Surviving the Romance Fantasy

Until this point… I didn’t know.

The cruel fact that my struggle to survive in this romance is only at the beginning.

*

The moonlight entering the bed is bright.

This is because the concubine of Qingdao Palace is located in the second best place next to the main palace where the emperor resides.

The energy gathered at the fingertips feels like a part of the body.

After suffering from a fever and recovering, it felt like an inexhaustible fountain of energy flowing through my body.

Sukbi Jin Cheong-rang, who was sitting on the seat and reading the scriptures, quietly looked up at the night sky.

Above the full moon, a man’s face appears overlapping for no reason. What kind of delusion is this?

“…”

Covering her mouth with her long sleeves, she cautiously looked up at the sky, then suddenly spoke to herself as if in a whisper.

“If I ever have to go to the Baekseon Palace, will I be able to see your face again?”

no one was listening

It was probably something that the person concerned would get goosebumps when they heard it.

birthday party (1)

The fall of my fifteenth year was almost over.

They say that as you get older, the seasons change faster and the year gets shorter… Such a feeling seemed to follow mental age rather than physical age.

As he was spending each day fulfilling his duty, the colorful leaves in the palace had faded before he knew it.

Time is as fast as the arrow. That said, it was a peaceful daily life, but it was not.

“It’s okay, Taepyung. Could it be that the hostess…”

One day, the birthday of Crown Prince Hyun-won was approaching.

Yeon-ri, wearing a thick red hemp jacket because it was very cold, asked me with a pale face.

….

With each passing day, various gifts and medicines arrive from Cheongryonggung, and personal letters from the master’s personal mail pile up.

Even if that was the case with others, Yeon-ri had to be aware of the supplies that went in and out of Baekseon Palace.

Yes.

Seolran said that it would somehow be resolved as time passed, but the passing time didn’t really solve the problem.

*

“Since when did you know Seol Nine?”

“Last month… from the first time Tae-pyeong received a personal letter from his master…”

On the evening that Yeon-ri found out, an emergency meeting was held in front of Baek Seon-gung’s kitchen stove.

With steamed potatoes from Cheongryonggung placed in front of a colander, they squatted around and chatted in whispers.

In some cases, it could really blow my throat, so I had to be really careful.

If you look at it from a distance, it’s just the appearance of Baek Seon-gung’s maid, warrior, and nine concubines sitting together and eating steamed potatoes. It will only look like a small deviation.

“This, the whole story is roughly as expected. Lady Yeon. When you’re still immature like Sukbi-nim, there are many cases where you can’t tell the difference between admiration and romance…”

Yeon-ri and Seol-ran were somewhat awkward, so they treated each other with respect.

In fact, even in Love Story of the Celestial Dragon, the two had no contact at all, so it was understandable.

Yeon-ri said, being dumbfounded.

“It’s nice to have Taepyeong, but when you look at his behavior, there’s no such thing as sophistication, so it doesn’t look strange even if he’s a 40-year-old old man… How could someone the size of Sukbi be so easy to Taepyeong…”

“Yeon-ri, you talk too much…”

“No, that’s right. Lady Yeon. Taepyong doesn’t always act like an old kid! Well, for the most part, but…”

“…”

Seolran tried hard to defend her sister, but she already lacked confidence from the tone.

“And originally, girls in that age group fall in love quickly, and then cool off quickly. A girl’s love affair is originally more fickle than the monsoons of spring and autumn, so I thought I’d just have to wait a while…”

Seolran said so, but Jin Cheong-rang’s single-mindedness was more surprising than expected. Sending gifts and love letters for two months already is almost like becoming the main character of a love novel.

I was hoping for some understanding, but Jin Qing-lang doesn’t seem to be aware of the fact that my love interest could eventually become a dagger that could kill me. No, maybe he doesn’t stop even though he’s aware of it… If so… the situation is more serious…

At this point, it would be nice if the ladies-in-waiting who were assisting her would come forward and give a tip, but the shibbi who came back from the climax of heat fever is just lovely and seems preoccupied with pampering her.

