The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 65

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The next day.

“…What an amazing coincidence.”

“Indeed.”

Oops. Good hearing too. Did he hear that? I quickly bowed my head, pretending I didn’t say anything.

“Greetings to Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“…Right. Raise your head.”

As I raised my head, I briefly met eyes with navy blue eyes that seemed slightly disappointed. I roughly know why he’s disappointed, but I slyly avoided his gaze.

Ah, you were the one who said that was our last meeting. Didn’t it mean we would pretend to be strangers when we meet again?

‘Does he like young children even though he doesn’t look like it?’

Still, it was burdensome. To begin with, I’m not a very sociable person.

That’s why people shouldn’t do things they don’t normally do. What’s with the stroll?

On my way to meet Choeun, I saw Ami Pavilion and thought I’d just take a quick look, so I got off the palanquin, and didn’t we run into each other like a ghost?

Amidst the awkwardness, I slightly raised my head and looked at his head ornament.

Sunyu was adorned with only a dragon hairpin like before, but the color was different from yesterday. It seemed to have more blue mixed in, giving it an overall murky color.

Perhaps I was staring intently at the hairpin without realizing it, so Sunyu reached out and took off the hairpin to hand it to me.

“Would you like to take a closer look?”

“……”

I heard this is a national treasure of sorts, is it not precious to them…? Mirinae did that too, they keep handing it to me so casually.

But that’s that, and this is this. I promptly accepted the hairpin. The hairpin was large and heavy, just like the one Mirinae gave me, and the wish-granting jewel was also quite large.

“The color is interesting. It’s different from mine.”

“It’s because the colors of others are mixed in. Yours was originally like this too.”

A rather specific answer came to my casually muttered words.

The Emperor, Sunyu was a mysterious figure in many ways. If he’s the Emperor, he should have played a quite significant role in the original story, but I couldn’t remember him at all.

It’s not just that his wish-granting jewel color is different from others, but also the talk about colors being mixed and whatnot…

“…What is your name?”

“Pardon?”

Lost in thought, I reflexively asked back. And I was a bit flustered.

The Emperor was naturally my superior to me. Not listening properly to the conversation was considered disrespectful. I tensed up for a moment, but fortunately, Sunyu spoke to me again.

“What is your name?”

My name?

‘He probably already knows it?’

“I’ve heard your title but not your name. It would be nice if you could tell me.”

It was an abrupt remark, but a name is not a big deal.

“My name is…”

As I was about to say it, I spotted someone and stopped right there. I saw a man with long, flowing hair.

I met eyes with an anxious light blue eyes.

Isn’t that Mirinae over there?

As soon as our eyes met, he was seen striding towards us. What’s going on? I’m flustered.

‘What are the odds of such a coincidence?’

Is this some kind of meeting plaza?

That was momentary, as he approached closer, I clicked my tongue inwardly. There was a reddish glint in his light blue eyes. Why does that guy always come without his eyepatch whenever he’s in a hurry?

I looked around but couldn’t find anything to cover his eyes with. Having no choice but to untie my hair ribbon to hand it to him, Mirinae, who had strode over, suddenly picked me up and hugged me.

After pondering for a moment, I realized this situation was very similar to when Giyun intruded into my palace without permission.

“It’s been a while, Mirinae.”

The first to speak was Sunyu. His voice didn’t carry much malice. It was just plain and a bit delighted. But Mirinae didn’t respond.

Instead, when I wriggled my body as if uncomfortable, he put me down and stood protectively in front of me.

“I did nothing. She’s not a young child.”

Sunyu spoke nonchalantly to his gesture that seemed to be on guard against him. But Mirinae let out a hollow laugh as if dumbfounded.

“No matter how young she is, do you trust her so readily? Well, that’s why you went into exile so obediently.”

I slightly poked my head out from beside Mirinae’s leg. Sunyu’s face also stiffened at the sarcastic remark.

But what Mirinae said is basically insulting me too. What about being a child, why? But why are you getting angry?

