“do you actually care about what i think?” yeonsu sighs the question although he’s not really looking for an answer. “what am i supposed to think? they might all present themselves differently for the people and the nation but that doesn’t change the air of superiority that they each carry around with them wherever they go. as if their existence, holds the same significance as the founders that built this nation when they’re just simply carrying on legacies by name.”

deep down, there’s a part of yeonsu that quite dislikes the house of gladiolus a bit more than the other two. maybe it’s because he feels trapped - essentially wronged - but the internal conflict there makes it hard for him to truly understand and process what he’s actually feeling.

it’s something yeonsu doesn’t want to dive into however, rather dealing with eunjoo’s second question of who he wants to get caught under the mistletoe with. 

“is the assumption around here that everyone wants to get caught with someone? regardless of who it is? is there a superstition or something about that?” yeonsu answers the question with another question. he’s a bit confused with the adamancy that the citizens of beonhwa seem to have about their mistletoe traditions for crocus. 

which leads to the last question of his family’s most treasured tradition. and yeonsu can’t help but smile at the thought of his family preparing for crocus back home by working in the fields together harvesting the sweet potatoes once the first frost arrives. 

“no matter the circumstances- whether my siblings had just gotten into a fight or my parents had reprimanded one of us for something- we would all come together to harvest the last of the sweet potatoes before the official beginning of crocus. the sweet potatoes always tasted the sweetest during the first night of gathering.”

it’s something yeonsu doesn’t realize he misses dearly until he’s spoken it. and it makes him realize, how much something really can be taken for granted whether rich or poor. if there was value in it for you, there would always be meaning.

“everyone thinks that the three houses are great but how different are they really from the past monarch?” river spits the question with full spite. god knows he’d suffered enough from the consequences of the hands of the past monarch, and the three houses played no different role in all the war and chaos.

he doesn’t say any more however because he honestly could care less than waste another breath talking about politics when that same breath could be used for a good puff.