Episode 9
Thanks to her hurried preparations, Ga-heun managed to arrive at Jaseondang before Hwi. After waiting for a long while with no sign of him, Dan-ah approached and asked softly.
“Are you alright? Your complexion is truly poor.”
“I’m… fine.”
“See? I told you we rushed. Standing out here in the cold has only made it worse.”
“I said I’m fine!”
Irritation seeped into Ga-heun’s voice. The menstrual cramps were already agonizing, and Dan-ah’s nagging was the final straw.
“Crown Princess.”
A heavy voice resonated from behind her.
“Your Highness.”
“I do not know how you behaved at your private residence, but this is the Palace.”
“Is it appropriate for you to throw such a tantrum?”
Ga-heun bit the inside of her cheek at Hwi’s sharp rebuke.
“I apologize. My health is poor, and it has made my nerves sharp.”
Hwi’s lips curved into a mockingly graceful smile.
“I am aware.”
Ga-heun’s heart throbbed. No one should have told him yet—could it be that despite his cold words, he was secretly looking out for her? Hope began to rise.
“Are you not the ‘great lady’ whose health was so fragile that her marriage documents were only just submitted?”
The hope that had inflated in her chest popped instantly. Hwi was openly mocking her. Ga-heun’s pale face flushed deep red. They weren’t alone; court attendants were well within earshot. Yet, Hwi didn’t bother to hide his hostility.
Unable to watch any longer, Dan-ah tried to defend her mistress.
“Your Highness, it is not that. The Crown Princess is—”
“How dare you! Insolent!”
Eunuch Hong barked a short, stern reprimand. Dan-ah’s mouth clamped shut like a clam.
“In whose presence do you think you are speaking so recklessly?”
“I… I apologize.” Dan-ah prostrated herself immediately.
The atmosphere turned icy. Hwi clicked his tongue as he looked at Ga-heun. Even if Dan-ah was someone Ga-heun brought from home, her status was merely that of a lowly court servant. Her talking back to the Crown Prince was a grave offense. Hwi could have ordered her execution on the spot, and no one would have stopped him.
Despite the feeling that her waist was snapping from the pain, Ga-heun bowed her head low.
“It is my fault. She is from my private home and has not yet mastered palace etiquette. Please be merciful. I will punish her severely myself.”
“You certainly should, Crown Princess.”
“…”
“Many have died at the hands of the Left State Councillor for far more trivial reasons.”
Ga-heun knew this all too well. Before the wedding, one only had to walk through the marketplace to hear people cursing Min Chi-hyung’s brutality. Each time she heard of her father’s cruelty, she had broken out in a cold sweat. But hearing it here, from her own husband in front of the court, was a shock incomparable to marketplace gossip.
Hwi continued, indifferent to her darkening expression.
“A servant who dares to interfere in the business of their superiors… Is that not more than enough reason to take a life?”
Ga-heun’s hands, clasped inside her ceremonial sleeves, trembled. Staying bowed for so long made the pain in her lower back unbearable.
“Crown Princess, raise your head. It does not look good in front of the servants.”
As Ga-heun stumbled while looking up, Dan-ah rushed to support her.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
“I am fine.”
Her face said otherwise.
“I shall go to the morning greetings alone. Escort the Crown Princess to her quarters.”
“No. This is our first formal greeting after the wedding. It is only right that I go with you.”
Hwi’s eyebrow arched crookedly.
“There is no need to be stubborn. If something happens to your well-being, the Left State Councillor would be devastated, would he not?”
“Why is a simple greeting to the elders so important? What if people blame me for dragging a sick Princess along?”
Every word out of Hwi’s mouth was a sharpened blade. Ga-heun stared into his cold eyes. For a moment, she saw the young, innocent face of the “Sky Lantern Young Master” she had met as a child. He was the one she had yearned to see again. That longing hadn’t faded over time; it had only hardened into a deep ache.
She had dreamt of this reunion, but she never imagined it would be this painful. She simply wanted to talk about the past, but the wall between them was too high and too thick.
‘The daughter of Min Chi-hyung’s concubine.’
That fact alone meant she should never have even submitted her documents for the selection. Realizing she could never reveal her identity as the “Bam-tol-i” of his youth, a cold winter wind seemed to blow through her heart.
As her silent, complex gaze lingered on him, Hwi’s brow furrowed deeply.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“It is nothing. Let us go.” Ga-heun quickly lowered her gaze.
The King and Queen sat side-by-side to receive the couple. Ga-heun had heard of their good relationship, but seeing them hold hands so tenderly proved the rumors were true. It made her feel bitter.
“Crown Princess, is there any discomfort in your palace life?” the Queen asked with a benevolent smile.
“Thanks to the care of my Royal Father and Mother, I am living comfortably.”
Though her abdomen felt like it was being pierced by needles, Ga-heun refused to show it. She desperately wanted to return to her room, but seeing the refreshments being brought out, she knew it would be a while.
The Queen’s attention shifted to Hwi as she noticed his plate.
“Crown Prince, are you refusing the ginger sweets (Saeng-gang Jeong-gwa) again today?”
Ga-heun glanced over. Hwi had pushed the plate of ginger sweets far to the edge of his table.
“You know I do not enjoy the spicy and acrid taste, Mother. Why do you insist on putting them on my table every time?”
“I do it precisely because you behave this way. They aren’t spicy at all, just sweet.”
The bickering felt like a normal family argument over a picky eater. It reminded Ga-heun of her mother back home, and for a moment, the pain vanished as she let out a soft smile. Hwi caught her smiling and spoke grumpily.
“The Crown Princess is watching, Mother.”
“So you do know what shame is.”
The King and Queen laughed heartily. Caught up in the warmth, the corners of Ga-heun’s lips lifted.
“Do you also dislike ginger sweets, Crown Princess?” the Queen asked.
“No. My mother used to make them often, so I have enjoyed them since I was a child.”
“I like that very much.”
Even though she was a daughter-in-law forced upon them, the Queen showed no sign of dislike. The King remained silent, but Ga-heun didn’t mind. She knew the King likely harbored the same rage toward her father as Hwi did.
She took a bite of a ginger sweet. The sweet, spicy aroma filled her mouth, masking the bitterness in her heart.
The walk back to her quarters was exhausting. As soon as she lay down, Dan-ah began wiping her cold sweat, looking ready to cry.
“I am so sorry, Your Highness. What if things get worse between you and the Prince because of me?”
Things were already beyond repair. Ga-heun offered a bittersweet smile. She was about to speak when a court lady’s voice rang from outside.
“Crown Princess, a physician and nurse from the Royal Infirmary have arrived.”
The door opened, but the person who entered wasn’t just medical staff—it was the Left State Councillor, Min Chi-hyung.
“Crown Princess, why are you getting up? Please, stay seated.”
Min Chi-hyung sat down, followed by the medical staff.
“The Crown Prince sent us. He was concerned that your complexion looked poor today and ordered us to look after you with all our heart.”
