Surviving the Romance Fantasy

A long silence that feels as if eons of time have been wrung out.

“What you lose is… your dignity as a human being… Tae-pyeong-ah…”

In the end, the key to the situation is to make the princesses take off school from me. However, if you commit a real crime, you will be punished, so you can’t do that.

In addition, as Yeon-ri said, if the intention to be hated is too obvious, it means nothing. The crown princesses were smart enough to see through their intentions, so there was a high possibility that doing something too unnatural would not bring much gain.

The crown princesses already had a rough idea of what kind of person Seol Tae-pyeong was.

But… according to Wang Han’s words… even if he knew his intentions, it was just ugliness to the point where he would fall short of being a human being. It is ugliness to the point of destroying all such premises.

I have to do this much… Is it something that can solve the situation perfectly…

“That… Hannah… That… is too harsh… Tae-pyeong is… Tae-pyeong is also human…!!!”

“…”

“Taepyeong also has a human heart! And the heart… It breaks easier than you think..!! The misery of a person with a broken heart… You know that well!!”

“But… Taiping… your life… your life is at stake…!!!”

“Keuuu……”

I squeezed my fists on my knees and groaned as if in pain.

I have to do anything to survive… but that… that… is too harsh…

Yeon-ri, who had worried about me more seriously than anyone else in the world, stepped forward and held my shoulders first.

“Taepyeong-ah… There is some truth in what Han said… but this… should be left as a final move…”

“It’s Yeon-ri…”

“Only trust Lee Yeon-sister. First of all… I’m pretty sure I have to go to the next tea party and do something. Yes… At the next tea party… Really something…”

Yeon-ri said that and once again fell into deep agony. If there were no other tricks, he would have had to resort to such bizarre insolence.

When I was struggling in that rising despair…

– Kiki

It was then.

There was the sound of a door opening at the middle gate of Baekseon Palace.

It’s a white line that goes in and out of the palace at any time. Hearing the sound of his trudging step into the palace, we all got up from the floor while packing our belongings.

Anyway, as a member of Baekseon Palace, the first priority is to assist Baekseon.

So I quickly tidied up my clothes and moved toward the middle gate.

“I guess you didn’t go to the palace last night? Seeing you come now.”

“huh. The old man Baekseon is so new to the world. You don’t know when you’re going to go to the palace… I haven’t spread the dried blankets in the room yet, so I’ll have to ask the elder if you’re going to go to the room right away.”

“I’ll clean up the liquor on the floor and bring some bamboo sticks to post to Baekseon. Tae-pyeong, give the elder a word in advance.”

When we were working, we were of one heart and one mind.

I, who was escorting, Yeon-ri, who did housework, and Han, who was in charge of the paperwork inside and outside Baekseon Palace, went out to the middle gate after sorting out their own affairs.

As always, entering the middle gate with a smirking voice… It is not difficult to draw a figure as if chewing on a chogeun with a chogeun in its mouth. The inspiration has always been that way.

On the night of the last Cheonryong Festival, they must have looked down at the firecrackers and sky lanterns from the foot of the mountain somewhere.

Thinking so… I went out to meet the white line in the middle gate.

“…”

However, Baekseon Lee Chul-woon, who entered Baekseon Palace… was covered in blood. It was a gruesome disgrace to the extent that it could not be compared to the last time.

We shuddered at the sight of it.

“What are you staring at?”

“Old man..”

“Market. Bring me some rice.”

After saying that… Baekseon limped into the inner chamber of Baekseon Palace.

That figure… it looked like he had been fighting all night somewhere.

“Old man.”

I felt my expression harden.

Baekseon, as always, did not even have the heart to explain.

Even so, I couldn’t come to this point and ignore myself.

“Sir, last night…”

“Taepyeong.”

However, Ringworm cut off my words and started talking.

“After you finish eating with my wife, go to the boudoir.”

To the white line who says he has something to give… I couldn’t answer anything more.

It was as if they were preparing for something to come.

Baekseon Lee Cheol-woon (2)

When I entered the inner room, Baekseon, who had finished eating, pulled a chest and sat with his back supported.

It’s an old man who doesn’t look like that, but he looked very tired even when he looked at him. It seemed clear that he had probably stayed up all night dealing with demons somewhere.

In one corner of the room, Yeon-ri was spreading the blanket.

