Flower Dream Chapter 20

Creeak…

As the door opened, a fragrance mixed with thyme, goosefoot, and pine needles wafted out. Dan Yuha stared into the bedchamber’s interior, pitch-black like a cave, and swallowed. Pricking up his ears like a rabbit, he heard faint but regular breathing.

Is he sleeping?

With narrowed eyes, Dan Yuha craned his neck and peered inside. Yet it was difficult to confirm exactly what state Shin Ryuwon was currently in. Except for the moonlight seeping faintly through the gaps in the window curtains, the room was so dark that nothing was properly visible, as if one couldn’t see an inch ahead.

He’s not sick somewhere, is he?

Growing anxious, Dan Yuha subtly held the lantern forward and examined the bed where Shin Ryuwon would be. From the silhouette, he seemed to be lying down. If he had gone this far with no response, there was a high probability that he was asleep.

What to do.

Dan Yuha hesitated, unable to step right inside. Chief Eunuch Baek had confidently declared that the Imperial Prince would certainly wake, but the reality he encountered was different, so worry took precedence. It could be that the sleep incense was highly effective and he had fallen into a deep sleep, but the things he’d heard earlier gnawed at him, making it hard to interpret the situation positively.

Since the health status of imperial family members was confidential, there was no way to know the exact circumstances, but given that he was staying near the sacred site and needed purification, it was at least certain that Shin Ryuwon’s body was not in good condition.

What if that’s why he can’t wake up? The thought made his heart sink. In the end, Dan Yuha crossed the threshold of the bedchamber.

He had thought it might be better to leave the building right now and call Chief Eunuch Baek, but the moment he took a step inside, the heat that suddenly washed over him made him quickly abandon that idea.

The identity of the overwhelming energy, enough to momentarily take his breath away, was the divine power Shin Ryuwon was unconsciously emitting. His true energy, having lost control due to the divine fever, was leaking out of his body.

“Eut…”

At the sensation that made his spine prickle, Dan Yuha unknowingly stepped backward. He hadn’t known Shin Ryuwon’s divine fever was this severe. He finally understood why Chief Eunuch Baek had said that, for the safety of the palace attendants, they kept a sufficient distance from the Imperial Prince’s bedchamber at night. If he, a Non-Fragrant One, was like this, the Divine Ones must have found it even harder to endure.

Furthermore, a Divine One intoxicated by divine fever displayed aggressive tendencies toward beings possessing the blood of the same Divine Beast. Judging from Chief Eunuch Baek’s attitude, that was likely the case for Ryuwon as well. Knowing that, summoning them here was no different from telling them to enter a tiger’s den.

…Will it be alright?

Dan Yuha bit his lower lip with an anxious face. A Divine One suffering from divine fever became extremely sensitive, yet showed a somewhat defenseless side toward Fragrant Ones. This was because they instinctively sensed that Fragrant Ones were beings who could soothe their heat.

Of course, there were exceptions. There were occasional cases where they perceived the body scent of an incompatible Fragrant One as a threat and attacked.

However, that was a matter unrelated to Dan Yuha. As a Non-Fragrant One, he had almost no body scent under ordinary circumstances. This was likely why Chief Eunuch Baek had said Yuha would be fine.

But it was too early to be relieved. It was famous enough that most citizens of the Empire knew Shin Ryuwon had a unique constitution that reacted adversely to body scents. Dan Yuha’s trait was practically like a flower without fragrance, but for someone as sensitive as Shin Ryuwon, one never knew.

In any case, it was true that the probability of being attacked by Shin Ryuwon was lower than for others. So for now, there was no choice but to trust Chief Eunuch Baek’s words and act. Even though his trustworthiness had already dropped from the moment the Imperial Prince hadn’t woken up, contrary to Chief Eunuch Baek’s expectations…

“…Excuse me, Your Majesty.”

Having barely summoned his courage, Dan Yuha approached the bed, relying on the lantern light, which was small as a firefly. He intended to briefly check Shin Ryuwon’s condition and, if he looked alright, quickly swap out the incense and leave.

It’s hot.

Dan Yuha frowned slightly at the bedroom temperature, which was completely different from the chilly outside. Because of the energy flowing from Shin Ryuwon’s body, the air grew more and more sweltering the closer he got. Thinking that he should add medicinal herbs with antipyretic properties to the next sleep incense, Yuha crept along like a stray cat.

Arriving at the bedside in no time, Dan Yuha quietly set down the box containing the incense and the lantern, making no sound. Then, he turned his head and observed Shin Ryuwon.

Fortunately, the event he had worried about had not come to pass. Confirming the peacefully sleeping face of the Imperial Prince, Yuha let out a sigh of relief. Though no physician, his qualifications as a pharmacist allowed him to know. Shin Ryuwon wasn’t sick somewhere; he had simply fallen into a deep sleep.

“Haa…”

His leg strength giving way for a moment, Dan Yuha plopped right down onto the floor. The moment he realized Shin Ryuwon was safe, the tension drained out of him completely.

