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There’s a delight in the smell of the salty water that fills his nose and an unmatched serenity in the shades of blue that are presented before his eyes. 19 hours, he thinks to himself while stretching out the crick in his neck. It’s the total amount of time that he’s spent travelling from Hanseong to Guangdong—both by land and by sea.
He’s used to these long journeys; now closing the book in his hands that he finished to fill his time during his voyage. It’s better than just sitting bored in his chambers and wondering when he’ll finally reach his destination. It’s definitely better than Soonyoung who outwardly mopes and complains that he feels seasick from the waves that crash against the ship, now nowhere to be seen as he watches the crew anchor the vessel into the harbour from his window.
Thankfully, trade negotiations between governments weren’t something completely out of his interest and expertise.
“Sir, we’ll be disembarking momentarily,” he hears a knock on the door that interrupts his train of thought, a slightly muted voice of another royal staff informing him as he peeks through the gap.
He clears his throat and gives his acknowledgement to the younger man. “Yes, I’ll begin gathering my belongings soon. Thank you, Seokmin.”
Seokmin’s smile still beams just as bright and refreshing and he takes his leave to begin informing the other passengers on board.
One by one, he begins to gather the books that are scattered all over his desk and places them into a pile. Some were filled with little notes in black ink that he made as he read along—phrases he found interesting, beautiful and memorable—some were even folded and marked for Wonwoo to revisit later on in the day. He smiles when he catches a glimpse of a sentence he had last highlighted; about two lovers who fell in love as they walked along the sea.
Admittedly, he does have a penchant for romance and its sorts above anything else. It wasn’t a longing nor a yearning, he simply found beauty in the illustrations of love.
The royal diplomats disembark the vessel first, greeted by the entourage of the Chinese royal family upon their arrival and it was the cue for Wonwoo to begin his duties as the translator, making sure every word was translated correctly and coherently into Korean. He spots the eldest son of the Emperor, giving a courteous bow as their gazes meet and the diplomats are ushered towards the carriages prepared for their transportation throughout their stay in Guangdong.
“The Crown Prince is handsome,” Soonyoung whispers to him as they trail along behind the crowd. He gives his friend a quick glance and addresses the giddy smile plastered on his face.
“We mustn’t play around on the job, Soonyoung-ah,” he calmly replies while pushing up his glasses with his index finger. “Remember that you’re the royal diplomats’ guard.”
Soonyoung pouts. “You’re no fun,” and protests but Wonwoo still tried his best to pay no mind to him even though his remark had been correct.
Luhan, Wonwoo remembers his name from when he was first given the agenda for the negotiation. He made it a task upon himself to study up on the family to avoid mistakes that’ll make him seem unprofessional while carrying out his duties. The eldest son generally is the most involved out of all six of the Emperor’s sons in all affairs relating to the family and the kingdom. Luhan is graceful in the way he spoke; long dark hair that fell to his waist and donning a silk red robe embroidered with lilies made out of golden thread that adds to his air of elegance.
But somehow, his attention hadn’t been on the Crown prince the same way Soonyoung’s was.
Far behind the Crown prince and the royal guards, Wonwoo spots a figure that's squatting down with children as boisterous laughter surrounds him. There’s a smile that draws him in; perhaps one that’s far even more bright and distracting compared to Seokmin’s.
“Sir, is there something wrong?” one of the entourages who notices his sudden silence asks him.
He quickly snaps out of his daze and returns his focus back to the eyes that are fixated on him.
“Wonwoo?” One of the diplomats, Jeonghan, calls for him. “Did you leave something behind on the ship?”
He shakes his head. “No sir, everything is alright,” and replies. “I was simply admiring the sea. Please do excuse me.”
When he’s finally seated beside Jeonghan in the carriage, he remembers who the man his eyes had been drawn to had been. He’s always wondered why this particular fourth son preferred to stay out of royal duties—his name appearing so minimally in every royal document Wonwoo had been presented to months prior today. He’s heard rumours from the diplomats as well about this fourth son, both pleasant and unpleasant ones.
Junhui, his name is as beautiful as it is true, though he only manages to catch a glimpse of the prince from way afar. The prince hadn’t seemed to mind that he was squatting down on the pavement and getting his ivory robes dirty from the dirt below. He hadn’t seemed to mind as well as he gleefully played marbles with kids from the surrounding town and tucked a loose strand of dark brown hair behind his ear.
