The eunuch attendant beside him gave him a worried glance. Sinyeong looked oddly dazed—unlike his usual self—but paid the concern no mind, eyes fixed on the page before him.
Yesterday had been chaotic, thanks to Hwayeong, but it hadn’t ended badly. After returning to the palace, he had gone with her to the tearoom at Baekryeon Lodge, where they met Sinhui.
For the first time in a long while, Sinhui had smiled—truly smiled.
He'd eaten the market snacks with real delight, chatted more than usual, and burst into laughter as Hwayeong rattled off one embarrassing story after another. Sinyeong had enjoyed it too.
It really felt like sitting next to a goblin—not the scary kind from fairy tales, but the kind that crashes into your day, loud and chaotic, yet oddly delightful.
“This one. Doesn’t it look kind of cute?”
After staring at the goblin illustration for a while, Sinyeong finally spoke. The eunuch quickly bowed.
“If Your Highness says so... I suppose it does look cute.”
