Episode 3
The sudden death of the crown prince forced the other princes to once again compete for the crown, and Seong-woon fought more fiercely than anyone else.
Even when someone was wronged by his evil deeds, he didn’t care. Even when his family was falsely accused and suffered a tragedy, he only dreamed of becoming the crown princess.
But in the end, all that remained was regret and emptiness. Looking back now, he felt pathetic.
“His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince are here!”
At the eunuch’s call, everyone rose from their seats and bowed. Seong-woon, too, naturally moved, thanks to his ingrained habit, but the only thought in his mind was that he had to leave the banquet hall.
He couldn’t stay in the palace any longer, especially not with someone from the royal family.
“Let’s first prevent the disaster that would befall his family.”
Perhaps he returned for this very reason. To save his family, to right the wrongs of his past life, and to live fully. A life of freedom, unattached to power or position.
Having made up his mind, he forgot his brother’s words and found himself leaving the palace.
“I am upright. How can so many of you, who uphold the rules of the palace, be so obsessed with one person?”
Seong-un, who was hurriedly leaving the palace, paused. A group of court ladies had gathered in a corner of the garden.
Their fierce faces, surrounding someone, made the atmosphere seem ominous.
“Laws? Who would question the rules of the palace from a former slave?”
“If you had the opportunity to serve the Empress, you should have served her obediently. Why would you dare try to sow discord?”
“I simply told the Empress the truth.”
The court ladies were a slave class, not even classified as court ladies, and were solely responsible for the palace’s chores.
Conversely, the group harassing the court lady was the Empress’s Palace’s female servants, high-ranking court ladies in charge of the imperial family, and concubines.
“Really? You learned loyalty, but you didn’t learn the consequences of being reckless, did you?”
“I told you, you shouldn’t associate with lowlifes.”
“This isn’t the time to get involved in a situation like this…”
She wished they’d just let it slide, but they weren’t about to let up. The group’s eyes grew increasingly ferocious, as if they were ready to devour her.
Finally, they even pushed the court lady’s shoulder. The woman who had been resisting backed away hesitantly.
“I’ll teach you a lesson about being reckless. You’re going to have to break that habit today.”
“You brought this upon yourself, so don’t hold grudges.”
She needed to get out of here as quickly as possible. If she got any more involved with the palace, the past could repeat itself. The moment this thought occurred to him, his eyes met the maid’s. His feet were frozen, as if nailed to a nail.
Seong-un, consumed by anger, impulsively grabbed the maid’s body before he could even finish his thought. If he had been even a little later, he would have nearly sunk into the deep, frigid waters.
“Are you alright?”
She felt her skinny body, almost skinny, and realized the situation she was in.
Even though they weren’t rich, they didn’t feed her insufficiently, so having a body like this meant there were quite a few people who were being treated unfairly.
“Yes. That’s how the palace is. The weak are trampled and devoured…”
“Who are you, my lady, to interfere in palace affairs?”
Seong-un’s eyes widened at the maid’s sharp voice, and he asked, seemingly confused.
“I was simply rescuing someone from drowning. Is saving someone a separate duty in the palace?”
They were maids from the Empress’s palace. Unless someone had committed a grave crime, no one but the Empress could reprimand them without caution.
They seemed to be well aware of this, and they were smug. They took it for granted that many would bully the weak.
How foolish. In the palace, even a minor incident could cost one’s life.
“Are the other Hangas unharmed?”
Seong-un blinked, deliberately feigning innocence, and surveyed the other court ladies. Most of them scoffed in disbelief, but their ferocity softened slightly.
“This court lady belongs to Bongnyeong Palace. I appreciate your concern, but please refrain from interfering in palace affairs.”
“You seem to have attended today’s banquet, but please return to the banquet hall. This is not a place where outsiders are permitted to enter.”
It seemed she wanted to boast about being protected by the most noble woman in the land.
But favor is like a mirage. It was difficult to obtain, but it disappeared in an instant.
“I got lost, but it’s fortunate I saved Hang-ah. On such a beautiful day, something unfortunate could have happened.”
“An accident? What’s the big deal about losing a single court lady?”
“My lady, you’re still young, so I guess you don’t understand, but not all court ladies are the same. This one is a lowly slave.”
The court ladies snorted again. Some laughed, mocking the court lady. Seong-un briefly gazed at the woman, blushing with insult, then tilted his head.
“An accident, indeed. Even the most lowly creature, if found dead, is considered ominous and causes an uproar. But isn’t this person part of the Empress’s palace? It’s fortunate I caught him in time. If something had happened, there would have been an uproar.”
“That, too, is part of the palace. Even if there were an uproar…”
“Well, I wonder if the upper class will feel the same way?”
The sharp gazes returned, asking what she meant. I thought the court ladies serving the Empress would be quick-witted, but they were so clueless.
“As you all know, today is the banquet to commemorate the crown prince’s investiture. It’s an auspicious day, the day Jinwol established its national foundation. But if a corpse were to surface in the back garden pond on such an auspicious day… what would people think?”
Anyone who wasn’t an idiot would understand. Moreover, this was the imperial palace.
Despite its appearance, superstitions were rampant here more than anywhere else.
“Well, what do you think…”
“The fact that a tragedy occurred on a day like this would be considered an ominous sign. Some might even claim it was the work of someone dissatisfied with the crown prince’s investiture. Then an investigation would have been conducted, and perhaps the Hangas would have suffered greatly.”
I prevented that tragedy.
Unlike her, who simply smiled proudly, having done something good, the group of court ladies bit their lips. It seemed they were finally realizing the repercussions of their actions.
If they were pressed any further, they looked like they’d rush to the empress, so let’s leave it at that. Seong-un put on his usual innocent face.
“Thank goodness we found them quickly, and we prevented a tragedy. But Hang-ah, I’m lost, so could you guide me to the palace gate?”
He smiled and grabbed her arm tightly, and the court lady, bewildered, replied, “Yes.”
While there was no guarantee the court lady would be free from future harassment, she was spared the harsh glares she now held.
I could only hope for peace for the time being.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Leaving the group of court ladies, still biting their lips or sulking, Seong-un urged the court lady on. Her delicate body followed her with ease.
“You’ll be able to board the carriage right after you pass here.”
The court lady seemed incredibly grateful for her rescue, giving her detailed directions at every stop.
Just as she was starting to feel the strain of navigating a familiar space for the first time, she spotted her brother in the distance. He was heading to Eoyeongjeon, so she asked him to guide her there.
“You’ll get lost if you go to Eoyeongjeon…”
“I have company. We’ll meet up and go back together, so don’t worry.”
As she followed the woman who had agreed, Seong-un reminisced about the events that had unfolded. It was still a wonder she was in this palace, but the confusion was less than before.
“We’re here, my lady.”
The court lady pointed to Eoyeongjeon, flinching every time a court lady passed by.
In fact, from the garden where the incident had taken place to this place, the court lady had been busy scanning her surroundings the entire way. Seong-un smiled, realizing what was making this fragile woman tremble with anxiety.
“Thank you for taking me. Thanks to you, I didn’t get lost.”
“No. I’m more grateful. Thanks to you, my lady, I was spared from trouble.”
She quickly stopped the court lady, who was bowing in gratitude.
“What’s your name?”
“Yes? How could such a noble lady ask for the name of a lowly court lady like me…”
“I just wanted to know the name of the person I helped.”
The court lady blinked for a moment, then a blush appeared on her face. Her voice was filled with embarrassment as she spoke the name.