The thought of the prince distracted him enough that he ended up tuning out Jeonghan who was calling for him to join in on his conversation with Seungcheol and Jisoo. And he blushes an even deep red when he realizes—earning him even more teasing.
🐱🦊
He couldn’t hide his awe when their carriage crossed the border of the kingdom. He’s always been a fan of architecture; taking in the sights of the structural build of every town, every place he’s ever visited. Though he laughs at the limitation of his artistic capabilities as he poorly attempts to sketch a view he finds stunning, he still tries nonetheless.
To say the palace is grand would be a complete understatement and frankly, inadequate to properly convey how beautiful he found the sight. The courtyard that spanned in front of the main entrance is spacious, lined with reflective ponds filled with blooming lotuses that lead to marble grey staircases where he spots several maidens walking together, dressed in an array of pastel-coloured hanfus, a bouquet of flowers each in their hands as they whisper to one another. The princesses, he notes to himself before the carriage comes to a still.
The guest quarters is luxurious, though not even nearly as grand as the royal residence where the Emperor and his family reside but Wonwoo found it breathtaking as he’s currently being escorted towards his room.
“My, it’s stunning,” he hears one of the diplomats say.
“Is the quarters to their liking?” the royal staff who is currently escorting them asks him. Wonwoo nods and gives a smile.
He’s somehow thankful that his chambers is located at the very edge of the guest quarters, meaning that copious natural light filled the room and the window directly overlooked the royal gardens below. The white roses were in bloom, petals as clean and white as snow added with the calming sound of the flowing water from the pond that was full of koi fish.
Though the gardens is beautiful, Wonwoo’s eyes fell elsewhere. Somewhere at the farthest point of the garden, as far as his eyes allow him to see, he sees a man dressed in light beige slacks, hopping on a steed as a hidden exit that’s covered behind shrubs and trees is opened. The fourth prince, he mutters to himself as he watches Junhui hop on top of the saddle with ease and leave the premises of the kingdom. Soon after the fourth prince leaves, he sees Junhui’s younger brother, the fifth prince Renjun, sighing as he closes the gate and hurries back into the palace.
There’s a knock on his door that catches him off guard, turning around as if he was caught red-handed doing something illegal.
“Oh,” it was the staff from earlier. “Sir Jeon, I’m sorry to have surprised you.”
“No, no,” he quickly assures. “I was admiring the gardens. It’s marvellous.”
“The Emperor is particular with the upkeep of the garden’s landscaping,” the staff replies with a smile on his face. “Roses are the Empress’ and the Fourth Prince’s favourite flowers, after all.”
“I see,” he tries to hide his awe upon hearing the news about the Fourth Prince. “Is there anything that I can be a help of, sir? Since you came all the way here to my chambers.”
“Ah that’s correct,” the staff pinches the bridge of his nose. “There will be a welcoming banquet tonight in the palace. The Emperor wishes for the Royal Diplomats to arrive for the feast at 7 o’clock.”
He nods, indicating his acknowledgement of the Emperor’s generous invitation. “I’ll relay the message to the diplomats immediately.”
The staff takes his leave and leaves Wonwoo on his own. A royal banquet, an affair that is likely to be attended by all of the members of the royal family should there be no prior schedule hindering their attendance. He couldn’t help but think about the fourth prince who left the kingdom grounds, dressed in commoner's garments from head to toe. He found it intriguing rather than an obstruction. He’s generally a stickler for rules and schedules since it was the nature of his professional duties.
Another knock on his door catches his attention. It was Soonyoung.
“Wonwoo-ya,” Soonyoung calls for him. “Jihoon and I are going to the baths. Would you like to come with us?”
“Of course,” he replies. “But please go ahead. I need to visit the diplomats’ chambers first and relay a message. The palace servant informed me that there will be a welcoming banquet tonight at 7.”
“A party Jihoon-ah!” he hears Soonyoung squeal and is given an indifferent reply by his confidant.
“It’s not for us, it’s for the diplomats,” Jihoon reprimands him.
“But still, we’re the royal guards too,” this time, Soonyoung pouts and clings to Jihoon’s arm. Wonwoo could only laugh as he watches the two of them, now ushering them away from his chambers since he still needs to head onto the third floor and inform the diplomats. He thinks of telling Jeonghan first, seeing as it’s likely there’ll be both Seungcheol and Jisoo with him.