Even though the blanket was rolled up in a hurry, it looks soft, like Yeon-ri, who is always perfectly prepared.

“Senior, I will go to the inner room.”

“Yes, Taepyong. Come and sit down.”

Baek Seon was a person who was not so formal in a place where only Baek Seon-gung’s family was present. In the first place, it is not unusual to be sick with a third-rate escort.

When I entered the inner room and knelt down in front of it, Baekseon was scratching his back with something like a bent bamboo stick.

When I think of the time when I entered Baekseon Palace after being covered in blood, it was so informal that I wondered if it was the same person.

“…”

As I stayed still, Baekseon asked as if to confirm.

“I heard that there were many incidents on the night of the Celestial Dragon Festival last year.”

“Ah, yes… From my point of view, it is very embarrassing. Because of the connection with the Palace of the White Tiger…”

“So, did you achieve your goal?”

As always, Baekseon did not ask about the situation.

Ringworm always asked me about the same thing.

That question, which is repeatedly asked, is something I have been asking since I was a child whenever I come back from a great hardship somewhere.

Did you achieve your goal?

Have you carried your beliefs?

“…it’s done, but it’s not perfect.”

“So, did you stick to your convictions?”

“…That’s also ambiguous.”

“Eh tsk tsk…”

Baekseon clicked his tongue as if he was done, looked at Yeon-ri, who was spreading the blanket, and said.

“Did anything else happen?”

“Anything else?”

Prepare the Hancheol Heavy Sword in advance.

I remembered what Baekseon had instructed me to do.

After thinking about it for a bit, I roughly guessed what Baekseon’s intention was.

“…The ghost did not appear.”

When I guessed and said that, Baekseon let out a snort.

It’s like saying that this guy’s head is as hard as it is hard. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been escorting the Baekseon, so there are times when I can vaguely guess the Baekseon’s thoughts.

I hesitated for a moment, then asked again.

“Were you worried that the ghost of Mt. Baeksak would come down to the ecliptic?”

Yes.

It was a festive night with lanterns flying and firecrackers exploding.

However, as Princess Cheondo was in a bad condition, the energy of the heavenly dragon faded as soon as it faded, and the ghost appeared again in Baeksak Mountain.

I couldn’t cope with it during the birthday party, but this time Baekseon was able to subdue all the demons in advance.

However, in the meantime, Baekseon was worried that some ghosts might haunt the crowded Qingdao Palace.

That’s why he told me to pack a heavy sword in advance for insurance purposes. He must have told not only me but also the others in the palace not to be vigilant.

Anyway, seeing that the Celestial Dragon Festival was well finished, it seems that all the ghosts in the 100 Lines have been finished.

However… there was no way that Baekseon alone could handle that many ghosts forever.

“Taepyeong.”

Baekseon scratched his back and spoke in a candid tone.

“What are you going to hide? Perhaps… it won’t be long before the life that heaven has granted me ends.”

There is absolutely no dignity in the way they dig their ears, pick their noses, and scratch their backs.

However, Baekseon’s voice was deeper than expected.

“Old man.”

“When I pass away, the people of the Baekseon Palace that I personally selected will be scattered here and there. Yeon-ri, Han-i, and even Yeong-seok, who are in the inner circle, should be able to find their own way to live, but… What are you going to do, Tae-pyeong?”

Baekseon’s question was heavy.

As a middle-class lady-in-waiting, Yeon-ri has excellent skills and will do her part well no matter which palace she belongs to.

Even Han, who is good at stratagem and quick-witted, would be able to rise to a fairly high position as a civil servant.

Introspection Elderly people have little worldly desires in the first place, and since they are old, they will not be very greedy.

Just… what about me.

Whatever the case may be, the reason I am attached to Cheongdo Palace is to protect Baekseon from his deathbed.

If Baekseon died… In fact, there was not much reason to stick to Cheongdo Palace.

Of course, if you want to make it, you can make it as much as you want.

Living at the imperial palace with a decent salary is comfortable, and isn’t Seolran, the older sister, always attached to the Qingdao Palace?

It may be a bit of a snobbish idea, but if I become a princess in the future, there is no way that I won’t be able to drip any beans…

However, in fact, considering the recent situation, I wondered if it would be okay to leave the imperial palace altogether.

