The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 27

***

As soon as the Empress spoke, all eyes suddenly fixed on me. I chewed on a curse inside my mouth and then, with a smile meant for public appearances, I bowed my head.

“I apologize, Your Majesty, but I am still too inexperienced to attend to your bedroom.”

At my words, the Empress’s face changed as if lightning had struck behind her. It seemed to have been quite a blow, as she rambled on.

“Do you dislike it? Even though I have a fairy tale book brought from the West? It’s very splendid and beautiful?”

The Empress tried hard to entice me with a crestfallen face. However, I had nothing to offer her but an awkward smile.

No matter how splendid and beautiful the fairy tale book might be, it’s still a fairy tale, and the content would inevitably be about overcoming adversities, marrying, and living happily ever after. What use would I have for it…

As I remained unyielding, the Empress made a disheartened face. That face made me feel a bit troubled. I did not wish to add to my crimes the guilt of having saddened the Empress.

But I couldn’t just readily agree to go to her chambers either. What should I do?

“It seems Sanya is still unfamiliar with the palace, having not been here long.”

Just then, a gentle voice sounded warmly. I knew who the owner of the voice was, but still, I lifted my head to confirm their face. A face as soft as their voice smiled at me.

Anyway, with Mirinae’s intervention, it’s over. Whatever they do at night, I’ll be in my cozy bedroom—

“How about I accompany Sanya to your chambers tonight, Your Majesty?”

Wait a minute. My facial expression wavered for a moment. Reflecting my astonishment and absurdity, I almost lifted my head to look at Mirinae but quickly bowed it again. Hey. Why am I getting caught in between you two?

“Consort. Are you close with Sanya?”

“We met in the garden a while ago and had a pleasant conversation.”

Mirinae sweetly responded to the Empress’s lukewarm question. I wanted to refute that directly. Pleasant, my foot. You were the only one having fun.

“Sanya. Is what the Consort says true?”

The Empress pressed me for an answer. I had only one thing to say. I couldn’t deny the esteemed Consort’s words, nor could I ignore the august Empress’s inquiry.

“…Yes.”

I hoped the Empress would understand the silence that lingered before my response. But the Empress immediately broke into a bright smile.

“Then it’s settled!”

No, it’s not. You’re being fooled. Why can’t you see how Mirinae’s smile deepens while all the other consorts are clearly on guard? Why are you the only one in a flower field when everyone else is watching warily?

I was relieved that nothing happened during the lecture, only to be met with this event at the end.

I’ve already given up on sleeping tonight. The prospect already made me feel like I was in the dark, and I let out a small sigh.

* * *

“…So, don’t come tonight.”

At my words, Gowun blinked. His gentle eyes blinked, covered and then revealed by his long eyelashes. His face seemed to ask if he had heard me correctly, and I twisted my own in frustration.

Stop it. I’m sorry.

Last night, Gowun had asked me very cautiously if he could also come tonight. His request was accompanied by an apology for intruding without reason.

I laughed at his words and readily agreed. It must have been past midnight, so I had given permission for him to come every day starting today, but I felt sorry for having to correct that immediately.

However, if he were to fly into the Empress’s bedroom, he would immediately become a target for arrows. Seeing his innocent face, I steeled my heart once again and said,

“Tonight, I’ve decided to sleep in Her Majesty’s chambers. You can’t come there.”

Gowun finally seemed to understand and widened his eyes. Soon, his gaze drooped sorrowfully downward.

I didn’t know what to do with him looking like that. If he had just made a face, I could have apologized, but when he looks so dejected like a puppy in the rain, there’s nothing I can do.

“It’s just for tonight. From tomorrow, we’ll sleep here again.”

Hearing this, Gowun lifted his head. His sad eyes stared straight at me.

‘Can’t I just not go?’

I could almost hear his heart speaking. Ah, ah, I can’t hear. I don’t know.

I closed my eyes tightly then opened them again. I needed to prepare myself. With a resolute heart, I reached out and gently stroked Gowun’s hair.

“It’s okay. Right? Just for one day…”

Gowun, who had been looking down, nodded his head a couple of times after my words. Fortunately, it seemed he understood. I let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re good.”

“…”

When I stroked his head once more, Gowun gently leaned his head against my hand. Patting his small head, which felt weightless, I continued,

“If you stay well behaved…”

It’s good to have rewards follow requests. Moreover, since he listened to me despite being so upset, it pained my conscience to just let it be. After a moment of thought, I smiled and said,

“I’ll grant you a wish.”

