Chapter 28

While Oran was taking a walk in the flower garden, she noticed a woman dressed in plain clothes with no ornaments hanging around, so Oran decided to punish her loudly in a typical display of her arrogance. She guessed that as Kyosul’s face was beautiful, she must have coaxed the imperial guards into letting her in. As someone obsessed with power, she could not see the discipline of the imperial family put in jeopardy under any circumstances.

However, when Concubine Sassi, who was given the title of number one concubine, stood in her way, Oran raised her voice. When Oran recklessly punished her, Kyosul stopped hesitating and identified herself.

“‘I’m Crown Princess Kyosul.”

Only then did Oran notice the golden hairpin hanging from the back of her head. It was a hairpin that only the Queen and the Crown Princess could put on. All the color drained from her face when she heard that, and she felt terrified. She was shocked to learn that this woman in shabby dress was the Crown Princess!

In the imperial family of the Mok Kingdom, there was a big difference in rank even among the royal women in the four palaces. Though Oran was only one rank below the Crown Princess, she had to respect and obey Kyosul.

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As such Oran could find no excuse to ask for her forgiveness as she shouted and shook her fingers at her in a loud voice. Shocked by the unexpected presence of Kyosul before her, Oran just stared at her flushed face. Concubine Sassi, who was as shocked and looked at her from behind, put her hands on her chest and bent her knees into a bow.

“Long live the Crown Princess! Concubine Sassi is honored to see Crown Princess Kyosul!”

Regardless of their rank in the royal palace, even the Emperor’s concubines and the princesses were supposed to pay their utmost respect to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. When Concubine Sassi paid her due respect, Oran came to her senses then put her trembling hands on her chest and kneeled. Though she wanted to lower her face to the ground, she couldn’t because of her high-handed pride.

“Long live the Crown Princess! I’m honored to see Crown Princess Kyosul!”

Oran’s voice trembled while paying respect to her. While Oran was lowering her head, she kept recalling what she had just shouted at Kyosul. Oran shivered with fear, but it was against her grain to keep silent and obedient to Kyosul.

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Oran quickly looked askance at Kyosul, who was looking at her and Concubine Sassi with embarrassment. It seemed that she hadn’t yet decided how to respond to them.

How can she look so goofy when I have committed such a disrespectful act?

Oran felt Kyosul was obviously a weak character who didn’t know which way the wind was blowing. After sizing her up in her way, Oran raised her hair and stood up proudly likely before.

It’s your fault that you didn’t identify yourself to me. I didn’t even know your face.

Though Oran attended Kyosul’s wedding ceremony, she didn’t see Kyosul’s face because the latter covered her face with a red cloth. Of course, if Kyosul had been as arrogant as Oran, she would not have accepted Oran’s arrogant excuse like that, but Oran felt relieved as she already found out what kind of personality Kyosul was.

Receiving their unexpected greetings while she was still embarrassed, Kyosul was at a loss for words. Did she need to punish Oran’s unruly behavior? But Kyosul felt it awkward to punish Oran who looked older than her. When Kyosul was hesitating, Oran opened her mouth first.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’ve committed a disrespectful act before you. As you have not identified your status, I acted discourteously. Please forgive me with your endless benevolence.”

Oran said in a clear voice that she improvised at the moment. She furtively tried to blame the responsibility on Kyosul by citing her failure to identify herself.

Enraged at Oran’s poor excuse, Concubine Sassi stared at her sternly.

As she had several dialogues with Oran before and heard many rumors about her, Concubine Sassi was aware of her arrogant character, but she was shocked by Oran’s brazen attitude. In her eyes, Oran was ignoring Kyosul as the Crown Princess looked weak.

Concubine Sassi looked at Oran with fierce eyes. She didn’t like Oran’s arrogant and disrespectful act. Nonetheless, Kyosul was hesitant about how to respond to Oran’s conceited remarks. In the end, she opened her mouth with a smile, seeing her face to face.

