The Secret Night at Unyeon Palace (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
It was truly cruel.
Only now did she seem to understand just how much he despised her.
Unlike her unceasing tears, her mind had, conversely, grown calm.
She didn’t know where the courage to confront him had come from, but at this moment, she refused to back down.
“Weren’t you the one who said she wouldn’t be a woman you’d ever seek again after tonight? To Your Grace, I’m not even your former wife…”
“So now you’re asking to be treated as a wife? Aren’t I already doing exactly that? You must’ve heard the rumors about me. If I hadn’t shown restraint, you’d have been utterly ruined beneath me long ago. So then.”
His face slowly descended toward hers.
“Make your choice. Will you spend tonight with me—or instead, harbor feelings for another man and live in eternal loneliness?”
Another man? Come to think of it, he’d been insinuating all along that she harbored feelings for someone else.
The thought that this man might be Second Junior Lord Kim Hee Gyeom made her feel she couldn’t stay here any longer.
“If by ‘another man’ you mean Second Junior Lord—then no, he is my master. He’s not at all the sort of person Your Grace imagines him to be.”
“I’m not sure why you’re flaring up like this over whatever thoughts I supposedly have.”
“It’s just that Your Grace seems to be misunderstanding something…”
“Misunderstanding? Did you just say *misunderstanding*? I’ve seen more than enough with my own eyes—how could it possibly be a misunderstanding?”
Cutting her off coldly, he erupted in anger, unable to hold back his shout.
She couldn’t comprehend what exactly he claimed to have seen.
No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t recall any behavior with Hee Gyeom that might have caused such suspicion.
She wanted to demand an explanation, but his icy, fierce gaze crushed her spirit, leaving her unable to utter a word.
“The way Second Junior Lord looks at you isn’t the look of a master toward his disciple—it’s unmistakably the gaze of a lover. Or perhaps… you feel the same way?”
“…”
“Your silence tells me I’ve struck the mark.”
What could she possibly say to someone who’d already made up their mind?
She couldn’t tell whether he wanted her to make excuses—or simply confess and withdraw.
After a moment’s hesitation, she quietly opened her mouth.
“I’ve clearly stated before: Second Junior Lord is my master, and I’ve never, not even once, regarded him as a man. I know you’re displeased with me, and I’m fully aware of my own place.”
She paused briefly, then released a deep, measured breath.
Suppressing the sharp, painful emotions welling inside her, she spoke softly once more.
“I won’t ask you to look at me, nor will I covet your heart. Once you’ve found the woman you truly desire, I will disappear without complaint. Until then, please just allow me to remain here.”
After hearing her out, he suddenly burst into laughter.
Though his lips curled upward, his eyes remained icy cold, fixed on her.
“Try being a little more honest. Isn’t it *you* who’s using my reputation for your own ends?”
“What do you mean—”
“That lecherous Grand Prince Jinheon went mad over a woman and abandoned his lawful wife—that’s what you wanted people to say, isn’t it? After all, such rumors would make it easier for you to escape me. But what can you do? I have absolutely no intention of playing along with your little scheme.”
With that, he withdrew the hand gripping her and stepped back a pace, a bitter smirk lingering at the corner of his mouth.
“Remember this well: Now that we’re married, you belong to me. As I said earlier, I cannot tolerate others laying hands on what’s mine. And you’d do well to abandon any thought of escaping me.”
Having spoken, he turned and strode out of the room.
Eun Seol sank to the floor, staring at the door as it slammed shut behind him.
The cold words he’d left behind pierced her heart and ached for a very long time.
* * *
Leaning back deeply into his chair, Woon fell into thought.
The deeper his thoughts grew, the more unsettled he became.
His fingertip tapped increasingly faster against the armrest, and his gaze grew fiercer by the moment.
How much time had passed?
As dawn gradually broke, Seo Yeom called out to him from outside.
Entering the room, Seo Yeom frowned and sighed the moment he saw him.
“Weren’t you supposed to go to Madam? Or were you perhaps chased out?”
“Who—me?”
“If not, then why are you still here at this hour?”
“Enough with your pointless chatter—what about the matter I asked you to investigate?”
Chastened, Seo Yeom gave an awkward smile and stepped forward briskly.
Straightening his expression, he calmly began his report.
“The wine bottle Your Grace provided has indeed been confirmed to contain a dangerous substance—just as you suspected, it was orchestrated by Madam Jeong Buin.”
