He was back to solitude. He woke up every day to sight of palace maids, and only palace maids, who followed him around his residence at his beck and call. In the late afternoons, his fingers itched for a game of checkers, but he knew he no longer had someone who contended against him at the other end of the table.

He found himself thoughtlessly opening his mouth at the strangest times of need, only stopping abruptly before his assistant's name leaked between his lips. To be forced to break out of what was already a habit stung him like needles in his heart, and he knew that above all the truth that was unacceptable, he was indignant.

Why did Sanghyuk do this? 

He visited the emperor's residence each day, and each day, the gates remained closed on him. He knew he needed an answer - an answer to everything that had changed overnight - and he would stop at nothing for it.

"Please stop doing this, Your Highness." The eunuch's words had become a routine. "His Majesty is not someone whom you can meet whenever you please."

"Don't you think he owes me an explanation?" He clenched his fists, his fingers burning with exasperation.

The eunuch felt his blood boil. "Your constant disregard for His Majesty's dominion is becoming increasingly unacceptable, Your Highness." He let his voice fall to a soft whisper. "Did you think you would've easily gotten away with what you've done?"

Hongbin did not answer. He knew very well what the eunuch was talking about.

"For two seasons, you treated the Prince like a lowly servant, Your Highness. It was such a hideous crime in itself! Did you think you would have gotten off scot-free without His benevolent intervention?" He let out a long sigh. "If His Majesty truly wanted, you'd be spending your days in the cells by now. I believe he has done more than enough, Your Highness. Don't you dare beg for more."

Hongbin shook his head, unable to accept the warped logic that was being forced on him. "But who kept me in the dark in the first place?"

"Why do you not get it, Your Highness?" the eunuch seethed with impatience. "This is the Imperial Palace. You follow the rules and respect your status. His Majesty has the final say, and you either abide by the rules of His monarchy or risk losing your life." He let out a long sigh and bowed respectfully. "You need to accept the past, Your Highness. And be willing to serve our new king. Please do not question His decisions."

Hongbin felt his fingers quiver as heat grew within his chest. Arguing with the eunuch only fuelled his burning indignation. "If he thinks that we'll be even for as long as he keeps his eye closed to my inadvertent sins...then he's terribly wrong." 

The eunuch stayed silent and kept his eyes fixed onto the ground. The marquis' impudence was growing intolerable, and he knew he needed to do something about it.

"I know there's more to it. I need to know why he's refusing to see me. I want to hear what he has to say about this...personally." Hongbin watched the eunuch motion, once again, to the palace guards, but he knew that this time, it did not intimidate him at all.

He pushed past the guards, instantly feeling the impact of solid wood as he collided with the unyielding structure of the locked entrance. He pounded his fists rapidly against the door, begging the emperor to show himself.

"You can't do this, Sanghyuk!" His voice was raspy and his hands were sore. He wondered why he was even making a fool out of himself, but something in him told him to press on. "You need to tell me why you're being like this!"

Nothing changed. Just like the day before, he was answered with silence that pricked at his skin like the coldness of a harsh winter.

Hongbin let himself collapse to his knees. If he was being rash, he knew he had every reason to do so - Sanghyuk's unresponsiveness only fuelled his impulsion.

The eunuch let out a soft groan. He gestured at the guards to back away and keep their swords. If anything, the marquis was nothing but a deranged mess, and perhaps only the emperor had the solution to it.

The sun hung low in the sky. Hongbin paced back and forth in his room, unable to suppress the anguish that had begun to overwhelm him. He was full of questions, but he knew that not all of them were meant for the king.

Ultimately, he questioned himself. Why was he even so deeply affected by everything? What was he exactly perturbed by?

It was not really about the monstrosity of the unexpected truth; neither was it truly about Sanghyuk's sudden icy demeanour. Above all that had happened, he knew all he wanted was to have things return to what they once were - all of that that had been stripped from him overnight.

He knew he was indeed not in the place to pester a man who was now in a position far superior to his. If anything, he could only silently thank the emperor for choosing not to pursue his prior acts of impudence towards him. From a rational standpoint, all he could do was accept the truth - but he knew he could not do it.

It was not fair for him.

He stalked towards the table and hurled the neat arrangement of porcelain teacups to the floor with a single sweep. The chinaware shattered into numerous tiny pieces, but what returned to his ears was the sharp crackle of thunder instead. Almost immediately, rain cascaded all around the residence, and as he glanced through the blinds at the gloomy skies, it felt as if they were looking back at him like a reflection in a bronze mirror.

He paced around his room again, as though it would relieve him of his frustration. If Sanghyuk was to become an emperor so cold and aloof, why did he even choose to suffer by his side in the first place?

He did not admit it, but what he was truly upset about was the fact that Sanghyuk had messed around with his emotions.

He halted his steps abruptly. He spun back and stared at the grey skies again, this time with his heart racing.

