The Young Consort Wants to Live Quietly

Chapter 92

* * *

After the sudden offer of sweets, I gradually talked with the children.

The children were all very nervous, so no special conversation came out, and although I carefully observed the children just in case, there were no children showing suspicious signs.

I told the children to leave the palace and ordered only Seoryeon to stay. At those words, the children were restless. It wasn’t in a very good sense.

I looked at Seoryeon’s friend whispering to her with puzzlement. Am I going to eat her? Everyone seems to pity Seoryeon.

‘The person herself doesn’t seem to have any thoughts.’

That kid looks sleepy. I should feed her and let her take a nap before sending her off.

‘She must have had a hard time coming here since morning.’

Thinking that, I left the room, and Seoryeon followed me. Following the palace maid’s guidance, the meal was already set on the table.

I sat in my seat, and Seoryeon sat across from me.

“Eat comfortably.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Seoryeon’s face brightened as if there was a side dish she liked. Unknowingly stretching the corners of my mouth while looking at that face, I cleared my throat and composed my expression.

When I scooped a spoonful first as Seoryeon was watching my reaction, only then did the child start eating.

Look at her scooping rice. It’s completely a small amount. She’s also diligently putting side dishes on top. Oh my, look at her chewing.

Perhaps because I was staring too intently, Seoryeon glanced at me. As if embarrassed, the child’s cheeks were flushed. I tightly closed my eyes.

‘Cute.’

No, I don’t usually like young children.

Seoryeon was just… cute. It’s not that she’s doing anything special, but every little motion is adorable. Baby, baby.

Her tiny hands, her youthful face, everything was cute. It was the first time I felt this way about someone other than Gowun. I guess I liked harmless children more than I thought.

‘Come to think of it, we got along quite well when exchanging letters too.’

Thinking that, I scooped a spoonful of rice into my mouth. I wanted to talk, but it took some time to match the timing when there was nothing in my mouth and nothing in Seoryeon’s mouth. After taking a few more bites, I casually asked.

“You’re a distant relative of Consort Hwa, right?”

At my question, Seoryeon slightly nodded.

“She is my aunt.”

I want to tell her to speak comfortably. I was about to say that but stopped.

Anyway, after writing casually in letters for a while, I thought it was funny that she was being polite now, but it could be uncomfortable when actually meeting.

“The other children seemed to find me quite difficult.”

It was a remark made without much thought, but at those words, Seoryeon flinched.

“…No, that’s not it.”

That answer was more enthusiastic than ever before. Seoryeon even put down her spoon.

“How could they dare harbor disrespectful thoughts towards Your Highness the Princess? It’s just that Her Majesty coldly purged some noble families…”

“Purged?”

It was the first time I heard that. The smile disappeared from my face. I knew that the nobles had been unruly towards the Empress until now.

Now that Mother has gained untouchable power, there could be a massive purge. I know it’s necessary, but it was a bit shocking to me that Mother killed people.

Among them, there must have been young children who were simply born into those families.

“…Were there many who were executed?”

“Her Majesty showed mercy, so their status was lowered, but their lives were spared.”

Seoryeon answered my carefully asked question. Those words put me a bit at ease.

Even if she killed people, it doesn’t make her not my mother, but still.

But why is that kid looking at me with such passionate eyes without even eating?

“Finish eating.”

At my words, Seoryeon’s shoulders drooped like a doused brazier. It was a very subtle difference, but I could see it.

“I apologize for my lack of eloquence.”

No, what are you even apologizing for…?

Above all, was there anything in the previous conversation that showed a lack of eloquence? As I traced back the conversations, I suddenly realized.

‘Is she worried that I might be disappointed that the other children find me difficult?’

What the. Really cute.

I thought she was a worldly-wise old soul, but Seoryeon had many more childish sides than I expected.

‘Well, she’s young.’

How did she so flawlessly pretend to be mature in the letters?

I chuckled as I ate. She said she was Choeun’s niece, so it seems she delivered the letters to my room through Choeun.

Come to think of it, my palace maids were also a bit annoying. Palace maids from Choeun’s palace must have come, but how could they not see them?

But since they allowed me to make such a cute friend, I should let it slide, I thought as I put down my spoon.

