"Hurry up! I cannot believe that nobody informed me of this last minute banquet that is taking place! How could have been informed so late! Didn't The Young Master Nam send me an invite at all? Why doesn't he want to see me? What is his banquet even about?" "I heard that there is a very important guest that has arrived and the brothel is the one giving this banquet in her honour. Apparently, she is a rather charitable person…" "She? And charitable to what? Brothel whores?" "My Lady, now that there is a banquet full of guests, he cannot possibly embarrass you, not unless he wants to loose face." "Peace be to My Lady, how may I assist you today?" "We will need a carriage to take us to the banquet that is taking place today…" "I am afraid that will not be possible due to the fact that there is no invitation that is issued out in your name. And the banquet is taking place in the brothel where The Lady Min has been vocal about her disgust for the women there, so we saw no need to invite you at all. And all of the carriages have been booked for the day and they will not come back until the evening time now." "So there isn't a single spare carriage? Not even for the servants?" "Like I said, hey have all been booked for the day." "Do you have any idea of who you are addressing?" "We are My Lady, and we have received strict instructions from our esteemed guest themselves that any relatives of The Third Princess Consort are not welcome where they are dining." "What do you mean? Who dares to push me away like this? I am the finance of The Young Master Nam…" "Betrothal between 2 parties only takes place when dowry gifs have been exchanged Madame, and The Young Master Nam himself as already handed his gifts to The Seo Family long ago, which have been accepted."
"But I…" "My lady should really be worrying about is if other people at this banquet will feel unwell when they see a dragged up Lady whose sister is only temporarily in power, I believe that you do understand the consequences of that, no?" "What did you use say to me?" "Concubine Park is said to have keen intellect, Concubine Kim is said to be responsible and decorous, and the new Concubine Cho cannot compare to anyone other woman that The Third Prince has been with, that is what hey say at least." "Is that who the guest is? My sister's husband's concubines?"
"My Lady, I am here to deliver The Young Master Nam's order, which is to keep away from him until he can find a way to break off this marriage. He also says that is it convenient for yourself to travel in the heat, just like how his nephew got sick in the first place, so you will need to return to your quarters and reflect on your actions, unless you wish to compensate his sister-in-law by footing her medicinal debt for her son?" "Is that so? Well, I would love to hear this from himself…" "My Lady, why ever should I deliver a false message? The Young Master hasn't wanted to see you for a long time, and he is very happy right now, so why would you disrupt that?" "I refuse to believe that he has no affection for me and our past at all…" "Affection in the pas stays in the past, that is what they say. And now that he is reunited with Seo Yeon, he never looks back on his past, not even once. My Lady, you appear to be sweating under the sun and your makeup is running off, you shall need to return back to your residence anyway fix it. But rest assured, Seo Yeon's beauty will satisfy The Young Master; her voice is even softer than water. Does My Lady still think that The Young Master will want to see you at all?"
"Men, all of these men are the same; they only see the tears of the young concubines and no the older ones. I am here humiliated under the burning sun and each girl here in the brothel is more bewitching than the last one!" I had no choice but to stomp my way back to my chambers, only to catch a glimpse of the so-called happy couple in a carriage that had no driver yet. They looked…well, unlike anything I had ever sen before. They were holding onto each other, leaning into each other, without even talking or looking at each other, he had his legs stretched out and his head in her lap that she just gently caressed whilst looking at him with such love in her eyes that almost made me catch my breath.
"…only you can soothe my worries." "I have only guessed one of your ideas correctly; the officials are familiar with books and ethics. This is one way to resolve the issues with the brothers of The Emperor, because we need to see if they accept this grace first." "And if that doesn't work?" "It isn't a popular choice, but the children should be brought into the palace and placed under the care of a trusted Royal Family member. If something unforeseen occurs with the State Princes, this will temporarily restrain them for a while, including responding to The Second Prince and borrowing forces from him. Hasn't his letters already began to be intercepted?" Right now The Second Prince wouldn't really dare to rebel due to holding onto his honour and wealth and so on. If he were to take the risk, he would not already be possessing more than he already has, but there is no point in keeping him about now. Even if they both keep acting imperiously, to avoid beating the grass to catch out the snakes, let us do what we can to appease them before we catch them out. It is always vital to show ones act of kindness before catching these criminals." "What if I suggest that the State Prince's children all inherit their parents titles? What do you think?" "Give them specific ones to remind their fathers of their reverence and stability. They already have the highest wealth and privileges, what else can they ask for now?"
