Chapter 37
Chapter Seven: Falling from a Horse on Flat Ground
As I closed my mouth, Cho Jin-roe placed Hyeonya into my arms. A moment later, the Emperor came out, being seen off by Wang Seon-hwa.
I had been distracted by the sound of rain and their conversation and hadn’t noticed anything happening inside at all—but it seemed Cho Jin-roe had heard everything.
The eunuchs who had been sheltering from the rain under other eaves hurried out one after another.
Standing at the doorway, the Emperor held Wang Seon-hwa’s hand and said,
“Don’t come out. I worry that even a raindrop might touch your delicate body.”
It was the kind of thing that made me want to squeeze my eyes shut. If he was so worried, why hadn’t he sent a single word while she was sick?
“With Your Majesty shielding me like this, what is there to worry about?” Wang Seon-hwa replied.
That answer made it impossible not to close my eyes. She used to dislike him whenever he visited—had she decided to change her attitude now?
Was it because of the Gu-hwa poison? Or was she trying to gain the Emperor’s protection?
The Emperor smiled in satisfaction and personally wiped the moisture from Wang Seon-hwa’s cheek.
“I will come again today.”
If Wang Seon-hwa went to attend him tonight, would Cho Jin-roe not be here either?
That would be nice.
“Your Majesty, please leave before the rain grows heavier. I fear you may catch a chill.”
After lingering with Wang Seon-hwa for quite a while, the Emperor finally turned to go.
“Jin-roe. Let’s go.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The eunuchs who had been waiting in the rain quickly raised umbrellas.
As Cho Jin-roe followed the Emperor, he gave me a light bow. I returned the greeting with a small nod.
Wait—didn’t he say he would return to Seolmae Palace? Was he planning to come back later?
The moment the Emperor left through the gate, Wang Seon-hwa let out a sigh. Her voice was thick with exhaustion.
“Let’s go inside, Wanha.”
“Ah, I’ll bring the medicine in with me.”
“Is it today?”
“Yes.”
I had already explained well about the medicine Moyong Bi-yeon had sent.
Since they had been meeting every night, Moyong Bi-yeon no longer seemed interested in provoking Wang Seon-hwa.
In that case, there was no benefit in becoming enemies with someone who still held real power.
Looking up at the rainy sky, Wang Seon-hwa murmured,
“The hunting festival is soon. I hope my brother changes his mind.”
Why Wang A-seon?
She hadn’t met him recently, nor had there been any word through Jin Su-o.
I looked at her with confusion, but Wang Seon-hwa only gave me a faint smile.
Watching her back as she went inside, I soon stopped thinking about it seriously.
If it were something I needed to know, she would have told me.
“Ah, Su-ha. Could you watch Hyeonya for a bit? I need to give Her Ladyship her medicine.”
“Yes. Oh my—why is he so wet?”
“Exactly. Who knows where he wandered off to.”
“I’ll dry him off right away.”
Grrr.
Hyeonya clearly disliked it, but Su-ha didn’t mind.
“There, there. I’ll give you a tasty snack after.”
Hyeonya whimpered and looked at me pitifully. I waved to him with an apologetic expression and headed inside.
First, give Wang Seon-hwa her medicine, then check on Seok-chan…
And I’d need to prepare her for tonight’s attendance too.
Since I didn’t know whether Cho Jin-roe would be around Seolmae Palace tonight, I also needed to think of a way to get out.
“Busy, busy.”
Still… if only this kind of ordinary routine could continue, the imperial palace might actually be a livable place.
* * *
Why am I even here?
No—why did the Emperor bring Wang Seon-hwa along when Wang A-seon and the Prince of Jeong were having a horse-riding match in the first place?
Was it to let the siblings reunite after a long time?
That didn’t seem like a kind enough reason.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have suggested a wager. Naturally, the Emperor bet on the Prince of Jeong, and Wang Seon-hwa bet on Wang A-seon.
“This time, I will be right,” the Emperor said.
As he spoke, he glanced at me sideways. It seemed the previous wager still hurt his pride.
The person involved had already accepted the result, yet he was still holding a grudge. If the Emperor was this petty, I wondered what would become of the country.
Not that it was my country.
“You never know until you compare, Your Majesty,” Wang Seon-hwa replied.
“Wasn’t Yang-gang weak in body? The Prince of Jeong was riding horses before he could even walk.”
“Even so, if I don’t support my brother, who here will?”
