Chapter 7

Sookbi (5)

– Whoosh! Thud!

The arrow flew and embedded itself in the center of the target.

Several arrows were lodged in the center, and not a single arrow was outside the target, making it nearly a perfect shot.

"Her Majesty Sookbi has overcome her long illness and risen from her bed, so it is said."

Hyundang, the chief of the Jujak Palace, reported with his sleeves pressed together and his head bowed.

Although the inner palace has several chambers, the Jujak Palace is the only place where a training ground for swordsmanship and archery is set up.

It was unnatural for such a place to be in the inner palace, which is meant for women, but considering the owner of the chamber, it was not so strange.

"That is indeed welcome news."

The Queen Consort Inha-yeon straightened her bow and brushed off the end of her splendidly embroidered palace attire.

With one sleeve lowered from the act of drawing the bow, it looked as if a butterfly's wings were folded.

Queen Consort Inha-yeon was skilled in both swordsmanship and archery.

She was a lady from the Jeongseon In family, one of the most powerful families in Cheongdo, and was the first to be selected as a Queen Consort among the four Crown Princesses. At the time, she was eighteen, six years older than Crown Prince Hyunwon, but no one in the main palace questioned this fact.

She is the only daughter of In Sunrok, the most trusted confidant of Emperor Yunseong and the Chief Secretary.

She was a person of deep popularity and broad-mindedness, to the extent that it would not be strange for her to be in the position of a Heavenly Maiden. If not for the current owner of Cheonryongchae, Ahhyeon, she would have been the one to command the world as a Heavenly Maiden.

It might be an impious statement, but it was a common tale among the maids who were impressed by the Queen Consort's character.

Her fiery red hair and eyes seemed to reveal both beauty and a strong spirit.

Though her build was slight compared to sturdy warriors, her posture, standing straight and proud, exuded a dignity that even men could not treat lightly.

If the owner of the Cheongryong Palace, the Sookbi, needed a clear mind and a thoughtful heart, then the owner of the Jujak Palace, the Queen Consort, needed a bravery like burning flames.

However, frivolity often follows such bravery. For a Crown Princess, who is the flower of the palace, such frivolity is a flaw.

A person who burns like a flame but exudes dignity without frivolity is the one who fits the position of a Queen Consort, and such people are not common in the world.

Thus, it was perhaps inevitable that Queen Consort In would be in her current position.

Despite being only nineteen, having just celebrated her birthday, she already exuded the dignity of a mature sage.

"I should send a gift to the Sookbi. Overcoming a long illness is indeed a cause for celebration."

With the assistance of the maids, Queen Consort In changed her clothes.

After finishing her morning archery practice, it was time to enter the central chamber of the Jujak Palace and check on the maids.

As she left the archery training ground, letting the autumn morning air fill her lungs, she exhaled deeply.

"It's cold!" she remarked briefly, and then, noting that the mornings and evenings had become much cooler, she instructed the chief to ensure the maids wore thicker clothing.

"Also, I hear that the selection process for the Deokbi will soon be over."

"Oh, is that so!"

Two of the four palaces in the inner palace still lacked their owners.

The Sookbi of the Cheongryong Palace and the Queen Consort In of the Jujak Palace were selected relatively quickly. However, the day when the owners of the Baekho Palace and the Hyeonmu Palace would be decided seemed far off.

The Sookbi Jin, though a good person at first glance, was still young and had been seriously ill, making it difficult for her to communicate with the Queen Consort.

"Surely, the Deokbi will be a kind and virtuous person. There will be much for her to learn."

"Should we prepare a gift to give her before she enters the inner palace?"

"Yes, that would be good. However, first, we should send a gift to the Sookbi who has overcome her illness. What would be a good gift?"

Hyundang, the chief of the Jujak Palace, is a person who handles matters decisively and clearly, a character that mirrors his master, the Queen Consort.

"The Heart Guarding Mirror in the Jujak Palace's storage would be good. It is a mirror stand with a pine tree carved on it, symbolizing a wish for health."

"Yes, let's do that. It's fortunate, as there hasn't been much to celebrate lately."

"…However, there is something else I must report."

