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Chapter 5

King Bonhyeon appeared. I quickly moved away from the Second Prince.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty."

The Second Prince spoke first. I followed suit, somewhat flustered.

"We pay our respects to Your Majesty."

"Hmm."

King Bonhyeon swept a disapproving glance over me and the Second Prince, who were occupying the bedchamber, and then let out a snort.

He walked between me and the Second Prince, heading further inside. Well, we weren't close enough for it to be called "separating" us.

"We inquire after Your Majesty's well-being. We hope your health is in good condition."

The Second Prince took the initiative. I simply bowed my head, following his lead.

I could feel a gaze fixed on the top of my head.

It seemed like he was glaring at me.

"I have been well."

King Bonhyeon replied curtly.

I raised my head.

"Are the two princes also well?"

Now that I was facing him, King Bonhyeon himself didn't seem like a fearsome presence.

His slightly hunched back wasn't solely due to his middle age.

Some of the warriors at Blood Cloud Fortress were over a decade older than the man before me, yet they commanded the battlefield with straight backs and sturdy limbs.

Of course, it wasn't fair to compare warriors who spent their entire lives on the battlefield to the king who spent most of his time in the palace...

Even so, King Bonhyeon gave off an impression of weakness, far from someone who shouldered the burden of an entire nation.

"Thanks to your grace, we have been well."

While I was observing King Bonhyeon, the Second Prince answered first again.

Before I could respond, King Bonhyeon glanced at me and said, "Prince Ikwon must also be well."

Huh?

Why just me?

"It seems you two were conversing while waiting for me."

"Indeed."

"It's heartwarming to see such brotherly affection between the two princes. It's a pleasant sight. Ikwon and Yehui, what were you discussing?"

Why is this man interested in the relationship between me and that guy?

I answered immediately, "I owe my brother a debt."

The Second Prince quickly interjected, "But we've resolved it through conversation, so don't worry."

He wasn't exactly wrong.

"Yes, thanks to my brother's generosity, it has been resolved."

"A result that satisfies Prince Ikwon."

King Bonhyeon trailed off. It meant he had more to say.

"How peculiar."

Was the First Prince an incredibly greedy person?

Well, as a delinquent, he ought to be greedy.

"As a father, how could I turn a blind eye to a matter between my two sons? If Jaean suffered a loss while covering for Ikwon, I will compensate him. Prince Jaean, explain the situation in detail."

Unexpected words were spoken. I was surprised, and the Second Prince was even more surprised. Actually, I wasn't that surprised.

The Second Prince said, “It was a very trivial matter."

No matter how much of a fool the First Prince was, it wouldn't look good for a mere bodyguard to beat up a royal.

Because the First Prince being beaten was a royal being beaten.

I didn't particularly want to escalate the situation, but since King Bonhyeon showed interest, I changed my mind. An opportunity arose to showcase my flexible mindset.

My mind sometimes changes this easily. This is proof that my heart is soft and tender.

Or maybe not.

"It seems my brother is trying to cover up my disgraceful behavior, so may I speak instead?"

King Bonhyeon's expression changed as he looked at me. His attitude became quite indifferent.

"Go ahead."

"I suffered a crushing defeat in a duel against my brother's bodyguard, and feeling deeply moved by this, I requested another duel."

I spoke without taking a breath.

King Bonhyeon asked slowly, still seemingly uninterested, "You were defeated?"

"Yes."

I glanced at the Second Prince, and he looked uneasy.

"Yet you were deeply moved despite being defeated? I can't even imagine the level of skill involved. Prince Jaean, you have a talented individual by your side."

"You flatter me. How could my bodyguard possibly be a match for my brother? It was merely a coincidence."

"He must have held back a few moves, considering Prince Ikwon's royal status. Knowing that General So is Ik-Won's teacher, no one can deny his exceptional judgment."

There are countless generals with the surname So, how would I know which one he's talking about? There's no one named So among the people I know.

I'll have to ask Eunuch Han when we return to Hyeonnyeongdang.

Anyway, it seemed King Bonhyeon had his eye on the Second Prince's subordinates.

I remember hearing that he favored his new queen quite a bit, so his comment was somewhat unexpected. Was it unrelated to his favoritism towards the Second Prince?

In any case, that wasn't my concern.

And the fact that King Bonhyeon didn't unconditionally cherish the Second Prince and that he was taking my side were separate issues.

"So, what answer did you give him?"

At that, I opened my mouth as if to answer. But the Second Prince hurriedly spoke, "Actually, we were in the midst of considering that answer."

Ah, so he can't stand to hear what comes out of my mouth.

But King Bonhyeon's next words were unexpected again.

"What is there to ponder?"

King Bonhyeon's eyes met mine. At that moment, it seemed like his brow furrowed slightly... but it was no secret that he disliked his eldest son, so I decided to let it slide.

"A servant's efforts shouldn't outweigh brotherly affection."

I grinned.

"If finding a suitable time and place is the issue, I will arrange it."

If it came to this, the Second Prince would have no choice but to bring out the bodyguard who beat me up.

Of course, King Bonhyeon's offer wasn't out of goodwill towards me.

The Second Prince replied, "...We are deeply grateful."

* * *

As soon as I returned to Hyeonnyeongdang, I collapsed onto the bed. Perhaps because I'd used my brain, I was hungry.

"The First Prince doesn't have a good relationship with King Bonhyeon. And he doesn't have a good relationship with the Second Prince either. Strictly speaking, it's the worst. But... King Bonhyeon and the Second Prince don't have a particularly good relationship either? They're both keeping their distance, and he hasn't appointed a Crown Prince? Having the Crown Prince position vacant wouldn't be beneficial for King Bonhyeon's own authority, would it?"

