SMHER 07

7. Hoping to Be Remembered as a Virtuous Woman

In the warm afternoon, inside the pavilion where a clear pond shimmered and willow branches swayed lazily, Jaein gazed absentmindedly at the rippling reflections of sunlight on the water.

It had already been more than one sikgyeong since Princess Jeonghye, Juae, and Miyoung had begun enthusiastically discussing fashionable accessories.

Jaein, still emotionally drained from the matter involving her younger brother Jeongeon the previous day, had struggled to fall asleep and finally dozed off only in the early hours of dawn.

Perhaps because of that, the shimmering reflections on the pond felt dizzying and blinding, making her body feel lethargic. She fought to keep her eyes open, though it was a painful effort. Could anything be more torturous? She finally understood the meaning of the phrase “heavier than lead.”

Her own body, as if refusing to obey her will, kept trying to close her eyelids. In an attempt to stay awake, she quickly drained the tea in her cup.

Seeing this, Juae frowned and, as if showing off, adjusted her hair.

“Your Highness, I previously mentioned that while accessories are beautiful, nothing compares to the true beauty of fresh seasonal flowers. So today, I decorated my hair with real blossoms.”

A variety of flowers, clearly arranged to draw attention, adorned Juae’s hair beautifully.

“Oh my, I was about to ask about your decoration. You used real flowers? How did you come up with such an idea?”

Princess Jeonghye’s voice rose in admiration, and Juae shrugged with an air of pride. She had awakened before dawn to prepare her appearance, fussing over her adornments, but wasn’t that effort meant for moments like this? She straightened her posture, lifting her chin.

At that moment, a gentle spring breeze rustled through the pavilion. Though the caress of the wind was pleasant, Juae soon stiffened at an unsettling sound.

Buzzzzz.

“W-what… what is that sound?”

Juae’s expression froze as the noise echoed near her ears.

“Oh no, Lady Gwak! B-bees!”

Miyoung exclaimed and quickly stepped back.

Juae glared at Miyoung, who had moved away from her, and the buzzing sound grew louder. She remained frozen in place, her face twisting in distress.

The problem was the flowers she had used to decorate her hair. It was only natural that bees would be attracted to the scent. Yet Juae had no idea how to handle the situation. She knew how to adorn herself beautifully but had never imagined such a problem. Nor could she gently reason with bees as if they were people.

“P-please, someone do something! If Lady Gwak gets stung—what then?”

At Princess Jeonghye’s words, a nearby attendant stepped forward.

However, the young servant hesitated and panicked.

“T-this is not an ordinary bee—it’s a giant hornet!”

It was a Japanese giant hornet, one of the most aggressive and venomous species.

Upon hearing this, tears welled in Juae’s eyes. The giant hornet was notorious for its danger. What calamity was this?

Her vision darkened and her head swam. Survival mattered above all else. Her ambitions of currying favor with the princess, forging political connections, and even aiming for the position of crown princess dissolved in the presence of the hornet’s buzzing.

No matter wealth or power, death was the end of everything. And if she were stung in the face and disfigured—what then? Imagining the worst, tears streamed down Juae’s cheeks.

Watching the chaos unfold, Jaein clicked her tongue softly. If you decorate your head with flowers, you should anticipate such consequences.

Juae’s inability to foresee the problem—knowing only how to show off—was frustrating, yet seeing her crying face made Jaein feel sympathy. She could not ignore her.

Jaein glanced at the tea table, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and stood up. Approaching Juae—who remained rigid with fear, unable to breathe properly as a bee perched on her hair—Jaein positioned herself in front of her.

Juae, startled by Jaein’s sudden movement and the raised chopsticks, cried out.

“W-what are you doing? What do you intend with those chopsticks? Surely you don’t plan to take this opportunity to humiliate me because I once looked down on you?”

Her tear-streaked face and wide eyes made a rather comical sight. But Jaein’s attention was fixed on the bee, not on Juae’s words. She remained focused on the insect’s movements and did not reply, merely placing a finger to her lips as a signal to be quiet.

Juae’s voice subsided under Jaein’s serious gaze.

At that moment, the imperial guards summoned by Princess Jeonghye quickly approached the pavilion. As they arrived, Jaein moved.

With a swift motion, she struck the air with her chopsticks and seized the giant hornet. A collective gasp escaped those watching.

In one precise movement, Jaein caught the hornet between the chopsticks and, applying force, split the insect’s body in two.

“Unbelievable…”

Miyoung’s stunned voice echoed, and Juae finally regained her senses. She stared at the remains of the hornet wriggling before her.

