hongyo dangle his legs again, he felt quite good as it seemed he now thought of him fairly comfortably. Was his personality originally like that, or was it because he was drunk? Probably both, though.

The wind, which had now become quite gentle, cools down the flushed face. Through the silence that wasn’t merely burdensome, the sound of clamoring talk and laughter blended into the air as if heard from a distant place. Even amidst that, Yeo Hongyo’s voice was heard clearly.

“Although I haven’t been able to say it to the Inspector General, I am always grateful. Thanks to you, it feels like my spear technique skills are increasing bit by bit.”

Hmm…. Whether it was words spoken by bringing up courage in his own way, the rims of his ears are red. Is it because it’s cold? Jeonghwan, who glanced at that face, replied calmly.

“It’s thanks to your hard work, brother.”

It was the truth. Not to mention spear technique, it seemed it hadn’t been long since he learned martial arts in earnest, yet for his skills to be increasing so staggeringly meant he was working that hard even where it couldn’t be seen. Usually, he didn’t shower people with praise recklessly, but what was done well was done well. However, whether those words were quite moving, seeing Yeo Hongyo being excessively embarrassed was novel again.

“Haha…. Thank you. I didn’t know I would hear such words.”

At the appearance of Hongyo, who couldn’t find a place to put his eyes as if embarrassed, Jeonghwan rather spoke as if what of it was such a big deal.

“One says that what is done well is done well, then what else would one say.”

It would have been better if he had eloquence at times like this. Jeonghwan sincerely thought so. It would have been good if he knew how to say words that encourage courage further rather than simply saying he was doing well, but for him, this was the best. However, with just that, Yeo Hongyo, as if embarrassed, had his face—which was originally red from being drunk—turn crimson. To the point where one might think a fire would break out like that.

Jeonghwan, partly to divert the embarrassed Hongyo’s attention, asked a question he had wanted to ask since a long time ago.

“May I ask you just one thing?”

At those words, Hongyo, who didn’t know where to put his gaze, turned his head. Jeonghwan asked as he looked at Hongyo, who finally locked eyes straight with him.

“Seeing you visit the training ground every time even after the poetry and martial arts competition ended, and seeing you carry water buckets without a word of complaint when told to do so, Yeo Gamhwi, you work hard every time. I am by no means saying that is bad. However, if you even took first place in the competition, you would be appointed as you wish for the most part, so is there a great cause for which you go this far?”

It was a question asked out of pure curiosity. Even before taking on the Inspector General post, Jeonghwan was someone who had seen numerous people while learning work under his father, who was a Provincial Governor. Since it was a position accustomed to employing people, Jeonghwan, having seen that many people, knew that each person had a different purpose.

The greatest number of people chose work and learning to earn money, and some people worked for honor. Did he himself not pick up the sword to protect his clan and the people of Hyeongju? Therefore, he was curious why Hongyo, who didn’t seem greedy for success, nor for other things, was this earnest.

Then, Hongyo, who rather stared intently at Jeonghwan, hesitated and asked.

“Did you choose the path of a military official because you liked martial arts, Inspector General?”

At the unexpected question, Jeonghwan recalled when he first grabbed a sword. It wasn’t that he held a sword because he particularly thought he wanted to learn martial arts.

As long as he was born into a family that ruled the land of Hyeongju for generations, he had the duty to protect Hyeongju. That was his destiny, and since he grew up looking at the back of his father who lived like that, learning martial arts was an inevitable thing. From the beginning, it wasn’t a category of liking or disliking. When Jeonghwan had no answer, Hongyo turned his head and looked ahead. Clearly his gaze was directed ahead, but it was distant as if recalling past events.

“Entering Hwayeonggyeong was the first thing I chose for myself in my life.”

A calm and firm voice flowed in. Jeonghwan stared at such a Hongyo. Hongyo, who scratched the back of his head as if that gaze was awkward, continued speaking.

“So I must do my best. I don’t know when such an opportunity will come again.”

“…….”

“I don’t know difficult words like ‘great cause’ well. It’s just about fulfilling responsibility for the opportunity given while living right now. Since I chose it with difficulty at long last, so that no regrets remain.”

On the surface, they were obvious words, but the weight a word possesses differs depending on the attitude with which those words are spoken. Jeonghwan could feel at once that it was a conclusion Hongyo had reached after pondering for a long time. At the same time, he became humanly curious about what kind of life Yeo Hongyo had lived until now.

Jeonghwan, who chose his words for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.

“I do not know how Yeo Gamhwi has lived, but it must have been quite hard until reaching such a resolution.”

“…….”

“With such an attitude, you would certainly neither step back easily, nor crumble.”

At those words, Yeo Hongyo’s face changed strangely.

“In truth, it’s my first time hearing this kind of praise.”

His eyes, which had opened wide as if surprised, folded softly. Just in time, a gentle wind disheveled his hair that stuck out between his headband. A radiant smile arose on his face, which was rosily ripe from the cold and the effects of the alcohol. A smile like that of an innocent and comfortable child.

“I think I know why people like the Inspector General Excellency.”

At that moment, Jeonghwan wanted to return those words exactly back to Hongyo if he could. He didn’t know what kind of heart this was, but the emotion he felt then was that he was lovely—that one thing.