Chapter 111 (1/2)

Ruhae.

Never did she expect that she would hear his name at this moment.

‘I can’t cover the sky with the palm of my hand…’ she thought to herself.

She could cover her mouth with both hands but not the sky.

She didn’t mean to.

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Hearing Bipaan mentioning Ruhae made her feel like it was all over.

She felt drained.

She rested her arms on the bed casually and breathed out lightly.

She was not sure if he could hear her breathing, but she couldn’t hear his voice anymore.

And neither of them went to sleep.

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Time passed silently in the darkness. Eventually, a ray of sunshine came through the window. When the sunlight reached Bipaan on the cushion mat, he got up and went straight to the door.

When he touched the door to open it, he turned and asked her on the bed, “Do you know what my name is?”

He felt bitter. When he heard it eleven years ago, he never forgot his name literally meant ‘cold rain.’ Foolishly enough, he never thought of telling her about his name, and she was unaware of his name until then. Her heart sank.

“Ahn. Danmok Ahn.”

Having said that, he went out of her room.

She just sat on the bed for a long time after he left the room.

Only now did she know that his name was Ahn, which meant ‘hill’.

The imperial palace, which was quiet and empty as usual during the winter, suddenly became noisy because of Kyosul’s pregnancy.

The palace people were full of joy when they heard about her pregnancy, which came on the close heels of Princess Heyjin’s deliverance of baby girl Koryon. Royal doctors went to the Dongbi Palace several times and confirmed that she was pregnant. In particular, the court ladies at the Dongbi Palace rejoiced as if they had something to celebrate at their homes. Royal doctors offered herbal decoction for the baby in her womb. Concubine Sassi, whom Kyosul treated as her mother, stopped by her residence every day, but Kyosul didn’t hear from her only friend, Kyoyoung, Bipaan’s second wife.

Though Kyosul seemed to know the reason, she could not hide her bitter feelings.

One day when Kyosul was keeping well amid the palace people’s affectionate attention, Kyoyoung, who she lost track of for sometime, visited her in a long time. There was an awkward silence between the two women facing each other.

Kyoyoung put her teacup on the refreshment tray with a thump. Kyosul was surprised at that and looked at her face.

“Kyoyoung…”

“Don’t call me that, Your Highness!”

She suddenly felt scared at her voice as Kyoyoung used to speak in a kind voice. Kyosul felt cold sweat rolling down her back.

After looking at Kyosul with mixed feelings for a while, she said just one word, “Congratulations!”

But her facial expression reflected that her feelings that were the opposite of congratulations as she bit her lip.

Kyoyoung’s bloodshot eyes focused on Kyosul. At that moment tears came down from her red, unblinking eyes.

“Kyoyoung!”

“I’ve asked you not to call me that.”

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Although Kyosul called her name, embarrassed by her sudden tears, Kyoyoung responded coldly. Kyosul quickly pulled back.

“I’m a princess, and I’m not your friend or sister at all!”

In the end, Kyoyoung raised her voice. Kyosul lowered her head. After speaking out her mind, Kyoyoung sprang to her feet with a flush. Kyosul couldn’t stop her from leaving. The court ladies on standby opened the door, sensing Kyoyoung’s approaching the door. When she was about to cross the door, Kyosul said feebly, “Are you not going to stay as my friend?”

The last words she barely uttered were muffled by the sound of her closing the door with a bang.

Kyosul could understand her feelings.

On the surface, it was natural that Kyosul was pregnant as Bipaan’s wife.

Kyosul was scared of Bipaan from the moment she met him, but Kyoyoung felt different. She had been missing him for a long time and even confessed to Kyosul that she still loved him.

Kyosul never imagined how betrayed she felt when she heard about Kyosul’spregnancy.

But Kyosul couldn’t tell her the truth about her baby’s biological father to soothe Kyoyoung.

She had to hide it to the end.