The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 42

***

“Princess, are you awake?”

I heard that voice in my sleep. Tossing and turning, buried in the blankets, my eyes snapped open at a particular word.

Prin, Princess?

Princess?

In the early morning, still half-asleep, I repeated the word, and all sleepiness vanished.

‘Ah!’

What? Really? No joke?

Am I a princess now?

Mirinae and Garam are my dads, and Yehwa is my mom?!

No, wait. Mirinae aside, aren’t Yehwa and Garam just kids?

They’re even more childish than me, and they’re my parents?

I kicked the bedding with my feet, turned my head, and my eyes met with a child’s purple eyes. I was startled for a moment, almost asking who it was, but then I realized who it was as the child moved just like me.

The reflection in the mirror was young. The well-rounded cheeks and pale skin made the term ‘baby-faced’ an understatement.

“…….”

Right. I was young.

Younger than Garam, Yehwa, and even Gowun…

I avoided looking in mirrors. Not only did the attitudes of those around me and my youthful voice make me feel mentally younger, but looking in a mirror felt like I would really revert to a child. It was the same now.

I felt my burning will cooling off. Yes, I could be cute, adorable, and pretty, um…

‘So, do I now call them Mom and Dad?’

Externally, I was respectful, addressing them as “Her Majesty” or “His Grace,” but internally, I had been freely criticizing them.

I rolled around in the bed a few more times, then drained all energy from my body. The feeling was too strange.

Parents. My parents…

Mumbling to myself, I eventually let out a groan. Would it have been okay if I had been reincarnated into this world?

If I had adapted to this life from a young age, if I could go back to being a child, maybe then Yehwa’s offer to become my mom would have been tearfully appreciated.

But that’s not the case.

“I’m twenty-five years old…”

I know that the life I remember is now considered a past life. Yet, I still remembered living as a twenty-five-year-old.

When I was younger, it felt unjust to have to be an adult, and trivial things were sorrowful. There was no one to listen to stories of fights with friends, or to sympathize when caught in the rain without an umbrella. But when was all that?

Now, having someone not much older than my past self suddenly saying, “Here! I’m your parent now, so you can rely on me and act spoiled all you want!” wasn’t particularly moving.

I couldn’t suddenly become close to Yehwa overnight and share such stories with her…

I rubbed my face against the blanket a few more times before turning my head. I saw the mirror on the dressing table. A sullen child was reflected in it.

With a youthful face and stubbornly pursed lips, the child had an expression like a misplaced puzzle piece.

There I was, eight years old. The face of “Sanya” was remarkably similar to mine. If I grew up with this appearance, it would undoubtedly resemble my past self.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen my past face, so I could be mistaken, but I’m pretty sure that was the case.

It’s as if I’ve returned to being eight years old. It’s nice not to feel a disconnect with my appearance, but why did it have to be so identical to such an ill-fated child?

The child in the mirror had a complicated expression. It was a troubled look, but the cheeks, still chubby from baby fat, were so… cute.

‘Really young.’

That thought struck me anew.

I had thought I rarely acted like a young child. I didn’t speak with a lisp or use third-person speech, nor did I laugh much.

I overlooked the fact that almost anything done in a child’s body looks cute.

What’s the use of having a cold, deadly face? Plump cheeks twitch, and tiny lips pout.

It was the moment my belief that I had the image of a cold and distant consort shattered completely.

Out of curiosity, I tried making various scary faces in front of the mirror, but none had even a speck of dignity.

Sighing, I looked back at the mirror and saw a young girl with purple eyes twinkling back at me.

Cute… really.

When I was eight years old, I didn’t receive such good care. Back then, I was skinny, and my skin was discolored from being hurt multiple times.

But the child in the mirror now clearly received lavish care. Her hair was smooth without any signs of malnutrition, her skin was pale, and childlike chubby cheeks were evident. Even the lips that used to crack and bleed were flawless.

Above all, what caught my attention were her cheeks. They moved with every slight change in expression. The white, plump cheeks looked so soft, I unconsciously grabbed them with both hands.

Gasp. So, so soft.

The already delicate baby skin, diligently pampered by the maids daily, was trouble-free and smooth. It was velvety yet elastic when pulled.

