Chapter 13…..
First Night (1)
It was only as the sun began to dip toward the horizon that the horse carrying the groom arrived at Lee Ja-gyeom’s residence.
Seoryeon had wanted to see the face of the king—wondering what kind of man he could be—but the groom appeared with his face concealed by a red silk cloth, the kind a bride might wear. This was because, in the residence of a minister rather than the royal palace, the king could not reveal his face carelessly in front of all the people.
Seoryeon was displeased even by this, but she gritted her teeth and obediently followed the officiant leading the wedding. She didn’t want to slow down a ceremony that had to take place anyway. She merely wished to get the meaningless first night over with quickly and have this moment pass. Through long years of training, Seoryeon had already learned that the more one dreads a task, the more torturous it becomes if delayed.
So, if it had to be done, it was better not to hesitate and to get it over with as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, the wedding progressed smoothly and was nearing its conclusion.
Doom, doom.
The sound of drums boomed like thunder, and the musicians, who had been waiting, took their places around the spacious yard—almost as wide as the royal palace’s moon terrace. The central empty space was filled with female performers dressed in elaborate costumes.
White veils covering their faces fluttered in rhythm with the gayageum and haegeum music.
Watching the performers dance, Seoryeon recalled her mother dancing when she was a child. At that time, Seoryeon had been eager to learn the dance, fascinated by her mother’s beauty. She had mimicked her, folding and stretching her short limbs beside her.
But at some point, she had begun to feel ashamed that her mother was a gisaeng. Her mother laughing off the drunken harassment of officials had made Seoryeon furious.
Whether gisaeng or artist, the smell of fermentation and perfume in the kyo-bang (entertainment house) had sickened her.
Looking back, she let out a bitter laugh.
Those she had so disliked now smiled happily with radiant faces, yet here she was, the bride, feeling as though a stone were pressing on her chest.
“Will you cry or laugh? Pick one.”
A familiar voice fell into her ear so suddenly that Seoryeon snapped her head around.
Given that the music was in full swing and yet she could hear it clearly, there was only one person it could be.
The man sitting beside her—the groom, and the king.
Seoryeon squinted, doubting that it had really been his voice, when he spoke again.
“I thought you’d like it.”
“……?”
“You look like a dog being dragged away on a scorching summer day.”
“…….”
Seoryon barely restrained the urge to throw off that cumbersome veil and punch him in the face. But he probably wasn’t enjoying this marriage either.
His words weren’t entirely wrong.
A future that could lead to death wasn’t much different from the fate of a dog.
She tried to steady her breathing and ignore him, but he tilted his body slightly toward her.
No matter how hard she tried to focus on the performance, she couldn’t.
He even rested his chin on the armrest of the chair, his shoulder brushing hers ever so slightly.
From him came a sweet scent of fruit.
He had apparently enjoyed some fruit snacks back at the kyo-bang. Meanwhile, some others had managed to restrain themselves completely.
The more she looked at him, the more infuriated she became.
She tried to calm her anger by rolling her tongue under her lips and focus on the performance, but he spoke again.
“This is boring.”
Seoryeon was too exasperated even to reply.
Indeed, it probably wasn’t anything new to him.
He had frequented the kyo-bang so extensively that he must have seen countless performances like this.
Seoryeon exhaled deeply and pretended not to hear him.
It was likely just a monologue, and she couldn’t assume he was speaking to her.
She simply wished for the time to pass quickly.
Then she felt the king’s gaze fix on a certain spot.
It was her hand, peeking out from the ceremonial gown. Her hands were worn and battered, just as the wooden practice sword she used had been broken.
Seoryeon quietly hid her hand back inside her sleeve.
There was no need to draw suspicion before the wedding was even over.
He didn’t speak a word until the entire performance concluded.
Only after completing the ritual of drinking three cups of wine offered by relatives did the wedding finally come to an end.
Once darkness fell, the bride and groom moved to the bridal chamber prepared in an annex.
Finally, they were alone.
Though they sat facing each other, only awkward tension filled the space.
One small jade lantern was insufficient to light the large room, leaving him barely visible as a shadow.
At this point, the red dot seen from Yongdu Rock would probably be clearer.
By the way, when would he finally remove that frustrating veil?
As she shifted her eyes, pondering how to remove it, she noticed the peony-patterned wine flask on the table.
She recalled what one of the court women had said:
“Normally, the groom offers the first cup of harmony wine to the bride, but His Majesty, being the ruler of a nation rather than a mere man, should have the bride offer it first.”
Seoryeon initially felt reluctant, thinking, “They must have already drunk at the kyo-bang. Why offer more?” But then she resolved to get him drunk quickly and resolve the first night swiftly.
Besides, to drink, he would have to remove the veil, giving her a chance to see his face.
No more hesitation—she reached for the flask. Simultaneously, his hand reached for it as well.
Seoryeon grasped the flask, but he caught something else instead.
“……!”
Startled by the warm touch that enveloped her hand, Seoryeon froze, unable to pull away.
“I will.”
“Your humble servant will.”
The words layered over the touch made the silence even more awkward.
The king broke it first.
“The daughter of the Duke need not do menial work…”
He let the rest trail slowly.
“How did your hands get so rough?”
It was a teasing question, but hard to interpret. Seoryeon gave the most neutral answer she could.
“Just a little hurt, that’s all.”
“It didn’t look like ‘just a little.’”
He said it sharply, as if certain.
Realizing she couldn’t win, Seoryeon quickly changed the topic.
“Shall I extinguish the light…?”
Better to put out the fire and get things over with quickly.
The king gave a wry smile at her boldness.
“You have quite a hasty nature.”
He poured harmony wine into her empty cup.
Seoryeon asked quietly,
“Why do you pour my wine first?”
“If you intend to argue about propriety or etiquette, don’t bother.”
“…….”
“Neither the duke nor you likely think of me as king, so why bother with royal formalities?”
His tone was slightly twisted, but that wasn’t what mattered.
“Then, why not remove that first?”
She meant the veil concealing his face.
“Oh, that? So that’s why you were staring at me so intently.”
“No, I never…”
Thinking it over, she realized maybe she had been. She let the comment drop.
“So curious about my face, are you?”
“No, not at all.”
Saying that made her want to be contrary.
“Ah, you’re not curious about your groom’s face at all?”
Saying it that way made Seoryeon seem odd.
“Then let’s proceed with the first night as is.”
She bit her lip quietly.
His words, capable of twisting one’s heart completely, sent a shiver through her.
“That’s a bit…”
Unfair. She, the woman, was embarrassed, yet he, the man, would conceal his face for the first night.
“Why? Didn’t you say you were curious?”
“I just thought that veil might be cumbersome, that’s all…”
As she poured wine for him, trying to ease the awkwardness, his words left her speechless.
“Was it so difficult to say you wanted to see me?”
Then, revealing just enough of his mouth while drinking the cup in one gulp, he rose.
It was so brief that she barely saw his lips move.
Well, now that it had come to this, she could remove it herself.
Seoryeon finished her wine and moved to the bed.
But his next words froze her in place.
“I cannot sleep with anyone. So we shall sleep separately.”
“……?”
What kind of dog-like nonsense was this before the first night?
Truly, he could say the most absurd things.
“The first night…”
Even saying the words herself bruised her pride, but what maddened her most was that he seemed to have no intention of consummating it.
He took the center of the bed and even turned his back.
If she failed at this first night, future intimacy in the palace would be even more difficult.
The thought of having to beg him for the bed again made Seoryeon increasingly anxious.
She had to coax him somehow.
But all she knew how to do was…
“Perhaps… there is someone you wish to kill?”