“He must have been terribly tired…”

Dan Yuha gazed at the dead-asleep Shin Ryuwon with concern. He knew he suffered from severe insomnia, but seeing him sleep without even noticing his entry, pity welled up. It was proof that his mind and body were so exhausted that his senses, keener than others, had dulled.

Indeed, it hadn’t been long since he had returned from a campaign lasting over a year, and he had come straight here without adequate rest, so his travel fatigue must not have yet subsided.

On top of that, he’d heard that throughout the campaign, he had overused all kinds of drugs—sleeping draughts, suppressants, and the like. No matter how superhuman, health deteriorates when one is overworked to that degree. Already suffering from chronic insomnia and divine fever that came unceasingly every night, if fatigue from prolonged overwork and side effects from suppressants were added, there was no way his body could be normal.

“…This is no time for that.”

Pulling his gaze away from Shin Ryuwon, Dan Yuha hurriedly opened the box. Then, with a “hoo,” he blew and extinguished the sleep incense, which had been emitting a faint wisp of smoke. Soon, the fragrant scent disappeared and an acrid smoke rose.

“Cough.”

Yuha, who had scrunched one eye at the smell of burning stinging his nose, coughed softly. The smoke that comes out when incense burns out completely or is extinguished midway is mixed with soot, so it doesn’t smell good. It was naturally harmful to the body.

He waved his hand to disperse the smoke so it wouldn’t drift toward Shin Ryuwon. Then, using a handkerchief, he opened the warm lid of the censer and brushed away the remaining ash with a small broom. Next, he took out a bottle of distilled spirits, dampened the handkerchief, and meticulously wiped it clean.

“Done.”

Dan Yuha used the lantern he had brought to light the wick of the solid incense and quickly placed it inside the censer. Then, white smoke rose, and a fragrant scent spread out.

“Phew…”

Only then did Dan Yuha wipe his sweaty forehead with his sleeve, close the box, and check on Shin Ryuwon. He was still fast asleep.

…Beautiful.

His gaze lingering on the long, straight eyelashes, Dan Yuha marveled absentmindedly. Seeing him again, he really was a handsome face.

Divine Ones and Fragrant Ones tended to have superior looks compared to ordinary people. Even the Honghwa Tribe’s Flower Ones, men and women of all ages, all possessed outstanding beauty. The Divine Ones who had visited the sacred city over the years had also all boasted charming appearances. Having grown up surrounded by such people, Dan Yuha was somewhat immune to handsome and pretty things.

But Shin Ryuwon was on a completely different level from those he had seen so far. The rumor that there were dozens of people in the imperial capital who had gone beyond mere admiration to lovesickness over the Third Imperial Prince, and the whispered tale that the painters of the Peach Blossom Garden had lamented that their skills were insufficient to fully capture Ryuwon’s dignified and splendid visage on canvas—all of it was impossible not to understand once you saw the real thing.

“How can he look like this…”

Dan Yuha observed Shin Ryuwon as if spellbound. Dark, thick eyebrows and elongated eyes with cleanly sweeping ends; a high, prominent nose bridge; lips with elegant lines… The features, rough yet delicate as if drawn by a brush, formed a perfect harmony without a single flaw. Not to mention the sharp jawline, thick neck, and broad shoulders—these went without saying.

Catching sight of the collarbone jutting out prominently through his slightly parted sleeping clothes, Dan Yuha was suddenly seized by a strange thirst. Shin Ryuwon in his childhood had also been a boy so beautiful one couldn’t forget him after a single glance, but now, meeting him again as an adult, he exuded a voluptuous charm, with a mature beauty added on.

Get a hold of yourself.

Scolding himself inwardly, Dan Yuha squeezed his eyes shut as if turning away from Shin Ryuwon. At this rate, he felt he might gaze at the Imperial Prince’s face until dawn. Feeling the tips of his ears burning, Yuha hurriedly gathered up the box. He had only looked, but his heart pounded as if he had committed a bad deed.

“…Whoa.”

“…!”

At that moment, at the murmur coiling into his ears, Dan Yuha, who had been gripping the lantern pole, froze just as he was. Like a thief caught by the homeowner in the act, he moved only his eyes to check on Shin Ryuwon.

“Your Majesty…?”

Dan Yuha barely moved his lips to call for Shin Ryuwon. However, whether it had been just a brief sleep-talk, only the sound of rhythmic breathing returned.

Is he very hot?

At Shin Ryuwon’s complexion, which seemed uncomfortable somewhere, Dan Yuha bit his lips. Only then did the forehead beaded with sweat catch his eye. He didn’t miss that his neat brow was faintly furrowed either.

After hesitating for a moment, Dan Yuha quietly set down the lantern. Then, he pulled out a handkerchief from inside his sleeve and gently brought it to Ryuwon’s face. Touching the body of an imperial family member without permission was a grave crime, but he thought maybe something like this would be alright.

“Whew…”

Dan Yuha, having lightly wiped away the sweat beaded like dew on Shin Ryuwon’s forehead, let out the breath he had been holding. As he did so, he slowly withdrew his hand. At that moment, his wrist was seized by a powerful force.