Chapter 49

While watching their war of words, Heyjin cut in, “I think Your Highness is a woman who can translate her ideas into action. So, I don’t think you are right when you say her remarks don’t have any practical support or application.” Kyosul looked at Heyjin as she continued, “She was kind enough to speak on behalf of me out of anger over people’s dismissive treatment of Jinsung Kingdom, and there have not been many like her who have treated me kindly without any prejudice against my skin and hair color.”

Heyjin extended her hand and pointed at the gift Kyosul gave her on display near her mattress.

“The Crown Princess is the only person who has given me such a precious gift. As you say, I’m flattered, and I am grateful to you. In addition to this reason, I’ve asked to keep her company as I think she must feel lonely here as a foreign woman,” said Heyjin, changing the topic naturally. “Wasn’t I rude to you, Crown Princess Kyosul? If I had not been pregnant, I think I would have visited you more often in the East Palace.”

“No, no, you were not,” said Kyosul, waving her hand.

As if she waited for that, Heyjin said, looking at her swollen belly, “Then, could you come to my place more often when it’s convenient for you? As I have to stay inside for, I’m thinking hard about how to get out of my boredom.”

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“When are you due?”

“I think I can deliver a baby before summer ends.”

Heyjin stroked her belly. Her round belly was swollen. As there were not many offsprings in the imperial family of the Mok Kingdom, she couldn’t move freely for fear she could get injured while pregnant. She couldn’t get out of the North Palace.

The North Palace was full of tasseled cords of straw and charcoal incense for Heyjin’s baby. She was allowed to bask in the sun while taking a stroll only during her allowed time.

“I’ll be seeing you often throughout the summer, then.”

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Kyosul promised her with a smile. As a woman who loved friends and liked to go out, Kyosul had no reason to refuse her request.

After she was done talking with Heyjin, Kyosul was about to leave the North Palace.

The moment she crossed the outside door, someone called her in a low voice as if he had been waiting for her.

“You must have felt awkward, ” Ruhae said.

After he left ahead of Kyosul, Ruhae had been waiting for her there instead of returning to the South Palace. She flinched at his voice.

“Prince Ruhae!”

Embarrassed, she looked around, but he was just carefree, leaning against the wall.

“Don’t worry. Court ladies here are pretty busy taking care of Princess Heyjin, so they don’t have time to look outside. There are no court ladies here. Princess Heyjin can see from her room, but not me.”

“What?”

“What I mean is you can feel relaxed as there is nobody here watching us, but if you keep standing there like that, she might smell a rat,” Ruhae said.

Instantly sensing that she was still standing right before the threshold, with one foot outside the gate and the other on the threshold, Kyosul quickly moved.

When she was trying to go in the opposite direction of the wall, he quickly pulled her to his side. As she was defenseless, she had no choice but to be dragged nearer to him.

She slumped. She felt something warm and broad behind her back. She heard a faint heartbeat.

“What the heck are you….”

“Shush! They’re going to hear you.”

With a blush, she was about to fly into a passion but closed her lips when he raised his thumb before his lips. She felt like she was going crazy as she was again sucked in.

When she regained her pride and tried to hang tough, he lowered his head and whispered into her ear, “If you act like this, you’ll be caught by them in no time.”

“What do you mean I’m caught?”

She felt hot around her ears. His breathing touched the back of her neck. She felt as if she were in his arms.

No, I should come to my senses.

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She tried to show her anger.

“Don’t you know your rude behavior now could drive you into a more dangerous situation?”

“Nope because there is nobody watching us here.”

“Well, that watchful eye …”

“I see you’re more quick-witted than I think, Your Highness.”

When he said that, she closed her lips again. His quiet whispering words made her heart sink.

“You looked so awkward in Princess Heyjin’s room. You were too conscious of me.”

“What about you? Do you think you were so carefree?”

“What if I was not carefree?”

While he was trying to correct her with a little warning, he looked at her with a sweet expression.

Pulled right before his eyes, she was small and pretty. As she turned her head, he could see the clean bridge of her nose. Sunlight shone on her chubby cheeks. Her fluffy cheeks looked like a peach. Every time her long eyelashes trembled, his heart also trembled. He wanted to reach out and hug her tightly when she grumbled as if she were upset, but this was the most he could do at this point, and even now he was too close to her.

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Regardless of his heartfelt yearning for her, she kept voicing her regrets in a sullen voice.

“Why did you look so carefree and peaceful? I just can’t understand your sudden change of expression.”

“Your Highness…”

He couldn’t help but flirt with her as she acted so cutely.

He asked in a soft voice, “So, are you upset with me?”

“What?”

She was embarrassed, dumbfounded, shameful and even upset. Upset?

Who was upset with whom? She couldn’t accept his attitude.

Losing her temper, she turned her head quickly.

“Gosh!”

Her eyes were opened pretty wide with anger.

She didn’t forget that he was lowering his head right behind her. When she turned her head strongly, his face was right before her eyes. In fact, she touched her face to his.

She froze on the spot with her nose touching his face.

He also spaced out when she suddenly turned her head and touched his face.

His clear glittering eyes, not the clear sky, shone on her. She felt as if she could be burned by his intense eyes. His deep eyebrows and the sharp end of his nose seemed to touch her face. Her thin lips trembled.

Kyosul’s long eyelashes trembled, too. Her slightly open lips gleamed. He couldn’t imagine that honey could be sweeter than her lips.

If he could come closer to her lips…

He felt if he lowered his head a bit or pouted his lips slightly, or even moved his neck and chin slightly, he could easily kiss her lips.

His tender breathing was mixed with her sweet breathing. His hand, grasping her wrist, slowly climbed up her forearm. Every time his long fingers touched her, Kyosul trembled as if she were burned by a fire. His hand finally touched her shoulder while rubbing her collar. His fingertips touched her neck.

Then, he put down his trembling fingers and gripped her shoulders tightly.

“It’s been a while.”

The moment he said that she failed to stay alert. She could feel his angst from his firm grip on her shoulders. Though she tried her best to stop him, she wasn’t firm enough to push him away.

“I missed you,” he said.

At his genuine confession, her eyebrows trembled again.

What should I do? He is so sincere.

She just couldn’t move at all. She could neither push nor pull him. She just had to maintain a proper distance with him like this.

***

Kyosul wiggled her lips. Staring into the air blankly, with her eyes losing focus, she indulged in fantasy.

Bang!

There was heard the sound of a thick pot clinking on a wooden tray. Only then did Kyosul come to her senses. She almost let the tea of her cup spill as it was tilted to one side. She quickly corrected her posture and put it down.

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At that moment Kyosul was in the middle of sharing tea and cookies with Concubine Sassi in her residence of the Dongbi Palace.

“Your Highness, I see you often vacant in the Dongbi Palace these days. Have you found any pastime?”

“Oh, I’ve been visiting the North Palace these days.”

“North Palace?”

“Yes. I’ve been keeping her company to cheer up her baby. As she is now allowed to go outside the palace even if she is not yet big with child, she feels really bored.”

“With that princess…”

Sassi’s face looked gloomy at that moment. She seemed to take pains to hide her expression, but Kyosul already sensed it.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“No, it’s just nothing.”

Sassi tried not to say any further. Typically she didn’t hide anything to Kyosul.