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Chapter: 35

What...

What did she mean by that?

It was as if someone had struck my head with a hammer. My thoughts momentarily froze.

I cautiously asked, "Need, you say?"

Meanwhile, Gae Yeohwa\'s eyes were sparkling.

It was an inexplicable sign.

Ahem. I cleared my throat.

And then I said, "Lady Gae."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You need me?"

"Yes."

So, this was...

This was...

Ah.

The thought that Gae Yeohwa might have already foreseen this situation with her prophetic ability flashed through my mind like lightning.

But my guess could be wrong, so I had to remain cautious for now.

"This is... I\'m not sure what to say."

Since I had chosen the courtship strategy, it would be strange to say no. But I couldn\'t just blindly agree without knowing what she was thinking.

Then Gae Yeohwa spoke,

"You have never seen me before, Your Highness."

I replied nonchalantly, "I\'m looking right at you now. What do you mean I\'ve never seen you?"

"I believe it\'s too early to express any kind of feelings, regardless of their nature."

"What\'s the big deal about fate?"

Gae Yeohwa\'s expression turned noticeably cold. It seemed she wasn\'t very good at hiding her emotions.

That meant my words had touched a nerve, but I couldn\'t discern anything just by looking at her face.

What was it? What did she want to say?

Did she have a reason not to reveal her true intentions, like me?

If that was the case, shouldn\'t she at least give me a hint so we could continue the conversation properly?

It was frustrating.

I pondered for a moment, then remembered one fact.

I was already known as a madman.

Who would take a madman\'s nonsense seriously?

Even if Gae Yeohwa left this room and told Lord Naam everything I had said, there wouldn\'t be much to lose.

He would just think, That madman is spouting nonsense again.

Thinking that, I made up my mind.

"Asking if you need me... Does that mean you\'re considering joining my side?"

This was the woman who would become the strategist favored by Woo Joong, the Duke of Mungong, in the future.

She couldn\'t be foolish. And if she wasn\'t foolish, she wouldn\'t speak carelessly.

"That\'s my interpretation. But I\'m still asking. Is it alright to interpret it that way?"

Gae Yeohwa calmly replied to my question.

"With all due respect, before I answer, may I ask if Your Highness is aware of certain rumors?"

"What rumors?"

Gae Yeohwa hesitated for a moment before answering.

Seeing that, I immediately knew what rumors she was talking about.

"I have heard some unfortunate rumors that some wicked commoners slanderously refer to Your Highness as a madman."

I laughed out loud.

"It\'s probably not just some."

Gae Yeohwa lowered her head.

"I apologize."

I lifted one of my hands from behind my back and rubbed my chin.

"Then, what do you think, Lady?"

Asking if Ineeded her meant she was considering joining my side. At the very least, she had judged that it was worth considering.

She wouldn\'t have said that just because she wanted to serve a crazy prince.

The Gae Yeohwa before me seemed to be, at the very least, sane.

"I do not believe the rumors, Your Highness."

I laughed again.

"There\'s no smoke without fire. The rumors didn\'t just appear out of nowhere. And if those rumors traveled all the way from the capital to Naam Fortress, how many people must believe them? Countless, I\'m sure."

Of course, people all over the country probably already thought of me as a madman.

"They have never met Your Highness at close quarters like I have."

"So, you think the rumors are false?"

"The common folk, weary from their daily toil, likely needed something to gossip about in their beds."

I chuckled openly now.

Lengthy words meant desperation.

Gae Yeohwa was the prophet and strategist who would be favored by the future Duke of Mungong. The fact that she was so eager to hold onto me here meant there was definitely a reason.

But, whatever her reasons were, did they matter to me?

"...Why are you laughing?"

I shook my head.

"No, no. It\'s nothing."

"Perhaps I have misspoken..."

"No, it\'s nothing."

Gae Yeohwa looked at me with wary eyes.

I shook my head briefly, indicating that she didn\'t need to be so guarded.

"Then, may I ask you something as well? It seems you don\'t mean becoming my consort when you say you need me. So, what can you do? If you\'re not going to be my consort, the only option left is to become my subordinate. You seem confident that you can be a useful one."

Gae Yeohwa was momentarily speechless.

Perhaps it was time for me to reveal a bit of my hand.

"Unless you can see the future or something, why should I take you in as my subordinate?"

Gae Yeohwa\'s eyes wavered for a moment.

She was definitely surprised.

I didn\'t miss her reaction and pressed on.

"Is there anything wrong with what I said?"

No, there wasn\'t. Nothing was wrong.

Gae Yeohwa seemed conflicted.

But in the end, she spoke again.

"Are you suggesting that you expect me to have the ability of foresight? Perhaps if you search the entire world, you might find someone with such an ability, but how could a lowly person like me possess such a power?"