🐱🦊
He swears he feels like his mouth is about to fall off, trying his hardest to keep himself upright as he assists the diplomats in conversing with members of the royal family throughout the banquet. He had felt energized earlier after taking a bath and feeling like the warm water refreshed him and stripped him of the grime from travelling. The food was delicious as well, a little spicy for his liking but he enjoyed learning about the different cooking methods and spices put into the dishes from the palace staff.
Maybe he should excuse himself to get some fresh air. Maybe that will wake him up so that he can focus on translating everyone speaking over each other at once.
It’s summer in Guangdong and the night air is cool against his skin that peeks from underneath his robes. He tucks a hair that’s fallen out of place and takes in a deep breath, finally feeling a little relieved to be away from the crowd.
The moon is beautiful tonight, he thinks to himself as he looks upwards towards the sky. The moon is bright, full, radiating a citrine glow that peeks through the clouds. He’s lost in the moment, admiring the sky and the beautiful garden that’s now illuminated by soft white lantern lights. It distracts him enough that he doesn’t realize the figure that’s currently climbing over the wall in front of him and he lets out a shriek before a hand reaches for him and covers his mouth shut.
“Be quiet,” the man whispers to him, physically manoeuvring the both of them so that they’re squatting down and hiding behind the wall. The hand that covers his mouth is warm, big, and slightly rough as well but his mind blanks out when he hears footsteps scuffling from behind the wall.
“I think they should be gone now,” the man whispers again, lowering his hand down from where it was covering Wonwoo’s mouth. “My father would kill me if he knew I snuck out of the palace again.”
Father? Wonwoo pieces two and two together and jolts away and turns around to face the man. The Fourth Prince.
“Y-your Highness,” he stutters, stiff as a board.
“Do I know you?” the prince questions, tilting his head. “You don’t look like one of the servants here,” and eyes Wonwoo from head to toe. “Those robes… ah! I saw you at the docks this morning! The royal diplomats from Korea!”
He curses to himself internally but tries to keep his composure and eloquence in front of the prince. “Y-yes, your Highness. I’m one of the translators for the diplomats.”
“Ah,” the prince replies. “No wonder your Chinese is good,” and flashes him a smile. He knew the prince is handsome but up close like this, it was just outright ridiculous. “Are you out here getting some fresh air?”
He nods.
“I bet it’s insufferable in there,” the prince this time laughs. He wants to nod in agreement but still tries to remain professional regardless and shakes his head instead. “It’s why I escape from time to time. It gets boring when you have to attend a hundred of these banquets a year.”
Maybe the prince had noticed his silence.
“You’re probably wondering why a prince like me is going off and doing whatever I want right?” he chuckles, moving in closer to Wonwoo than he’d like. “Well, I’m only the fourth prince so I guess I’m more relaxed compared to my Luhan and Yixing ge.”
Still, Wonwoo remains silent, feeling like he shouldn’t speak even though the Prince is properly addressing him.
“What’s your name?”
He gulps. “It’s Jeon Wonwoo, Your Highness. My Chinese name is Quan Yuanyou.”
“Yuanyou,” the prince repeats. “It’s a name full of blessings. Oh! And I know some Korean that I learnt from my sisters too. Hello!”
He wants to laugh because the prince is adorable.
“Did I say it correctly?”
He nods. “You did, Your Highness.”
“Yuanyou,” the prince calls for him, a bright smile on his face. “Teach me more Korean, please.”
Never in his life has he ever felt so weak against another man’s wishes. He wants to say yes. How could he when the prince is practically beaming with excitement? He’s thankful the darkness at least hides how red his face is getting from how close in proximity they are. But he also remembers that he’s here on assignment and will have to accompany the diplomats throughout all of their negotiation rounds.
“Your Highness, I’m afraid I won’t—”
"Junhui-ge!”
A voice interrupts them both.
“My brothers,” the prince chuckles as the fifth and sixth prince rush towards them. both dressed in meticulous gold lacquered robes.
“Ge, father is looking for you,” the fifth prince, Renjun, says while looking worried. “We told him you were still getting ready in your room.”
“You did?!” the fourth prince now panics. “Yuanyou, I need to go. Please don’t tell anyone you saw me sneak in from outside.”
He nods and gives a courteous bow. “Of course, Your Highness.”
Maybe the Fourth Prince is just naturally athletic, Wonwoo absolutely in awe as he watches him go around the back and pull down some sort of makeshift ladder and begin to climb up the wall on the side of the palace. And by the lack of reactions given by both of his younger brothers, it seemed to have been a common occurrence for the Fourth Prince to sneak in and out of the palace grounds. He’s drawn to it. The carefreeness, marching to the beat of his own drum.
