"Now Yeonhwa, you are Sowol's replacement...."
"Oh, Father... Please, put away the sword... put away the sword..."
"Answer me!!! Will Sowol live her life in place of that woman?"
"Yeah? Dad..."
"Are you going to listen to me? Answer me quickly!!!!"
"I will do so... So please put away your sword..."
Yeonhwa was so nervous that she lost consciousness and collapsed. After witnessing the deaths of the slaves who had shared her food and shelter, Yeon, who had been far away, ran to see Yeonhwa collapse.
"Miss! Miss! Come to your senses! Miss!"
"You rascal! Were you hiding? If you were hiding, you wouldn't have come out at all. Did you come out because you wanted to die?"
"Your Majesty, how could I wish for you to live... But please allow me to assist you as you continue to live as a bright moon."
"You're a young lady who will live like the bright moon... You seem to be quick-witted even at your age."
"I will never allow my daughter to follow the same path as Miss Sowol... Your Majesty, please give me a chance, even if it is something insignificant."
"You will be held accountable at the end of the year."
"Yes, I will keep that in mind."
"Take Yeonhwa in."
Yeon lifted Yeonhwa, who had collapsed helplessly, and carried her to her quarters. After changing her clothes and tucking her into her bedding, Yeonhwa watched over her with utmost care until Hyuk returned. By sunset, Hyuk would undoubtedly return, his sword stained with blood.
It's always been like this... Miss Sowol protected Miss Yeonhwa from the Grand Master, and Young Master Hyuk tried to protect Miss Sowol from the Grand Master...
"Yeonhwa! Are you okay!?"
"Your Majesty, are you here? The young lady seemed very surprised and went to bed early to calm down. She is gradually regaining her composure, so you can stop worrying."
"I feel much more at ease when you're with me."
"Your Majesty... did you protect him?"
"I can't guarantee Sowol's safety... but no one will report Sowol's whereabouts to Father today."
As expected, Hyuk checked Yeonhwa's condition as soon as he returned home. Blood was on the sword he was holding... His face was filled with worry. He said no one would report Miss Sowol's whereabouts, so the blood on that sword must belong to the Grand Master's men... Those chasing Miss Sowol have been killed, so now the fate of Miss Sowol and Master Lee Seon rests with them...
The next day, Yeonhwa woke up early in the morning. With a face devoid of life, she immediately went to find Yeon.
"Yes, Miss, are you looking for me?"
"Sister! What about Brother? Brother Hyuk!"
"You are safe... Forget Miss Sowol. She has no sisters. The Great-Grandmother has one son and one daughter, and now you are her adopted daughter.
"What's that... I'm an adopted daughter and what about my older sister... It's not one son and one daughter, it's one son and two daughters..."
"That was certainly the case until a day ago, but that's no longer the case. As of today, you have changed from my biological daughter to my adopted daughter, and Miss Sowol is no longer in this world."
"Yes, from today onwards, you are my adopted daughter. Your name is no longer Yeonhwa, but Seolhwa. Seolhwa, the flower that blooms vigorously even in the snow. And your last name, Yeoni, will also be renamed Seol."
"father..."
"Stop it~ Seolhwa, I don't need your thoughts or opinions! From now on, you will unconditionally obey what I say. First, cut ties with the man you meet on the first, fifteenth, and last days of every month."
"That won't do, Father... How can you tell me to break off a love that grew so deep overnight?"
"How long do you think it will take me to find that man? A few days? A day? No, I can find him in less than half a day. If I don't cut ties with that man, it will be he, not Seolhwa, who will get hurt."
"A, he did nothing wrong, Father..."
"It's a sin to keep in touch with you. What happened to those who insisted on our connection? Perhaps that man, Seon, from that year, Sowol, has become food for crows by now..."
"Yeah, Sister... How did you... How did Father"
"Do you think it'll be any different for you? If you don't give up, that guy will be the one who gets hurt."
"I'll cut it off... but please give me time. It's been three years, not a short period of time, so cutting it off will take time..."
"I'll have to give you time to say goodbye... a month. You can go out every day for a month, regardless of whether it's the first day, the full moon, or the last day of the month. However, if you can't break it off after a month, you'll have to pay a price."
"Yes, I will do that..."
With the Grand Master gone, Miss Seolhwa, no longer Yeonhwa, calmly prepared to leave. Her expression remained unmoving. She seemed better than I expected... I thought she was fine... But then I realized it when she was packing up her silver sword. Ah... It wasn't just that she was fine. The young lady had barely managed to hold onto her sanity, but she had lost it.
"Miss? Put it down... That's dangerous."
"Why...? Even if it's dangerous, why would it only be that human...?"
The tip of the hand that Miss Sulhwa pointed was directed at the Great Gam-mama.
And the girl's eyes lost focus
"Give me that... It's dangerous, miss."
"Yeah, this is too dangerous. It'll hurt too much to cut it with this... Your sword would be much better."
