Chapter 35

“Missss…”

While I clinged onto Seo Yeon, she finally turned her attention towards me. She was getting fed up with it, but she didn’t want to make me cry.

“…Seo Yeon, stop. You don’t want to cut anything in front of me.”

She had a cool look upon hearing my words, but she stepped back. I then smiled and asked the woman,

“Don’t you know his name?”

She yelled and pointed her finger.

“You were talking about him?”

The eyes around the room all turned to Go Woon. He paused for a moment at the sudden attention, and subtly avoided eye contact. After hesitating for a while, he finally confessed the truth.

“…I didn’t tell you.”

That had a double meaning behind it.

“When I talked to you gently, you only stared at me with those cool eyes! No matter how many times I asked for your name, you wouldn’t even write it down for me, so I just called you Dawn!”

My ears hurt from the woman’s yelling.

‘I think I know why he didn’t tell you.’

I couldn’t even say that out loud, for the woman who was expressing her disappointment was completely ignored by Go Woon. After she waved her finger in front of him, she then turned her head to Seo Yeon.

“Miss, did you know about this?”

“He came early in the morning and told me. I thought there was a reason why he kept it a secret, so I didn’t say anything.”

Seo Yeon responded with a smile that was full of energy.

“Boy! But you didn’t say a word to me!”

“Hey! You ungrateful bastard!”

“It’s loud.”

This is why…

The woman’s face was distorted in tears. Her shoulders drooped as if she were sad, but I pretended not to notice. My hobby doesn’t include comforting disgusting adults.

Oh, right. I need to ask something.

I got up from my seat and put my hand on the woman’s arm.

“There,”

She looked up at me before I could even finish. I ended up frowning because I couldn’t stand the pressure of her sparkling eyes.

“Miss, you consoled me…!”

“No, that’s not true.”

Not caring, I looked at her quietly. I don’t know who sent her here willingly, which is why I need to find out because all I did was send a thank-you note. I then turned my head and looked at Seo Yeon.

“Send a message to the palace: I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes. Miss.”

Oh, my nap time is gone just like that. As I sighed deeply, the woman looked at me and said,

“…Did Miss just transfer my job?”

My eyes widened at her words. I thought she was a fool, but she’s surprisingly sharp in this part. However, I nodded my head calmly because it’s not like I need to keep my intentions confidential.

She looked at me with a look on her face that screamed ‘why?’. I have to admit that it wasn’t a difficult expression to understand. It was the emperor and Mirina who led the shadows. Since she can’t understand my feelings, she might make me go and talk to the emperor, for Yehwa is more friendly than Mirina. But, I’m sure that even if I ask for it, a gentle rejection would come back to me at once, for there’s no way the emperor would give me two shadows.

No, it was already unexpected that she would give me Go Woon. Yehwa is the most affectionate person in the country, but she is also the most thorough in distinguishing between public and private affairs. She just feels sorry and cares for me. That’s all.

Shadows were by far the most prestigious among the Imperial Palace’s soldiers. The emperor won’t just give them away voluntarily. When I asked for someone, I didn’t mean for them to send me a shadow…

‘Take her back.’

Besides, one shadow is enough for me.

‘Seo Yeon and some other court ladies are still here…’

Most of the people who’s under the emperor would only serve the new concubine for about a month. After that, there won’t be a need for them to continue to monitor the palace. I realized it again before that it’s been more than one month, I still wondered why they’re by my side.

As soon as I remembered that again, some court ladies were getting replaced, and one day, I even found Seo Yeon packing her luggage.

‘Are you going now?’

‘…Yes?’

‘Thank you for everything. You’ve been a really nice person. I wish you good service from now on.’

I was disappointed, but it was natural for them to go. I even said goodbye, but I didn’t think that Seo Yeon would react this way.

‘Miss… did you know I’ll be gone all this time?’

‘…Huh?’

‘You don’t need to say anymore, come here…’

‘Oh no, that.’

… I didn’t mean to make her cry.

Anyways. After all these twists and turns, they still remained as my court ladies. Now as I looked at the woman with mixed expression, she had her eyes wide open. I just laughed.

Before I knew it, I received a letter, and it had Mirina’s handwriting on it.

…He said he had a gift that he bought for me.

I folded the paper well and stuck it in the drawer before I got up. Naturally, Go Woon followed and I gestured to the woman who was sitting still.

“Goodbye.”

“Bye Miss!”

When I looked at her, she just laughed.

I could finally smell the scent of the flowers, which were cherry blossoms. The pretty flowers were already dead, and even though the tree didn’t have a single bud, the scent still lingered. The reason for this lies in the legend that exists in Seorak.

After a whole month of Aryun (the festival), all of the cherry blossom trees in the palace will bloom at once. The flowers are said to bloom brightly and after about a week or so, it would fall off like a camellia.

During that week, a special guest comes to the palace. It’s a child in the middle of the garden crying. The kid was found in a garden that no one has touched, as if it had fallen from the sky. Everyone in the palace tried to make him laugh, and it was said that the kid bursts into laughter and then disappears.

After the child disappears, a good omen will come to Seorak that year. It’s a myth, but it was hard for the people to dismiss it as a lie. In fact, the child was likely to be seen around once every few years, but neither I nor the original Sanya had actually witnessed it.

I wonder what it’ll look like, and since the original Sanya has never been to the Imperial Palace, I probably won’t be able to see it until I’m 13 years old.

“If you have that look on your face, you’ll get wrinkles sooner.”

I turned towards Go Woon with a cold gaze. I suddenly smiled.

“Go Woon. Have you ever seen a baby-”

“…Sanya?”

Someone’s voice cut me off before I could continue to talk. I really hate it when people do this. But if they called my name, then I’ll have to stop talking. Above all, that person’s voice gave me goosebumps.

I bit my lips and turned around.

A smiling emperor.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

Why is she here…

***

Now the emperor, Garam, and Mirina are here. In this situation, the majority of people in the world would feel uncomfortable. I know they won’t hurt me, but I have nothing to say when I see them.

More precisely, it was very difficult to talk to them while pretending to be a healthy child since my mental age is older. Therefore, whenever I see Mirina or Garam, I usually just answer questions or watch them fight.

However, the emperor was different. She always seemed very fond of me, for whenever our gazes meet, her face melts as if she’s looking at the cutest thing in the world. It’s very uncomfortable.

‘Oh my god.’

I let my guard down. I thought she wouldn’t come today because she came yesterday. And most of all, she was a regular visitor even though everyone’s in the middle of preparing for the festival.

Did she find time just to come and see me?

Why?

I really don’t want that. She should spend time with her concubines!

I don’t have the courage to really say that, so instead, I looked up and Yehwa while smiling.

“Sanya! What’s going on? It’s good to see you outside, but I thought you were in your room. Do your legs hurt? Or is the sun too hot?”

…Well this is an unpleasant achievement.