So what's the point? Even though I was the one saying it, I didn't understand.

"...Is King Bonhyeon keeping both the First Prince and the Second Prince in check?"

Eunuch Han, who was watching me mumble to myself in the air while lying down, had an ominous look on his face. He probably thinks I'm delusional again.

Does he think I'm crazy?

Since the posthumous title would only be decided after King Bonhyeon's death, Eunuch Han had no idea what I was talking about.

"It's a mess."

If my job was to just wipe them all out, I wouldn't need to use my brain...

Thinking that, I suddenly turned my head towards Eunuch Han.

"Bring me some food."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I'm looking forward to some royal snacks.

After sending Eunuch Han out, I opened the window next to the bed. The gentle breeze made me feel sleepy.

Perfect for a nap.

"Caw—!"

Suddenly, a long cry echoed. Being interrupted from my drowsiness, I felt a surge of annoyance.

"A crow?"

I looked up at the window, and there was a shadow of a black bird beyond the window frame. Judging by its cry and appearance, it was definitely a crow.

"Caw, caw..."

The crow slowly descended and gradually approached me. What the... Why is it coming here? Surely the prince didn't keep crows as pets.

I sat up from the bed, perched on the window sill, and caught the crow.

"Caaaaw—!"

Catching a crow wasn't difficult. One of my hobbies back in the day was catching birds.

...Actually, it wasn't for fun. I had to catch something, anything, because I had nothing to eat.

The crow cried out frantically as it was caught. Even though I had a firm grip on its wings, it struggled with surprising strength.

"It's quite strong."

Maybe it's a pet bird?

Well, who would keep a crow as a pet anyway?

Especially in the palace.

"Should I eat it?"

It seemed full of energy, so it might be good for nourishment.

"Caaaaaw—!"

The bird screeched as if it were trying to tear down the entire palace. It was so loud that I thought my ears might bleed.

"Are you crazy?!"

Huh?

For a moment, I doubted my own ears. They were perfectly fine, except for the occasional tinnitus, so I must have misheard something.

I looked around, but there was no one else there.

"Eunuch Han, are you there?"

I called out towards the door, but there was no answer. Not that Eunuch Han would ever say something like that anyway.

Then...

"No way. That's impossible."

A talking crow? That's impossible. Was what I heard earlier just another form of tinnitus? I cautiously let go of the crow, feeling a strange sense of unease.

"You dared... to suggest eating me?!"

But I had heard correctly.

The crow spoke.

"Wh-What?"

The crow spoke.

The crow... spoke?

This thing can talk?

The creature flapping its black wings and chattering away in front of me was definitely a bird-brain.

"Am I going crazy...?"

Could this be a dream?

I even started to doubt whether dying in Seopyung and being brought back to life by Taejo's ghost was all a dream.

I slapped myself hard across the face.

The resounding smack was clear. The spot where I'd hit myself hurt, but I didn't wake up from any dream.

"It's not a dream."

"I wondered how you could be so audacious, but it seems you've gone mad. I understand now!"

The crow lunged at me, pecking at my hand with its beak.

It was a pathetic attack, so I just stayed still for now.

"I'm well aware of your reckless and foolish behavior, but I didn't know you were suffering from madness. Why have you been hiding it?"

"Madness?"

"Your foolish actions are already countless, so what difference does it make to add another madman's outburst? You almost met a dog's death!"

The crow suddenly spread its wings and took flight, then charged straight at my face.

"You damn bird-brain...!"

"Such insolent language. I can understand if it's due to madness, but it's unpleasant to hear. Correct your speech at once."

Its flapping wings were sending feathers into my mouth. If it wanted to talk, it needed to do something about its wings first.

I grabbed the crow with both hands.

"Caw—!"

Thankfully, it had a weak body. If I had used my original grip strength, I could have snapped it in two.

Oblivious to that, the bird continued to struggle.

"How dare you lay your hands on me! Do you think you can handle my wrath?!"

Who cares if a bird-brain gets angry or throws a tantrum?

The crow tried to escape, but it's rare for prey to succeed in their struggles once caught in a hunter's grasp.

"Stay still. You'll get hurt."

"Let go! I won't let you get away with this!"

I held the bird upside down.

"Maybe I should just bite you and eat you."

"Caw—!"

A scream-like cry erupted. But after a few shakes, it quickly quieted down.

"What are you?"

I got down from the window sill.

"How dare you...!"

"For your information, it's best if you answer honestly. I wouldn't mind thinking of you as moving raw meat."

Not that I actually planned on eating this talking bird-brain, especially not here in the palace, far from any mountains or battlefields.

"You, you savage...!"

"Yeah, I know."

As I calmly observed the bird, something came to mind.

"But you know what? The latest trend among nobles will soon be raising hunting hawks."

I wasn't particularly interested, so I wasn't sure if I remembered correctly, but in a few years, raising hunting hawks would become a trend among the nobles throughout the country.

"Should I just feed you to them?"

"Caw—!"

Do birds have expressions too?

If this guy were human, he'd probably be pale with fear.

"You! How could you change so suddenly?! You weren't this audacious just yesterday! Even if you're a scoundrel...!"

"How do you know me? Are we close or something?"

"I am not someone you can casually claim familiarity with!"

Actually, I had a guess about its identity. Is a talking bird even possible?

I had died and come back to life, so nothing surprised me anymore, but an ordinary person would have fainted from shock.

Suddenly, something came to mind.

The legend of the Mokryeo Kingdom's royal family. The legendary spirit bird that helped Taejo found the nation.

Of course, I didn't blindly believe in legends, but who knows?

Ghosts exist, so why couldn't legends be real too?