Suddenly, the chief's expression turned grim. Queen Consort In tilted her head, asking what it was.

"…I heard that a warrior greatly contributed to the Sookbi's recovery. Without this warrior, the Sookbi's condition might have been uncertain, as the maids of the Cheongryong Palace have been saying."

"Hmm, truly a benefactor. As someone who is also part of this inner palace, I should express my gratitude to this person."

"However…"

The chief hesitated, struggling to continue.

"This person is a novice warrior of the Baekseon Palace, and I heard they are from the Huayong Xue family."

"…Huayong Xue?"

The clear and cool voice of Queen Consort In, which had been graceful, dropped low with her gaze.

"…"

Was it because of the cold autumn morning breeze?

The sudden chill in the atmosphere made the maids swallow hard.

Huayong Xue.

The name of the rebellious family that killed Queen Consort In's uncle.

*

"I admit it. No matter what, the salt porridge was too much."

"Taepyeong, please. I don't want to kill you."

It had been quite some time since he visited the Cheongryong Palace.

After reporting the situation to the Elder of Baekseon and returning to his daily routine, it had been a few weeks.

Most of the wounds on his body had healed, leaving only a slight scar on his thigh.

During this time, he obtained a salt called Cheonhwa from the kitchen, which was responsible for the meals of the inner palace.

It was said to be a tribute from a fishing village at the eastern end of Cheongdo, but it did not suit Emperor Yunseong's taste and was discarded. It eventually made its way to the kitchen of the inner palace.

This salt was so high-quality that it took several years to produce just a handful.

Given its quality, shouldn't one experience its "true flavor"?

Mixing it with various spices would ruin its true flavor, so he decided to cook it simply by adding it to the water used to cook the rice. This was the so-called Cheonhwa salt porridge.

When he served this meal, Yeonri's patience seemed to explode. She burst into tears and stormed out of the Baekseon Palace. It took a while to bring her back.

"I never thought you'd go as far as to serve plain rice with water and salt as porridge!"

"Considering the situation, it's understandable, but listen to my explanation, Yeonri! This is called Cheonhwa, which is refined for seven years in the Donghae region…"

"It's just salt…!"

"…You're right."

However, the Elder of the inner palace ate it without complaint and seemed to enjoy it.

At this point, it seemed that even plain rice would be delicious to him. Yeonri, who watched the Elder, had a completely stiff expression.

"By the way, it seems that the Elder of Baekseon is not in the palace today?"

As he asked the Elder about the pickled cabbage and radish he was preparing for Yeonri, who looked upset, the Elder, chewing on the rice, replied.

"He might have gone for a walk on Baeksuk Mountain again. When you visited the Cheongryong Palace, the Elder of Baekseon met with high officials of the main palace… Since then, he has been very busy."

"Since the room is always clean when I clean it, it seems he doesn't come and go at night…"

Yeonri, who takes care of the cleaning of the vast Baekseon Palace alone, would be the first to notice if the Elder had come and gone.

The Elder of Baekseon's whereabouts have been mysterious for a while, but this has made my work easier, so it's not a bad thing.

Maintaining the Baekseon Palace and helping Yeonri with her work, and then going on leave, is all I need to do.

As I thought about today's schedule while eating, a visitor arrived.

"Is anyone here?"

Hoein, the chief of the Cheongryong Palace, came to the Baekseon Palace with a few attendants.

*

The attendants were examining the contents of various bundles placed on the floor.

The attendants' uniforms, embroidered with clouds and lightning, unique to the Cheongryong Palace, looked neat and full of vitality.

Among them, one uniform stood out… It was Seoran's.

Seoran had come out with the chief, saying she wanted to check on us. It was indeed a welcome sight.

"I thought I should take this opportunity to apologize and express my gratitude to both of you."

With that, Hoein bowed deeply.

It was a gesture of gratitude and apology to me and Yeonri. The Elder of the inner palace, who had been watching, opened his eyes wide.

"No, no. The chief of the Cheongryong Palace bowing to mere attendants and novice warriors… The high officials of the main palace would be shocked."

"That's why I came to the Baekseon Palace, where no one is watching."

