The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 30

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Placing that fairy tale book on his lap, and rising from his seat as the maid entered, was Mirinae’s way of indicating he wanted to discuss something related to that book with me. Though I was suspicious, I couldn’t resist taking the bait. As soon as the maid left, I cautiously asked Mirinae.

“Noble Consort, that book is…”

“Ah, Sanya, did you see it?”

His face lit up as he said this, picking up the fairy tale book with a bright smile. Cinderella. That’s what was written on the cover.

“Her Majesty the Empress gave it to me. Isn’t it beautiful? I’ve never seen such attire before, but it seems there are many like this in the West.”

I nodded quietly to his oddly excited voice.

Is this some kind of ‘Don’t you have this at your house?’ moment? Is he bragging about receiving a fairy tale book from the Empress?

“It’s really beautiful.”

I said so, giving him an envious look. I had to play along with his bragging.

Mirinae’s smile grew even brighter at my expression.

However, his smile soon turned into a somber one as he gently stroked the cover of the fairy tale book.

“Sharing knowledge is important, but it seems I have no one to share this with.”

What kind of knowledge could that fairy tale book hold? That a life can be transformed in an instant? Or that one must have small feet?

I remembered the original plot of Cinderella, including what happened to Cinderella’s two stepsisters’ feet. What was his intention behind mentioning such a cruel fact? Perhaps suggesting that flowers are inherently noble?

Puzzled by his cryptic comment, I pondered silently until Mirinae slowly began to speak again.

“So…”

Mirinae had returned to his gentle, smiling demeanor, appearing a bit shy as he showed me the fairy tale book.

“Shall we read it together?”

His unexpectedly innocent question left me momentarily disarmed.

…Is that it?

It wasn’t some prideful indication of, “The Empress favors only me. You and I are of different classes, not to be mingled with the riff-raff.”

Instead, he was here, wanting to read a fairy tale book together. Frustration welled up in me, along with a peculiar sense of confidence.

‘Does he care for me more than I thought?’

Indeed, upon reflection, it made sense. His questioning if he could address me by name, deliberately taking me to his side during lectures.

Even when he said he’d accompany me to listen to the Empress read the fairy tale book.

This would be out of character for the Mirinae of the original story, who only adored the Empress and couldn’t stand to share her attention, even minimally.

However, if I assumed that Mirinae did, in fact, hold me in affection, then astonishingly, it all aligned.

I felt like a child given an unexpected gift, overwhelmed with wonder.

What have I done to cross this grand challenging sight?

It seemed like the danger to my life had at least halved. Just moments ago, it felt like a venomous snake was before me, only to realize I might be a mongoose.

The elation was akin to when I found Garam to be surprisingly feeble against me. A happy smirk curled up the corners of my lips, which seemed to brighten Mirinae’s face too.

In front of the Empress’s majestic persona from yesterday, I found myself genuinely smiling for the first time. I then gave a deep bow.

“How could I possibly accept such honorable treatment from the Noble Consort? Your mere consideration is more than enough for me.”

Though not as flagrantly open as my words to Garam, it was an undeniable rejection. I had just achieved one more entry on my bucket list.

Lifting my head, I saw Mirinae with a subtly disappointed expression. However, he didn’t seem angry in any way. Pretending not to notice, I picked up a piece of sweet and popped it into my mouth. Hmm. It really is delicious.

I wondered if the quality of the cooks varied by palace, but the food here was truly delightful. Among everything in Mirinae’s palace, this was what I liked the most.

After enjoying a few more sweet and sour treats, I took out the box I had brought with me and placed it on the table.

“I am returning the hairpin. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

I said with a slight smile, and Mirinae’s eyes softened in disappointment. Having removed his eye patch, I could see that his expressions were quite varied. With the eye patch, he resembled a beautiful statue, but without it, he was like Pygmalion’s creation. Of course, in both cases, he seemed almost too perfect to be human.

“It was a gift for Sanya. It cannot be returned.”

“It is too precious for me. How could I dare to use it?”

Mirinae seemed to understand my point. My hair was too thin to support such a large hairpin. After a moment of contemplation, he tilted his head.

“Um, maybe you could use it for playing marbles.”

What?

“Or… you could give it to Seoyeon to make a handle for a boranggu. Or even take it to a blacksmith to craft it into another ornament.”

