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Chapter 58
The “loach” referred to those who had been working in the East Palace but were expelled due to Byung’s unpredictable whims.
“Someone seems to be helping from behind. They disappeared without a trace.”
“Helping from behind? Who on earth?”
“We’re still figuring that out… ugh!”
This time, the training dummy flew toward Go Jun-hwan’s head.
Go Jun-hwan didn’t dodge.
Thunk. Something broke.
Having been hit squarely on the head, Go Jun-hwan held his forehead and staggered.
“You crazy bastard! I told you to manage properly! Do you know how much money I give you? Huh? You let the loach slip? You let it sssslip!”
At that moment, thunder and lightning crashed with a crack!
The sound of thunder became the key that unlocked the hidden memories in Byung’s mind.
Click. The lock was released.
Horrifying scenes flooded in.
Blood on hands, fading breaths, eyes full of resentment, torn clothes—all jumbled together in his mind.
Byung grabbed his head and collapsed.
“Ahhhhh!”
Byung rolled his eyes back and screamed.
“Your Highness? Are you alright?”
Even with blood streaming down his forehead, Go Jun-hwan checked on Byung. He couldn’t do otherwise.
Byung, pale to the point of being almost ghostly, trembling violently, looked far more in pain than his own bleeding self.
He feared that Byung might suffocate if this continued.
Could a person really change so suddenly?
He hadn’t heard of Byung having a chronic illness. Should he call an attendant from outside?
As Jun-hwan nervously bit his lip, a deafening thunderclap shook the pavilion.
Byung dove under the table, covering his ears, shivering as he shouted:
“G-go away, go away! I-it was a mistake, I told you!”
“Your Highness, it’s me, Go Jun-hwan.”
Jun-hwan slowly approached Byung.
But Byung didn’t recognize him.
At that moment, Go Jun-hwan appeared as a woman with short hair in a neat royal uniform.
A round, attractive face—it was Ji-young.
Her smiling face twisted, bruised, melted away, and became a skull.
Byung shook his head, his face pale to an unhealthy shade, gasping for breath.
“It’s not on purpose… I didn’t mean it.”
It’s a dream… it must be a dream.
Right?
Byung looked down at his hands. They were stained bright red.
Finally, the royal celebration arrived: Yeon’s wedding day.
“Waaahhh!”
As the palanquin carrying Yeon moved from Changdeok Palace to Gyeongbok Palace, crowds lined the streets, cheering.
“Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Long live Her Royal Highness the Princess!”
Yeon waved from the palanquin window.
“Your Highness Yeon! He waved at me! Oh my! I won’t wash my eyes today. Your Highness, I love you! I love you! Aishiteru!”
“Hey! Why are you speaking Japanese? Are you a Japanophile?”
“Sorry, je t’aime!”
Yeon’s popularity rivaled that of a celebrity, and with this being a major royal event held after a long time, the nation’s response was ecstatic.
Even Yeon, who had been upset for days investigating palace maids related to Crown Prince Byung, could finally smile.
The weather was perfect. The sky clear like autumn, and a cool breeze blew gently.
The Day of Auspicious Events had been carefully selected by the Royal Observatory.
The palanquin stopped near the Jeongjeon Hall.
“You will wait here, then walk to the Jeongjeon courtyard,” explained the senior lady-in-waiting overseeing the wedding.
She also hinted that Seo-jun had finished preparations early and was waiting in another hall.
“How do you feel, Your Highness?”
Only Yeon and Sil-an were in the hall, and Sil-an asked quickly. It was a difficult question to answer precisely.
“I’m not sure.”
Various emotions rose and fell.
On the way to Gyeongbok Palace, Yeon had felt good seeing the cheering crowds.
But the moment she arrived at Jeongjeon, calmness overtook her, and her mood sank.
Marriage marked the starting line for Yeon’s challenge to the throne. The heart of a newlywed bride should be excited, but hers was heavy.
“Your Highness, it’s time to proceed.”
The senior lady-in-waiting informed them of the schedule.
Yeon and Sil-an exchanged a glance. Sil-an clenched her fist and shouted, “Fighting!”
