Chapter 57
A Difficult Decision
“I’ll rest a bit. You may go.”
“Yes, Lady.”
At Danseol’s command, the palace maids quietly withdrew.
Left alone at last, Danseol loosened her stiff shoulders and lay down upon the bed.
“So, I’ve returned here again.”
She murmured to herself, gazing up at the familiar ceiling.
The Chwimwoljeon palace hall was as serene and leisurely as ever.
The only difference was that the lush green scenery beyond the window had turned into a mosaic of crimson and gold with autumn leaves.
Though only a few months had passed since she’d left for Yuldo Nation, it felt as if years had gone by.
Everything that had happened there now seemed distant—like a fading dream.
‘Winter will come soon.’
Danseol stared blankly outside.
In Hwangseon Kingdom, where the autumn foliage was at its peak, the crisp chill of winter was already beginning to linger in the air.
Watching the swiftly changing seasons, she felt an indescribable emptiness.
It was frustrating, almost suffocating, to have accomplished nothing—and yet her body felt heavy, drained of all strength.
Her mind, however, was a chaotic storm.
Lee Gyeom. Seolhwa Nation.
And the plum blossom mark etched upon his body.
There was a mountain of things she needed to unravel, and yet she couldn’t summon the will to move.
The more she learned about Lee Gyeom, the deeper her unease grew—a fear that everything she had once believed to be right, all her convictions and goals, would crumble.
“Lady Guiin.”
The voice of a court maid came from outside, pulling Danseol from her thoughts.
“What is it?”
“The Grand Queen Mother requests an audience.”
“Show Her Majesty in.”
Danseol hastily smoothed her disheveled hair and adjusted her robes before rising to greet her visitor.
Moments later, the door opened, and the Grand Queen Mother entered with a maid in attendance.
“Your Majesty, I hope you have been well.”
Danseol bowed deeply, her hands folded modestly before her.
“Thanks to you, I’ve spent my days with worry gnawing at my heart—so much so that my hair has turned white in a matter of months.”
“…I am truly sorry.”
Her tone was half chiding, half weary, and Danseol lowered her head even further.
No matter her reasons, deceiving the Grand Queen Mother and leaving for the battlefield with Gyeom had not been the right thing to do.
“It’s all in the past. There’s no point in reproaching you now. You’ve returned safely, and that’s what matters.”
The Grand Queen Mother smiled with gentle warmth, as though she truly bore no grudge.
“Come, sit with me.”
Danseol followed her lead and took a seat.
Soon, the maids brought in a small table of tea and confections.
“You look pale, my dear. Your complexion isn’t good.”
As she said, Danseol’s face was unusually ashen today. Her skin looked dull, the area beneath her eyes shadowed and sunken—she seemed utterly fatigued.
“It’s only the fatigue of travel that lingers, Your Majesty. Please don’t worry.”
Danseol brushed her cheek with her hand and smiled faintly.
But despite her words, she could feel the faint heat under her fingertips.
Still, she chose not to show it.
‘A bit of rest will fix it.’
After all, she had gone through much on her way back to Hwangseon—days of endless riding, unforeseen events—and her body had likely taken its toll.
She didn’t want to cause needless worry to the Grand Queen Mother, who had already suffered enough anxiety because of her.
“If there’s anything wrong, you must tell me at once,” the Grand Queen Mother said kindly.
“Your concern means much to me, but… may I ask what brings you here today?”
Danseol lifted her cup and took a sip of the warm tea, her tone cautious.
It wasn’t mere curiosity—she had noticed that the maid who had entered with the Grand Queen Mother was still standing quietly behind her.
If this visit were just for pleasantries, the Grand Queen Mother would have dismissed her by now.
“In truth, I came because of this child.”
As Danseol had suspected, the Grand Queen Mother gestured toward the young maid behind her.
“Please greet Lady Guiin.”
At her signal, the maid bowed deeply with a graceful and humble air.
Danseol studied her for a moment before speaking.
“Weren’t you the maid who once came here with Her Majesty? Your name was… Eunso, wasn’t it?”
At the mention of her name, the girl’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You remember her?” the Grand Queen Mother said, pleasantly astonished.
“She left quite the impression—so calm and well-mannered.”
Strangely, Eunso had reminded Danseol of Cho-ah, the maid who had once served faithfully by her side.
Their age, stature, and the quiet aura they gave off were all similar.
Because of that resemblance—and the painful memories attached—Danseol had once declined the Grand Queen Mother’s offer to assign Eunso to her service.
She had feared that keeping the girl close would only lead to another heartbreaking loss.
“I’m glad you remember her,” said the Grand Queen Mother softly, before revealing the purpose of her visit.
“I came today to entrust this child to you.”
“…Pardon?”
Danseol blinked, startled.
“From today onward, she will serve you with all her heart.”
“But, Your Majesty…”
Danseol’s voice trailed off as she glanced at Eunso, then continued carefully,
“Isn’t she a cherished maid of yours? Surely she might not wish to leave your side.”
It was a gentle attempt to decline the offer once more.
After all, Eunso herself had seemed reluctant before—hesitant about being assigned to Danseol.
And even now, Danseol didn’t wish to force anyone into a dangerous position.
‘It would be too dangerous, too.’
If Eunso stayed by her side, she might easily become a target of the Empress.
Danseol couldn’t bear the thought of someone else dying unjustly because of her.
“It was I who begged Her Majesty to let me serve you, Lady Guiin.”
The unexpected reply came not from the Grand Queen Mother, but from Eunso herself.
“But still—”
“I heard that Lady Guiin risked her life on the battlefield, tending to the wounded soldiers without rest.”
“I fail to see how that relates to this matter,” Danseol replied, wary of where this was going.
It seemed far too dangerous for Eunso to have volunteered merely out of admiration.
Especially since she had once served so closely under the Grand Queen Mother—surely she knew the risks.
“Because of you, my brother returned home alive.”
At those words, Danseol’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“As it turns out,” said the Grand Queen Mother gently, “this child’s older brother was one of the soldiers dispatched to Yuldo.”
He, too, had fallen ill like many others there—suffering from disease and despair, expecting death in a foreign land.
And then, as if in a miracle, Danseol had appeared.
“For days, I lived in fear—wondering if my brother would ever come back, or if he did, whether he would be crippled for life.”
Then, when Eunso heard that the army led by the Emperor, Lee Gyeom, had returned, she had rushed out of Hwayeongjeon Palace.
In the grand courtyard, she had found her brother—whole and healthy.
“He told me it was thanks to you, my lady. That because you never spared yourself and worked tirelessly for the soldiers, he survived.”
Hearing those words from her brother, Eunso had felt a deep sense of shame.
While she had hesitated out of fear, Danseol had risked her own life for strangers.
“When she returned from seeing her brother,” the Grand Queen Mother added, “she came straight to me and begged to be assigned to your service.”
Even the Grand Queen Mother had been taken aback by such an unexpected request.
Now, understanding the story, both she and Danseol wore looks of quiet surprise.
“I also know, Lady Guiin,” Eunso continued, “that you turned down Her Majesty’s order once before—for my sake.”
When Danseol had recognized her earlier, her expression had been one of concern, not resentment.
She hadn’t scorned Eunso for defying orders; she’d worried the girl might be troubled by the assignment.
That compassion was what had strengthened Eunso’s resolve.
“So this time,” she said earnestly, “please allow me to stay by your side—and protect you.”
Eunso knew full well what those words meant.
In the palace, “serving” someone like Danseol often meant standing in the line of danger with them.
But she was no longer the timid girl who once avoided hardship.
Just as Danseol had risked herself for others—now, Eunso intended to do the same.
