49 Times Left, Master! (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14
My face burned with shame. How could this be possible! A future aide to the Thirteenth Prince was in the Sixth Prince’s quarters!
That man’s name was clearly Un Gwi. My head was spinning. So, did Un Gwi serve as the Sixth Prince’s chief eunuch before later joining the Thirteenth Prince? Or was he already the Thirteenth Prince’s aide?
I hoped it was the former, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the look Un Gwi gave me earlier—right after the Thirteenth Prince was mentioned and I praised his appearance.
That disapproving gaze… Could it be because he’s already the Thirteenth Prince’s aide?
My hand trembled as I held my chopsticks from sheer embarrassment. Damn it. If Un Gwi really is the Thirteenth Prince’s aide, he’ll surely report everything.
He’ll tell the Thirteenth Prince how the Sixth and Second Princes spoke ill of him—and how I praised his looks! Ugh, damn it!
But then again… aside from the embarrassment, it’s better to be caught praising someone than cursing them.
Maybe the Thirteenth Prince, upon hearing my words from Un Gwi, will wonder if I truly admire his face…
“Hoo…”
‘Life isn’t easy.’
But the trouble didn’t end there. Just as I heard a commotion outside, the same eunuch who had guided me earlier hurried over to announce something.
“Your Highness, the Sixth Prince. Her Highness the Ninth Princess has arrived.”
‘The Ninth Princess?’
The Second Prince, suspecting this hadn’t been arranged, turned to the Sixth Prince and asked,
“Did you invite her?”
The Sixth Prince immediately shook his head.
“No.”
What on earth was going on? It was already shocking enough to discover that the Thirteenth Prince’s aide was actually the Sixth Prince’s chief eunuch—and now, out of nowhere, the Ninth Princess?
It was utterly absurd, but since I held the lowest rank here, I had no right to speak up.
The Second and Sixth Princes merely exchanged glances with each other and didn’t ask me anything.
Though clearly uneasy, neither prince dared to turn away a princess born of the Empress, so the Sixth Prince finally gave his permission.
“Please bring her in at once.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After a brief wait, the Ninth Princess entered, radiating arrogance. Her small, round face—like a chrysanthemum—was slightly flushed, and from the moment she stepped in, she carried an unmistakably tense air.
“Yo Dae In!”
Just as expected. The moment she entered, the Ninth Princess completely ignored her two elder brothers and immediately feigned familiarity with me.
Both the Second and Sixth Princes turned to look at me simultaneously.
I forced an awkward smile, but the Ninth Princess paid no mind. She marched straight toward me, and only when she stood right before me did she coyly cover her mouth with a handkerchief and give a playful wink.
“I heard there was a banquet here. Had I known Yo I Guk Sa would be attending, I would’ve come right away!”
Well, you certainly came right away—before I’d even taken a few spoonfuls of food.
I might joke freely with others, but I couldn’t possibly tease a princess like this.
Yet the Ninth Princess didn’t seem to care at all. She gave a quick glance to her eunuch, who immediately fetched a chair and placed it beside the Sixth Prince.
Technically it was beside the Sixth Prince—but practically right in front of me.
Since we weren’t married, she couldn’t just sit next to me outright, so she angled herself to sit beside the Sixth Prince instead.
“Elder brother, you must invite me next time you hold such a gathering.”
The Ninth Princess, clearly playing a transparent game, cheerfully took her seat. The Sixth Prince, who had been watching the situation blankly as if swept away by a wave, finally caught on and burst into laughter.
“Oh dear. I truly lack tact.”
But since marriage talk involving a princess wasn’t something to joke about openly, the Sixth Prince merely gave me a mischievous grin instead of acknowledging her directly.
The Second Prince also glanced between me and the Ninth Princess, shook his head slightly, and made a pointed remark.
“I thought Yo Dae In might become your close friend. But perhaps not a friend—maybe family.”
The Ninth Princess smirked at that, then scolded the Second Prince in a petulant tone.
“Don’t say such things, Second Elder Brother.”
The Second Prince chuckled as if amused by his younger sister’s cuteness and lifted his wine cup.
‘No one here is asking for my opinion.’
Chilled by the Ninth Princess’s sweet gaze, I quickly picked up my spoon and lowered my head.
Objectively speaking, the Ninth Princess was far cuter than my own sister. If I were truly a man, I’d be deeply honored by the attention of the Empress-born Ninth Princess.
Unlike in some other nations, in Hwa Eum there was no law forbidding a princess’s husband from entering politics.
But I wasn’t a man—I was a woman. Though disguised as a man, I could never marry another woman. Naturally, the Ninth Princess’s affection could only be poison to me.
Unaware of this, the Ninth Princess beamed brightly and addressed me.
“I thought Yo I Guk Sa rarely attended imperial banquets. What brings you here today?”
