The next day, Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon returned to Cheongdo Palace.
After an exhausting search, Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong had finally succeeded in locating her.
The Vermilion Princess, who had never strayed from the proper path in her entire life, had suddenly disappeared, and the palace officials were left puzzled as to why. And as to be expected from her, she spoke plainly and without reservation about her reasons.
– Having lived my entire life within the palace, I found myself suddenly questioning the meaning of life. Those who became involved with me were forced to comply with my will, so instead of punishing them, I believe it is I who must be punished.
– I caused great worry to His Majesty and disrupted the palace order. I will accept any punishment without complaint. Please administer the harshest judgment upon this sinner.
As she sat in front of the main palace, she directed her words at the Emperor. Although traces of uneasiness remained in her expression, the dignified demeanor she had once displayed while commanding the Vermilion Bird Palace seemed to have partially returned.
Seol Tae Pyeong observed her quietly from a distance from the main palace. He carefully tucked away the lingering worry in his heart.
What came next was for her to bear.
A few snowflakes drifted down and settled silently in front of the palace.
Though it felt awkward to speak in such an atmosphere, it was the first snow of the season.
The Vermilion Princess who had violated palace law and wandered the imperial city at will was undeniably guilty and deserving of punishment.
However, from Emperor Woon Sung’s perspective, the matter was far from simple.
“She seems sincere in her remorse, but I cannot simply let this pass.”
Sitting on the throne, Emperor Woon Sung leaned on his hand and started organizing his thoughts.
It was a great sin for the crown princess consort of a country to not pay attention to her words and actions. To set an example for others, some form of punishment was necessary.
But this was no ordinary person; she was a daughter of the Jeongseon clan.
Though it could not take precedence over imperial authority, the punishment of a noblewoman required careful consideration of its severity.
Even setting aside her powerful connections, Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon was a figure held in high esteem within the palace.
The emperor knew her character well, and it was only natural that his feelings leaned toward leniency.
Still, he could not simply let the matter go, so he deliberated at length with his high officials over the appropriate level of punishment.
The outcome was a verdict that could be considered harsh to some and lenient to others.
To certain individuals, it might have been a sentence that invoked profound sadness, while to others, it might have seemed a bearable consequence.
Perspectives varied according to individual dispositions, but at least In Ha Yeon herself accepted it as inevitable.
“This is a decree issued directly by His Majesty.”
Central Councilor Chu Beom Seok announced as he bowed his head before the Vermilion Princess in the Vermilion Bird Palace.
Having delivered the emperor’s decree, Chu Beom Seok closed his eyes briefly, as if to indicate there was nothing further to say.
The Vermilion Princess looked at him quietly for a moment, then lowered her eyes and nodded her head.
“I guess it can’t be helped.”
With calm hands, she removed the Golden Hairpin that had adorned the back of her head and placed it before Chu Beom Seok.
The Golden Hairpin was bestowed only upon the crown princess consort of the highest dignity and grace. It represented the foremost rank among the princess consorts.
Records in the palace archives were filled with tales of those who had shed blood and toiled endlessly in the hope of wearing that single small hairpin.
For years, it seemed natural for this ornament to rest on the back of In Ha Yeon’s head. But now….that time had come to an end.
The symbol of the most prestigious crown princess consort, the Golden Hairpin, was picked up by Chu Beom Seok’s wrinkled hands and disappeared into the sleeve of his robe.
The memories of the years of struggle and training tied to that small hairpin seemed to flicker faintly before her eyes…. but she did not let regret show on her face.
She began to accept it, slowly but surely.
What is the meaning of being a crown princess consort, anyway? What significance does this position even hold?
And in the first place, was there ever a moment in my life when I truly chose my own path?
As Chu Beom Seok left after retrieving the Golden Hairpin, she stood in silence and watched the snowflakes falling from the sky like feathers.
The snowflakes that were floating freely beyond the palace walls and into the open air seemed like the exact opposite of herself.
Trapped within the high walls of the inner palace, her days were spent training, but the monotony of it all had begun to wear on her.
It was only natural for a person to feel such weariness, yet what weighed on the Vermilion Princess even more was something else entirely.
To begin with, for a woman harboring feelings for another to willingly take the position of crown princess consort was a grave betrayal of loyalty. Though there are too many people involved for me to just cast everything aside immediately…
…Still, I must admit…. I deeply desire to remain by General Seol’s side…Even if it means going against the will of the Jeongseon clan.
The Vermilion Princess clutched her chest and calmed her pounding heart. She then retreated to her chamber.
Having admitted the truth to herself, she felt more like laughing wryly than succumbing to unease.
Really, he is a man like a curse. I tried so hard to guard myself against this outcome.
