"I will be going to Yun So-won's residence today, so bring the palanquin to Daejeon by the time of the announcement."
Heon took a step and Seolhwa smiled.
"Ancestral Palace"
"Yes, mama"
"When His Majesty enters my quarters today... I will remove all the maids and the court ladies, including you, from their quarters."
"yes?"
"I'm telling you not to let anyone hear my conversation with Your Majesty."
"Yes, I will obey your command..."
"The moon will lose its light today..."
Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, the sun had set and the moonlight was faintly shining. Before Heon arrived, Seolhwa waited for Heon in her quarters, just like yesterday, with her back straight and her posture upright.
"Your Majesty has arrived."
"Please eat"
"I clearly ordered you to dress up as a beautiful woman, but I dismissed all the maids and court ladies..."
"Does the appearance of the new concubine not look very good...?"
"D, they look alike... so much..."
To be honest, she was so similar to Yeonhwa that it was confusing. Her clear, clean skin without makeup, her peach-colored lips that were shiny even without makeup, her hair that was just combed without a fancy hairpin, everything about Yoon So-won seemed to overlap with Yeonhwa. It was as if Yeonhwa was saying, “Why can’t you recognize me?”
"Your Majesty... How can you not recognize the girl? Have you already forgotten her..?"
Heon stroked Seolhwa's head and expressed his pain in an affectionate voice as if he were talking to Yeonhwa.
"No, I still can't forget you... If only you could just stay alive somewhere... Just stay alive..."
"Does my concubine resemble that woman a lot? Do you miss that woman that much...?"
"Well, there's no way you're that kid... That kid's dead."
"Did that person change his fate..?"
"It's strange how you're different from other women... How can I think of other women through you and not feel bad or jealous..."
"Your Majesty's eyes are filled with sadness... But how could I, a concubine, complain and say I am sad..."
"Now tell me. Didn't you say you would tell me when you got to my residence?"
"Don't try to forget that woman, just remember her."
"Didn't you say you would help me forget that kid?"
"I have never said that I will make you forget him, but that I will make you suffer without him."
"Huh? They said it was different, but..."
"Isn't the reason Your Majesty is suffering because Your Majesty is trying to forget but cannot? So don't try to forget, but remember."
"When I think about that woman, I miss her so much... I feel sorry for not being able to protect her... All those feelings turn into sadness and break me down, so how can I remember her when I can't forget her?"
"If you try to forget, you will think about the time when that woman hurt you. But if you love that woman, you will understand why that woman had to do that. In the end, won't you only feel sorry?"
"....."
"So just remember. Accept the fact that you will never see that woman again and leave the happy memories you had with her as memories."
"Remember the happy times with that woman and forget the pain..."
"You will naturally forget the pain and instead, when you think of that woman, your mind will be at peace and unwavering."
"I think I know why the court lady wanted you to be the next queen."
"I have no regrets or attachment to the position of the queen, so you do not need to worry."
"Okay... Then now, Yoon So-won, answer."
"Yes? If you have any questions, I will answer."
"Who is the man you remember?"
"A man who remembers... I have become Your Majesty's woman, so how could I dare to have feelings for another man?"
"You said Jim's eyes were filled with sadness."
"Yes, that's right."
"When you looked into the eyes of the widow, I also saw your eyes filled with longing..."
"....Was there longing in the eyes of the concubine?"
"It's okay, just tell me."
"....."
Seol-hwa, who had been bowing her head and saying nothing, began to tremble, and then finally, "thud", tears fell.
"Ha.... I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'll just step outside for a moment."
Seolhwa came out of her quarters and finally burst into tears in front of Heon-ui.
"Heh, sob... sob sob... sob"
The soft hands and warm body that wrapped around Seol-hwa's trembling body... It was Heon. Heon hugged Seol-hwa tightly until her crying stopped.
.
.
.
After Seolhwa's crying stopped
"The night wind is cold... Are you embarrassed to show your tears in front of me?"
"That's not it"
"Then why did you cry outside to avoid the fruit?"
"I didn't want to get caught in my abyss..."
"I didn't get caught... It wasn't the abyss that caught you, it was the truth."
"Your Majesty, forget it, whether it be hell or sincerity."
"Stop trying to hide it and tell me how much you miss me."
"Your Majesty.... The stars are more visible today because the moonlight is not bright."
"I see, but why the stars all of a sudden..."
"You were the first person to show me the stars, when I thought there was only the sun and the moon. You were the one who brightened up the darkness of my new life with stars."
"You are a grateful person"
"You said that the concubine resembled that woman? Your Majesty, you resemble her too. For a moment, you could mistake her..."
"You too, remember. Didn't I do that to you? Don't try to forget, remember."
"No... I must not forget. It must be painful. I am not qualified to remember him."
"Then it will be painful every time you look at the luggage.... There's nothing you can do. From now on, when you look at the luggage, think of something other than that person."
"What are you talking about?"