“Sir,” the fifth and sixth prince now gesture to him before also returning back inside to the banquet. He follows behind not long after since he didn’t want to have his absence questioned by the diplomats, especially when he quite enjoys the food and thinks of trying out more while he has the chance.
Wonwoo is mid-chew when the Fourth Prince finally makes an appearance at the banquet. His brown hair which had been tied in a low ponytail now styled neatly and up and his light blue robes that are embroidered with soft pink lotus pattern sweep the floor gracefully as he walks.
He doesn’t want to think that he’s being delusional when he makes eye contact with Junhui from where he’s standing beside the Crown Prince. Junhui smiles at him ever so sweetly and he tries to hide his face behind the glass of liquor that Soonyoung offers him.
🐱🦊
Throughout the course of the next two days, he thinks he’s seen Junhui sneak in and out of the palace countless of times—each time arriving with varying sizes of goods that are stored in a worn-out canvas bag. It feels like a secret that only he knows, even though his younger brothers are also constantly cautious about his whereabouts. But still, despite this somewhat rebellious action, Junhui still upholds his royal duties diligently, following the orders given by the Emperor and the Crown Prince whenever needed.
The fourth prince is a man of many talents; from singing, guzheng, flower arranging and cooking. It intrigues him whenever he catches a glimpse of the prince during his royal lessons. And Junhui will smile and wave at him whenever he does spot Wonwoo walking behind the diplomats to their negotiation rounds.
There’s a way to how Junhui calls out for his name.
“Yuanyou!”
He’ll flag Wonwoo down, going out of his way from whatever he was doing, until he’s come face-to-face with him and Wonwoo tries to hide the smile that’s blooming on his face upon the sight of the Prince.
“Seems like the Fourth Prince has taken a liking to you, Sir Jeon,” one of the royal entourages makes a comment to him that sends jolts running throughout the course of his body.
He didn’t want to get his hopes and expectations up, especially when he constantly needs to remind himself that he was on assignment to Guangdong and not build a fleeting and short-lived romance with the Fourth Prince of the Chinese Royal Family. Soonyoung and Jihoon both also continuously tease him for it. Therefore on the one day that they finally manage to have free time for themselves, Wonwoo takes the opportunity to stroll around the palace gardens that he’s found marvellous since the day he arrived and hopefully away from any playful bantering and teasing from his friends.
The groundskeeper is nice enough to give him a guided tour of the gardens, explaining to him all of the upkeep and various types of flowers that the royal family likes to grow. He’s still stuck on the remark that the white roses were the Empress’ and Fourth Prince’s s favourite flower. At the end of the tour, he’s shown to the large pond where various colours of koi fish swim around, the sound of the flow of water serene paired with the chirping of birds from the tree branches high above. He takes a seat by the edge of the water, careful so that the sleeve of his hanbok doesn’t get wet as he dips the tip of his fingers in.
“Yuanyou.”
“Oh my God—”
He almost falls in, but thankfully Junhui is quick enough to grab onto his arm and pull him back. The Fourth Prince bursts into laughter at his panicked face but is apologetic and apologizes profusely for surprising him.
“You’re not accompanying the diplomats today?” the prince asks while taking a seat beside him.
“No,” he replies, shaking his head. “The diplomats are being shown around the kingdom today so I was given the day off.”
“I see~” Junhui singsongs. “You picked a great place to sit. My mother and I love to sit here together.”
“Any reason in particular, Your Highness?” he asks again.
“You see those roses over there?” he watches to where Junhui points. “It’s my mother’s and mine’s favourite flowers. We planted those together years ago and watched it bloom into the beautiful garden that it is today.”
He’s surprised when Junhui suddenly rushes over to the nearest bush and comes back with a plucked single rose stem.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Junhui marvels at the flower in his hand, opening the ivory white petals gently with his fingertips.
“My prince, you’re more beautiful than any of the flowers in this palace.”
It catches both of them off guard. Thankfully, Wonwoo had blurted it out in Korean, leaving the Prince to wonder, tilting his head in confusion as he slowly covers his mouth with his hand to swallow his embarrassment.
“Yuanyou what did you just say?” Junhui asks. He looked adorable as he wondered. “Did you say something in Korean just now?”
