Chapter 28
“Whew. That was close. If it hadn’t been Senior Brother Eun, it would’ve been a real problem.”
“It seems he lost me while chasing me and followed your presence instead.”
Ahan shook his head, then soon fell into doubt.
The Crown Prince’s guard was supposed to be only one person. When he had faced him together with Prince Jeong before, that man had seemed almost like an ordinary military officer.
In other words, he shouldn’t have been capable of noticing him and giving chase. Even if one were generous and assumed he could follow Ahan, it certainly shouldn’t have been Eun Gwancheon.
Senior Brother Eun is a genius on par with the eldest senior brother. When it comes to concealment, even the eldest senior brother can’t track him.
After scanning the surroundings, Eun Gwancheon leaned his body out past the edge of the pavilion roof.
“Let’s go.”
“Is he gone?”
“Yes. Looks like he gave up. Let’s head back. His Highness will be waiting.”
The two of them moved from roof to roof, crossing over to other buildings as they made their way toward Prince Jeong’s residence.
After changing their posture to appear as ordinary attendants and servants, they calmly entered through the back gate. Eun Gwancheon said he would go see the eldest senior brother first and parted ways with Ahan.
Ahan headed toward the quarters where Prince Jeong usually stayed, but stopped in front of the door.
Yeon-yeon.
A trembling voice flowed from inside. Ahan scratched his head and then sat down where he was.
Is that child… really your younger sister? She has a different surname, and you don’t even know her name, so maybe she’s just a girl who looks similar?
Shin Wan, was it? That was her name. She really did resemble Seo Hwa-ryeon. If someone said they weren’t born from the same womb, it would be hard to believe.
As Ahan listened to Prince Jeong talking to himself, he counted the date he had forgotten.
So it’s the anniversary.
It was around this time of year that Seo Hwa-ryeon had died. Ahan finally understood why Prince Jeong had postponed the meeting with the important foreign envoy he had been scheduled to receive today.
Then why did he go to see that woman?
Even so, he couldn’t understand why Prince Jeong had chosen to meet Shin Wan. On Seo Hwa-ryeon’s death anniversary, to see someone who resembled her…
It’s not my place to judge.
Anyone else aside, Prince Jeong was his master.
It didn’t matter if it was something he couldn’t understand. A dog doesn’t try to understand its owner. It simply follows.
Ahan quietly listened to Prince Jeong’s memorial words, until the sun set and he finally came out.
Chapter Six. Nine-Flower Poison (九花毒)
On my way back to Seolmae Palace, I sensed that something was off. There were far too many eyes on me.
Normally, a palace maid without a master to serve was no different from a wall—someone people barely noticed. But now, the attention was excessive.
“Ah.”
It was because of my clothes. It wasn’t like I wanted to dress this conspicuously. I didn’t know what Ahan had done with the clothes I wore out, but they had vanished without a trace.
And on top of that, I was carrying a huge bundle. It would’ve been stranger if people didn’t stare.
As I passed by, I saw other palace maids whispering when our eyes met. Yes, I knew it too. These were clothes far beyond my station.
I quickened my pace. I didn’t even know how many stares I endured before finally reaching Seolmae Palace.
“Oh my.”
“Chaeeun?”
Why was she here? She should be in Yeongchun Palace with Lady Moyong Biyeon—
“Hah, impressive.”
I didn’t even need to see her face. That mocking voice belonged to Moyong Biyeon.
“Ah!”
A sudden pain made a sound slip out of me. The sharp tip of Moyong Biyeon’s fan jabbed just below my collarbone.
“If you go in looking like that, your younger sister will be startled.”
“……Thank you for your concern.”
“I wasn’t concerned.”
I tried hard to calm the boiling anger inside me. Why was it that every time she saw me, she just had to pick a fight?
Hehe—Moyong Biyeon let out a low laugh and lightly flicked her sleeve.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As Chaeeun followed behind Moyong Biyeon, she hurriedly pulled something out and tossed it to me.
When I caught it, it looked like a piece of cloth she used as a handkerchief. Why was she giving me this?
When I looked at her in confusion, Chaeeun tapped her own chest. Then, when she met Moyong Biyeon’s sharp gaze, she shrank her shoulders.
What was that about? I didn’t remember getting injured. They said all the poison had already been removed.
“Elder sister Wan, aren’t you coming in? Her Highness is waiting.”
Suha peeked her face out from between the gates. I crumpled the handkerchief and stuffed it into my clothes.
“Ah—yeah. I’m coming.”
“Wow, don’t tell me that outfit is—”
“Shh, shh. I’ll tell you later.”
