If You Claim the Fallen Heiress - Chapter 27

Yuseol suddenly looked up at the sky through the door she had left open for ventilation. In the distance, the sunset was showing off its red colors. On the opposite side of the sunset, the moon that appeared around this time was faintly visible. If that was the day when the sun and moon, living in such distant places, would meet….

She had heard about that day from a teacher in the palace. That day was when the moon would cover the sun and dye the world in darkness. Because the earth’s spirits would rampage at the appointed time, the sole god of heaven would look down upon the world.

Why did Mu-yeong want to leave on that very day when the world would be in turmoil with wind, fog, clouds, thunder and lightning?

She finished her conversation with Myoyeon like that. After seeing him off, Yuseol returned to her room and lay down with a sigh of relief. When she relaxed and closed her eyes, the man’s low voice suddenly brushed past her ears.

“Now that I think about it, there’s no woman to warm my bed.”

At that time, her mind had gone blank and she couldn’t say anything. Looking back, she grabbed the blanket in renewed frustration at not being able to respond.

How should she have answered to feel at ease? How exactly could she stop that man who appeared suddenly whenever she lost consciousness for even a moment?

Yuseol covered her ears and closed her eyes. As if mocking her, he became even more vivid.

Her face began to heat up with confused and sorrowful feelings.

***

Today the weather had warmed, so it had been raining since morning.

Yuseol opened her door and enjoyed the scenery while listening to the sound of rain.

When it rained, she felt as if she were in the palace. It seemed like she could see court ladies busily passing through the courtyard and Kim Seon appearing.

Because he used to come suddenly on rainy days and always said similar things.

“Yuseol-ah. On days like this, it’s comfortable being with you.”

On sunny days, he would go flower viewing with court ladies….

Yuseol had been curious why he only came to see her when the weather was bad.

On a summer day when it poured rain day after day, she asked the reason. He answered as if it were natural while looking at the pouring rain.

“You’re calm and quiet. Even when you’re beside me, it feels like you’re not there.”

“…….”

“You’re the only person whose breathing doesn’t bother me even normally.”

She had only looked at the thoroughly soaked floor.

She had actually wanted to say something. I get excited when the weather is nice too. On sunny days, I want to go outside. What is flower viewing like? Could I… could I go next spring too?

Then he had quietly asked.

“Seol-ah, you like it when it rains too, right?”

She had simply nodded. Because she didn’t want his visits to become completely infrequent. She had accepted his self-centered and sensitive personality.

Though it was sad, she knew that accepting it was the best option. How could she change him when she couldn’t even change her own personality of being aimlessly positive? …It was ridiculous.

Instead, she began to attach plausible reasons to his cold behavior. The reason he only visited infrequently on rainy days was also because she was that comfortable to him. Because that way her lonely situation seemed to improve a little.

Such days of finding comfort continued.

But he didn’t allow even her subdued time for long.

Finally, after facing the cold end, she seemed to understand. Why the endings of farewells—ibyeol, jakbyeol, gyeolbyeol—all ended with “byeol” (star). Perhaps it was because they returned to a relationship of encountering each other suddenly like stars in the sky.

She gloomily drew the star of her relationship with him. The hot temperature of the poison and the cold sensation of the floor seemed to revive at her fingertips.

She began to hope that her star with him would fall as a shooting star and burn to black ash.

The drizzle stopped only after half a day had passed. Only then did Yuseol come outside and put on her straw sandals.

Earlier, she had asked Myoyeon to let her meet Mu-yeong. She had something to say to Mu-yeong. It was necessary to move forward.

She followed a servant up the stone wall path for a long time and arrived at the inner quarters. The scenery of the inner quarters after the rain was so elegant it was impossible to look away. It was beautiful in a different way from the open outer quarters.

However, Yuseol couldn’t appreciate the scenery for long and hurriedly scanned the doors of the inner quarters.

Then a door near the wall opened. Mu-yeong was sitting in front of a table holding an ink stick, looking at her.

The servant withdrew. Yuseol approached in front of his room and bowed her head. She had heard he was always busy with various matters. She wanted to finish her purpose quickly and return.

Her lips moved calmly.

“I came to thank you for finding Yeon.”

He put down the ink stick in his hand and quietly looked at her again.

In truth, Yuseol was in a mentally confused state. Thanks to that man, she had eaten chimanocho and saved her life, and easily found the white crow Yeon.

She should bow deeply and convey deep gratitude to him, but she didn’t feel like doing so. The humiliation she had suffered from him that late night blocked her movements.

She lifted her gaze slightly and continued.

“But when will I be able to see Geon?”

He showed a dimple on one cheek and asked.

“Do you think you’ll be able to see him?”