Chapter 109
Chapter 109
The one who got off the palanquin was a man wearing a long, flowing dragon robe.
I whispered softly.
“Brother. I think that’s the Emperor.”
“Wearing a dragon robe? Does he want to be assassinated? No one stopped him? Are there only idiots in the Imperial Palace?”
“Even if they tried to stop him, it wouldn’t matter if the Emperor didn’t listen. Maybe the Emperor is an idiot…”
“Those pathetic guys over there must be shadows. They can’t hide their presence at all. Why did he bring them? They’re worse than the Bodyguard the Lord of the Sado Association brings.”
“…Brother, you’re a Martial Artist to the bone.”
His interests are clear. I’m more curious about the Emperor’s face.
“They don’t seem to have noticed us, right?”
“Yeah. Judging by their appearance, they wouldn’t know unless we shouted. Let’s stay here until the Emperor leaves.”
Yeon-ryang replied indifferently, leaning against the tree. But he didn’t seem to let his guard down, as he didn’t take his hand off the sword hilt.
I sat next to Yeon-ryang and glared at the palanquin.
“By the way, I don’t know why he came himself when he told her to die on her own by confining her in a hermitage. Did he feel guilty?”
“It could be for political reasons. He might be taking her back to suppress the power of the concubine who gained power after Deposed Queen was deposed. She’ll die soon anyway, so there won’t be any repercussions.”
“What? That’s awful. I should have given Deposed Queen a subtle Poison. So she could put it in the Emperor’s teacup and get revenge.”
“That’s real treason, sister. Ugh, it tickles. Fur ball. Come out now.”
Yeon-ryang chuckled and pulled Ju-ryeong out of his arms. I clicked my tongue at the sight of Ju-ryeong nodding off while being shaken around in the air.
“Does she go into your arms now?”
“Tell me about it. I think she sees me as a moving bed."She's been thinking that for a while... since we shared the heart."
“Go to your owner now, you rascal.”
Yeon-ryang smiled and placed Ju-ryeong on my lap.
I stroked her glossy fur and waited for the Emperor to descend the mountain.
But the Emperor didn’t return until sunset.
As the sun began to set, the Emperor’s party, who had been waiting outside, began to prepare for camping.
“…Brother. I guess we have to sleep outside?”
“Looks like it. Seems like they’re staying overnight.”
“I should have brought a blanket. The cave floor is hard.”
I glared at the Emperor’s party and headed into the cave with a pout.
The Emperor didn’t leave the hermitage until after noon the next day.
After the presence of people had completely disappeared and we waited for another half an hour before crossing the peak, Deposed Queen, who had been sitting on a rock in front of the hermitage, stood up when she saw us.
“Lady Yeon…”
Deposed Queen’s face was pale as she called me. She ran to me, shedding tears like raindrops, and hugged me.
“Your Majesty, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Sob, His Majesty… His Majesty…”
Deposed Queen couldn’t continue and burst into tears. I patted her back until she stopped crying.
After crying until her voice was hoarse, Deposed Queen drank the honey water that Yeon-ryang brought and opened her mouth in a half-hoarse voice.
“His Majesty told me to return to the Imperial Palace. He said he would give me the position of Imperial Noble Consort and asked me to stop Consort Jin’s atrocities.”
What Yeon-ryang said was true.
Speechless, we exchanged glances and rolled our eyes.
Deposed Queen’s eyes became teary again.
“I’m tired of fighting with those who imitate sisters and looking at only the square sky. I don’t want to go…”
Yeon-ryang groaned and comforted Deposed Queen.
“Your Majesty. Calm down. You don’t have to go back to Geumneung. Do you have a place to rely on? I’ll take you there.”
“That’s right. Your Majesty. Let’s go with us. We can leave right away.”
As I quickly agreed, Deposed Queen gave a sad smile.
“How kind you two are… I’m glad to have made friends like you. But I can’t go.”
Deposed Queen trembled, clutching her clothes so tightly that the blood vessels on the back of her hand stood out.
“In return for returning, His Majesty promised to make my child the Crown Prince. But if I don’t return, he said he would send the children as hostages to a foreign country.”
“What? His own children? That bastard is crazy… Ugh!”
“Whoa, sister. You have to speak nicely.”
Yeon-ryang, who quickly stopped my lèse-majesté, sighed.
“He must have been angry that you deceived the Emperor by pretending to be dying while being healthy.”
“I believed that there would be at least some affection between husband and wife… It was all my delusion. I was just the Emperor’s chess piece who knew how to serve him in bed.”
Deposed Queen, biting her lip, began to cry as if she were about to faint.
We silently stayed by her side until she calmed down.
\ \ *
“Are you feeling better, Your Majesty?”
“Thank you. Lady Yeon. I showed you an unsightly sight.”
