CH 20.1

Sukbi asked Yeonbin without even hiding her ridiculing intention, and the empress sighed. She felt like there would be a big fuss happening at the empress’ palace today. Yeonbin was usually impatient to fight against Sukbi, and since he was looked down on like this, there was no way that the almighty Yeonbin would hold back.

Soon, Yeonbin, who was receiving strange expectations from everyone, slowly opened his mouth while looking at Sukbi.

“His Majesty only gave me a lesson because I wasn’t good enough. He didn’t insult me. From now on, I will be more careful not to make a fuss by straightening my attitude and determination.”

However, Yeonbin betrayed everyone’s expectations and even bowed slightly toward Sukbi. It was natural that Sukbi’s mouth opened wide.

Actually, Sukbi didn’t think of Yeonbin as a nuisance from the beginning. It was true that she had a fiery personality compared to the empress or Jeongbin, but she was never such a thoughtless woman who would be jealous and envy others just because she was a concubine.

However, Yeonbin believed in his father’s name and even acted audaciously to the empress. He acted viciously every day and treated people lower than him like rats. Thus, Sukbi couldn’t hold back her personality and often had a quarrel with him. Now, they even ridiculed each other whenever their eyes met and were dying to fight each other.

“You…You……”

Sounds that couldn’t form a proper sentence came out of Sukbi’s mouth. Even the word ‘shocked’ seemed to be impossible to properly express how Sukbi felt right now.

Yeonbin, that almighty Yeon Hwawoon responded with a gentle bow even though Sukbi was openly mocking him? He even added that he would be careful?

Sukbi felt like she wanted to raise her hand right away and slap her cheek. This couldn’t have happened unless this was a dream.

“What on earth are you up to?”

As soon as Sukbi asked Yeonbin in a sharp voice with vigilance, the loud voice of the eunuch rang behind their backs.

“Here comes His Majesty the Emperor~!”

***

The emperor deliberately walked without looking at Yeonbin, sat next to the empress, and quietly looked at those who greeted him. Only then did the emperor’s gaze pass by Yeonbin for a moment, but Yihan hurriedly turned the gaze that stayed on him for a while.

After greeting him, the empress sat next to the emperor with a welcoming face and asked.

“Your Majesty, what brought you here?”

“After the morning assembly, I thought everyone would be gathering in the empress’ palace at this time, so I stopped by to see you. Are you feeling uncomfortable because I suddenly came?”

Yihan smiled gently and made a joke while looking at the empress, and the empress smiled softly.

“No way, Your Majesty. Don’t you see that flowers bloomed on our faces?”

This time, the empress returned his joke and the other concubines covered their mouths with their sleeves and laughed lightly. For a very short moment, the emperor’s gaze landed on Yeonbin. Yeonbin just bowed his head a little lower than others with a subtle smile.

“Her Majesty is right. I can’t believe we’re seeing your face this morning, Your Majesty. I guess we spent all our luck for today here.”

Sukbi naturally replied. Yeonbin was the only one who couldn’t look at the emperor in that harmonious atmosphere. Yihan hurriedly turned his eyes again as if he had never looked at him in the first place, and soon talked with a slightly heavier voice.

“I came to see the empress, and I have something to entreat in particular.”

“Go ahead, Your Majesty.”

Yihan looked around the concubines and raised his voice.

“As the farm hardship period is approaching, I believe everyone knows that the people are trembling with anxiety every year by this time.”

The emperor’s words made everyone’s faces dark, including the empress. The grains harvested before began to bottom out, but the farm hardship period, which happened while the time until the new grains ripe was still far away, was a difficult time for the people when they starved every year. Therefore, Yihan had been trying to properly aid the people in this period ever since he became emperor.

Then, Yihan continued,

“Outside, the relief post will be set up at an appropriate time to distribute the grain that the imperial family has stocked beforehand for this time, so Empress and others here have to reduce spending and be cautious for the time being to sympathize with the people.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. We accept your order.”

When the emperor had finished his words, the empress and the concubines stood up to kneel down and spoke in one voice. However, for some reason, the emperor, who normally would have told them to wake up immediately, didn’t say anything afterward. The empress in front of him slightly raised her head out of wonder and looked at the emperor.

The emperor was looking somewhere behind the empress. His eyes were showing hardship and confusion, but in a glimpse, they seemed to show contempt. It also seemed to be affectionate and curious, so it was an emotion that could not be explained in one word.

She didn’t dare to turn her head from the emperor and check her back, but the empress instinctively guessed who the emperor was looking at. At that moment, the empress felt a strange yet unknown feeling from the depths of her heart, but just as the emotion in the emperor’s eyes, the empress did not know what to name it either.