Although Seolran will try to stop me, I don’t think he will try to stop me even in a situation where his life is in danger.

Besides, it’s probably because she was born with the temperament of a romance heroine, seeing her steady control of the male leads one by one even in the current situation where all kinds of variables and trials are flying around… I don’t think she really needs my help.

Seolran, whether or not I am in Qingdao Palace… I will continue my journey as the heroine of Heavenly Dragon Lovers in my own way. Honestly, if my existence was a hindrance, wouldn’t it be a hindrance and not a help? There are many times when I think about it.

“…I think I could just leave Qingdao Palace and tour the world for a few years.”

There was silence for a moment at those words.

Yeon-ri, who was tidying up the blankets, nodded and smiled sadly.

“…”

Let’s admit that we have to admit even if we hurt our respect.

Baekseon Lee Cheol-woon was like a father to me.

He picked me up while I was wandering in the middle of the day, dressed me in a military uniform at Baekseon Palace, and created conditions for me to settle down in the palace.

I thought that keeping him by his side until he died was the least courtesy I could take.

The choice of how to live after completing the example was something to think about at that time.

“okay. I don’t have the energy to talk tiredly about things like that. It’s just… I’m really worried about Princess Cheondo’s condition.”

Now, even if the energy of the Celestial Dragon has faded a little, the power of the white line can suppress it to some extent.

However, when Baekseon fails to play its role, if Cheondo Gongnyeo’s energy is still weak, a great disaster may occur in the ecliptic.

It’s about one or two low-class demons haunting a private house, so a few strong men can subdue them without difficulty.

However, as in the case of the birthday party, if even a hundred ghost nights occur, or if ghosts of a middle or higher level appear, the number of casualties changes completely.

Baekseon seemed to be worried about the situation.

“I heard that even the emperor did not get to meet Princess Cheondo properly. I heard that his condition is critical, and he can hardly leave the inner room.”

“Is that enough?”

“Yeah… I thought it might be fever or high fever, but hearing the story of Cheon Ryong-chae’s maid, it doesn’t seem like that. If it was a simple disease, I would have called the doctors and treated it, but seeing that they are not able to do that, there must be a reason.”

In some cases, even the story that you are in critical condition may be just words to cover up the situation, and you may actually be in a different situation.

Baekseon added that and then told me.

“You should go take a look at Princess Cheondo.”

“…me?”

Why did I come out of there all of a sudden?

It was a very natural question, so Baekseon answered before he could ask.

“Taepyeong, have you ever had an audience with Princess Cheondo in person even once in your life?”

“Not even once.”

“yes. However, there are times when Princess Cheondo strangely feels as if peace surrounds you. There must be a reason for that.”

Saying that, Baekseon sneezed several times before opening his hatchet eyes and looking at me.

“You go and ask why. Perhaps we will be able to have an audience.”

Certainly, it felt strange.

The reason why Seolran and I, originally from Hwayongseol family, are able to have a foot in Cheongdo Palace is because Ahyeon, Princess Cheondo, was tolerant at the time of entering the palace.

The reason would have been explained in some way later on in Love with the Celestial Dragon, but I couldn’t figure out the reason at this point.

“However, old man. I heard that Gongnyeo Cheondo is such a noble shaman that even the emperor would go to see her after taking a bath. No matter how public the reason may be, a mere third-rate unmanned person is not a person to ask for a date.”

“…you are right. So, you should get permission from the owners of the four palaces. It won’t be easy.”

Cheonryongchae, where Gongnyeo Cheondo resides.

Why is that building in the middle of the concubine?

This is because it is the place where the yin energy is strongest in the palace, and it is the place where the energy of the heavenly dragon can act most strongly under the protection of the Four Gods.

It is said that the crown princes received the energy of the Four Goddess and opened palaces in the north, south, east and west… in order to receive the energy of the Cheonryongchae more strongly.

Jin Cheong-rang, the mistress of the owner who guards the blue dragon palace to the east.

A young hermit who is good at taoist and sagecraft and is gifted with an eye that can pierce the opponent’s spirit.

Consort In Ha-yeon, who guards the Southern Suzaku Palace.

A monarch who was born with the noblest lineage and the ability to lead people.

Deokbi Ha-wol, the owner of the White Tiger Palace in the west.

