TKEP 06

Chapter 06

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“How did it go?”

As soon as Silan got into the car, she rolled up the partition separating the back seat and the driver’s seat, cutting them off, and asked.

“What do you think?” Yeon replied with a question of her own.

Silan stared intently at her, then lowered her head.

She was usually good at reading Yeon’s expressions, but this time she had no clue.

“Please tell me. I’m dying of curiosity here.”

“I got dumped.”

Yeon said it brightly.

“What? Assemblyman Kang Seojun refused the marriage proposal? How is that even possible? Our cute, lovely, and even six-years-younger Highness, and he says no? Is his eyesight bad? Or is he just dumb? No, wait, that can’t be. I looked him up — his IQ is over 140. He’s a Mensa member…”

Silan kept muttering in disbelief, but Yeon let the words slip past her ears.

“I need some time to think.”

To be precise, he hadn’t refused the proposal.

He had simply asked for some time to think.

But the moment Yeon heard those words, she felt a pang.

Her heart gave a dull thud, and a prickling sensation struck her solar plexus — a pain she’d never felt before.

If she had to name the cause, it was disappointment.

Not just because he’d asked for time, either.

From the moment they reunited, a small seed of disappointment had been growing inside her.

I thought he’d be happy to see me.

But he’d been indifferent.

He could’ve at least said I’d grown well…

Aside from glancing at her height, he’d treated her like a stranger.

I thought he’d bring up Jiyoung unnie.

But he hadn’t mentioned Jiyoung even once, as if he’d forgotten her completely.

It was as if he had erased every bit of their shared past, and Yeon couldn’t help but feel hurt.

That hurt had boiled over when she asked for his help and he kept his expression perfectly composed.

Why did he always pretend not to notice her distress signals?

Up until the very last moment, he acted like he’d do anything for her, but when she actually reached out in need, he would just stare back silently.

It had been the same now, and in the past.

Yet he never outright rejected her or pushed her away.

If only he would bluntly tell her to stop talking nonsense — then she could take the hint and back off.

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes me want to shake you up — now, and twelve years ago.”

She remembered those wistful words he’d said before they parted.

What had he meant by them? That she was truly shaking him up?

Yeon looked down at her own hand.

Even now, just as twelve years ago, she’d never had him within her grasp — so shaken, really?

She shoved her hurt feelings into a corner and closed her eyes.

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Sitting on the main wooden floor of Nakseonjae, Yeon gazed absently at the slow-drifting white clouds.

It had already been three days since she’d seen Seojun.

When on earth was he planning to contact her?

“How can someone be so slow? He’s the youngest to ever get all those promotions, and yet…”

She grumbled, then let out a sigh.

She didn’t want to seem impatient.

Even if it was a contractual marriage, it was still marriage — she knew she had to give him enough time to think.

But the situation didn’t allow it.

The Crown Prince sent someone to her every half-day, urging her to meet with one of the candidates he’d picked out.

The mere thought of it made her bristle with annoyance.

“Sung Sanggung.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Why is there no bamboo grove in the palace?”

“…Pardon?”

“I want to swear, but there’s nowhere to do it. Maybe I should just clear out Nakseonjae’s back garden and plant bamboo.”

Silan gave an awkward laugh.

The words were ridiculous, but seeing how frustrated Yeon must be to even joke like that, she felt sorry for her.

Even in Silan’s eyes, the Crown Prince was overly obsessed with Yeon’s marriage.

It hadn’t even been a week since her return, and he was already badgering her into blind dates.

It made her wonder if he’d been promised something in exchange for introducing her — an unworthy suspicion, but a suspicion nonetheless.

“Come to think of it, things are quiet today.”

Silan glanced toward Nakseonjae’s main gate.

Yeon, who had been resting her chin on her hand with her elbow on her knee, flinched.

“Sung Sanggung! You know you shouldn’t say things like that! In Korea, there are three things you must never say depending on the location — in a restaurant, ‘There aren’t many customers’; in an ER, ‘It’s quiet today’; and…”

“What’s the last one?” Silan asked, eyes wide.

“‘It’s quiet at Nakseonjae.’”

“Oh, that one doesn’t count. Just enjoy the rare peaceful morning. I’ll go to Saenggwabang and see if they’ve made your favorite Gaeseong juak.”

“And get some chilled sujeonggwa too.”

Unlike in the Joseon era, these days each palace building could make its own simple snacks and tea.

But Yeon preferred the treats from Saenggwabang and Sojubang.

The skills of the artisans there, officially recognized as national masters, were truly exceptional.

