The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 45

***

“My goodness, Lady Sanya…!”

As I was almost back at the palace, having shrugged off the court ladies to take a walk alone, I stopped in my tracks upon hearing someone’s choked voice.

Lady Sanya?

Turning my head, I immediately locked eyes with a woman brimming with tears. As soon as our gazes met, she slumped to the ground right where she stood.

“My goodness, my lady, you’re unharmed!”

While I am indeed unharmed, who might this be, inquiring after my well-being?

Though I’ve inherited Sanya’s memories, only the learned information was clear. Past scenes were too blurry to recognize faces.

As I fumbled through my memories, she approached and firmly grasped my hand.

“Do you not remember me? I attended to you before you left the palace.”

I didn’t remember, but I didn’t respond directly.

She claimed to be from the Yeoran household. I decided to listen to what she had to say first, with the intention of hearing her out. The woman, looking at me with tender eyes, then hugged me tightly.

“Thank the heavens, thank you.”

Caught off guard by the sudden embrace, the woman who had pulled me into her arms then stroked my face after letting go.

“I can’t begin to tell you how worried I was that something terrible had happened to you.”

The warmth in her gaze was overwhelming. It led me to think that she might truly have been someone who cherished the Sanya before my possession.

Sending Sanya to the palace was a decision made by Giyun Yeoran. But if this person cherished Sanya, even if only for a moment, and sneaked into the palace out of concern for the child left alone…

“His lordship always has you his thoughts.”

Her last words were whispered so softly they barely reached my ears, rendering all my worries utterly futile. The woman smiled gently. Her face, which had seemed so kind moments before, suddenly felt unfamiliar.

And now, touching my forehead, I remembered.

“Giyun…”

That’s right. It was too quiet.

In the original story, the moment he heard of Sanya roaming the palace freely, he immediately sought her out. He embraced his daughter, whom he had not cared whether lived or died, weeping profusely, and then spread rumors that the other consorts were prevented from visiting her.

Though it wasn’t entirely incorrect since the consorts were indeed not fond of Sanya, Giyun Yeoran went on to sow discord, causing Sanya to hate and vehemently despise them.

Given that Sanya’s downfall was partly due to being despised by the consorts and the growing power of the Yeoran family, he played a significant role in her demise, making him a primary contributor.

I tried my best to remain inconspicuous, but rumors must have spread somehow, and now that I’ve even become a princess, naturally, he would want to take advantage of that.

Moreover, there was a perfectly valid reason for him seeking out his daughter.

To Giyun, Sanya may have been a disposable card, but even so, he was thorough to the end. Just in case Sanya ever won the emperor’s favor, he called for her and showered her with affection.

He apologized for not having found her sooner and cherished Sanya until she went to the palace, so that, should she grow up and gain power there, she would not be able to ignore him.

Publicly, Sanya was the beloved youngest daughter, and Giyun treated her as such.

The people who had little interest in the young child and others believed his words as solid truth, making Giyun’s plan perfect. His actions were so meticulous that I almost fell for it myself.

It was a relief that I caught a glimpse of his cold eyes. The eight-year-old Sanya Yeoran might not have known, but I could clearly see his disdain for illegitimate children.

“It’s because I grew up enduring disdainful looks.”

Fortunately, I didn’t show any hostility towards Giyun out of some misplaced sense of justice.

Pretending to be hurt and disappointed, acting restless and saying, “I’ll do everything for you, Father,” kept Giyun from bothering Sanya.

Had I even once tried to harm Giyun, Sanya would have been found dead within days. He doesn’t yet realize that his daughter has changed, and it seems he might use the same approach as in the original story…

But not being able to follow through with that poses a new problem.

I can’t satisfy my frustration by blatantly defying him. I might not know about others, but being powerless, I wouldn’t stand a chance against him.

Maybe I should play dumb and tilt my head in confusion? If he pretends to get angry, then I could cry out in fear, saying I’m scared…

That would be a very ordinary child’s reaction, nothing particularly special about it. However, this method alone would not be enough to completely shake off Giyun.

“With my own strength, it’s impossible.”

Ah, of all the abilities to have.

Telekinesis seemed almost omnipotent, adding just a bit of exaggeration. If there were no restrictions on that power, even more so.

With it, one could split the sea in half or move mountains. If Giyun decided to, he could demolish the imperial palace and even kill Yehwa on his own.

And here I am, hated, while at least Yehwa has her ability!