A politician who is bright in understanding calculations and tricks and sees through the thoughts of criminals.

Hyeonbi Po-ryeong, the owner of Hyeonmu Palace in the north.

A contemplative observer who freely looks at the world without being bound by rules and notions.

The four princesses who support the story of Cheonryong Love Song.

The reason why each one can reign as the owner of the palace and command countless people under his command is because he is supported by the energy of the heavenly dragon.

Originally, it would be impossible for a third-class warrior to have an audience with Princess Cheondo of Cheonryongchae…

“Wouldn’t the story be completely different if we were recognized by the owners of the four palaces, which are woven in all directions around the Cheonryongchae?”

Yes.

The owners of the four palaces carry their own wooden tablets in their arms in order to pass them on to those who have received their recognition.

Suzaku, Blue Dragon, Hyeonmu, and White Tiger.

If you can see all four wooden tablets, no matter how much you are the maid of honor of Cheonryongchae, you will not be able to block them.

Ringworm sneezed several times and continued the story.

“Whoa… yes… I know how nonsensical I am talking about, Taiping. How could a mere third-rate warrior receive a wooden tablet from the four great crown princes?”

“…”

“I have to do everything I can. Coincidentally, Auntie Jin is indebted to me. Now that you’ve seen piloting a few times, I’ll ask you if you could give me the blue dragon plaque just once, using that grace.”

Baekseon seemed to want to check the condition of Gongnyeo Cheondo before her lifespan was over.

In order to meet Princess Cheondo, whom even the emperor could not meet properly, it seemed appropriate that he should prepare for that much.

“How to secure the other wooden shields… let’s think about that slowly.”

Those wooden tablets that each one is said to be as valuable as a thousand gold… It may be a long way off to hold them all in one hand.

From the point of view of the white line, which has a short lifespan, it is inevitable to be a little impatient. Still… It was his way to make the best effort no matter how far away the goal was.

“…that… the old man.”

“What.”

I lowered my hesitant gaze… and spoke with difficulty.

“Ho, by any chance… can you wait until the next tea ceremony?”

– Wow.

The day after the tea party.

I entered the concubine under Baekseon’s instructions as an excuse, and I poured out the wooden tablets of the four grand palace princes in front of the Baekseon elder.

Suzaku, Blue Dragon, White Tiger, and Xuanwu.

The wooden plaques, each one decorated with splendid like valuables… It was clear that anyone could see the authenticity.

“…”

“…”

Baekseon looked at me with puzzled eyes for a moment.

“What are you, Taepyung?”

“…….”

I just shook my head and kept looking down.

*

“Chi, are you coming to Cheonryongchae?”

It had been a long time since I had met Seolran.

It’s because they were so busy between each other. Especially during the Cheonryong Festival, she must have been more busy working as a lady-in-waiting and having a grand adventure with Ancheon.

Looking at the black pearl accessory tucked behind Seolran’s skirt, it seemed that the events of the night of the Celestial Dragon Festival went well as I knew.

The Jangrim Black Pearl, received as a gift from Baekdosa Ancheon, is a truly precious treasure that protects its owner from most magic tricks. It seems that the person himself is unaware of it, but just wearing it like that doesn’t work at all.

“Yes, sister. I’ll probably take some time off after the next party meeting.”

“Taepyeong is coming to my workplace?! Come on, come three months late!”

“…yes?”

“In just three months, I can become a full-fledged low-ranking maid! Perfect!!! It was a great opportunity to dress up as a lady-in-waiting and show off your work in style!”

Seolran, who spent all her time in the palace as a nine, had a longing for the regular ladies-in-waiting’s attire.

Come to think of it, Seolran’s age had reached the point where she could take the position of a regular lady-in-waiting.

It is strange that Yeon-ri has already been given the position of middle school maid. Even if she became a lowly court lady at the average age of Seolran, it means that she has become quite skilled at work.

“By the way, what are you doing at Cheonryongchae?! It’s not a place that Baekseon Palace escort warriors come often! Did the Cheonryongchae have a problem with the Jinbeop?”

“It’s not like that… I think I’ll have an audience with Princess Cheondo in person.”

“Um… wouldn’t that be difficult? As a member of Cheonryongchae, it’s been too long since I personally saw Lady Cheondo’s face… Princess Cheondo’s condition isn’t very good these days…”