What’s this? I’ve had this on my body the whole time? Why did I only think to touch my cheeks today?

My gaze naturally drifted away from the mirror. I found myself absentmindedly massaging my cheeks, fascinated. I had never understood why people enjoyed the sensation of touching slime, but if it felt like this, I could see why.

Kneading, lightly tapping, gently rubbing—I savored the softness of my cheeks.

“It’s time to get dressed, my lady— Oh?”

Heesa entered, bursting in without a knock, true to her lively nature. Caught mushing my cheeks into a squishy mess, I froze as our eyes met.

“…”

“…”

A moment of silence passed. Normally, such impudence would have been easily overlooked, but at this moment, I almost wished I had scolded Heesa more in the past.

I slowly removed my hands from my cheeks.

“It’s for fine motor skills development.”

I preempted any comment from Heesa. She made a peculiar face, but I stood my ground.

Really.

Truly.

* * *

After Heesa came in early, my plan to take a morning walk was canceled. I had to alter the ceremonial robes for the upcoming Arun ceremony, which had suddenly crept up on us.

As we moved to another room for me to change my clothes, Heesa exclaimed anew.

“The Eastern Palace is so much bigger and grander.”

Yes, it’s really something I’m not used to…

While the consorts’ palaces, Floral Virtue Palace and Floral West Palace, were more ornate, the Eastern Palace had its unique classical elegance.

Most importantly, I appreciated the absence of the large pond I had dreaded at Floral Virtue Palace. I was afraid of the dark water due to the whirlpool, and despite my fear, I never dared suggest filling in the pond, so I had carefully avoided it while at Floral Virtue Palace.

‘Of course, it’s still mine.’

Like when I moved from Floral West Palace to Floral Virtue Palace, I had changed residences again, but the ownership remained mine. Thus, I became an unprecedented figure in the imperial palace, owning three palaces.

Yet, even I couldn’t escape the ordeal of being dressed by the maids. The floor was embroidered with various silks. Boxes filled with ornaments piled up like mountains, and fabrics embroidered with various patterns and knots made the room look like a costume shop.

Or, given the era, perhaps it was the Sanguiwon (Royal Tailor).

“Who could have guessed that my lady would become a princess all of a sudden!”

“Exactly. With Arun just around the corner, it’s such a busy time.”

Though the workload for the maids had increased, smiles were hidden at the corners of their mouths. The status of the palace staff depended on the rank of their superior, so it seemed they were quite pleased.

The attire I was originally going to wear was already splendid, but the princess’s garments were inevitably different from those of a mere consort. The quality of all materials was a notch higher, or even more, and the decorations were more lavish.

The previously forbidden gold and purple were now permitted, and the maids were happily debating which colors would suit me best.

Turning my head here, I saw purple silk embroidered with gold thread; there, I spotted hairpins inlaid with diamonds and pearls.

And if I looked straight ahead, there was a mirror as tall as an adult firmly placed. It was astonishing how such a large mirror could be found in this world.

Everywhere I looked was a dazzling scene, yet I wasn’t particularly amazed. I yawned out of habit.

“Are you sleepy, my lady?”

At Seoyeon’s question, I shook my head. It was something that needed to be done, after all.

Yet, as I rubbed my eyes, Heesa blinked like a squirrel and asked me,

“Shall I tell you an interesting story, then?”

Heesa had said she had lived a nomadic life for a long time. Perhaps that’s why she knew many historical tales.

That sounds fun. I readily nodded. And truly, Heesa’s following words completely chased away any sleepiness.

“I went in earlier to wake you up, my lady, and you were touching your cheeks—”

“Heesa.”

Although I intended to sound stern, it came out more like a puppy growling. I glared at Heesa as if to say, “Well, it’s better than nothing,” but she just grinned back at me.

“So squishy—”

“Heesa!”

I told you not to say it! I clenched my fist and playfully hit Heesa, who then laughed teasingly.

“My lady, are you tapping me lightly because you’re worried it might hurt?”

Heesa laughed as if she found it endearingly frustrating, while I cooled off, genuinely having meant to hit her.

Her comment stirred up some liveliness among the maids. I pursed my lips in annoyance, which only made my cheeks puff out.

Think this is funny, do you?

