Glorious Luck (1)

Before he could open his eyes, he heard his stomach protest in a low, ferocious sound. As his hand moved by itself, sitting weakly on top of his belly, Sungho hoped it would at least silence its rumbles.

Consequently, his hunger was very much the reason which woke him up from sleeping.

He felt extremely weak; he could barely lift himself from his bed with the desire to take a seat and lean his back on the wall. Unlike when he rose that evening, today, he welcomed the rising morning with a night of deep, dreamless sleep.

Sungho was not just starving, his throat was thirstier and drier than last evening. When he tried to part his jaw to call for someone, the aching pain he felt from his chapped lips halted him from doing so.

And by a sharp gasp which he heard in the distance, a middle-aged woman threw herself on the edge of his bed, her jaw loosened when she stared down at him, her wrinkles showed clear when she moved her face near.

"Your Highness, you finally regained consciousness!" Chun joyed out, lifting his hand and clasping it between her palms. "You've been unconscious for five days!"

'I've been out for that long? What happened–' He paused before he could finish his question when the pictures of what had happened that night flashed inside his head, driving him to distraction.

Soon as it flared and made him recall the instances that remained clear, distinctly showing the precise images in his mind, he felt his cheeks burn from the rush heat; causing him to think his face might be on fire.

"What's wrong, Your Highness? Do you have a fever? Your face is heating up." Sungho saw her worries flashed in her eyes when Chun immediately placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

With no strength nor energy to give a reply, his rumbling stomach made an entrance and pronounced its audible cries, wailing as it demanded to be filled up.

"Of course, you'd be this hungry since you've been unconscious for long." The court lady pulled the blanket and tucked him in before saying, "I should fetch you water and prepare a meal you can easily digest, Your Highness."

Chun excused herself and left him alone on his bed, sliding the door to his room, which unveiled the guard standing on the other side near the entrance. Leaving the door open, there stood Daewon whom Sungho saw delivering a short peek before bobbing his head when their gazes incidentally met.

Sungho hurriedly turned his head to one side to avert his gaze, feeling the unknown heat hasten again to his face, seemingly resulting in the rosiness on his cheeks.

'What is wrong with me? I should be thanking him, not be embarrassed.'

...

Among his court lady assisting him to take his seat on the mattress, he leaned on the headboard of the bed along the pillow placed on his back for support.

Sungho parted his mouth as Chun neared the spoonful of the dish she prepared and drew it in his mouth, tickling his senses when the rich aroma touched his nose. His saliva lathered the food as soon as he tasted it, chewing the chicken bits in the porridge.

"I almost forgot to tell you, Your Highness," Chun started when Sungho was about to swallow his food. "His Majesty desired to see you soon when you have regained your energy–"

Just when he heard the last news he wanted to be informed of, Sungho choked on the mouthful of porridge.

"Are you okay, Your Highness! Is the soup too hot?" Chun asked hurriedly, lowering the bowl of porridge and switching her hold to a cup of water and a towel.

"Wa...ter." Sungho's voice was hoarse, his hand reached out for the drink and Chun assisted him by nearing the mouth of the cup on his lips.

Their meeting was delayed because he was unconscious for days, and the king would not see him except when he fully recovered his energy. Should he be grateful for this? This was a glorious coincidence to abrupt the king from sharing the night with Sungho.

Despite considering this as a stroke of luck, Sungho remained questioning what had happened to him.