In the darkness of dawn, a man in martial attire approached and bowed to the Grand Prince.

It was a face she knew. His name was Seo Yeom, wasn’t it?

He was the man who guarded the Grand Prince’s side whenever he came home.

Though they had never exchanged words, Seo Yeom’s attitude towards her was always as respectful as towards his own master.

“Go and ask for some water to be brought.”

“Yes, sir.”

After the man left, he sat on the porch and spoke indifferently, his gaze fixed in the distance.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“Ah… No. I will take my leave now.”

“Please prepare some clothes for me to change into after washing.”

“…Yes.”

His voice was as cold as the look in his eyes.

She entered the room and placed the prepared clothes on the writing desk.

Moments later, he came in, changed into new clothes, and sat down.

The silence that flowed in the room was suffocating. He who had been silent slowly turned his head to look at her.

As she turned her head, not wanting to show her swollen face, his hand caught her chin first.

Was it an illusion? The look in his eyes, which had been staring intently at her face, wavered slightly.

After thinking for a moment, he frowned and withdrew his hand.

“Why don’t you ask anything?”

“……”

“Is it because you have no interest in a man you don’t care about? Or did you have no expectations from the start, as the rumors say I’m a scoundrel?”

It seemed he was asking about taking Mi Ah to bed on their wedding night instead of her.

What should she ask?

Should she demand to know why he had abandoned her on their wedding night, how he could take a household maid to bed instead of her?

What right did she have?

She was in no position to question him just because she had become the Grand Prince’s wife.

How could she question such things to him who had wanted to marry Eun Joo?

Still, for Yoon Eun Seol, marrying the Grand Prince was fortunate.

The marriage to the Grand Prince was the only way to escape Soon Young’s abuse and Eun Joo’s contempt.

From the beginning, she hadn’t thought the Grand Prince’s heart would readily turn to her.

Knowing it was a heart she could never have, she didn’t even covet it.

Yoon Eun Seol, who had been habitually repeating this to herself, unconsciously clenched her fist.

But it hurt.

Her heart sank at his cold gaze, and every time she saw his back turning away coldly, it felt like the world was crumbling.

At some point, his gaze towards her became more indifferent and dry.

Even the small flutter she felt when she first met him was not allowed to her.

She had been the first to avoid and run away from his inexplicably cold gaze.

Though secretly wounded by his cold looks and tone, her feelings for him grew foolishly larger.

It wasn’t an emotion that could be moved rationally.

If only she hadn’t taken him to heart from the start, she wouldn’t have received such wounds.

She felt foolish and pathetic for holding onto a heart she could never reach.

What right did she have to question him? It was preposterous.

She had vowed that if she could just escape this hellish house, she wouldn’t care if the Grand Prince was a scoundrel, that she wouldn’t resent him even if he never sought her out for the rest of her life.

So, now, at this moment, she knew the answer she should give.

“I am fine.”

“What, what is fine?”

“…Well.”

“I asked what is fine. Are you fine with a groom who slept with another woman, a maid no less, on his wedding night instead of his bride?”

He asked in a low voice, as if suppressing his emotions.

Her lips dried and her whole body trembled in fear of his cold glaring gaze.

Looking at her trembling with displeasure, he sighed and rose from his seat.

“My wife is truly generous, isn’t she? It seems you wouldn’t know jealousy even if I took dozens of concubines. Ah… Perhaps you have no jealous feelings because you already hold another in your heart.”

He spat out incomprehensible words and roughly opened the door, going outside.

A moment later, his heavy voice echoed in the annex.

“Yeom. We’re going to Unyeon Palace. Prepare.”

* * *

Unyeon Palace, the private residence of Grand Prince Jin Heon, was so magnificent that it would not be an exaggeration to say it was as if a palace hall had been moved there intact.

When she first got out of the palanquin, she was surprised by the high walls and large gate, and once inside the palace grounds, she was again surprised by the scale of the buildings.

The size of the main building, as well as the annexes and the men’s quarters, was incomparably larger than that of ordinary noble houses, creating a sense of discomfort.

The Yeonhwa Hall, which was the Grand Prince’s quarters and office, was said to be off-limits to anyone but the Grand Prince, unlike the office in the men’s quarters.

Yoon Eun Seol, who had become the mistress of Unyeon Palace, stayed in the main building.

She had worried about not being able to bring even one maid from her family home, but fortunately, there was a friendly maid named Geum Ok and Eom Sang Gung, which made it not too difficult to adapt.

More concerning was the fact that she hadn’t seen the Grand Prince for ten days since entering Unyeon Palace.

It didn’t matter that the Grand Prince didn’t seek her out, as she had expected, but it was quite embarrassing in front of the servants.

For ten days, no one found it strange that the groom didn’t seek out his bride. Not a single person gave an uncomfortable glance.

She later learned that all this was the result of Eom Sang Gung hushing everyone up for her sake.

They were all truly kind.

She vaguely guessed as she waited for the Grand Prince who didn’t come.

Perhaps, just like the mother who gave birth to her, she might live under his cold gaze for a very long time before being cast aside.

Perhaps that’s why the warmth of spring still felt cold to her.

Worried about her not moving and staying only in the room, Eom Sang Gung entered with refreshments.

