The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 9

***

I knew that if Garam decided to kill me, no amount of pleading at his feet would change his mind. But still, I wanted to live.

At my words, Garam’s face changed. That is, he looked as if he’d heard something utterly preposterous.

“I won’t kill you.”

The words he casually threw out were too serene.

Huh?

In that moment, my tension dissipated.

Tightly wound up until then, I collapsed right there on the spot. Seeing this, Garam clicked his tongue and strode towards me.

Step… step.

The sound of footsteps echoed again. The eeriness from before resurfaced, and I reflexively closed my eyes tight and tensed up, but nothing touched my body.

Instead, there was the sound of dust kicking up.

After coughing once from the dust tickling my nose, I opened my eyes again and was startled to see Garam sitting in front of me.

Like all the other consorts, Garam paid a bit more attention to his appearance. The Empress preferred men of beautiful visage, and looking good even when running about with hair and clothes fluttering in the wind required maintenance.

He was someone who would get terribly annoyed over a single stain on his clothes, and now he was sitting on the bare ground?

Garam blinked a couple of times like a bear at my surprised face. Then, he rummaged around his waist and laid his sword down on the ground. After that, he searched his inner pocket and pulled out all his daggers and hidden weapons.

After gathering them in one place, he threw them far away and then spread his hands wide in front of me to show.

“I won’t kill you.”

“……”

Ah, I see. Mmm.

I hesitated a bit, then nodded my head a couple of times after observing his actions. My heart was still pounding, but it seemed clear he wasn’t going to kill me.

Ah, I was really scared just now. I thought I was going to die.

Being burned at the stake is said to be the most painful experience a human can endure. It felt like I had just been brought back from that threshold. Once again, I let out a sigh of relief.

“……Were you very scared?”

While I was calming down, Garam quietly asked me.

I faced him, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Had he already discarded the somewhat formal tone he had shown last time? It seems like his aides or servants should have told him to at least speak nicely if he was going to barge in recklessly.

No, but that said, today is still at the Floral West. Did the palace maids steal the letter announcing his arrival?

As I was deep in thought, a large palm waved in front of my face. It was then that I finally lifted my head.

Right. What did Garam say? I bowed my head politely and said,

“My apologies, Consort Seonbi.”

“No, that’s not what I was asking—”

He started to say something but then let out a sigh.

Garam opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he wanted to say something but ended up just ruffling his hair.

“Ah, really.”

His frustration was palpable. Here I was, thinking I was going to die just moments ago, and now I’m perfectly fine, but what’s his problem?

“I came to apologize.”

“What?”

I made a puzzled face at his blunt statement. He came to apologize?

“I’ve retrieved your maid. And from today, They’ll be staying in this palace again.”

Garam said this with a face that screamed discomfort. He didn’t even meet my eyes, his eyebrows twitching all the while.

Seeing this, I smiled softly.

‘Someone must have put pressure on him…’

Of course, it was a vague smile.

And perhaps from today onwards, Empress Yehwa Aryun and the head of the Yeoran family, Giyun Yeoran, will have to change their names to ‘Nu’.

If it’s the former, that would be somewhat better, but if it’s the latter, then it would certainly prove that the unknown consort is indeed a spy…

If there’s a spy, the Empress will handle it, so I just hope she doesn’t take away my bed.

“Thank you.”

I wasn’t thankful at all, but like the apology before, I politely made a gesture of gratitude. Yet, for some reason, when I looked up at Garam, his face was full of wrinkles. He always tried so hard not to have wrinkles even when frowning, was it all for this moment?

Why, though?

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Do I have a reason to be?”

How could I possibly be angry? I just trembled in fear at your terrifying face, thinking you were an assassin.

At my smooth response, Garam ruffled his hair again. That his hair didn’t turn into a bird’s nest must be credited to his palace maids and their diligent care.

“I let Joyun take your maid away.”

Hmm. I gave a troubled smile. When he puts it so bluntly, it’s difficult for me to just say, ‘Yes, you did.’ and respond.

“No, I gave her to Consort Seolbi myself.”

I was starting to get tired of this argument. Sitting on the ground was uncomfortable, and it seemed like the person in front of me had no intention of getting up, which made it even more so.

Ah. It’s the third time. He ruffled his hair for the third time, and this time, it seemed quite serious, as his hair started to resemble a bird’s nest.

“You are……”

“Consort!”

At that moment, a booming voice interrupted Garam’s words. Garam had a look of realization on his face, and I quickly hid my puzzled expression.

What was he doing before he ran out here? Is that why there’s such a commotion?

“Where are you, Consort!”

