The Secret Night at Unyeon Palace - Chapter 1

A man so breathtakingly beautiful that it takes one’s breath away.

The man standing under the plum tree had a smile on his face as he watched the flower petals fluttering like snow.

His appearance was so beautiful that I was staring at him in a daze.

The man who caught the fluttering petals with one hand clenched his fist and turned his head.

Prince Jin Heon, our eyes met.

Eun Seol, who was secretly watching the prince from behind the side gate of the annex, turned around and ran without even having time to calm her rapidly beating heart.

Running to the main hall, she sat down on the floor, panting heavily.

She couldn’t tell if her wildly beating heart was because of the man or because she had run in such a hurry.

“Did you see a ghost?”

Startled by the voice behind her, she turned her head.

Before she could calm her racing heart, she was surprised once again and widened her eyes, looking at Kim Hee Gyeom sitting behind her.

“What did you see that made you run so urgently? And why is your face so flushed?”

Eun Seol, who had barely caught her breath, smiled and greeted her teacher who had been waiting for her on the porch.

She had forgotten that today was the day for her painting lesson.

“Teacher, when did you arrive?”

“Not long ago. I was wondering why someone who has never been late before would be late today.”

“I’m sorry. I forgot we had a lesson.”

“This makes me feel a bit sad. And, is it proper for a young lady who is to be married the day after tomorrow to be running around like an untamed colt?”

A faint smile crossed Hee Gyeom’s lips as he brushed away a few strands of hair that had fallen onto her forehead.

Her tense feelings melted away as if they had never existed in the face of her teacher’s kind smile.

Kim Hee Gyeom had always been that kind of presence for her.

Abandoned by her father from birth, she had lived a hellish life amidst the contempt and disdain of her stepmother.

Then she met Kim Hee Gyeom, a vice minister who was acquainted with her father. Noticing her situation, he helped her stay away from her stepmother under the pretext of teaching her literature and painting.

Despite the opposition of her stepmother Soon Young, it was Kim Hee Gyeom’s persistent persuasion that made it possible for her to learn literature and painting.

During the time she was learning to paint, she didn’t have to be mindful of anyone.

It was also the only day when she could truly breathe.

Hee Gyeom, who had stopped her time of suffering, was a respected teacher and a reliable family to Eun Seol.

Kim Hee Gyeom was also the person who gifted the light of the world to her, who had been living confined in the annex that was like a prison.

In this way, her teacher had protected her without pain for 10 years.

“This will be our last lesson then.”

“There’s still so much I want to learn from you, Teacher. I feel regretful.”

“I never thought you would suddenly be marrying Prince Jin Heon. So, how do you feel?”

At Hee Gyeom’s question, Eun Seol just bowed her head and smiled bitterly without answering.

The sudden marriage to Prince Jin Heon was something she hadn’t expected either.

She had heard that her name was put on the selection list just for formality, but for some reason, she ended up being chosen as the final candidate.

Thus, she was inevitably going to marry the prince.

Her deep sigh settled on the porch. It was a strange marriage, pleasing yet unsettling.

“I still can’t believe that you’re becoming the prince’s wife. Does the prince still visit here often these days?”

“Yes, he comes occasionally to have a drink with Eun Joo, I mean, Father, and then leaves.”

“It might be useless to say this now, but I had hoped you would marry someone more ordinary.”

“If you were so concerned, Teacher, why didn’t you propose first?”

“What? To you?”

Eun Seol rolled her eyes at Hee Gyeom, who became serious and even stiffened his face at her light-hearted joke.

“I’m joking. There’s no need to be so serious.”

“Ha, if I proposed, would you consider marrying me?”

“Well, that…”

As Eun Seol hesitated to answer, Hee Gyeom burst into laughter with an incredulous expression.

She ended up laughing along with him.

When her father put her name on the selection list instead of Eun Joo’s, Kim Hee Gyeom was as angry as she was.

And for good reason – anyone who had heard the rumors about the prince would never send their daughter to him.

Prince Jin Heon.

The rumors she had heard about him were not particularly good.

She had heard that he was dissolute and lecherous, practically living in brothels every day.

Recently, this prince had been frequently visiting their house to meet her father.

Her father and the prince always sat on the main hall porch drinking, and she would secretly watch them from across the wall of the annex.

Eun Seol had also learned about the rumors around that time, but she still found herself helplessly drawn to watch him. Somehow, he didn’t seem like he could be as bad as the rumors said.

The moment she took him to heart was not particularly special.

She couldn’t forget the way he looked at her the first time he came to their house.

She was sitting on the porch of the annex drawing when she looked up at the unfamiliar gaze. A strange man was walking towards her along with plum blossoms fluttering in the wind.

The man’s gaze was fixed on her from beginning to end.

It was a light yet profound gaze.

Had she seen him somewhere before?

Surely it was the first time, but her heart started beating wildly, almost painfully.

She ended up dropping the brush she was holding due to the man’s intense gaze as he approached.

Black ink spread across the white paper.

Before she could ask who he was, the man picked up the brush and started filling in the space where the ink had spread.

With his graceful hand movements, a wonderful picture was soon completed.

– Your name is… Yoon Eun Seol?

He knew her name.

She thought he looked familiar for a moment, but then shook her head.

She, who had only lived in the annex until now, couldn’t possibly know this man.

Before she could ask who he was, her father called for the man.

She later learned that the name of the man who disappeared without a word was Prince Jin Heon.

And she also found out that the reason he visited their house was because of Eun Joo.

Even while drinking with her father, the prince’s gaze would scan around as if looking for someone. Without fail, Eun Joo would appear at those times. It seemed the prince came to their house using alcohol as an excuse, not to see her father but to see Eun Joo.

She should have given up her feelings.

So she tried to avoid being seen as much as possible and hid.

