Surviving the Romance Fantasy

His calm voice, different from his usual appearance, seemed to touch people’s hearts.

“It just made me think that that person was such a precious relationship.”

So I drew my sword. That was all.

However, that one word that understands Po Hyeon-bi is heavier than expected. Perhaps it is because of Seol Tae-pyeong’s sincerity.

“…”

Hyeonbi Po, who was quietly listening to the story, lowered her head.

Looking at Seol Tae-pyeong, who pulled out his sword as if it was nothing special, it was as if he could see the whole life of this man who was fighting his will.

‘Hyeonbi Pohwaryeong is a truly unique human being.’

‘I don’t know what the heck he’s thinking when he pushes away the seat of the Hyeonbi that everyone wants.’

The palace was full of such gossip. In a way, it was natural.

No matter how precious the past relationship may be, why is it that he tries to leave the palace even while avoiding the pursuit of countless people?

Leaving the position that all the ladies of Qingdao Palace envy, why?

The answer, if you think about it, is quite natural.

Just because that relationship is so precious.

There was only one Seol Tae-pyeong in the entire Cheongdo Palace who understood that simple fact.

“…I had a fever when I was a child.”

Spitting out, the girl said.

“…”

“…as you know, those who suffer from fever almost always die. And my family couldn’t afford to take care of a child who was as good as dead.”

“…so what?”

“So it was abandoned at the foot of Mt. Baeksak. At that time, there is an old woman who picked me up… whom even my family members had abandoned as if they were dead…”

Po Hyeon-bi, who always exudes a lively look, somehow kept her head down.

Is this story a reversal of your own? Seol Tae-pyeong just quietly listened to the story.

“She was an old woman who made a living by touring the foot of Mt. Baeksak, picking and selling medicinal herbs… She was truly a person with warm hands and a friendly voice…”

“…”

“With no food to eat, I shared a bean with me, who suffered from a fever and was about to die… I wiped my sweat with a raisin every day, scooped cold water, and fed it.”

A person suffering from a fever can never survive alone.

You need someone who will sit by your side for those long stretches of time, endlessly caring for a patient who will almost certainly die.

Seol Tae-pyeong knew that fact better than anyone else.

“However, a few days before my fever was cured… the old woman eventually abandoned me on the street…”

“…why did you do that?”

“They couldn’t stand it any longer… Even a small child eats too much food by poor standards. It must have been a time when he had to reduce his mouth…”

“…”

“Well, somehow I survived. When the heat was almost gone, energy welled up in my body. He became proficient in light work, which he had never learned before, and had a memory that never forgot what he had seen once. The old woman must have thought that I would have died from being eaten by a mountain beast, but heaven helped.”

Po Hyeonbi speaks with her head lowered.

The reason why his always cheerful voice had become even lower, he seemed to understand without having to explain it.

“But… the face of the old woman who left me… I will never forget…”

“…”

“I sat young me on a rock at the foot of the mountain, held my hand and begged for forgiveness over and over again. I’m sorry I left, I’m sorry I left It was only after crying out loud while holding my hand for such a long time that he left me, holding on to his guilt.”

“…Did you resent it?”

Seol Tae-pyeong asked, but he knew roughly what kind of answer would come.

“No, not at all. The reason I was able to survive until my fever improved was thanks to that old woman… In the end, that old woman couldn’t stand it and abandoned me like my family at the end of the day, but that one fact doesn’t change. I lived thanks to that old woman.”

“…”

Po Hyeonbi took out a small raisin from her bosom.

It is said that it was Cheon-i who wiped the sweat of Po Hyeon-bi before the old woman left. It was the last remaining trace of the old woman, and it was something that Hyunbi Po still cherished.

A whimpering sound came from the tip of his nose.

Seol Tae-pyeong ignored the trembling voice.

“He gave me life, and all I gave him was guilt…”

That was the weight Po Hyeon-bi had in her heart.

Seol Tae-pyeong kept his eyes closed. In fact, no matter what I tried to say, nothing came out.

It’s just that Po Hyeon-bi might have sympathized with the sadness he was feeling.

Because of you, I was able to survive.

Seol Tae-pyeong was also because there was one person who could say that.

“I have met and thanked many people over the past month, and I have shared news of myself… but I have not been able to find the most important old woman.”

“Have you been to the foot of Mt. Baeksak?”

