After consoling my gloomy heart, I quickly finished the class, promptly put away my books in the drawer and stood up.

“Then I’ll see you next time, Your Highness.”

I quickly gave my greetings and walked towards the doorway. However, my student used his long legs to flow over to my side, and just before I opened the door, he called out to me.

“Teacher.”

“Yes?”

Wondering why, I turned around and his hand touched my forehead. His large hand, which covered my entire forehead and came down, was as hot as charcoal, causing me to jump in surprise.

“Why, why are you doing this?”

I asked in surprise, and my student looked back and forth between his hand and my forehead before asking.

“Is my hand dirty to you?”

“No. It’s just that your hand is a bit hotter than others.”

Afraid of incurring his displeasure, I quickly denied the misunderstanding and placed his hand back on my forehead. Only then did I become puzzled and asked.

“But why are you putting your hand on my forehead?”

“I thought you might have a fever.”

Is he trying to figure out if I’m faking illness or not! I was surprised for the second time at my student’s answer.

But because my student didn’t immediately remove his hand, I had to continue standing there in surprise.

How anxious I felt standing like that. I awkwardly stared at the buttons between my student’s stomach and chest, then unable to bear the awkwardness, I tightly closed my eyes.

How long had it been like that? A troublesome symptom appeared.

I was tired from not sleeping properly due to Lin Hwa’s matter, the winter Moon Palace didn’t have much warmth, and in the midst of this, with only my student’s hand being warm, I started to feel sleepy.

But since I couldn’t sleep leaning on my student’s hand, I desperately tried to stay awake. After a few more breaths like this.

Feeling this wouldn’t do, I slowly opened my eyes. It was clear that keeping my eyes closed was making me sleepier.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw my student’s gaze looking down at me intently. My student was staring at me with an unreadable expression.

Then, as our eyes met, he finally removed his hand from my forehead and said.

“You do have a fever. But why were you closing your eyes?”

“Because I felt awkward.”

“Do you always close your eyes so prettily when you feel awkward?”

“Pardon?”

I thought I had just squeezed them shut? It’s obvious my eyelids must have been twitching unattractively as I forcefully tried to avoid sleep. He says I closed them prettily?

As I stared blankly in confusion, my student coldly warned.

“Closing your eyes like that can easily lead to misunderstandings. I’m not swayed by such things, so it’s fine. But it would be better not to do that in front of others.”

You’d say something if I stared intently too. What are you saying? Should I look with unfocused eyes instead?

Anyway, since I couldn’t go to Unwan Castle directly, I needed to handle things well.

As soon as I arrived home, I wrote a letter, then called a messenger who was good at riding horses and handed him the token and letter with instructions.

“Go immediately to Unwan Castle in Unwan Central Province and find a person named Nan Gyun. Until half a year ago, Nan Gyun’s father was appointed there, so he’s probably the provincial governor or working under him.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Just show this letter and token. Then he will read the letter and give a reply.”

“Yes.”

“The matter is urgent, so leave right away.”

After giving the messenger one of the strongest and fastest horses, I anxiously looked at the long road stretching out. Would things be resolved well?

The next day. I went to the Moon Palace to teach, but it was difficult to focus on the lesson. I was scared that the imperial court would soon start sending out announcements for the selection of royal concubines to each noble family.

Once that announcement is received, names must be registered within a few days. If things weren’t settled by then, Lin Hwa’s future would be that of a powerless concubine.

My head ached thinking about it, so I finally decided to use a small trick and said to my student.

“Your Highness, please read from the part that says ‘Should people have a sense of shame?'”

My student began reading the book in a calm voice without even looking at me.

At first, I nodded my head as if appreciating it, but when my student became focused, I relaxed and started thinking about Lin Hwa’s matter again.

‘Nan Gyun said he liked Lin Hwa from the beginning. That guy has strange tastes. Fortunately, Lin Hwa fits those strange tastes. If I can just bring her and let him see Lin Hwa, that guy will fall for her on his own. But what if Nan Gyun shows no interest even after seeing our family token?’

It was then. A ticklish laugh was heard. Startled out of my reverie by that sound, I looked up to see my student looking at me sideways with his arms folded.

Meeting that gaze sent a chill through me. It felt like a cold wind had entered even though all the windows were tightly covered with thick cloth.

“Why are you doing that again?”

Sensing he had some complaint again, I asked, and my student lowered his folded arms and gently rebuked me.

“Even though you’re my teacher. Aren’t you being too perfunctory?”

“Is it because I had Your Highness read the book aloud?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why are you…”

My student’s smile reached his eyes but still looked cold. Faced with his expression clearly showing displeasure, I shrank back and found myself watching his reaction. Maintaining that expression, my student asked.

“Do you know which part I just read?”

“Wasn’t it page 35…?”

