Chapter 38 ….
“It’s been quite a long time, Uncle Su-yang.”
Hong-ah lowered her head deeply, hiding her expression. She didn’t want her nervousness to show. The Crown Prince’s foster uncle received her greeting with a calm, composed look, as if nothing could rattle him.
He wasn’t alone. Beside him stood a woman Hong-ah had never seen before. It appeared to be his wife.
“I hope you have been well and in good spirits. I pay my respects to both of you,” she said.
At times like this, she had to stay extremely alert. Hong-ah recited her words flawlessly, not stammering once. Her determination was strong—she wouldn’t give them any reason to find fault.
“But, Uncle and Aunt, what brings you to the Eastern Palace?”
Although he was in mourning attire, the woman’s makeup was heavy. It was far too elaborate to simply be visiting the Crown Prince.
Hong-ah swallowed her displeasure and focused all her energy on maintaining composure. She put every nerve in her face to work so that not a single twitch would betray her.
“I take it you’re not coming from the charity hall,” she added.
“Indeed. Today is not to see your brother,” Su-yang said, pretending kindness and benevolence.
“I heard that Hong Seunghwi has been troubled by an unfortunate event as she nears childbirth. I came by to offer some comfort.”
“An unfortunate event?”
Though she kept her composure, anger boiled inside her. It disgusted her how shamelessly he feigned concern, acting sorry while keeping a calm expression.
Still, she couldn’t show her displeasure. All she could do was hide her emotions carefully.
“Though Her Majesty has left this world, she left an heir behind. The royal lineage is secure, and the future of the country bright. Even if one life is lost, the people gain. It is a fortunate matter, after all.”
“Even as a child, Lord Danyang was mature. Even now, you speak with such composure.”
Su-yang’s face hardened. His words were laced with hostility, sharp and unfiltered, just as when she first met him.
“Yet you speak beyond the limits of a girl’s station. Who taught you this? Was it your mother, or my eccentric younger brother?”
“As I mentioned before, I simply enjoy listening to the words spoken in Father’s presence, so I retain them in my ears,” she replied carefully, emphasizing “Father” on purpose.
A moment’s carelessness and his anger could turn toward her mother or Grand Prince Anpyeong.
No matter how dissatisfied he seemed with the world, he had no right to speak ill of the Crown Prince.
Su-yang’s face twisted further. At this tense moment, his wife intervened.
“Hong Seunghwi is my subject. She is uneasy as she approaches childbirth, so we merely came to comfort her.”
“I see,” Hong-ah responded with a small smile, appearing innocent enough that anyone would think her a good, sweet child.
“Do not worry too much. I’ve instructed that she be well cared for until Hong Seunghwi delivers her child.”
“Lord?”
In an instant, a smirk appeared on Su-yang’s face. He exchanged a brief, unpleasant glance with his wife and crossed his arms, looking down at Hong-ah.
Smaller and thinner than him, Hong-ah naturally felt intimidated—but she maintained eye contact, refusing to yield.
“Since Her Majesty is no longer here, one must look after the young. Though the child in Hong Seunghwi’s womb is illegitimate, being part of the bloodline, it is only proper to show recognition.”
Even with her smiling face, she could not be spat upon. Su-yang’s expression remained harsh, every muscle in his face tense and cruel.
Now she understood. Unlike herself, who hid her fear, he openly displayed any displeasure or ill will.
“Even you, Lord, were once born of a concubine, weren’t you?”
Her mother had been a concubine before becoming Crown Princess, implying Hong-ah’s birth wasn’t much different.
“But you were never a county lord,” she added.
Though Hong-ah and Hong-yeon were born while her mother was still Crown Princess Seunghwi, she had been too young to hold the title of county lord at the time. She had been a legitimate heir for years, beyond reproach in her lineage.
Moreover, she was now the sister of the crown heir. Any attempt to belittle her birth was malicious.
“Is he considering Hong Seunghwi as the next Crown Princess?”
Was he trying to place someone close to him in the Eastern Palace to observe the Crown Prince’s affairs? Hong-ah studied Su-yang’s face carefully.
