Chapter 26

"Make sure you don't get stuck."

Then her colleague, Noel, passed by. Yeo-ryu sneezed again while trying to laugh.

"Achoo!"

"Dirty bastard."

The woman trembled lightly again.

"Oh come on. The Leaf Month (April) is just around the corner and you already have troubles."

"That's why I told you to write a letter for Dawn yesterday and go out. Now you're paying the price for listening to that asshole."

"No way I put it off! Of course I wrote the letter first!"

"Then how come when I asked, you said you haven't written it yet?"

"I was just starting."

The woman clicked her tongue but couldn't hide the smile that was forming on her face. It was something for the shadows to look forward in writing a letter to the youngest member who went out to escort the concubine Miss.

The child always had a gloomy face and didn't even say his name, so they had given him an alias 'Dawn' from his eye color. But he's still the youngest. When he was asked if he had liked the name they chose for him, he looked at them as if they had two heads. The group was first made up of womens.

"Did you bring it?"

"No, I don't know. Was it not there when I left it?"

"If you see a reply from Dawn then we're good."

Their faces became strange. They quarreled every time they met, and for some reason, they were lost in thought. It was the woman who raised her head first.

"Oh, come think of it, Her Majesty was here for a while."

"… Her Majesty?"

An ominous look grazed on their faces.

"You wouldn't have written anything weird inside, right?"

"Of course! There's nothing wrong with the letter for Dawn."

Noel squinted suspiciously at the confident answer.

"Because I wrote it."

"Did you serve Miss well? I'm worried if you're eating alright. The meal must've been delicious because it's at the Miss's palace. That's what I wrote."

Surprisingly, the woman was sincere. All the shadows loved Dawn, and expressed their feelings generously. However, the problem was their extreme expressions. Noel frowned heavily on the woman's elated face.

"Uh, did you really send a greeting letter like that?"

Noel asked then sighed a breath of relief.

"Well, Her Majesty would have opened it."

"What?"

The woman smiled with a playful face. The fact that the Miss, a young concubine at the palace was sharpening her sword after seeing the contents was completely unknown. The woman sneezed again and wondered if she was getting a cold or if someone was after her.

"Achoo!"

"Take ten steps away from me."

***

(Sanya's pov)

It wasn't until the next day that I knew why the emperor came.

"You need to attend the lecture."

I was going to teach Go Woon a game, but I wondered if I heard her right. Seo Yeon repeated it once again. The emperor gave lectures to the concubines. They were all childrens of strong, prestigious families who loved her.

But why do I need to go?

"There's nothing I can do, so why do I need to attend the lecture?"

"Why would you say that? The lecture is an obligation and right for all the concubines, Miss."

I don't want that duty or rights, and so far it has been pretty relaxing. But I have to go… Since I have no justification to refuse. I got up from my seat with a sigh.

Before I could even think about it, the court ladies began to bring my clothes.

…Wait. Right now?

***

"Miss."

The door opened and I was immediately faced with numerous eyes.

Ah. Damn it.

I feel like throwing up because of the gazes, kind of like when I was in that wedding outfit which I had forgotten. The court ladies had quickly prepared me to go to the palace of the emperor. Go Woon and Seo Yeon couldn't go in there with me.

'Her Majesty will take care of you.'

I remembered what Seo Yeon had whispered before I left. Her Majesty can't take care of me. When I walked in slowly, I heard the concubines whispering. I started looking for my seat while trying not to glance at anything else.

Usually, they would sit in the order from when they entered the palace, but in case of the concubine who was the most loved, they sat close to the emperor. More precisely, how helpful they are to Her Majesty.

In the original, Sanya and Mirina took the left and right spot next to the emperor. Sanya hated him, for he had solidified his position without any effort. Of course, I have no intention of sitting in that spot now.

'It should be like that.'

I looked for the seat that was closest to the door, but no matter how hard I looked, there was no place with my name on it. Maybe I'm just confused with the letters since it's pretty high. Then a man sitting close to the emperor's spot rose from his seat and approached me. I saw his shiny blonde hair.

"Sanya."

"I'm seeing Your Highness."

Why are you coming here. While greeting him, I was still trying to look for my name, and then I heard a laugh above me.

"I'll find your seat. Now."

Mirina smiled gently and reached out to me. I was stunned immediately and grabbed his hand. I'm not sure what he's up to… The place he took me was not the back, where I was looking, but towards the front. I mean, where he's sitting.

"Well, Your Highness."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think my seat is there."

I said and smiled embarrassingly. He then pointed to the seat next to him.

"That's your spot."

I felt a little crack on my smiling face. My name was clearly written on the spot where he pointed. It's a name that I thought was pretty, but I feel like I hate it right now.

"You can't stand here for long, Her Majesty will be here soon."

I already feel the eyes of the other concubines.

"…Yes, Your Highness."

I walked there while crying inwardly.

Go away…

***

The lecture went by plainly. Political stories, industries, and cultures that I don't know of flew by. It was carried out in the way where other concubines reported their work, so it's not like it'll matter whether I join or not.

'This is good.'

I ate the snacks in front of me like a child who listens well. Everyone else had fruits on their tables while I had yumilgwa. I had to eat without making a sound, so it was fun to bite it little by little.

"Then today's lecture is finished."

Finally, the words I wanted to hear came out. I carefully brushed the crumbs off my hand and grabbed my skirt to get up.

"So what did you bring to the lecture today?"

A sly tone from one of the concubines said. I almost looked up with a shocked face at the person who made such an absurd remark in the presence of a child. Wasn't this the end of the lecture?

"Ah, you mean that."

The emperor said in a strange voice, like she always did. While I was struggling, she looked at me with a dismissed face. I wish she turned her head back. I tried sneaking away from her gaze, but she continued to watch me.

It's ominous. Ominous.

"Sanya."

The emperor called out my name. It sounded strangely excited. I had no choice but to raise my head and face her. Please don't say what I think you're going to say.

"Tonight you can come to my room. I'll read you my book!"

Oh. Why can't these feelings always be wrong.