She recalled the sight of a man who, upon seeing the crown princess consort crying in the backyard, awkwardly brewed a cup of tasteless tea and brought it to her. The memory tugged at the corners of her lips and made her smile for no reason.
That was simply the kind of person he was.
The fact that the Vermilion Princess no longer aspired to the role of crown princess consort—
No one could predict what ripple effects this would have in the inner palace.
***
“In Seon Rok, the head of the Jeongseon clan.”
When I said those words, Yeon Ri nodded her head in agreement.
In Seon Rok.
The head of the Jeongseon clan, the Chief Councilor of the palace, and the highest-ranking official among the officials of Cheongdo Palace.
His behavior was completely at odds with the distant past recorded in the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”. Anyone could see that he was, without question, the Plague Demonic Spirit.
With such a high position, he could always observe the state of the Heavenly Dragon Hall, monitor the officials, and work in the shadows to prevent Yeon Ri from making any reckless moves.
Of course, it would not have been easy to kill Yeon Ri outright, given her authority as the Heavenly Maiden and her ability to wield the Heavenly Dragon’s energy.
Attempting to assassinate the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall would have likely resulted in becoming a traitor of the highest order and facing execution. Even after her dethronement, Yeon Ri had retained a significant degree of power, making it difficult to manipulate her with schemes.
By now, Yeon Ri had almost entirely lost her strength, but from the Plague Demonic Spirit’s perspective, this would have been impossible to know.
How much weaker Yeon Ri had become, how much longer this cycle of reincarnation would persist…. there was no way for him to obtain such information. And so he continued to quietly observe the situation.
As long as he waited patiently, the Plague Demonic Spirit would eventually recover his power and consume the world, so there was no need for him to act rashly.
“There’s no disagreement that he’s a person of interest for now.”
If the Plague Demonic Spirit’s power were to fully revive, he could consume the world, but until that happened, he was nothing more than a demonic spirit that possessed the Chief Councilor.
If he acted recklessly and his true identity was exposed, he would lose his life to me before he could even recover his strength.
So, if he had chosen to remain hidden until now, it would make sense.
However… acting on something that only loosely made sense wasn’t an option.
“Tae Pyeong-ah, it’s good that we’ve found a lead, but no matter what we do, we need to act with certainty. We can’t afford to move hastily.”
The Plague Demonic Spirit likely didn’t know.
This reincarnation was the last in the cycle of reincarnations that has been repeated over the years.
We had no more chances left.
Judging by the current situation, there was a strong likelihood that Chief Councilor In Seon Rok was the Plague Demonic Spirit, but it wasn’t a certainty.
If we were to strike down the Chief Councilor and he turned out not to be the Plague Demonic Spirit, we would be executed in turn.
In reality, even if he was the Plague Demonic Spirit, failing to prove it would lead to the same result.
No one could escape execution after indiscriminately killing the Chief Councilor of a country on mere suspicion.
If we intended to make such a bold move, we would have to stake our lives as well.
Now that we were in a position where there was no more opportunity left, we had no choice but to be cautious.
“It’s possible that the Chief Councilor isn’t the Plague Demonic Spirit himself but merely a third party influenced by him. In that case, killing him would backfire.”
“As expected… we have no choice but to meet the Chief Councilor directly and test him. He’s not the Emperor, after all, so with the authority of a Vice General, I should be able to arrange a meeting.”
I glanced at the Jade Leaf Sword hanging in the office and fell into deep thought.
The time had come to take the decisive step in our long battle against the Plague Demonic Spirit.
Until now, we had been in a defensive position, but this time, we would strike first.
***
The disappearance of the Vermilion Princess had caused widespread damage.
Headmaid Hyeon Dang faced severe punishment for failing to fulfill her duties, and several soldiers who had opened the path for the Vermilion Princess suffered significant setbacks in their careers.
The Vermilion Princess personally sought them out to apologize and tried to heal their wounds as much as she could by using her authority.
However, losing the golden hairpin was a major blow. Not only had she suffered a major loss in the power dynamics within the harem, but she also spent countless sleepless nights tending to those who had been unfairly harmed because of her. This left her visibly worn out.
The influence of the Vermilion Bird Palace has greatly diminished…
White Princess Ha Wol sat at the tea gathering with a satisfied smile on her face.
Having lived her entire life overshadowed by In Ha Yeon, she couldn’t help but smile wryly every time she saw her appear so fragile.
No flower can remain eternally beautiful under the heavens.
It was fate for even the most beautiful to wither someday. This was the perfect time to aim for the position of the most authoritative crown princess consort.
“You must have endured a lot of hardship recently, Vermilion Princess.”