At the same time, the guards captured several honeybees that had been flying nearby. Realizing the pests were gone, Juae exhaled shakily, acknowledging how disgraceful she must have appeared.

She then remembered the maid who had suggested decorating with real flowers and was consumed by rage. She roughly yanked the blossoms from her hair and threw them to the ground.

“Lady Gwak… are you… alright?”

Princess Jeonghye asked, flinching at Juae’s violent trampling of the flowers.

“A-ah… I-I am fine.”

Juae, having momentarily lost composure, only now recognized where she was and what she had been doing. The realization sent a cold sweat down her back.

I must be mad. Acting as I would at home and throwing a tantrum here… She lowered her head, startled by the fact that she had revealed her true nature.

“I-I was just so frightened…”

Quickly adjusting her expression to appear pitiable, she earned Princess Jeonghye’s sympathy.

“I would have reacted the same way. You must have been terribly shocked. It would be best to return home for today.”

“Your concern humbles me. I am deeply grateful, Your Highness.”

Observing the princess’s expression and finding no sign of disapproval, Juae exhaled in relief.

“I still wish to go boating and play archery. There are many things I hope to do at the next gathering. So please, Lady Gwak, be more careful with your appearance so that such incidents do not occur again. If it were not for Lady Min, this could have ended far worse.”

Princess Jeonghye gestured toward Jaein, causing Juae’s expression to stiffen.

“T-thank you… for helping me.”

Her forced expression and strained voice revealed her reluctance. Still, she lowered her head slightly—an action she would not have taken if not for the princess’s presence.

“Not at all. I did hardly anything.”

Jaein offered an awkward smile. The situation unsettled her, and Princess Jeonghye’s bright, expectant gaze made her uncomfortable. Thus, she could only smile awkwardly.

Later

After concluding the midday lecture and returning to the Crown Prince’s quarters, Won paused at the commotion within the palace. Imperial guards were moving busily, suggesting something unusual had occurred.

“What happened?”

“Please allow me a moment to investigate.”

Uiwigi Hyeonseok quickly departed. Upon returning, he reported the incident at Princess Jeonghye’s tea gathering.

“It seems there was a disturbance, Your Highness.”

“Nothing goes peacefully even for a day. Were there any injuries?”

“No, Your Highness. Fortunately, no one was harmed.”

Won clicked his tongue in displeasure.

“You have more to report?”

“Ah… it appears the daughter of the Minister of War’s household captured the hornet…”

Won frowned.

“With so many imperial guards present, it is hard to believe the minister’s daughter dealt with it.”

Hyeonseok struggled to suppress his laughter. Though he had limited experience with noble young ladies, someone as peculiar as Jaein was unprecedented.

After hearing that she had captured the hornet, he had reacted with the same disbelief as Won.

“She supposedly caught the giant hornet with chopsticks and split it in two.”

“What? With chopsticks?”

Won’s astonishment was rare. With a mix of laughter and disbelief, he turned his gaze toward Jaein in the distance. She appeared to be a well-mannered young lady, yet her actions were entirely unpredictable.

It amused him. He wondered how many more unexpected surprises she would reveal in the future.

Inside the pavilion where the imperial guards were restoring order, Jaein’s eyelashes trembled. Watching her, Won could not help but smirk.

For someone supposedly brave enough to catch a giant hornet and split it with chopsticks, her face was as pale as a sheet. He could not determine which version of her was the true one, and that uncertainty only made him smile.

Jaein, meanwhile, felt the situation growing worse. The Crown Prince’s procession had suddenly appeared at a distance.

She silently prayed that they would simply pass by. However, the procession stopped—clearly aware of the recent incident.

‘Please, just go away.’

Jaein felt uncomfortable under Won’s gaze. It was as if her true self—usually hidden from others—had been exposed only to him.

More troubling still was the strange sensation of heat where his eyes lingered, accompanied by her heart pounding wildly as if leaping over a dozen walls. She struggled to maintain composure in his presence.

Yet, strangely, she wished he would regard her as a modest and virtuous young lady. She could not understand why. It was a complicated emotion—discomfort at meeting him, yet also a faint sense of longing.

‘Please… I hope he never learns what I did.’

After all, the “giant hornet dissection technique” was not something he needed to know.

Jaein muttered to herself as her gaze met Won’s. His expression seemed almost welcoming, and she swallowed nervously. Their locked eyes felt so intense that she could barely blink. How long had they stared at each other?

When Won finally took a step toward the pavilion, Jaein started in shock, abruptly regaining her composure.