The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 8

***

At my words, the maid flinched, likely recalling that it was not permissible to let me go alone.

Royal family members always have a large number of servants accompany them when they go outside. However, consorts, other than the royal family, usually move around alone.

Since they are usually from noble families, they already possess considerable strength. Thus, they do not need guards or servants to protect them, and having servants accompany them has implicitly become a privilege of the royal family.

But as I’ve said, I’m receiving special treatment. Of course, in a not-so-good way.

“May I go out?”

I asked the maid with the gentlest expression I could muster. Since she was the maid standing at the front, her rank must be high, so she should be able to decide on my comings and goings.

Of course, I could force my way out if I wanted to, but I didn’t want my name to be written in a death note, figuratively speaking, twice.

The maid looked surprised at my question. She bowed her head as if she had heard something very honorable.

“You don’t need to get permission from us for every little thing, my lady. If you wish to go out, you may do so at any time.”

Her intense reaction made me flinch. I had expected a cautious “as you wish,” but not such an honored response.

Ah, right, of course. Being the youngest daughter of the Yeoran family, it wouldn’t be right for anyone to block my way. My statement could have sounded sarcastic to her.

“I’m not familiar with court etiquette, so please teach me anytime. For example, if I need to inform someone when going out…”

“That would never be necessary. As a member of the Yeoran family, you are free to go out alone.”

The maid’s response made me feel a bit uncomfortable. The Yeoran family’s special ability was psychokinesis, and direct descendants were endowed with considerable strength.

Indeed, the consorts were already strong enough to protect themselves, which is why they didn’t have servants.

But I have no such powers…

I was about to reveal the truth but hesitated. After all, I preferred moving around alone, and spreading such information among the maids might just make me a target.

“Are there places I should not go?”

Instead, I asked this, and the maid listed the Empress’s garden, the forbidden library and shrine, and the other consorts’ quarters. All places I had no interest in entering.

“If you’re going for a walk, I will bring you a windbreaker.

At her suggestion, I nodded, and she quickly prepared it.

Considering the cold outside, something like a fur-lined cloak was draped over my shoulders. Running my hands over the thick fur, I felt its softness.

Walking around the palace without any power or people to protect me was, in fact, a bit frightening. Not just the fear of being beaten, but also the possibility of being killed without anyone knowing.

If a child roams the palace freely, everyone would know who I am, and the consorts wouldn’t kill me without a reason…

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to the palace. It was my first time going outside since arriving here two days ago.

“I have something to do.”

***

In the rear garden of Floral West Palace, among a few bushes, where the warm sunlight shone down and the area was enclosed by trees, I leaned against one of the bushes and closed my eyes.

“This place is nice.”

30 minutes earlier.

I had steeled myself and opened the door, only to be truly astonished.

I had imagined the palace to be like a house with a yard, but what appeared before me was a garden of a size comparable to the Palace of Versailles.

“What is this…”

I couldn’t tell if this was standard, or if the Yeoran family had exerted some pressure. Do palaces usually come with this… attached?

Misinterpreting my reaction, a maid cautiously approached me.

“No, it’s not that I dislike it…”

I quickly turned around and denied her words. The older maid who had been standing at the front was looking at me with a worried expression.

I tried to say more but only ended up moving my lips without producing any sound. It was awkward to explain further.

However, a new obstacle soon presented itself to me.

“…”

I couldn’t see the bottom of the high stone steps. The skirt of the dress I was wearing was long, there was no anti-slip on the soles of my shoes, and the stairs lacked handrails.

‘Am I going to die if I try to go down?’

I quickly negotiated with my rationality. As much as I didn’t want to regress to a childlike state, if I just went down and fell headfirst, I could die. With that thought, I turned around to face the maids, whose faces were filled with confusion.

They didn’t understand why I wasn’t going down. Frustrated, I quickly realized the reason.

Right, they don’t know I don’t have any powers.

‘I’m screwed.’

I’ve shot myself in the foot.

Not expecting any further assistance, I turned around carefully, holding onto my skirt. Then, I began to slowly descend the stairs. It wasn’t the season for snow, so the stairs weren’t slippery, but just the feeling of dirt under my shoes made me tremble.

As slowly and carefully as possible…

Finally, having made it down the stairs, I let out a long breath. Good. I made it.

After taking a breath, I scanned the entire view of the palace. I could see some plum blossoms starting to bloom, and trees that looked like magnolias were plump with winter buds.

Though that was all I could see immediately, I was certain there was something beyond my field of vision.

‘I can’t see the gate.’

The palace was truly vast. It was literally like a fortress.