“A lowly person like me would never dare avoid an imperial banquet out of noble intent. I simply struggle to manage my time well and barely keep up with my duties.”
“How humble you are, Yo I Guk Sa.”
“It’s an honor that you think so highly of me, Your Highness.”
“Your voice is lovely too.”
“…I’m deeply flattered.”
“From now on, attend more often. Don’t stay cooped up in that dreary Wolmu Palace, alright?”
I looked to the Sixth Prince for help, but he only grinned, clearly amused.
Just how long had this awkward, uncomfortable time lasted?
The table, laden with food, remained untouched. The Ninth Princess stared at me, I endured her gaze, and the Second and Sixth Princes simply watched us.
Feeling trapped, I even entertained the foolish thought of asking Un Gwi for help.
This was truly impossible. Being too handsome was a problem. Even in disguise, I was this striking. If I’d remained in my true form as a woman, men would’ve lined up to adore me.
Just as I was stuck in this dilemma—
“Your Highness.”
A voice called again from outside the door. All three royals lifted their heads at the ambiguous address. Though I wasn’t royalty myself, I instinctively turned as well.
The door opened slightly, and a eunuch hurried in to announce,
“Your Highnesses, the Thirteenth Prince is unwell and requests Yo Dae In’s presence.”
“The Thirteenth?”
The Sixth Prince frowned, then asked in a tone more annoyed than concerned,
“If he’s unwell, why summon Yo I Guk Sa? Shouldn’t he call a physician?”
“The Prince says… only his teacher, Yo Dae In, can properly tend to him.”
The eunuch spoke cautiously, glancing around. The Sixth Prince cast a quick look at the Ninth and Second Princes—worried, perhaps, about sending me away when the Second Prince had come all this way to see me, and the Ninth Princess had personally shown interest.
The Ninth Princess immediately scowled, clearly displeased.
Fortunately, the Second Prince briefly wore a strange expression, then smiled and spoke up first.
“The Thirteenth clearly relies heavily on his teacher. He has no close siblings and no mother to turn to—what choice does he have? Sister, it’s alright to let Yo Dae In go, isn’t it?”
Seeing the Second Prince preemptively lay out the Thirteenth Prince’s pitiful situation, the Ninth Princess reluctantly gave her permission, though her voice was sullen.
“Fine. After all, Yo Dae In is currently the Thirteenth’s teacher.”
I glanced at the Second Prince, and he gave a faint nod—clearly having said those words deliberately to help me leave, despite his earlier teasing tone.
I offered a light bow in thanks, then rose and addressed the three royals.
“Please forgive my early departure, Her Highness the Ninth Princess, His Highness the Second Prince, His Highness the Sixth Prince.”
I spoke with feigned regret and quickly left the room.
Once in the courtyard, I found the Thirteenth Prince’s eunuch—whose name I couldn’t even recall due to how often he skipped duties—tapping his foot impatiently. Upon seeing me, his face lit up with relief.
“My apologies, Yo Dae In. You must have been enjoying yourself. Please, let’s hurry.”
I nodded and followed him.
At first, I walked with relief at having escaped that situation. But as we continued down the dark palace path, my heart began to flutter uneasily.
Had my student ever fallen seriously ill around this time? I couldn’t recall. I didn’t even know if he was truly unwell—but I knew he wasn’t the type to summon me just because he was sick.
Then again… how ill could he possibly be to call for me? I felt one part faint worry and nine parts relief.
For some reason, if my student became frail in this life, maybe he wouldn’t kill me after all?
But after walking a long while down the palace corridor—before we’d even neared Wolmu Palace—the Thirteenth Prince’s eunuch stopped and spoke to me apologetically.
“I… have committed an unforgivable offense, sir. Truth is, His Highness the Thirteenth Prince ordered me to send you back to your estate once you’d left Seonghwan Palace and were far enough away.”
At this unexpected revelation, I didn’t know whether to feel relieved, angry at the Thirteenth Prince’s arbitrary behavior, or disappointed that he wasn’t actually unwell.
I stared blankly for a moment, and the eunuch, thinking I was furious, bowed even lower.
“My deepest apologies, sir. I didn’t wish to do this, but His Highness insisted—I had no choice.”
Hearing his apology, I suppressed my disappointment, relief, and anger, leaving only a hollow emptiness.
Look here—you’re the Thirteenth Prince’s eunuch! Don’t speak as if he’s some foolish simpleton! Granted, he did give a foolish order…
“I understand. It’s fine.”
I forced a smile and turned away.
The anger I’d barely contained boiled over again by the time I reached home.
What is this mad student of mine trying to do? Why toy with people like this?
He acted as if he didn’t care at all—but was he actually wary of me growing close to the Sixth or Second Princes?