Her words sounded ridiculous to me, knowing her secret. She was clearly trying to test me.

I responded nonchalantly once again.

"I see. Well, of course. If you could see the future, why would you want to serve someone like me, who\'s constantly ridiculed? Hmm, that makes sense."

Gae Yeohwa looked troubled.

"That\'s not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

"How could I dare say such a thing to Your Highness? It\'s preposterous. I absolutely did not mean it that way. Please retract your words."

She was troubled, but not because she was afraid of me.

At the very least, I could tell she had a bold personality. Not just anyone could be the Duke of Mungong\'s strategist.

"It was just a casual remark."

"I apologize once again."

"It\'s fine."

So, would she reveal her secret or not?

Just hearing that would be a great gain. And if Gae Yeohwa revealed her secret, I was determined to take her away from Lord Naam, no matter what it took.

However, the conversation couldn\'t continue.

Thud, thud, thud. Hasty footsteps approached from outside the door, and someone called out to me.

"Your Highness! It\'s Yoo Geung!"

It was indeed Yoo Geung\'s voice.

I asked towards the door, "What is it?"

"I have something to report."

I gestured to Gae Yeohwa with my eyes, asking if it was okay to let Yoo Geung in.

"As you wish."

After hearing her reply, I spoke towards the door again.

"Come in and speak."

The door opened, and Yoo Geung appeared. His face was grim.

Suddenly, Yoo Geung unfolded his sleeve. Red stains were visible.

I frowned.

"Blood?"

Yoo Geung nodded.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Are you injured? What could have happened for you to be bleeding?"

But it wasn\'t something he would rush to report to me just because he had a minor injury.

"What happened?"

"It\'s not me..."

Yoo Geung glanced towards the door.

"Eunuch Han has been injured."

Eunuch Han was injured?

"How?"

Yoo Geung spoke in a grave tone.

"Lord Naam was trying to catch a crow, and Eunuch Han, who happened to be passing by, shielded the crow and got hit by an arrow shot by the lord."

Upon hearing this, I immediately stood up. The chair toppled over with a clatter.

* * *

While recruiting Gae Yeohwa was important, I couldn\'t just sit there after hearing that Eunuch Han was injured. I immediately left the room where I was talking with Gae Yeohwa and followed Yoo Geung.

Eunuch Han had already been moved indoors. Even before examining his wound, his pale complexion caught my eye.

Eunuch Han was already old and frail. I felt both troubled and sorry for him.

"Your Highness."

Seeing me enter the room, Eunuch Han, who was lying on the bed, tried to get up.

"Just stay lying down."

There was a physician nearby. I asked him, "Where is he injured?"

The physician bowed before answering. Being a prince was tiring.

"He was hit by an arrow in the right chest."

"Is it serious?"

"The wound isn\'t deep, but there\'s a lot of blood loss..."

That explained his pale complexion.

"Eunuch Han."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"What do you mean you shielded a crow?"

"I apologize."

"Answer my question."

Eunuch Han stammered, "Wasn\'t it the bird that Your Highness keeps..."

He meant Gon.

I let out a groan. I had told him to stay somewhere nearby since I couldn\'t bring him into my chambers. It seemed he had been circling around Naam Fortress and caught the lord\'s attention.

If he had been hit directly by the arrow, he would have died.

It was surprising that Eunuch Han recognized him. It was absurd that Eunuch Han took an arrow for him.

I couldn\'t scold him for what he shouldn\'t have done.

Just then, a new presence appeared.

Yoo Geung, who was beside me, checked outside the door.

"It\'s Lord Naam."

"Let him in. No, wait. I\'ll go out. Let Eunuch Han rest."

With this sudden incident, the schedule would be further delayed. Even Heo Seokgyeom wouldn\'t be able to complain about delaying the schedule because of this.

I had gained more time to talk to Gae Yeohwa, so it was beneficial to me in the end.

But Eunuch Han had been by my side, supporting me in every way since I woke up as the First Prince. I couldn\'t feel good about seeing him lying in a sickbed.

Leaving Eunuch Han\'s room, I met Lord Naam, who couldn\'t raise his head before me.

"I apologize, Your Highness."

"What are you apologizing for? It wasn\'t me who got hurt."

Lord Naam spoke cautiously.

"I heard that the crow I shot at was yours, Your Highness."

Did Eunuch Han tell him?

"And that\'s why you\'re apologizing."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lord Naam kept apologizing profusely. I wasn\'t pleased.

But it was my fault for not considering that Gon might look like a wild bird.

I dismissed Lord Naam and looked for Heo Seokgyeom.

"Commander Heo."

However, being displeased was one thing, and making the most of the given situation was another.

"Eunuch Han is injured, so we need to extend our stay in Naam Fortress."

Heo Seokgyeom agreed without a word.

"Yes, Your Highness."