Gowun nodded without questioning my vague offer. An eight-year-old might not realize how significant it is to have a wish granted, but I was actually quite wealthy.

Pretending to be a caring father, Giyun Yeoran sent me quite a lot of valuables, which I had recently confiscated from a troublemaker.

Additionally, the Empress, Mirinae, and Garam have sent me a mountain of expensive gifts. Those gifts have continuously filled the storerooms of Floral Virtue Palace from that day until today.

I guess they wouldn’t mind too much if I sold them off, having given them to me anyway.

I found myself amusingly laughable for thinking so. Until not so long ago, I was too scared to properly use them, but now I’m bending the gold hairpin given by the Empress to use as a pin for Gowun.

‘I wonder if this will lead me to talk back to Mirinae someday.’

Pleased with such a thought, I looked back at Gowun. The child’s face had cleared up. Seeing his bangs still pinned up, cute as it was, made me think I should ask him why he doesn’t cut his bangs the next night.

Yes. It’s time to go now.

I sighed softly and removed the pin from Gowun’s hair. Like the curtain falling at the end of a puppet show, his curly hair covered his eyes again.

“My lady.”

Seoyeon called out to me in time. I handed one pin to Gowun and stuck another one by my ear.

“I’ll be back.”

Gowun nodded quietly at my smiling farewell.

* * *

“This would be good. Children love to destroy things, after all.”

…What am I listening to?

In the Flower Dragon Palace, the Empress’s residence.

Standing in front of the bedroom door located in the deepest part of the palace, I let out a hollow laugh.

Children love to destroy things? What exactly are they choosing?

“However, Your Majesty, perhaps this would be better.”

Behind the Empress’s triumphant voice, Mirinae’s gentle voice came through, sending real shivers down my spine.

What exactly are they choosing?

“Young children have excellent aesthetic sense. They would probably like something with a rough texture.”

No.

I retracted my previous thought. Whatever it was, it was fine. I didn’t want to understand. I was about to step back immediately.

“…Proceed.”

I muttered disinterestedly to the palace lady who had kept her mouth sealed to listen to the Empress’s voice. As soon as my words fell, she informed the Empress and Mirinae of my arrival, and the door in front of me opened immediately.

Having passed through many doors on my way here, I immediately saw a bed draped with curtains in my field of vision.

Expecting to find two figures within the violet drapes, I was surprised to find it empty.

‘…?’

Where are they if not here? With that thought, I turned my head to the side and found the two of them with widened eyes.

“…?”

I was once again unable to comprehend the situation. Why were those two sitting there, hands tied behind their backs as if bound, looking at me?

“Sa, Sanya, have you come?”

The silence was broken by the Empress. She greeted me with a clumsy smile. However, her hands remained behind her back.

Mirinae also greeted me with a smile, but like her, he did not bring his hands forward. Then, at that moment, a crunching sound of something being crushed—or was it being crumpled?—was heard.

Crack, thud.

The sound continued, and I followed the noise to its source. Then, I saw a splendid book torn at the front, dropping to the floor.

“This, this is.”

What are they trying to do?

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, eventually shutting it again. I didn’t understand what was happening, and I was a bit sleepy.

Eventually, the Empress sighed and lifted her hands onto the table. In her hand was something that clearly came from the book that had fallen to the floor earlier, but it was unrecognizable as to what it actually was.

“It’s from the West. I wanted to read this to you…”

The Empress sighed again and picked up the book from the floor, handing it to me. The cover of the fairy tale book, lavishly decorated with silk, gold and silver threads, and jewels, bore the title “The Nutcracker.”

Was Hoffmann even around in this era? And was the fairy tale book I knew originally adorned with such a splendid cover?

I decided to push such thoughts to the back of my memory. Responding to the Empress was more important at the moment.

While I was pondering, Mirinae thankfully consoled the sullen Empress.

“Your Majesty. There are many other fairy tales. There must be others that Sanya would like.”

“But, children love to destroy things, don’t they? This was the only story about something being broken and gnawed upon.”

I really wanted to argue against the Empress’s dejected statement. What logic was she using to argue children’s propensity for violence, and what does that have to do with “The Nutcracker”?

“However, Your Majesty, Sanya has never destroyed anything.”

“Yes. That’s true. But every child in the books I’ve read smashes doors, breaks windows, and throws tantrums on the floor. It’s written that they are such beings. This child has been suppressing her instincts all this time.”

At those words, I felt an odd shiver crawl up my arm like insects. The statement, seemingly right yet wrong, was bizarrely cheerful.

…Should I be breaking a window at least once a month?