The reason I insisted on going out, even to the point of dismissing the maids, was to prepare for any unforeseen disasters. For instance, if an assassin entered the palace, or if a fire suddenly broke out, it seemed like no one would come to my aid.

This wasn’t a story unique to the male leads who were consorts.

The Empress had many consorts beyond her favorites, and some of their personalities were beyond imagination.

If the newcomer consort lost favor, they would certainly find ways to torment me.

There has to be a back door or a dog hole in every palace. I needed to be able to escape from the palace in case of an emergency, and usually, such exits are more common towards the back than the front.

Originally, I planned to do this later, but after yesterday’s encounter with Mirinae, this plan became my top priority. I glanced at the garden spread out in front of me and headed towards the back of the building I had come from.

…That was 30 minutes ago.

The rear garden was much simpler and more to my taste than the front garden. The only problem was that the front of the palace blocked the sun, so it didn’t get much light.

I searched hard while avoiding people’s gazes and found this place during my search. I had no excuse if someone asked why someone looking for an exit would be lying down like a cat basking in the sun, but the place was too charming to just pass by.

Even if Floral West Palace was smaller than other palaces, it was still a place where people lived. Even if it was quiet in the room, noise from somewhere would carry over. But here, the sound of people was absent, replaced occasionally by bird calls.

It was enclosed on all sides, but miraculously, sunlight shone down in the middle. It looked sacred, as if divine revelations were being bestowed, but more than that, it was warm. As soon as I saw it, I was drawn to sit down right in the middle of that sunny patch.

“It’s nice…”

It felt like all the tension from being constantly on edge was melting away. I abandoned any pretense of sitting properly and sprawled out any which way.

A secret spot unknown to anyone. Is that what this is?

This place might not be sunny all day, but spots where you can lie down and see the sky are rare.

I decided to lie down right then and there. Was the windbreaker I wore white? That thought briefly crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

The warm sunlight covered the white windbreaker. Despite the cool breeze tickling my nose, my body warmed by the sun felt cozy. The smell of grass and the sharp scent of the wind mixed with the smell of spring.

This is it…

The blue sky, free from air pollution, had clouds drifting by. Watching them, a smile appeared on my lips.

One of the advantages of being possessed into a novel was the year-round blue sky. It was astonishing that the sky wasn’t hazy even in the distance.

There wasn’t a single thing I disliked, except perhaps for the cold seeping up from the ground. Twisting my body, I eventually couldn’t stand it anymore and got up.

‘I should bring a blanket next time.’

After dusting off the dirt that had stuck to the part of me that had been in contact with the ground, I made a grimace. It was because I realized the windbreaker I was wearing was indeed white.

Since my hair was long and undone, it would have touched the ground first. So, maybe my clothes didn’t get too dirty?

The best option would have been to take off the windbreaker, but it was too cold to remove any outerwear. After shaking it off a couple more times, I moved on.

Passing through an area that felt like an untended, dense forest, I came back to the more manicured part of the rear garden. This place wasn’t landscaped but simply had the ground flattened, allowing wildflowers to bloom.

“…”

Wait, just take a look and then go…

I hesitated for a moment in front of a patch of ground where tiny purple flowers had bloomed among the grass.

Forget-me-nots? No, it didn’t seem quite right.

Then, from somewhere, I heard someone’s voice. It sounded like someone shouting from a distance. In the quiet of the rear garden, the sound carried well, and I froze, listening intently. The voice gradually faded away, but then another sound reached my ears.

Step, step.

The footsteps weren’t hurried. It sounded like someone slightly dragging their feet on the dirt. A chill ran down my spine at the sound.

Who is it?

I held my breath, waiting for the person to pass by. But to my dismay, the footsteps only got closer.

It can’t be. It’s too soon for them to kill me.

The only coherent thought I could muster in my panicked mind was that. Right. It’s too soon for them to kill me. It couldn’t be this easy.

I glanced back. The palace blocked the way.

Could I run and make it to where there are people… and survive?

Step.

Suddenly, everything went dark. The footsteps had stopped.

I slowly lifted my head.

Blue garments, red hair. A familiar face, but not a welcome one.

Garam’s ability was fire.

Even though it was spring, it was still a dry day far from the humid summer, and in such a rear garden, it wouldn’t be strange for a fire to break out, killing a young consort.

I have to get up. I need to run—

“…You.”

A low voice called out to me.

With the sun behind him, his expressionless face was terrifyingly fearsome. Those emotionless blue eyes stared at me silently.

I froze, trembling like an animal skewered on bars, and my vision blurred. Tears welled up and dropped.

“…Please don’t kill me.”

With a trembling voice, I barely managed to speak.