Chapter 4 (2/2)

His cold voice seemed to tear her apart. His cold voice seemed like a piece of ice that flew through her.

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While crying her fill, she suddenly conjured up the face of the royal family member who greeted her on the day she arrived in the Mok Kingdom. He said his name was Uljin Yu and smiled at her.

“I would rather… . ”

She squeezed the blanket with her thin fingers.

“If he were a crown prince. ”

Once again, tears dropped from her big eyes.

***

The sky was blue.

As usual, Ruhae was looking up at the sky with a gentle smile. The sky was deeply blue, but he was not as calm and peaceful as his smile.

Her eyes were red. He drank alone all night long. He could not call a princess nor a royal official in charge. For he had no answer when asked why he was drinking alone. He himself didn’t know why. As there was no one to fill his cup, he had to drink alone.

He had never drunk that much before.

“Why did I drink so much like this, Woorum?”

Surprised by his own calling of that name, he stopped smiling. His eyes, which were always bent in the shape of a half moon because of his constant smiling, looked astonished.

He touched his mouth with his trembling hand then put it on his chest.

His heart was pounding.

Last night was the first night of Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

***

Dongchon Palace was located in Bipaan’s residence in the center of East Palace and was always quiet. Even a little court lady held her breath and never raised her voice there. Sitting in a library with his book open, his chin resting on his right hand. Bipaan tapped on the desk with his right finger meaninglessly.

Tok tok tok tok …

His long nails hit the wooden desk, making a clear sound. Though he had been reading a book for a while after returning from Kyosul’s palace, he didn’t yet turn a page. When he had a book on the desk but wasn’t reading, it indicated that he had some questions.

Now, he had two questions in his head, whose answers he had been looking for.

Why did I stroke her face then? Why did I stay up all night?

She was a young girl.

She was young but beautiful. And she had eyes that seemed to burst into tears. Her fear of him was as full as her tears. Her hands trembled like aspen and turned white with fear. She had a slim figure that seemed likely to collapse at any moment, covered in big red clothes.

“Poor little girl.”

Murmuring to himself, he laughed uncontrollably. Was it because of that? Was it because he felt pitiful about that young girl from a faraway country? He swept down his chest with his left hand.

“Have I ever had feelings like sympathy or compassion before? That’s funny. ”

As if he had resolved his question, he turned his eyes on the book and turned the page.

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***

After she cried her fill, Kyosul was staring at the drinking table with a blank expression. Bipaan did not touch a sip or a side dish. Standing up, helped by her slender arms supporting her body, she took off the layers of red cloth one by one with wobbly hands. She again fell into bed, dressed in a white sheet, and pulled the silk blanket across her body.

“I wish he were my… . ”

Murmuring to herself, she fell into sleep soundly as she couldn’t sleep overnight. Tears, which seemed to dry out after her good cry, dropped from her closed eyes and soaked the silk blanket.

The sun rose in the sky. As there was no sign of Kyosul being around, her nanny started rolling her feet.

“Didn’t she wake up yet? I don’t see any sign of her getting up and moving around. ”

When the nanny became impatient, the royal ladies standing with their heads bowed signalled to each other with eyes as if they were nervous.

“Will you go inside to check on her?”

“Ugh?”

“As you, Lady Yuon, are her nanny, I don’t think she will scold you for going in,” one court lady said.