"But there are still palace rules, you know…"

Hoein shook his head at the Elder's words and slowly raised his face.

It didn't matter to me, but Yeonri still had a sullen expression.

"No matter what, it's not right… If we think about the mistakes we made that day… This level of apology is not enough…"

"Though it's a bit awkward, I've brought some ingredients from the inner chambers of the Cheongryong Palace. Since you have an interest in cooking, I've brought a variety of ingredients so you can try different dishes. Most of them are easy to store, so please use them whenever you have time…"

Before Hoein finished speaking, Yeonri grabbed her hand, her eyes sparkling.

"Can I call you 'sister'?"

"…What?"

"Hoein sister is truly warm-hearted and broad-minded… With a heart as vast as the sea, I must make tonight's dinner a meat pie…"

With a voice full of gratitude, Yeonri picked up one of the bundles of meat pies that the attendants were inspecting.

Yeonri's enthusiastic reaction, which seemed to have many hidden emotions, made Hoein pause for a moment before returning to the main topic.

"The ingredients are a personal gift from our attendants, but the Sookbi has also sent an official gift of gratitude."

"Wow. I don't deserve such gratitude. I'm truly sorry…"

"It's not a grand gift. Just a wooden jewelry box and a letter expressing gratitude."

"…I will accept it with gratitude. It's quite a relief, hehe."

"It's fortunate that the Sookbi's illness has improved."

After the other attendants left, Seoran stayed for a while, sitting on the veranda of the Baekseon Palace, enjoying the breeze.

We often share stories about our situations whenever we have the chance.

"Is there anything particularly difficult about your work in the inner palace?"

"It's actually easier once you get used to it. The Cheonryongchae is always well-maintained, so there's no particularly demanding work. I'm more worried about you, Taepyeong. You keep getting hurt every now and then…"

"But my recovery is fast, so there's no need to worry too much."

I rested my chin in my hand, thinking for a moment, then asked.

"Is there no progress with Jangrae?"

At that, Seoran seemed to jump as if a fire had been lit on her back.

"What do you mean, Taepyeong? Why did Jangrae's name suddenly come up?"

"Since the atmosphere was good, I thought you two might have developed some affection."

"Stop saying that! If you're going to find a partner, you should find yours first! I can handle it, so don't worry!"

That's true. There was no need to worry about Seoran's love life.

Though she is currently a novice attendant, once the story of the Cheonryongyeon family begins, she will be so admired by men that it will be a sight to see…

"Oh, right. Let's open the jewelry box and letter the Sookbi sent. I'm curious about what's inside."

"Sure. I'm not particularly interested in jewelry or accessories, so if you like them, feel free to take a few."

With that, we opened the wooden box sent by the Sookbi. It contained various accessories and hairpins.

"…This is strange. Do they usually give such gifts to a boy…?"

"Indeed. This hairpin looks quite nice. Would you like it?"

"Since it was given to me as a gift of gratitude, would it be right for me to take it?"

"It wasn't given for me to wear. It would be better for the hairpin to find its owner this way. The Sookbi would understand."

Seoran, who had been talking about wanting a flower pendant that women carried for three days and nights, was now shining with excitement at the sight of this hairpin, which had a beautiful crystal butterfly decoration. It was a high-quality item, and even I, a man, found it beautiful… Women would surely be eager to hold it in their hands.

She also gave me a jade butterfly-shaped hairpin and a silk cloth with a qilin embroidery.

Seeing her bright and happy smile, I realized that even this superhuman heroine is still a girl of her age.

"The letter… It's in here."

As I pulled out the silk scroll from the bottom of the wooden box, the atmosphere turned cold due to the strange tension emanating from the scroll.

The beautifully decorated light pink letter was tied with a red silk thread. The embroidery on the side seemed to be done by the Sookbi herself.

The sincerity contained in it… went beyond the level of a simple letter of gratitude.

"Taepyeong… This is…"

"Let's read the content first and then decide…"

When I unfolded the scroll and read the content, it described in detail the scene of me in her bedroom on a moonlit night. The writing was in verse, indicating it was a poem.

It