So this is what made them work? The Young Master actually discussed political affairs with this girl? And trusted her point of view emphatically like this? That is why he valued her over myself? Even though I was the sister of one of the most powerful women in the palace and I could bring him the same information that he needed? I was wealthier than she was, I was prettier and younger than she was, so what was the issue? Why did he only look at her and not myself?
"…your were absorbed in your needlework earlier, what were you making for me this time?" "Who says it is for you?" "Who else are you making things for?" "The brothel children….but you are right, I was making another satchel for you since the last one I gave you has aged quite a bit now. What colour would you like it to be this time?" "I cherish your thoughts more than the colour scheme." "Absolutely everything that you wear needs the upmost attention, to represent my thoughts for you, so it cannot have any flaws." "I like the purple colour of your chima, and the gold colour underneath it." "The purple clouds come from the east and the gold dragon coils and rises' both are very auspicious items." "i thought that you didn't believe in that kind of religious stuff?" "I do not, but your workplace takes it very seriously." "I shall keep it on my everyday this time and not loose it like last time. And what kind of flowers do we have there? They are making my nose itch?" "These are apricot flowers; they are no as bright as peaches or as cold as plums, but they are still modest and gentle." "So are people and flowers alike? Gentle-minded people attract gentle flowers?" "But I do not like apricot flowers, despite it's beauty, the flower is sour and its seeds are bitter. Life itself would be meaningless if it began well and ended badly." "So what would you prefer?" "I would prefer evergreen plants like pine and cactus; not blooming or peering any fruits." "What an unusual point of view, just like you." "Only you can say that to me, not even my brother can call me that." "What? Unusual? Why are you looking at me like that?" "Because I want to ask you something." "I don't like where this is going, not with how you're looking at me." "Seon-Ho, you are a very special person to me, so I am naturally curious about you." "What do you want to ask me that you don't already know about?"
"As far as I am aware of, you have only had feelings for 2 women in your life, so what makes them so different?" "You really want to know the answer?" "Yes, that is why I am asking you." "Honestly, there isn't much of a difference between yourselves, that is why I even had a crush on her at one point in time. The only differences is that despite your keen intellect, you are still a traditional woman and she isn't, far from it in fact. She is the type of woman to worry more about her youth rather than giving me children." "Is that the only difference? Nothing else?" "She is older than both of us and you are younger, much younger and more ripe for me…" "Husband!" "What? It is true, isn't it?" "So what are you saying? That you…that we have…" "Come on Yeon, you are not half as naive as what you make yourself out to be. You knew that from the first moment that I touched you, that I have been trying to get you pregnant, or why else would somebody like me who prefers men sleep with you so much? And before you twist my words, I do like sleeping with you as well, just you and no other woman shall I take into my bed."
"Do you really mean that? You haven't just been trying to get me pregnant for all of these years?" "If I didn't crave you like a damned drug, I would have made up a nightly routine to sleep with you, but I don't, do I?" "That is certainly true…" "do not bring up that irksome woman anymore and let us join this banquet, I want this over with so that I can get back to bed as quickly as possible…" "You will sleep on your own form now on." "That will never happen, and if you do not invite me into your bed yourself, then I will not give you any room to breathe without me, and you know that I will keep my word. Now come on, I need you to be focused so we can get this whole ordeal over with and I have even invited your brother and his wife over. Moon-Bok and family couldn't make it as he still needs to rest, so let us go."
I hid behind a tree and watch him drag the girl from the carriage and on the way to the brothel, but I couldn't just let him go after everything that I had just overheard. I needed to say my piece to him and figure out what on earth I was going to do to separate these 2 for good and that I could have the wedding of my dreams to the man of my dreams, whether he liked it or not.