Chapter 09
Shh.
The man lowered his head, signaling her not to make a sound.
When he pressed in close, she could feel their thighs touching through layers of clothing.
Soa instinctively struggled to pull away but froze when she heard voices.
Behind Yeonwoo’s anxious voice calling her name came the queen’s voice.
“Crown Prince, close your mouth at once.”
“…Mother, this is clearly Soa’s hair ribbon. I gave it to her myself.”
“Crown Prince!”
Slap.
They were only separated by a single wall.
Close enough for Soa to feel the queen’s tightly restrained fury and Yeonwoo’s despair, so deep he could not even speak.
“Have I not always told you to conduct yourself with caution? What kind of wife do you think you will take in the future, behaving so recklessly? Are you prepared to ruin everything over one woman? Do you know how this position was obtained? How was it protected? Do you wish to hand it over so easily?”
“……”
“To doubt your own mother and search the entire palace for a single woman just because you found a red ribbon—is that the conduct of a gentleman I raised?”
“…Mother.”
His voice was low, heavy, and dark.
Just hearing it felt as though Soa’s heart was collapsing.
Though Yeonwoo was the king’s only son, Soa knew well that he had often been the subject of whispered criticism, being the child of a queen who had come from the borderlands, from a family without power, once a mere concubine.
That was one of the reasons her father, the prime minister, worried about her marriage to Yeonwoo.
Seen that way, the queen’s concern was not entirely unreasonable.
But still—
“Soa.”
The man whispered her name again.
This time, Soa did not look up.
She did not meet his eyes.
It hurt too much knowing Yeonwoo was suffering because of her.
She had never been the target of such naked hostility or hatred before.
And now it was painfully clear she had fallen out of the queen’s favor.
“He has moved.”
“That cannot be. Wasn’t he confined?”
“He may have been attacked. We must find Soa before it is too late—”
“Crown Prince, do you realize what you just said?”
“What do you mean… Mother, surely not—”
“He is a being that must never be discovered. It is a beast. Its very existence disrupts the court and threatens His Majesty.”
“Mother, Soa was merely attacked by that beast.”
“If what you say is true, then there is only one course of action left to me. You know this as well as I do.”
“……”
“This ribbon—are you certain it belongs to Prime Minister Yoon’s daughter?”
“……”
“Return now. Is it not time for your lectures? The future king of this nation must not neglect his studies. I will personally escort you, as I did when you were young.”
After a brief silence, footsteps began to move away.
With each reluctant step, regret, despair, and worry lingered heavily.
The man’s eyes scanned Soa anxiously.
She knew he was watching her.
Yet she could not smile falsely and say she was fine like before, nor could she stubbornly insist on going out.
“…”
Her strength gave out completely.
As she withdrew her hand, she slid down to the ground.
The man stared at her.
Soa slowly lifted her head to look at him and spoke softly.
“I need to go home.”
“……”
“Please help me get out of here.”
Without a word, the man bent his knees to meet her gaze.
Then, as easily as lifting a child onto his shoulders, he hoisted Soa up, and in just two steps, cleared the wall.
“Put me down.”
This time, he obeyed without resistance.
It was completely different from before.
Normally, he would have ignored her and done as he pleased.
He must have noticed the change in her expression.
“Tell me the way back—”
“I can’t just leave.”
“Huh?”
“…I was invited. I should say goodbye before leaving. That is proper.”
“It’s dangerous.”
“I know. Don’t worry.”
Thank you. I will repay this kindness someday.
Soa bowed her head briefly as she spoke.
The man reached out as if to stop her, catching her wrist.
But Soa only looked at his hand, then quietly pulled away without saying another word.
***
Soa quickly tidied her disheveled hair.
As expected, the queen’s agents were already searching the area.
When they found her and hurried over, Soa acted like someone who had just regained consciousness and asked for help.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you. Are you all right? You suddenly lost consciousness, so we were going to take you to a physician—”
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Majesty. I felt motion sick on the way here but thought I was fine and came to see you anyway. I must have caused a great discourtesy. When I woke up, I was in the rear garden. Did something happen?”
“…The rear garden?”
“Yes. Afterwards, one of the court maids kindly told me that Her Majesty was here.”
The queen remained silent.
She watched Soa closely, as if assessing whether her words were true.
Soa bowed her head calmly, waiting.
“I failed to manage my subordinates properly. I warned them to be careful. It seems one of them fell and broke his leg and then hid the incident out of fear that harming Miss Yoon would be discovered. He will be punished severely. You must have suffered. Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
“No. Thanks to Your Majesty’s concern, I am fine.”
“Let us escort you home first. Prime Minister Yoon must be worried. This time, I will ensure proper attendants are sent so you return safely. I will instruct them strictly to avoid any mishaps.”
“I am deeply grateful.”
Soa bowed deeply.
The queen’s gaze lingered on her head before she spoke again.
“There is one thing I wish to ask.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“The ribbon you wore today—was it a gift from someone?”
“A ribbon?”
“Yes. The red one suited you well.”
“Oh… if you mean the red ribbon, my father bought it for me.”
“Then it must have been precious. How unfortunate to lose it.”
“He has given me many ribbons since I was young. He likely won’t even notice that I lost one.”
“Prime Minister Yoon dotes on his daughter. I will call a maid to help you tidy up. After such a scare, his heart must be uneasy.”
“I felt terrible showing him such a state… thank you.”
“We shall meet again soon.”
Apparently satisfied, the queen added nothing more and turned away.
Soon, a palanquin arrived.
This time, it was not the brusque man from earlier, but a neatly dressed guard.
Only after entering the palanquin did Soa finally release the breath she had been holding.
The night was thick with unresolved doubts, like fog.
Unable to see even a step ahead, Soa moved forward through the darkness.
***
“I am safe.
Please do not worry.”
To deliver those two lines, Gilli ran tirelessly through the night.
Prime Minister Yoon asked again and again whether anything had happened, but Soa only smiled faintly, said she had enjoyed some refreshments, and went to bed early.
Whether from the tension finally releasing or the lingering poison, she drifted in and out of sleep for days.
Gilli returned with letters, but Soa did not read them and simply turned away.
In the meantime, flower buds on the branches bloomed one by one, bursting into full blossom.
Fresh spring energy, much like Soa herself, filled the air.
“Miss! Miss!”
Early in the morning, Jeongi burst in energetically, calling out to her.
Though Soa had been awake since dawn, lost in thought, she had not come outside.
Unable to ignore Jeongi’s insistence any longer, she finally let her in.
“Why are you making such a fuss?”
“The message finally arrived.”
“A message?”
“Yes! The palace has summoned you! A letter has arrived ordering you to participate in the selection for the Crown Princess!”
“……”
It must be a formality.
The queen did not want her.
Soa pondered the reason.
What had she lacked?
Which virtue required of a crown princess had she failed to show?
How had that deficiency caught the queen’s attention?
“Are you truly unharmed?”
“Are you feeling any pain?”
“Do you know that the flowers have bloomed?”
“My longing has lost its way.”
Soa folded the unanswered letters and placed them at the very bottom of an expensive box where she kept her ornaments.
Then she threw off her blanket.
What good would it do to worry alone?
If she wanted answers, she would have to move forward.
