When Seol Tae Pyeong entered the Heavenly Dragon Hall as the aide of the Heavenly Maiden, Jin Cheong Lang was resting her head on the low table, tracing the grain of the wooden window frame.
It was the day of the Crown Prince’s birthday ceremony, and the palace was in chaos with preparations. Watching Jin Cheong Lang laze around like this made Headmaid Lee Ryeong feel dizzy. Fortunately, the moment Seol Tae Pyeong stepped into the inner chamber, Jin Cheong Lang perked up and raised her head.
“The Vice General has arrived.”
“I heard you are to attend the Crown Prince’s birthday ceremony at the Taehwa Pavilion on the White Immortal Mountain today.”
“Yes, yes… That’s why I got up so early.”
“You don’t look well.”
As he spoke, Seol Tae Pyeong sat down at the low table with his military robes flowing behind him. Jin Cheong Lang’s gaze quickly fell on the silk scroll he was holding in one hand.
When her eyes locked onto the scroll, Jin Cheong Lang widened her eyes and abruptly lifted her head.
“I-I was just taking a short rest because I felt a bit drained. V-Vice General, do you have something to report?”
“Ah, yes. I believe I will be in charge of leading the escort troops during your journey. Since Taehwa Pavilion is quite a distance away, it would be best if you prepare yourself for the long ride.”
“Yes, yes, of course. It’s not as if it’s my first time going to Taehwa Pavilion, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Seol Tae Pyeong, who seemed to have much more to report, unbuckled the sword at his waist and leaned it against the low table. He also placed the scroll he was holding on one side of the table, which caused Jin Cheong Lang’s gaze to snap back to it.
“There is quite a lot more I need to inform you about.”
“Yes, yes, I can see that! You’ve seemed very busy lately, so it’s no surprise there’s a pile of things to report!”
“For now, you can ask your Haidmaid to bring some tea. I believe it’s best to discuss everything thoroughly before we set off for Taehwa Pavilion.”
“Yes, of course! B-Bring some tea at once!”
Creak.
As if on cue, Headmaid Lee Ryeong brought out tea in an elegant, antique teaware set.
After placing the steaming teacup in front of Seol Tae Pyeong, she was about to leave the inner chamber when she heard a voice stop her.
“Headmaid, stay for a moment.”
“Huh?”
It wasn’t the Heavenly Maiden who called her, but Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong.
Then, Seol Tae Pyeong picked up the silk scroll that had been lying on one side of the low table and handed it to the Headmaid.
“This… this is…?”
“It’s a flower painting scroll that I’ve been gifting to people around me. I often find myself unable to visit the Heavenly Dragon Hall due to my duties as Vice General, but I appreciate how well you’ve supported Her Highness as the Headmaid. I prepared one for you as well.”
“Oh… I-I am truly… grateful….”
Headmaid Lee Ryeong awkwardly accepted the scroll. Her movements were stiff as she took it with both hands. All the while, she cast a sidelong glance at Jin Cheong Lang to gauge her reaction.
Her expression was one of sheer discomfort as if she were sitting on a bed of thorns, but she couldn’t refuse a gift handed to her personally by the Vice General.
As for Jin Cheong Lang, her face had gone pale.
She felt excluded because she was the only one who could not receive the scroll. And now it was being given to someone as relatively low-ranking as a Headmaid?
“Well… I’ll take my leave now. The palanquin bound for Taehwa Pavilion is scheduled to arrive in about two hours, so please keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
Once the Headmaid had exited the room, Seol Tae Pyeong brought the teacup to his lips, only to stop mid-sip when he caught sight of Jin Cheong Lang’s expression.
She was staring off into space, her face frozen in a daze. The sight made Seol Tae Pyeong set the cup down before taking a proper sip.
“Y-Your Highness…?”
“I may not have shown you much trust, but at the very least, I don’t think I’ve been a hindrance to you….”
“What are you saying…?”
“Why didn’t you give me one of those silk scrolls? You gave them to some officials and even to the working staff of the Hwalseong District… but why am I the only one who didn’t receive one?”
Only then did Seol Tae Pyeong realize why Jin Cheong Lang looked as though she were about to burst into tears.
Seol Tae Pyeong was generally somewhat oblivious in matters like this, but even so, it was hard to imagine that the Heavenly Maiden of an entire country would cry simply because she hadn’t received a gift from a military officer.
When one walked through the Heavenly Dragon Hall, the ground itself seemed to be adorned with beautiful artwork and famous flowers.
For someone in her position, not receiving a single silk scroll shouldn’t have been a cause for disappointment, so her reaction was even more perplexing.
“Th-That is….”
“You don’t think of me as your ally, do you? In this fearsome political arena of Cheongdo Palace, isn’t the bond between a mistress and her aide supposed to be one of mutual trust and reliance?”
