In the meantime, Huiseo headed to the Crown Prince’s Palace to meet Seoran, who had asked for him.
If he couldn’t figure it out no matter how much he racked his brain alone, he’d ultimately have to confront it and find out, wouldn’t he? With that mindset, Huiseo finally entered the place where Seoran was waiting for him.
“I greet Her Highness the Crown Princess.”
Toward her, whom he was facing closely for the first time, Huiseo offered an extremely respectful greeting.
And so, Seoran, whom he finally faced, looked like she’d blended well into Jaseondang, to an extent that made it hard to believe she’d just entered the palace. Her jet-black hair and contrasting white skin were striking, and while the blue-green jeogui she’d worn during the wedding ceremony had suited her well, today’s pale platinum-colored dangui also created a graceful atmosphere.
Seoran had Huiseo sit down like that, and for quite a while merely observed him silently as if examining him.
On that face, as other palace attendants had also found difficult earlier, clear emotions like joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure weren’t easily revealed. If she showed even a hint of discomfort, he’d prostrate himself flat. Not knowing how to respond, the longer this went on, the more awkward Huiseo felt too.
Thinking this wouldn’t end at this rate, after waiting a bit longer, Huiseo spoke up once more.
“Your Highness, may I ask the reason you summoned this humble one?”
It was a tone that revealed Huiseo’s tension as it was. Respectful and cautious.
Then Seoran finally opened her mouth and answered.
“Forget it, that difficult way of speaking. I didn’t call you to make you do that.”
At those curt words, Huiseo’s mind became even more complicated, and he broke out in a line of sweat down his back.
‘Then why?’
Somehow only worse imaginings continued.
Even at this point, when Huiseo looked at her suspiciously, having no idea at all, Seoran moved her lips briefly before finally deciding and bringing out the real business for calling Huiseo all the way here.
“What’s the secret?”
“…Pardon?”
At the out-of-the-blue words, countless question marks rose above Huiseo’s head.
‘…What secret?’
It wasn’t a tone of scolding or picking a fight either. Though there was still little change in expression, the eyes looking at Huiseo while asking sparkled with light. It’s not that Seoran, who was older than Huiseo, was like a young child, but since Huiseo had also made such eyes often in his childhood, he could at least definitely tell she was asking out of genuine curiosity.
However, what Huiseo couldn’t understand was why the word ‘secret’ came up here.
‘She can’t be asking about study secrets, right?’
Between Seoran and Huiseo, only bewildered silence resided.
***
To understand Seoran’s earlier question, one first needed to know who she was.
Her name was Hong Seoran, age 22.
She was the youngest daughter of Yuhwa Group, which had formed a marriage alliance with the Imperial Family this time.
Because of the description ‘youngest daughter,’ one might imagine she was raised preciously as a treasured child, but the reality was completely different. Though it was an open secret, it was because she’d been born to a mother who had been a housekeeper at the time.
Though she’d barely managed to be registered in the family registry, it was true that she’d grown up discriminated against in many ways compared to her much older siblings. Perhaps her personality, described as easygoing, had originated from such a family environment and been ‘raised that way.’
Because there were things one couldn’t endure without taking them in stride.
So when this marriage was finalized, she, who received the notification, just accepted it thinking, ‘I see.’
Some pitied her for being married off to the Imperial Family which had not a shred of power, but from Seoran’s perspective, she thought this was rather fortunate.
To put it bluntly, wasn’t it better than being the second wife of some rich old man? Her family, blinded by money, were people who could do such things without hesitation, regardless of appearances.
Compared to that, the Crown Prince was young and handsome….
Of course, if you asked ‘Is he someone who will love me?’ that also wouldn’t be the case. She’d resigned herself that wanting more or less than that at their first meeting would be excessive greed.
“There must be at least two children, minimum. I’m sorry to make such an anachronistic statement, but that will be the way to endure in the Imperial Family and protect you.”
Between people who would marry, at their first face-to-face meeting, this was the first thing he said upon seeing her.
A cold face and cold tone, as if he wouldn’t give even a bit of leeway.
“…I understand.”
Overwhelmed by that chilly atmosphere, answering like that, Seoran unknowingly clenched both her hands tight.
However, afterward, from what she’d separately learned by devouring interviews the Imperial Family had done and other broadcasts, it seemed less that he had any particularly bad feelings toward her and more that this was his original personality. Everyone who saw him talked about him being a thorough, principle-oriented, stiff person.
Seoran thought that wasn’t a flaw.
At least she thought he would faithfully fulfill his ‘official’ role as husband and Emperor. She herself would become the Empress of this country in the future. The current Emperor and Empress had also given birth to four sons and without any particular gossip… no, it seemed their relationship was too good to express it that way.
Anyway, weren’t people who met similarly living well?
She hoped she would be the same.
If she didn’t have any other expectations whatsoever, there would be nothing to be disappointed about, Seoran comforted herself like that.
But it was just before the wedding ceremony, during the time when she’d entered the palace early for the reason of needing to learn Imperial Family protocol and such. Seoran happened to witness a commotion that occurred at the Crown Prince’s Palace a while ago.
