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Chapter : 20
Honey Laced with Poison (5)
When Yeonho only stared at her in silence with eyes that seemed reproachful, Joyeong—who had deliberately tried to test him—awkwardly spoke first.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I think I’ve just realized why Your Highness dislikes me and refuses to give me even a chance.”
“…Pardon?”
“It’s because I coveted only Your Highness’s status.”
“Ah…”
“I didn’t know at all what kind of person Your Highness is, yet I forced you to look at me. I must have seemed quite pathetic.”
“You don’t need to blame yourself so much… In any case, you did try for my sake. Didn’t you even take time out to accompany me on such a boring outing?”
“Boring… Was it boring for you? To be honest, I enjoyed it.”
“!”
At his unexpected words, Joyeong’s eyes widened.
What could possibly be enjoyable about looking at books or browsing threads that women liked? Yet he didn’t seem to be lying.
“So now I intend to try a little harder. Not just for Your Highness’s status, but I’ve begun to desire your heart as well.”
“……”
He said such an embarrassing thing so casually, then smiled softly again.
This time, she even caught sight of the gentle look in his eyes as he gazed down at her, and Joyeong’s heart began pounding shamelessly once more.
Just as her face was about to redden—
“But if you tense up like that, I’ll feel awkward. Please don’t misunderstand—I’m not demanding your heart right away.”
At his lighthearted tone, her heart finally began to settle.
“I didn’t misunderstand. I was just taken aback by how honest you are.”
“To be honest, there is something I want right now. Could you give me a gift too, using that thread?”
“That’s…”
What should she say?
If she said yes, it might seem like she was giving him hope. If she refused, it would feel ungracious.
As she hesitated, delaying her answer, loud voices from peddlers drinking at a nearby stall suddenly reached her ears.
“I’m telling you, Jimanil definitely killed her!”
At the name Jimanil, both Yeonho and Joyeong turned their heads at once.
“Lower your voice, man! Are you already drunk?”
“Thinking about the money that bastard squeezed out of me makes my blood boil! What kind of interest charges four times over?!”
“Money brings money. Being poor is the crime.”
“That’s exactly my point—where did he suddenly get all that money? After his wife died, he became rich overnight. I bet it was property his wife had hidden away. Even the lord must’ve found it suspicious and started looking into it.”
“That’s because the woman was a maid to the deceased lady of a military family—they said he just had questions to ask. Don’t get your hopes up. You think you’re the only one with a grudge against him? He’s even got connections in the capital now. Do you think the lord would stir up a hornet’s nest over the suspicious death of some mere maid?”
“I don’t get why people like that always prosper! They say the third wife he’s about to take is the youngest daughter of the Ha clan estate?”
“!”
Joyeong was so shocked that she staggered.
“Are you all right?”
Yeonho quickly supported her and asked.
“Yes… I-I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Seeing Joyeong’s pale face, Yeonho grew serious.
“This is my fault. I should have taken you back right away when you had a fever earlier.”
“No, really… I’m fine. I’m just a little dizzy.”
Then Yeonho took her hand and placed it on his arm.
“?”
“Lean on me. I’ll escort you back by carriage.”
His expression was so serious and resolute that she couldn’t insist she was fine.
So Joyeong stopped refusing and tightly grasped his arm with both hands. A man’s arm, which she was holding for the first time, was thick and solid, carrying a strength she wanted to rely on.
Yet that was precisely why she was afraid.
She felt as though this dependable man might someday tighten his grip around her neck. The more she leaned on him, the slower her steps back to the castle felt.
Though night had fallen, the lights in Yeonho’s residence were still on.
He had work he couldn’t finish during the day, and his official duties seemed likely to run late.
Just then, Yulbok—whom he thought had already gone home—arrived carrying a bottle of liquor.
“Care for a drink?”
“What brings this on? You’re usually the one complaining every day to be sent home early.”
“Am I not an excellent aide? One who knows how to read his lord’s heart.”
“I don’t know about that. But the Princess told me to pass on a message—she said you’re an excellent aide who can see ahead.”
“As expected, Her Highness has a keen eye.”
“She certainly does. She recognizes good things at a glance.”
“How is Her Highness’s condition? When she suddenly staggered, my heart nearly stopped.”
“According to the physician, it’s not a cold or anything serious. He said if someone has a weak constitution, they can run a fever and feel dizzy.”
“I don’t understand how someone raised so delicately could have such a weak constitution. The Crown Prince never mentioned anything like that. Should we send a letter asking if there’s any tonic medicine she usually takes?”
“Leave it. It’s probably because her heart has grown fragile. She already wants to leave, and yet I dragged her around again today. She couldn’t even show her displeasure because she couldn’t bring herself to push me away—no wonder she fell ill.”
Yeonho drained the liquor Yulbok had brought as though he were parched.
After watching him calmly, Yulbok poured another cup and asked casually,
“Did you fall for Her Highness at first sight?”
“Cough!”
Yeonho choked mid-drink and covered his mouth, coughing.
“As I thought.”
“Cough! I haven’t said anything yet.”
“You’re clearly flustered. They say you can’t hide a cough—or love. I felt the truth of that saying keenly today.”
“Hah! And what makes you so certain?”
“I saw you unable to take your eyes off Her Highness.”
“That’s only natural—no, wait. Her face was half-hidden by a bamboo hat. How could you even see my eyes?”
“I could tell. You’re not the type to stare so intently at thread, yet you kept stealing glances at the thread Her Highness was choosing. You looked so gentle. I’ve never seen you like that before.”
Yeonho couldn’t deny it.
Without realizing it, he had been alternating his gaze between the thread her hands touched and her expression, carefully watching her reactions.
Thanks to that, he noticed her modest desire to have all the thread she picked out—and ended up paying for everything.
“You didn’t look like you were watching her out of obligation. You seemed to be genuinely enjoying yourself.”
With both his cough and his heart exposed, Yeonho sighed, his face flushed.
“Haa… It’s not as you think. I didn’t fall for her at first sight or anything like that. For now, she just… catches my attention.”
“Whatever it is, I’m worried.”
“Worried about what?”
“That your feelings might deepen on your own, and you’ll end up getting hurt. Don’t run too far ahead by yourself.”
If the Princess were to push him away to the end, Yulbok couldn’t predict how Yeonho might react.
In the worst case, if Yeonho’s rage caused their marriage to end in tragedy, it would also create a rift with the Crown Prince.
Yeonho, too, sensed what Yulbok was worried about.
“What you’re concerned about won’t happen. I’m just…”
He paused, recalling the moment a few days ago when she handed over his mother’s gift, and the way she looked today as she chose the thread.
“When I look at Her Highness, I’m reminded of my mother. She doesn’t resemble her at all, but somehow their aura feels similar.”
Yulbok nodded in agreement.
“I understand that. Both of them have an unpretentious, free-spirited air. It makes sense that thinking of your mother would make you grow fond of her.”
Yeonho had convinced Yulbok, yet he couldn’t fully convince himself.
After taking another sip of liquor, Yeonho asked as if sighing,
“Do you know what expression Her Highness had when she was choosing the thread?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t notice her expression.”
“She looked excited. It felt like I could tell what she planned to make with that thread, and who she planned to give it to.”
“Surely you don’t think Her Highness would use the thread you bought to make something for Jeong Ja-in?”
“Who knows? When I imagined her carefully stitching each piece while thinking of Jeong Ja-in, my insides twisted. It was the first time I’d ever felt that way. This must be what they call jealousy.”
Yeonho felt resentful and hurt that she hadn’t looked at him, who was right beside her, because she was gazing at another man through that thread.