He shakes his head, trying to cover up his slip. “It’s nothing important. It just reminded me that white roses are my birth flowers, Your Highness. 17th of July.”
“Really?!” Junhui exclaims excitedly to which he nods. “Then this rose is my gift to you.”
He wants to blush but needs to contain himself as he accepts the flower that Junhui pushes into his hands, burning even more when he feels Junhui’s fingertips brush against his own.
“Did you bring a book with you?” Junhui points out the book that he’s placed beside him. “It looks interesting!”
“Ah this,” he picks up the book to reveal the pages he’s written notes all over. “It’s a book by my favourite writer.”
“Then read a bit of it to me,” Junhui takes a seat beside him and sidles up against him, their shoulders pressing against each other as Junhui’s eyes go over the hangul. “Since it’s your favourite writer and you looked very happy when I asked.”
Maybe this is the time where he finally realizes that he’s a complete goner for the Prince and begins to read a passage even though he knows the Prince wouldn’t understand but is more than happy to listen to Wonwoo. The weather is nice today, sunlight warm against their skin and the wind that gently caresses through the branches. Somewhere in the middle of his reading, he feels a weight fall onto his shoulder and it was the Prince, lulled to sleep, eyelashes long against his cheek, the two beauty marks that decorate the corner of his lips that Wonwoo finally sees up close.
He fights back the ache from shouldering the Prince’s head. And the warmth that’s blooming in his chest.
🐱🦊
The negotiation rounds are taking a toll on him, both physically and mentally. It exhausted him, even though he couldn’t show it and must remain calm and level-headed at all times so he could catch and relay the information correctly. He doesn’t know why Jeonghan must provoke the Korean diplomats every five minutes—always worried that a brawl would break out and he’s banished to never step foot in China ever again and derail all sorts of economic partnership that had been hoped by the council back in Hanseong.
He was practically dragging his feet as he walked through the doors of his chambers, unable to think or do anything aside from throwing himself onto the mattress with a giant thud. He thinks he might’ve skipped dinner, only remembering the cup of tea and sweets he had during the afternoon. He turns his face to his side and ponders out the window where the moon is shining bright. At least during the last week here in Guangdong, the weather has been lovely and the sky is clear of any clouds which lets him have a little peace of mind at least.
He wants to drift off to sleep; change out of his formal robes and into comfortable slacks. Maybe read a page or two of a book in preparation for tomorrow. The candle in the lantern flickers which makes him realize that there’s a crack in his window that’s letting the wind blow inside.
With all of his remaining energy, he pushes himself up off the bed to close the window and to also change out of the clothes that he has been wearing all day and reeked of smoke.
But much to his dismay, when he stops by the window sill, he sees a bobble of brown hair appear and it makes him shriek.
“Yuanyou!”
The Fourth Prince, climbing up the side of the building in the unholy hours of the night. Wonwoo feels his heart almost jump out of his chest.
“Your Highness, what are you doing?” he’s panicking, worried that a patrolling guard will see the prince hanging off the side of the wall and opens the window fully so the prince could finally climb inside his room. “You shouldn’t be here.”
The prince smiles at him gleefully. “I want to take you out.”
“Out?” he repeats the last word with a questioning tone.
The prince nods and proceeds to reply gleefully. “To the village. You probably haven’t had a chance to sightsee right?”
He shakes his head and it’s indicative as the prince grabs onto his wrist. “Alright then let’s go,” Junhui grins. “You can climb down a ladder right?”
He chuckles, feeling a little playful. “Of course I can. What do you take me for, Your Highness.”
“Well, you just look like someone who prefers to stay indoors,” Junhui replies lightheartedly. He’s quick to hop down the ladder and help Wonwoo down as well by holding the ladder steady. He doesn’t admit that his heart flutters a little when Junhui extends his hand out for him to hold onto. So courteous. As expected of a prince.
“You’re not entirely wrong,” he says. “Is it alright for us to be out at this hour, Your Highness?”
“No,” Junhui grins. “So that’s why we have to be extra stealthy cause this is my first time sneaking someone out with me too.”
He doesn’t know how to react to Junhui’s remark, thanking the fact that he’s walking behind the Prince so he doesn’t see the blush that’s forming all over his face.
They’re met with a sleepy Renjun by the gates, mumbling something along the lines of ‘if I didn’t love you so much ge’ before Junhui gives his already messy hair a ruffle and sneaks out of the gate behind the bushes.
