Chapter 81

Ruhae was also aware of that danger. Though he wanted to lessen her fear and worry, it was not something he could solve quickly.

“Are you scared?”

“Well, I think I expressed nervousness and worry in spite of myself. I am surprised to know that Sassi also came to learn about our affair.”

“You don’t have to worry too much because Sassi is on our side. She really cares about you. Didn’t I tell you that she tried to stop Yomin from storming into your room?”

“Ah, you’re right. I’m grateful to her…..”

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She tried to smile but couldn’t because she was nervous.

“Sorry.”

He gently touched the corners of her mouth with a sympathetic expression. He really felt sorry because he made her nervous and worried because of Yomin.

“Thank you for being with me,” she shook her head and cautiously opened her mouth.

Without him, she might have felt cold and lonely, but he came to her first, knowing it was dangerous to have a secret relationship with her. She could pluck up courage thanks to his persistent encouragement and help.

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“I had no other choice but to defend you because you wept on that sunny spring day,” he said.

He wanted to wipe her tears, and he wished there was always a bright smile on her cute and precious face.

“How did you come to long for me? Compared to the Crown Princess, I’m not bold and courageous enough.”

Ruhae revealed his shameful inferiority complex. To judge objectively, he admitted that he was not better than Bipaan. Nonetheless, she longed for Ruhae. Though Ruhae wanted it, he was curious why she chose him as her lover.

“Well, I had no other choice but to miss you because you smiled at me so brightly on that sunny spring day,” she said, repeating his confession.

In some respects, from the moment they met they were destined to share their joy and sorrow.

And when they reconfirmed it today, they were deeply touched, but someone watching them at a distance cast a cold glare.

He quickly disappeared as soon as he confirmed their secret meeting again.

***

The West Palace, where Prince Dukwol and Princess Oran resided, was filled with the sounds of sexall the time. Accordingly, the court ladies as well as the eunuchs pretended not to have seen or heard what happened there. A black shadow quickly disappeared into the couple’s residence as the sounds of their sexual activities filled the space.

Caressing Oran’s skin, Dukwol asked him casually, “Why did you come back so quickly?”

A silent as a shadow, clad in black martial arts clothes, Dukwol’s right-hand man kneeled.

“I’ve confirmed it, Your Highness.”

“Great. What did they do?”

Instead of stopping caressing her, Dukwol kept speaking to him.

Sitting in his lap, she didn’t care at all about the black shadow, only focusing on Dukwol’s gentle touch.

“Definitely that’s true, Your Highness!”

While receiving the briefing, Dukwol didn’t stop touching her body here and there, which made her let out a whoop.

“I confirmed that Prince Ruhae and the Crown Princess are continuing their secret meetings. They briefly met in the secluded areas of the East Palace and the South Palace several times. Prince Ruhae is using a privately hired court lady as a messenger to inform the Crown Princess of their meeting place. They also meet in the back garden of the outer palace frequently, but I’ve confirmed that they are meeting there by chance without any prior appointment.”

“No, no, it can’t be!” Dukwol shook his head, as if he was not satisfied with that man’s finding.

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“Your description of ‘several times’, or ‘frequently’ is not accurate. Tell me more in detail and accurately.”

“I’m sorry. I confirmed that they secretly met in the East Palace four times, and in the South Palace twice. The Crown Princess visits the back garden whenever Prince Ruhae doesn’t have any particular schedule. I’ve confirmed they bumped into each other twice up to now. Even now Prince Ruhae and the Crown Princess are meeting secretly in the back garden of the outer palace, and this is the third time they have run into each other.”

Twisting her waist, Oran sneered at the man and said, “There is a saying that goes, ‘A well-behaved cat goes up to the wood-burning stove.’ It looks like that little woman is involved in some lousy affair with the prince.”

“That’s the point. Have you confirmed their lewd actions?” he asked, chiming in with Oran’s remarks.

Lowering his head deeply, the man replied, “Yes, they frequently have very close physical contact that go too far against the established customs of the imperial palace. For example, they held hands, got close together and hugged each other briefly.”

“Hummmm……that’s not a big deal at all.”

Dukwol was obviously not satisfied with his findings. Grabbing Oran’s breasts suddenly, he said, “I need a stronger evidence of their lewd physical contact.”

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“Don’t you think you can create a scandal with my findings up to now?”

While they were talking, Oran was getting excited to the point that she was unable to stay still in his lap.

“I think you’ve got enough evidence to zap the East Palace and the South Palace right away. Why don’t you report it to the Central Palace?” Oran demanded, excited.

“No, not yet,” Dukwol said. He calmed her down.

“It’s no fun to bring them down too quickly?”

“But I don’t want to keep seeing that little woman pretending to be innocent,” she said, throwing a tantrum in a coquettish voice.

Oran hated Kyosul from the moment she bumped into her at the flower garden. Basically she hated everything about her including her status as the official wife of Crown Prince Bipaan, her cute and innocent face, and her bashful and idiotic actions.

“Oh, it looks like that little woman has hurt your feelings deeply,” he said.

“How long are you going to wait? For what? Isn’t it the best policy to get rid of nuisances right away?”

“Don’t you think this is an interesting scandal? You won’t be able to see this kind of scandal again. I think if we are patient a little more, I’m convinced that there will break out a much more interesting scandal.”

“Oh no. Don’t wait too long,” she demanded, hugging his waist.

At her repeated demands, he said with a wicked smile, “Sure. As my wife Oran is so impatient, let me put out a trial balloon for a taste of what they’re in for in the coming days.”

He then stuck out his tongue and wagged it.

***

Today of all days Ruhae called her to a place in the back of the North Palace. It was not early in the morning or late at night but late afternoon when many people were moving around in the palace. Kyosul walked along the outer wall of the imperial palace, looking around her closely. As their meeting place was secluded, there were no court ladies or soldiers around.

“Kyosul!”

She turned around at his calling. Smiling brightly, he approached her.

“As the place near the palace wall here is vast and untrodden, I was afraid I might not meet you easily, but I’m glad to see you quickly like this,” he said.

“What is that?”

“Oh, these are rice balls and some snacks.”

“Rice balls and snacks?”

“Yep. I’m going to take you on an outing today.”

“Outing?”

She looked at him with surprised eyes at his unexpected proposal.

“I’ve prepared this outing as you miss your happy days back in the Hwa Kingdom when you were a child. You told me you went everywhere like a naughty girl, making trouble and having great fun. I feel like you get sick often as you can’t release your outgoing temper.”

“Oh, not necessarily. By the way, where are we going to go for an outing?”

“Just follow me!”

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It was the first time she saw him so mischievous and playful since she met him. He walked lightly. She just followed him, full of curiosity. Walking along the wall, he slowed down his pace more and more. He looked for ivies that covered the wall at some point. While looking here and there, he snatched several stems of ivy. “It must be somewhere here.”

He removed some ivy and finally found a narrow gate hidden behind the ivy.

Surprised by that, she approached and asked, “What is this gate?”

“Well, this seems to be a side door through which they used to go to Mt. Mokak long time ago. It was closed for decades.”

“How did you know this door was here?”

“When I was a child, I sometimes used to go to the mountain through this door. I used to enjoy shooting arrows.”

When he saw Mt. Mokak, he was thrilled because of his fond childhood memories.

Watching him reminiscing about his happy days as a child in an excited voice, she suddenly breathed in.

“Are you sure you played wildly like that when you were a child?”

“Why are you so surprised?”