“of course. The private house the old woman used to live in was also empty. I’ve been searching and searching hard for the past month, but I couldn’t find it. Since he was an old man with no family, no one seemed to know where he was.”

After a while, Hyunbi Po shook his head a few times and quickly came to his senses.

It seemed that he did not like this gloomy atmosphere. Speak in a brighter voice.

“My other guy is fine now, so I want to find the old man. And in front of him, I spread my chest like this and talk with a trembling voice. The girl you abandoned on Mt. Baeksak that day is alive and well! Whoop whoop!”

“…”

“I even fell in the eyes of the senior officer and rose to the position of the Hyeonbi, so from now on, I will enjoy wealth and honor in luxury and live a full life without envy! great! Good!”

Did he just think that it would comfort the old woman’s heart?

I am living here so well. That one word was what this girl wanted so much to convey.

“Anyway, now that the situation has turned out like this, I will help you. It won’t be easy to go after the old woman while evading the pursuing detached troops.”

“Your help is really deeply appreciated! When I return to my palace, I will reward you at all costs, and I will make you pardon the sins on your name, even by hanging my neck! If anything, I’ll make you succeed in the world as far as possible!”

Spitting out the words excitedly seemed to be an effort to somehow smooth over the gloomy atmosphere up until now.

“That kind of thing will be resolved somehow… but there is just something I must promise before I can help.”

“huh? What is it? tell me anything! I’ll listen to what I can!”

“…”

“…”

“…what are you so hesitant to ask for?”

I caught my breath. This wasn’t really easy.

I couldn’t accept the reality that I had to say this with my own mouth from now on, but it was something I had to say for the sake of Yeon-ri and Seol-ran, who were worried about me.

Yes, no matter what I do with Po Hyeon-bi from now on… I had to make sure that I made an appointment for this one thing.

…really not easy.

I have to do it anyway.

It’s good, I’m going to finish it all at once like a sword. I’m not a man who does what I do…!

“I-that’s…”

“…”

“I am saying this knowing full well that this is a really bizarre request, but please don’t misunderstand and listen…”

“What is it that makes you lay the groundwork for so long…”

I caught my breath and spoke at once.

“If, by any chance… you fall for me… you shouldn’t…”

“……”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Hyeonbi stared at me for a while… and then failed to manage his expression and broke his arrogance.

Looking at the reaction, it seems that the original purpose has been achieved…

For some reason… I wanted to die…

Hyunbi (2)

Time flows helplessly.

After spending some time in the warehouse chatting and chatting, I found time to go out and remove all the stuff blocking the door.

“You are truly a strange person.”

“yes?”

Coming out of the rice storage, Hyunbi Po looked around.

After confirming that the vigilance had loosened to some extent, I slowly walked toward the city to blend in with the crowd.

“It’s the feeling of being completely reckless and not having any hesitation.

“Is that so?”

Po Hyeon-bi takes the lead with lively steps. And if you go out to the end of the alley, it was a city with a lot of people coming and going.

A bright light permeates a corner of a dark alleyway. Po Hyeon-bi walked with such a large stride and spoke vigorously.

“I am so sure. We will achieve our goals in an instant, and we will be able to return to the palace with a happy heart.”

“It gives me strength when you talk like that.”

“okay. Let’s find the old woman who saved me in an instant! I’m sure you can!”

It is an unfounded conviction.

However, as if that was the case, Hyeonbi Po gently closed her eyes, turned to Seol Tae-pyeong, and spoke lively.

“Having you by my side, such confidence blooms. I feel like I can get everything done tomorrow.”

“…Is that so?”

“My intuition is sharper than I thought. You must be a man who is miraculously skillful when it comes to achieving what you set out to do. My senses guarantee it.”

And Hyunbi Po smiled brightly and added words.

“Trust me! With you, in an instant I will find the old woman who saved me!”

.

.

.

.

A week passed like that.

“I can’t find it!”

Po Hyeonbi sat on the corner of the marketplace and cried.

Just because I felt good, there was no way that everything in the world would work out the way I wanted.

*

If the tea room of the Palace of the Suzuki was splendid and elegant, the tea room of the Palace of the Baekho was neat and refined.

On top of the cedar cabinet, porcelains engraved with luxurious heavenly dragon patterns are lined up, and the atmosphere is as neat as Deokbi, the owner of the Palace of the White Tiger, in harmony with the properly harmonized ink and white colors.

