The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 28

***

“I wanted to teach you…”

The Empress’s voice sounded genuinely disheartened. I glanced between the book that wasn’t too crumpled and her face, letting out a sigh so subtle she wouldn’t notice.

“It’s alright, Your Majesty.”

Upon hearing my words, the Empress lifted her head. Her face resembled that of a child who had just finished crying, and I offered her a faint smile.

I wondered if it was such a big deal that she couldn’t read me the fairy tale she wanted, but it seemed like we’d end up standing here all night if I left things as they were.

“I’d like to hear other fairy tales as well. And since this book isn’t torn, it’s fine.”

“But I tore this doll apart, didn’t I?”

With those melancholic words from the Empress, the Nutcracker doll she held in her hand revealed its pitiful state. The doll’s cover, which had been sewn onto the book with silk, had been torn, leaving the Nutcracker half-naked.

“…”

Oh no, we made eye contact. Hopefully, it doesn’t seek revenge by coming with mice in the night. I smiled as broadly as I could, like a child, before speaking up.

“It’s just the first chapter, isn’t it? I’m curious about the content of the book as well.”

At my words, the Empress’s face finally brightened. She stood up briskly, smiling radiantly.

“Alright. I shall read it to you!”

The Empress carefully cradled the fairy tale book as if it were a treasure and began to walk. Mirinae chuckled softly and followed her, and I, quietly observing them, slightly furrowed my brow. This must be the third time.

‘Was the Empress always like this?’

The Empress was gentle, generous, and affectionate, yet still a ruler. The kindness she offered was more philanthropy than personal affection. That philanthropy did not include choosing fairy tales for a child.

“Sanya?”

When I didn’t approach, the Empress turned around. She put down the fairy tale book she was holding and walked back to me, bending down with a bright smile.

“Come on, let’s go.”

I looked at the hand she extended to me, unable to decide whether to smile or cry.

Had the Empress ever looked back before? And had she ever bent down like this?

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I swallowed my thoughts and lifted the corners of my mouth.

As I placed my hand in the Empress’s, she happily adjusted her steps to match mine, her palm warm against mine.

* * *

Naturally, I ended up lying in the same bed as the Empress and Mirinae. The bed was large enough for the three of us, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable.

…The only problem was that I was stuck in the middle.

“Mirinae, will you read the next chapter?”

“Shall I, Your Majesty?”

I wished they would leave me out of their flirtations.

I allowed myself a cool expression, feeling safe to do so since my face wasn’t fully visible from the middle. They took turns reading the fairy tale book to me, chapter by chapter.

The content of the Nutcracker was significantly condensed, with elaborate illustrations added, so it wasn’t very long. The issue was that the Empress really, truly couldn’t read properly to save her life.

“The king, let, go. Of, Ma…rie is to the King of Mice, cotton… no, shoes, throwing…”

It suddenly reminded me of elementary school. During Korean language classes, the teacher sometimes had students read aloud from a book, and some would read just like that.

Perhaps due to this world’s educational policies not including reading aloud, the Empress’s reading skills were dismal. It also proved she never had to read anything aloud before, but her voice trembling with tension made it worse.

There was no way I could fall asleep listening to that voice. Even more dreadful was seeing Mirinae watching the Empress with a smile on his face.

Again, I wish they would leave me out of their flirtation.

Trying to read the book myself was no easy task, let alone understanding it.

Could that even be called a book?

The cover alone was encrusted with more than five types of jewels. The inside was similar. It was hard to tell if it was a fairy tale book or a dress. The protagonist Marie’s dress was made of real silk, and the Nutcracker was adorned with various jewels, making it three-dimensional.

No wonder the thing the Nutcracker was holding fell off the cover; given what was inside, it was bound to fall under its own weight.

Being tired but constantly awakened made me irritable. Instead of pressing my temples, I turned over and looked up at the window.

The cool blue moonlight pooled at the window. Naturally, I thought of Gowun.

Watching this much better scene than the eye-straining fairy tale, something that looked like a shadow of a tree shook swiftly.

