It was barely audible mumbling, but I heard it all. Is he trying to reveal his true colors because he’s angry that I’m not playing along with his wishes?

As soon as he saw his disciple flustered, his mouth, which had been moving recklessly with excitement, stopped.

I pretended not to have heard anything, drank some water, and then looked at a simple flowering tree while talking to myself.

“The flowers are pretty.”

[This is the timeline separator]

“Yo Yohwa.”

As soon as I entered the house, my mother, who had been pacing in the yard, rushed over like an arrow. Moreover, her expression was full of worry.

“Mother? What’s wrong?”

I asked in surprise at her unusual demeanor, but instead she looked me over and asked:

“I heard you made a strange request to Lin Hwa? Did something happen with His Highness?”

I was already exhausted from dealing with the 13th prince, and now I’m being interrogated like this as soon as I get back. My head is spinning. Did Lin Hwa tattle on everything?

“What? What did Lin Hwa say?”

Trying to stay calm, I asked, and my mother replied in a darkened voice as if I had been beaten by someone:

“She said you asked her to relay a message to Sun An if you didn’t return by morning.”

“Lin Hwa… that loose-tongued brat!”

I cursed.

I thought Lin Hwa disliked me, so she wouldn’t tell such things to our parents. But to think she would tattle on everything!

As soon as I cursed Lin Hwa, my mother immediately grabbed my lips tightly.

“Calling your sister a brat. How is Lin Hwa your child?”

“She’s just tattling.”

“Lin Hwa did that because she was worried about you.”

“She just did something she knew I would hate.”

Before the regression, Lin Hwa and I had a bad relationship. It wasn’t bad for our entire lives. At some point, our relationship did improve. But until then, we were sisters with a bad relationship.

Although our relationship was bad, we didn’t try to poison or assassinate each other, but we did put our utmost effort into trying to make the other eat crow.

However, my mother tries her hardest to pretend not to know that Lin Hwa and I dislike each other.

To my mother, I am her pitiful daughter forced to live disguised as a man without choice, and Lin Hwa is her miracle last daughter. Both of us are precious children to her, so she’s trying her best in her own way.

“Anyway. You really don’t have anything going on with His Highness, right?”

As I was grumbling, my mother clapped her hands to get my attention and asked.

“You said something strange when you were going to see His Highness too. Saying you hoped His Highness would be captivated by you.”

“Oh Mother. That was just a figure of speech.”

No matter what else I said, it didn’t seem like my mother would let go of her suspicious gaze. In the end, I gave up on the fruitless argument and turned away.

I saw Lin Hwa, who had been peeking out from behind a building, run away like an arrow as soon as our eyes met.

‘That filly!’

Grinding my teeth, I returned to my quarters.

[This is the timeline separator]

The eight days passed by quickly.

During those eight days, my disciple unexpectedly showed no unusual behavior. As if our conversation that night had never happened, he took lessons from me as usual, keeping an appropriate distance and maintaining proper etiquette.

He didn’t say anything particularly provocative either. I was unnecessarily worried because of his mumbling “Is that how you’re going to be?” at the end.

Was it just something he said in anger? Without much thought?

But it’s hard to just think positively and move on when I remember his meticulous actions from before the regression…

However, even as I worried like this, I also didn’t change my words or actions towards my disciple other than keeping an eye on him.

Although I said it might be okay to pretend to have feelings for the 13th prince, with the vivid memory of him killing me before my eyes, it’s difficult to casually flirt with him like I would with other women.

If the opportunity comes, I’ll gather all my wits and pretend to have feelings for him.

Anyway, until such an opportunity comes, there was nothing else to do. I had to live as I did before the regression.

[This is the timeline separator]

After living peacefully like that, when the day came that I received an invitation from the 6th prince, my whole body twisted with reluctance to go.

If this were before the regression, the emotional battle between the 13th prince, 6th prince, and 2nd prince would be slowly starting, but in this life there’s none of that and I have to deal with the 6th prince.

Although the 6th prince’s feelings towards me are said to be gratitude rather than resentment, since we weren’t close even before the regression, it was equally uncomfortable and awkward.

Still, hiding these feelings, I finished the lesson a little earlier than usual and stood up.

My disciple saw me off without saying anything special, whether he remembered I was going to Seonghwangung Palace today or not.

“I’ll see you the day after tomorrow, Your Highness.”

I bowed to my disciple who had followed me out to the door for some reason, then walked down the long, narrow path connecting to Wolmugung Palace.

Then I stopped where there were no people, tidied up my clothes for a moment, and then went to the 6th prince’s Seonghwangung Palace.

As I approached Seonghwangung Palace, unlike the 13th prince’s Wolmugung Palace, I saw four burly eunuchs acting as gatekeepers.

