Chapter 40 (1/2)

“In this strict imperial palace, you had better call her by the right title.”

“Brother Bipaan!”

When Ruhae raised his voice, Bipaan turned his head and looked at him. He was wearing a poker face.

Bipaan’s face was impassive in the past. Still, outsiders could figure out how to interpret his expressions but not now. It was as if Bipaan was elevated to a totally different world.

“How dare you raise your voice before your Crown Prince, brother?”

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His low voice rang with authority. Ruhae shuddered before he knew and clenched his fists.

“Sorry, I was disrespectful to you.”

“As you expressed regret, I will forgive it.”

“Did you go and see the Crown Princes?”

Bipaan looked at Ruhae silently. His dark blue eyes looked pretty gloomy.

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“I don’t feel it necessary to respond to such trifling things.”

His voice was calm as usual. Ruhae felt miserable.

Bipaan was like a tree that he could not dare climb or a figure he could not dare challenge. Ruhae even felt his presence beside Bipaan was a disrespectful act itself.

Was Bipaan not a human with a beating heart?

He wondered if Bipaan could get emotional and express his feelings freely even once during his lifetime. He also wondered if Bipaan’s mask could be broken into pieces to reveal a true expression beneath it.

“Have you not seen her at all?” Ruhae asked again.

“If you want to keep asking silly questions like that, just leave!”

“Your Majesty, Crown Prince!”

At that moment, Bipaan slapped him with the back of his hand. Raising his head upright, Ruhae looked at him.

“It seems that you haven’t repented. Do you want me to punish you?”

“Don’t do that, brother. Aren’t you worried about your wife?”

When Bipaan was about to slap him once more, Ruhae raised his hand to grab his wrist. Without any surprise at all, Bipaan opened his mouth, “I clearly warned you to call her by the official title. After you turned 20, it seems your memory got worse.”

“Brother, don’t you think she is in a poor state? Don’t you think your wife, who has come from a faraway country, is pitiable? How come you don’t show the slightest sympathy when that little woman has been suffering from fever while shivering sadly every day? Isn’t she your official wife? Is it that hard for you to hug and comfort her?”

Ruhae continued while feeling agonized over Kyosul, Bipaan’s wife. Though Ruhae already said Kyosul was his official wife and asked him to hug her, he really didn’t want to say those words to Bipaan. But as Bipaan, who seemed to be made of patches of ice, was too cold-hearted, Ruhae had no other choice but to say so. If Bipaan listened to his words and hugged her, she would feel warm even for a moment.

As long as she could feel warm, Ruhae wanted to do anything for her. He already vowed that he would do it at the sacrifice of his own benefits.

But Ruhae’s appeal to his brother Bipaan went nowhere, as expected. As if he wasn’t least interested, Bipaan responded casually, “I don’t know which woman you’re talking about. My official wife is the Crown Princess. Keep it in mind, Ruhae!”

Ruhae released Bipaan’s hand. Bipaan didn’t raise his hand again.

Ruhae burst into feigned laughter. He realized that the man standing before him was really impossible.

“Got it, brother. Oops, I forgot momentarily what kind of person the Crown Prince was.”

“It’s good that you have realized it finally,” Bipaan responded in an extremely flat tone.

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“I just think it regrettable that Crown Princess Kyosul is your official wife. How come she has gotten married to none other than Your Majesty?”

Ruhae stared at him. At his rude question, Bipaan stroked his jaw and said, “I see you have some hidden implications in your words.”

“Yes, you’re right. Could you figure out what kind of implications are hidden in my words?”

Ruhae’s heated eyes met his cold-hearted glance. They looked at each other for a long time without saying anything. Gazing at him with the same cold-hearted glance, Bipaan opened his mouth.

“It seems that the Crown Princess isn’t happy about having gotten married to me. She doesn’t like it. And you wished she had gotten married to you. Am I right?”

Little did Ruhae think Bipaan hit the nail right on the head, so he shuddered, surprised.

“And the reason she is so sick is because she feels the same way as you…”

“Just leave the Crown Princess alone. She doesn’t feel that way. It’s just me who feels attached to her…” Ruhae shouted at him.