CHAPTER 10
Day 6 since becoming the Meow-Meow Princess.
My first official schedule was just a day away.
I fulfilled my duty as a social deadweight every single day. To be honest, I tried to make a few more escape attempts, but each and every one was discovered by Seo Woo-gyeong and Chief Palace Lady Cheon, ending in failure.
So I truly did nothing at all, and somehow that was comfortable. They say humans are animals of adaptation, don’t they.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m doing my absolute best to do nothing.”
From time to time, Seong Chi-un would visit my palace under the pretext of surveillance, and every time he saw me lying sprawled out—
“…Good grief.”
—he would scoff in disdain and disappear.
What do you want me to do? Then go cry in front of the Emperor and ask him to lift the special protection measures.
As I was thinking that, a heated voice rang out beside me.
“Restrained sexiness! The very model of fairness and integrity!”
“A talent of the imperial family, endowed with benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom!”
This wasn’t just making a fuss—this was a whole new level of fuss.
Ever since Seo Woo-gyeong started clocking in at Baekya Palace, it’s been like this every morning.
“Prin-cess. I’m so jealous I could die. First the Chief Secretary’s close protection, and now Captain Seo Woo-gyeong as your dedicated knight!”
I stuffed a piece of plainly grilled sea bream—the main breakfast dish—into my mouth and chewed.
Mmm. Soft and moist!
“You must have saved the nation at least five times in your past life, Princess. Seriously!”
“Oh my, that much?”
I nodded indifferently and glanced at Seo Woo-gyeong, who was leaning against the window with his arms crossed.
A gaze that seemed indifferent yet not.
That languid air, that ascetic face. It really was a face you couldn’t help but keep looking at.
“Is that why I followed you around when I was little?”
“You followed Captain Seo around, Princess?!”
“Is that true, Captain Seo?”
He flicked an eyebrow.
“What a shame. I almost became the Prince Consort.”
At that shamelessly casual reply, my mouth fell open.
“Princess, this is a stock that’s guaranteed to rise! Kyaa!”
This is insane. Truly.
Seo Woo-gyeong, calmly praising himself so openly. And my court ladies squealing with delight with Seo Woo-gyeong right in front of them.
Impressive.
“Court Lady Seong. Take this away.”
“Prin-cess. If you eat only this much—like bird feed—again today, what will you do?”
“Oh, well. Seeing a potential Prince Consort first thing in the morning is blinding, so I’ve lost my appetite.”
“Kyaa! I’ll bring dessert right away, Princess!”
What on earth do they find so great?
I set down my chopsticks and was just about to receive a report from Seo Woo-gyeong about tomorrow’s ceremony when—
A guest arrived at Baekya Palace.
“For Her Highness the Imperial Consort to come to the palace—what brings her here?”
I already knew.
A short while later.
I rested my chin in my hand as I watched Chief Palace Lady Cheon and Seo Woo-gyeong step outside. Then I looked out through the floor-to-ceiling window.
“What’s with that box, Princess? Could it be a gift?”
It is a gift. Probably a dress.
Sure enough, a court lady belonging to the Imperial Consort’s palace arrived carrying a large box. When Chief Palace Lady Cheon received it and held it out in front of Seo Woo-gyeong, he ran some sort of detector over the surface of the box with practiced ease.
Once he confirmed it wasn’t dangerous, they carried the box inside.
“Woooow.”
As expected, inside the box was a dress.
‘For the Princess’s meaningful first greeting. Sent with heartfelt sincerity.’
As if. More like filled with malice.
I casually shoved the note aside and took out the dress.
“It’s a dress! It’s so beautiful, Princess!”
What the Imperial Consort had sent was a clean ivory-colored midi dress.
Decorated with gold chains in a way that wasn’t excessive, the dress was elegant yet suitably restrained—enough that anyone unaware would think real care had gone into choosing it.
“You’ll truly look like a fairy.”
For even Chief Palace Lady Cheon to say that with such a pleased expression.
“Why would Her Highness the Imperial Consort do this? It’s so dignified.”
“Tomorrow, no one will be able to see anyone but you, Princess!”
Yes. On the surface, that’s true.
“Chief Palace Lady Cheon.”
I smiled brightly and handed her the dress.
“Quietly throw this away.”
Gwanghwamun Square at Gyeongbokgung Palace. A massive banner fluttered in the wind.
‘Meeting the People to Commemorate the Return of the Princess of the Korean Empire.’
As the imperial ceremonial vehicle procession entered, the people erupted in cheers.
“How late did they say the Princess would be? Always causing trouble, even on a day like this.”