He’s awkward with his hands, unsure whether to hold onto Junhui or not as he’s helped up onto the steed. He’s given up on having coherent thoughts whenever he’s near the prince, resorting to just marvelling at his every move and every gesture, how broad his shoulders are as he watches from behind and the steed gallops through the rough pathways and into the small alleyways of the surrounding village.
The villagers were lively even well into the night. He spots crowds of men sitting together as they enjoy savoury foods and wash it down with liquor, lots of chatter and laughter surrounding them. He can sort of make out some words, a little difficult since it was mainly in a dialect he’s unfamiliar with. He also wonders where the prince will take him. He doesn’t dare protest even though he assumes Junhui would be more than alright if he did but still he’s compliant and delightfully enjoys the night's fresh air instead of being cooped up in his chambers, reading a book by candlelight.
They come to a stop at a little shop by the docks, Junhui helping him down as he ties the steed to a nearby post.
“Where are we, Your Highness?” he asks while reading the characters for the shop’s name. “A tea shop?”
Junhui nods. “This place has the best tangyuan. It’s perfect, isn’t it? To have some while watching the sea.”
“Xiaohui, it’s rare for you to visit with a guest,” there’s an old woman’s voice that greets them as she emerges from the curtains of the shop’s entrance. “He’s handsome.”
“Nainai, this is my friend, Yuanyou,” Junhui says to her. “He’s come here from very far away. I told him that you make the best tangyuan in the world.”
“Xiaohui, you’re always so generous with your words,” the woman replies. “Let me get you both something to eat too. On the house.”
“Your Highness, forgive me for asking, but is the shopkeeper unaware that you’re the Fourth Prince?” he asks, taking a seat on one of the benches outside the shop. Junhui sits across from him and the candlelight highlights beautifully his already prominent and handsome features.
The prince nods. “Once in a while, I’d like to step back from that title. People always treat me differently when they find out I’m the Emperor’s son. But here at nainai’s shop, she just treats me like Junhui, one of her customers who shows up at odd hours and asks for food and tangyuan.”
Junhui’s grin makes his heart beat faster than it should. “Don’t you think it’s nice to step away from our official duties once in a while?”
He agrees, wholeheartedly so. “Plus, I bring back something too for Renjun and Chenle. Call it a little hush treat for never blowing my cover to my father and older brothers.”
“Your younger brothers,” he mutters. “They sure adore you.”
Junhui chuckles. “I guess so. Luhan ge and Yixing ge are always busy with my father and Kun, well, he’s much too kind and proper to ever do things like these. So I guess that’s why those two have grown closest to me. We have fun together.”
He hums. “I think you’re plenty kind too, Your Highness.”
“Junhui.”
“Excuse me?”
The prince tilts his head and rests his cheek on the palm of his hand. “When we’re anywhere outside of the palace, please call me by my name.”
He swallows nervously, unsure whether it was alright to actually address the prince so casually even though it was his personal request. “Junhui.”
“Yuanyou,” Junhui grins and it’s in time for the shopkeeper who appears now with a tray full of assortments of food and the tangyuan as promised.
Junhui hadn’t been lying when he said the shopkeeper’s tangyuan was delicious. The hot broth had a hint of ginger that pleasantly warmed him up and the black sesame filling is both sweet and light as he bites through the glutinous rice ball. The prince in front of him enjoys a roasted chestnut with his tangyuan and he offers one to Wonwoo continuously until he begins to feel full. Maybe there was a silver lining to him skipping dinner entirely.
Junhui insists on paying, but the shopkeeper keeps insisting that he shouldn’t and even gave him a little extra to bring back home. He makes a promise to the shopkeeper too that he’ll return again to visit here and it was bittersweet as he remembered his remaining time in Guangdong.
“Let’s take a walk before we head back,” Junhui says to him, his smile brighter than the moonlight that bounces against the ocean’s surface. He wants to capture this sight forever, the way Junhui looks at him and calls for his name.
By the edge of the pier, Junhui sits down and undoes his boots, dipping his feet into the water below.
“Yuanyou,” he calls for him gently. “Tell me something about yourself. I want to learn more about you.”
He laughs, joining Junhui and sitting down beside him. “This is the first time I’ve heard someone say they want to learn more about me. I’m flattered Your Hi—Junhui.”
There’s a childlike wonder to Junhui that intrigues him. Completely different and opposite to the maturity and gracefulness he carries himself with at the palace. “I just like listening to people and their stories.”