“There seems to be a misunderstanding, Your Highness.”
“A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding could there possibly be? You really didn’t give me one of those scrolls….”
“That’s not it. To put it plainly, there was no need to give one to you, Your Highness.”
“…What?”
Seol Tae Pyeong quickly shook his head, fearing that tears might spill from Jin Cheong Lang’s glistening eyes, and hurried to explain.
“What I wanted to speak with you about today is directly related to that.”
Seol Tae Pyeong had distributed silk scrolls to people he trusted.
It was a way to inform them of his situation during the chaos that would erupt in the palace following the grand event.
The rebellion Seol Tae Pyeong was currently preparing was, in truth, aimed at In Seon Rok, the head of the Jeongseon clan.
It had nothing to do with the Emperor’s throne. By spreading word of this fact quickly, he intended to minimize the chaos that would inevitably follow the event.
“Plans like this aren’t helped by too many people knowing about them, which is why I resorted to such tactics.”
Seol Tae Pyeong was planning to overturn the upcoming birthday ceremony.
The only people aware of the plan were his closest and most trusted subordinates.
“Those I truly trust and who are directly involved in the plan have no need for such scrolls. I’ll share everything with them directly.”
“Th-Then, that means….”
“Yes. In fact, the adjutants of Hwalseong District whom I trust the most right now didn’t receive any scrolls either. That’s because they already know exactly what I am about to do.”
There was no need to give a scroll to those who would be informed about the upcoming rebellion.
Of course, not giving a scroll didn’t mean a lack of trust. It was simply because he didn’t want to deeply involve certain individuals in the matter, so there were many people he deliberately chose not to share the information with from the start.
However, that wasn’t how Jin Cheong Lang interpreted his words.
“Y-You didn’t give one to those you truly trust…?”
“That’s… essentially correct.”
Jin Cheong Lang once again covered her mouth with her sleeve. Her sparkling eyes were fixed on Seol Tae Pyeong.
As always, she looked as though, if she had a tail, she’d be wagging it vigorously.
“I’m the General under your command, Your Highness How could I not trust you? I would never do something so inconsistent.”
“Th-That’s right~!”
Though she tried to lower her voice, it was impossible to hide the excitement welling up behind her words.
It was as if she had just been plunged into cold water and then quickly pulled into a warm bath. Her face flushed brightly as her gaze darted around.
“So that’s why you said you had so much to report! I didn’t realize… ah… hahaha… don’t take my earlier reaction to heart. Of course, I knew my Vice General trusted me.”
“…It’s understandable if you doubted my loyalty. Someone in your position must always scrutinize those below them. You don’t need to feel guilty about doubting your subordinates.”
“Wh-What are you saying? When did I doubt you? Don’t say things that could be misunderstood.”
Startled, Jin Cheong Lang quickly shook her head.
From Seol Tae Pyeong’s perspective, he was reassuring her that it was okay to doubt him, but Jin Cheong Lang interpreted his words differently.
It felt to her as though he was accusing her of being too harsh as if saying, “Your Highness, how could you distrust my loyalty?”
As soon as she heard his words, Jin Cheong Lang frantically shook her head and spoke.
“If I seemed to doubt the Vice General’s loyalty, I apologize. Someone in a position of leadership like me should remain steadfast, but it seems I’ve been shaken by something so trivial.”
“The fault lies with me for not explaining properly.”
“Ugh….”
As she faced Seol Tae Pyeong, who always gave model answers as a subordinate, Jin Cheong Lang felt grateful on one hand but also found herself in a rather awkward position on the other.
Wasn’t this the kind of moment where he could express at least a little dissatisfaction with her?
Yes, when she first brought Seol Tae Pyeong to the Heavenly Dragon Hall, she felt as though she had gained the entire world, but as things stood now, he was thoroughly devoted to serving her as his superior.
In reality, that was only natural.
The Heavenly Maiden and the Vice General. Both held positions important to supporting the Cheongdo Empire. They were bound to respect and follow one another with utmost decorum.
She had thought that if they saw each other more often and met each other’s eyes frequently, even emotions that didn’t exist might eventually bloom, but such strategies turned out to be completely ineffective.
Instead, as time passed and their relationship solidified, Seol Tae Pyeong became even more firmly positioned as nothing more than a loyal subordinate helping Jin Cheong Lang.
And honestly, that was right.
Considering Seol Tae Pyeong’s diligent nature, this outcome was only to be expected…
I thought that by rising to the position of Heavenly Maiden and placing Seol Tae Pyeong under my command, something might change, but instead, this very position feels like a barrier to forming any genuine relationship.
Jin Cheong Lang had already begun to feel conflicted about her role as Heavenly Maiden. Though this was largely due to the constant instigation of the Vermilion Princess Seol Ran, this only deepened her doubts.