I slightly furrowed my brows at the fleeting unease.

‘…Surely not.’

Just as I was about to take a closer look at the window, the cautious voice of the Empress reached me.

“…Are you asleep?”

At that moment, I turned off my attention to the window and immediately closed my eyes. I didn’t want to listen to the stuttering ‘Nutcracker’ any longer.

I carefully controlled my breathing to keep my eyelids from fluttering, feeling the Empress’s gaze quietly observing me. After a moment of scrutiny, she murmured softly.

“She’s asleep.”

I was astounded by the satisfaction in her voice. Did she think she had managed to put me to sleep?

“Yes, indeed.”

Mirinae’s voice followed. There was no trace of drowsiness in either of their voices, which made me slightly anxious. I was thinking I might have to pretend to wake up when Mirinae softly whispered.

“She’s truly adorable.”

“…Indeed.”

I almost laughed at the Empress’s quiet affirmation. She really did cherish Mirinae, to affirm such a statement.

I never believed the Empress could truly love someone. To me, it was an immutable proposition and truth. Was her pure demeanor also an act?

Then, a soft sound of a kiss came from above my head. I braced myself for more sounds, frowning in anticipation, but no such sounds followed.

Instead, what was left was a soft kiss pressed against my forehead.

“Sleep well.”

The voice was low, and I couldn’t tell if it was the Empress or Mirinae. No other words followed, but soon, soft breathing sounds could be heard.

I wanted to check what the shadow I had seen earlier was, but I gave up due to the two hands holding mine.

That night, I dreamt of someone appearing, but when I woke up, I couldn’t remember the dream.

* * *

“Gowun.”

“…”

“You.”

“…”

“…Dawn.”

“!”

It was only at the third call that Gowun lifted his head, previously bowed down. His bangs fluttered, revealing his eyes trembling slightly. Seeing this, I sighed deeply.

“Last night, at the window of Flower Dragon Palace.”

Gowun’s shoulders twitched. His gaze once again subtly shifted downward, trying to avoid eye contact. Seeing his attempt to dodge my look, I slightly raised my left eyebrow.

Gowun was not good at lying. This was evident not just from his habit of biting his thumbnail or the way his shoulders shook whenever he spoke, but most transparently through his eyes.

Perhaps that’s why he hadn’t pinned up his bangs, letting them fall forward to cover his eyes clearly.

If I were a child, I might have been fooled, but unfortunately for him, his tricks were all too visible to me. I decided to corner the child in front of me gradually rather than catching him all at once.

“I thought I gave you something to pin back your bangs.”

“…”

“Here’s one. Where could the other one be?”

I held out the pin I had been holding, quietly observing Gowun, who still avoided my gaze.

‘…Interesting.’

“Now that I think about it, your bangs are so long they keep covering your eyes.”

Prompted by my probing tone, Gowun looked up at me. Shaking his head with a mix of slight fear in his eyes, I couldn’t help but smile.

“No, it must be uncomfortable. Let’s cut it just enough so your eyes are visible. Tomorrow, you can ask Seoyeon to trim it properly.”

“No, that won’t do.”

His response surprised me. It was the first time Gowun had directly contradicted me. Despite stammering, his refusal was firm.

I had no intention of punishing him, but I felt the need to ask why.

“Why?”

“…My comrades said my face is ugly. They told me to always cover it up.”

Gowun’s ears were flushed red as he spoke. It was clear, even without much effort, that his embarrassment stemmed not from shyness but shame.

I was quite appalled by this and decided I needed to see these ‘comrades’ of his face to face.

I don’t judge people by their appearance, but objectively, Gowun was very beautiful. Flawless skin, well-placed features, eyes larger than most, and well-formed lips. Even for his young age, he was notably handsome.

Thinking whoever said that must lack both aesthetic sense and character, I reached out and gently held Gowun’s face, pulling him to meet my eyes as I firmly stated.

“You’re not ugly.”

At my words, Gowun’s eyes widened in surprise.