Chapter 22:
Absolutely No Love Advice!
Throughout her life, Yeong-eun had faced many worries from others.
Of course, she had never wanted them.
‘As soon as they got a little close, they would just dump all their worries on me.’
From small concerns like career paths or trivial matters, to major issues like family affairs, they would confide in her openly and honestly.
Only to Yeong-eun!
As a result, whether she liked it or not, Yeong-eun became someone who knew everything about the other person’s life……
…
Well, that much was fine.
Worries? Well, she could listen.
But there was one type of worry Yeong-eun hated hearing the most.
“P-Please, how can I gain His Majesty’s favor?”
It was love advice.
‘Sigh……’
Should I break up with my boyfriend? Does he like me? Or what should I do? I fought with my lover, how can we make up? No, but he should make the first move…!
Just hearing the topic made her feel fatigued.
‘Why are you asking me that?’
Yeong-eun couldn’t give a clear answer to those questions.
Because she was born single.
Not only had she never been in a relationship in her life, she had never even held hands with the opposite sex! A born singleton!
‘I don’t know either, you bastards.’
She had no idea what kind of answer she was supposed to give.
No wonder, the uninvited guest who had come to Yeonyeonggung’s eyes were shining. With a look as if she were looking at an omnipotent god.
‘Driving me crazy.’
She never dreamed in her wildest dreams that listening to a palace maid’s worries before would come back to her like a boomerang.
And a damn big one at that.
A-mang pressed her fingers to her forehead.
“Why are you asking the young lady that?”
“Ah! Myeong-i told me! She said Princess A-mang of Yeonyeonggung neatly solves any and all worries!”
It was a statement reminiscent of some Taoist master who saw through all worries with his knees.
Even in this situation, the palace maid Myeong-i proudly raised her thumb.
‘Thanks a lot.’
Thanks to that, she had to give up her day off and was now stuck giving love advice. Still, since she was a concubine, A-mang tried her best not to show how annoyed she was.
But, why so early in the morning!
She suppressed the rising anger, pushing it down again and again.
“Your Ladyship. You need not use honorifics with this humble one.”
“Ah… Is that so? But I find this more comfortable.”
The woman with long, flowing hair covered her mouth and laughed softly, “Hoho.”
Her sleeves were embroidered with floral patterns in places, but overall her attire was modest.
Moreover, she didn’t wear a single golden accessory that all the concubines usually wore. Only a ribbon with tassels.
“I see.”
“I heard from Myeong-i. That you are extremely wise, Princess!”
A-mang glanced at Myeong-i standing behind her.
‘You even said that?’
It seemed the consultation had been quite satisfactory. Although there hadn’t really been a consultation.
‘I just intimidated her a bit.’
Anyway, if the customer was satisfied, then that was that.
A-mang’s gaze turned towards the concubine in front of her.
So Mi-in.
A low-ranking concubine no one paid attention to.
A humble family background, no backing whatsoever.
On top of that, no children either?
It was a life where you had to live holding your breath!
‘I heard she was the Empress’s palace maid.’
Furthermore, she wasn’t a concubine who entered the palace by receiving a royal summons; she was formerly a maid in Jayeomgung.
Most people would say such a person was ‘lucky.’
Really?
Was she lucky?
‘It’s a flaw that her partner is the tyrant, though.’
If it were an ordinary emperor, she might have been favored and lived a sweet life.
Perhaps she could have even aimed for a rise in status.
But So Mi-in seemed fragile at a glance. She had a soft impression, as if she would tremble at the slightest harsh word.
“Why do you look at me so……?”
Her pale eyelids fluttered. Her eyelashes were so long they were like fans.
‘Pretty.’
It was an unintentional thought.
It was an appearance that made one understand why she rose from a mere maid to a concubine.
Large eyes, a prominent nose, a face that reminded one of a newly rising rookie actress.
A woman who was soft and kind, but with a story, a woman of substance.
‘Should I become the emperor too?’
If he had such a beauty by his side, it seemed like work wouldn’t get done.
She decided to stop her thoughts there.
If she kept staring blankly in admiration, she’d start drooling.
“Ahem, so you wish to gain favor, you say?”
“Yes! Actually, last night was the day to attend His Majesty… but His Majesty, perhaps due to busy state affairs, did not come.”
“Last night?”
The clear memory from last night was the sand play therapy.
‘This is insane.’
He left such a beauty behind for that just to get counseling?
So Mi-in, tears welling in her eyes, was on the verge of crying.
‘My apologies.’
She meant it sincerely.
No wonder that crazy emperor came, forsaking feminine charms.
But to leave a concubine behind and come?
While favored concubines received the emperor’s visits regardless of the date, it was different for the others.
It’s natural for footsteps to turn towards a loved one, but wouldn’t it be a problem if he focused on just one?
‘He could fall for feminine charms and ruin the country.’
As many emperors had done. Moreover, since favor acted as significant power among the concubines, women who didn’t receive the emperor’s love were relegated to the back halls as old spinsters.