“They say she got an upset stomach from nerves, Your Majesty. She should arrive on time.”
The Emperor looked thoroughly displeased, but for the Imperial Consort, it was rather fortunate.
She’d been racking her brain over how to make the Princess move separately, so the fact that the girl would arrive on her own was, for once, something to be grateful for.
Outside the car window, crowds of people lined up, waiting for the Princess. Banners bearing the Princess’s face and welcome messages rippled like waves.
‘That won’t last long.’
The Imperial Consort imagined the Princess appearing in the dress she had specially sent. Unfortunately, today’s imperial dress code was hanbok.
Manipulating the dress code was a classic harassment tactic commonly used by nearby royal families.
Dress one person differently, make them look foolish, and even stir up an issue of damaging the imperial family’s dignity—a simple yet effective method.
“Princess Iseol! Princess!”
At the crowd’s cheers, she quietly curled her lips in a sneer.
‘Such low-level commoners.’
They had arrived at the imperial seating area, but Iseol still hadn’t appeared.
‘What on earth is this girl doing?’
Then it happened.
“Huh? Huh?!”
The cheering suddenly surged, loud enough to tear at the ears. But just as quickly, an uncanny silence fell, as if a mouse had died. The Imperial Consort lifted her head with a puzzled expression.
‘What is this? That girl—!’
The Imperial Consort’s face stiffened rapidly.
The Princess was wearing not the dress she had sent, but a clean, white-toned hanbok dress.
The design was simple, but the plum blossom embroidery delicately stitched with gold thread displayed both elegance and the majesty of the imperial family.
Her hair, styled in a low bun tied neatly at the nape, maximized a pure yet composed beauty.
“Wow… Big sister, you’re so pretty.”
Murmuring as if dazed, the young Princess covered her mouth without realizing it and glanced nervously at the Imperial Consort.
“T-that…!”
The Emperor snorted loudly. The Imperial Consort quickly realized Iseol’s intent and let out a flustered exclamation of “Ha!”
What shocked her wasn’t that the Princess had worn different clothes.
A plaza steeped in momentary silence.
“Nice to meet you.”
With Iseol’s first greeting, frenzied cheers and a barrage of camera flashes erupted.
Three hours earlier.
I looked at myself in the mirror and adjusted my appearance.
A white-toned hanbok.
The plum blossom embroidery along the neckline and sleeve ends shimmered softly. At a glance, it might have seemed plain.
“For accessories, this.”
Once I put on a plum blossom brooch and simple drop earrings to match, an understated dignity was complete.
“As you said, Princess, Her Highness the Imperial Consort and Her Highness the Princess will be wearing hanbok. How did you know?”
“I happened to hear. By chance.”
I dodged the question and turned my head.
I couldn’t exactly say I knew because I’d already lived through it once.
My previous life.
At my first official event, I had appeared alone in a dress among imperial family members dressed in hanbok and suffered a humiliating disgrace.
That was where it began.
And now, this is where it will begin.
—What is the Princess going to wear? I’m dying of curiosity lol What’s the dress code? Any palace insiders, give us spoilers
—My Princess, please just show us your happy smileㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
—Iseol could just come out and breathe and it’d be legendary, right? I’m freaking dying waiting for the fancam
—The nation’s expectations are way too high, what do we do about this lol
I had been away from the imperial family for a long time.
After returning, I hadn’t shown them a good side even once. So why did they still give me such blind affection?
The truth is, I know.
That the love directed at me is nostalgia born from respect for my mother.
If so, then the way to repay that blind love is already decided.
Something that can stir the people’s nostalgia.
Something they admire most.
Something they want most from me.
And at the same time, something that can thoroughly screw over the Emperor and the Imperial Consort.
That is—
The Empress Han, praised throughout history as the most virtuous of all.
My mother.
RoyalSeollute@RoyalSeollute
She destroyed it
If you’re a citizen of the Korean Empire, there’s a video everyone has seen at least once.
Seoltopia@Seolspecial
I’m going to die
It’s the speech from the day Empress Han became the first of the Korean Empire to receive the United Nations International Peace Prize.
SeollemAlert@SeollemAlert
Anyone watching the live broadcast right now? The outfit the Princess is wearing—that’s the one the Empress wore during her legendary UN Peace Prize speech, right? This is insane, seriously
That day, Empress Han’s speech moved the entire world, and it remains a video that still sets the people’s hearts ablaze.
So much so that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say the Empress had returned.
“Nice to meet you.”
Iseol stood before them, perfectly recreating that image.
“I am Iseol, Princess of the Korean Empire.”
