Had my disciple always been so quick to anger even before my regression?

‘Of course, he’s not angry now either, but…’

Perhaps because I once received a poison cup from his hands. Even if my disciple’s gaze is just slightly off, I feel like he’s getting angry and I shrink back.

But even considering that I’ve become more afraid of my disciple than before the regression, his eyes have indeed become sharper.

He never gave me such looks before the regression. That’s why I couldn’t predict that I would be poisoned by my disciple in my previous life.

“What’s wrong…?”

Anyway, since I couldn’t just ignore such a gaze, I asked very quietly. Along with that, Lin Hwa’s gaze finally turned from the emperor to my disciple.

“It’s nothing.”

My disciple quickly hid his sharp gaze and answered in a calm voice.

“I was looking because Master’s neck is long and pretty.”

Lin Hwa raised her eyebrows and looked between me and my disciple even more quickly.

“Thank you…”

It sounded more like a threat than a compliment, but I pretended to be oblivious and thanked him, then unnecessarily looked back towards the emperor. Fortunately, the emperor wasn’t looking this way now.

But I could still feel the gaze from behind, so I couldn’t move my head.

Unlike before the regression, the emperor and empress didn’t officially talk about concubines. They didn’t mention bringing in new concubines or concubines coming from Taewol.

Moreover, since they didn’t bring up the marriage talk between the 13th prince and Princess Bomun, the Dongcho Day event passed peacefully afterwards.

But after the event ended, the minds of the dispersing people would be filled with the emperor’s talk of concubines with the empress. Some would want to send their family’s daughters as concubines at this opportunity, while others would want to prevent it.

I too couldn’t help but keep thinking about the concubine talk as I trudged along with Lin Hwa towards where my parents were.

‘If they select concubines, Lin Hwa would inevitably be a candidate.’

I absolutely cannot send Lin Hwa as a concubine. Though it’s late, I should talk to my parents about this when we get home.

“Mother is over there. Mother! Father!”

But just as I was about to call out to my parents and walk towards them, someone lightly tapped my arm from behind. When I turned around, the 13th prince was standing nearby, having followed at some point.

When I looked at him in surprise, the 13th prince signaled with his eyes that he wanted to talk privately.

Lin Hwa, who had been following closely, also stopped and looked at me and my disciple again.

I had no choice but to ask Lin Hwa:

“Go to Mother. You can go by yourself since it’s right in front of us, right?”

Instead of answering, Lin Hwa quickly ran in that direction. After seeing Lin Hwa cling to Mother’s arm, I turned to the 13th prince. The 13th prince pointed in a direction with his eyes as if telling me to follow, then turned and walked away.

Following behind him dejectedly, we entered the Daehwawon. But my disciple only stopped when we reached a secluded spot where people didn’t pass by. I stopped as well and looked up at my disciple, asking:

“Your Highness, why did you call for this subject?”

Earlier when we parted, my disciple had sent Lin Hwa and me away without saying much. But now he suddenly followed and asked to talk privately, so he clearly had something to say without Lin Hwa present.

However, instead of answering right away, my disciple just stared at me intently. When that gaze became burdensome, my disciple asked:

“Master. Do you perhaps have feelings for the Emperor?”

“What? No?”

Are you crazy?

“I have loyalty, if that’s what you mean.”

Actually, I don’t even have loyalty. Anyway, I answered according to the standard, but my disciple didn’t relax his expression and asked again:

“Then have you ever had feelings for the Emperor?”

“What? Are you talking about loyalty?”

“No. I’m asking about romantic feelings.”

I was so taken aback by my disciple asking this sincerely that I couldn’t answer right away. At that, my disciple’s expression grew even colder. Feeling like he was doubting my affections, I shook my head as quickly as possible and hurriedly denied it.

“No. I have never thought of His Majesty in that way, not even once. Am I not a man?”

“Given your colorful past, such an excuse makes me suspicious.”

I stared at him blankly in bewilderment. I couldn’t understand at all why he was making such a fuss about me when the emperor was talking about selecting concubines. I was the one who got hit with the inkstone, so why was this bastard the one with a broken head?

“I, this subject, cannot even imagine why Your Highness is asking such a thing. Is it because His Majesty talked about concubines? However, this subject should have no connection to His Majesty’s concubine talk.”

“When talking about concubines, the Emperor looked at you, Master.”

No, he looked at you. But I shouldn’t say that. Guessing that the emperor looked at the 13th prince is using information from before the regression.

Then…

“His Majesty the Emperor was looking around everywhere, Your Highness.”

I spoke according to the standard once again and tried my best to make my eyes as round and gentle as possible. But seeing my expression, my disciple spoke even more coldly:

“Even if you make such a gentle expression, I won’t be fooled.”

“I’m not making a gentle expression, I’m just opening my eyes wide.”

“Do you think I’ll fall for your tricks again?”

“I’m not trying to trick you. Didn’t Your Highness say that you can tell if I’m telling the truth or not by looking at my eyes? That’s why I’m opening them wide.”

