Ban-ya Ma-ho. A name that seemed both fitting and strange.

With the family name being as it is, it was rare for the surname and first name to match well.

‘It suits him, though.’

He does seem like a person who would be named after the night.

“I’ve been thinking about this since earlier, but truly…”

“…”

“You’re quite tall and handsome.”

Even though I made the playful remark, Ban-ya didn’t show any change in expression. I had said it to see if he would get flustered, but I guess he’s heard it enough times. He must have gotten used to it.

“Is that so?”

“Now I understand why you were wearing that veil.”

I wouldn’t say he was the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, but he was certainly very good-looking.

“If you don’t have any betrothed, you should consider sending a marriage proposal to the palace. I think His Highness, the Crown Prince, would be pleased.”

If I have to get married, someone with that face wouldn’t be a bad choice. I said it half-joking, half-serious. Whether by choice or by force, I had become the Crown Prince, which meant that the responsibility of producing heirs had been passed from my mother to me.

The late Emperor had over a hundred concubines. How could it be that the Crown Prince has no consort?

The ministers have been pushing for me to marry so much that I’ve been avoiding the lecture halls in Huaryong Palace to the point where my mother has been feeling neglected.

‘Of course, I ignored it since it was the ones who caused the problem who were upset.’

Some of the petitions even mentioned how my mother had a few consorts during her time as the Crown Princess.

In any case, I couldn’t completely ignore their complaints. As the Crown Prince, I had to continue the royal line. But neither my mother nor I wanted me to marry just for the sake of producing heirs.

But at the same time, I couldn’t live my whole life single, so we came to a compromise. We wouldn’t immediately issue the royal edict to choose a consort, but I would be allowed to privately accept marriage proposals.

Even though it was voluntary, the number of proposals I received was overwhelming, and the ministers kept pushing for me to choose a consort among them…

‘For now, I’ve managed to take a breath.’

Please, take heed. The royal line is in danger, the voices of the ministers echoed in my ears again, making me frown.

It’s not that I have no desire for a romantic relationship, but I’ve had a few “chance encounters” inside the palace, organized by the ministers.

However… well, they were all handsome, but…

‘Should I say none of them were my type?’

None of them made me think, “Wow, so handsome,” the moment I saw them. In that regard, Ban-ya definitely passed the test.

‘Even when I thought he was an assassin, I still thought he was handsome.’

It’s not like I plan on eating my husband’s face off, but since I have wealth and power, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to have a handsome husband, right?

I smiled softly as I looked at his beautiful face, and Ban-ya quietly smiled in return.

“Is that so?”

Wow, his voice is nice.

His low voice, laced with a faint smile, gently spread in the air. He had that kind of voice that made you want to keep listening, one that left you wanting more every time he opened his mouth.

If he were on Earth, he could have been a voice actor. I absentmindedly thought for a moment before clearing my throat.

‘…What am I doing?’

There are plenty of handsome people at the palace, so why am I suddenly getting all starry-eyed? I told myself to calm down and opened my mouth.

“I didn’t expect you to take my joke so well. You don’t seem as taciturn as I thought.”

“I’m not at an age where a single word would make me blush.”

Ban-ya responded with his usual smooth voice. He was right. I nodded in agreement.

After that response, silence fell between them. It wasn’t too awkward, but I opened my mouth again.

“What brings you to the capital?”

At my question, Ban-ya gave a slight smile. His expression had been very stiff, but when he smiled, his face softened.

“I was just away for a while; I’ve always been here.”

I was momentarily lost in thought, then snapped back to attention. Had the Ma-ho family’s members always stayed in the capital? Some families involved in politics kept residences in the capital, but I had heard that the Ma-ho family usually stayed only in the Byeon region.

I might have been mistaken, so I didn’t dwell on it. After all, if he was staying in the capital, I could see him again.

“Will I be able to see you again?”

“If the fates align, it would be possible.”

He gave a vague response to my half-joking question. I smiled brightly.

“Then I’ll see you soon.”

Next time, I wouldn’t be able to be this casual, but when that time comes, don’t act shy.

I swallowed those words and took the veil from Ban-ya’s hand, putting it back on him. I couldn’t keep bothering the Imperial Guards, so I needed to leave quickly.

“I must be going now. It’s been brief, but enjoyable.”

The first meeting had been a mess, and I had done most of the talking, but it was surprisingly fun. It had been a while since I met someone I liked.

‘Maybe it’s because he’s so handsome?’

