The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 35

***

“My lady…”

Yeoryu, who had clung to Seoyeon to no avail, turned his gaze to me. I couldn’t help but frown at the sight of his bulky, teary eyes.

Stop with those eyes; they’re not cute at all.

I wanted to kick him right then and there, but I felt like he would actually start crying if I did.

“…Seoyeon, let it be. Yeoryu, don’t even think about cutting anything in front of me.”

Although Seoyeon didn’t relax her icy stare at my words, she stepped back as if granting a one-time reprieve. I then asked Yeoryu, who was grinning joyously for having been defended by me, “That’s his name, isn’t it?”

At my question, Yeoryu made a choking sound and pointed at Gowun.

“Are you talking about him?”

His voice was so full of question marks it seemed unlikely he was lying, leading everyone in the room to turn their gaze towards Gowun.

Caught under their scrutiny, Gowun hesitated for a moment before subtly averting his gaze. Eventually, he confessed the truth.

“…I did not say.”

His statement was ambiguous. It meant both that he had literally not spoken the words and that he hadn’t revealed his name. At that, Yeoryu looked as though he was about to die of injustice.

“When you only glared at me with those cold eyes whenever I tried to talk to you warmly! Even when I asked for your name, you wouldn’t write it down for me, so I just named you ‘Dawn’!”

The whining voice is grating on my ears.

‘I think I know why he didn’t tell you.’

Yet, I didn’t voice that thought out loud, as it was clear that Yeoryu was completely being ignored by Gowun.

Yeoryu, having his finger wagged in Gowun’s face only to be caught and twisted, turned his head towards Seoyeon.

“Did my lady know about this?”

“Early this morning, this child came and told me. I thought there must be a reason for keeping it a secret, so I only left trustworthy people around.”

Seoyeon answered with a smile, making Yeoryu look at Gowun as if he was astounded.

“And you didn’t say a word to me, you little brat!”

That’s why Mirinae sent Yeoryu in my letter.

“Hey! You ungrateful wretch!”

“Be quiet.”

And so…

Yeoryu’s face twisted into a sulk. His drooping shoulders looked quite sad, but I pretended not to notice. I have no interest in comforting disgusting adults.

Ah, right. I still had to ask that.

I got up from my seat, placed my hands on the overly dramatic, sobbing Yeoryu’s arm.

“Excuse me.”

Before I could finish, Yeoryu quickly raised his head. I couldn’t help but openly frown at the overly sparkling eyes.

“My lady, you’re comforting me…!”

“No, that’s not it.”

Hmph.

Yeoryu slumped down again. I simply watched him without paying much mind to his face.

Whoever happily sent him over, it must have been Mirinae, I suppose.

I must send my thanks, so I need to know for sure, but now doesn’t seem like the right moment to ask Yeoryu. Without any regret, I turned to Seoyeon.

“Please send a message to Flower Spirit Palace. Tell them I will visit soon.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Ah. There goes my nap time. As I sighed deeply, Yeoryu, who had been watching me, cautiously spoke up.

“…By any chance, did you ask the Noble Consort to transfer my place of work?”

I was taken aback by his question. I had thought him to be completely foolish, but he was surprisingly sharp in this regard.

However, since it was something that could be figured out with a little thought and wasn’t exactly a secret, I readily nodded.

Seeing the change in Yeoryu’s face, I silently marveled, “Oh.” He expressed the ‘why?’ so vividly with his expression. It wasn’t an incomprehensible reaction, so I easily acknowledged it.

But, my request to Mirinae was justified. The ones who command the shadows are the Empress and Mirinae. Yeoryu might be wondering why I didn’t just ask the kind Empress instead of the snake-like Mirinae.

However, I was certain that if I had asked the Empress, I would have received a kind refusal in no time. The Empress would not give me not one but two shadows.

Actually, even getting Gowun was beyond my expectations.

If you were to ask who the kindest person in this country is, it would be the Empress, but if you were to ask who is the most strict about separating personal matters from official duties, that too would be the Empress. She may sympathize with and cherish me, but that’s all.

The shadows are among the elite of the palace guards, outstanding in every way. The Empress wouldn’t just hand them over simply because I asked.

I had asked Mirinae because I was worried they wouldn’t even send a messenger due to the secrets they hold, let alone a shadow…

‘Maybe they’ll take him back.’

I was deep in thought. Having more of the Empress’s guards would always be better, so there was a chance they might take him back. And to protect just me, one shadow should be sufficient.

‘And there are Seoyeon and the other palace ladies…’

The guards serving the Empress only tend to serve the new consorts for about a month. After that, there’s no longer a need to watch over that consort.

I remembered this a month after entering the palace, and I still questioned why they were still with me.

But just as I began to question, some of the palace maids were replaced, and one day, I even found Seoyeon packing her belongings.

“Are you leaving now?”

“…Huh?”

“I’ve been grateful for your service so far. You’ve been… hmm, a really good person. I hope you continue to serve Her Majesty well.”

It was sad, but they were meant to leave eventually. I had even offered my heartfelt goodbyes, not expecting Seoyeon to look as if her world had crumbled.

“My lady… Have you always thought that I was going to leave?”

“…What?”

“How could you not give any sign and just…”

“No, that’s not it.”

…I really didn’t mean to make her cry. Anyway, after such complications, they remained as my maids.