“So, did you want to get close to me that much?”

At the sudden question, Seoryeon blinked her eyes. The child with delicate features like a porcelain doll slyly avoided my gaze.

“…Yes.”

Another cute reaction. It seems she’s not even trying to hide it anymore.

“You’ll be my companion now, so you don’t have to send letters anymore.”

At my words, Seoryeon’s eyes widened as if puzzled.

“Letters?”

At that reaction, I flinched.

A reaction very similar to Garam’s, a familiar reaction.

‘Is it not her either?’

Half-doubting, I handed the letter to Seoryeon. Seoryeon unfolded the letter with a dazed look. The child’s face frowned as she read through it.

“Who dares to play such a prank on Your Highness…”

“It’s not you?”

When I asked in disbelief, Seoryeon answered that it wasn’t.

“Then what about your answer to the earlier question?”

“Pardon?”

“About the garden and the rocking chair. How did you answer like that?”

Seoryeon wouldn’t know if the garden is beautiful or if there is a rocking chair in my bedroom since she has never been to the Eastern Palace.

At my question, Seoryeon answered systematically, though flustered.

“My aunt told me to go see the garden when she entered the palace. And that chair was known to be bestowed by Her Majesty.”

Ah, is that so…?

‘It’s specific…’

This is already the second time that someone I firmly believed turned out not to be the one. I’m a bit deflated now.

Finding the sender, do I really have to go this far?

* * *

Being deflated is one thing, and a guest is a guest. I put away the letter and talked with Seoryeon some more. And, it was quite enjoyable, more than I expected.

How should I put it…

‘It really felt like having an equal conversation.’

It’s not that other people don’t respect me, but they still subtly had an attitude of treating me like a young child.

But Seoryeon wasn’t like that. Perhaps because we were the same age, or because it was the child’s original personality, she was a very comfortable person to talk to. She didn’t say anything uncomfortable, listened well to my stories, and appropriately shared her own.

And on top of that, she’s so cute.

‘I hope she comes often.’

I thought that as I saw Seoryeon off and returned. And as soon as I entered the room, I found a letter neatly placed on the table.

Thinking it might be a new one, I hurriedly checked and confirmed it was the letter from yesterday, and I sighed for a different reason.

Could it be one of the children who came today, excluding Seoryeon? But now I really have no clue.

‘There were many strange things.’

Above all, the letter asked me, “How?”

All the families with a twelve-year-old daughter would have received an imperial edict, so they would have known they would enter the palace and meet me.

I sat down and picked up a brush while quietly looking down at the letter.

[Hi.

Today, I gathered all the twelve-year-old noble girls.

But no matter how much I thought about it, it seemed you weren’t among them.

I may not have recognized you, but somehow it doesn’t feel like that’s the case.

Now that I really can’t find you, I’ll just ask.

Who are you?]

I put down the brush, dried the paper, folded it neatly, and placed it by my pillow.

Now, tomorrow, I will be able to find out who sent that letter. I tried hard to ignore the uneasy feeling in the corner of my heart.

And the next morning. The letter arrived without fail. I immediately unfolded the letter and read it.

[You couldn’t find me after all. I thought it would be difficult.

Where should I start explaining? Please believe my words without doubt.]

And a brief blank. Below one line, letters were written again.

[My name is Sanya.

I was the youngest daughter of the Yeoran family and a concubine of His Majesty the Emperor.

I entered the palace at the age of eight and died at the age of twelve.]

I couldn’t believe it. It was me who possessed Sanya’s body, and this body was eight years old. But the content of this letter was the same as the original work I knew.

The one who wrote the letter to me was the original Sanya?

But now I am the one in Sanya’s body. Then, where is the real ‘Sanya’?

As soon as I thought that, something came to mind.

The state of my body being tired no matter how much I slept. I, who couldn’t remember at all even though I was said to have wandered outside every night.

[I know you are using my body during the day.]

If it wasn’t sleepwalking or any abnormality of the body?

[I only wake up at night.]

My gaze lingered on my hand for a moment. There was ink stained on my fingertips. It was a mark that wasn’t there before I fell asleep.

As if I had written something in the middle of the night.