“Well,” he begins. “I’m nothing interesting. I have a younger brother, I grew up in a port city so I’ve always enjoyed the sea like this too. And I love romance novels and architecture.”
“And what made you interested in learning Chinese?” the prince asks him. “And becoming a translator for the royal family?”
“At first I stumbled upon a book that belonged to my father,” he tells his story. “Before he retired, he was also a translator for the royal family too. I asked him to read a bit of it to me and that’s when I learnt that it’s such a beautiful language so I began studying it. It was my father who recommended me to the family actually. And then I began accompanying him and the diplomats on expeditions like this to gain proper experience. It was hard at first, especially if the negotiations are about trade, economy and politics but I’m getting a hang of it.”
He realizes that he has been rambling on, Junhui being silent entirely. “I’m sorry, I rambled on.”
“No, no,” Junhui assures. “I think you’re plenty interesting, Wonwoo.”
“Junhwi.”
“Is that what my name would be in Korean?” he nods. “I like it. Teach me something else too!”
“Then what do you want me to teach you?” he asks in return.
Junhui still smiles. “Anything!”
“I want to spend more time with you.”
“I, what,” Junhui tries his best in repeating his words. He does repeat the sentence back to him slowly, coaching Junhui through the words one by one until he perfectly recalls the sentence. “I want to s-spend more time with you.”
“That’s good,” he smiles although he feels his face burning from how embarrassed he feels.
“What does that mean?” Junhui asks him and now he really needs to weasel his way out of this one before his head explodes.
“It’s a secret,” he grins which earns him pouty whines and sulks as Junhui playfully tugs his sleeve and shakes him so he’d answer. “Your Highness, I think we should head back. It’s getting quite late.”
“Ah you’re right,” Junhui says. “Renjun will complain if his tangyuan gets too soggy. Come on, I know a shortcut. We’ll be back at the palace grounds in no time.”
As he hops back up onto the steed, he thinks about the words that he taught Junhui earlier. It had somewhat been his true feelings, that spending the little time he has with Junhui outside of his official duties had been pleasant although it was added with a hint of rebelliousness. The day after tomorrow, as he remembers that the negotiation stage is near its completion and all there is left is for the signing of the deed, he’ll have to pack and return to Hanseong, unknowing when else he’d get a chance to visit Guangdong.
This time he lets his head rest against the planes of Junhui’s back, fingers tightly holding onto the belt that’s tied around the prince’s waist. What surprises him the most, is Junhui’s hand that reaches for his own and moves it to secure it properly around his waist.
🐱🦊
“Sir Jeon,” there’s a knock on his door that catches him by surprise. He pauses his reading and turns his attention toward the man standing in the doorway.
“Yes, how can I be of help?” he immediately answers.
“You have been summoned by the Emperor’s royal advisor. Please follow me.”
He doesn’t exaggerate when he says his heart feels like it’s sunk to the deepest pits of his stomach. He doesn’t know either whether the servant notices that his face immediately pales at the information, thinking of every possible scenario as he’s being led to the main palace and one of the rooms. Maybe the Emperor learnt that he and Junhui had snuck out to the village the other day together and he’s going to have to defend Junhui in front of his own father so he doesn’t get locked up inside his own room for breaking the palace rules.
It’s his first time seeing the Emperor up close. Handsome is the first word that comes to mind with a clear authoritative and regal aura surrounding him. Though Junhui himself looked more like the Empress than he does to his own father, he thinks.
“Your Majesty,” he gives a deep bow upon entering the room.
“Quan Yuanyou,” the Emperor addresses him. “Please, take a seat.”
He’s given up on trying to figure out the reason behind his sudden summon, unable to read the expression that the Emperor currently has painted on his face. The advisor on the other hand diligently tidies up a stack of papers that’s full of fine print in front of him. He waits until he’s addressed again.
“I’ve heard a very interesting story about you, Yuanyou,” here it is. “And it intrigued me even more because this story, it came from a rather peculiar source.”
He hears the advisor whisper. “Your Majesty, you’re scaring him.”
“I am?” the Emperor asks in return. “Well, that’s not my intention. I’m simply telling him that I find him intriguing from Xiaohui’s story.”
“Sir Quan,” the advisor takes over. “I’m sure from the past two weeks here you’re aware that the Fourth Prince rarely partakes in the royal affairs aside from attending official gatherings where the entire family is mandated to be present.”