For whatever reason, I was pleased. They were kind to me and, having served the Empress, were also strong.

Hmm. It really seems like they might take Yeoryu away…

My gaze fell on Yeoryu with a heavy heart, and he tilted his head with a puzzled look. I just smiled.

A palace maid who had entered quietly handed me a letter. The letter, in Mirinae’s handwriting, indicated acceptance… along with a note that there was also a gift.

I carefully folded the letter, placed it in a drawer, and stood up. Gowun naturally followed me, and I gestured to Yeoryu, who was still sitting quietly.

“Please go ahead, my lady.”

“Take care, my lady!”

Receiving the farewells of the maids, I left the room, slowly descended the now railed stairs, and walked quietly along the corridor, a faint scent reaching my nose.

“I wonder if the child will come to visit us this year.”

I heard a mutter from beside me. It was unmistakably Yeoryu. I let out a small sigh and looked at him with a hint of reprimand. I understood he was hiding his identity as a shadow, but still, did he really want to create an opportunity to be so cruelly tortured, knowing how unpredictable human affairs can be?

Even under my gaze, Yeoryu just laughed heartily. I thought he was quite good at laughing, but unable to get angrier at his smiling face, I eventually softened my expression.

The faint scent was of quince blossoms. It was already past the season for quince flowers, and not a single bud was on the peach trees, yet there it was.

The reason lies in a legend that exists in the Empire of Seora. After the month-long Arun festival, all the peach trees in the imperial palace simultaneously burst into bloom.

These flowers, despite their lush bloom, fall off like camellias, necks bent, after about a week. However, during that week, it is said that a special guest occasionally visits the palace.

A child, abandoned and crying in a garden full of quince blossoms.

The child is found in a garden untouched by anyone’s footsteps, as if they had fallen from the sky.

All those in the palace who find this weeping child strive to make him laugh. If the child bursts into laughter, it is said they disappear in a flash of light.

After the child disappears, a lucky omen is sure to come to the Empire of Seora that year.

It’s a fanciful story, but the fact that the people of Seora know this child as ‘the child’ and are well aware of it made it difficult to dismiss as mere fiction.

Indeed, the child has been seen often enough every few years, but neither I, as the possessed Sanya, nor the original Sanya had ever actually seen it.

This is my first National Foundation Festival since possessing the body, and during the five springs that the original Sanya lived in the palace, the child never came.

I wonder what it looks like. The fact that it’s always crying makes me think of nothing but a mandrake pulled from its pot.

Since the original Sanya never saw it during her time in the palace, maybe I won’t see it until I’m thirteen. And even after that, will I have the chance?

“…I really want to see it too.”

“Ah, my lady, please speak freely. As you can see, I’m not that old.”

“…”

I wondered why I had spoken so earnestly, expecting a serious answer in return.

“Given how thick-skinned you are, it’s no wonder your skin isn’t aging.”

I replied coldly, with a look of disdain, and turned my gaze to Gowun. His indifferent face briefly softened with a smile as our eyes met.

“Gowun, have you ever seen the child—”

“…Sanya?”

My voice, intending to continue, was cut off by someone.

Just as with Yeoryu earlier, I really disliked being interrupted, and that hadn’t changed.

However, the fact that they called my name meant they were in a position to interrupt me. More than anything, that voice sent a familiar shiver down my spine.

I bit my lip and turned around, only to see exactly what I had expected.

The Empress, smiling brightly.

“Your Majesty.”

Why are you here…

* * *

I tended to feel uncomfortable around most people in this world, including the Empress, Garam, and Mirinae. I knew by now they wouldn’t harm me, but given that the age for camaraderie had passed for both of us, there wasn’t much to talk about even when we met.

More precisely, because my mental state was that of an adult, it was extremely difficult to initiate conversation with them while pretending to be a normal child.

So, when meeting Mirinae and Garam, I would simply answer their questions or watch them argue among themselves, and it was similar with the other palace ladies.

The Empress, however, was different. To anyone looking, she seemed to adore me. And indeed, she acted that way.

Whenever our eyes met, her face would melt as if she had seen the cutest thing in the world. She was anxious if she couldn’t give me something, always trying to catch my attention. Sometimes, her baby talk made my skin crawl.

Empress Yehwa showed such a childishly infatuated demeanor only in front of me. I found it extremely uncomfortable.

And the person I found most uncomfortable, for reasons unknown, was now right before my eyes.

“Damn it.”

I had let my guard down. I thought she wouldn’t come today since she had visited yesterday.

She visited quite regularly, and more importantly, she should be busy with festival preparations right now. She really made time to come see me? Why?

I really wish she’d just go to her own consorts, seriously!

I wanted to scream out loud but didn’t have the courage to say so in front of the Empress. Instead, I just smiled and looked up at Yehwa, keeping my mouth shut.

It was rare for me to initiate conversation with Yehwa. I would just answer her questions with short responses, and there was always a clear cut to any potential continuation of our discussions.

This had been the case not just today but for a while.

Other people stopped trying to talk to me much, but Yehwa was different.

At first, she was as awkward as everyone else, trying to make conversation a few times before leaving. But now, she had progressed to the point where even if I only gave short answers, she could keep the conversation going on her own.

“Sanya! What’s the matter? To see you outside, I was worried you were always in your room, but I’m glad. Are your legs not hurting? Is the sun not too hot for you?”

…Truly an unwelcome achievement.