Upon opening Garam’s gift, I learned that a boranggu is a traditional Chinese toy resembling a tambourine, adorned with beads and strings on the sides.

So, was Mirinae suggesting using this precious hairpin to merely create a toy?

He pushed the box back towards me with a gentle smile, the smooth lid of the box touching my fingertips.

“Ah, the pearl clutched in the dragon’s mouth is actually a pearl from the very first dragon. It would look beautiful as a head ornament.”

His cheerfully naive statement made me withdraw my hand from the box immediately. It was all I could do to restrain myself from throwing it away and running out.

Was he not actually fond of me? Was this some scheme to use the hairpin as a pretext for treason?

The shattered pearl of the first dragon that bestowed blessings upon the royal family.

This was mentioned in the original story as a rumor, suggesting that ‘the dragons always accompanying the royal family are said to be adorned with pearls.’

If I had known that truth, I wouldn’t have accepted the hairpin from Mirinae, even if I had to act like a petulant child to refuse it.

A pearl from the dragon, you say, Teacher? If I were seen playing with it as if it were a mere toy, wouldn’t it look like nothing other than treason?

“…I apologize.”

“Yes…”

Mirinae responded with a sullen face to my stiff expression and subsequent apology. He seemed regretful as he fiddled with the box a few times before pulling it towards himself.

Then, as if a bright idea struck him, Mirinae’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me.

“In that case, could I ask for one favor in return?”

At his words, I involuntarily flinched, immediately suspicious.

What is he going to ask for?

“Yes, command me.”

“Could I read a fairy tale book to Sanya?”

Mirinae hurriedly replied as soon as I spoke, his voice carrying a hint of urgency. At that, I couldn’t help but smile slightly. Look at that.

“It would be my honor.”

I nodded eagerly with a smile, and Mirinae looked relieved, laughing.

Was his thought process always so visibly transparent? Until now, I had thought all his expressions were an act, but this was unexpected.

Mirinae, like a child tugging at his mother’s sleeve, gently grasped my sleeve with two fingers and led me towards a curtained area. Beyond the semi-transparent curtains, bright sunlight poured in, and the silhouette of a chair was visible.

As we got closer, the chair’s details became clear. It was a rocking chair, more luxurious and seemingly more comfortable than the one in my palace.

“How is it?”

“Beautiful… fitting for the Noble Consort’s stature…”

I hesitated for a moment as I reflexively praised him, expecting his approval.

Wait a minute. There’s no need for this.

“It’s really pretty.”

I didn’t need a lengthy explanation to avoid any disadvantage to myself. I responded briskly and smiled lightly.

“Shall we sit?”

And as expected, Mirinae didn’t give me a complicated look or gently threaten me.

He offered me a seat and then took a seat opposite me, opening the splendid fairy tale book he held in his hands. His long fingers, as if they were made to play the flute or a harp, appeared behind the book.

Leaning back in the rocking chair, I began to wonder why he was doing this for me.

Both Mirinae and the Empress cared for me. Though I’m not sure why, they did.

Is it because I’m not bothersome?

But then, why would they do these things for me?

Quiet and not smiling, unlike a typical child without any charm. It was a known fact that the original Sanya had been mistreated.

You have no reason to care for me.

Is it because of my pretty face? Like a beautiful, young child who is as delicate as a porcelain doll, do you want to cherish me without breaking?

“Once upon a time, there lived a child named Cinderella.”

But it’s not a bad thing. It’s good that I don’t have to constantly watch out as much as before.

I might be summoned occasionally, but even then, I don’t really need to act overly affectionate…

What if the other consorts try to harm me? Will they protect me from others as they did from Banryu?

What if someone comes along whom they can’t protect me from?

“The stepmother and two stepsisters were really cruel to her.”

His gentle voice brought a wave of drowsiness. After a long conversation with Gowun the night before, I was short on sleep, and sitting in the comfortable rocking chair listening to his calm voice quickly made my eyes heavy.

I decided to change my plan from waking up. It would be awkward to get up after listening to the whole story and say, ‘I listened well.’ If I pretend to be asleep, Mirinae will call my maids to take me back.

Surely, he wouldn’t just leave me outside, right? This worry followed like a habit.

Now realizing that concern was unfounded, I smiled faintly and closed my eyes.

“Cinderella, with the help of her Fairy Godmother, put on a beautiful gown…”