I thought to myself as I smiled softly. Although I couldn’t see his face under the veil, I thought it must be very gentle.

“Truly, we’ll meet again.”

I added one more sentence, feeling a little regretful, then hurriedly turned and left.

—

* * *

Ban-ya smiled once and without hesitation turned around. As he gradually disappeared into the crowd, Go-un silently watched his back.

In the quiet, Go-un lowered his head. The sweet taste of the Tanghoro lingered on his tongue.

‘That sly one. She came and sucked all the sweetness from my father, then left.’

His father. The last words of the former head of the Ma-ho family before he died. The voice, which had been silent when speaking to San-ya, whispered again into Go-un’s ear.

Go-un ignored the voice and continued walking silently. It wasn’t long before the bustling market came into view.

It was the same scene as when he had left the palace with San-ya eleven years ago. Go-un stood still for a moment, watching the view, lost in thought.

His father had been an unpredictable, eccentric man. So, when his abused child returned, he wasn’t surprised. Instead, he laughed and welcomed his son.

‘I wanted to see you again, but I couldn’t find you, hiding deep within the palace. What made you return of your own accord?’

The tall figure, the purple hair. The shadow that covered him and the smiling face.

The pain etched deep into his bones stirred once more, but Go-un forced himself to think of someone else.

San-ya’s eye color was also purple. A warm, kind look filled with goodwill.

Even in their first meeting, it hadn’t frightened him at all.

“Please teach me how to control this power.”

At the trembling voice, he smiled again.

“Why? Has someone you want to protect appeared?”

Go-un did not respond to the question. Ban-ya laughed knowingly and turned his body.

“As a father, I should help you, of course.”

It seemed that he would finally be able to resume his research, which had been paused for a long time. The added words carried a heavy scent of blood.

However, throughout all those long years, Go-un did not repeat the traumatic events of his childhood. There had been unavoidable pain in controlling the powers, but his father had failed time and again to manipulate Go-un to his will.

Watching his father’s face twist in frustration, Go-un quietly recalled the events that had occurred when he left the palace.

The emperor had graciously participated in the procession to welcome him. It was for San-ya, but she had looked at Go-un with a complex expression.

Before Go-un left the palace, San-ya had gently stroked the child’s head and murmured softly, “Come back safely.”

He did not have a particularly deep bond with Ye-hwa, who was supposed to be his superior, but her mysterious voice often broke through the cruelty of his father, lingering in his ears.

The head of the Ma-ho family could no longer treat Go-un like he had when he was a child, and though he hated it, he still faithfully assisted him.

Opening up his powers and gaining control over them – this would be an easy task to describe in words, but to actually accomplish it, Go-un had dedicated eleven long years.

And finally, when it was done, the former head of the Ma-ho family met his end, one fitting for his life.

Even though it was the same power, when it was not used by its rightful master, it could cause harm. Exposed to an excessive amount of venom, the body gradually dissolved, and until his death, the man mocked Go-un with a smile, coughing out his last words before passing away.

Go-un neither cried nor laughed at his death. A strange funeral was held, and because no one stronger than Go-un could handle the powers, Go-un inherited the position of family head.

Afterward, Go-un left Byeon without delay. His destination was already decided.

With no one to interact with for a long time, a small smile appeared on his otherwise stiff face. For the first time in a long while, he felt like a young boy again, excited.

Go-un was not a rock, so he inevitably was influenced by his surroundings, and he realized that he had become somewhat twisted because of it. However, the letters arriving once a week had not changed at all from eleven years ago, so Go-un did not worry about whether he would be welcomed.

He did not tell San-ya on purpose. He wanted to surprise her. He remembered how shocked she had been when he saw her in the marketplace. He had planned to observe her from a distance, but when San-ya wobbled as though she might fall, Go-un stepped in to catch her.

Before she could fall, he stood behind her, and soon their eyes met — her surprised purple eyes locking with his.

Amidst the noise and the crowd, it felt as though time had stopped in that moment.

Go-un thought, maybe it was destined for them to meet that day. It was a rare romantic thought, unlike him. But unfortunately, that brief moment did not last long.

“…I truly appreciate your help.”

San-ya did not recognize him. It had been a long time, so it was understandable. But Go-un now admitted that he had been secretly disappointed. His choice of the false name Ban-ya, and his somewhat cold demeanor toward her, had all been because of that feeling.

However, when San-ya smiled and said they would meet again, her face was so bright that Go-un couldn’t help but lift the corners of his mouth slightly.

It was time to return.

Back to where he had originally come from.