The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 33

***

“Who are you guys?”

I didn’t ponder for long. There was no reason to keep thinking by myself when I could simply ask.

My question immediately drew their attention. It was somewhat burdensome to have these bulky men round their eyes and stare only at me.

As I slightly furrowed my brows, the men chuckled. It seemed like a pleasant laugh, but it was still uncomfortable.

“If you ask who we are.”

“We should answer, shouldn’t we?”

That line sounds familiar. Was this novel plagiarized?

“I am Seongyeon!”

“I am Yeoryu! And this guy—”

“What are you doing!”

Thump!

The man, who was cheerfully introducing his colleague standing next to him, suddenly collapsed.

I wondered if getting hit by a bear’s paw would make someone’s body shake like a tumbleweed.

While the man who introduced himself as Yeoryu and the one who struck him were loudly arguing, another man who had been standing quietly knelt on one knee before me with a troubled expression.

“I am Noel. Consort Cho.”

While the formality was impressive, it somehow sounded like he had completed his last sentence.

I pressed my lips together to suppress a laugh. Alright, I get the greeting, but then who are you guys?

“Ah, we are—”

Noel, who had been about to continue with a smile at my gaze, hesitated. More precisely, his smiling face froze.

Seeing his ambiguous handling of the situation made me curious.

“That…”

“That?”

“That… we’re just handymen. We came to repair one of the buildings in Floral West Palace that was reported damaged.”

“Is that so…?”

Naturally, I didn’t drop my suspicious gaze.

What kind of handyman moves without making a sound and hides? And if Floral West Palace was damaged and under repair, Heesa wouldn’t have just sent me off.

Staring intensely at Noel, who subtly avoided my gaze, it was clear even without trying that his eyes, the color of sunset just like his name, were wavering uncontrollably.

He really can’t lie to save his life.

I started to look around, trying to understand why his eyes were so restless.

Soon, I realized that his gaze kept darting to a spot very close to me.

Namely, where Gowun was standing.

‘…Hmm?’

He’s wary of Gowun?

It’s unlikely for a mere handyman to know Gowun’s true identity. That means he knows Gowun is a shadow…

Only a few know the identity of shadows: the Empress, her close associates, and other shadows.

And, fittingly, I overheard Yeoryu whispering to the man who had grabbed his hair.

“Should we really be talking about this?”

“You should have thought about that before opening your mouth!”

Shadows, indeed.

I somehow ended up learning two pieces of information at once. It seems shadows are fundamentally unable to speak. Naturally, if it were known they couldn’t speak, the likelihood of being tortured would decrease since they wouldn’t be able to convey information even if they were. It might be a different story if they could write.

‘…It seems Gowun has become quite dangerous.’

I brushed off the ominous thoughts that had surfaced in my mind and suddenly bent down to peer into Gowun’s face.

“…!”

Gowun was greatly disturbed by my face thrusting close to his. However, I had already seen the cool facade he had displayed before.

Had he overcome it, or was Noel perhaps one of the few who treated him well?

Seeing Noel fluster, it seemed like the latter. Or maybe Noel was just a messenger who couldn’t afford to treat Gowun carelessly.

In any case… Hmm. Right.

‘Shadows, you say.’

Since Gowun seemed somewhat comfortable around Noel, I’ll spare you this time.

“Handymen, you said?”

“Yes, Consort.”

The response came back promptly, and I smiled.

“Good timing. There’s a lot that needs to be cleaned up in Floral West Palace. Will you help?”

Though I phrased it as a request, they really had no choice but to comply.

Unless they were shadows directly under the Empress, mere handymen couldn’t refuse the request of the Empress’s consort.

“Yes. Please command us.”

“Follow me.”

And as expected, Noel complied immediately without waiting.

I turned and began walking. I couldn’t hear the sound of footsteps from behind me, but I wasn’t particularly worried.

Gowun only made footsteps during the day. At night, he could leap from the ground to a window without making a single sound of his clothing rustling.

The fact that these bulky figures made no sound was quite eerie, but it rather assured me of their identity as shadows.

How much should I push the trained bodies of the shadows? No mercy, they need to be worked hard.

With that thought, I smirked.

* * *

“Damn.”

Grinding my teeth, I looked at the scenes unfolding before my eyes.

“We’ve finished everything, Consort! What should we do next?”

“There… that building too.”

“Yes! We’ll finish it up like the wind!”