Just when I thought I should be seen as more mature, the maids asked me which color I preferred. They seemed keen on including either gold or purple, so I opted for purple. Gold didn’t suit my black hair and purple eyes.

The maids murmured among themselves and began organizing the fabrics. It seemed they had roughly decided on the outfit.

But I wasn’t at ease yet. The ordeal wasn’t over. There were still the hairstyle and accessories to decide.

“What would be good?”

“The phoenix tail or peony might be pretty… but would our lady find it uncomfortable with every movement?”

As expected, the conversation turned to accessories. I pretended to ignore them while listening intently, fearful that the topic of headgear might come up.

Having once endured the immense weight of a traditional headpiece during a ceremony, I had developed a strong aversion to it. I’d rather wear a pineapple on my head.

“Oh my, what was I thinking!”

In the midst of their quiet conversation, Yuseon suddenly gasped, stood up, and brought something over. It was a box, elaborately decorated.

I focused my attention on the box, ready to protest immediately if a traditional headpiece came out, but fortunately, what emerged was not a headpiece.

“This, this one!”

After unlocking several layers of keys and unwrapping the soft silk it was enshrouded in, it turned out to be a dragon hairpin.

A symbol of the royal family of Seora. Normally, hairpins were only used by married adults, but this dragon hairpin was an exception. It was an accessory exclusively for the royal family. Moreover, the pearl held in the dragon’s mouth was larger than that of Mirinae’s.

“The Empress gave you the finest one. Look at this. It’s said to be crafted with the largest pearl piece, excluding the Empress’s own!”

Everyone exhaled deeply as if on cue, a sigh of relief.

“It’s fortunate, considering we couldn’t perform the grant ceremony. There were many worries.”

“Oh, how can you say that! Though it was hurried, my lady has received the Eastern Palace and a royal title!”

Seoyeon’s reassured words were eagerly contested by Heesa. I made an ambiguous face at that.

My residence had changed to the Eastern Palace, and so had the colors of my clothes. But what surprised me the most was the royal title bestowed by the Empress.

Princess Kanghee.

The Seora Empire had a particular fondness for flowers. The names of almost all palaces, including the Imperial Palace, contained the character for flower (花), and it was also included in the posthumous titles of Emperors or in the names of favored consorts.

It was unique for the Empress, who had adopted me out of great affection, to give such a name to her adopted daughter. When I asked why she didn’t include the character for flower (花), Yehwa looked surprised. Then, she gently smiled and stroked my head.

‘I used 강 (Kang, meaning “comfort”) and 희 (Hee, meaning “joy”). Do you like it?’

To my question of why she didn’t include ‘flower,’ Yehwa looked surprised and then quietly smiled, stroking my head.

‘It doesn’t matter if it’s not beautiful; I wish for you to live comfortably and happily.’

Yehwa seemed a bit sad as she said this.

Sanya. Black Mountain. That name was also my name in my past life. The sound of it was pretty, but the meaning was not as nice.

It seemed like a name picked at random, but I had no particular feelings about it. I didn’t want to change the familiar name and lived with it as it was.

But having someone thoughtfully give me a name was far more, much more…

“We must adorn you to highlight the hairpin. Now, no one will doubt your legitimacy.”

Lost in thought, I lifted my head at the chatter of the maids, then was seized by a somewhat strange feeling. All I had said was that I would become a princess, and before I knew it, the fact that I was a princess had been firmly stamped and sealed.

That I, having entered the imperial palace as the youngest daughter of the Yeoran family, was now being recognized as legitimate royalty.

While it was common for infertile royal relatives to adopt children to continue their lineage, it was unprecedented for an Empress to adopt an heir.

They say with money and power, nothing is impossible. The synergy between Giyun, who wanted to make his daughter the crown princess, and Yehwa, who wanted me as her daughter at all costs, was tremendous.

“Really, why…”

A sudden ominous premonition flickered through my mind as I sighed deeply.

Until now, being one of the many consorts, my role wasn’t significant. Just a young girl loved by the Empress. That was all.

But now, I was a princess, and though not officially designated as the crown princess, occupying the Eastern Palace put me in a position akin to that of an heir.

‘…Do I have to start working now?’

The very rational thought that followed was as ominous as it was rational.