The Secret Night at Unyeon Palace (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
Despite hurrying while looking at the sky filled with dark clouds, his clothes were already completely soaked.
The moment he stepped into the outer quarters, Court Lady Eom called out to him, her face pale as death.
“My lord! Why are you only arriving now!”
He had never seen Court Lady Eom like this before, so he urgently asked what was wrong.
“Madam… Madam is nowhere to be seen.”
“What do you mean she’s nowhere to be seen? What are you talking about?”
“She hasn’t been seen since she went to the outer quarters this afternoon.”
“Is she not in the inner chamber?”
“We’ve searched everywhere, but she is not there. She is not the type to move without a word… I truly do not know where she has gone.”
She disappeared after leaving the outer quarters—could she have gone outside the palace residence?
As Court Lady Eom said, she would never go somewhere alone without telling anyone, so he had no idea what was going on.
“Has anyone seen her leaving the palace residence?”
“I asked Eunuch Choi and the steward, but they said they did not see her. Where on earth could she have gone… could something have happened to her…”
Without even listening to the end of Court Lady Eom’s words, he dashed straight into the rain.
Court Lady Eom called after him from behind and said something, but it did not reach his ears.
He searched through the separate quarters and Yeonhwa Hall, scouring every corner nearby.
Yet Yoon Eun Seol was nowhere to be found.
“Yoon Eun Seol, where the hell are you?”
The sight of her from earlier that day came to mind, and before he knew it, a sigh escaped him.
He had turned away from her wounded face as she looked at him.
There was no way she would have left his side for such a reason.
The thought that she would never leave for that reason repeated in his mind, then suddenly stopped.
It was because he knew just how sharp the blades he had spat at her truly were to sum them up as “such a reason.”
Could she have had dark thoughts? His heart began pounding as though it would burst.
Roughly pushing back his rain-soaked hair, he suddenly started running somewhere.
No, it can’t be. It absolutely can’t be.
“Yoon Eun Seol!”
He ran through the fierce wind and rain, shouting her name until his throat felt like it would tear, even though he knew she wouldn’t hear.
He didn’t even know in what state of mind he had run all the way to Dowon Pavilion.
Even though he believed it couldn’t be true, his feet headed toward the pond.
And once again, he called for her.
“Eun Seol-ah!”
His voice trembled and would not come out properly.
Just in case, he stepped into the pond and searched even underwater.
He looked around and called her name like a madman.
“Please… answer me.”
At that moment, a faint human voice came from somewhere.
“My lord… over here… I’m… here…”
When he approached close to the pavilion, an extremely faint voice mixed with the sound of rain reached his ears.
Without hesitation, he bent down and crawled under the pavilion.
In the darkness, he saw Yoon Eun Seol lying face-down on the floor, trembling violently.
His body moved before the question “why” could form.
He quickly lifted her up, held her in his arms, and came out.
“What on earth are you doing here like this!”
“The thunder…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence and fainted right there.
The body of Yoon Eun Seol that touched his hand was ice-cold. The first thought that came was that leaving her like this would be dangerous.
He immediately carried her in his arms and ran through the rain.
When they arrived at the inner quarters, Court Lady Eom and Geum Ok saw Yoon Eun Seol in his arms and burst into tears.
Court Lady Eom called to him in a trembling voice.
“What is this… how did this happen?”
“Talk later. Go get warm water and towels right now. Prepare clothes for her to change into. Hurry!”
Without even waiting for a reply, he hurriedly entered the room. The moment he went in, he laid Yoon Eun Seol down and stripped off her wet clothes.
A little while later, Court Lady Eom came in, placed a basin and towels in front of him, and brought clothes from the wardrobe.
“I will wipe Madam down. My lord, please change out of your wet clothes first.”
“I’ll do it, so leave.”
At his firm voice, Court Lady Eom stepped back and left the room.
He removed Yoon Eun Seol’s wet clothes, changed her into dry ones, and wiped her face, hands, and feet with warm water.
Her once-cold body gradually returned to normal temperature. He covered her with a blanket and gazed at her sleeping face for a long while.
“Yoon Eun Seol, Eun Seol-ah… please open your eyes.”
While waiting for an answer that would not come, he held her hand and kissed the back of it.
“Please come to your senses and open your eyes. Eun Seol-ah… don’t be sick.”
Words that were somewhere between confession and complaint spilled out as he let out a deep sigh.
Confirming that her complexion was improving and her breathing had returned to normal, he stood up from his seat.
When he stepped outside, Court Lady Eom was glaring at him with deeply furrowed brows.
“Why?”
“How can you ask ‘why’ right now? Why do you keep hurting Madam with actions you don’t even mean? How much regret do you plan to feel later!”
“What did I even do? She’s the one rejecting me—what am I supposed to do? The one getting hurt isn’t her, it’s me.”
