The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 85

* * *

As I glared at the vague emptiness, not knowing where it was, I heard a small laugh.

It seemed to find my anger quite cute, but still showed no intention of sending me back. Sighing, I gripped the dragon hairpin in my hand more tightly.

‘What should I do?’

Should I just think about it? Like, move to the Restricted Archives of Seora.

And surprisingly, when I thought that and opened my eyes, I was in the Restricted Archives.

I thought it might be a dream, but there was a small crack in the wish-granting jewel I was holding. As I looked down at the jewel in wonder, I raised my head and felt a bit embarrassed.

Gowun was looking at me with surprised eyes.

‘…I forgot to tell him.’

Since they said people who didn’t decorate themselves with flowers disappeared, I must have disappeared for a moment too. With my head fuzzy from lack of sleep, I completely forgot.

“I disappeared for a bit. Sorry. I forgot to explain.”

At my words, Gowun dazedly shook his head.

“No, you were here the whole time.”

Really?

I tilted my head. Was it because I didn’t disappear completely?

“You just didn’t say a word…”

His sky-blue eyes trembled with anxiety. Even if my body didn’t disappear, he seems to have sensed something was off.

“Should I call for someone?”

“No, it’s okay.”

Holding Gowun’s hand, I searched the floor with my eyes for the fallen flowers. I need to put them back on. Otherwise, I might get dragged into that white space again.

I have two chances left, and I can’t waste one on escaping from there again.

That’s what I thought, but the flowers started floating up and approaching my face.

Why is this…?

Watching the flowers being tucked behind my ears with a puzzled face, I suddenly heard a cracking sound from the wish-granting jewel in my hand.

Ah, my goodness. An ability.

‘No, not this. Cancel!’

I hastily thought that, but the flowers were already tucked behind my ears. I had two chances left, and I wasted one so meaninglessly.

It was so futile that I couldn’t laugh or cry, but suddenly the world swayed and something flowed from my nose.

‘Huh?’

When I touched my philtrum, feeling it was damp, blood was flowing.

“…!”

Gowun, startled, offered me a cloth. I held it to my nose and stood still for a moment.

Wow, I’m so dizzy. I see two or three of everything. So this is the extent of the backlash.

‘Just from lifting a single flower?’

I quietly stared at the wish-granting jewel in my hand. The jewel, cracked in several places, looked like it would completely shatter with just one more impact.

And that would be right.

Once for returning from that strange space to the Restricted Archives, and once just now for picking up and tucking the flower.

‘I have one chance left.’

The type of power I can use doesn’t matter. The only problem is the backlash.

Just from lifting a light flower, my nose bled.

I don’t know for sure, but the ability needed to stop Giyun would require much more power than lifting two light flowers. My fingertips turned cold.

The power already contained within the wish-granting jewel that doesn’t need to be newly granted. Yet the reason it specifically said only once, could it mean I can only use a proper power once?

If I use a great power, the backlash will be just as great. So if I use an ability strong enough to stop Giyun and the Yeoran family…

‘I’ll die.’

The conclusion flowed naturally. It was an instinctive thought. Sighing, I haphazardly stuck the hairpin back in my hair.

‘Let’s give up now.’

It seemed there was no way for me to use an ability. If I couldn’t find one even after searching this much, it was time to abandon hope.

There are other ways to stop Giyun, even if it’s a bit troublesome.

‘I just need to persuade the nobles.’

Since they would all be wary of the Yeoran family anyway, it wouldn’t be difficult to give them a cause and light the fuse.

Of course, it would be hard, but it would be better than using an ability once and dying.

I tried hard to think that way and soothed my anxious heart. Without knowing what would happen the next day.

* * *

The next morning. I woke up feeling a strange atmosphere. It was the same morning as usual, but a bit different.

The palace was eerily quiet. Not a single footstep or voice could be heard.

As if the palace was completely empty.

“…Gowun.”

I quietly called that name. On any other day, he would have been waiting at the door and entered as soon as I called.

But still, there was no sound from the door.

“Is anyone there?”

Even after asking again, the result was the same. This situation wasn’t unfamiliar. When I had to sneak out of the Eastern Palace to meet Jisu, and when Giyun came to the palace.

The palace was just as quiet then.

I got up from the bed, muffling my presence. And I opened the drawer of the dressing table and took out the black bead that was about to shatter.

I didn’t know how fortunate it was that I had taken out the bead since I couldn’t always carry the hairpin. I hope I don’t have to use it, but I can’t die alone, can I?

