“Mama, at this rate something terrible will happen. This is also not good for Concubine Yoon Mama.”
At Yeongchae’s words whispered so only he could hear, Sansan finally wiped away his tears and sat before the table. Seeing him, the Emperor sighed lowly and picked up his chopsticks.
He deboned the chicken dish Sansan liked and personally placed it on top of Sansan’s rice, then the Emperor also brought food to his mouth several times. During that time, Sansan didn’t take a single spoonful. The chicken the Emperor had given him continued to guard the top of that rice bowl.
“Must I really punish Concubine Yoon before you’ll come to your senses?”
These were hardly words to say about a woman who had been going through labor pains alone for nearly six shichen giving birth to his own child. Just as Sansan, overcome with anger, opened his mouth to talk back—
—Aaaaaaaaaah!
Though it was the same Yeongnyeong Palace, the halls were different. Yet a scream so piercing it seemed to tear split Dongbaejeon as if heard right nearby.
A moment of silence flowed, and—
—Waaah, waaah!
Finally, a baby’s cry was heard. Sansan sprang up from the cushion. Without even receiving permission, he pushed past the palace servants and ran out like someone who had lost their mind. The Emperor, watching that sight, seemed to suppress his anger again, drawing in a long, low breath.
“…Bring him back.”
At that moment, Sanwol’s head court lady Songhwa rushed urgently into Dongbaejeon.
“Co-congratulations, Your Majesty. Concubine Yoon Mama has given birth to an imperial prince!”
Songhwa immediately came before the Emperor, knelt, and delivered the good news. But her face was not exactly filled with joy. The Emperor, who had already sensed something from the scream just before, asked Songhwa again.
“How is Concubine Yoon?”
“…Since His Imperial Highness the Prince was born through difficult labor, she has lost too, too much blood. She has not lost consciousness, so she, she asked for Bin Jin Mama…”
Songhwa could not continue speaking and only bowed with her forehead touching the floor.
“It seems there’s no hope.”
“For failing to properly attend our mistress, the slaves’ crime is great, sob. Please kill us, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor, who had been looking down at Songhwa for a moment, finally stood. His handsome eyebrows were furrowed to the fullest. His complexion looked troubled.
“I must bring Bin Jin. Let’s go to Concubine Yoon.”
***
Sansan rushed headlong to Sanwol’s bedchamber. Entering inside immediately without delay, the stench of blood that wafted from the far end stung his nose. His heart sank.
Each step felt excessively heavy and difficult to take, as if something was grabbing his ankles. It seemed his instincts were reluctant to face his younger sister’s appearance.
“Mama! Mama! Please hurry. Concubine Yoon Mama is looking for you.”
A familiar court lady who rushed out from deep within Dongchogan grabbed Sansan’s wrist and urged his steps.
“…Wol-ah.”
Red blood that had soaked the golden bedding was dripping down along the canopy bed to the floor. Sansan, who had stopped a little away from the bed, called his younger sister in a faint voice.
“Orabeoni.”
“……”
“Orabeoni, come here… I have, something to say.”
Her voice, completely hoarse and cracked, sounded as if blood formed at each syllable. Thick tears fell soundlessly down Sansan’s cheeks. He rushed over in one bound and grabbed his younger sister’s swollen hands stretched out toward him. He could barely feel any warmth, and finally burst into tears.
“…Why are you crying, orabeoni?”
“Sob, sniff.”
“Don’t, cry. My heart is at peace.”
“Wol-ah, sniff, does it hurt a lot? Qu-quickly, medicine, you need to take medicine…”
“…I hated, it here, so much.”
At the voice completely empty without any emotion, Sansan stared at Sanwol, forgetting even to urge her to take medicine. The hand he was holding kept losing strength.
“The loveless, cold palace life I hated, and more than that, sniff, His Majesty who was more heartless and cold, I hated, even more.”
“…Wol-ah, stop. Stop talking.”
The image of Sanwol from several years ago when she adamantly refused to enter the palace came to mind, and Sansan was unbearably tormented. But it had been none other than Sanwol who had been teaching and repeatedly warning him not to say he disliked the Emperor.
Frightened that someone might hear and relay it, angering the Emperor, Sansan hurriedly drew the bed curtain tightly closed. Then he grabbed his younger sister’s hand again and rubbed it recklessly, hoping warmth would return.
“…But among them, what I hated most, was me. It was me, orabeoni.”
Sanwol continued speaking, paying no mind. Even breathing seemed difficult for her, so Sansan only shed tears.
“Why did I come to love such a person…”
“……”
“I can never, be His Majesty’s, haah, wife, and mustn’t, sniff, be jealous either, I’m only that kind of existence.”