[This is the timeline separator]
After Yo I Guk Sa—who she’d gone out of her way to visit—vanished so abruptly, the Ninth Princess soon left Seonghwan Palace indifferently.
But before she reached the Empress’s palace, a eunuch standing nearby quietly approached her and spoke—further souring her mood.
“In truth, Your Highness, the Thirteenth Prince isn’t unwell at all. I was ordered to lie, but I couldn’t bear deceiving you, so I must tell you.”
“Who are you?”
“I am Sang Ha Ga, a eunuch of Wolmu Palace.”
The eunuch looked at her with a sly expression. The Ninth Princess’s mood instantly darkened.
“You despicable wretch! How dare a lowborn like you deceive me?!”
She was already furious at having lost Yo Yohwa the moment she’d mustered the courage to visit—and now learning it was all a feigned illness made her even angrier.
As she entered her residence, Hwajung Hall, her mother’s sharp voice rang out, making her expression crumple further.
“Where have you been running off to at this late hour?!”
The Ninth Princess hurried into the inner chamber and saw the Empress standing rigidly before Hwajung Hall.
She bristled, ready to retort—but her wet nurse, standing behind the Empress, subtly shook her head, so she fell silent.
The Empress shook her head at her daughter’s behavior, then turned and ordered,
“Come inside at once!”
Hearing the cold sternness in her mother’s voice, the Ninth Princess realized the Empress was truly furious and quickly followed her inside.
The reason for the Empress’s anger became clear the moment they entered the room.
“Have you lost your mind? Even if you’re a princess, how dare a grown woman go uninvited to a gathering of men!”
“But they’re my elder brothers!”
The Ninth Princess protested quickly, but it had no effect.
“Did you really go just to see your brothers? Yo Yohwa was there too!”
The Ninth Princess pouted, sticking out her lips.
In Hwa Eum, unmarried noblewomen and men over fifteen were expected to avoid unnecessary contact.
It wasn’t so strict that accidental meetings invited gossip—but if an unmarried woman or man from a noble house rushed uninvited to a gathering of the opposite sex, criticism was inevitable.
Only commoners and servants, whose work forced unavoidable encounters, were exempt from such scrutiny.
Yet as a princess born of the Empress, no one would dare gossip about her. So why was her mother making such a fuss? The Ninth Princess stuck out her lips again and stamped her foot petulantly.
Seeing this, the Empress’s eyes narrowed further—but the Ninth Princess paid no heed, continuing to express her quiet defiance.
Soon, however, a clever idea struck the Ninth Princess. She immediately brightened, threw her arms around the Empress’s arm, and pleaded,
“Mother, what if people find out I ran off shamelessly to see Yo Dae In and start gossiping?”
“If you knew that, why did you do such a thing?”
“Mother, if I marry Yo Dae In, won’t the gossip stop?”
The Ninth Princess felt proud of her own suggestion.
She’d already lost her heart the moment Yo Yohwa appeared like a celestial being descending from clouds, like a mythical hero rescuing her—and again when he looked up at her with dewy-eyed admiration.
Aside from the Thirteenth Prince, she’d never seen a man so beautiful in her life.
But to her, the Thirteenth Prince was just a distant younger brother—his good looks left her unmoved.
Thus, Yo Yohwa was, in truth, the first breathtakingly handsome man she’d ever encountered.
Moreover, wasn’t Yo Yohwa’s Shin Gyo Yo clan one of the most prestigious houses? He was more than worthy to be the consort of an Empress-born princess.
But the moment the Empress heard her daughter’s words—knowing Yo Yohwa was actually a woman—her face turned deathly pale, and she immediately slapped the Ninth Princess.
“You show not the slightest remorse!”
“!”
Male lead is a Love-Obsessed Merman
When he discovers she has gone, he risks everything to pursue her on land, enduring agonizing pain to transform his tail into human legs…
One-line summary: Male lead chases female lead. The male lead’s love is a bit sick, an invincible love brain.
Synopsis
During a voyage at sea, Jiang Yang accidentally captures a merman.
Servant: I heard that mermen are fierce and brutal.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman obediently rubbing her palm like a puppy: “You call this fierce and brutal?”
Servant: I heard that mermen have no human nature.
Jiang Yang looks at the merman with wet puppy eyes, obsessively calling her ‘A Yang’ like a childish infant: “You call this having no human nature?”
With great difficulty, she releases the merman back into the sea and returns to shore.
Who would have thought that in less than half a month, the merman, who should have been freely wandering in the South China Sea, would shed his scales, endure the pain of losing his tail, transform into human legs, and come ashore to find her?
He kneels at her feet, rubbing her palm, with merman tears rolling down: “A Yang, don’t abandon me.”
_____
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This is truly just very frustrating why is the princess sooo infatuated girl have a back bone don’t ruin yourself for a man
How many chapters are replaced with that one about princess bomoon? Is it 3rd time already? 😭