The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 19

***

Unable to express my true feelings, I politely answered, and the Empress’s face brightened as if flowers were blooming. She brought a chair over and sat next to my bed, a gentle smile hanging on her lips.

Garam had been busy by himself earlier, but the Empress quietly observed me. Perhaps as evidence of being born into the highest nobility, she seemed very accustomed to hierarchical relationships.

Meaning, it was up to me to do the talking.

“I have received the gift you sent. I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s generosity.”

I started with the most standard phrase. I also added that I could only offer such a greeting due to my illness.

Normally, one would formally thank for the gifts received, but I really didn’t want to leave this comfortable space.

The Empress opened her mouth with a look of apology upon hearing my words.

“I prepared it in a hurry, so the quality of the items may not be as high. Wait a little, and I will provide something better.”

I was taken aback by her comment. The items were of low quality?

Clearly, the Empress must have lived her whole life in the palace, leading to a lack of discernment. If the items she sent were considered low quality, then what could possibly be deemed perfect?

It was only after her words that I remembered to question this. And she’s sending more?

“While I am truly grateful for the gifts, my humble palace is too overwhelmed to accommodate such noble presents.”

I calmly blocked her offer. Again, my primary goal is to remain unnoticed by the Empress.

Even if I managed to catch Garam’s, Mirinae’s, or even Giyun Yeoran’s attention, catching the Empress’s attention was off-limits. That path was like a well-paved highway to death, complete with asphalt.

At the moment, it seemed like Garam was showing me kindness, but that shallow kindness would instantly change if the Empress’s attention for me surpassed her interest in him.

Let me say it again: I declined any form of death. The Empress seemed to realize something as she saw the determination in my eyes.

“Ah, I see. The palace is indeed small.”

That wasn’t the point. I almost blurted that out but managed to hold my tongue.

The Empress seemed to be deep in thought about something. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it didn’t seem like it would be beneficial for me.

“I understand. I’ll take care of it.”

She said that with a smile. I hoped her measures wouldn’t involve coming after me as I looked down.

Then, the Empress cautiously reached out to me. Her hand, roughened from holding a sword, gently brushed my forehead and hair.

“You don’t have a fever.”

Of course not. If I had been sick up to now, I would have turned into an idiot ten times over. It was dangerous for children to suffer from high fevers for too long.

If I had known my fever would last this long when I woke up at night, I would have done anything to wake the palace attendants.

The Empress wouldn’t keep a concubine who turned into an idiot and went mad in the palace, and even if I were sent back to my family, the treatment of a useless idiot would be obvious.

No, rather, I didn’t know what Giyun Yeoran might do, thinking all his efforts had been wasted. The thought gave me goosebumps, and I stroked the goosebumps on my arm when the Empress quietly asked,

“Do you often have nightmares?”

I blinked a couple of times at her question. Nightmares? Aside from the incident with the monkey’s eyeballs in front of me yesterday, I hadn’t had any.

The original Sanya might have had nightmares regularly, but I hadn’t experienced her past.

I knew how terribly Sanya had lived, but everything I knew about Sanya’s past came from reading the original work.

Even if I immersed myself in reading the book, it wouldn’t be enough to have nightmares.

I was about to say no, but then I hesitated. The Empress had asked if I ‘originally’ had a lot of nightmares.

This meant she had seen me having nightmares. Searching my memory, I remembered the day I was sick and the Empress had visited.

And indeed, with sincerity, I told her to leave, gripping my throat.

“Yes, although insufficiently so.”

I affirmed without a moment’s hesitation. I had spoken informally to the Empress, commanded her, and done all sorts of things worthy of execution.

Fortunately, she understood it as me having nightmares. For the first time, I was thankful for the Empress’s lack of perception.

The Empress looked at me with an indescribable expression, a mix of pity, guilt, and more, muddling her features. I quietly observed her then lowered my head.

“…If you think you’ll have nightmares, come find me.”

She whispered softly. The day I walk into the Empress’s bedroom on my own might be the day I’ve gone half-mad.

“Thank you for your grace.”

I said, trying not to yawn. Being young meant I needed regular naps, and I felt incredibly sleepy. If I was somewhat drowsy before, now my eyelids were truly heavy.

Noticing the sleepiness in my eyes, the Empress laid me down. I rolled my eyes at the care she took in covering me with the blanket.

If the concubines knew of this treatment from the Empress, they might try to kill me.

“Don’t worry, I won’t leave even if you fall asleep.”

Perhaps thinking my eye movement was due to fear of nightmares, the Empress spoke softly. I just wished she would leave quickly, but I didn’t correct her. It was unlikely that the busy Empress would stay until I woke up.

I fell asleep feeling relieved, and as expected, the Empress was gone when I woke up. However, there was a small pouch left by my bedside.

It was clearly left by the Empress, and I looked at it with mixed feelings.

Why go through the trouble to leave something separately?

It probably wasn’t anything significant, but I couldn’t help being suspicious.

After a moment of contemplation, I untied the string closing the pouch, and was momentarily speechless. Inside were almond cookies.