She was afraid her feelings would be discovered.

Perhaps displeased with her avoidance, the prince’s gaze towards her turned cold after that day.

Her heart wouldn’t listen to reason. From the moment she first saw him, he seemed to have become her small world.

Her love for him grew uncontrollably despite her efforts.

When she finally heard the news that she was to marry him, she felt more saddened by the fact that his heart seemed to be with Eun Joo than by the rumors surrounding him.

“About the rumors concerning the prince.”

Hee Gyeom’s low voice snapped her out of her reverie.

After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke with a slight smile on his lips.

“You’ve probably heard them too, but rumors are just rumors. Don’t worry too much. Even if they’re true, things will change once you’re married.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“If only I had the courage to speak up long ago, would things have been different?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

A bitter smile spread across Hee Gyeom’s lips as he spoke as if blaming himself.

“It’s nothing. When you go to Woon Yeon Palace, forget all the painful memories and be happy.”

“I will. Thank you so much for everything, Teacher.”

“You’re saying nonsense. What have I done?”

“If it weren’t for you, Teacher, I might have withered and died in the darkness. You’ve been the only light in my life.”

She meant it sincerely.

Kim Hee Gyeom, her teacher before her, had been her strength to live and a remedy that healed her painful wounds.

The only time she could smile was when she was with her teacher, Kim Hee Gyeom.

“You should find a good person and get married too, Teacher.”

“Why, do you feel sorry for getting married and leaving your teacher behind?”

“It’s not that, I’m just curious why someone like you hasn’t married yet.”

“At this age… enough.”

“Teacher, you’re only twenty-eight. If you wanted to, there would be a line of young ladies wanting to marry you.”

“If you’re so worried about this teacher, send me a letter with your paintings from time to time.”

Hee Gyeom’s lips curled up as he watched her nod.

“When did this timid and tearful child grow up so much… I thought you would always be that ten-year-old little girl, but you’re already old enough to marry.”

Her face reddened with unnecessary embarrassment.

Hee Gyeom smiled contentedly as he tucked a strand of hair that had fallen by her ear.

“You must live happily.”

She raised her head to answer her teacher’s low voice.

At that moment, Hee Gyeom withdrew his hand that had been fixing her hair and stood up.

Following Hee Gyeom’s gaze, she turned her head and froze.

Prince Jin Heon, who had just entered the front yard of the annex, was walking towards her with an angry face.

It was the first time.

After their first meeting, the prince, who had never set foot in the annex, was now entering where she was.

Born and practically abandoned here, she couldn’t leave this place without Soon Young’s permission. The annex was her world and her prison.

Even the family members didn’t visit her out of consideration for Soon Young, so the prince hadn’t set foot here either.

Why was it, she wondered, that although his face clearly looked angry as he walked towards her, his robe fluttering, her heart was helplessly pounding.

Hee Gyeom came down from the porch and greeted the prince.

Only then did Eun Seol come to her senses and bow her head to the prince who had come right in front of her.

The prince’s gaze swept over the paper on the porch and landed on Hee Gyeom’s face.

“Have I interrupted your time together? I heard that the vice minister was teaching this person how to paint, but seeing it today, it seems he’s filling the paper with personal feelings rather than paintings.”

“What do you mean?”

Hee Gyeom’s sharp voice flew in response to Prince Jin Heon’s blatant sarcasm.

“The scene I just witnessed didn’t seem like the warm interaction between a teacher and student. If someone saw it, they might believe the vice minister was this person’s fiancé.”

“No one would think that. You might think so because that’s how you’ve lived.”

“What?”

“In the ten years I’ve been teaching this child, I’ve never once heard such words. So don’t make unnecessary accusations over this.”

“Accusations, did you just say accusations? You seem to want to say that your gaze was that of a teacher looking at a student, but can you guarantee that?”

“Prince!”

Hee Gyeom raised his voice, frowning as if dumbfounded.

Eun Seol, feeling that things shouldn’t continue like this, pulled on Hee Gyeom’s sleeve, telling him to stop.

Seeing her trembling and unable to raise her head, Hee Gyeom let out a low sigh.

“As it happens, today was our last lesson. There won’t be any more occasions to trouble the prince with such matters.”

Hee Gyeom politely bowed to the prince and took a step back, turning his gaze to her.

His eyes were full of concern.

“Eun Seol, I should say goodbye here. Keep painting regularly, and live well.”

“Yes, take care, Teacher.”

Bowing once more, Hee Gyeom turned and left the annex.

Only after Hee Gyeom had completely disappeared did she realize that Prince Jin Heon’s gaze was fixed on her.

She quickly lowered her head to hide her trembling eyes.

“Then, I shall take my leave as well.”

It was in an instant that her body was pulled as she tried to turn away.

A large hand grabbed her wrist, causing her to be helplessly trapped in his arms.

She tried to escape by leaning her upper body backward, but the more she did so, the deeper she found herself in his embrace.

“P-Prince!”

“My younger sibling said you have feelings for Vice Minister Kim Hee Gyeom. Is that true?”

“…”

“Seeing that you can’t speak, it must be true. Teacher and student? Ha, don’t make me laugh.”

“Prince, that’s… a misunderstanding.”

His eyes turned fierce and his lips twisted.

The arm around her waist tightened, and he brought his other hand in front of her eyes.

As his clenched fist came before her eyes, she unknowingly squeezed her eyes shut and shrank back.

It was a habit she had developed from being hit by Soon Young, flinching even when others just reached out their hands.

The prince, unaware of this, frowned and opened his fist in front of her eyes.

On his palm lay the plum blossom petal he had caught earlier.

He lightly blew on his palm, causing the plum blossom petal to flutter.

The petal brushed against her cheek as it fell.

“Don’t forget that you are my woman.”