Leaning against the door, Yeonwoo sat down in his place, feeling somewhat hesitant.

“Unbelievable, our voices can be heard even though the rooms are separated.”

Despite having separate rooms, speaking loudly made it possible for them to communicate. Thinking about how close he was to Geon, Yeonwoo’s heart began to thump wildly.

The joy of having his own place was not fully enjoyed with the thought of living with a grown man.

After laying out the bedding and lying down, Yeonwoo’s trembling didn’t settle down.

‘Heart, please be still…’

Yeonwoo tried to close his eyes and sleep, but his mind became even more restless.

While tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Knock, knock.

Along with the sound of a door knocking, Geon’s voice was heard.

“Hong Yeonwoo, are you asleep?”

“….!”

Startled, Yeonwoo abruptly sat up.

“No, not yet. What brings you here?”

In the middle of the night, what business could have brought him? Yeonwoo’s heart, which had just calmed down, started to flutter again.

“Can you apply ointment for me?”

“Ah…!”

Come to think of it, the ointment given by Sinwoong was in Yeonwoo’s possession.

Even though Geon seemed perfectly fine, he had suffered an injury, and Yeonwoo should consistently apply the ointment until he fully recovered.

Today was the day to apply it, so Yeonwoo got up from his spot without hesitation and opened the door.

Squeak.

As the door to the guest room opened, Geon’s eyes shook when he faced Yeonwoo.

Yeonwoo, who had let his long hair down, was undoubtedly a familiar sight, but today, he looked unusually beautiful.

The moonlight coming through the window made Yeonwoo’s skin appear like white jade, and his jet-black hair seemed even more lustrous.

Moreover, looking at the bedding spread out behind Yeonwoo, it felt as if they had entered a forbidden area.

After swallowing his saliva, Geon entered Yeonwoo’s guest room.

The scent that Geon usually sensed from Yeonwoo seemed to linger in the air, making the situation even more peculiar.

Sitting in front of Yeonwoo, Geon untied his upper garment.
When the jacket brushed against the bare skin, Geon’s body, honed through training, was exposed, resembling a piece of sculpture. Witnessing this, Yeonwoo was taken aback and exclaimed, “Why, why are you taking off your clothes!” “You can’t apply ointment over clothes, can you?” “Ah…!” Yeonwoo’s face turned red in a sudden realization. It felt as if he wanted to crawl into a mouse hole to hide from the embarrassment.

‘Let’s focus on treatment and not get distracted by random thoughts.’ Yeonwoo, now beginning the treatment in earnest, opened the medicine container received from Sinwoong and applied the ointment. After spreading the ointment with his fingers, he applied it to the area near Geon’s chest, which was still not fully healed.
When Geon’s body flinched, Yeonwoo, startled, asked, “Are you in pain?!” “……I’m fine.” It wasn’t painful, but as Yeonwoo’s fingertips touched, a tingling sensation pierced through the skin and surged through the entire body.

“If it hurts, please tell me.”

“Got it.”

Yeonwoo, slowly and gently, with more cautious movements than before, applied ointment. Every time Yeonwoo’s fingers touched the skin, it seemed like Geon’s blood circulation reversed.

For some reason, Yeonwoo couldn’t understand why every single sensation of the skin was awakening with just applying a single medicine.

As the treatment approached its end, Yeonwoo, looking at the scars engraved on Geon’s body, inquired, “These wounds… were they all caused by the Salsoos?”

“That’s right.”

“May I take a closer look?”

As Geon nodded, Yeonwoo, who had come close, began examining his body.

Examining Geon’s body this closely was a first.

The size and appearance of the scars were all different. Some were recent, while others seemed to have been there for a long time.

Sword, blade, bow, etc. The types of weapons that left scars on his body seemed diverse.

Thinking about the breathless moments Geon endured during Salsoos’ attacks, Yeonwoo’s heart quivered in one place.

Among numerous scars, one caught Yeonwoo’s eye.

The scar was a horizontal wound on the chest, faint in trace but the largest in size.

“Here… When did this scar happen?”

Yeonwoo’s finger brushed over Geon’s scar.

At the tingling sensation that rose throughout his body, Geon flinched again.

Taking a deep breath internally, Geon answered Yeonwoo’s question.

“I got this scar when I was 11.”

“Good heavens…”

Yeonwoo was shocked. At the age of 11, even if he received plenty of love, where on that small body could there be a place to hurt.

What kind of throne was it, and what kind of power was it to point a sword at a child?

It was pitiful. It was too pitiful for Geon to endure such pain at such a young age.

In one of Geon’s numerous scars, Yeonwoo’s attention was drawn to one.

Although the scar was faint, it was the largest, and it left a deep impression on Yeonwoo.

“Here… when did this scar happen?”

Yeonwoo’s finger grazed Geon’s scar.