"Why is your sword... cut off, young lady? Why is it cut off?"
"What's the point of cutting the strings?... There's only one way to cut the strings: either kill Seok-Kwon, or I die... Since I can't end the young master's life... I have no choice but to cut my own lifeline with my own hands..."
"Stop it! Yun Yeon-hwa!"
"Your Majesty... Huh! Really... Tsk tsk tsk... You said you'd protect me! You said you'd protect me! What did you protect? What on earth did you do during that long day yesterday?! Huh?! I asked what you did!!!!"
"Yeonhwa, calm down... Please don't do this to yourself."
"N, let go! Let go! Let go of my hands!!! Don't touch me!!!! Kill me, kill me, please take my life, please!!!!"
The young lady's eyes returned to focus at the young master's voice and gaze, and her briefly lost consciousness returned, but her appearance of complete loss of reason was just like the screams she had suffered years ago on the eve of the household's great-grandmother's death. How could the lives of the women in this household be so tragic... Our poor young lady..."
"Ahhh! Let go of me!!! Just let me die... Please!!!"
"Don't be like this to me! Even my mother... and Sowol left me, so how can you leave me too! How can my brother live! How can you, Yeonhwa, leave me too..."
"Don't you miss your sister, Brother?"
"Sowol had a request... She asked me to protect Yeonhwa... But it seems she won't be able to keep that last promise either."
"How could I inflict the sorrow of losing my family on my brother, who has already lost his mother and sister?"
"That guy named Seok-kwon...? He said he promised to marry me..."
"Father said he would kill you. If you don't cut ties with him, not me, he will kill you, Seok-kwon..."
"I don't need even a month... I'll tell you today that the young master already has a fiancée and we can't continue our relationship."
"I'm sorry, Yeonhwa... I couldn't protect you or Sowol because I was weak."
"Brother, I now have a goal. I will have that power... The immense power to protect you, my sister, and you, my lord... I want to have the power that my father possesses."
"Yeonhwa..."
"Snow...flower...a flower blooming vigorously in the snow... Yes, I will grow as you wish, Father. Please look forward to it."
As the sun set, Lady Yeonhwa went to the same spot she always met and waited for Master Seok-kwon. She had the same face and the same behavior as usual.
"Yeonhwa"
"master..."
"You're making a ring with flowers again today."
"Yes, that's right."
"What happened? Your face is full of worry..."
"Please extend your hand, my lord."
On Seok-kwon's finger, Yeon-hwa put a ring made of interwoven flower stems.
"Your Majesty, this is my last gift to you."
"This is the last gift?"
"I have a fiancée in my family, and we will be getting married within this month. I am sorry that I will not be able to see you anymore."
"You promised to marry me, so how could you leave like this! Didn't you promise to stay by my side forever? Did I do something to upset you?"
"No, it's entirely my fault, so please don't feel guilty, Young Master... I'm sorry. From now on, please don't come here or to my house anymore..."
Seok-kwon, unable to hold on to Yeon-hwa's determined expression as she turned away, grabbed her servant Yeon's collar.
"I... Yeon-ah"
"Didn't you hear what the young lady said? Didn't you say that your family had a fiancée?"
"Is there no way to go against it?"
"No, there isn't. And please don't come to my house anymore. If you call the young lady out without reason, you'll probably have no choice but to leave this world."
Unable to believe Yeonhwa's words, Seok-kwon visited Yeonhwa's house every night, kneeling before Hyuk, Yeonhwa's older brother, begging to see her just once. Seeing her so heartbreaking, Hyuk even tried to persuade Yeonhwa to meet him just once. Yeonhwa, already too ashamed to show her pale face, refused. It wasn't until two weeks later that she finally met Seok-kwon.
"Didn't I tell you not to come here anymore?"
"Why are you so pale... Is there something wrong with you..."
"Your Majesty, why is your concubine ruining herself like this... I have come to see you for the last time to say goodbye. I know it is shameless, but will you grant my last request?"
"Anything..."
"Forget it. Forget all memories of you. Stop setting foot in this house. If your body drifts away, so will your heart. If your heart drifts away, someday, all memories of you will be forgotten without a trace. And finally, please take care of yourself, meet another woman, and be happy."
"How can I be happy if I meet another woman other than Yeonhwa? How can I hope for happiness without you?"
"Please listen to my last request."
"Someday, after a long, long time, we will finally meet... I will wait for you. Three times a month, on the first day, the full moon, and the last day of the month, I will wait for you at the place where we always met."
"Don't wait, we won't meet again..."
Yeonhwa coldly turned away from the wailing Seok-kwon and decisively severed all ties with him. It was the only way to protect him from his father.
But Seok-kwon waited for Yeon-hwa every day at that same time and place. After hearing that Hyuk's attempts to stop him were futile, Yeon-hwa was forced to resort to a last resort to protect him.
"Brother... Please give this letter to him."
"What is this..."
