If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 104

Half a day had passed. The sound of the falling rain had become heavier than before.

Yuseol, who had been busy getting ready, was sitting in front of a black mirror. Yanghui sat beside her, her occasional needlework breaking the constant sound of the rain.

“Seeing the rain pour like this, it must be a day for a tiger to get married.”

Yuseol looked at the window reflected in the black mirror and replied.

“I suppose so.”

Yanghui, who had sewn another stitch in the sleeve, remembered something and took a small bundle from a pocket in her skirt and unfolded it.

“It’s hobak-yeot. I got it after I befriended a court lady here.” (t/n: a traditional Korean taffy made from pumpkin and malt)

“A court lady here?”

“They were all very interested in makeup, so we got to talking. I thought the palace ladies would be snooty, but they’re similar to the ladies of Museolwon.”

“You have a good talent.”

Yuseol picked up a small piece of the hobak-yeot and put it in her mouth. For now, she couldn’t taste anything.

Fortunately, Yanghui didn’t ask anything. She didn’t seem to know about the commotion when the vase broke yesterday. She only nodded at Yuseol’s words that she wasn’t feeling well today. And she closed her lips after asking her to go to the marketplace to buy taffy when the weather became sunny.

The sleeve that had been torn by Mu-yeong’s touch yesterday was neatly mended. Yanghui carefully examined the sleeve and asked cautiously.

“Were you alright yesterday? His Majesty appeared on the way back yesterday, and my heart almost dropped.”

Yuseol had sent Yanghui back immediately after she ran into Kim Seon yesterday. She thought it wouldn’t be good for Kim Seon to recognize Yanghui’s face.

Although Yanghui understood her intention and quickly returned to the quarters, she seemed to still be curious about what happened yesterday. Yuseol wanted to tell Yanghui, who had joined her on this difficult path, everything.

“It was just a little strange.”

Then, she continued in a small, almost inaudible voice.

“His Majesty spoke as if he had feelings for me.”

The more Yuseol thought about it, the more displeased her expression became. She couldn’t figure out Kim Seon’s motive for showing affection for a woman named Sahwa. Furthermore, he hadn’t even hidden his feelings in front of Mu-yeong. For some reason, she felt as impatient as she had then, and her throat felt parched.

“He didn’t even hide it when Mu-yeong came, and it was really embarrassing.”

Yanghui flinched and pulled her body back, then began to guess Kim Seon’s true intentions. From her innocent eyes, the earnest desire to help Yuseol shone through.

“It’s not a situation where His Majesty could have fallen for Lady Sahwa, is it?”

Yuseol nodded as if it were obvious. Yanghui narrowed her eyes and then relaxed them, speaking as if to herself.

“Then could he have done it on purpose?”

“On purpose?”

Yuseol, who asked back, recalled yesterday’s events again. She didn’t want to carelessly dismiss any speculation.

“If he had something to gain by doing so, then I suppose he might have.”

“…….”

“But is there anything to be gained by showing affection for a woman who has a fiance? He’ll only get resentment.”

Yanghui pondered as if Yuseol’s words also made sense, then her eyes widened again.

“Maybe that’s what he wants? For a conflict to arise between you and your lord.”

Yuseol was about to shake her head, saying she didn’t think so, but she suddenly stopped. Perhaps, just as Yanghui said, Kim Seon might wish for a conflict between him and Sahwa. When a man and a woman doubt and disappoint each other, their relationship can break without them knowing. One of them could just leave overnight.

Could it be that Kim Seon was hoping for that?

Yuseol massaged her cold hands. She hoped her speculation wasn’t true. Could a person be that shameless? What if Sahwa isn’t Han Yuseol?

She urgently grabbed a water bottle and poured water into a cup. Then, with a thirsty look, she drank the water in one go. Even after she calmed her fast-rising breaths, no other thoughts came to mind. Only the speculation that Kim Seon really wanted a conflict between Sahwa and him….

Wiping the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, Yuseol said.

“This is a problem. If that’s true, he doesn’t seem like he’ll stop here.”

Yanghui put a handful of charred twigs into a mortar and began to grind them carefully. She was always happy when preparing ingredients, but today, she looked gloomy.

“I hope a conflict doesn’t happen between you and your lord….”

Yuseol stared blankly into the mortar. Looking at the twigs being crushed by the pestle made her feel relieved.

She wished she could destroy this situation like that, but she had a premonition that she would be the one to be reduced to the state of the twigs in the mortar. She felt so ashamed of how she had told Mu-yeong that she would stop anything with her effort.

She drank water again and said.

“Isn’t there a good way?”

Yanghui put another handful of twigs into the mortar and replied.

“You have to fight fire with fire.”