Truly, this marriage felt like a military campaign.
Yeon laughed and rose from her seat.
At the Jeongjeon courtyard, where the princess’s wedding was held, camera flashes burst as Yeon and Seo-jun appeared.
Seo-jun froze seeing Yeon in her ceremonial attire. Draped in red, she was overwhelming.
“Beautiful” felt too weak a word; “gorgeous” insufficient.
Yeon exuded a radiance that commanded respect and awe.
Yet, alongside admiration, worry crept in.
What if someone greedy desired her?
An irrational urge rose—to hide her somewhere safe.
As she kept silent in her complicated thoughts, Yeon spoke, oblivious:
“Does it feel awkward? Please understand. It’s my first time wearing ceremonial attire too.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one saying that? This is my first time wearing such traditional dress,” Seo-jun replied.
His deep blue robe, embroidered with dragons on both shoulders, complemented his striking appearance, exuding authority.
“It may be a bit excessive.”
Seo-jun gestured to the jade ornament at his waist.
Made of jade beads strung together, and with a red silk sash, it looked more luxurious than his usual attire.
Yet, compared to his striking features, it appeared ordinary.
Even Yeon, familiar with him, felt her heart race when their eyes met above the crown.
How overwhelming for someone seeing him today for the first time?
“At least the crown and flashy accessories divert attention,” Yeon thought.
“Standing side by side, they’re a perfect match,” the royal attendant observed.
An undeniable truth, making Yeon and Seo-jun smile.
They could have continued to gaze only at each other, but a horn announced the start.
“It’s beginning.”
“Let’s do our best.”
Yeon and Seo-jun exchanged a silent message with their eyes, then stepped onto the silk path.
They looked straight ahead at the Empress Dowager, Emperor and Empress, and Crown Prince and Crown Princess—five people, each with different expressions: worry, support, scorn, suspicion.
Despite the mixed gazes, Yeon and Seo-jun did not avert their eyes.
They each made a silent vow.
“Wait just a little, we will pull through.”
“Wait just a little, we will show you success.”
Similar yet very different resolutions.
The wedding, showcasing the grandeur of the Korean Empire, concluded safely.
Yet, Yeon had no time to rest. A banquet for foreign envoys and imperial guests immediately followed.
She changed from heavy ceremonial attire to traditional Hanbok.
Her pink translucent jeogori was embroidered with plum blossoms, and her dark blue skirt of glossy silk flared gracefully.
Her hair was neatly tied with a dragon hairpin, and a butterfly ornament adorned the front.
Seo-jun, in uniform, extended his hand.
“Shall we go in?”
As they entered the banquet arm-in-arm, gasps echoed.
“Seems like they really picked the winner by looks,” someone joked.
“The princess is known for her high standards,” another added.
Yeon and Seo-jun first greeted Empress Dowager Oh.
“Seeing you both side by side is a delight. Strive to further prosper the royal family,” she said smoothly—clearly urging them to produce heirs.
Yeon’s eyes widened.
“Grandmother!”
Seo-jun stopped her from protesting.
“I will work diligently,” he said.
Yeon looked at Seo-jun. Their eyes met, and he slightly raised the corner of his lips.
Was it a schemer’s smirk or a flirtatious move? Yeon couldn’t tell. One thing was certain: it made her heart flutter.
“Let’s go over there.”
Before Empress Dowager Oh could say anything more, Yeon pulled Seo-jun along.
It was time to greet the Emperor and Empress.
Perhaps still upset about Yeon’s previous abduction, the air between Empress Na-young and Emperor Beom was chilly.
“I will serve Her Highness the Princess diligently, ensuring no harm comes to the royal family,” Seo-jun said.
The Emperor nodded, eyes slightly reddened.
Seo-jun stepped back, carefully watching the Emperor as Yeon greeted him.
‘Could he be crying?’
Seeing his daughter marry brought tears?
As Yeon finished her greetings and turned, she mouthed to Seo-jun:
“Let’s go.”
She remained silent afterward, but Seo-jun seemed to understand her unspoken words:
‘To the troublemakers.’
Next, Yeon and Seo-jun were to greet the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.
