Banka got the impression that Ryo and her other older brothers felt obliged to keep their distance from their nephew.
“He just doesn’t want his knowledge to get too skewed in one particular direction. You’re an imperial scholar, Shin—and I think His Majesty really cares about you.”
“His Majesty cares about Shin?” said Ko, surprised.
Ryo, on the other hand, didn’t find this so hard to believe. His Majesty did have a tendency to fuss over other people.
“He knows that all of us get on well as siblings, so he probably just wants to give you a chance to meet with your nephew. He’s doing it out of the kindness of his heart.”
Shin held his tongue as he gazed out through the window, looking torn. “I’ll have another think about it,” he eventually uttered.
“Promise me you will, won’t you?” said Banka. “He’s a smart boy, just like his father. I’m sure you’d like him—fortunately, he hasn’t inherited so much from me.” She laughed.
Banka may have allowed her son to be adopted, but it was merely a formality so the Mandarin Duck Consort could assume the role of empress. It wasn’t as if she’d severed tied with the boy completely. Word had it, however, that the empress had actually grown very fond of the crown prince.
When asked about that, Banka nodded.
“Kajo’s always been a kind and intelligent person, but that’s especially the case when it comes to children. She’s always doting on him and showing him good books to read.”
Banka sounded quite relaxed about the subject. She must have really trusted the empress.
The topic then shifted from the crown prince to Ko and Ryo’s children, causing the room to fill with ceaseless conversation and laughter. Shin smiled delightedly as he watched his brothers and sister chatter away. Ryo wasn’t the only one who was feeling somewhat relieved. Everyone there knew that Shin stubbornly refused to take a wife, had no mistress, and was never going to have children, but they were taking care not to broach the subject. If he’d chosen to stay single out of choice, nobody would be bothered, but that wasn’t the case. Shin was struggling—and the reason for that probably had to do with his father. For Shin, the wounds that man had left were too deep, and Ryo understood that.
Once Banka had returned to the inner palace in time for sunset, Ryo and his brothers went to Shin’s residence to continue their conversations They had alcohol, but there was no music or female entertainment to liven the mood. It was to be a quiet night of drinking.
Can’t anybody do something about your suffering? Ryo wanted to ask Shin, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Even if he did, he probably would’ve gotten nothing more than a sad smile in return.
Shin’s younger brothers stayed at his house for about ten days and returned home with piles of souvenirs. They’d all seemed well, which gave Shin some peace of mind. In fact, he suspected that they might have been the ones who were more concerned about him.
As the brothers were making their way to the port, Ko piped up first.
“Our stupid father put a curse on you, didn’t he?”
By “stupid father,” Ko meant Saname Choyo.
“A curse…?”
“Indeed. He placed a curse on him, and then went and kicked the bucket.”
Shin didn’t say a word.
“Jikei was the one who reversed my curse for me,” said Ko. “I can’t claim I know everything about your situation, but I pray that someone will be able to release you from your curse too.”
With that, Ko walked away.
Nobody is ever going to be able to free me, Shin thought to himself. After all, he was held back by chains of blood.
Shin headed back to the Koto Institute. He felt comfortable there, surrounded by the smell of old ink and wood. As he walked through the scroll-packed shelves, he heard light footsteps rushing about behind him. Moments later, a small figure burst out and bumped into him.
“Argh…”
Anticipating that the impact was going to knock the other person over, he grabbed hold of their shoulders. It was a child—a young boy, in fact. Startled, Shin fell to his knees. There was only one young boy who was allowed to run about as he liked in a place like this—the crown prince.
“You’re not hurt, are you, Your Highness?” said Shin.
“No… I’m sorry,” the young boy apologized, rubbing his sore nose. He had hit it in the collision.
Shin felt slightly impressed. This boy was the emperor’s only son and all of the adults around him likely waited on him hand and foot. Despite that, there was nothing imperious about his attitude—in fact, he seemed rather humble and respectful.
I see what Banka means now, Shin thought to himself. He really does remind me of Koshun.
The boy’s features and demeanor were almost identical to Koshun’s, who was quiet and never overbearing toward anybody.
“Don’t you have somebody accompanying you?” Shin asked.
“I sneaked away.”
“Sneaked away…? Why?”
“Nobody will show me the books I want to see,” the boy complained, “because there are some that I’m not allowed to read.”
Shin smiled awkwardly at the pouting boy. He could definitely tell he was Banka’s son now.
“Some of the texts here in the Koto Institute’s stack rooms are very precious, and others are old and easily damaged,” Shin explained.
The boy went quiet and gazed intently at Shin, looking contemplative.
“If one such text was to get damaged, the person looking after you would get punished…as would I.”
“I’m sorry for running around,” the boy apologized again, a meek look on his face.
At that moment, Shin felt a gush of emotion burning in his chest. He was shaken—overwhelmed with love for his sweet, intelligent nephew who was standing before him.
No, he thought to himself. These blood connections that bind aren’t chains—they can’t be.
Feeling the warmth of the blood flowing through his veins, Shin closed his eyes and hung his head.
While also being a close aide of Koshun’s, Gaku Shomei acted as the crown prince’s tutor. After Koshun abdicated the position due to old age, Shomei’s nephew ascended the throne. Shomei stayed by his side to support him too.
✦ ✦ ✦
After Koshun stepped down from his role as emperor, he moved to a separate palace outside the imperial estate where he was to see out the rest of his days.
However, every now and then, a certain old woman would pay the palace a visit.
Rumor had it that this old woman—whose long, thick hair was a mix of silver and gray—was invited there especially to play Go with him.
The End