“In the first place, I’m not sure if it’s the right way to just wait. Sister Ran.”

In the end, I couldn’t stand it, so I ate a potato and talked.

“If I waited this long, I waited a long time. It happened in the fall, but when I woke up, it was already winter, and Prince Hyun-won’s birthday celebration was just around the corner.”

One of the biggest winter events in the palace, Crown Prince Hyunwon’s birthday celebration, is just around the corner. It was the time when all the ladies-in-waiting and courtiers would be hectic.

There was no point in wasting more time.

“Nothing can be solved by sitting still and swallowing dry saliva.”

“Well, then what are you going to do… what can you do…”

“Isn’t it a matter of counting this and that? Be like a man, stand tall, take a chance, don’t do this!!! I have no choice but to speak with full of spirit!”

It would be a big deal if the news spread that the crown prince liked the warrior of the Paekseon Palace, so we should talk in a quiet place where no one will listen…

The more this happens, the more you have to talk about the situation confidently and honestly, rather than dragging it out.

“How can you be specific about what you want to say, Taiping?”

“That’s a good question, Yeon-ri. Instead of reconsidering and worrying, it is to go to the Blue Dragon Palace confidently, confidently tell the important story in front of the master in front of the two of you, and then confidently tell it. That heart is so grateful and precious, but for a person who becomes the crown prince to harbor love for a mere apprentice warrior is not in line with the court’s laws and can lead to great harm. Called.”

“…Talepyeong is really like you. Yeah, I think that’s right too… But, after all, that’s just a heavy duty.”

Yeon-li also stuffed a potato into her mouth and spoke with a chuckle.

Then, as I tapped my stomach, as if my throat was blocked, Seolran, startled, quickly handed me cold water.

“A heavy duty?”

“Puha. okay. It would be so fortunate if it was resolved, but when I thought about it, it was a slightly risky choice. It could make the situation worse. No… Judging from the lady’s reaction so far, it will almost certainly get worse.”

“…why?”

“Think about it carefully, even if it was the first time… even after a couple of months, didn’t the master not know such an obvious fact?”

There was silence for a moment at those words.

Looking at Seolran, it seems that Seolran has never thought of it this way either. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Yeon-ri.

“A girl’s love is the law that a girl knows best. Listen to me, Taepyong. You, a dull man, may not quite understand what this means, but a girl in her prime… is rather passionate about forbidden love.”

“…”

“Yes, the boys will not understand. By the way, there are cases where you are moved by the nostalgic image of a tragic heroine and become more heartbroken… there are sure to be. I think… There’s a good chance you’ve reached that stage.”

The way Yeon-ri talks about each phrase seems sharper than usual.

In this area, it seems like a great expert has been reading books related to love stories.

“Hey, does that make sense? Sister Ran?”

“….. It makes sense… there is…!”

Seolran nodded as she groped her chin to think about whether the girls had something in common.

“I’ve heard that the reason why the ladies-in-waiting of the concubines have an affair with the military officers of the outer palace is rather fueled by this kind of atmosphere that clearly distinguishes between men and women…”

“Sister Ran… Even Sister Ran said that…”

“The beauty of deviation and immorality seems to stir up passion… Certainly. same…!”

After saying that, the two girls made eye contact and nodded as if something were connected.

There seems to be a great rapport between them. It seemed that there was a subtle psychology between girls of that age that the husband and wife could not understand. In any case, a woman is a complex creature.

“So… it’s important to openly imprint the distance between the two. The vague impression of a partner you can’t have can rather stimulate a love affair that has nowhere to go. The best thing to do… is to make your savior give you a lesson naturally.”

“Hoo.”

Whatever the process, the conclusions that followed were worth listening to.

“It’s a bit shady, but… I’m tipping off the head maid, asking her to gossip about you. The soldier of Baek Seon-gung is so profligate in his personal life and has a bad personality… If he constantly hears such news directly through the lady-in-waiting who is closest to him, he will slowly take off his crane and try to widen his distance.”

