The Lecherous Prince and His Playmate [BL]

The palace and city streets were decorated in white, preparing for the funeral of Consort Kwon. Climbing out of the carriage, Haeun looked around. She smiled at her son, who looked like he was waiting for someone else to climb out.

He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you for arriving safely.”

“Well, who dares to kill the crown princess?” she asked and realised that her joke was inappropriate for the occasion. Tian Cao didn’t even hear her as he looked at the carriage.

“She’s not coming, son. Did you forget what your grandfather ordered?”

He sighed, looking at his mother, “I miss her so much, mother. I’ve been lost at this point.”

“I heard your father has selected a few candidates for your marriage. Anyone you like?”

He sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s fine,” she said as she looked around. She saw Youxian making his way over with a smile on his face. She smiled back at him, “Long time no see, Consort Hwan.”

Stopping before her, he grinned, “Welcome princess, you’re here. Let’s spend time together before the funeral starts.”

She nodded and looked at her son, “Do me a favour and carry my stuff in to my chamber.”

“You’ll be staying with us in the emperor’s palace. Changling wants us together.”

She looked at him, confused. Hooking her arm around his, she asked, “So tell me, did you miss me?”

“Are you joking? It’s so peaceful around here. I have my husband all to myself.”

“He’s our husband,” she complained.

He sighed, “That, he is.”

Sitting down to eat, she looked at him, “So what is it? You couldn’t possibly have missed me so much that you want to share your husband with me.”

He stared at her meaningfully. “Do you think it was me that killed her?”

She looked back at him confused, “What?”

He nodded. “I’m being suspected by the council. Ae Cha’s mother came to see me recently while our husband wasn’t around. She blames me for everything, including giving birth to Youxia, who caused her to leave the protection of the palace.”

Haeun sighed. Shaking her head, “Ae Cha got herself into this mess. Did you tell Ah-Ling?”

“Ah-Ling is in his happy place with his son. Meaningless accusations are an ear sore to him, especially with me being locked up in the palace.”

She recalled that day with Youxia saying, “A few days before we received news of her death. Ah-Xia and I were in the temple sending prayers to the ancestors when she received a letter. I saw the contents of the letter and there was nothing written on it. I thought it had a secret message, but it was blank even when she held it up to the fire. She smiled as it burned and when I asked her what it was and she said good news. Days later we find out Ae Cha died and she couldn’t be bothered, she even celebrated dancing under the sky for three days without rest. Youxian, do you think your daughter could have been behind this?”

They stared at each other. “Our husband thinks the same.”

She nodded slowly. “I wonder what the little crown princess has planned? Do you think she’ll kill me some day?”

“Maybe she almost killed me.”

She raised a brow. “What? How?”

He nodded. “I gave birth early because of her. Almost as if she knew they’d suspect me of killing Yerim. Our husband said it was her way of giving me an alibi, but we can only assume. She’s more than just a closed book.”

“Sealed is more like it.”

Clanking their cups together, Haeun asks, “Do you think this will be a problem, though?”

“With?”

“Yerim.”

He sighed. “She didn’t take the news well. She’s been crying herself to sleep too. At this rate, she’ll get sick.”

Haeun shook her head. “It’ll be troublesome if Yerim suspects her sister. Our husband’s mother-in-law might get in her head too.”

A few days later, after the funeral…

Haeun was standing outside her carriage smirking at Youxian, “You look like you’re going to cry.”

Holding her hand, “Can’t you stay a little longer?”

She saw Changling coming, holding Yerim’s hand. Looking back at him, she shook her head. “You know the rules.”

He looked back at the dreadful man, saying, “You didn’t bed him enough.”

Her eyes widened. “You know?”

He side-eyed her. “I suspect he's trying to get us both pregnant.”

She touched her stomach, thinking about her terrible pregnancies. Shaking her head, “I can’t. I’ll go crazy if I have another one of his children. I almost died giving birth to Tian Shi, too.”

Speaking of which, the little girl looked at her mother from afar, worried, holding a letter from her sister who was in the temple. Looking down at it, she read: Help our fathers find a good bride for our brother.

“What are you two gossiping about?” Changling asked as he wrapped an arm around Haeun who was very uncomfortable with Youxian standing near them. His attention was focused on Yerim, who was standing beside him rubbing her eyes.

Changling kissed her on the lips, looking down at her he said, “Only a few more months, then you’ll be home.”

“Did you forget? She’ll be home in a few weeks for your coronation,” Youxian said, wiping the child’s tears. He saw Changling kiss his wife and chose to ignore it. Haeun was better than the dead Ae Cha.

“I don’t want to leave,” she mumbled next to his ear.

He nodded. “You’ll be back for the coronation, too. The crown princess will look after you there.”

Resting her head on his shoulder, “I don’t want to leave daddy.”

Youxian looked up at Changling, “Maybe we should keep her here.”

He shook his head, “Yerim, your grandmother asked you to leave so that you can recover.”

“Can’t I stay with her or my aunt?”

He shook his head. “Everyone has their responsibilities. You’ll be helped by the temple maidens and your mother.”

She looked at Haeun, who was smiling at her, and shook her head. Hugging her arms around Youxian’s neck, she squeezed him, “I don’t want to leave, daddy.”

“You’ll come to terms with her death at the temple. Here you’ll just be reminded of her,” he whispered.