The White Princess covered her mouth with her sleeve as she smiled with satisfaction.
Her concern was nothing more than veiled mockery.
It was the unmistakable expression of someone relishing her own sense of superiority. It was utterly unbearable to behold.
If the Vermilion Princess had shown even a flicker of humiliation on her face, the White Princess would have felt as though she had conquered the world.
However, the Vermilion Princess merely nodded at her.
“Thank you for your concern, White Princess.”
She thanked her with a somewhat distant expression on her face. This left the White Princess momentarily taken aback.
To anyone, it was clear that her words were far from sincere concern.
The Vermilion Princess who was well aware of the White Princess’s personality would have quickly discerned that she was basking in a sense of superiority.
However, the Vermilion Princess spoke in a calm and subdued tone.
“This time, I’ve learned an important lesson.”
The Black Princess and Azure Princess quietly observed the Vermilion Princess to gauge her mood.
Her demeanor seemed noticeably different from usual, and an inexplicable sense of unease crept over them.
The Vermilion Princess was someone who always saw things through to the end.
Though her character was restrained by the rules and hierarchy of the palace, she was a fiery individual who knew how to push forward when necessary.
Recently, she faced a series of events that profoundly challenged her values. So everyone was uncertain about what she might say next.
“Inner Palace Inspector Seol Tae Pyeong lost his position because of me.”
“…Huh?”
The first to react was the Azure Princess.
The only reason Seol Tae Pyeong had been able to frequent the inner palace and interact with the crown princess consorts was his position as the Inner Palace inspector.
When it became clear that the manners of the inner palace had been poorly managed, Seol Tae Pyeong was also in danger of losing his position.
“Then… does that mean…?”
“Yes. Because of me, he has lost his position. Not just him; many others have suffered as well… I feel deeply responsible for it.”
“Vermilion Princess, please don’t blame yourself too much. The responsible actions you’ve shown so far won’t be undone by a single mistake.”
The Black Princess, at least, offered genuine words of concern.
The Vermilion Princess glanced at the Black Princess and thought to herself that she was indeed a genuinely good-hearted person; rather, she wasn’t suited for this political arena.
“Still, for Tae Pyeong… for General Seol to lose his position as the Inner Palace Inspector ….”
“I will take responsibility for it.”
The Vermilion Princess set her teacup down on the table and spoke firmly.
“I have thought about it many times since I returned the golden hairpin. I… am not fit to be the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace.”
And with that, a declaration that would shake up the entire gathering was made in the middle of the tea gathering.
If it were anyone from the Jeongseon clan, they would have clung to the collar of her court robe and begged her to reconsider. Simply having someone from the Jeongseon clan seated as the mistress of Vermilion Bird Palace carried immense influence.
However, she made her decision on her own, without consulting a single person from Jeongseon.
“Once I have taken care of those who have been harmed by this incident, I will resign my position as crown princess. I am certain that His Highness the Crown Prince will gladly grant his permission.
She would cast off her court robes and return to Jeongseon as a mere woman.
At her explosive declaration, not only the crown princess consorts present but also the maids froze in place.
The mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace. It was a position every woman in the palace coveted, one that left them salivating.
If not Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon, then who else could possibly take responsibility for that role?
The sudden announcement of such a monumental change sent the inner palace into chaos. Yet, the Vermilion Princess’s expression remained resolute.
Through her countless moments of turmoil, she had not emerged empty-handed.
What she had gained was the courage to cast off the authority she had carried her entire life.
The White Princess was stunned by the declaration and she looked at her with trembling eyes.
Sitting before her now was not Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon but simply the woman named In Ha Yeon.
***
Rumors spread rapidly that the power structure of the inner palace was about to undergo a seismic change.
If not for Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon, who else could possibly bear the weight of being the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace?
Who could ever take her place as the most authoritative crown princess consort? It was, after all, nothing less than a throne of thorns and a poisoned chalice.
Such a scandalous topic that was perfect for gossip circulated among the maids all day. It seemed only a matter of time before the news spread beyond the inner palace.
“Didn’t I tell you all to fetch water from the well? And here you are, chattering away in a place like this!”
“Aah! Maid Seol… we’re so sorry…!”
Seol Ran, who had burst out to personally find the maids neglecting their duties, scolded the girls caught in the midst of their gossip.
She placed her hands on her hips and let out a loud “Ahem!” as she exhaled into the crisp early winter air; her breath formed a misty cloud in the process. Not long after, she muttered, “It’s gotten so cold!” and soon returned to worrying about the maids’ health. She was just kind like that.
This was the high senior maid Seol Ran.
A girl known for her exceptional skills and character. The most famous girl in the Heavenly Dragon Hall.
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