황실의 사랑 이야기 (Hwangsil-ui Sarang Iyagi) - The Imperial Love Story

Chapter - 20

Yongbok stood near the edge of the grand ballroom, absentmindedly swirling the drink in his hand. The music and laughter of the celebration filled the air, but he couldn't seem to focus on any of it. His gaze kept drifting back to where Hyunjin stood, perfectly poised as always, his expression serious and his attention seemingly elsewhere.

No one else seemed to notice the quiet tension between them, but Yongbok could feel it with every passing second. Every time his eyes found Hyunjin, something stirred deep within him—something strange and new, something he couldn't quite name.

His chest tightened slightly. Why is this happening?

He was supposed to be celebrating tonight, enjoying the festivities. The newly appointed guards were honored, families gathered in joy, but Yongbok found himself distracted, unable to tear his thoughts away from Hyunjin.

Just then, a familiar voice broke through his haze.

"You seem lost in thought."

Yongbok blinked, startled, and turned to see Minho standing beside him, his brow furrowed. Unlike his usual confident demeanor, Minho looked genuinely puzzled.

"I'm not," Yongbok said too quickly, trying to compose himself. "I'm fine. Just... thinking about the new appointments."

Minho didn't seem convinced. His gaze drifted from Yongbok to where Hyunjin stood on guard in the distance before looking back at his younger brother. His expression wasn't one of amusement, but more... confusion.

"You've been staring at him for most of the night," Minho said, his tone casual, but his brow furrowed deeper. "Is something wrong?"

Yongbok's heart skipped a beat. Had it been that obvious?

He forced a shrug, trying to mask his unease. "I was just... observing," he muttered, quickly looking away. "He's my guard now. I suppose I'm just getting used to him being there."

Minho's confusion only seemed to grow. "But why would you need to... observe him like that?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious. "He's only doing his job, isn't he?"

Yongbok swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his brother's scrutiny. He didn't have an answer, at least not one that would make sense. Why was I staring? he wondered. The feeling that bubbled up when Hyunjin was near made no sense to him—he didn't understand it himself.

"I don't know," Yongbok finally muttered, his voice barely audible.

Minho studied him for a moment longer before shaking his head slightly. "You're acting strange, Yongbok." His tone wasn't accusatory, just confused. "Maybe you're just tired. It's been a long night."

Yongbok felt a flicker of relief that Minho didn't push further. "Yes, maybe," he agreed softly, though his thoughts were far from settled.

Minho gave him a final puzzled glance before patting him on the shoulder. "Get some rest when you can. You're no good to the kingdom if you're distracted." He paused before adding, almost as an afterthought, "And perhaps it's best not to think too much about your guards. Their duty is to protect you, after all."

With that, Minho drifted back into the crowd, leaving Yongbok alone once again, his thoughts swirling with even more confusion. 

Yonbok sat at the head of the banquet table, eyes scanning the hall as his father, King Lee, stood to make the evening's final toast. His goblet felt heavy in his hand, though his attention was hardly on the drink, or even on the celebration itself. His gaze flickered briefly to Hyunjin, the newly appointed guard sitting several seats down the table.