Chapter 23

“I’m the wife of the Crown Prince,” Kyosul repeated it before her nanny.

Her eyes looked sad at that moment, but her nanny didn’t notice it.

“And that’s why I should not be heart-broken because of another man,” she murmured.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and then opened her eyes. Turning her mouth up, she smiled.

And then she pulled herself together once again.

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“And…”

She was about to say something when her smile disappeared. But her eyes began to be wet with tears.

“As the Crown Princess of the Mok Kingdom, I can’t go back to the Hwa Kingdom, right?”

“Your Highness!”

Choked up with emotions, the nanny hugged her. Tears again dropped from Kyosul’s eyes, who was easily moved to tears.

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“King Chong, my father, Queen Yo, my mother, brother Prince Mingung and other cute brothers, I’m afraid I can’t meet them anytime soon, right?”

She closed her eyes quietly. Their bright smiles were vivid in her memories. It was as if they could approach her with a smile and hug her if she opened her eyes now, but what she saw before her eyes was only her room full of furniture made in the Mok Kingdom.

“I can’t afford to stay sad like this forever. This is the place I have to survive for the rest of my life.”

“Your Highness! Are you okay?”

“I’m alright. I think I have to accept the reality as it is…”

Her wondering up to now was long enough. She couldn’t remain as the only princess of the imperial family of the Hwa Kingdom, Even after the wedding ceremony was over, she didn’t realize that she was now the Crown Princess of the Mok Kingdom. As she didn’t realize it, she felt she could lead a carefree life. She might have even thought that she just came to the Mok Kingdom for an outing.

“Besides, I have made friends with a woman here.”

With a gentle smile, she nodded, wiping her tears quickly.

The woman she referred to was Kyoyoung, the second wife of the Crown Prince.

After she visited Kyosul the first time, Kyoyoung would come to her residence for a chat.

As they became close to each other during their frequent meetings, they began to call each other by their given names. In the imperial palace of the Mok Kingdom where strict royal customs were observed, only those immediate royal family members called each other by their names as an expression of their friendliness.

“Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since I saw Kyoyoung.”

“Your Highness, she came here only three days ago.”

“You know, you come to miss your close friend a lot if you don’t see her even for a day. As Kyoyoung always came here to see me, let me visit her this time.”

With a broad smile, she came out of her residence. Though she smiled brightly, her nanny was still nervous. She felt Kyosul was going overboard when she ventured to see Kyoyoung.

“Let me escort you out the door,” a court lady said.

While she was watching Kyosul walking the hallway, she quickly followed her to the outside.

Finally, Kyosul stood on the wooden porch of her residence with a deep breath.

“It’s been a while since I came out of my room.”

“Yes, you’ve been confined to your room as you were sick. You made me nervous when you moved around the palace when you were healthy. And this time you make me nervous again as you seemed to stay put inside your room,” said the nanny.

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“Hohoho, you must be kidding, nanny.”

Kyosul chuckled at her joke. When she headed to the stepping stones, the court girl waiting there put the shoes on her feet. Several chief court ladies and her royal attendants followed Kyosul’s sedan chair now heading for Kyoyoung’s residence. Kyosul came to pass by Dongchon Palace on the way as her residence was on the other side of the Crown Prince’s palace and his second wife’s residence was on the right. She cautiously passed by the top gate of Dongchon Palace. Bipaan was coming out, accompanied by chief court ladies and the eunuch.

“Love live the Crown Prince! I’m honored to see you.”

She had an unexpected encounter with him. Though she was embarrassed, she instinctively bowed to him politely, “Long live the Crown Prince! I’m honored to see you here.”

Following suit, the court ladies also said in chorus, “Long live the Crown Prince! We’re honored to see you!”

And those accompanying Bipaan said aloud, “Long Live the Crown Princess! We’re honored to see you!”

Though all the court ladies and the eunuchs lowered their heads deeply to show courtesy, Kyosul bowed only slightly as she was the Crown Princess. Casting a glance at her casually, he quickened his steps.

As he recently confronted her over the wild rumor, she trembled instinctively when his eyes met hers. When she raised her head, he was moving. As if she resolved to do something, she stood before him.

“Your Majesty!”

“What’s the matter?”

As expected, his reply was curt and businesslike. Though she felt her heartbeat was pounding hard, she didn’t stop.

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“Though I’m young, I’m not young.”

Kyosul then looked him in the eye. Her nanny couldn’t figure out what she was doing to Bipaan.

What the heck was she talking about when Kyosul said, I am not young, though I am young?

There were double meanings in the word ‘young.’

“So, do you mean you are not foolish even though you’re young?”

Kyosul nodded. His voice was still flat and dull, but she didn’t regard it as cold-hearted or scary anymore.

“How dare I cause any trouble to Your Highness? If you’re in trouble because of me, I’ll also lose my current position. You won’t have anything to worry about from me in the future.”

Though she spoke in a trembling voice. She said what she wanted to tell him.

While she was speaking out, he just looked at her.

She was impatient at his glance. She felt she needed to show her firm resolve to him.

“I’m not going to go to the back garden of the outer palace.”

“Hummm….”

She could hear him breathing boringly. As there were many around him at the moment, she said figuratively, “I’m your wife, Your Majesty.”

Fortunately, he understood what she meant.

“Have you realized that obvious fact only today?”

Though he responded sarcastically, his voice was far from emotional. She was confused whether he was getting angry or he was indifferent like before.

“I’m going to keep it in mind.”

“I don’t want to stop you from meeting people. As long as you are not gossiped about, I’m not going to meddle in your matters.”

“Nope,” she said resolutely, as soon as he finished talking.

“I don’t think I’m going to be a woman of integrity if you treat me like that.”

“You told me he is just your friend, right? I have the impression that you really value your friend.”

“Well, Kyoyoung is also my friend, your second wife.”

“Oh, that’s something that I didn’t expect at all.”

Bipaan was surprised to hear that. Kyosul’s words and conduct were always beyond his prediction. His friendship with Ruhae was something that surprised him, and now she was a friend of his second wife.

“I’m just amazed at how sociable you are.”

“Well, I’m going to try my best to befriend you as much as possible.”

He suddenly turned his mouth up. It was a signal of danger to him. That stubborn face of hers had something that surprised him.

“I just thought she was no more than a princess who grew up like the flowers in a greenhouse, but she seems to be a daring girl.”

Bipaan went away, accompanied by the eunuch and court ladies.

Kyosul’s face blushed. Though she was bold enough to speak to him, she was again overwhelmed by nervousness when she turned back. She really found it hard to confront him face to face.

“Nanny, did I do well?”

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“Yes, you didn’t tremble when you spoke. Good job!”

“I wonder if I incited his hatred.”

“Well, when he said you looked like a daring girl, I think he was a bit satisfied with your bold move.”

“Really? Can I think so?”

With a sigh of relief, she smiled. Watched him disappear gradually, she turned her head and pressed on her nanny to head for Kyoyoung’s residence.

Stopping at a distance, Bipaan looked back at her briefly as she headed for Kyoyoung’s residence.

Kyosul soon arrived at Kyoyoung’s residence in Dongbin Palace. When she entered the top outer gate, she saw the main gate of her residence.

“Crown Princess Kyosul has arrived!”

The nanny’s message was conveyed to the court ladies on standby first and then to the chief court lady serving Kyoyoung outside her room. As Kyosul was superior in rank, she could walk straight to her room. Hearing Kyosul’s arrival, Kyoyoung greeted her a little later.

“Long live the Crown Princess! I’m honored to you see here.”