Kang severely scolded Hwan, who had come to the Crown Prince’s Palace, with a thunderous voice.
“How could you leave Huiseo behind like that!”
That scene seemed to come as quite a big shock to Seoran. Could that cold and dry person also throw such a fit and get angry like that?
“…Huiseo.”
It was from that moment that Seoran began to be curious about that name that came from Kang’s mouth.
***
Once she started being conscious of it like that, Seoran came to hear his name here and there more than expected. It was even more so when she went around greeting the Imperial Family elders in various places after holding the wedding ceremony.
Whenever Imperial Family members gathered, Huiseo was always included in the main topics.
“I heard Huiseo has been studying so hard these days. Is that why we don’t see him much?”
“And yet Hwan is quiet? Has he finally matured?”
“For someone who’s matured, he’s sticking too close to a kid who’s studying.”
“Still, at least he’s not causing trouble outside.”
“At least he’s not getting in the way beside him.”
“That’s… true.”
Perhaps because of the trouble he’d caused, the expectations toward Hwan were truly meager. Everyone praised him saying just being quiet beside him was tremendous progress, so if Hwan had been at this place, he would have surely blushed in embarrassment and raised his voice.
But even then, the conversation soon returned to being about Huiseo.
“Anyway, Director Jeong, have Huiseo take it easy with his studies. Make sure he doesn’t hurt his health.”
“Right, there are snacks Huiseo likes that came in, so tell him to come eat them too.”
“Do you think Huiseo is still a baby? Telling him to come eat snacks. He’d be startled if he heard.”
“He’s still just a young kid.”
Because of that, an extremely harmonious atmosphere was created. Even though the person in question wasn’t at this place, he became the center of everyone, and became a perfect exception.
Watching all of that, Seoran truly became curious about how this could be.
Of course, Seoran wasn’t unaware of Huiseo either.
Though she hadn’t known she would become a member of that Imperial Family and hadn’t paid much attention to it. Even such people weren’t unaware of Hwan’s constant talk about Huiseo and the two people’s relationship. They talked about it so much on broadcasts and everywhere else that one couldn’t not know.
However, Seoran now wanted to know more than that.
The relationship between Hwan and Huiseo.
Beyond that, the relationship between Kang and Huiseo.
And regarding Huiseo’s presence in this palace.
And so Seoran gathered her courage and ended up calling Huiseo to her quarters.
When Seoran first said she wanted to call someone, the palace attendant who had looked awkward for a moment showed signs of relief saying ‘Then it should be fine’ as soon as they heard it was Huiseo. Seeing that, Seoran was certain. Not only to the Imperial Family members but also to the palace attendants, he was definitely a ‘safe and perfect exception.’
How.
‘How can you be trusted and loved by everyone like that?’
The hidden meaning behind Seoran’s earlier question “What’s the secret?” was precisely that.
***
Meanwhile, Hwan hurriedly set out to find his older brother Kang.
Because he judged that the only person who could resolve this situation was Kang.
If it were Kang, if a worst-case situation occurred, he could jump in the middle and mediate as much as needed. So he needed him. This was Hwan’s best effort that he could squeeze out short of causing a rampage.
But unluckily, this person had also gone out to see His Majesty the Emperor.
‘When I need him, he’s not there again!’
Perhaps that’s why they’d targeted this time slot? He even had such suspicions.
‘Her Highness the Crown Princess, I didn’t think she was like that, but she’s a scary person.’
Hwan misunderstood to his heart’s content and felt arbitrarily betrayed as he huffily went to find Kang. Then he met Kang, who was just leaving the audience chamber, having apparently finished his business. So this time the opposite situation occurred, and as soon as Hwan saw his face, he shouted fiercely.
“Do it properly! What the hell are you even doing, hyung!”
“…What? Suddenly?”
Kang, who had deliberately put on a cold expression when Hwan suddenly jumped in without knowing what the situation was, finally came to have a truly frozen face at Hwan’s subsequent explanation.
***
At that time, back at the Crown Prince’s Palace where Seoran and Huiseo were.
“…A secret, you say?”
Huiseo, who didn’t know the preceding circumstances at all and had only heard just such a single phrase, couldn’t help but be flustered. And so, to Huiseo who carefully asked again, Seoran also asked once more in a bland manner.
“Why are you such an exception to everyone?”
From Seoran’s position, she was asking out of genuine curiosity, but to Huiseo listening, this time it couldn’t help but not sound that way. An exception? What does that mean? It was something that only made him roll his eyes with even more tension.
“…Did something I did hurt your feelings?”
Thinking something was going wrong, when Huiseo even gulped and asked like that, Seoran tilted her head.
Something to hurt feelings?
Was I hurt?
“No, I think I was envious.”
“…Pardon?”
At the answer that came out too honestly without any filter, Huiseo couldn’t help but be flustered once again.
Jeogui (적의) – (Traditional Korean ceremonial robe)
Dangui (당의) – (Traditional Korean upper garment)