The sight of them grinning broadly, childlike and gleeful, was unbearably annoying. The fact that their faces were flushed with pleasure, not a single drop of sweat on them, added to my irritation.

When I first arrived at Floral West Palace, I was filled with determination.

No matter how much we cleaned and tidied up Floral West Palace, it was dirtier than when I had stayed there, since it was unoccupied.

Above all, I knew of a few buildings within Floral West Palace that were nearly falling apart due to neglect.

Aside from Noel, there were five other shadows gathered. I had brought them to Floral West Palace and, leaving Gowun in Noel’s care, I ordered the rest with a stern face to fix the buildings.

I knew it was a ridiculous request from the start. How could those skilled in assassination and cleanup be expected to rebuild almost from scratch?

But on the surface, I am an 8-year-old, and most children believe that all adults are capable of doing anything.

So, with a rather relaxed attitude, I waited for them to mess up…

“Look, how is it!”

And this was the result.

‘Do they select shadows based on their construction skills?’

How could they build something better than what was originally there?

They constructed one building rapidly, and just as quickly, they built the second building I had assigned. Their speed was so fast it was hard to tell if they were ants or humans.

Yet, showing no signs of strain, I assigned them other miscellaneous tasks, and they came running to me like puppies fetching a ball, proudly showing off the work they had completed.

I can’t tell if I’m overworking them or if they’re overworking me.

“Um, Consort…”

Noel, who had been standing beside me, asked hesitantly. I had just been listening to Yeoryu boast about how well he had polished a brazier, giving me a headache, so I turned to Noel with a furrowed brow.

“What is it?”

“I, I can do the work better.”

“There’s no need. Take a rest.”

As expected, I cut him off and turned away. Noel had been insisting that he wanted to work too. It seems he was indeed a servant, feeling uncomfortable resting while his superiors were working.

I’ll tell them to come to me if the shadows ever complain about this. While I can’t openly favor him in front of the others, I can arrange for him to be moved to my palace.

“Uratcha!”

I watched with mixed feelings as Yeoryu lifted a pile of discarded braziers all at once.

Due to my illness some time ago, the braziers had not gone cold for a while, and as a result, they were left with soot. When I asked them to take them all out and clean them, they effortlessly lifted the heavy load all at once.

I had wanted them to move and clean each one laboriously!

The soot that would require vigorous scrubbing if I were doing it disappeared the moment the shadows touched it.

Are they some kind of cleaning gods? Now, there’s no work left.

At this rate, I might actually have to act like a child, breaking well-constructed buildings and pouring wet mud into braziers out of spite.

“…I’ve lost.”

Admitting defeat left a bitter taste. I sighed and gestured for them to come over.

“The Consort calls for you!”

“Yes, Consort!”

The shadows, who had been squatting down and scrubbing the braziers, immediately stood up and ran towards me, kicking up no dust in their approach. Their bright faces and bodies made them look like a herd of water buffaloes.

“Did you call for us, Consort?”

“Did you call, Consort!”

“Your command, please!”

“You guys, this…”

“Be quiet, Noel!”

Noel’s attempt to calm them down was drowned out by a man’s booming voice. Noel, his face turning red and purple in frustration, sadly clamped his mouth shut.

I’ll have to write a letter to Mirinae as soon as we return. A servant for the shadows should be fine. Who knows what could happen if he stays there any longer.

I looked coldly at the man who had spoken.

“You. Were you called Yeoryu?”

When I called him in a flat voice, Yeoryu’s face lit up immediately. I slightly furrowed my brows.

“Take that brazier and dispose of it. It’s useless even after cleaning. The rest of you may leave.”

“Yes, Consort!”

“It was an honor to meet you!”

Following my words, the other shadows took their leave in turn, walking out of Floral West Palace. This time, dust kicked up as they left. When the dust settled, Yeoryu stood there with a dumbfounded expression.

Finally, a face that pleases me a bit. I narrowed my eyes and curled the corners of my mouth.

“Since you’re the best at work. Why. Don’t you like it?”

At my words, Yeoryu’s stiff expression slowly relaxed. With his eyes shining brightly, he opened his mouth wide and smiled cheerfully.

“Your grace is immense, Consort!”

Without responding, I turned sharply. I tried to walk away quietly as usual, but I couldn’t help but put more force into my steps.

However, when a pleased hum came loudly from behind as if Yeoryu wanted to make sure I heard, I eventually stopped and ground my teeth.

Why does he have to remain so cheerfully irritating to the end!