“…That’s a great idea!”

I clapped and patted Yeon-ri on the shoulder.

Seolran’s expression also looked quite satisfied. Certainly, Yeon-ri could be said to be an expert in this area.

*

“sorry. My hostess yelled at me and got angry, so I confessed that I had lied to her.”

The next day, Hoi-in, who came to Baek Seon-gung, bowed her head saying she was sorry.

“…yes?”

“Originally, the Crown Princess of Qingdao Palace is a person who always maintains a graceful appearance, exchanges only beautiful words, and is in a position to accumulate virtue. The maid of honor, who was to assist the crown prince, severely reprimanded her, saying, “How could you say such frivolous gossip and try to deceive the owner?”

While I was sitting on the floor of Baekseon Palace, preparing bamboo books for repairing the building, I couldn’t help but be dumbfounded by the words of the head maid.

Yeon-ri, who was embroidering beside her to decorate the bed of an elderly man with white lines, was equally astonished.

“Anyway, listening to the gossip of the Lunar New Year didn’t bother me too much…”

“Well, what if you just tell me all of a sudden… I… I told you that my life was at stake..”

“I understand the desperation of the Lunar New Year a hundred times and a thousand times, but…”

The head lady-in-waiting hesitated and averted her gaze.

“I am in a position where I cannot go against the will of my master. The ladies-in-waiting of the four palaces are people who would even give their lives for their masters… And to keep talking badly about a benefactor who saved a lady who was as precious as herself… In fact, there are bound to be some limits. doesn’t exist. Of course, from the lady’s point of view, it must look unnatural…”

Looking at the person saying that and apologizing… My head became even more dizzy.

I feel like I’m drowning in the water.

As it was, I sat quietly in the corner of the floor and organized my thoughts.

If we follow the opinion of Yeon-ri, who seems strangely expert in this area, it seems the cleanest thing to induce Suk-bi to disillusion me on her own.

But… what do you mean?

Sukbi is the crown princess of the four palaces that everyone in Qingdao Palace looks up to. Considering the difference in status, the initiative in the relationship was held by the other side. One cannot recklessly commit disrespect for one’s concubine, and disrespect beyond necessity leads to violation of the imperial family’s laws.

I need someone’s cooperation… At least there must be someone who can lower my evaluation on an equal footing with Sukbi.

“No one on New Year’s Eve.”

Suddenly, the head maid of honor called me. My worried expression must have been so serious, it looked like I was worried.

“Anyway, as the lady-in-waiting of Lady Seol, it is true that she owes a great deal to Mrs. Seol. If the lunar new year is in crisis, I will cooperate as much as possible… but I just want you to know that it is difficult to go against the will of the master.”

“yes. I also understand the position of the lady-in-waiting. Originally, the person in the middle has the most trouble.”

“I’ll think about this and that, but for the time being I’m busy preparing for the birthday party, so it might not be of much help…”

“yes. There’s nothing you can do if you’re busy. It’s not like my neck will fall off tomorrow, so I’m going to go step by step…”

It was then.

It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck my brain.

“Birth Festival…!”

Suddenly, I opened my eyes wide, and then smiled, and the head maid and Yeon-ri were surprised.

“Yeah… I had an idea like that…!”

When I clenched my fists in joy and threw them into the air, Yeon-ri and Hoi-in stared at me in surprise.

*

– Bang! Taang! Kaga River!

The hilt of the future sword rolled across the floor of the gymnasium.

He quickly closed his hand where the sword had fallen off, and before long he lowered his head.

“I lost.”

“Did you spread your hands?”

Standing on the other side was Consort In Ha-yeon, the owner of the palace.

It was right after lunch when I visited the Red Palace with the ladies-in-waiting, saying that I wanted to ask the commander of the Red Palace for instruction on swords. The procedure for the crown princess to come out of the concubine was more complicated than expected, so the future was somewhat surprising.