The rain hammered the roofs relentlessly as several palace maids hurried about the emperor's residence in panic.

"Quick - get the Imperial Physician!" The eunuch's words were laced with anxiety. He paced about the entrance to the emperor's room, watching with uneasiness as the young man curled up into a shivering mass on his bed. It was not a novel sight, but nevertheless a highly painful scene to behold. 

He narrowed his eyes at the approaching figures from afar. The rain rendered his vision hazy, but nonetheless, none of them looked like the Imperial Physician he was looking for.

"He can't be found...!" a palace maid cried as she ran up to him. "He's...not anywhere."

The eunuch stomped his foot in fury, and the maids cowered in fear. "What a bunch of useless things!" He hesitated for a moment before heaving a frustrated sigh. 

"I'll get him here myself."

From his bed, Sanghyuk watched helplessly as the eunuch took off, with several guards and maids trailing behind him. He brought his finger to his teeth and bit himself in pain, but he knew that physical soreness at his shins was not the root cause of his misery.

He shut his eyes and bent over, but the subtle sound of soft footsteps above the noise of the pelting rain caught his ears. His eyes flew back open almost immediately.

He buckled in surprise at the sight of a masked figure by his bed. Dressed from head to toe in black, he recognised an assailant when he saw it. He quickly inched to a corner, his eyes fixed on the masked man. Whatever his motive was, it was undeniably smart of him to have taken action while he was in his most vulnerable state. 

"What do you want from me?" Sanghyuk snapped quietly. If he was afraid, he did not show it.

"Sanghyuk! How are you feeling?" The voice of the anonymous man was a little too gentle for the emperor's liking.

Sanghyuk felt his eyes widen before he bit his lip and looked away. His shoulders relaxed, but his felt the muscles in his face stiffen.

"What are you doing here?" His voice had dropped to a nervous whisper. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"

Hongbin ripped away the black tattered cloth over his lips to reveal a smug grin. "So you still do care about me, after all." He reached over and grabbed the loose blankets around Sanghyuk, throwing them around his large frame.

Sanghyuk backed away. "Please just leave." His eyes were dark and his face was grim.

"Not before you tell me what the hell's going on with you." Hongbin's tone was equally stern.

Sanghyuk kept his gaze fixed onto the ground. "I deceived you. There's royal blood running through my veins. That's what's going on."

Hongbin shook his head and grabbed the young emperor by the shoulders. "You know that's not what I was talking about." He reached out and gently lifted Sanghyuk's chin, pulling him to face him. "How could you just do this? After what we had?"

"Do what?" Sanghyuk finally eyed him with a cold glare. "And what did we have?" 

Hongbin opened his mouth but said nothing. It did seem like Sanghyuk was right. What was he truly after?

Sanghyuk lifted his fingers and pushed Hongbin's hand away from him. "You're still treating me like your submissive servant, marquis. Do keep your distance."

The emperor's hands were cold to the touch, as though his icy tone was not already enough. Hongbin noticed how Sanghyuk was still trembling in pain beneath his firm bearing. He glanced around the room, frowning at the sight of empty candle holders. "Don't you- "

"I'll deal with this myself," Sanghyuk snapped. "Please just leave before they find you here. You're a fellow aristocrat, mind you."

Hongbin crossed his arms and leaned in closer to peer at the younger man. "I still don't understand why you're being so cold to me, Sanghyuk. What's wrong with maintaining this...this friendship of ours?"

"Just leave, please," Sanghyuk begged.

"I'm a fellow aristocrat? There, you said it. I could always come over for a game or two, like what typical aristocrats do. I can't scold you like I used to, but I don't really care." He let his gaze fall. "But why are you being like this?"

Sanghyuk shook his head. "It's not that simple. I have so much on my plate now. So many more responsibilities on my shoulders." He straightened his back. "I have better things to focus on, and I don't want any of my juvenile mistakes to encumber what I was made for."

Hongbin kept silent for a second as Sanghyuk's crude replies pricked his heart many times over. Was what they had nothing but a juvenile mistake? 

He let his gaze fall to the emperor's wounded leg. "You didn't tell me you had healed."

"The scars are still there, Hongbin." His voice was grave. "And if you don't leave at this instant I'll have the whole palace know about it."

Hongbin scowled. "I know you won't, Sanghyuk. But must you really be so heartless?" His ears perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps in the distance.

Sanghyuk sat up with his all strength and pushed Hongbin away from the bed. "Go," he hissed. "Now!"

Hongbin retreated reluctantly. He produced a silk pouch from his sleeve and pressed it into Sanghyuk's palm, before taking one last look at the emperor. "I won't just give up like this, Sanghyuk."

He disappeared behind the door, and Sanghyuk felt his heart suddenly wrench into a tight mass. He flopped onto the bed and shook his head frantically, as though that would suppress all the forbidden thoughts in his head. His legs stung with pain, but he was no longer aware of it.