The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 51

***

When I resolved to play around for four days, there was something that made me inwardly uneasy.

‘Is that possible?’

It was a prophecy, and it came true.

That’s why I’m currently at Choeun Yemyeon’s palace.

Tak. The last dish was placed on the table. I glanced over the table full of snacks.

Even though I knew I’d be rejected, I secretly sent a letter asking if I could come, but unexpectedly, I got an immediate reply saying yes. Thinking they’d turn me away at the gate, I went there ready to walk away, but instead, I was ushered into a cozy and luxurious room where they had even prepared a snack table for me.

More than feeling grateful, I was suspicious first.

“…Please eat.”

Yemyeon unnecessarily urged me on. The snacks looked delicious, but I felt a bit queasy.

“The yumilgwa is good. And the gamju too.”

“……”

“The maids did their best since you were coming, my lady.”

She didn’t lace it with poison, did she?

I slyly observed her, and Yemyeon put a yumilgwa in her mouth and gulped down some sikhye.

Although her brow was furrowed, the fact that she swallowed it all seemed to indicate it wasn’t poisoned.

“Someone I thought would become the guardian deity of the Eastern Palace… how did you end up visiting?”

As I was drinking the sikhye, I paused imperceptibly. I had come with firm resolve, so I had nothing to say. Since this was one of the few times I had visited another consort’s palace, it was understandable to be suspicious.

I cleared my throat and finished the remaining sikhye. I was a little prickled since my intentions weren’t entirely pure.

As I reviewed the original story, I realized one fact.

‘Yemyeon was a supporting character, right?’

No wonder her name sounded familiar. Yemyeon played a more important role than I thought. Like a secretary assisting the protagonist, whether an emperor or duke.

She’s very intelligent and always begging the protagonist, ‘Please do some work!’ A pitiable employee. But she’s also very close to the protagonist while perfectly handling her work, a genius.

In the original story, Yemyeon played that role. An intelligent mind, outstanding abilities. And on top of that, the ordinary morality described in the original.

It would be great to have her on my side, but I currently have no excuse. If I could find the drought-resistant crop quickly, I could use that as an opportunity to propose anything.

But the human heart doesn’t move by reason alone.

‘At least, if we become close, she might throw in one more thing.’

That’s right. I came here to become friends with Yemyeon. Although she seems suspicious of my sudden visit and not too pleased about it….

I smiled brightly at Yemyeon, who was looking at me with fresh eyes.

“Of course, it’s because I wanted to see Consort Hwa…”

“……”

“To see……”

Haha.

In the end, I couldn’t finish the sentence and just laughed. My damn honest facial muscles. It would have been stranger to lie. Yemyeon let out a wry chuckle.

“Just say what you want to say instead of beating around the bush.”

I rolled my eyes. Can I really ask? The proper response would be, ‘Oh, no, it’s nothing like that.’ But I was curious. In the end, I nonchalantly asked, using a sarcastic remark as bait.

“Let me ask you this. Why are there no royal guards in the imperial palace?”

Yemyeon looked dumbfounded, as if she really hadn’t expected me to ask. But I was serious.

‘I was genuinely curious about this.’

I had been wondering about this for a while now, but I couldn’t find any soldiers guarding the palace. Occasionally, I saw officers in uniform passing by, but I had never once seen soldiers guarding the palace.

“Royal guards?”

Her response left me a bit flustered. Instead, she asked me back.

“Yes, I mean the soldiers guarding the palace.”

As I explained, I couldn’t shake an ominous feeling. This was awfully similar to the sweet potato incident.

“How do you come up with such strange names?”

Fortunately, this time Yemyeon seemed to understand my explanation. Still, she added one more remark before beginning her explanation.

“There’s no need for them. Most people can’t use their abilities in the imperial palace.”

Really? Seeing my widened eyes, Yemyeon continued as if it were obvious.

“There’s a barrier in the imperial palace that has been maintained by the Soyeon family consorts for generations.”

There’s something like that?

“That barrier seals away abilities.”

The moment I heard those words, memories from the past flashed through my mind. Basically, it was like having to make my way down a slippery stone staircase alone, grumbling.

‘…What was all that suffering for?’