Although it was said that it was a practice sparring, there was no sign of joy at all even though the samurai commander’s future sword was thrown away. Perhaps, implicitly, he sensed that the future hand was losing its strength.

In the future, he raised his head to reply, ‘I didn’t do anything like hand-holding’, but after seeing the noble woman’s straight eyes, he withdrew his words.

He is one head shorter than he is in the future.

Although she had a noble appearance with such a slender body, she was a girl whose eyes had already become unmanned.

Words spoken to such a person are rather counterproductive. As an unmanned man with a decent future, he was aware of that.

“yes. I wielded it a little cautiously, lest it cause any harm to my body.”

“I understand. He must also be loyal.”

Although it hurt his pride, the Ingwibi responded by congratulating the future in a tactful manner.

If you look into his eyes, he is strong yet benevolent. It was truly amazing how the opposite feelings could coexist in one person’s eyes.

“but…”

“but?”

He was speechless for a while as he tried to continue his work in the future.

Although they had only briefly faced each other with swords, In Gwibi’s swordsmanship had an unbelievable degree of maturity.

As much as the man had no choice but to lose his strength, he narrowed the gap by polishing his skills. Each sword strike was so sharp that even the warriors of the enemy palace seemed to be at their limit.

If that was all, she would be nothing more than a girl who trained her swordsmanship a little hard.

However, she did not abandon her beauty as a princess who had to live as a flower of the court.

Unlike Mi-rae, who was wearing a tight-fitting military uniform, the princess was wearing a beautiful and colorful palace uniform when she was training radish.

The Crown Princess of Qingdao Palace must be beautiful at any moment. As if to prove that fact, the noble woman’s footsteps, holding the sword with one hand and stepping on it, looked like a phalaenopsis dancing.

However, there is no gap in the middle of it, so it does not easily allow the opponent’s attack, and is ready to extend the sword to the opponent’s neck at any time.

‘I’m a warrior who has trained only by watching radish for the rest of my life, but this woman must have had everything from radish to beauty, virtue, poetry, calligraphy, and manners.’

How many parts do you divide your day into? It was to such an extent that my curiosity was piqued.

On behalf of Mi-rae, who was speechless, the princess arranged the situation.

“I heard a lot of talk from the high officials of the main palace about the future of the warrior commander of the red palace. His Majesty Unseong said that he personally praised it, and he was indeed right. You openly touched, but even that you could hardly find any gaps.”

The queen put the knife into the scabbard and smiled contentedly.

Even the series of movements of the lead sword put strength into the fingertips, and dignity was imbued with each and every little thing.

“Because there are many military commanders like you, Qingdao can rule the world. It was really nice to meet you sword to sword.”

“I don’t know what to do with overeating.”

“I revere martial arts, and among them, those who are good at swords are more highly valued than anyone else. In the future, I hope you continue to use your strength as the commander of the Red Palace.”

After finishing the sparring with a good word, the noblewoman finally got to the point.

“I wanted to ask for a few lessons on swords, but the purpose I found today is because I want to find a decent warrior.”

“Are you saying unmanned?”

“okay. I’m going to show off a dance at the birthday party, but there’s no martial artist to be my opponent.”

Crown Prince Hyunwon’s birthday celebration. At that time, a place is prepared for each rain to show off the skills she has sharpened and polished.

As a princess of the Suzakugung, who symbolizes bravery, she would want to show off her splendid yet beautiful swordsmanship.

It would be okay to simply perform sword dance, but Gwibi wanted to show off her strength in a more practical way. Indeed, with that dwarf and thin body, she deserves to exude the spirit of a heroine.

“You’re going to be busy during the birthday party, so don’t you have a good person? I heard you are the one who wants to be recommended as a warrior in the palace.”

“Indeed, is that so?”

However, it was not an easy request.

You can’t send out someone who is too low level to play the opponent of the queen.

There are some warriors in the Red Palace who are quite skilled, but few have the courage to pull out a sword against the Crown Princess and yet are good at acting enough to defeat her.