The thought of sweet snacks lifted her mood, and she turned her eyes toward the empty courtyard.

Suddenly, a memory from twelve years ago floated up.

“Do you study all day? Come play with me.”

The first thing that came to mind was the hand of Jiyoung, a slightly brusque court lady, tugging her along.

Jiyoung had been one of the few people Yeon truly opened her heart to. She had served in the Crown Prince’s palace before transferring to Nakseonjae.

Without realizing it, the corners of Yeon’s lips curved upward.

She didn’t try to stop the flow of her thoughts into the past.

There was nothing better for whiling away a dull moment than reliving memories.

And when she thought of Jiyoung, Seojun’s name naturally bobbed to the surface as well.

Twelve years ago, when Yeon was fourteen, she had only vaguely known Seojun.

But she had felt quite a fondness for him.

All because Jiyoung bragged about him every single day.

She called him her precious younger brother.

An Jiyoung and Kang Seojun.

Their surnames were different, so at first Yeon had assumed they were just close acquaintances — but their lives were polar opposites, with no obvious point of connection.

Even so, Jiyoung insisted over and over that Seojun was her brother.

“My brother Seojun got first place in his grade again.”
“My brother won the Prime Minister’s Award at the invention contest.”
“And he’s so kind — he donated all his savings to animal rescue groups. Isn’t that admirable? That’s my brother!”
“On Valentine’s Day, he got so much chocolate his trunk was overflowing. He didn’t know what to do with it all, so he gave me tons. Would you like some too, Your Highness?”

When Jiyoung talked about Seojun, she looked genuinely happy.

Yeon found it fascinating that someone could smile so brightly while speaking of another person — and that made her all the more curious about Seojun.

Before she knew it, she’d grown fond of him, the way you might like a celebrity.

“Should I invite him to Nakseonjae someday? Do you think he’d come?”
“Of course! He’d love it.”

Yeon and Jiyoung had even made specific plans to invite Seojun — down to the date, the time, and what snacks they’d serve.

They had planned to raid Saenggwabang for treats that day too…

But the plan had been canceled before it even began.

Because Jiyoung… disappeared.

Yeon’s smile vanished without a trace.

The brightness drained from her face, replaced by a heavy shadow.

Don’t think about it anymore.

She shook her head, as if to scatter the gloomy thoughts.

“What kind of unseemly behavior is this in front of the servants?”

The rebuke rang out loud across Nakseonjae’s courtyard.

Yeon stiffened and opened her eyes wide.

Sung Sanggung’s jinx worked perfectly.

The very person to shatter Nakseonjae’s peace had arrived.

The Crown Prince stood tall in the courtyard.

Behind him stretched a long line of court ladies and eunuchs.

Although it had been ages since Joseon had become the Korean Empire, he still seemed to live as if it were the old dynasty.

Yeon let out a deep sigh.

It wasn’t fear that made her avoid trouble — it was disgust.

With that thought, she dusted herself off, placed a hand on her stomach, and bowed.

“What brings you here without notice, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

The skin under his eyes twitched. He accepted the greeting, but it didn’t please him.

The way Yeon spoke sounded almost like mockery.

“Does an older brother need to give notice before visiting his sister? Step aside.”

He brushed past her shoulder.

The palace maids at Nakseonjae panicked, shuffling their feet in confusion.

The Crown Prince’s eyes swept over them coldly, and the corner of his mouth curled upward.

“When the master is lacking, the servants have no manners either. My hand is raised, yet not one person offers me a glass of water.”

“Park Naegwan, bring a bowl of cold water.”

As Park Naegwan hurried toward the pantry, Yeon addressed the Crown Prince.

“As you know, I haven’t been back at Nakseonjae for long, so I have nothing suitable to serve Your Highness.”

In truth, she didn’t want to give him anything.

She even hoped Park Naegwan would bring tap water instead of purified water.

“Empire Hotel Lounge Café, today at 3 p.m.”

The Crown Prince spoke suddenly.

“Is that a code? Surely you’re not asking me to go treasure hunting with you now.”

She had her suspicions, but asked anyway, just in case.

He gave a short, derisive laugh.

“Don’t bother acting innocent or stupid with me. I can hear the gears turning in your head just fine. It’s a blind date. The third son of the Dongjeon Group. You’ve seen his file, haven’t you?”

“I’m not going.”

Her refusal was firm.

“You will. No, you will be going. Isn’t the Empress Dowager in good health these days? I’ve been remiss in paying my respects. I should visit her soon.”

“Are you threatening me?”

Yeon’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

The polite smile she’d been wearing vanished completely, and a chill seeped into the air around her.