As I approached, wondering if I should tell them my name, fortunately one of them recognized my face before I could introduce myself and spoke to me in a friendly manner.

“You’re the foreign instructor of the 13th prince. I heard you have an appointment with the 6th prince today at Yoshinitial. Please come in.”

Before the regression, the 6th prince’s eunuchs never treated me this kindly. After the angry 6th prince slapped my cheek thirty times over the 13th prince incident, he and I were reluctant to even see each other’s faces.

But now I’m being welcomed into his quarters like this.

“This way, please.”

As I followed the eunuch inside, I saw the scene of the courtyard where ropes were hung high between the roof and walls with red lanterns hanging from them. It was completely different from the 13th prince’s quarters where weeds grew wildly in the yard.

Certainly. During the time of princes and princesses, if your mother has no power, the treatment is very different. The circumstances of the 13th prince whose mother died before becoming a royal concubine and the 6th prince whose mother is the Gyeombin, a proper royal consort, are as different as heaven and earth.

I clicked my tongue while looking around inside, but when I noticed the eunuch looking at me as if he understood everything, I quickly managed my expression.

But the eunuch had already misunderstood my inner thoughts and quietly spoke to me.

“It doesn’t make sense for someone like you, the young master of the Yo family who passed the civil service exam early, to be buried together in the crumbling Wolmugung Palace. Our 6th prince is magnanimous and values talented people. If he could gain someone like you, the 6th prince would be truly pleased.”

But such words were awkward to agree with and difficult to refute, so I just smiled without saying anything.

Fortunately, before the eunuch could open his mouth again, the door of the large building inside opened and the 6th prince greeted me with “Ah. You’re here!”

“I was wondering if something happened since it was about time for you to arrive but you didn’t come.”

I quickly walked towards the 6th prince after giving an eye greeting to thank the eunuch for guiding me.

“The palace is so large. I think my steps were delayed because there was so much to see here and there.”

I followed the 6th prince into the large room while saying flattering words.

I was worried it might be an overly light atmosphere since he said he would treat me well, but fortunately it wasn’t like that. There was a large table in the center with three comfortable-looking chairs around it.

There were eunuchs standing nearby to serve food, and there were also people playing instruments behind a screen in the side room, but it wasn’t quite a festive atmosphere.

“Thank you for inviting me. I’m embarrassed to be invited for doing what was only natural.”

“Natural, you say. How grateful both I and my second brother were for the hunting competition incident. If you hadn’t saved our ninth sister, neither I nor my second brother would have had the face to see the Empress.”

I see even the powerful 6th and 2nd princes are mindful of the Empress.

I wanted to agree here, but fearing it might sound like I was mocking the 6th prince, I just smiled silently and sat in the lowest seat.

“I wonder why my second brother is not here yet.”

“He’ll be here soon. By the way, this looks really delicious. What is it?”

“It’s fried tangerine. Doesn’t it taste unique?”

While engaging in meaningless conversation with the 6th prince, I analyzed his words in my head several times before speaking to avoid making even the slightest mistake.

As I was doing this, the 2nd prince finally appeared.

“I’m too late, aren’t I.”

Since I wasn’t close with the 2nd prince before the regression either, I stood up awkwardly and greeted him.

But even though we weren’t close, the 2nd prince smiled like a kind old man who had watched over my childhood and patted my shoulder.

“Lord Yo, have you been well?”

Hey, what’s with that expression? How much older than me are you?

Although I felt disgruntled inside, I put all my effort into spreading my mouth sideways and pretended to be glad.

“Thank you for inviting me. Thanks to both of Your Highnesses, I will be greatly indulging today.”

“Lord Yo is so amiable. Completely different from our timid thirteenth brother.”

The 2nd prince chuckled and gestured for me to sit. As I sat in the lowest seat again, the 2nd prince went to sit in the highest seat.

“Bring out the dishes.”

At the 6th prince’s order, the eunuchs standing around removed the lids covering the large bowls. As the lids were lifted, the faint food aroma became stronger, making me gulp involuntarily.

I see the 6th prince does intend to treat me well as promised. Well, since I’ve already come to this uncomfortable place, let’s at least eat well before leaving.

Thinking of the 13th prince who always goes around alone with few palace people below him does make me feel a bit uncomfortable… but it should be fine. He’ll become emperor later anyway, right?

I quickly shook off the unpleasant sympathy and picked up my chopsticks.

“Lord Yo passed the civil service exam, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Your Highness the 6th prince.”

“But I saw this time that your horse riding skills are quite remarkable. Isn’t that right, elder brother?”

“I was surprised too. Everyone only praised Lord Yo’s jade-like face and scholarship. They spoke without knowing.”

