Flower Dream Chapter 14

“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this refreshed. As long as the fever doesn’t rise again later… I think I might be able to sleep for a bit tonight.”

“Truly? That is a relief.”

At the unusually peaceful tone, the corners of eyes lined with fine wrinkles folded gently. Having fretted for the past several months watching Shin Ryuwon suffer from the divine fever that came every night and the side effects of the suppressants, Chief Eunuch Baek could not help but be gladdened by his words.

“Enough with the attending. Go and summon Captain Hyeok.”

Dressed roughly in his nightclothes, Shin Ryuwon swept back his dripping hair as he called for Hyeok Ryeoa.

“Captain Hyeok?”

“Yes. I need to finish the conversation we couldn’t have earlier.”

“Your hair is not yet dry. Let me finish drying it for you…”

“It’s fine.”

Shin Ryuwon waved his hand dismissively. Immediately after, a golden wind rose around him and smoothly coiled around his wet hair.

“There, satisfied?”

“…Aren’t you overusing your divine power?”

Seeing Shin Ryuwon’s hair completely dried in an instant, Chief Eunuch Baek’s eyes widened, and then he let out a deflating chuckle. He then shook his head as if he couldn’t stop him. Even though it had been a long while since his coming-of-age ceremony, at times like this, he was still like a child.

If he said this, Mun Sewon or Hyeok Ryeoa would certainly react as if they’d heard something bizarre, but he couldn’t help it. Having attended Shin Ryuwon since he was a baby up until now, Chief Eunuch Baek was renowned in the imperial palace as a doting fool.

Having spent more time with Ryuwon than even the Emperor and Empress, he inwardly regarded Ryuwon as his own child. So, even this side of him was bound to seem endearing.

“It’s a power I was born with, so I might as well use it well.”

“Others would be appalled if they saw. That they would waste such precious divine power on merely drying hair.”

“Waste, you say. It’s nothing but a snap of the fingers.”

“That is only possible because it is Your Majesty.”

“Well, I’m sure Captain Hyeok could do it too. In any case, shouldn’t it be helpful for even something like this? That way, the urge to rip this damned blood out of my body might subside even a little.”

“Please do not say such things, when you possess a power others envy…”

“Hmph, if they’re so envious, I beg them to please take it. It’s only because they haven’t experienced it themselves. If they went through the pain I endure for just a few days, their minds would change.”

A chilly sneer lingered on his twisted lips. Shin Ryuwon greatly detested it when people revered and praised him. To him, it was no different from the nonsense of blind men.

“I never wanted this kind of power. To me, it is nothing but a terrible curse.”

“Your Majesty…”

At the self-deprecating murmur, pity welled up in Chief Eunuch Baek’s eyes. Someone who didn’t know might call it the grumbling of someone with a full belly, but Chief Eunuch Baek, who knew better than anyone the hardships Shin Ryuwon had endured over the years, could only feel sorry for him.

As the price for being born with blood denser than others, Shin Ryuwon had suffered from frequent divine fevers since infancy. The older he grew, the more frequent the fevers became, and the intensity of the pain grew more severe.

Because of that, Shin Ryuwon had taken sleeping draughts from an early age. It was in hopes that falling deeply asleep might lessen the pain when the divine fever raged, but even that was not easy.

The blood of the Divine Beast inherently possessed an excellent power for detoxification and healing. Yet the divine blood flowing in Ryuwon’s body would often cause a reverse effect, interpreting the medicinal energy meant to help his body as an attack on its host and purging it as poison.

Even when a medicine was somewhat effective, tolerance would build up quickly, necessitating periodic changes in prescription. This inevitably led to seeking increasingly stronger drugs. Had it been anyone else, they would have long since developed problems with drug addiction or overdose.

Fortunately, Shin Ryuwon’s exceptional body would be perfectly fine by morning, as if the suffering from high fever and headaches all night had been a lie. This was because the blood of the Divine Beast naturally healed the body ravaged by the divine fever.

Perhaps because of this, despite suffering from insomnia for over twenty years and taking harsh medicines daily, he remained healthy without major issues, barring a few side effects. Regarding this, Ryuwon had remarked, ‘The damnable blood gives the sickness and also gives the cure.’

As no secret lasts forever in this world, word quickly spread that the Empire’s Third Imperial Prince was having difficulty controlling his divine fever. It also became known that due to his unique constitution caused by stronger divine blood than others, finding a Fragrant One compatible with him was difficult.

Had he been any other imperial descendant, this fact would have become a major flaw the moment it was known, but for Shin Ryuwon, it posed no hindrance at all.

