Flower Dream Chapter 27

“Cheongwoo?”

Dan Yuha opened his mouth round in surprise and blinked his eyes. He couldn’t tell whether what he was seeing was real or an illusion.

“Over here, over here!”

Ju Cheongwoo waved his hand vigorously toward Dan Yuha, who was staring at him with a bewildered expression.

“Why are you here?”

Only then coming to his senses, Dan Yuha approached the wall. Those assigned to attend the Prince were not allowed to freely come and go outside Honghwajeong due to security and other issues. For that reason, Yuha had also remained inside Honghwajeong the entire time.

“Hehe, my sister said she was going to Honghwajeong, so I just followed along.”

“Cheongran sister is here too?”

Dan Yuha asked in disbelief at Ju Cheongwoo’s answer. His reaction was understandable. Just as the attendants were practically forbidden from going outside, entry into Honghwajeong by those without prior permission was also strictly controlled.

That was also why Hong Haehwa hadn’t come in person and had only sent errand runners who had been pre-arranged with the Third Prince’s party.

“Yeah. My sister is talking with Senior Court Lady Kim right now. About the ingredients we’ll use for the remaining days, and… since tomorrow His Highness the Prince and Hong Juyak are having their formal meeting, they’re probably decorating the separate pavilion for that. A few other people came too, not just my sister.”

“…I see.”

When the topic of Shin Ryuwon and Hong Juyak’s matchmaking came up, Dan Yuha’s lips, which had been curved into a gentle smile, turned downward. Hearing news he had been trying to ignore through Ju Cheongwoo made his heart thump and sink. Yuha forced a smile, hoping his expression wouldn’t seem strange.

“I heard His Highness has gone to the sacred site right now? They said they were allowed on the condition that they finish decorating the separate pavilion before His Highness returns to Honghwajeong, and that they wouldn’t approach near the main building.”

“Aha.”

“I’m no good at that kind of thing, so I just helped carry ingredients to the storeroom. And since I had a brief moment of free time, I came to see you. When I asked Senior Court Lady Kim, she kindly told me you’d be here.”

“Senior Court Lady Kim did?”

“Yeah. When I said I was your friend, her face, which had been cold as ice, melted right away and her attitude completely changed! She seems to like you an awful lot… How did you win her over?”

“Win her over, what—anyway, how have you been doing all this time?”

Ahem, clearing his throat, Dan Yuha asked after Ju Cheongwoo’s well-being and naturally changed the subject.

“Ugh… Don’t even mention it. I nearly died.”

“What?”

At the unexpected answer, his pale pink eyes widened. Dan Yuha studied Ju Cheongwoo with a worried gaze. Hearing that, he did seem more haggard than he had a few days ago.

“What happened?”

“Well, two days after you went to Honghwajeong, the heat period suddenly came. But on top of that, I got hit with side effects from the suppressant, and I suffered terribly…”

Ju Cheongwoo pretended to sob as he revealed what he had gone through. Then, with a choked expression, he raised his voice.

“It’s all the tribal chief’s fault! Force-feeding suppressants to people who don’t want them!”

“Ah…”

Dan Yuha sighed softly at Ju Cheongwoo’s complaint, which was filled with anger toward Hong Haehwa. About ten days ago, after announcing that the Third Prince would be visiting the small island, she had ordered all true incense bearers in the tribe to take suppressants without exception.

Suppressants were originally only effective if taken starting a week before the heat period arrived. Since Ju Cheongwoo had already begun showing pre-heat symptoms, he had refused to take them.

But Hong Haehwa ignored that and forced him to take the suppressants anyway. Even Ju Cheongwoo’s parents hadn’t stopped her this time, because they knew it was a chance for him to catch the Prince’s eye.

Hong Haehwa had her reasons for issuing such a coercive order. She had planned to present another true incense bearer from the tribe to Shin Ryuwon in place of her daughter if Hong Juyak were rejected by the Third Prince. Her conclusion was that as long as someone caught the Prince’s eye, it didn’t matter who it was.

And so Ju Cheongwoo had been forced to take a stronger suppressant than usual and greet the Third Prince along with the other tribespeople. Yet, rendering all his suffering meaningless, Shin Ryuwon showed interest in neither Cheongwoo nor any of the tribe’s true incense bearers.

“Are you okay now?”

“Yeah, yeah. I felt like I was dying until yesterday morning, but I got better starting last night. The heat period is completely over too.”

“What did the physician say?”

“They said it was side effects from the suppressant. My heat cycle had already gone slightly off this year anyway, and then suddenly overdosing on the medicine made the symptoms worse than usual.”

“Hmm, but it ended earlier than I expected, didn’t it? You usually suffer for three or four days.”

Dan Yuha murmured quietly, then voiced a question that had suddenly occurred to him. An incense bearer’s heat period typically lasted two to three days on average, but could extend up to five days at most. And true incense bearers tended to have longer heat periods than odorless bearers.