Hearing it, he could hardly believe it—only a hollow, disbelieving laugh escaped his lips.
A mother-in-law who, on her daughter’s wedding day, sent her son-in-law a maidservant!
It was absurd—not to mention utterly infuriating.
“Your Grace, there’s something else you must know.”
Woon gestured for Seo Yeom to speak, noting his hesitation.
“I questioned one of the household servants who said something odd, so I looked into the maidservant Min Ah.”
“Well? Is there a problem?”
“In fact, Minister of War Yoon Tae Soo has already violated her.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“It seems he assaulted her shortly after she arrived. Truth be told, he’s previously harassed other maidservants, prompting Madam Jeong Buin to sell them off elsewhere. This time, she apparently planned deliberately to send Min Ah to Your Grace’s quarters.”
“Ha! Those lunatics—what lowlifes!”
He slammed his fist against the chair armrest and rose abruptly.
The chair screeched and toppled over to the floor.
As he flung open the window, releasing a long, frustrated sigh, Seo Yeom quietly righted the chair and approached him.
“That girl, Min Ah—why send her directly to Your Grace’s concubine quarters instead of simply relocating her elsewhere?”
“She must’ve felt uneasy.”
“About what, exactly?”
“They likely assumed I’d take a liking to the maidservant—after all, I’m the Grand Prince Jinheon, infamous for losing his head over women. Relying solely on that reputation, they threw her at me. That way, if I succumbed to her temptation and discarded the eldest daughter, they could hold me accountable for that debt—and quietly dispose of the maidservant afterward.”
He irritably swept both hands across his face.
When Seo Yeom asked what he meant, he exhaled a deep sigh instead of answering immediately.
It was maddening.
The more he thought, the more rage swelled inside him.
This wasn’t merely disrespect toward him—it amounted to an affront against the royal family itself.
“Are you absolutely certain nothing happened between him and that maidservant on the wedding day?”
“What do you mean by that? Do you really see me as the sort who’d bed just any woman before your very eyes?”
“Then why not tell Madam the truth? She must be misunderstanding the situation.”
What difference would speaking make, anyway?
Her heart was already filled with someone else.
The more he thought about it, the more irritated and furious he grew.
Eun Seol’s face instantly hardened the moment she saw him—and if their eyes ever met, she’d flee as if running for her life. The only time she ever smiled was when she was with Kim Hee Gyeom.
Master and disciple? Ridiculous.
He hadn’t seen their affectionate togetherness just once or twice.
No matter how firmly she denied it, the way Kim Hee Gyeom looked at her was unmistakably affectionate.
But it didn’t matter.
Regardless of Hee Gyeom’s feelings, Eun Seol had already married *him*.
The real issue was that her heart belonged not to him, but to Second Junior Lord Kim Hee Gyeom.
Even after the marriage was finalized, her attitudes toward him and toward Second Junior Lord remained starkly different.
—“Master is the one person who has been my sole light.”
Sadly, her devotion to Second Junior Lord seemed profoundly deep.
That truth drove him nearly mad with jealousy and despair.
Woon irritably dragged his hands down his face once more.
“Yeom, there’s one more thing I need you to look into.”
“Yes, please instruct me.”
“Look into Minister of War’s former wife—that is, this woman’s birth mother.”
“Is something troubling you?”
There was indeed one thing.
Until now, Woon had assumed Eun Seol had agreed to the scheme orchestrated by Minister of War and his wife in order to fulfill her own feelings.
But hearing her speak, something felt off—she seemed utterly unaware of everything.
If that were true, then Minister of War and his wife had proceeded with the plan despite knowing their eldest daughter would be harmed—yet the gain wasn’t worth the disgrace they’d inflict upon their own child.
“We’ll get to that later—also find out how she’s lived, from childhood until now. Surely there’s at least one person who knows her well.”
“Understood.”
Knowing he wouldn’t answer further questions, Seo Yeom quietly remained in place.
Beyond the window, the darkness of early dawn lifted, and daylight slowly spread.
“Prepare for the hunt. I’ll depart as soon as it’s fully light.”
At his words, Seo Yeom’s expression darkened.
It was only natural he’d be surprised—the man rarely went hunting at all.
* * *
After the Grand Prince abruptly left that night, Eun Seol couldn’t sleep properly.
His parting words swirled chaotically in her mind.
True to his claim that he’d never seek her again, days passed without a single glimpse of him.
Having lain awake all night, she barely managed to rise, wash quickly, and eat the breakfast Court Lady Eom brought.