"This"
Heon kissed Seolhwa. Seolhwa also closed her eyes gently. The two of them were feeling the ecstasy they had felt on the mountain 11 years ago when they had seen the stars. Even the moonlight was hiding its light so that it could focus only on the two of them. There was a moon that was losing its light beyond the wall... It was Seohwa.
"Yoon So-won really resembles the woman named Yeon-hwa."
"Your Majesty, you must punish Yoon So-won for making a mistake in the date of the queen's annexation."
"Isn't it the royal order? His Majesty is now seeing a woman named Yeonhwa through Yun So-won... Yun So-won is merely a substitute for that woman."
"Hello Mama"
"Stop it. No matter how much Yoon So-won flies and crawls with His Majesty's favor on her back, she is still just a concubine."
"There have been more than one or two instances where the concubines, who enjoyed His Majesty's favor, controlled the order of the royal family and caused chaos."
"There was also a deposed queen named Yun who was so jealous of such concubines that she left fingernail marks on the dragon's face and was driven out..."
"....."
"What will change if I get angry and speculate? Isn't that why I'm here, just waiting and producing atoms?"
"If Mama produces only atoms, no one will dare to take Mama's place."
"So now let's go back to the palace... I'm afraid I'll end up resenting Your Majesty."
Baek Woon was watching Seo Hwa's lonely back as he returned.
"It will go beyond resentment and end in hatred.... Both Your Majesty and Yoon So-won."
The next day
Heon woke up in a different place than usual
"This is...."
"This is the concubine's residence."
"no way...."
"Don't worry. His Majesty has been drinking too much and has simply laid down in the concubine's quarters."
"Ah... I see."
"Your Majesty, you don't have to feel sorry for that lady. Since that kiss, Your Majesty hasn't touched a single hair on my concubine."
"I feel sorry for you"
"The original purpose was to ease Your Majesty's pain, so you don't have to feel sorry to me."
"still..."
"I told you to prepare a table for breakfast, so eat breakfast and go.
majesty"
"What about Yoon So-won?"
"I must go and pay my respects to the Queen."
"The royal laws are bothering you."
Inside the palace
"Is nanny Yoon So-won here yet?"
"Yes... I think he will come after His Majesty wakes up."
"His Majesty must have woken up a long time ago, but since that incident, even during His Highness the Crown Prince's time, he has never been able to sleep soundly."
"Mama Yoon So-won, Mama, you ate it."
"Come in"
"I send my regards to Her Majesty the Queen Dowager Yun So-won."
"Raise your head"
"Yes, mama"
"Did you enjoy your stay with us last night, Your Majesty?"
"I'm sorry. I'm ashamed to face you, Mama."
"That won't be the case... Even if His Majesty were to enter the Gyo Tae Jeon, would he have offered his body to me?"
"Now Your Majesty will cease suffering and Your Majesty will be able to hold the unborn child who will one day become the King."
"Are you saying that you have eliminated His Majesty's suffering that all the years she was the Crown Princess and the years she was not in the palace could not solve?"
"You may miss me, but you won't be in pain anymore. Soon you will forget about missing me."
"How... rude!"
"Yeah?"
"It is a longing that has pierced through Your Majesty's bones and a deep-rooted love since the days when Your Majesty was the crown prince! You only served Your Majesty for one night! And yet, you are saying that you have cut off the longing and love that has lingered for so many years?"
"Ah, that's it!"
"It is said that the time that you and His Majesty have spent together as a couple is short, but you ignore me just because you invited His Majesty for one night, and you act as if you know everything, which is very presumptuous."
"Mama, are you ignoring me? That's absolutely not true!"
"As the queen, it is my absolute duty to maintain discipline in the inner court! I hereby demote the rank of So-won, the 4th rank concubine of the Yun clan, to Suk-won, the 4th rank concubine! Will you follow this order?"
"How can I disobey the will of my Majesty the Queen? I will obey your command, Majesty."
The rumor that the queen had demoted Yun So-won to Suk-won out of anger at his rudeness spread quickly in the small palace and soon reached Hwon during the morning court. As soon as the court was over, Hwon headed to the queen's palace.
"Your Majesty the Queen has arrived."
"Please eat"
"If I had known that Your Majesty would come to the Queen's Palace so quickly upon hearing the news of Yun Suk-won's demotion, even on the day of our annexation... From now on, on the day of my annexation with my concubine, I will have Yun Suk-won do my laundry instead of just washing my hands."
"Try to hide your words, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty should have been more careful with your actions! Your Majesty's failure to meet with my concubine last night has caused my concubine's authority to fall to the ground."
"The King never allowed the date of the union with the Queen to be set in the first place!"
"So! You had a union with Yun Suk-won that you didn't even have with the queen concubine, Shin Cheop?"
"You, the queen, know best that such a thing would not happen! And restore Yun So-won's rank to its proper place!
"It is a matter of the internal affairs, and is not of concern to Your Majesty!"