“Haha. The affection between siblings remains strong. How enviable.”
When Wang Seon-hwa took a step back, the Emperor’s expression brightened.
Come to think of it, the Emperor had once been exiled to Garin because his half-brother became Crown Prince.
Perhaps his envy was genuine.
As I fanned her with an indifferent expression, I spotted Jin Su-o leading a horse toward us. It had a golden body with a black mane and legs.
“That must be the Atapsa horse given by the King of Cho. A race between heavenly blood horses—this will be worth watching.”
On the opposite side, A-han was leading a platinum-colored horse.
As befitted the Emperor and the royal heir, ornate tack was prepared. With shining decorations placed on the beautiful horses, they looked like mounts straight out of a fairy tale.
Soon, the owners who matched those horses appeared.
“Woooo!”
Amid the cheers of the imperial guards watching nearby, the Prince of Jeong appeared and calmly paid his respects to the Emperor.
Then he even sent a smiling glance this way.
Wait—he wasn’t smiling at me, right?
In contrast, Wang A-seon appeared quietly. His expression didn’t look very good.
The last image I had of him before we parted resurfaced in my mind, and worry crept in.
Wang Seon-hwa seemed to notice his condition too and grew anxious.
At the front, a eunuch was shouting something on behalf of the Emperor.
I moved my hands diligently—but discreetly—trying to communicate with Jin Su-o.
It hadn’t actually been that long, but since I’d heard nothing at all, I wanted to at least greet him.
Despite my effort, Jin Su-o didn’t look this way even once.
The distance was a bit far, but if it were Jin Su-o, a single glance would’ve been enough to spot me.
Was he deliberately ignoring me?
While I was thinking that, the eunuch stepped back, and Cho Jin-roe, holding the Emperor’s riding whip, stepped forward.
As Cho Jin-roe stood between the two horses, the Prince of Jeong mounted his horse first with ease. At Cho Jin-roe’s gesture, I saw Wang A-seon let out a small sigh.
I glanced at Wang Seon-hwa, but it seemed she couldn’t see his expression from where she stood.
Had my eyesight improved?
If so, how far could I see? The farther I could see, the better for aiming a target.
As I focused, wondering if I could even make out the patterns on the tack, something completely unexpected entered my vision instead.
Eyes that gleamed gold as they faced the direct sunlight.
Could Wang A-seon see me from this distance too?
I couldn’t tell whether our eyes had met, or if he was looking at Wang Seon-hwa in front of me.
But I could clearly see the smile on his face as he sat on the horse.
It was a strange smile. Not the confident grin of someone about to compete.
It was more like… that.
Yes. It looked like he was trying to reassure someone.
But about what?
It certainly wasn’t about winning or losing.
It reminded me of a monk who once tried to climb to a remote hermitage on a snowy day. I had cried and begged him not to go, but he went anyway—and didn’t come down until the snow melted, making me worry endlessly.
That old feeling resurfaced, and my heart began to pound with unease.
‘There’s no reason to be anxious.’
Both men were skilled riders, and the track was well maintained. It wasn’t a race where they interfered with each other, so there was no reason for a collision.
But my bad premonitions had always been accurate.
The moment Cho Jin-roe raised the riding whip seemed to move in slow motion. After taking a breath, he lowered his arm along with the sound of a horn.
“Ha!”
“Hyah!”
The shouts rang out almost simultaneously, and in an instant, the two horses disappeared from view.
Cho Jin-roe, who had prepared the finish line, returned to stand in front of the parasol.
“Wanha? Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
Perhaps because my fanning had stopped, Wang Seon-hwa turned around.
“Your hand—”
Only when she touched it did I realize my hand was as cold as ice. Even the Emperor, who couldn’t understand Garin language, sensed something strange and looked at me.
“I think I got too absorbed in their match. I’m not even the one riding, yet I got nervous.”
I forced a silly smile. The Emperor lost interest, and Wang Seon-hwa sent me a worried look before smiling faintly.
“Really? You…”
Even after Wang Seon-hwa turned away, I felt another gaze.
Cho Jin-roe was watching me with suspicion.
I smiled awkwardly—and then, from afar, the sound of hooves began to reach us.
Had they already passed the turning point and were coming back? I’d heard the distance was quite long.
A moment later, I realized the sound was coming from only one horse.
And mixed with it was a desperate shout.
Without thinking, I dropped my fan and ran forward.