The tea carefully prepared by the maids of the Baekho Palace is called Byeokunryeo, and it is a valuable among the valuables that can only be grown in the Far East in Qingdao. Gwibi In took a bite and was amazed at the clean taste.

It has been quite some time since the owner of the four palaces held a tea ceremony periodically and had a chat, but the seat of the Hyeonbi was still vacant.

Anrim, the maid of honor of Hyeonmugung, comes out and stands with her head bowed behind the seat of the Hyeonbi, but there is no way that the authority of Hyeonmugung can be revived if only the chief maid of honor is present without the owner.

However, Anlim, the maid of honor, relaxedly lowered her head and smiled gently, as if she believed in something.

Hyeondang and Hoein tilted their heads inwardly as they saw Anrim like that. My master left Hyeonmugung and never came back, so how could he appear so carefree and worry-free?

“It is said that a warrior ran away from the detached unit after being seduced by Hyeonbi Po. I heard that he is a warrior belonging to Baekseongung, but I am really worried.”

Deokbi Hawol, who presided over today’s tea ceremony, raised the topic.

As it had been quite some time since Hyeonbi was away, I couldn’t help bringing up the news about her.

Then, Suk-bi Jin, who took a bite of the tea and put it down, spoke in a worried voice.

“It is indeed. How did he turn the byeoldongdae into an enemy? If you ask for guilt at the party meeting, you won’t just go over it…”

“That’s right. For now, we’ll check how the conversation is going among the superiors, but if things get bigger than this, the demons from the main palace might step in…”

The hostess and the queen sighed deeply as if worried.

A long time had passed since Seol Tae-pyeong left the main palace. Even if you can’t see his face, the news you hear is all about anxiety.

“I…”

In the midst of the conversation, Deokbi Ha cautiously added his words.

“The one I said I was worried about is Mr. Po Hyeonbi.”

– Flinch!

At the words of Ha Deok-bi, who was embarrassed and spoke cautiously, the princess and the hostess trembled.

In fact, that is natural.

If he brought up the story in a place like this, he was obviously worried about Po Hyeon-bi, who was wandering outside the palace, and it couldn’t be that he was worried about a third-rate warrior whose name he didn’t even know.

Deokbi smiled gently and tilted her head at the sense of incongruity, but Gwibi and Sukbi had to shake their heads once.

“Tea, indeed. I don’t know what Hyeonbi Po is thinking, but he should come back soon at least thinking of the maids of Hyeonmu Palace..”

“Yes, yes… We, the maids of Cheongryonggung, are also worried about the maids of Hyeonmugung. Anrim’s maid must also have a very heavy heart.”

When Sukbi quickly turned the topic of conversation to the head maid, Anlim, who had been quietly bowing her head behind Hyunbi’s seat, spoke with an embarrassing attitude.

“The worries of the three of you are as precious as gold, but I decided not to doubt the person who is my master. Since you left behind a message that you would definitely return, I can only trust you.”

With just that, Anrim, the maid of honor at Hyeonmu Palace, didn’t add any more unnecessary words.

If Hoin is reliable and Hyeondang is delicate, Anlim feels blunt.

It can be said that it suits the appearance of Hyeonmu, who contemplates all things with his feet firmly planted on the earth, but since the master he is supposed to serve is not in the seat, it is just empty.

“I heard that Mr. Po Hyeon-nim is so open-minded and shrewd that he will never forget what he has seen once.”

At that time, Sukbi Jin spoke while hiding her expression with her sleeve.

“However, the warrior of Baek Seon-gung must have been the first person I saw at most… How could I have persuaded him? I heard that the Taeseong sword was hung as a reward, so if it was a warrior, everyone would have turned on the light in their eyes and tried to bring the Hyeonbi…”

“…”

“That… it bothers me too much…”

Sukbi Jin said that in a voice that seemed to be crawling in.

Deokbi Ha, who was listening to the story, tilted his head again. He asked if that was something he was curious about, but he didn’t bother to say it.

Hagisa, it was possible to wonder what kind of person Hyeon-bi, who will fill the last seat of this tea ceremony, is.

“Have you seen the lady-in-waiting of Anlim?”

“He is truly wise, benevolent, and beautiful.”

Anlim only talked about the right answer.

There was no way that a person who would uselessly gossip about his master could rise to the position of head maid.