I stared at my disciple intently with my eyes wide open. Fortunately, it had an effect. My disciple stepped back half a step as if feeling pressured and ordered:

“Step back.”

As I stepped back and relaxed my eyes, my disciple finally stood up straight and looked at me as if testing me. Then he let out a small sigh and asked:

“I understand. Then let me ask differently. Has the Emperor ever shown signs of being fond of you?”

“He said he likes that I’m loyal and faithful.”

“While saying that, did he not look at you strangely?”

“Strangely…?”

As I gaped at him blankly, my disciple fortunately didn’t ask further and nodded while muttering:

“I suppose. Nevermind. It’s no use asking you, Master.”

I don’t know what he meant, but it was certainly not a good meaning. I reflexively frowned in displeasure, but my disciple ignored it and turned around, instructing:

“From now on, when you see the Emperor, keep your eyes half-closed.”

“What?”

Are you crazy?

“Why?”

“As I said before.”

“?”

“Only your eyes are pretty, Master.”

What?

“Does that explain it?”

How could it? What are you saying?

“What did His Highness say?”

As I walked towards the side gate after parting with my disciple, Mother, who had been waiting in front of the carriage, quickly approached and carefully asked.

“He said my eyes are pretty.”

Finding it difficult to relay all of my disciple’s nonsense, I only conveyed the nicest part. Mother smiled strangely and said:

“It seems His Highness is quite fond of your appearance.”

No, Mother. He said everything except my eyes is unremarkable. But feeling there was no need to say such things, I immediately entered the carriage.

Afterwards, as the carriage headed towards the Yu family estate, no one in the family opened their mouths. I don’t know why Lin Hwa is quiet, but my parents are probably thinking about the emperor and empress’s concubine talk. So am I.

As the carriage entered the estate grounds, I quickly got out and followed my parents as they went to the main hall, requesting:

“Father. Mother. I have something I want to say regarding the concubine selection.”

Father nodded and said:

“I was thinking of talking to you about that as well.”

After entering the main hall, Mother signaled, and the servants closed the door and quickly went outside.

With only my parents and me left in the room, Father asked me in a darkened voice:

“When His Highness called you separately, did he not tell you about this? Was that concubine talk between His Majesty and the Empress sincere?”

“He didn’t talk about such things. He just had a private conversation. But since there was talk of Princess Zhang from Taewol coming as a concubine, I think something will happen. If they’re selecting new concubines, they’ll probably choose soon so they can enter together with Princess Zhang from Taewol.”

At my words, Mother anxiously grabbed Father’s arm.

“What should we do? If that happens, Lin Hwa will be a candidate too.”

Father placed his other hand on top of that arm, but his expression was still dark. I quickly spoke about what I had been thinking throughout the carriage ride.

“Father. Mother. We need to quickly find a fiancé for Lin Hwa so she can’t participate in the concubine selection. Don’t you two have anyone in mind as a match for Lin Hwa?”

“We were thinking of Sun An.”

At Mother’s subdued voice, I flinched as I remembered our recent constant fights. But soon I gathered courage and suggested again:

“Think about it some more. Sun An isn’t the only good man out there, right? A man with good character, good family, and good abilities who would be a good match for Lin Hwa. Don’t you know anyone else?”

Before my regression, it was my parents who came looking for Lin Hwa’s marriage talks with her husband. Not me. So the two of them must already know about the person who will become Lin Hwa’s husband.

“Aren’t there any candidates? Candidates? You couldn’t have only thought of Sun An, right?”

However, Father shook his head. After praising Lin Hwa’s husband so enthusiastically when the marriage talks came before the regression!

“There’s no one.”

But Father’s face was definitely not one of lying. And it wasn’t a situation to lie either. Damn it. Then how did my parents find Lin Hwa’s husband before the regression?

At that time… at that time…

Right, come to think of it, Lin Hwa’s marriage talks being finalized wasn’t during this time period even by the standards of before the regression.

There’s a process in between where Lin Hwa’s marriage talks with Sun An progress but fall through, Lin Hwa is shocked, Sun An leaves and contact is cut off, and then marriage talks with Lin Hwa’s husband progress. It must be a few years after now.

Then do my parents not know Lin Hwa’s husband yet? Damn it. Then this is really a big problem?

If the emperor really intends to bring in concubines when the Princess Zhang from Taewol enters the palace, the imperial family will likely make an announcement about selecting concubines before long.

They’ll have to consider the period for announcing the concubine selection, the selection period, the education period after selection, and so on. There wasn’t time to wait a few years until Lin Hwa’s husband appears.

Of course, becoming a concubine candidate doesn’t mean you’ll be selected as a concubine without question. You have to catch the emperor’s eye. But since Lin Hwa is objectively pretty, I was worried.

“Think harder, Father. Mother. Haven’t you heard even rumors about any good young men? We can’t let Lin Hwa become a concubine like this.”

As my parents were furrowing their brows and wracking their brains as if squeezing out all their memories at those words, the door burst open and Lin Hwa came in, shouting:

“If they’re selecting concubines, of course I’ll participate.”

Has she gone crazy!