Chapter 20

Yomin trembled, so humiliated by her own rude act. She could hardly speak properly now. Nonetheless, Kyosul didn’t say anything. Lowering her head several times, Yomin asked for her forgiveness.

“This foolish woman committed a big disloyalty to you, Your Highness. Please forgive me. I won’t come to this place until you formally give me a green light. I will surely make sure I won’t be noticed by you anymore.”

As there was fierce competition to succeed the throne among the four princes, nobody knew when they could go to ruin if something went wrong. In such a situation, how could Yomin, wife of Prince Ruhae, who was the third in line to the throne, dare to raise her voice before the official wife of the Crown Prince, the first in line to the throne? If the Crown Prince deeply loved Kyosul or if Kyosul were arrogant, Yomin could not be guaranteed her life. No matter how little the Crown Prince cared about Kyosul and no matter how weak and softhearted Kyosul was, Yomin could not be forgiven for her act in the current situation. Trembling, with her head lowered on the ground for a while, Yomin barely raised her head, but she couldn’t look at Kyosul, stepping back, bowing to her politely.

After Yomin left, the nanny approached Kyosul.

“Your Highness!”

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“Nanny!”

Shedding tears, she was wrapped in the nanny’s bosom.

“I’m here with you, Your Highness. Let me stand by you.”

“Nanny, nanny…What should I do now?”

Tears began to run down her cheeks. Hugging her warmly, the nanny stroked her back.

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“I lied to her. I couldn’t tell her the truth.”

“It’s alright. You’re okay. Everybody will think that way. Nobody can dare say you lied.”

“Nanny, but what I said was true. My heart also ached because the Crown Prince treated me so coldly. Of course, I am more heartbroken because of Prince Ruhae. Why did he hide the fact that he was a prince from me? Did he toy with this foolish woman from the Hwa Kingdom? Did he deceive me?”

Was it because she was full of fear at that moment? Kyosul began to tell the nanny what she hadn’t realized before. The nanny stroked her back slowly.

“I just don’t know. I just don’t know why I’m acting like this. I just want to be loved…”

The sound of Kyosul’s breathing was subdued for a moment and she began to sob.

“Mom, brother….”

After sobbing in the nanny’s arms, Kyosul began to calm down in her warm bosom and soon fell asleep. The nanny took away the chair she was sitting on and laid her on the cushioned mat there.

“I guess you were thirsty for love here as you were not treated duly and loved as much as you were in the Hwa Kingdom.”

Stroking her face once again, the nanny took the blanket on the bed and covered her. Her small figure was trembling.

***

Yomin returned to her residence in the South Palace. As if she lost her senses, Yomin sat on the cushioned mat with a blank face. A mirror was attached to the desk she was facing now. A beautiful woman who put on makeup was reflected in the mirror.

“…Just ugly.” She uttered one work feebly. “I’m just ugly. Why are you, foolish bitch, sitting here in this South Palace, when you’re full of jealousy?”

She was reproaching herself. Suddenly, she had tears in eyes. After having a staring match with the woman in the mirror, Yomin closed the mirror stand with a bang.

“How ugly I look…” Shedding tears, she threw herself on the bed. “Oh, I miss Prince Ruha much more than I think I did.”

Her shoulders were trembling with sobbing. Court lady Bojin, who could come into her room anytime as Yomin favored her, could not dare to comfort her, so she was shedding tears, standing by the wall.

***

In the center of the imperial palace of the Mok Kingdom, the deepest place, two men sat face to face in the most secretive place that nobody else could access. One of them was the Emperor of the Mok Kingdom, Ohyulje, who was old but had an imposing aura of majesty and dignity, sitting in the king’s chair. The other was a young man sitting on the red cushioned mat in the middle of the floor: Bipaan, a chip off the old block.

The atmosphere, which had been serious for a while as they talked about state affairs, ended when Ohyulje pulled himself back and leaned back in the golden throne.

When Bipaan was about to say goodbye to him and leave, Ohyulje opened his mouth with a light tap on the armrest of his chair.

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“Come to think of it, I heard a funny story a few days ago.”

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At his sudden statement Bipaan, who was about to bow out after greetings, stopped.

“Recently I had a chance to chat with Concubine Yu in the flower garden.”

Bipaan frowned at his mention of Concubine Yu. Though she was promoted to one of Ohyulje’s concubines for her stunning beauty, she was frivolous and talkative just like a woman of low birth. She lost favor with Ohyulje a long time ago as she was so slow-witted. As she was so talkative, she was allegedly responsible for all the rumors getting around the palace.

Although Concubine Yu was a stunning beauty, Bipaan could not understand why Ohyulje wanted to keep such a talkative woman as his concubine.

Speaking slowly, Ohyulje scolded him loudly, shouting, “Crown Prince!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

His reply came automatically.

With his head lowered, he replied instantly but giggled at his own automatic response.

“You’re at it again?” Ohyulje asked sharply.

“Could you tell me why you’re scolding me? Please give me a chance to reflect on myself and not to repeat the same mistake.”

Ohyulje never scolded Bipaan for no reason. If Ohyulje called him out loud, Bipaan knew it was because he had done something wrong. Though he experienced his father’s scolding often when he was a child, he was rarely been scolded after he turned ten years old.

So, when Ohyulje gave him such a sudden scolding, he couldn’t understand.

When Bipaan bowed his head and asked, Ohyulje opened his mouth.

“As you earnestly ask me to answer, let me tell you. Didn’t I tell you to ponder over why I gave you the official title ‘Bipaan’? In order to be the emperor, you should never easily reveal what’s in your mind.”

A while ago Bipaan frowned and even laughed. And he bowed deep and asked for his forgiveness.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I will correct it. ”

“Out of the four prince candidates chosen to succeed the throne, I have high expectations for you. You have a quality in you that can make you become a great king not swayed by any turbulence. Prince Dukwol is different on the inside and out. Ruhae could be a wise emperor, but his character is too soft to be the emperor. And Binsung is too hasty and arrogant. ”

Ohyulje smiled at him while saying that. Though he praised Bipaan while denouncing other princes, Bipaan was not pleased with that. Bippan knew well that his father would say the same thing when he had a solo meeting with each of them.

It was his shallow attempt to test him. Bipaan regarded what Ohyulje just said as such. Bipaan agreed with him on his comment on Binsung, his youngest brother.

Looking askance at Bipaan’s cool response, Ohyulje continued, “Oh, where should I pick up what I said last… ”

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Even though Ohyulje clearly knew what he said so far, he slurred as if he could not remember.

Bipaan leaned forward a bit and replied.

“You said you had a chance to chat with Concubine Yu.”

“Oh, you’re right. As I am growing old, I can’t remember as well as I used to. Concubine Yu told me there was a wild rumor getting around in the palace these days.”

Having said that, he looked at Bipaan with a mysterious smile. As if he was restless, Bipaan clenched his fists a bit, but there was calm and peace on his expression.

Bipaan’s footsteps going back to Donggung were faster. In order to catch up with his big and fast strides, the eunuchs, and the court ladies had to almost run. Though he didn’t show any restlessness on his face, his rough footsteps already showed how emotional he was on his way to the East Palace.

Once he stepped into the East Palace, Bipaan turned left instead of going to the center. That’s where Kyosul’s residence was located. Passing by various edifices quickly, he reached Kyosul’s residence, which was colorful enough, but not as big as Dongchon Palace, his residence.

When he crossed the gate, the eunuch walking behind him jumped out quickly and shouted,

“Crown Prince Bipaan has arrived!”

While catching his breath, the eunuch barely shouted, announcing his arrival.