However, it was just such a ceremonial remark, but Sukbi Jin had a very uneasy expression on her face.

And Gwibi In, who saw Jin’s face like that, didn’t look very good either.

“The two of you seem to be very worried about Mr. Po.”

“Oh, yes? yes. That’s right… However, I wonder why they pacified the warriors of the Paekseon Palace…”

In Gwibi rubbed her chin and slowly fell into thought.

“You must be a wise and thoughtful person who lives up to the name of the position of Hyeonbi, so I have a feeling that you will be good at persuading people with sincerity. However, no matter how much it is, it is enough to convince a person who is invited with a few words…”

“It is indeed as it is said. Dear Lady.”

Sukbi Jin made a fuss and chimed in. It feels like the conversation of girls of that age rather than the conversation of old-fashioned princesses.

“If the superiors heard the situation, how would they act… I am really worried…”

It was about Hyunbi Po.

“okay. I have to tell you to find out more about the story through the court ladies.”

I do this because I am worried about Po Hyeon-bi.

“What are you doing sitting still like this, I have to find something I can do on my own. Since the head lady-in-waiting of the meeting is familiar with the meeting recorder, we should be able to hear more details.”

This is also for Pohyeonbi.

‘…was the relationship between the crown princesses originally so heartwarming…?’

Ha Deok-bi felt that something didn’t mesh well with the story.

Does the conversation of the noble princes all feel like scratching the surface like this…

With that thought in mind, he just ate the high-quality tea the lady-in-waiting brought.

After the tea ceremony, the maids of the four palaces stood and talked for a while in the courtyard of Baekho Palace.

There was time to talk for a while before my owner finished getting ready to leave. Usually, chief ladies-in-waiting do not see each other often, so they use this opportunity to discuss protocols or share information about the next tea party or regular event.

“Chief Maid Anrim needs to be careful.”

“yes?”

Hoein, the maid of honor of Cheongryonggung, carefully lowered her voice and spoke to Anlim.

Anlim stood politely with her arms under her sleeves and asked what that meant.

“That… a warrior named Seol Tae-pyeong, who was appeased by the four Hyeonbi…”

“Is that person’s name Seol Tae-pyeong? Since I wasn’t interested in the name… I’m hearing it for the first time.”

“Ah… yes… is that so…”

The lady-in-waiting of Hoi-in secretly noticed the head of the county court.

The Hyeondang of the Palace of Jujak also looked around with a sidelong glance, and spoke with a lowered voice, fearing that the other ladies-in-waiting might hear.

“I cannot provide an exact reason due to personal circumstances, but for the future of Hyeonmu-gung, the warrior named Seol Tae-pyeong must be careful.”

“…Can I buy it? Or are you the one who committed a big sin? I heard that the detached unit was betrayed and the superiors were looking for it with their eyes open…”

“Well, it’s not like that… He’s rather a dignified person… but that’s… Anyway, if you don’t want to regret it, you should be careful. When I heard the news of Mr. Po, that thought came to my mind.”

“…I don’t understand English.”

“Anyway, be careful. You must be careful.”

Anlim ate heartily and kept her mouth shut.

After being appointed as the chief maid of Hyeonmu Palace, she had already made up her mind.

Just as there was no history of good relations among the crown princesses of the four palaces, wars of nerves between the crown princesses’ chief ladies-in-waiting were common.

From the time they were already working as ladies-in-waiting, I often saw chief maids exchanging sharp glances with each other so as not to say a word, or embarrassing each other by exaggerating trivial matters as if they were big things.

I’ve heard that holding books, paying attention, and paying attention are the basics… but I didn’t know that even the head maid, who hadn’t even properly greeted her master, would fight in this way.

The position of head maid cannot be held by anyone. Even though he knew the importance of the position, he was not ashamed of it… Anlim looked very pathetic for the two of them.

“If you become the maid of honor of the four great palaces, you should only think about devoting yourself and doing your best for your master.”

“yes?”

“Of course, this war of nerves can be seen as an expression of loyalty in a way, but I want to compete with loyalty for my master rather than competing with something like this.”

Do not engage in useless brawls. Shouldn’t you be faithful to your duty as the maid of honor?

It was a declaration with such meaning. Huiin and Hyeondang were dumbfounded, but they knew that Anlim had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation.

“It’s not like that. We… are in that… position, so we can’t talk about the details, but…”

“That’s it.”