Chapter 20: A Huge Misunderstanding

“Well… I guess you could say that?”

In truth, Cheong had slept soundly on Haewon’s bed, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that out loud.

Still, Gahwa, being sharp, sensed something strange.

With a serious expression, she grabbed Cheong’s shoulders.

“Don’t tell me… Did His Majesty take you?”

“…What?”

Cheong stared blankly at Gahwa, completely caught off guard by the unexpected question.

Gahwa, misunderstanding Cheong’s reaction, let out a sigh and began explaining kindly.

“You probably don’t know what it means. ‘Receiving royal favor’ is when the King sleeps with a woman who’s not his queen or concubine…”

“No! Absolutely not! Me, with His Majesty? I’m not even a court lady! Gahwa, your imagination is too wild!”

Horrified at being mistaken for someone who’d had an affair with Haewon, Cheong frantically waved her hands.

But then, for some reason, Haewon’s image popped into her head—his disheveled robe, masculine neckline, broad shoulders, and firm chest muscles. Heat rushed to her face.

She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but looking back… it had been a pretty intense moment.

“How could I be so reckless, sleeping in front of a man like that?”

Worse still, hadn’t she even had some impure thoughts when looking at the sea cucumber?

Haewon likely had zero interest in her, but the thought still made her heart pound.

“Well, yeah. There’s no way His Majesty would do that unless he’d gone crazy.”

As Cheong’s red face turned pale, Gahwa nodded solemnly.

“What would he want with a short, skinny, pale girl like you?”

“What’s wrong with how I look?!”

Cheong pouted. Gahwa wasn’t wrong, but it still hurt.

“I never said you were ugly.”

“Tch. Doesn’t matter now. Too late to take it back.”

Cheong turned her head, pretending to sulk. She wasn’t really mad—she just wanted to see Gahwa squirm a little.

Seeing this, Gahwa sighed and said softly, “I just mean you should be thankful you’re not His Majesty’s type.”

“Why would I be thankful? Are you saying his type is weird?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it.”

Cheong turned back, forgetting to keep up her act.

“Well, there’s the queen and concubines, aren’t there?”

She hadn’t seen them in Yunggung (the undersea palace), but she was sure they must exist.

“There aren’t any. That’s what I’m saying.”

“Lies! He’s powerful, good-looking, rich—how could he be alone?”

Even tyrants have favorites, after all. And those favorites usually cling to power.

She figured Yunggung was no different.

“It’s all because of the curse.”

Gahwa lowered her voice as if afraid someone might overhear.

“A curse?”

“His hair and eye color. All the past kings had silver hair and gray eyes. But His Majesty… has black hair and red eyes.”

“So what? It looks cool. Ow! Why’d you hit me?!”

Gahwa smacked Cheong’s back, making her yelp.

“You’re joking when I’m being serious!”

“But it’s funny! Getting cursed because of hair and eye color?”

Cheong rubbed her back. Gahwa’s little hand was surprisingly strong—it almost made her cry.

“That’s not all. He was born as a twin, which shouldn’t happen with divine beings. Then, he even killed his own father, the former king, to take the throne.”

In the heavens, divine beings only ever had one child—to avoid succession disputes that could affect both heaven and earth.

Haewon being the first twin ever born to the heavens made him unnatural.

And rising to power by killing the former king made things worse. Of course the country wasn’t at peace.

“After he became king, the Western Sea turned barren, and people started falling ill. That’s why everyone is terrified to even touch him. So how could he have a partner?”

Now Cheong understood why Haewon had looked so shocked when she touched him.

Even the smallest physical contact was unfamiliar to him.

“That’s just ridiculous…”

She understood why the people were scared, but from a modern perspective, it was hard to believe.

They really thought touching someone would pass on a curse?

But Cheong had touched Haewon herself—nothing happened.

Sure, she had pushed him off the bed and slept in his place… but that wasn’t a curse. That was just… chaos.

Basically, everything Gahwa said about the curse sounded like nonsense.

Still, maybe she was starting to understand why Haewon acted so cold and distant.

“So I’m telling you to be careful too.”

“But…”

Just as Cheong was about to argue—

“What are you two whispering about in such a gloomy place?”

A middle-aged woman in the attire of a head court lady appeared.

Gahwa quickly bowed.

“We weren’t whispering. But what brings you here?”

The head court lady gave Gahwa a sharp look, then lifted her chin with a haughty air.

“His Majesty is looking for the human girl.”

“She’s not a ‘human girl,’ she’s a physician!”

Gahwa snapped, offended, but Cheong held her back.

“Why is His Majesty looking for me?”

“I don’t know. But why else would it be? You must’ve done something wrong. Come with me.”

Without waiting for a reply, the court lady turned around and marched off.

* * *

“Go in.”

At the court lady’s voice, Cheong raised her head.

She saw the royal office where Haewon was waiting.

‘Am I really going to die here?’

She was so nervous, she didn’t even know how she had gotten this far.

She had already committed a “crime,” so she wasn’t in her right mind.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and go in.”

When Cheong just stood there, the court lady eventually gave her a shove on the back.

Far ahead, she could see Haewon sitting on the golden throne placed high atop the grand platform.

Lined up on either side before him were rows of ministers—the sight alone was overwhelming.

Step, step, step.

As Cheong walked in, all the ministers turned their heads toward her in unison.

Dozens of eyes focused on her all at once—her mind went completely blank.

“Your Majesty, forgive my boldness, but may I ask why you’ve summoned this human?”

One stern-looking minister, with a flat face and fierce features like a fish monster, stepped forward and spoke loudly once she reached Haewon.

“I have something to say to her,” Haewon replied calmly.

The unexpected answer caused a murmur throughout the hall.

“Sim Cheong.”

Haewon called Cheong by name.

It was the first time he had done so, but Cheong was so tense, she didn’t even notice.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She raised her stiff head and saw his handsome face.

Behind the beaded veil of his royal headdress, his red eyes were fixed on her.

His gaze was intensely focused—almost burning.

Just as her mouth began to dry out from the anxiety, Haewon finally spoke.

“Become my royal physician.”

His shocking words fell like a splash of cold water over the entire hall. Silence followed.

Judging by the ministers’ faces, they clearly didn’t understand what he meant.

Cheong, too, was stunned and confused.

“By ‘royal physician’… you mean…”

Cheong began to speak hesitantly, but Haewon cut her off firmly.

“Stay by my side and treat me with your medical skills.”

Just as Cheong was about to respond—

“A human becoming a royal physician? That is unthinkable, Your Majesty!”

From among the lined-up ministers, the turtle general took a step forward toward the throne.