Chapter 120 (2/2)

And he opened his mouth, after all.

”I do… ”

What he just said made all of them hold their breath immediately. Breaking the cold and heavy silence, the emperor shouted, ”Tell me again.”

The atmosphere of Daejon became stern.

”I do love the Crown Princes, no, Woorum Mokhwa”

There was silence again.

They couldn't even afford to whisper, stunned by his shocking confession.

They were just speechless as what he said was just nonsensical and should not happen.

When no one even tried to move, Dukwol jumped out of his seat with a sneering smile.

”See, Your Majesty! The Ruhae is betraying the basic moral laws of humans…”

”Shut up!” There was heard a low but terrifying voice.

Overwhelmed by the voice, Dukwol stopped talking unconsciously. It was not Ohyulje's voice but Bipaan's.

Bipaan lifted his head, got up from his seat, turned and approached Dukwol. Though he was four years younger than his half brother, Bipaan was much taller than Dukwol. His towering height overwhelmed him. He quickly came up to Dukwol, grabbing him by the collar and pulled his face. His black eyes were fixed on Dukwol's right away.

Dukwol felt goosebumps, but heard a low, but clearly audible voice in his ears.

”Without knowing the hill is high, the moon is trying to rise above it,” Bipaan said.

Of course, the 'moon' here was referring to Dukwol, and the hill Danmok, namely Bipaan.

Dukwol always ignored him with a mysterious look. He was below Bipaan as the second prince,and he felt like he was a lowly slave when he stood before Bipaan. So, he hated Bipaan. He wanted to beat Bipaan.

He always felt slighted because Bipaan took the position of the Crown Prince simply because he was born to the Queen, though he was younger and less talented than him, but he knew clearly that Bipaan was not an easy rival to deal with.

That's why Dukwol always pretended to smile. He hid his dark eyes full of hatred in his crescent-shaped eyelids and swallowed anger in a gently curved smile. He wanted to get him off guard by just smiling as if he had no other intention. And he wanted to make him fall off the cliff the moment he was caught off guard and take away everything from him, including his position and status in the imperial family.

But Dukwol thought Biapan was too easy a target.

”Don't you know the person you're now blaming? If you blame the Crown Princess, it is the same as blaming me. It seems you're too stupid to realize that.”

”Crown Prince!”

When Ohyulje called him quietly, Bipaan released his grip on the collar and pushed him before lowering his head to the emperor, but the emperor did not reproach his actions. He just called Bipaan once, but didn't even look at Dukwol who fell down.

Thrown on to the floor, Dukwol made a little m.o.a.n. Oran approached him and supported one of his arms. Her sharp gaze turned to Kyosul, who was looking at Bipaan with surprised eyes. Kyosul lowered her head to the emperor and sat down again quietly.

Ruhae's shocking confession was buried in a bit of confusion, but thanks to the confusion, the emperor could size him up in a genuine way. There was a smile on his lips.

”Ruhae, what did you say?”

”It is just as I said. I love the Crown Princess.”

In the end, Kyosul cried. The emperor could not miss her tears dropping on her skirt.

”Why are you crying, Crown Princess?”

Unlike when he dealt with the princes, he spoke to her in a soft tone, with a voice that seemed to appease a young child or speak to a precious daughter.

But Kyosul felt discomfort in that voice. She flinched at his voice, and quickly wiped tears, but her lacrimal gland when once opened did not know when to close.

”Why are you crying? Are you crying because you received someone's love that you should not have? Or are you crying to sympathize with him?”

Kyosul, who had buried her face in her hem, barely raised her face and opened his trembling lips.

”…I do love Prince Ruhae.”