The most difficult foods to bring from the Western Continent were fresh fruits and foods, as most would spoil crossing the wide sea.

Foods that were even a question if they would be presented to the Empress.

“She really went out of her way to bring and leave them.”

I muttered with a furrowed brow, discomfort evident in my tone. Gifts sent without much thought didn’t bother me, but those that clearly had some thought behind them were a bit troubling.

“It wasn’t anything significant.”

My voice sounded dark even to my own ears. I sighed deeply.

***

“Everything is ready.”

That was what Cheonyu said to me one peaceful afternoon as she approached me, sitting in the garden beyond the main gate.

Her face was mostly expressionless, making it hard to read her thoughts, but Heesa, standing beside me, gasped in excitement.

“We’re finally going!”

“…What are you talking about?”

I questioned her words. Everything is ready, and we’re finally going. Where to?

Heesa just smiled at me, her grin filled with her typical mischief.

“It’s a secret from you lady!”

“…Seoyeon.”

I turned my head towards Seoyeon with a frown, but she discreetly avoided my gaze. All the maids standing by my side did the same.

What could they possibly have to discuss that I couldn’t know about?

I pondered alone, and, as is often the case with a train lacking a conductor, my thoughts veered into negative territory.

“Am I dying?”

“What? What do you mean!”

Heesa jumped at my morbid mutter. Her face turned pale as she barraged me with questions.

“Dying! Why would the lady pass away! This is just the lady’s― uh! Uhmm!”

“…Haha. Of course, it’s not that. My lady.”
Before Heesa could open a Pandora’s box with her words, Yuseon quickly ran over and, with an awkward smile, covered her mouth. Heesa’s eyes widened in surprise, but Yuseon nonchalantly dragged her away.

What’s going on? What is it?

“My Lady, I apologize, but would you allow me to carry you?”

Seoyeon quietly spoke to me. Turning to her, I saw Seoyeon stretching out her arms toward me, looking quite awkward herself. I shook my head.

“I’m fine. I don’t know where we’re going, but I can walk.”

“My Lady…”

I flinched at the sound of that pitiful voice again. Seoyeon had a look of utmost urgency on her face. Sighing, I finally opened my arms and allowed myself to be embraced by her.

“Please close your eyes.”

Seoyeon’s body was harder than I expected. As I shifted a couple of times, Seoyeon spoke. After a moment of hesitation, I nodded and closed my eyes. It didn’t seem like bad news.

Having lived with them for a while and grown quite fond of them, I couldn’t easily imagine them doing anything to harm me.

I shouldn’t be worrying already.

As I let out a small sigh, Seoyeon began to walk slowly. She moved forward, then turned right, and now left, um…

After I gave up trying to keep track of our directions, Seoyeon stopped and set me down.

“You may open your eyes now.”

“Alright. What on earth―”

Is this? I was about to ask when I lost my words at the sight before me.

It was a palace far larger and more splendid than the Floral West Palace, incomparable in grandeur. The elegance of the pavilion went without saying, and the vaguely visible garden boasted a pond.

Unlike a traditional Eastern garden, it was filled with flamboyant and exotic flowers. But what stood out the most were the eunuchs carrying boxes.

“You’re surprised, aren’t you!”

Heesa exclaimed with a mischievous voice. At her words, I felt a foreboding tension at the back of my neck.

“…Where is this place?”

“This is Floral Virtue Palace! It was the palace of the previous beloved Empress, and now it’s your palace!”

I was finally hit with the confirmation. I had irrevocably become a favored consort of the Empress.

At the same time, I remembered what the Empress had said when she visited not long ago.

“Ah, I see. The palace is indeed small.”

I should have made it clear to the Empress then. It wasn’t a request to change palaces but to stop sending gifts!

But regret is always too late, and I had to accept reality.

The palace had expanded. This meant not just in number but in size as well. Both had increased.

I gazed at the splendid complex given to me in a daze.

“I wanted to surprise you. Are you happy?”

At Heesa’s lively words, I made a face as if I was about to cry.

No, not at all.

The consorts always jealously fought over the Empress’s love, and with no power of my own, there was no way I could survive that fight.

Just as Garam was powerful, so were the other consorts, including Mirinae with his healing powers.

And then, there was one whose power was really contrasting. The thought of him suddenly made me frown slightly.

Perhaps he might be the most frightening. But since I’ve been keeping a low profile, well.

…Will it be okay?

But they say bad premonitions always come true.

I felt a chill down my spine.

Especially since considering tonight was critical.

Due to the Empress and Mirinae, there were quite a lot of belongings in the palace, all of which had been moved.

If I was only informed today, it means others knew much earlier. The consorts who had been waiting might now seize their chance to act.

And again, I had no power of my own. The original Sanya at least had a silver tongue and a sharp mind, but I had nothing. All I had was a pretty face, but what use was that?

Begging an assassin with a pretty face won’t change the outcome.

Ultimately, I had to look for someone to protect me, and one person’s face automatically came to mind.

‘…Should I go to the Empress.’