“I read page 35 at first. But from the middle, I was reading page 60.”

“!”

“It was obvious you were lost in thought, so I wanted to test you.”

How could he be so petty? I couldn’t find words and just stared at him. But my student wasn’t being unreasonable. That made me feel even more embarrassed and ashamed.

In the end, I lowered my gaze back to the book and apologized.

“I was briefly thinking of something else and didn’t pay attention to Your Highness. Your words are correct. I shouldn’t have done that. It was my fault. I’ll teach properly from now on.”

Then I opened the book properly and looked at my student. I was planning to ask him to start over from page 35, though I felt sorry.

But what is this? My student had made me feel embarrassed with his merciless words, but now he was looking at me with a somewhat strange gaze.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Feeling a bit stung by that puzzling gaze, I asked, and my student finally lowered his eyes and said.

“It’s nothing. I was just looking because it’s strange to see you admitting your mistake so readily.”

“I always do that though.”

I tried to refute subtly, but my student ignored it and asked.

“From where do you plan to start the lesson again?”

“Page thirty-five…”

My student extended the lesson time by as much as I had wasted being lost in thought. Thanks to that, the tiny bit of guilt I had felt towards my student had completely disappeared by the time the lesson ended.

What an evil person! When he doesn’t even listen to my lessons! When he always wastes my lectures by being lost in his own thoughts!

Is it okay for him to disregard me but not okay for me to disregard him? I grumbled internally as I got up from my chair to prepare to leave the palace.

But as I was about to go home, I suddenly found it strange that my student didn’t mention anything about selecting concubines.

My student was with me that day when the Emperor brought up the topic of selecting concubines. Moreover, the Emperor getting concubines means more stepmothers for him. Shouldn’t he be concerned about it as the Crown Prince?

Yet my student said nothing, which made me curious about his thoughts on the matter.

So when I confirmed that my student was following to see me off, I carefully probed him as we were about to exit.

“His Majesty mentioned selecting concubines during the Winter Solstice event. I thought he would issue the announcement right away. But he hasn’t issued it as quickly as expected. I wonder if he changed his mind?”

My student answered casually.

“I’m not interested, so I don’t know.”

“You’re not interested?”

All the princes and princesses usually side with their mothers, so in my previous life, my student naturally engaged in power struggles with the concubines. But he says he’s not interested?

These could be people who might become his political opponents in the future. Is it because Crown Princess Taewol has a gentle personality?

As I stumbled on a stone and staggered, my student grabbed my collar like picking up trash to help me regain balance and answered.

“I don’t care if Father adds a few dozen more concubines. At most, it just means I’ll have a few more younger siblings I’m not close with.”

If my father brought home a concubine and made unfamiliar half-siblings, I feel like our household would be turned upside down. My student has a unique way of thinking.

“It’ll probably be the same for the other siblings. The 15th princess has always been the youngest, so it might feel different for her.”

The royal family has unique ways of thinking. Anyway, my student answered so nonchalantly that I ended up agreeing.

Well. In any case, it’s good for Lin Hwa that the 13th prince doesn’t pay much attention to concubines not involved with him. That is, if I consider the possibility of Lin Hwa becoming a concubine.

As we conversed, we arrived at the outer gate of the Moon Palace. I gave my student a polite farewell greeting.

“I’ll be taking my leave now, Your Highness.”

But as I was about to leave, my student asked behind my back.

“Why did you ask about that?”

“Pardon?”

I turned to look at my student in an awkward posture with one foot outside the doorway. My student was looking at me with a seemingly comfortable smile.

But I shouldn’t feel at ease just because my student has such an expression. I cautiously asked back while awkwardly pulling back the leg I had stepped outside with.

“I just asked out of curiosity, Your Highness. Why do you ask?”

My student maintained a calm attitude and asked again.

“Teacher. Do you perhaps want to become a concubine? Is that why you asked?”

Though his tone was calm, the question content was shocking. I stared at my student with great force in my eyes, too surprised.

It’s already quite shocking that there were marriage talks between us. What kind of thoughts is he having beyond that?

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t say anything and just stared at my student, when an uneasy suspicion slowly arose. Could it be… Does this student know I’m a woman?

But I couldn’t ask him this. As a result, unable to answer right away and just holding my breath, my student placed his hand on the door frame above my head, showing off his height, and said.

“Someone as frivolous as you wouldn’t suit being a concubine.”

“I never even thought about it…”

“You seem to be thinking about it, so I’m warning you. The way for someone like you to be involved with the imperial family is to become the wife of a prince with no presence. That’s just your level. Do you understand?”

“Are you saying… that I’m just at the level to be Your Highness’s match…”

After thoroughly mocking and putting me down himself, my student’s eyes sharpened at my stammering question. How unfair.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“But you’re the only prince living without presence…”

“!”