I glanced up slightly. Mirinae’s face, which had lost its smile, was also terrifying. I wanted to run away, but I couldn’t. If they’re going to fight, they should fight when it’s just the two of them. I’m the only one who will suffer being caught in the middle.

Sunyu quietly looked at Mirinae like that and then shifted his gaze to me.

“What is your name?”

“Child.”

Before I could answer, a cold voice pierced down.

No, it’s Sanya. I wanted to say that, but I obediently shut my mouth.

Although ‘child’ means a young kid, Child Aryun. Yeah, well. Not bad.

‘It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen Mirinae angry.’

No, has it been a long time? Have I ever seen Mirinae truly angry?

Come to think of it, there was one time. A long time ago, when I was dragged by the palace maid’s hand, Mirinae got terrifyingly angry. But back then and now were similar yet different. If it was rage back then, Mirinae now seemed to lack composure.

Sunyu sighed at the name that was clearly not my name to anyone.

“Why are you so wary? I am also that child’s father. Surely a father wouldn’t harm his daughter.”

“Yes. I know. But Your Majesty the Emperor has never shown any interest in young children before. So I don’t understand why you’re suddenly showing interest in this child.”

While saying he doesn’t understand, Mirinae’s face didn’t match his words. As I was sneaking glances up at Mirinae, our eyes met.

“Don’t touch the child.”

No, wait a minute. Don’t cover my face with your hand. Hey!

“Don’t look at this child as a substitute for anyone.”

My face, which was flailing about, covered by Mirinae’s hand as large as my face, stopped moving at those words. Silence heavily settled in Ami Pavilion.

As the strength drained from Mirinae’s hand, I slightly poked my head out again. Sunyu’s face was terrifyingly distorted.

Sunyu shut his mouth heavily and turned around to walk away. The palanquin carrying him disappeared, and Mirinae let out a sigh.

“Sanya. I’m sorry for suddenly pushing you in and startling you.”

Mirinae turned around and bent down to meet my eye level. As I stared at the gentle curve of his sky-blue eyes, I held out the hair ribbon in my hand.

“I don’t have any other string.”

A faint red glint appeared in Mirinae’s eyes. Where does he toss his eyepatch every time he comes without it when he can’t even manage his power properly like that?

Since he wasn’t accepting it and just looking at me with a dumbfounded face, I let out a deep sigh and reached out my hand. I covered his eyes with the hair ribbon and tied it behind his head. Fortunately, the hair ribbon was long and wide enough to look similar to the eyepatch Mirinae usually wore to cover his eyes.

It’s a deep purple hair ribbon, so it stands out a bit on the fair-skinned Mirinae, but it’s not bad. I took my hands off and felt proud of myself.

“How did you lose your eyepatch? You’re such a mess.”

When else would I get to nag Mirinae? I didn’t miss that opportunity either.

Mirinae contorted his lips strangely. The corners of his mouth lifted but kept crumbling. He reached out to his eyes and fiddled with the eyepatch—which was my hair ribbon. That touch was so cautious that I felt unnecessarily embarrassed.

“…Thank you.”

Since he was quietly making a face that looked like he would cry even while smiling, I reached out and patted Mirinae’s shoulder.

The Mirinae I had experienced was not a bad person. Someone who carefully considers every word he says, has a gentle touch, and is so moved by a mere hair ribbon that he can’t even speak—just an ordinary person like that.

He didn’t seem like someone who would harm others for no reason. But Sunyu seemed to hate him quite a bit for no reason.

‘What’s with “child”, seriously.’

It’s too childish.

I don’t know what happened between the two of them, so I can’t tell them to just get along…

“Don’t hate him too much.”

Even if you hate him, do it without showing it. Smile in front of him and beat him up behind his back. Why are you acting like an amateur when you’re usually good at that?

As I said that and patted Mirinae’s back in return, he laughed. It was a laugh mixed with a sigh.

‘Did he realize what I was thinking?’

I felt a bit caught off guard.