Even if there were a few people, they would be too busy with escort missions during the birthday party… If you had to recommend it, it would have been better to recommend a military officer other than the enemy palace.

“…”

Suddenly, there is one person that comes to mind.

A military man who has a moderate smirk, is good at reasoning, and sits in a spacious, leisurely job, and seems quite advanced.

However, I don’t know exactly how high the level will be… but I don’t think it will be at a low level.

Even so, it is not easy to do that if you are going to be better than a noblewoman who has reached a fairly high level.

“I don’t know the exact level… but there’s a guy who’s pretty good.”

“Ohh. If the future of the enemy palace talks like that, it must be a pretty trustworthy appointment.”

“I am an apprentice warrior named Seol Tae-pyeong of Baek Seon-gung.”

At those words, the corner of the princess’s eyes trembled slightly.

There was a stir at the sight of the princess who always smiled leisurely. I thought about the future with my head down. Did I miss something?

Only then do you realize that you have made a big mistake.

Future had not long since ascended to the rank of high official, so he did not know much about the long-standing enmity between the officials of the main palace. Because he is an unmanned person who has built a wall with politics.

“You’re a pragmatic talker.”

“Princess. I am…”

“done. Don’t worry. Whoever it is, they make mistakes. Rather, it must be a mistake that he could commit because he was a military man who focused only on training while putting political resentment aside. In a way, it is like you.”

The gwibi is benevolent. Her personality is famous even among ladies-in-waiting.

That’s why, I didn’t care about my future mistake of recommending a warrior from the family of a rebel who killed my uncle.

A lot of people were thrilled with the character of the princess who benevolently embraces any mistake, if the intention is not evil, but…

What she couldn’t bear even with her fairy-like heart was the grudge against Hwayongseolga.

The uncle, who had been terribly fond of and followed since childhood, was swept away in a rebellion and died so absurdly.

If it wasn’t for Princess Ahyeon’s mercy, the offspring of that traitor would not have been able to set foot in this imperial palace.

“Yes… His name is… Seol Tae-pyeong…”

Mirae knelt down and bowed his head, greatly regretting his mistake.

Probably threw a big disaster on that soldier. I wish I could at least apologize later. It seemed that such an opportunity would never come.

How do you feel?

The In-gwibi, who was said to be like a fairy who came down to the world, was born with the blood of a pragmatic speaker who could never forgive even if he could forgive everyone in the world…

It would feel like a really big curse.

*

‘Oh, I thought there would be such a great blessing…!’

‘I’m sure the queen will hate me…! What a relief!! It’s because I’m from the pragmatics class…!’

After establishing a plan well, I clenched my fists in satisfaction.

An authoritative figure worthy of telling my gossip on an equal footing with Sukbi! In Ha-yeon, the Consort of Jujagung!

If it were her… even a little push would try to get Sukbi away from me…! A person from a pragmatic theory is someone who is never appointed or trusted…!

Of course, I’m not going to go out of my way to gossip about me. Because, just like the sukbi, it would be considered immoral for a dignified princess to gossip about others. So, you need to create an opportunity.

Speaking of Crown Prince Hyun-Won’s birthday… Isn’t that the time when Seol-Ran and the Crown Prince begin to get involved for the first time?

I know that Seolran saved Crown Prince Hyeonwon’s life once while the sudden appearance of a ghost caused a stir.

Perhaps, at this point, Guifei will also suffer greatly.

I’m going to lose my mind because of the ghosts who came to the birthday party…. If I show a little more of my ugliness at that point, I can bring down the evaluation of the Inquisition toward me to the bottom..!

But if you’re too rude, you can be punished… All you have to do is move in a way that makes the noble lady hate me, and make the noble lady separate from me.

I don’t know if I can dismiss the words of the lady-in-waiting, but if it’s the opinion of a person who is about the size of a princess, I can’t ignore the sookbi.

Wow, it feels like everything is fitting together as if it was planned. It was this…!

Yeah… good… the composition isn’t bad…