Chapter 15

Gyo Yeon-oh’s first night passed in silence and solitude.

“…”

Yeon-oh sat leaning against a bedpost, his attire somewhat disheveled. He had quickly assessed his situation after entering the Imperial Palace, but it was difficult to completely let go of lingering attachment.

He waited for the man all night with his eyes open, holding onto a faint hope that perhaps the Imperial Palace was a harsh place and he might have misunderstood the Emperor.

It was hard to admit that he was wrong.

While desperately waiting for the man and simultaneously wanting to avoid heartbreak, he excused himself by claiming that waiting improperly on the bed was merely keeping the etiquette of a concubine. He painstakingly constructed excuses for himself, excuses no one would hear.

The outside of the window was now turning a pale blue with the breaking dawn.

Yeon-oh cast a fleeting gaze toward the window with a brittle expression. A sharp voice pierced his will-less ears.

“I knew it, I just knew it. It’s over, completely over. I was happy to be back in the concubine ranks after two years. I thought I could finally live with my shoulders high since the master was supposed to become Noble Consort, but my fate is just this way.”

“Court Lady Dong, your voice is too loud…!”

Outside the building, near the window, a sarcastic voice and a voice trying to hush it were softly whispering.

“So what if it’s loud? Let them hear it if they hear it. A concubine whom His Majesty didn’t even pretend to visit on the first night—isn’t his future situation obvious?”

“Court Lady Dong! Please…”

“A legitimate son of the Gyo General’s Household? So what? Now that he’s become a Consort, can he even send a message back to the Gyo Household? Yesterday, when Dam So-ui arrived, that’s where we should have lined up.”

“Please stop it.”

Despite the voice trying to stop her, the Court Lady’s sarcastic voice did not cease.

“His Majesty went to Dam So-ui again today. Everyone, even the person who hauls the Imperial Palace sewage, knows he’s only looked for Dam So-ui for a whole month. Dam So-ui’s residence is a gold mine, and this place is… a wasteland.”

Giggle.

“Kh-kh-kh.”

A snickering laugh agreeing with the sarcastic Court Lady echoed from a slightly further distance.

“Please, everyone stop. He might actually hear you inside.”

There was only one anxious, dissuading voice.

“I should have known when His Majesty showed no interest in women and gave affection to no one since he was young! I was so unobservant. Haa… Dam So-ui, whom His Majesty dotes on despite giving affection to no one else. Since he receives gifts every day, Consort So-ui must be generous to his subordinates. How can I transfer to that residence?”

The palace servants burst into snickers at the lamenting Court Lady Dong’s words.

“Eum!”

Geumgye stepped forward toward the chattering servants. Jeokju nervously eyed the Court Lady, who was dressed differently from the other servants.

Court Lady Dong, who had been mocking her superior, showed no surprise.

“Didn’t I tell you two that you don’t need to be here?”

Court Lady Dong scanned Geumgye and Jeokju, who had emerged from the building, with a harsh gaze.

“We are close attendant maidservants who came with him from his private household. It is our duty to look after Consort Gyo.”

Geumgye spoke with composure.

“Since you are so eager to attend to the Consort, I shall grant your wish.”

Court Lady Dong, having confirmed the sunrise, walked toward the building door.

The door to the bridal chamber, which had not been opened once during the night, had paper inscribed with wishes for fortune and fertility pasted on it.

Court Lady Dong tore off some of the papers.

“Court Lady! What are you doing!”

“How could you touch those!”

Geumgye and Jeokju rushed forward to stop the Court Lady.

“Move aside! There’s no point arguing with you ignoramuses. I address Consort Gyo.”

Court Lady Dong roughly pushed away the hands of the two maidservants trying to stop her and announced toward the inside of the door. Although she was more polite than when speaking to the maidservants, a tone of brusqueness and insincerity was clearly felt in her voice.

“Who is it.”

A dry voice resonated from inside the building. Court Lady Dong’s expression showed fatigue as she confirmed the poor state of the insensitive master who had waited all night.

“This servant is Court Lady Dong. You must leave soon to pay your respects to the Empress Dowager. There is no time to spare to remove your bridal attire and prepare to greet the concubines.”

“Come in.”

At Yeon-oh’s permission, Court Lady Dong opened the building door with an expression full of annoyance. She gestured with her eyes for Geumgye and Jeokju to enter.