That Court Lady Eom—instead of Geum Ok, as usual—had delivered it signaled she had something to say.
“Did he just… leave?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m asking whether His Grace returned elsewhere that night instead of staying here.”
“Oh… He suddenly had urgent business and left in a hurry.”
“I see. Did you know he departed for the hunt three days ago?”
How could she possibly know—when they hadn’t even managed a proper conversation?
Setting her spoon down on the table, she asked,
“Does he often go hunting?”
“Not often, but occasionally—to clear his mind, he says. He’s gone to a nearby location, so it shouldn’t take too long.”
“When he hunts, does he bring women along—no, forget I asked.”
She lowered her head, embarrassed even by her own question.
A soft chuckle came from Court Lady Eom.
“He only takes a few members of the royal household—never women. Or at least… well, has the rumor really spread that far? That he always brings women whenever he hunts?”
Unable to speak, her face flushed—Court Lady Eom smiled softly and murmured to herself,
“Our Grand Prince does have a rather disreputable reputation, doesn’t he? I can’t know his true intentions, of course—but surely rumors aren’t the whole truth.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, nothing. I’ve been chattering too much since morning. Once you’ve finished eating, just call for Geum Ok.”
As Court Lady Eom stood to leave, she pointed to the bundle beside Eun Seol.
“These are the paper and drawing supplies you requested earlier. I’ve also brought a few books you mentioned—if you need more, just let me know.”
“This is more than enough. Thank you.”
“The weather’s exceptionally lovely today. After breakfast, why not take a walk to Dowon Pavilion or the rear garden? There are still many places you haven’t seen—I recommend exploring them as if strolling through a garden.”
Taking her advice, Eun Seol finished her meal and stepped outside for a walk.
The moment she emerged, Geum Ok hurried over with light, quick steps.
“Madam, the weather’s perfect—shall we go for a stroll? The plum blossoms at Dowon Pavilion have bloomed like snowflakes. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
Instead of replying, she simply nodded and began walking.
Perched above the annex, Dowon Pavilion shone even more brilliantly amidst the fully bloomed plum blossoms.
Petals fluttered like snow in the breeze, and the pond beneath the pavilion shimmered in azure, mirroring the sky above.
She’d never realized how breathtaking plum blossoms could be, dancing in the wind like this.
“It’s truly beautiful—like another world entirely.”
“Didn’t I tell you you’d love it? Woon Yeon Palace is not only beautiful but full of sights—it almost feels like an entire palace has been recreated here.”
Seeing Geum Ok’s eyes sparkle with delight, Eun Seol couldn’t help but feel her own mood lift slightly.
She’d heard Geum Ok had moved here from the palace with the Queen Dowager’s permission, having served alongside Court Lady Eom there.
Given how vibrant and populous the palace was, she wondered why Geum Ok had chosen to come here instead.
“If the palace suited you better, why come here?”
“I actually prefer this place—the palace was fine, but I like it here more. I love Madam, and I love Court Lady Eom too. If Her Royal Highness the Queen Dowager hadn’t suggested it, I would’ve begged to follow Court Lady Eom here myself.”
“I’m truly grateful you feel that way.”
“Madam, next time, let’s try walking toward the training ground over there.”
“The training ground?”
“Yes—apparently there are some truly beautiful flowers there, though I can’t recall the name…”
“Magnolias.”
At the sudden interjection of a man’s voice, both she and Geum Ok turned around simultaneously.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
Most Commented This Week
The Villain Has Gone Mad For Me (Completed Main Story)
I’m The Lowest-Ranking Daughter Of A Martial Arts Villain (2 Chapters Left to Complete)
[Full] The Villain Found Out This is a Novel (Completed Main Story)
I Became the Assassin Family’s Foster Daughter (Completed Main Story)
[Full] The Villainess Just Wants to Live Quietly! (Completed Main Story)
The Duke Only Needs My Child (Completed Main Story)
Men of the Harem (137 Chapters Left to Complete)
At the End of Ruin, There You Are (56 Chapters Left to Complete)
She’s a Villainess but her Husband is Handsome (Completed Main Story)
My Discarded Fiancé Returned (Completed Main Story)
People Aren’t Meant to Be Fixed! (4 Chapters Left to Complete)
I Received The First Time Of My Extraordinary Superior (9 Chapters Left to Complete)
Summer Must Die (16 Chapters Left to Complete)
Regret With All Your Might (Completed Main Story)