Still, she was the Heavenly Maiden.
No matter how temporary her appointment was, it wasn’t a position she could whimsically assume or quit based on personal emotions.
At the very least, she had a sense of responsibility. As someone supporting the country, she intended to fulfill her duties.
The circumstances that brought her here didn’t matter. One way or another, she had become the highest-ranking woman in the inner palace, and with that, she adopted the mindset befitting such a role.
But what was the point of being the Heavenly Maiden if she couldn’t even win the heart of the one man she cared about most?
Instead, the role of Heavenly Maiden had become a rope binding her relationship with Seol Tae Pyeong in a strict hierarchical manner.
This isn’t what I had imagined…
Jin Cheong Lang lowered her head and felt deflated.
Though she had risen to become the mistress of the Heavenly Dragon Hall and stood loftily where all others bowed their heads…
Ironically, Jin Cheong Lang envied In Ha Yeon who had left the harem and regained her freedom.
“Your Highness.”
Whether he understood her inner thoughts or not, Seol Tae Pyeong maintained a firm expression as he got straight to the point.
“I hope you’ll lend us your strength in this plan.”
***
Inside the carriage heading to Taehwa Pavilion, Crown Prince Hyeon Won sat quietly. He lowered his head as a faint smile spread across his lips.
Once this birthday ceremony is over, and the coming-of-age ceremony is completed, I’ll finally be able to formally enter the inner palace.
Of course, even without the coming-of-age ceremony, entering the inner palace wouldn’t pose a problem. However, Crown Prince Hyeon Won had shown no interest in the crown princess consorts of the harem. If anything, he would have been relieved not to feel disgusted by them.
Now, however, the situation had completely changed.
Currently, the mistress of the Vermilion Bird Palace Seol Ran was refining herself and cultivating her inner qualities.
The image of her, dressed in palace robes inspired by the feathers of the Vermilion Bird and quietly gazing up at the edge of the eaves, brought an involuntary smile to his face.
It felt as though he had discovered the most valuable woman in his short life.
The same was true of her brother, Seol Tae Pyeong. Whenever Hyeon Won observed the members of the Huayongseol clan, he couldn’t help but smile with satisfaction.
The greatest reason for his favorable view of the Huayongseol clan ultimately lay in how the high officials of the main palace trembled in their presence.
Crown Prince Hyeon Won had no memory of the distant past when the Seol family rebellion had occurred, but he had heard the stories.
The old high officials of the main palace would break out in a cold sweat and tremble uncontrollably whenever they recalled the image of the mad Sword Sovereign from those days. And when he watched their reaction, Hyeon Won often had to suppress a burst of laughter.
Hyeon Won who had lived his entire life with contempt for these officials found the Huayongseol family—the very people those officials feared most—to be his most reliable allies.
It’s one thing to win over Vermilion Princess Seol, but winning over Vice General Seol Tae Pyeong’s loyalty won’t be so easy.
After his coming-of-age ceremony, he would formally begin his studies in ruling and embark on the path of a ruler.
During that process, it would be important for him to establish strong alliances with a few of the powerful factions within the main palace.
Crown Prince Hyeon Won had marked Seol Tae Pyeong as his most promising ally, but the man’s roots ran far deeper than expected, making it difficult to win his loyalty.
Although he had humbly cooperated with Seol Tae Pyeong in causing a commotion during the upcoming ceremony, that alone was not enough to earn his wholehearted devotion.
At the very least, I want to keep those Seol siblings firmly within my camp until the end.
Lost in deep thought, Hyeon Won made his way to Taehwa Pavilion.
Through the carriage window, the distant form of Taehwa Pavilion came into view.
Soon, the Pavilion would transform into the site of chaos where the infamous “traitor” Seol Tae Pyeong would ignite a grand rebellion.
Hyeon Won found himself looking forward to it.
After all, he relished the idea of watching the rotten officials of the main palace collapse in terror.
If it meant seeing such a spectacle, he didn’t mind if his birthday ceremony turned into a mess.
***
“The Vice General has departed from Heavenly Dragon Hall with the Heavenly Maiden. It seems we should also begin heading over.”
The subordinates of the Hwalseong District gathered around In Ha Yeon and exchanged nods of agreement.
In Ha Yeon silently gazed at the Jade Leaf Sword hanging on the wall of the government office. After a moment, she took it down with her delicate hand and prepared to bring it along.
Yeon Ri quietly watched their preparations for departure before finally nodding her head.
They were heading out to capture the “Plague Demonic Spirit”.
At last, they were reaching the end of the long and exhausting cycle of reincarnation and were ready to seize the true culprit by the throat.
Yeon Ri closed her eyes softly. She stood still and let the winter wind brush against her face.
Leave a Reply