The two looked at the Court Lady’s disgruntled face and hurriedly went inside.

“Everyone move.”

Court Lady Dong, having let the two inside, addressed the palace servants and Chief Eunuchs guarding the door. At her command, the servants and Chief Eunuchs dispersed to their respective duties.

Geumgye and Jeokju, having stepped into the bridal chamber, were momentarily captivated by the sight of the lavish room. The bridal chamber was so beautiful, making Yeon-oh, who had spent the entire night there without the groom, even more pitiful.

“Young Master.”

Yeon-oh was sitting on the edge of the bed in his luxurious and heavy bridal attire. His face, completely drained of energy from waiting, turned toward them.

“You’ve come.”

A weak voice leaked out from between his parched lips.

“You have to go pay your respects to the Empress Dowager. The bridal attire is too heavy, isn’t it? We will help you.”

Geumgye was outwardly impassive, but tears welled up in her usually haughty eyes. Jeokju quickly moved to follow Geumgye while constantly wiping away her tears.

“I am sorry for this to happen to you two.”

Yeon-oh murmured a lonely word, as if speaking to himself.

“We are the Young Master’s people. It doesn’t matter as long as you are healthy. You haven’t eaten anything all night, have you? The leftover food will be eaten by the palace servants anyway, so please eat it quickly. They are not worth leaving for them.”

Geumgye brought a plate of finger food and offered it to him. While Jeokju helped Yeon-oh take off his bridal attire, Geumgye crushed the cookies on the plate into bite-sized pieces.

Yeon-oh, who had been staring blankly, finally focused at the savory smell of the cookies.

He had anticipated this, yet the reality of his half-disbelief was now confirmed. He was floundering in despair, cycling between feelings he didn’t want to admit and resentment and self-pity over his own foolishness.

Crunch.

Chewing the sweet and savory food distinctly cleared his dim consciousness.

“You two eat some, too. It must have been hard worrying about me all night, right? The Imperial Palace chef’s cooking skills are good.”

Geumgye, who had been on the verge of tears, and Jeokju, who was busy secretly wiping tears, blinked at Yeon-oh’s composed words. Both simultaneously let out a sound like deflating air.

“The Gyo General’s Household food is much more delicious.”

Geumgye said with a prim face after tasting the peanut candy Yeon-oh offered.

“Goksan food tends to be a bit oily.”

“That’s why it’s delicious.”

Jeokju spoke sweetly, smiling widely with obvious traces of crying still on her face. Just as Yeon-oh finally finished taking off the heavy, layered, and complexly tied bridal attire.

Geumgye went to the prepared food table. And she poured the food they had eaten and left behind onto the expensive plates in small amounts.

“Geumgye.”

“I apologize, my hand slipped. According to the original law, subordinates should not touch the food left by the master, but they said it was a favor to allow them to eat it. They are not people who need favors.”

Geumgye glared toward the door at Yeon-oh’s reproachful call. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Geumgye, who had selectively ruined the expensive food, returned to Yeon-oh’s side to attend to him.

After Yeon-oh and the two maidservants left the bridal chamber to wash. The palace servant who entered to tidy the room made a small sound, but it did not escalate into a commotion.

Geumgye attended to Yeon-oh with a look of satisfaction.

******

When Yeon-oh finished his preparations and emerged. Court Lady Dong, who was guarding the door, stepped forward toward Yeon-oh, who was being attended to by Geumgye and Jeokju.

Yeon-oh immediately recognized the woman, who was the only one among the palace servants inside the building with different clothing and hairstyle.

“Court Lady?”

Dong Yeong possessed an unexpected appearance. Contrary to the vulgarity suggested by her comically exaggerated voice and sarcastic tone, the Court Lady was a beauty with large, gentle eyes and fair skin.

Though Yeon-oh could tell she was older than the other palace servants, she was the most beautiful among those assigned to Giryung Palace. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] She would look much more beautiful if not for the look of annoyance in her large eyes and the irritation around her mouth.

“This servant is Court Lady Dong Yeong. I am the only Court Lady in Giryung Palace. Only those of the rank of Court Lady and above can enter the Empress Dowager’s building, so this humble person will escort you.”

Geumgye and Jeokju’s faces showed confusion at Court Lady Dong’s words.

“We are…”

Yeon-oh gave the two anxious faces a gentle look.

“It’s alright. Step back and wait. I will return.”