Eom Sang Gung, who had come from the Queen Dowager’s quarters, had been of great help in adapting to life here.

“You know you have to go to the palace tomorrow to see the Queen Dowager, don’t you?”

“Does the Grand Prince know as well?”

“A message just came a little while ago. He said he will depart around noon tomorrow.”

“I see.”

She was already nervous.

Not only because it was her first time going to the palace, but also at the thought of having to see the Queen Dowager, her face unconsciously stiffened.

“There’s no need to be nervous. The Queen Dowager will like you very much.”

Eom Sang Gung’s kind voice was comforting, but there was nothing she could do about her trembling heart.

“I’m worried if I can do well.”

“No one does well from the start. They say the position makes the person, don’t they? Don’t worry too much. Although I’m lacking, I will help you.”

She was truly a grateful person. It was Eom Sang Gung who was gradually raising her self-confidence that had been lowered to the bottom due to childhood wounds.

Every day, she checked if there was anything uncomfortable for her and understood her feelings.

“There will be times when you get bored living here. Do you have anything you like or enjoy doing?”

“If there’s something I like……”

“Life here may not be exactly like the palace, but it won’t be much different. I want you to live your life, ma’am. I don’t want you to live only looking at the Grand Prince. Whenever I saw women in the palace who had received the king’s favor unable to live their own lives and only looking at His Majesty, I felt truly sorry. Of course, I know the situation can’t be helped, but if one lives like that for a lifetime, it seems a bit unfair.”

Her heart swelled at the sincere concern for her felt in Eom Sang Gung’s earnest words.

Not once had she thought about living her own life.

Thinking she might have upset her by her silence, Eom Sang Gung’s voice became cautious.

“Please forgive me if I’ve overstepped.”

“Ah, no. If it weren’t for you, I might have been struggling alone by now. It will be difficult, but I’ll try.”

“You will do well, ma’am. And… don’t worry too much about the rumors about our Grand Prince. I can’t say anything now, but if you wait, everything will get better.”

She wondered if such a day would really come.

For several days, the thought that hadn’t left her mind was the Grand Prince’s whereabouts while not staying at Unyeon Palace.

According to Eom Sang Gung, he said he was going somewhere urgently, but she could guess where he was and who he was with now.

She shook her head trying to shake off the thought. If she didn’t expect, wouldn’t she be less hurt and less pained?

“Eom Sang Gung, I want to draw. Please prepare some paper and ink, and bring other painting tools as well.”

“Certainly. Is there anything else you need?”

“Please get me some books too. I forgot to bring them when I came from home.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare them. If you need anything else, please let me know anytime.”

“Thank you. I think that will be enough for now.”

Looking at Eom Sang Gung’s smiling face, she thought that life here might become a little more enjoyable from now on.

It seemed possible.

A smile unconsciously formed on her lips.

* * *

Yoon Eun Seol was busy preparing to enter the palace from early morning.

Geum Ok, who was attending to her, grumbled about something as she put a hairpin in her hair.

Eom Sang Gung, who was standing nearby, said a word to Geum Ok.

“Why is your lip sticking out so early in the morning?”

“I’m just upset. She’s going to the palace, of all places, and doesn’t have even a single piece of jewelry.”

“What are you saying, she’s such a beautiful person even without those things, why are you so upset?”

“Even so, she’s the Secondary Princess Consort, aren’t you upset, ma’am?”

Come to think of it, she really didn’t have a single piece of jewelry. The hairpin she wore when she came from home was all she had.

Eom Sang Gung straightened her jade-colored jacket and retied the ribbon.

“You look truly beautiful even without a single piece of jewelry.”

“Thank you for the kind words, even if they’re not true.”

“It’s not just kind words. Wouldn’t our Grand Prince be said to have high standards for no reason? I was curious what kind of woman the Grand Prince wanted, and she’s worthy of being held in his heart.”

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

“Ah… It’s nothing. We’ll be late. Let’s go out now.”

Eom Sang Gung trailed off, avoiding her gaze and hurriedly went outside.

Geum Ok, following behind, grumbled with a face full of dissatisfaction, and Eom Sang Gung, who was walking ahead, said in a stern voice that it wasn’t right to do so on a good day.

Yoon Eun Seol patted Geum Ok’s back and smiled kindly at her.

“Thank you for your concern. I’m really fine, so don’t be too upset.”

“Next time, I’ll buy you something pretty.”

“Just hearing that makes me happy. Thank you.”

So this is what it’s like to be with good people. Yoon Eun Seol couldn’t help but smile.

.

.

.

As she came out of Unyeon Palace, she greeted the Grand Prince who was already there.

It was the first time they had faced each other since coming to Unyeon Palace together.

The Grand Prince’s gaze, who had been talking with Seo Yeom while leaning against a tree, fell on her.

Seeing him after a long time, he looked a bit gaunt.

Even so, his height of over six feet and his slightly tanned, handsome face was manly and dignified enough to steal women’s hearts.

As she went down the stairs, feeling his intense gaze, his deep, sunken voice quietly echoed.

“Let’s depart!”

With those words, his gaze also drifted away.

Although she had come out prepared, when actually facing him, she couldn’t help feeling disappointed and sorrowful.