To prevent this, every concubine was obligated to attend to the emperor once a month.
Above all, Emperor Mu-je didn’t have any particularly favored concubines.
‘Just one day.’
That one day she could fulfill her duty as a concubine.
And he had given that precious day to A-mang.
‘Just to get counseling.’
Her head throbbed. Was it a good thing she didn’t know where he went last night?
“I heard you came to Yeonyeonggung, so I came to find you. Since you see His Majesty often, Princess!”
“……”
“If His Majesty would just visit Wonseokgung often, it would be more than perfect.”
“My apologies.”
“What? No, how can you say that!”
A-mang felt like she wanted to press her forehead to the floor right then. Her heart was also filled with pity, wondering how desperate she must be to come to Yeonyeonggung like this.
‘The emperor is really the worst.’
To be ignored just because one isn’t favored by such a person. Being a concubine is such a tough job.
“How can I help you?”
“I don’t ask for much. Even for just a single day, I just wish to attend His Majesty.”
“You have one chance a month, don’t you?”
“Th-that’s true, but……!”
So Mi-in fidgeted, hesitant to speak.
‘It seems there’s a problem.’
It was obvious even without hearing. It seemed like she was being threatened using favor as a pretext, if not worse.
What was this strange feeling, as if he would engage in pointless negotiations after taking her as a concubine supposedly because he liked her?
“What is it?”
“…This humble one will speak on her behalf, but His Majesty has always been busy with state affairs and has not visited the concubines’ quarters.”
Unable to watch, Myeong-i answered for her.
Hmm, it was just as she thought, so it wasn’t very surprising.
She had thought that the reason no children were born for over ten years after Princess A-mang was because someone had interfered.
‘To think he himself avoided it.’
If he didn’t lay a finger on them, nothing would happen. Since he held the lifelines of the concubines, it wouldn’t be bad politically either.
However, it was a torment for the concubines who genuinely waited for the emperor.
“I’m afraid I can’t do anything about that?”
“But!”
“How can I possibly go against His Majesty the Emperor’s will?”
“Those words are……”
“It means he doesn’t wish to visit the concubines, right?”
“!”
It might be hurtful, but it was an unavoidable fact.
If it were a solvable worry, she would listen actively, but this was on a different level.
She wasn’t an omnipotent god; how could she change a person’s heart?
‘It’s a pity, but there’s nothing to be done.’
A-mang shrugged her shoulders. She planned to send the two away quickly and enjoy her comfortable day off.
‘Maybe I’ll have some tanghulu while I’m at it.’
The sweet taste of the tanghulu she had discovered a few days ago was still unforgettable.
The saying ‘late-onset sweetness is scary’ fit perfectly.
It was then, as A-mang was lost in happy imaginings of eating tanghulu.
“Princess! Please, help our Ladyship!”
“Myeong, you mustn’t bother the Princess……!”
“But Ladyship! Everyone will look down on Wonseokgung! Has it not been over 5 years since you became a concubine?”
“Th-that’s true, but!”
“We need your help, Princess! You have no idea how much Wonseokgung is ignored for not having a favored concubine! Even a laundry maid who entered the palace recently looked down on our Ladyship!”
What kind of fuss is this?
A-mang looked down blankly at Myeong-i, who was prostrated with her forehead to the ground.
So Mi-in trembled, but didn’t actively stop Myeong-i.
It was clear at a glance that the two were both former palace maids.
‘This is driving me crazy! Seriously.’
Oh, this wretched world where I can’t even rest comfortably!
Seeing how they didn’t back down even after all this, it seemed they were quite desperate too.
‘Having been alone for 5 years… I guess that makes sense.’
From So Mi-in’s perspective, A-mang’s appearance must have been a surprise.
A-mang, too, probably hadn’t had any visitors since Hwanyeong-bi’s death.
She must have seemed like a person who appeared like a comet and received Emperor Mu-je’s favor.
Even though inside, she was an unfortunate child suffering because of the emperor.
‘Her effort is admirable.’
Moved by the palace maid’s sincerity, even to the point of tears, she almost blurted out, “Alright, let’s do it!”
Get ahold of yourself, Princess!
You can’t do anything!
A-mang tapped her own cheeks lightly.
“Princess.”
So Mi-in gently took A-mang’s hand.
A cool fragrance wafted to her nose, a single tear hanging on the edge of her eye.
So Mi-in, her cheeks flushed red, spoke in a trembling voice.
“Please help this humble concubine…….”
A tear streamed down her cheek and fell onto the back of A-mang’s hand.
The rims of So Mi-in’s eyes were swollen red.
Her long eyelashes were wet and drooped slightly, but even that made the beauty’s face stand out.
A-mang’s mouth fell open without her realizing.
The woman before her was like an actress who had jumped out of a drama.
A sorrowful and beautiful concubine.
A-mang, swallowing hard, muttered unconsciously.
“…I’ll give it a try.”
She had completely fallen for the honey trap…