Sansan’s eyes widened to the size of basins hearing Sanwol’s confession.
“…You love him? His Majesty?”
“Now that I can, stop like this, I’m glad. My heart is at peace.”
“……”
“…But I worry about orabeoni. And, my baby too.”
“You’re in love with His Majesty? Huh? Wol-ah, you liked His Majesty?”
Sansan’s face crumpled miserably. His heart tore into a thousand, ten thousand pieces at Sanwol’s true feelings that he only learned at a moment like this. Why didn’t he know? Like a fool.
No, because he was a fool.
“I’m sorry for being because of me. But orabeoni, the baby, haah, please take care of it. There’s no one, but orabeoni. Still, it’s orabeoni’s nephew. Okay?”
“…Wait. Just wait a moment, Wol-ah. I’ll, I’ll bring His Majesty. Wait just a little. Okay?”
Sansan jumped up and roughly wiped his wet face with his sleeve. Then he ran out without looking back.
His younger sister had given birth to the Emperor’s child and her life hung by a thread. But she said she loved him. Sansan, who had never experienced it, didn’t know exactly what the emotion of love was, but at this moment he felt certain that the one Sanwol truly wanted to see was not himself but His Majesty.
Because his heart was urgent, Sansan tripped over the threshold of the tea room while running and fell flat. Not minding the bruises on his palms and knees, Sansan immediately stood up again and ran. Or, he tried to.
“What is this behavior? I told you to be careful and more careful not to get hurt since you’re pregnant.”
The Emperor, with a physique like Mount Tai, blocked his way. Sansan, who had lost his words for an instant, soon came to his senses and firmly grabbed the Emperor’s sleeve.
“Your Majesty!”
“Yes. I am here.”
“Wo-Wol is, Wol is hurting. Please look in on her. Please? Quickly, quickly!”
Time was of the essence. Without even listening to the Emperor’s answer, Sansan turned back around and led him toward Sanwol’s bedchamber. But no matter what, the Emperor would not be pulled along. Growing anxious, Sansan turned toward the Emperor again.
“Why, why are you doing this? We must go quickly, Your Majesty. At this rate,”
“Are you telling me to attend a concubine’s deathbed?”
Deathbed. It was truly a cold-hearted assertion. The strength completely drained from Sansan’s hands holding the Emperor.
“That cannot be. Don’t you know that not immediately sending her outside the palace is already great grace?”
His own child had been born, yet the woman faced death—why couldn’t he even show his face once? Sansan couldn’t understand. But there was no time to waste arguing. As always, Sansan knelt again at the Emperor’s feet.
“Please, please! I’ll never see her again after this. Please, please see Wol on her way.”
“……”
“It’s my wish. Sniff, please! Wol will want to see Your Majesty.”
“Another woman says she wants to see me, and you relay those words while feeling nothing?”
Despite Sansan’s pleading, the Emperor only said nonsensical things. Sansan had no idea what he was talking about. Sansan just cried blindly and continued begging.
“Your Majesty, Wol gave birth to a baby, Your Majesty’s baby, and is dying. You can’t do this. Please…, please. It’s my wish.”
“No matter how much it’s your wish, I cannot go to see Concubine Yoon.”
Originally, except for the Empress and Empress Dowager, no woman could die inside the imperial palace. It was because bad energy could affect the Emperor. Despite this being protocol, the reason they were waiting for Concubine Yoon to breathe her last in this palace now was solely because of Sansan. Yet instead of being grateful, he only complained.
“…Why not?”
“An emperor attending a concubine’s deathbed—regardless of past or present, such a thing is impossible by law. Stop this and rise. I’m deeply worried your body will be harmed at this rate.”
“…But Wol gave birth to Your Majesty’s child,”
“Listen, I will promote Concubine Yoon to Consort Nyeong right now, so treat her with the courtesy of a consort from this moment.”
“Upon receiving Your Majesty’s solemn command, we will keep it in mind and carry it out, Your Majesty.”
“Upon receiving Your Majesty’s solemn command, we will keep it in mind and carry it out, Your Majesty.”
“Upon receiving Your Majesty’s solemn command, we will keep it in mind and carry it out, Your Majesty.”
The palace servants who had been standing nearby only watching the situation all prostrated on the floor at once and paid their respects. The Emperor looked down at Sansan, who was still only crying, then lifted him up himself as if having no choice.
“This is the best I can show. Is that enough?”
Is that enough—what?
At this moment, Sansan couldn’t understand anything on his own. But as always, Sanwol who would teach him stood at the boundary between life and death. Just when his chest felt like it would burst with indignation—
“Your, Your Majesty! Concubine Yoon, no, Co-Consort Nyeong Mama has passed away.”