He nods, still trying to tamper down his nervousness. “Yes, sir.”
“This morning, the Fourth Prince came forward with an interesting proposal,” the advisor continues. “It’s for an apprenticeship to transcribe literature and other written works.”
It surprises him.
“And the prince was adamant about this proposal as well,” the man continues. “We were all very taken aback but after I consulted with the diplomats in attendance throughout all of the negotiation rounds, I am compelled to agree with the prince on this proposal. Your talents are brilliant, Sir Quan.”
“Quan Yuanyou,” this time, the Emperor speaks. “My son, Junhui, I always take his words when he says someone is exceptional. I do not doubt him in the slightest that he would have made an error in judgement when making this proposal to me.”
“We’re able to arrange everything for you,” the advisor now steps in. “So please do give it some thought and come to me by the end of the day with your answer.”
He’s dumbfounded, truly. Leaving the room after he’s excused in a daze. He’s surprised he hadn’t bumped into any pillars as he makes his way back to the guest quarters. He admits that this is the opportunity of a lifetime. That the Emperor himself would personally see to him on such a request. A request made by the Fourth Prince himself too, nonetheless. It all felt too good to be true.
He sees Junhui in the garden, returning the prince’s boisterous wave with a small one and watches him run all the way to him—not a bit out of breath too.
“Your Highness,” he says, finding it too difficult to form coherent sentences with everything that’s going on in his mind. “You—why did you—”
“Wonwoo.”
It always makes his heart skip a beat whenever Junhui says his name.
“You’re an incredibly brilliant and intelligent man,” the prince says. “The notes in your book show how diligent you are and you spoke about literature and linguistics with such passion. I think you would shine even brighter with this opportunity. And we have some of the best linguists and historians in all of the kingdoms.”
“But just why,” he still tries to question Junhui. “Why did you go out of your way to make such a request for me.”
“Because of what you said,” Junhui replies. “I want to spend more time with you.”
He lifts his brows, surprised. He thought Junhui would have forgotten the words by now but he still recites them perfectly. “How do you know—”
“I met some of your friends in the courtyard,” Junhui grins. “S-soonyoung and Jihoon? And I asked them what it meant and they tried their hardest to explain it to me. They seem like nice people!”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. Now he’ll definitely know he’ll receive a good amount of teasing from those two.
“So are you going to say yes?” Junhui asks him. He hasn’t had much of a chance to deliberate, but one thing that he knows is that his family back at home would fully support his decision. His father has always told him to pursue everything that made him happy and to never have regrets even over the smallest mistakes.
“I think I’m going to say yes, Your Highness,” he gives Junhui a smile, bravely reaching for the prince’s hands and squeezing them with his own. “It’s a wonderful opportunity and thank you very much for making it possible for me.”
“Come meet me by the secret gate once you’ve finished discussing with my father’s advisor,” Junhui this time leans over and whispers in his ear. “I’ll treat you to the best pork trotters in town.”
He smiles from ear to ear. “Of course, Your Highness.”
six months later.
“Yuanyou,” he’s grown accustomed to the prince’s whines at this point, rolling around the grass like an overgrown child as he tries to paraphrase the paragraph that he just read. 15 minutes full of concentration disappearing just like that because Junhui had called for him.
“Yes, Your Highness?” he replies while sighing. “What is it?”
“When will you be done with that scroll, I’m bored,” Junhui pouts again. “You’ve left me alone for an hour now.”
He hadn’t known that there was a bratty side to the Fourth Prince even though his brothers had all warned him when they noticed that Junhui began to cling to him more and more. Ever since the warning, he noticed Junhui’s playful sulks to his older brothers and the teasing that he does to his younger ones. It puts Wonwoo right there in the middle where Junhui ends up doing both to him. But at least, he’s figured out a way to combat when the prince gets needy of his attention.
“Okay, learning time,” he says which makes Junhui sit up immediately.
“Okay Teacher Quan, I’m ready to learn,” the prince says.
He feels cheeky this time. “I love you. Say it after me.”
“I love you.”
He grins. “That’s perfect.”
“What does it mean?” as usual, Junhui asks whenever Wonwoo has taught him a new word in Korean. This time too, he doesn’t deflect upon telling the prince his true feelings.
“It means, I love you, my prince.”
A robe gets thrown in his face and so do the words “you can’t just say stuff like that so suddenly!” as the prince adorably storms off with his face as red as the roses that are in bloom.