Holding the wish-granting jewel in one hand, I slowly opened the door.

The corridor was silent.

I had never seen the Eastern Palace corridor this quiet. There were always a few palace servants standing, and they took turns keeping watch even late at night.

Directly facing this strange silence that wasn’t a coincidence was quite eerie.

I quietly walked down the corridor. My mind was complicated.

‘Why so soon?’

It seemed Giyun had indeed come. Then should I stay in the Eastern Palace?

But it was a bit strange for him to just infiltrate the palace to talk to me.

Giyun’s position was precarious right now. Entering the palace as a criminal could be seen as treason.

The ongoing train of thought stopped.

I stopped walking. It wasn’t because I had made a decision.

Thump, thump.

Footsteps were getting closer and closer. Then they stop. I smiled and looked at the source of the sound.

“…Father.”

Giyun, who made eye contact with me, smiled quietly. I smiled as if I was glad to see him, but also reprimanded him.

“What brings you to the palace? How could you come without any notice?”

But Giyun didn’t answer and took another step closer to me. His face, backlit, was dark. He silently stared at me without saying anything.

When the smile completely disappeared from my face, Giyun spoke.

“You’re not surprised.”

“…”

“Were you expecting your father to come?”

It was a meaningful remark, as if he knew something.

When I couldn’t answer, Giyun smirked.

“You’ve been deceiving your father well all this time. Sanya.”

Those words felt like my heart had stopped. My whole body turned cold. I tried to remain calm, but it wasn’t easy.

‘I’ve been caught.’

How much does he know? How did he find out?

Giyun reached out to me. I instinctively shrank back, and he picked me up.

“I’ll have to overlook your mischief as a father’s duty.”

He continued leisurely. His hand patting my back was gentle.

“It’s not that I’m not disappointed, but I’ll let it slide just this once.”

Giyun knows I harbor ill will towards him. And yet he’s going to let it go?

“You’re clever, so I thought you would know what your father is thinking.”

As if knowing my question, Giyun spoke kindly.

“But Sanya. You’re still too young to go against your father.”

With those words, I realized. He didn’t keep me alive because he needed me.

Even if he knows I have ill will, even if he knows I’m hiding something, I can’t have any influence on him. …Because I’m a weak being he can grasp and wield at any time.

“Today, I came to see you and Her Majesty.”

His voice was light. As if that was truly his only purpose.

“Since Her Majesty is going on a long journey, wouldn’t it be right for me to see her off?”

At the following words, I held my breath.

It was a blatantly obvious metaphor that couldn’t be misunderstood.

He intends to kill the Empress today.

* * *

I went to Flower Dragon Palace like a doll in Giyun’s arms. There was no one on the way to Flower Dragon Palace. The silence made it seem like the palace was empty.

I bit my lip hard. I knew he would attempt treason and murder, but the timing was too soon. I didn’t even expect it to be in this way. He didn’t try to package it as an illness by poisoning her, nor did he send an assassin to attempt murder.

It was an overt rebellion, brazenly setting foot in the palace.

There may be no witnesses right now, but there’s no way it won’t be revealed. The nobles will protest, and Giyun knows that too. Yet he carried out this plan without batting an eye.

I was wrong. The checks from other nobles didn’t matter to him.

In the end, everyone was in the palm of his hand. If he decides to crush them, they will all crumble helplessly… With the ability to handle everyone in the palace and isolate the Empress in an instant.

I couldn’t even fathom the extent to which he could use his ability.

I gripped my hand tightly. I felt a foreign sensation in my palm and it stung. It was the cracked wish-granting jewel.

I suddenly looked down at the hand holding the jewel. If I use an ability now…

Giyun doesn’t know that I can use abilities. So just once. If I put everything into that one chance, I might be able to stop him.

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. It meant I was in a state of extreme tension, but it seemed to announce that I was alive.

And if I use an ability, will I die?

But if I go like this, Mother will die. She was my mother. At some point, she had seeped in and I couldn’t deny it anymore. But still, I couldn’t readily step forward and say I would die for her without hesitation.

“Her Majesty has come out to greet us.”

Flower Dragon Palace, where we arrived before I knew it. In the center of the wide main hall, a woman in splendid dragon robes stood alone. Perhaps hearing our footsteps, Mother turned around and our eyes met. And Mother smiled brightly and mouthed the words.

It’s okay. She said.