“But wait, the other consorts were able to use their abilities just fine.”

“The seal weakens over time, so they can shake it off quickly. Aren’t most consorts from families with strong abilities?”

As soon as I blurted out the question that popped up, Yemyeon answered right away. Ah, I see. I nodded.

“Of course, abilities don’t disappear completely. But those who stay in the imperial palace for a long time are somewhat restricted.”

I see. I nodded again. If most officials commuted and had their abilities sealed under the guise of inspection whenever they entered the palace, it made sense that the inside of the palace was safe.

As for the other consorts, or my ladies, they could protect themselves with their abilities.

Since the Emperor couldn’t use abilities, he probably kept many palace ladies, eunuchs, and even shadows as bodyguards.

I looked up at Yemyeon with a fresh gaze. Among the people around me, she disliked me the most, but at the same time, she treated me the most humanely.

The others didn’t necessarily deceive me, but they completely saw me as an eight-year-old. I understand, but as an adult, it was quite unpleasant.

In that sense, she’s not a bad person. Can’t I become friends with her?

Thinking that, I smiled brightly, and Yemyeon flinched and averted her eyes. Her slightly bashful appearance wasn’t bad.

“Wanted to see. Huh.”

No, cancel that.

My face stiffened at her muttering in a dumbfounded way. I don’t know why she’s suddenly chewing on what I said earlier, but I wish she’d stop.

“Wanted to see, huh, really!”

Having my slip of the tongue replayed twice right in front of me, I had to try hard not to shudder.

“Huh, really!”

Yemyeon raised her voice. I pretended not to hear and slyly averted my eyes. After scoffing a few more times, she suddenly reached her hand out to me.

Wondering what she intended, I glanced at her, and Yemyeon took my plate that the palace ladies had placed in front of me. Then she started putting snacks from the table onto it one by one. Soon, the plate was piled high with food.

“Hurry and eat, then go take a nap!”

And that plate was shoved in front of me.

Ah, this is déjà vu. I recalled the past when Yehwa had piled fruits and snacks like a mountain, and I ended up with a stomachache after eating it all.

What is this? Is she paying homage to Yehwa by doing this? Or is she telling me to hurry up and grow up if I’m going to pick a fight over such a small matter?

‘If I really find the drought-resistant crop……’

Definitely… really definitely… ugh.

I chewed on the candy with downcast eyes.

* * *

An unwelcome visitor had come to Choeun’s typically quiet palace.

Choeun silently drank her tea while looking at the child in front of her. It was unusual for Sanya to visit her palace. No, it was surprising enough that Sanya even left her own palace at all.

Sanya, who had been constantly munching on the plate full of snacks, seemed to sense Choeun’s gaze and looked up. Choeun felt a sting and hid her mouth with the tea cup, pretending not to notice.

Choeun had been quite surprised when Sanya’s letter arrived saying she would visit from the Eastern Palace.

She had only permitted Sanya’s visit. Since a guest was coming, she couldn’t neglect her, so she brought out some snacks. She also included some freshly made ones by the maids.

Choeun knew Sanya was hiding something, so she didn’t let her guard down against her. And sure enough, Sanya was no ordinary child.

It was outrageous how nonchalantly she answered that she just wanted to see her, in response to Choeun’s sharp question.

‘Really, how ridiculous.’

And yet, she recalled what Mirinae, Garam, and Yehwa had said not too long ago about how Sanya had never come to visit them, sounding disappointed.

‘But she came to my palace.’

She was indeed a brazen child, but how could one answer only with lies after becoming human?

Choeun’s subtle gaze landed on Sanya. Her puffed-out cheeks as she chewed tightly looked rather adorable.

At that moment, Sanya’s pale cheek bulged out. Choeun momentarily had the urge to poke it as she picked up her tea cup.

The corners of Choeun’s mouth, hidden behind the cup, curled up slightly.

‘She eats well.’

The snacks were too sweet for Choeun’s taste, but Sanya ate them well. So she liked sweets that much. Children will be children, it seems.

Choeun chuckled as she recalled the snack bundle she had prepared in advance and immediately handed to Sanya’s palace ladies as soon as she arrived.