Suha’s eyes sparkled. I quickly covered her mouth and dragged her inside.
And then, I immediately locked eyes with Wang Seonhwa, who was sitting in the front courtyard with a sulky expression.
Ah—was she angry because I left without telling her?
“You came back quickly.”
“I apologize, Your Highness. I was worried I might disturb your nap, so I left without reporting properly.”
I bowed hurriedly and made excuses. An ice-cold voice dropped over my head.
“Since when did you become a maid of the Prince Jeong’s residence?”
I was flustered. I thought she’d let it slide. I mean, Prince Jeong wasn’t someone I could casually refuse, and he even brought up an appointment—
I tried to read her mood, but my strength suddenly drained away.
That wasn’t the face of someone who was simply angry. It was more like… yes, that expression. The look someone has when they find out the friend they thought they were closest to had gone to play with someone else without saying a word.
I’d been nervous, thinking I’d really offended her, but it felt anticlimactic. Did this really warrant such a chilling tone?
…Then again, for a teenager, what’s more important than friendship? Of course, there was a wall of status between us.
But if you ignored that wall, Wang Seonhwa treated me no differently than a friend. If anything, I was the one building that wall.
“I even brought a gift for you, Your Highness.”
I walked closer with a forced smile. Wang Seonhwa, still looking prim, didn’t look at me and instead tapped an empty chair.
“Who do you think I met?”
“Prince Jeong, right?”
She answered indifferently while stroking Hyeonya in her arms. But I had a trump card.
The problem was, I didn’t know what it was yet. Still, since it was meant for her, it had to be something good.
I glanced around to signal the others. The palace maids quietly withdrew out of sight.
Come to think of it, Anhwa wasn’t around. Where did she go?
I didn’t think much of it and pulled out the bundle Wang Aseon had given me, trying to brighten the mood on purpose.
“My goodness—what is all this blood?”
“What? Blood?”
What blood? Startled by Wang Seonhwa’s reaction, I looked down.
There, on my chest, was a clear, dark red bloodstain.
“What happened? Did you get hurt because of Prince Jeong?”
“N-no. I wasn’t hurt, it’s just… um…”
Why did no one tell me my clothes were stained with blood? Did they think I already knew?
No wonder Chaeeun gave me the handkerchief. And when Moyong Biyeon said Wang Seonhwa would be startled—she wasn’t talking about my clothes, but the blood.
“How dare he—!”
Wang Seonhwa looked ready to storm off and confront Prince Jeong immediately. I hurriedly grabbed her.
“No! That’s not it!”
“Then what is it?”
“Well, th-that is…”
How was I supposed to explain this? Should I talk about the Ghost Hand Sect? Did Wang Seonhwa really need to know something like that?
“On the way back to the palace, I was careless and got a nosebleed… I didn’t realize it got on my clothes and just came back like this.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Doubt filled Wang Seonhwa’s eyes. Even I thought it was a flimsy excuse.
“You’re not hurt anywhere else?”
“I’m really fine. It was just a small nosebleed.”
Under that accusing gaze that stabbed at my conscience, I looked away and grabbed the bundle.
“Th-then again, aren’t you curious about this? If you find out who I got it from, you’ll be really surprised.”
“That’s not what’s important right now—oh my.”
When I untied the cloth, Wang Seonhwa’s eyes widened. So did mine. It was completely unexpected.
I thought it would be jewelry at most, but what came out was a Bulgam—a Buddhist shrine.
The entire body was made of gold, with a roof tiled in blue celadon. Not only were the Three Buddhas exquisitely depicted, but even the guardian deities carved into the doors were so detailed they seemed alive.
Had there been any shop today that sold something like this?
“Did you meet my brother? This is something he’s carried with him since he was young…”
Apparently, when Wang Aseon was once hovering between life and death, the king summoned the finest artisans to create it.
There was also a letter inside. Seeing Wang Seonhwa’s eyes grow moist, it must have been filled with heartfelt words.
I was relieved that Wang Aseon’s gift managed to divert her attention.
Come to think of it, should I tell her that Wang Aseon’s condition wasn’t good? Or would that just give her something else to worry about?
After some thought, I decided against it. When you don’t know what the person involved would want, it’s best to stay silent.
“Then what are those things?” Wang Seonhwa asked, after finishing the letter, turning her attention to my belongings.
“Ah, these are…”
After hearing the whole story, Wang Seonhwa’s expression turned strange—part displeased, part deeply thoughtful.
“I see. In the end, what matters most is your heart.”
What was that supposed to mean?