“Greed plastered all over it,” she thought.
His ambition was apparent, unable to hide even while looking at the Eastern Palace, which did not belong to him. The king might see it as childish pettiness from his second son, but Hong-ah understood.
“Do not worry about Hong Seunghwi. I heard she will leave the palace tomorrow. I’ve instructed the palace maids and requested Jeong Seunghwi be well cared for, so the delivery should go safely.”
“How mature,” Su-yang remarked, stepping closer. His shadow completely covered her. Taller and bigger, he exploited his size to intimidate her.
This was Hong-ah’s least favorite tactic—relying on physical difference to assert dominance.
“As the eldest, one must act mature,” he said.
Su-yang hesitated. Veins stood out on his tightly clenched fists.
“Indeed. The eldest has heavy responsibilities,” he added, barbed with clear anger. Hong-ah had to carefully consider which words had provoked him.
“Doesn’t my brother also bear many responsibilities as the eldest? Being first-born is troublesome, yet authoritative,” she said.
His wife elbowed Su-yang, and only then did he soften slightly.
‘Does he dislike the principle of the firstborn inheriting the throne?’ Hong-ah thought.
“Having learned from Father, I know how important it is to care for one’s siblings. But since Her Majesty must focus on the great task, you, Uncle, should handle the minor matters,” she said.
“What?”
Even without intention, Su-yang reacted to every word. Likely thinking it was just the impudence of a child, he grew even more annoyed.
“You mean to tell me to quietly care for the siblings?” he snapped. Hong-ah tilted her head innocently, appearing naive. She noticed more onlookers had gathered.
This was the Eastern Palace—her home. Not only the maids of Yeonggyeong Hall but court officials, senior maids, and palace guards all knew her since childhood.
Trying to intimidate her here was a major disadvantage for Su-yang.
‘He doesn’t realize it.’
The distance between them closed.
The palace guards and hidden maids had been observing for some time. From here, their conversation wouldn’t be audible, and all that would be seen was an older uncle bullying a young niece—advantageous for Hong-ah.
“I have never liked you from the moment I first saw you,” Su-yang ground his teeth, bowing slightly toward her.
“What a fuss over a firstborn. And now, the Crown Prince makes such a fuss over a girl who isn’t even his heir. She was simply lucky to be born first.”
His intent was clear, but Hong-ah smiled faintly.
“How fortunate that the firstborn inherited her cleverness from Her Majesty,” she said, rubbing salt in the wound.
Su-yang’s hand shot up in anger. Gasps and startled footsteps echoed. A nanny rushed closer, as if to shield her. But Hong-ah met his gaze without flinching.
“Enough!”
Thankfully, his wife intervened before any harm came to Hong-ah. His hand landed on her small shoulder. One hand of his could have crushed her, and the nanny panicked.
“What’s going on there?”
Both turned their heads simultaneously.
“Your Highness!”
The Crown Prince appeared, looking fatigued and drained. Frowning at the sight of Su-yang’s hand on his daughter’s shoulder, he strode forward.
“Su-yang, what are you doing in the Eastern Palace?”
The younger brothers were usually well cared for, but his treatment of his daughter was peculiar even from a distance. Suspecting something, his words came out harshly. Su-yang quickly withdrew his hand and bowed to the Crown Prince.
‘A coward who only asserts himself in front of the weak.’
The Crown Prince approached Hong-ah. She deliberately reached for her father’s hand to hold it, showing her presence.
“I instructed yesterday not to enter the palace without notice during mourning. Did you not receive it?”
“I did. But in these uncertain times, how could your younger brother pretend ignorance? I am unlike the other brothers,” she replied.
“Unlike the others? Even as second in line, you disturb my mind instead of observing if the brothers follow orders properly?”
The Crown Prince’s stern voice reprimanded him. Though the words differed, the meaning was much the same as Hong-ah’s earlier remark.
Su-yang’s face turned red and purple, unable to hide his anger. He opened his mouth but could not respond, and the Crown Prince sighed deeply.