"This is a will."
"This is something that should not be done... Why do you want to cause such great sorrow?"
"If your father finds out, you will die... Tell him this letter and that the girl is dead... Since she is a married woman, tell him that her grave is on her husband's land and you don't know where it is."
"Is there really no other way?"
"Yes, Yeonhwa is already dead. Now only Seolhwa remains."
Finally, after seeing Yeonhwa's will, Seok-kwon stopped walking. And Yeonhwa, too, was able to ease her worries.
"Please live on, resenting me for causing such great sorrow to you, my lord..."
11 years later
Seok-kwon = Lee Heon = 26 years old
Yun Yeon-hwa = Yun Seol-hwa = 24 years old
Yeonhwa is
3 years to overcome sadness
3 years to recover health
I lived for five years, changing from a lotus flower to a fairy tale.
Seok-kwon, Yeon-hwa, and Yeon-hwa's older brother Hyuk were all grown adults, but everything, including their height and face, had changed significantly.
Ten years ago, the day before Seok-kwon was to be united with the Crown Princess, a fire broke out in the villa. The Crown Princess's body was never found, but it was assumed she had burned to death. Now, eleven years later, after Seok-kwon became king, the country has been looking for a woman to fill the vacant position of Queen.
"Snow Flower"
"Yes, Father."
"Maybe the court lady in Daejeon will come to see you tomorrow."
"You must be coming to see the woman who will sit as queen."
"Yes, now you will be the queen."
"My father is the Left State Councillor and my older brother is the Minister of War. What family could be better than mine?"
"The court lady is the last to judge, so you must answer her questions wisely. Do you understand?"
"Yes... but it's a little scary."
"What do you mean?"
"This is the villa that my father set on fire. Can you guarantee that he won't set it on fire this time? Am I the one who will be burned to death this time?"
"You're going too far! Why would I, your father, kill you?"
"It's a joke. How can you be so angry over such a trivial joke... You won't be able to kill me, since I will now be your father's authority."
"Perhaps... is it still because of that young master? It will be forgotten after a long season."
"No, I can't forget. I will forever remember the last time we met. I will live according to my father's will, but my father will never see the girl smiling again.
"I will never be happy again..."
Seolhwa went outside alone and went to the place where she had once met Seok-kwon. Although Seok-kwon was gone, she felt both excited and apologetic toward the young master. She saw an elderly woman loitering around the area, so she spoke to her.
"Grandma, how did you know about this place? It's a remote place, so not many people know about it."
"What a pretty young lady... Now that she's older, her memory is fading, and she's lost her way..."
"Where do you live?"
"It's not home, but my grandfather passed away a long time ago, so I have to go to his grave... Where is it? There's a tree that blooms all year round, right? The mountain with that tree."
"Where is the tree that blooms all year round... Oh, no way... Grandma, I'm not sure, but I remember a place. Would you like to go there?"
"Okay, if that's what our young lady was thinking, she's probably much smarter than this old lady."
As soon as I heard my grandmother's words, I remembered the mountain Seok-kwon had told me about. I already thought it was strange that there was a grave nearby, but I figured it was probably the one my grandmother was looking for, so I went to the mountain with her.
"Yes, yes, this is our grandfather's grave! Thank you, young lady."
"No, the mountain path here is dangerous, so I'll stay nearby. Call me when you come down later."
"Oh my, you have a kind heart... But it's okay. Even if my mind wanders, my legs are strong. I can go alone."
"Are you sure you're okay, sir?"
"It's okay, it's okay, but my young lady has a pretty heart, so I should give her a present. Give me your hand."
"Your hand...? Here..."
"I have a bit of this magic... Our young lady... has a noble destiny. She will become a very great woman. She will probably become the moon. But she wants to live as a flower, so she kicks away that fortune!"
"It's not a noble destiny, it's a strange destiny..."
"Whenever you're feeling down, open that door over there and go in and look at the night view. It's so pretty~ The flower petals are fluttering."
"How does Grandma know this place?"
"I've been here before with my son... I think I only know one girl here~"
"Ah... I guess it's strange that I'm the only one who knows about such a beautiful place..."
"Take this ring, young lady. This will connect us."
"No, it's okay, Grandma."
"I don't need it, girl. And remember, a connection made in heaven cannot be broken even if you want to."
After hearing only incomprehensible words, I returned home and placed the ring my grandmother had given me in my jewelry box. It was a night when I was particularly reminded of Master Seok-kwon.
At that time, Baek Woon, a bodyguard, spoke to Heon, who was taking a night walk in the palace, looking up at the sky because he couldn't sleep.
"Your Majesty, your face is filled with worry."
"Today is the anniversary of my mother's death... I miss my mother..."
"majesty..."
"The more I think of you, the more I miss that woman... You really do resemble me... I thought you were a gift your mother left for you."
"Do you still miss me..."
"I miss you... You can see me from the sky, but I can't see you..."