At his words, Court Lady Eom let out a hollow laugh, looking utterly dumbfounded.
Even he felt pathetic for saying it.
“Then why did you call for So Hyang?”
“That… I didn’t call her—ha, why am I even making excuses?”
“Whether you called her or So Hyang came on her own, from now on, do not let her into Woon Yeon Palace. If you have business, you can go to Eunwol Pavilion yourself. And why do you keep leaving Madam all alone!”
Court Lady Eom’s voice was as cold as midwinter frost. He truly couldn’t tell who the master was.
He cleared his throat once, about to scold her sharply, but her piercing gaze flew at him, and he shut his mouth.
“You finally have the person you wanted so badly by your side—shouldn’t you cherish her? Why do you keep hurting her? If you continue like this, my lips might become loose.”
“Court Lady Eom!”
“That’s why I’m saying—show your heart from now on.”
“I told you, it’s not me—it’s her rejecting me!”
“Don’t say such ridiculous things. What woman in the world rejects her own husband?”
“Good grief, can’t you speak a little more gently? I’ll handle my own matters, so just take care of her.”
Court Lady Eom let out a low sigh as she looked at him awkwardly averting his eyes.
“The same man who rushed out without care the moment he heard she was missing—why is he so frustrating when it comes to expressing his feelings?”
Leaving Court Lady Eom’s nagging behind, he headed toward the outer quarters, then turned back once more.
After hesitating for a moment, he spoke quietly with an embarrassed expression.
“Tell her it was you who changed her clothes.”
With those words, he quickly left the inner quarters.
* * *
The weather was so clear it made yesterday’s thunder and lightning seem unreal.
Yet Woon entered the training ground with a complicated and chaotic heart.
Having not slept a wink all night, he needed something to focus on.
The moment he pulled the bowstring to shoot an arrow, Seo Yeom approached and bowed.
He lowered the hand holding the bow and asked what was the matter.
“It concerns Madam’s birth mother.”
At the mention of Yoon Eun Seol’s birth mother, he placed the bow on the table and turned fully to wait for Seo Yeom’s next words.
“Not long after giving birth to Madam, she was driven out by the Minister of War. At that time, the Minister of War, who was already deeply involved with the current Madam Jeong Buin, told her that if she wanted the child to live, she should leave on her own.”
Watching his face gradually harden, Seo Yeom hesitated for a moment before continuing heavily.
“After being cast out, it is said she took her own life. And immediately afterward, he brought in the current wife. According to Madam Cheong Ju, even before marrying Madam’s birth mother, the Minister of War was living with Madam Jeong Buin, and the legal wife—Madam’s birth mother—was treated as if she did not exist. Though the reason for being driven out is unknown, there were also words that it was not suicide but that the Minister of War had someone kill her. After her birth mother died, Madam lived from then on as a child abandoned in the separate quarters.”
“Abandoned child—what kind of talk is that?”
“Exactly as it sounds: she was forsaken by her father and stepmother and lived treated like a bothersome pest. The household servants could not help Madam because they feared Madam Jeong Buin’s watchful eye. It seems Madam was practically confined to the separate quarters from a very young age.”
He had no idea at all.
He had never even imagined that Yoon Eun Seol had lived so miserably.
Whenever their eyes met, she would hurriedly flee, and in front of him she always kept her head down like someone intimidated—he had simply thought it was her personality.
He had believed he knew at least a little about her, but in truth he knew nothing.
The Yoon Eun Seol he thought he knew was nothing more than an illusion.
Was this what it felt like to be suffocated?
“While his daughter was in that state, what on earth was the Minister of War doing all this time?”
“He never cared to begin with, but because he feared Madam Jeong Buin’s gaze, he didn’t even treat her as his child. To both the Minister of War and Madam Jeong Buin, their only child was Yoon Eun Joo.”
“That bastard.”
Uncontrollable rage surged up, and he slammed his fist down on the nearby table.
Breathing heavily to suppress it, he asked in a low voice.
“What about her relationship with her younger sister, Yoon Eun Joo?”
“I do not know the details, but it is said there was little difference from her mother. Still, fortunately, after meeting the Second Junior Lord, Madam was able to go out, study, and brighten considerably. People say that to Madam, the Second Junior Lord was both a reliable teacher and a parent-like figure. At least she had such an excellent teacher—it is a relief, is it not?”
“Yes, you’ve worked hard. You may go.”
After sending Seo Yeom away and picking up the bow again, he could not draw it and simply lowered his hand.
—I clearly told you no. The Second Junior Lord is my teacher. I have never once thought of him as a man.
“What on earth… have I done to that child?”
He had poured salt into an open wound.
Remembering the frightened look in Yoon Eun Seol’s eyes as she trembled while looking at him, one side of his chest ached.
Everything he had done was returning like daggers, stabbing straight into Woon’s heart.
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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