“The situation was urgent, so I ended up showing some skill by chance. I’m very embarrassed by Your Highnesses’ praise.”

Actually, I’m not embarrassed. It’s true that I have a handsome face, excellent scholarship, and am good at riding horses. It’s a bit burdensome that they keep talking when I want to eat.

However, the two princes unexpectedly seemed to enjoy chatting and continued to converse.

“To be honest, Lord Yo. I was surprised when I saw our Imperial Father send you as the thirteenth’s teacher.”

“To be precise, it was the Empress who sent him.”

“Of course, elder brother. But didn’t the appointment come because our Imperial Father agreed as well?”

“That’s true. I was surprised too, even though the Empress must have had her deep intentions.”

“Everyone thought that if it was Lord Yo, he would naturally enter the Gwonhwahak and be educated there, then move towards becoming the Crown Prince’s teacher. Most top-scoring exam passers do that. But to be assigned as a foreign instructor, and even the thirteenth’s foreign instructor, before even receiving a proper appointment.”

The 6th prince’s words are very similar to my thoughts before the regression.

Gwonhwahak is an educational institution in the Department of Education, where those with excellent grades or special talents enter to receive education.

In exchange, instead of starting from a low-level official position, they start their official career from mid-level positions like Sataejik, Ojajik, or Yukhwajik.

In this situation, as someone who suddenly became the 13th prince’s teacher, I couldn’t be grateful for that position which seemed like nothing but a demotion.

The position of foreign instructor already has only honor and no substance, and to be the teacher of the 13th prince who is as far from the throne as heaven is from the end of the earth.

“But what can we do? It’s not like the thirteenth requested Lord Yo as his teacher.”

“Still, if he had even a little care for Lord Yo, the thirteenth should have refused on his own.”

“How could that child go against the Empress’s stern command?”

“That’s true. But because of that, isn’t Lord Yo the only one sinking into the mire?”

“It’s regrettable when thinking of the future.”

I silently moved my chopsticks on the empty plate.

The atmosphere was already uncomfortable, but as the flow of conversation turned towards disrespecting the 13th prince, my appetite, which had barely formed from smelling the delicious food, was rapidly diminishing.

It’s not that I want to take the 13th prince’s side. But the 13th prince hasn’t done anything yet, and this behavior of mocking and disrespecting a young and powerless younger brother doesn’t look very good.

But when someone talks behind another’s back, it’s awkward to openly refute even if you don’t agree. Especially when those two are the successful princes born of royal consorts.

However, as time passed and the remarks disrespecting the 13th prince became more intense, I felt that as a teacher I should say something, so I couldn’t hold back and ended up refuting.

“It’s fine if I’m far from power while by the 13th prince’s side. I don’t have much desire for power anyway, and it’s enough if I’m not a disgrace to my family.”

“You, the heir of the Yo family?”

The 2nd prince laughs as if it’s absurd.

Well, by the standards before my regression, it is absurd. But once you’ve reached the top and then been poisoned to death, you become this unambitious. What’s better than living safely and peacefully?

“Of course. I prefer being by the 13th prince’s side to having power.”

But they should just take it as polite conversation and move on. Yet these two excellent elder brothers seem determined to hear me badmouth their younger brother, as they keep asking questions with smirking smiles.

“What is it about the thirteenth that you like so much?”

“You prefer being by the thirteenth’s side to having power?”

From the atmosphere, it seemed they wouldn’t back down unless I praised the 13th prince once or twice.

However, when you lack power, you must hide even a brilliant mind. I couldn’t praise the 13th prince’s intelligence in this situation.

In the end, after thinking hard, I mentioned a strength of the 13th prince that everyone would acknowledge.

“The thirteenth prince possesses a beauty even more exquisite and graceful than flowers. I enjoy sitting across from the thirteenth prince during lessons.”

However, after saying this, I noticed that the expressions of the 2nd prince and 6th prince were quite peculiar. They were both staring at me with their mouths wide open.

Then, a moment later, the two princes burst into laughter, holding their stomachs.

“Indeed, you’re the number one playboy in Hweum. To have such a sharp eye for a man’s appearance while being a man yourself!”

“If that’s your standard for happiness, then there’s no better choice than the thirteenth.”

“That’s right, that’s right.”

It seems I’ve become a subject of ridicule, but this is probably better. Better than hearing the thirteenth prince being disparaged, right?

I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, feeling an intense gaze, I raised my head to find, unexpectedly, one of the eunuchs serving food behind the 6th prince staring at me intently. When our eyes met, he quickly lowered his gaze.

‘Why is he acting like that?’

For a moment I felt uncomfortable, but then I recalled a startling fact. That eunuch… I saw him before the regression!

He’s one of the thirteenth prince’s close associates! Damn it!