A familiar voice echoed loudly. Was he using some ability? It sounded too much like his natural voice.

“Consort Cho!”

Until that moment, I was calmly thinking such thoughts, but at the called name, I widened my eyes in surprise.

Me?

Wait a minute. If they’re looking for me because I’m missing,

“Consort Cho―”

“I’m here!”

I immediately stood up and shouted loudly. As soon as my voice spread, the noisy voices of the people around stopped abruptly. Only then did I exhale the breath I had taken in while shouting.

If the story of my disappearance spread, wouldn’t it just seem like I ran away? I don’t want to be confined to a room.

Soon, hurried footsteps approached, and a palace maid appeared before me. She was the first maid I saw when I opened the door.

Ah, I must remember to ask her name. It feels like reciting a spell every time I refer to her.

“Consort…!”

Her face was strangely contorted. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and her face was wrinkled; I looked at her with a bit of apprehension.

Was she relieved or angry? If it was the latter, it would be problematic.

If it were the original Sanya, she might have quickly informed the Empress to gain sympathy, but I couldn’t do that.

I quietly waited for her next move, and she briskly walked over and flopped down in front of me.

“Consort, your robe…”

Oh no.

I bit my lip as I realized. It seems I’ve gotten a lot of dirt on my white clothes. It would be tough to hand-wash them in this cold weather.

“…I’m sorry.”

I said that quite sincerely. Then, the maid’s face changed in an indescribable way. After moving her mouth a few times like I had earlier, she bit her lip and then cautiously reached out to hug me.

“It’s okay now.”

…Huh?

Despite my confusion, she patted my back a couple of times, as if touching a piece of fragile glass with utmost care.

But, does she realize that another consort is sitting right beside us, staring at us?

“Um, this…”

“Oh, I apologize.”

As I gently tapped her arm, she quickly let go of me. I desperately gestured to the side. Ignoring someone of higher status without even a greeting could have significant consequences.

…Though I did the same, let’s just overlook it since I was startled.

Fortunately, she was a palace maid, quick-witted as expected. She immediately noticed Garam sitting next to us and respectfully greeted him.

“Thank you for your help, Consort Seonbi.”

“It’s fine.”

Garam responded in his uniquely annoying tone—clearly, he thought he was being cool. However, my attention was caught by the maid’s words before him.

Help?

What kind of help could possibly involve bringing Garam to this palace?

Even if the maids of Floral West were influenced by the Empress’s power, it was unthinkable that a mere maid could freely command a consort.

Despite thinking this, an ominous feeling prompted me to ask cautiously,

“…Did you come looking for me?”

“Huh?”

Garam looked surprised by the sudden question. His sharp, handsome face quickly softened. After blinking a couple of times, he nodded.

“…No, thank you. I’m sorry for causing you concern.”

I was about to ask why, but I quickly corrected my mistake. Fortunately, Garam didn’t press further, perhaps because he hadn’t fully caught what I said before.

Maybe he had nothing else to do after coming to apologize.

Thinking this, I stood up, intending to dust off the skirt of my dress, when a hand suddenly reached out in front of me.

“…?”

I looked up and was faced again with Garam’s odd expression. His eyebrows were raised, and his eyes showed tension, an indiscernible emotion.

Why do these people keep making faces at me?

Garam seemed embarrassed by his own extended hand, fidgeting with it. What did he want?

After a moment’s thought, I remembered the items he had laid aside. Was I supposed to pick them up because I had made him disarm?

Ugh, what a nuisance.

I walked over to where he had piled his weapons. I tried to pick them all up at once, but despite their small size, they were surprisingly heavy.

Eventually, I left the longsword behind and managed to gather only the hidden weapons and daggers, placing them in his hand. Garam looked puzzled again, and I really wanted to scowl.

About three seconds passed before Garam shook himself like a doll waking up from sleep.

“That’s not it!”

So, what was I supposed to do then?

“No, well… It’s fine. You didn’t need to pick them up.”

Saying this, he strode over to where I had picked up the daggers and grabbed the longsword, strapping it to his waist. Then, scratching his head a couple of times, Garam turned back to look at me.

“…Thanks for picking them up.”

At that face, I twitched the corners of my mouth into a smile, but a shiver ran down my arm for a moment.

Keep your blush to yourself. It’s making me feel sick.

—

TL Note: I could be translating ‘Consort Cho’ as ‘Grass Consort’ since the story established the meaning of ‘Cho’, but I do not know the meanings of the other consort titles such as Seonbi, Seolbi, Seraguk, etc. So for now and for consistency sake I am going to stick to the Korean titles for these. Somebody contact me (Goldvyrn) on discord if you know good translations for these titles.