The overwhelming martial prowess and supremely healthy appearance he displayed in ordinary times, his capable administrative skills as an Imperial Prince, and his outstanding political acumen—what more need be said? In the eyes of the masses, Shin Ryuwon was precisely a hero who would bring glory to the Empire, a flawless Imperial Prince.

Of course, Shin Ryuwon’s blood-soaked efforts existed behind that achievement. Even on days when he suffered from extreme divine fever, once day broke, he would act the part of the Imperial Prince people expected of him as if nothing had happened.

It had to be so, for the place Shin Ryuwon lived was the imperial palace, where fierce power struggles occurred every moment. Having a weakness exposed was equivalent to offering one’s own nape to an enemy. Thus, he absolutely could not show any vulnerable side.

For this reason, Shin Ryuwon thoroughly hid his condition. Even when he had gone nights without proper sleep, even when his entire body ached because the divine fever would not subside, he gave no hint of it, carrying out his duties and going out to the battlefield to slaughter enemies as usual.

Because he calmly went through his daily life every day, no one except his closest attendants like Chief Eunuch Baek and the Imperial Couple truly knew the pain he endured. Even his blood brothers did not know the exact state of their younger sibling. To that extent, the mask Shin Ryuwon wore was near-perfect.

However, even the sturdiest tree will eventually break if continuously axed. Gradually, a limit approached Shin Ryuwon as well. The poison that had accumulated bit by bit over the past twenty-odd years surpassed the recovery power of the divine blood, and the balance of his body crumbled.

As a result, the divine fever that used to rise once every few days now came almost daily. Even taking medicine prepared by the Imperial Medical Bureau could not calm it, so his insomnia worsened. To make matters worse, the side effects of the suppressants were added on top.

Before visiting the Honghwa Tribe’s sacred city, the court physicians who meticulously examined Shin Ryuwon expressed great concern. They predicted that even if he managed to purify himself this time, the current situation would repeat if he continued to overuse medicines like sleeping draughts and suppressants.

In the end, the fundamental solution to this situation was simply to find a Fragrant One compatible with Shin Ryuwon. This was why Chief Eunuch Baek was desperately hoping that among the imperial consort candidates they would meet this time, there would be a Fragrant One who matched him.

“First, let us move to your bedchamber.”

“I’d like to get some fresh air before sleeping…”

“Shall we go to the rear garden, then?”

“Let’s do that.”

Nodding, Shin Ryuwon moved his steps. As he exited the building, the cool night air slipped into the collar of his clothes. He strolled through the rear garden with his hands clasped behind his back, showing no sign of being cold.

“Shall I fetch something to drape over you?”

Chief Eunuch Baek, perhaps concerned that Shin Ryuwon was dressed in thin nightclothes, offered to bring an outer robe.

“Forget it. It’s cool and pleasant.”

Shin Ryuwon dissuaded Chief Eunuch Baek and headed toward the pavilion. Perhaps because his whole body became as hot as a fireball when the divine fever surged, the clear sensation of the chilly night air was rather welcome to him.

“Hurry and summon Captain Hyeok.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Left alone, Shin Ryuwon perched on the pavilion railing and closed his eyes. The night breeze brushing his cheeks and hair was quite pleasant. Just then, unfamiliar footsteps sounded from somewhere.

“Who goes there.”

The moment he perceived the approach of the uninvited guest, his languidly relaxed eyes instantly sharpened. Shin Ryuwon glared fiercely at the one who had disturbed his rest.

“Show yourself, if you do not wish to die.”

“…I-I apologize. Senior Court Lady Kim ordered me to bring your medicinal tea…”

The identity of the intruder who had appeared in the rear garden was Dan Yuha. Pale-faced, he hesitantly explained his circumstances. He was quite startled, as his hands holding the tea tray trembled.

“Hmm?”

Shin Ryuwon raised one eyebrow, looking at Dan Yuha, who was visibly fidgeting.

“Senior Court Lady Kim ordered you?”

“Yes, she instructed me to serve you tea to aid your sleep as soon as Your Majesty the Imperial Prince finished your purification…”

“How did you know I was in the rear garden?”

“On my way to the bedchamber, I ran into Chief Eunuch Baek. He told me Your Majesty was here…”

“Is that so?”

He doesn’t seem to be lying. Shin Ryuwon withdrew his suspicion at Dan Yuha’s attitude, answering clearly despite his shoulders flinching at the interrogation.

He was trembling like a frightened puppy, but there was nothing else suspicious felt in the movement of his facial muscles, his gaze, or his voice. His five senses, several times keener than others, were useful at times like this.

“Bring it here.”

“Y-yes…”

As Shin Ryuwon’s menacing air subsided, Dan Yuha timidly approached. As if an unfavorable first impression wasn’t bad enough, the second meeting also seemed to have gone awry. At the rising dismay, the corners of Yuha’s eyes drooped.