“That’s fine with me. As I haven’t had any chance to get familiar with the royal family members, you might not be able to recognize my face.”

“I’m so relieved to hear that, Your Highness,” said Oran, lowering her head again. There was a sarcastic smile on her lips.

That’s the response I expected.

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When Kyosul showed respect to her who had acted rudely, Oran was confident of her educated guess. This woman, the Crown Princess, was weak, and she didn’t even seem to have any idea about her own authority as the Crown Princess. Oran found it hard to deal with Bipaan as he didn’t show any emotion, but she now discovered that she could deal with Kyosul easily as she was so weak and tender-hearted.

When Kyosul was face to face with Oran, smiling awkwardly, Concubine Sassi came beside Kyosul and opened her mouth.

“Princess Oran, I watched the way you apologized to the Crown Princess, but I think your apologies are not sincere enough.” Oran turned her eyes at her sharply, but Concubine Sassai continued, “Your Highness, you don’t have to use honorific language for Princess Oran. Besides, you have to punish her duly in order to establish the discipline of the royal family as she has committed a disrespectful act against you.”

She felt she had no other choice but to intervene as Oran, with ten years of palace life under her belt was too dangerous to Kyosul who looked like a child.

At her kind advice, Kyosul nodded, agreeing with her.

Concubine Sassi was a woman who seemed to be the same age as Kyosul’s mother. Besides, her protection a while ago and her kind voice made Kyosul feel comfortable with her. Forgetting her situation for a moment, Kyosul smiled at Concubine Sassi who reminded her of her mother Queen Yo in the Hwa Kingdom. Though she was embarrassed at Kyosul’s childish smile, she also smiled at the Crown Princess.

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“I’m really fine. As I have not identified myself, and I was dressed in plain clothes, she might not have regarded me as the Crown Princess. And nothing happened except that she criticized me a bit.”

Recalling that she might have been slapped in the face by Oran, Kyosul suddenly shuddered then smiled at her. As if she waited for the right timing, Oran leered at Concubine Sassi and said, “Thank you so much, Your Highness. Please forget my discourteous behavior a while ago. I’m going to be more careful in the future.”

“But you should bend your head down to the ground and ask for her forgiveness. You know the stern discipline of the royal family, don’t you?” Concubine Sassi pointed out.

Oran stared at her and so did Concubine Sassi.

“Crown Princess has said she is fine. Why are you meddling? You know the strict rules of the royal family better than anybody else. Isn’t it the duty of the subordinate to follow her master’s order?”

“I don’t think the Crown Princess can ignore your rude act when you hastily judged her by the looks of her clothes and tried to hit her. I’m going to report it to the Emperor so that he can mete out severe punishment.”

“What the heck are you talking about? As you are favored by the Emperor, you are so arrogant now!”

“I’m going to report to the Emperor what you have just told me.”

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“Do you know who I am? I’m the mother of Prince Mutaehwang, the only grandson of the Emperor. How can you lie to my face?”

“That’s why the Emperor should punish you strictly. What can Prince Mutaehwang learn from you?”

When the two women had a heated quarrel, Kyosul closed her eyes and shouted, at a loss for words, “Stop it, please!”

At her shouting, Oran and Concubine Sassi shut their mouths and stared at each other.

“I’m fine. So, don’t make a big fuss about this. Prince Oran, you may leave.”

Kyosul actively intervened to have them part ways hastily. At Kyosul’s order, Oran calmed down, put her hand on her chest and lowered her body deeply.

“Long live the Crown Princess! I’m going to leave now.”

And then she quickly bowed to Concubine Sassi out of courtesy then turned back. When she left, Kyosul let out a sigh of relief and turned her head to Concubine Sassi, who was looking at her with a kind smile.

Kyosul bowed gently to her and said, “How do you do? I’m Crown Princess Kyosul.”

When she bowed, the concubine also bowed to her.