Deposed Queen, with her eyes swollen, sniffled and smiled at me.
Feeling sorry for her smile, I held Deposed Queen’s hand tightly.
What would it feel like to have your ex-husband threaten you with your child as a hostage?
If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to hold back my anger and would stick a Flying Dagger into his crown.
No. A painless death is too good for such trash, so a Poison that melts the body over seven days and nights…
“So-hye. Relax your expression. You’re scaring me to death. Who are you trying to kill?”
Yeon-ryang clicked his tongue with a disgusted look. Deposed Queen had a startled rabbit look on her face.
“Ahaha, don’t misunderstand, Your Majesty. After thinking about what Your Majesty said, I got a little angry too.”
As I hurriedly composed my expression and smiled, Deposed Queen, who had been blinking blankly, burst into laughter.
“I feel better because Lady Yeon is more angry than I am. Thank you, Lady.”
Her complexion was much brighter than before. I, who had been watching Deposed Queen’s expression, asked carefully.
“Are you going back to the Imperial Palace…?”
“Since the Emperor came in person and told me to return, how can I refuse?”
Deposed Queen, who answered bitterly, folded her hands and straightened her back.
“Lady Yeon, you may not understand me, but I understand your heart. Lady Yeon and I have lived so differently.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Lady Yeon. I have lived my whole life as an ornamental flower. Born as the legitimate daughter of a prestigious family, I lived as my father’s flower and as a flower that illuminates the Emperor’s garden.”
Deposed Queen, muttering self-deprecatingly, looked up at the sky. The harsh sunlight poured down on her face.
“I am not someone who can live on my own like Lady Yeon. I am a weak and incompetent person who cannot do anything without someone to take care of me.”
“No, that’s not true, Your Majesty. You persevered in that harsh Imperial Palace. You are a strong person.”
“Hehe, how kind. It would have been nice if I had become friends with Lady Yeon sooner.”
Deposed Queen, bowing her head, stroked my cheek and whispered.
“What I want to say is… whether I like it or not, I am someone who can only live in the Imperial Palace. Because I am a flower raised to be like that. So it’s right to go back.”
It was a calm tone.
I wanted to say that flowers don’t bloom all at once.
That they have to break through the soil, sprout, take root, and raise their stems while overcoming the hot sun and rough winds in order to burst their buds.
I wanted to tell her that everyone is fighting their own big and small battles, and that Your Majesty has been constantly trying.
But I couldn’t open my mouth.
Because it would be presumptuous to judge the time she had spent trying to bloom and her life with just a few words of mine.
After moving my lips for a long time, I barely managed to say one word.
“…I will respect Your Majesty’s choice.”
“Thank you for understanding, Lady. I’m sorry for wasting your time while I was hesitating.”
“No, Your Majesty. Of course, it was something that had to be decided carefully. Don’t worry about it.”
Deposed Queen, who smiled at my answer, lowered her long eyelashes.
“When I go back… my name will be forgotten again. No one will remember my name. I will only become Imperial Noble Consort So from Deposed Queen So.”
“Your Majesty…”
As my expression darkened, Deposed Queen poked my cheek. A playful smile appeared on her face.
“I didn’t mean to make you sad, Lady. It’s my choice. So there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Tell me, Your Majesty.”
“Lady Yeon. Would you remember my name?”
“Of course.”
“My name is…”
Deposed Queen, no, Imperial Noble Consort, whispered softly in my ear. I also lowered my voice and whispered the same thing in Imperial Noble Consort’s ear.
“It’s a beautiful name, Your Majesty.”
Yeon-ryang, who had been watching us, crossed his arms and pretended to be upset.
“What is it? Your Majesty. Is it a secret from me?”
“It’s a secret between Lady Yeon and me. Lady. Don’t tell Martial Artist Yeon.”
“Of course. I’ll keep it to myself.”
As I smiled and winked, Imperial Noble Consort burst out laughing.
“I want to give you a thousand gold, but… this is all I have right now. Please keep it, Lady.”
Then she took off the jade ring she was wearing and put it on my finger.
“It looks good on you, so it’s nice to see. If there’s anything I can help with, send a message to Geumneung anytime, Lady Yeon.”
“Yes. I will.”
“It’s okay even if you don’t have any business. Send me Lady’s Jianghu travelogue. I will always be curious about the well-being of my friends.”
“Of course.”
As I answered energetically, Imperial Noble Consort had a determined look on her face.
“When I go back, I will try to become the noblest flower in this land. I will bloom splendidly in the highest position I can reach. Will we be able to meet again then?”
“If Your Majesty calls me, I will go to see you anytime.”
“Thank you. My friend from the outside world.”
Imperial Noble Consort said with a smile, but her eyes were red and moist.
I hugged Imperial Noble Consort tightly without saying a word.
Hoping that the path my elegant friend will walk will not be too lonely.