“What can be done about this…”

Have I been living too peacefully up to now? Trying to take action seriously, nothing seems to work out.

It’s really no use, though. I’m just an eight-year-old with no abilities, not to mention I’m not a genius. Ultimately, there’s nothing I can solve with my own power.

All I can do is rely on the adorable charm that worked on Yehwa, Mirinae, and Garam to receive help from those around me.

“Useless pride.”

I dismissed my thoughts with a scoff. If I want to survive, I have to do whatever it takes, no matter how careless.

And has there ever been a life without ups and downs? Even if it feels like death, somehow we find a way to breathe and live each day.

Still, my current situation is a hundred times better than Sanya’s in the original story. In the original, Sanya was a favored consort but in a position where she couldn’t bear the emperor’s child.

Not knowing when that favor might disappear, Giyun tried to suck all the benefits he could. But for the youngest daughter who became a princess, it would be better to raise her and then use her after she becomes the emperor.

It would be better to wield power as the emperor’s in-law after she becomes the emperor, rather than trying to gain favors through the daughter now and risk being hated.

So, Giyun will probably approach me gradually, and even if he needs power immediately, he’s already someone with a lot to lose, so he might see me as a last resort.

He won’t come to my palace right now, crying and begging for help from his daughter.

Well, I’ll think about that later.

For now, I have a visitor coming today.

I idly stared at the nightclothes I had been changed into. They were comfortable and soft, but considering the guest about to arrive, it wasn’t the time to be wearing them.

It should be about time for them to arrive.

Just then, footsteps approached. The sound grew closer, stopped, and then someone cleared their throat before speaking.

“Princess, Consort Consort Hwa has come to visit…”

Ah, as expected.

* * *

“…”

“…”

In the quiet room.

I stealthily lifted my teacup, sneaking glances at the woman sitting in front of me.

With her jet-black hair elegantly done up, she was graceful down to her fingertips. The act of lifting her teacup to her lips seemed like a meticulously choreographed piece of art. Her pink eyes turned towards me and then subtly shifted away. I silently smiled at this.

Just a few minutes ago, the Eastern Palace was abuzz with the sudden arrival of a guest.

Dropping in without notice was something subordinates might do, but since the visitor had a situation and humbly requested the meeting, it was an encounter I couldn’t refuse.

However, that didn’t mean the visitor was someone I could meet carelessly, turning a leisurely afternoon into complete disarray.

The woman sitting before me was undoubtedly the very person in question. Consort Consort Hwa. Her surname is Yemyeon, in other words, the consort who had kindly but firmly put me in my place earlier.

When I heard she had suddenly come to visit, I wasn’t particularly surprised since I had somewhat expected it.

But despite my internal tension, she hadn’t done anything noteworthy.

“The tea is delightful.”

That is, apart from diligently praising the tea set.

Catching myself staring at her, Yemyeon raised her eyebrows. It seemed she wanted to comment on my behavior, but then she sighed and added,

“The tea set… is quite beautiful as well.”

“Yes. It is…”

I wish she would just get to the point already.

Yes, compliments are nice. Of course, they’re appreciated. Much better than taking a bite and rudely dismissing it as unpalatable.

But there’s an old saying that even a flower song is good only three times. After about thirty minutes of hearing how good everything was, I wondered if Yemyeon had any intention of returning to her quarters today.

She couldn’t have come just for the sake of it. There surely was a reason, and I had a faint guess of what it might be.

Seeing her drag things out, I felt a bit sorry for her, thinking she might be reluctant. But then, glimpsing the neglected corner of the room where dust gathered, my sympathy vanished.

“The snacks are quite tasty as well…”

Enough, will you? How many times can one compliment the taste? Are you Emperor Jungjong?

Watching her, I sighed, almost laughing, and then asked,

“Did you come here to apologize?”

“Cough, pfft!”

Bullseye. Direct hit.

I watched Yemyeon try to suppress her cough, thinking to myself, See? Knew it would be something like this.

“The Empress commanded you to apologize to me, didn’t she?”

“Cough.”

“Consort Mirinae and Consort Garam must have said something as well.”

“Cough.”

“You’re unusually firm on this issue, aren’t you?”

At my last question, doubt flickered in Yemyeon’s eyes. What does she know? It seemed like she could hear my thoughts. I gave her a vague smile in response.

‘After all, this isn’t the first time something like this has happened…’