“Yeah, that’s how it turned out. I don’t know the exact cause—the physician guessed it was because of the suppressant…”

“Because of the medicine?”

“That’s what they said. I was deathly ill from those damn suppressant side effects, but thanks to them, the heat period ended quickly… Isn’t that ridiculous? Sigh, it’s all that damn chief’s fault! One day I’ll get my revenge, I swear.”

Ju Cheongwoo clenched both fists and burned with vengeful spirit. Then, letting out a sound of strain, he asked.

“Anyway, can’t you let me in for a bit? This wall is so high, I’ve been standing on my tiptoes this whole time and it’s exhausting…”

“Ah, sorry.”

Only then realizing he had kept Ju Cheongwoo standing all this time, Dan Yuha hurriedly opened the gate. He guided Cheongwoo to the veranda of the servants’ quarters and brought out some tea.

“Ahhh, delicious. As expected, your tea is the best.”

Ju Cheongwoo emptied his teacup in one go and smiled brightly. Then he looked at Dan Yuha with sparkling eyes.

“How have you been? I heard His Highness the Prince really liked the sleeping incense you made…”

“That got around?”

“Yeah. Everywhere I go these days, that’s all anyone talks about. Though there are more people badmouthing you—saying it’s unbelievable, or that you must have used some underhanded trick.”

Ju Cheongwoo frowned at the thought of those who envied and denied Dan Yuha’s success. Setting down his teacup, he turned his body fully toward Yuha.

“So what’s the truth?”

“Hmm, well…”

Dan Yuha briefly told Ju Cheongwoo about what had happened.

“Whoa, so are you going to the royal palace?”

After hearing about Shin Ryuwon falling asleep with his sleeping incense and Hyeok Ryeoa’s proposal to work together, Ju Cheongwoo was as happy as if it were his own achievement. He was the only person who knew what Dan Yuha’s dream was.

“No, nothing’s been decided yet.”

“Why? That Captain Hyeok—she seemed ready to bundle you up and carry you off the moment you said yes.”

“The final decision rests with His Highness the Prince. And he hasn’t said anything in particular.”

“Huh?”

“…Even if Captain Hyeok or Deputy Commander Mun recommends me, it’s all for nothing if His Highness doesn’t give his permission.”

Dan Yuha slumped his shoulders and grumbled glumly.

“Oh, that’s true. Hmm, you don’t know His Highness’s intentions? He hasn’t said anything to you?”

“We hardly ever have a chance to talk in the first place… He did compliment me, saying the tea was very good…”

“Aigoo, that’s it?”

“…He also said good work, thank you, and please do well again tonight.”

Dan Yuha answered in a mumbling, barely audible voice. The work Yuha had been given at Honghwajeong was simply to serve medicinal tea to Shin Ryuwon at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and to stay on standby outside the main building all night in case of emergencies while he slept, then grind incense at the appropriate times. As a result, over the past few days, he hadn’t even been able to exchange proper greetings with Ryuwon, let alone have a conversation.

“Oh, so he’s stingy with praise.”

“Th-that’s not it…! He just seems a bit blunt, that’s all.”

“From what I see, it doesn’t seem like just bluntness? They say he slept soundly for the first time in months thanks to you, right? If I were him, I’d be incredibly grateful and give you a reward right away! Shower you with gold and silver treasures! Tsk, our Prince’s magnanimity is smaller than a soy sauce dish.”

“Shh, what if someone hears you!”

Startled, Dan Yuha hurriedly covered Ju Cheongwoo’s mouth.

“I told you, I haven’t had a chance to talk with His Highness. Aside from the first night, I’ve only seen him sleeping…”

Dan Yuha soon lowered his hand weakly and pouted his lower lip. Talking with Ju Cheongwoo made him feel strangely downcast.

“Oh dear, our Yuha. Are you feeling a little slighted by His Highness the Prince?”

Reading Dan Yuha’s expression, Ju Cheongwoo clicked his tongue sympathetically. Having grown up together as childhood friends from a young age, he could immediately tell what Yuha was feeling right now.

“What? No! How could I possibly harbor such resentment toward him.”

Alarmed, Dan Yuha waved his hands frantically as if to say absolutely not. To feel slighted by someone to whom he owed a debt he could never repay in a lifetime—twice over—was unthinkable.

“Hey, you might fool others, but you can’t fool me. Be honest. Aren’t you a little disappointed?”

Ju Cheongwoo, with a face that said “don’t even try to lie,” put his arm around Dan Yuha’s shoulder and pulled him close. Then, as if whispering, he pressed in a knowing tone.

“…Umm, rather than disappointed, I think it’s more like regret.”

After hesitating for a moment, Dan Yuha finally confessed the feelings he had kept deeply hidden in his chest.