11 ⚜️🌺 Fallen Wisdom
Seon-in and Court Lady Lim sat by the tree outside the Northern Gate of the palace.
Hye-shik stood on top of the wall to observe them silently. He furrowed his brows before Baek stood beside him.
"What is wrong? Why are you looking at them like that?" Baek questioned.
Hye-shik straightened and bowed.
"Your Majesty… I—I just think that palace maid looks familiar…"
Baek looked down and stared.
"Isn't she a fallen noble daughter from five years ago?"
Hye-shik's eyes widened, and he darted his gaze back at the ladies.
"She's…"
"Southern Minister Lim Chu Hyuk's daughter… she started working in the palace shortly after her father committed suicide before interrogation…" Baek explained.
Hye-shik gasped. Two fallen Joseon ministers' descendants becoming friends? Isn't that suspicious?
Baek gazed at his reaction and noticed his hands trembling with the sword.
"Do not trouble yourself…" Baek ordered calmly. Hye-shik flinched and locked eyes with him. "For they seem like innocent ladies, hoping to live in this world as normally as us…"
Hye-shik bowed as low as possible while his gaze fixated on the ladies under the tree.
Seon-in smiled brightly at Lady Lim and handed her a pink maedeup.
"I found this in the market and thought of you!" Seon-in claimed.
Lady Lim smiled and took it with gratitude.
"Thank you, Seon-in… I missed you."
"I missed you, too! Sorry for leaving without telling you what happened!" Seon-in replied.
Lady Lim chuckled and shook her head.
"The moment you open a book, you forget the time of the day… I'm just glad that you're safe," she stated.
Seon-in laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head. Yeah… maybe that's why I got caught—by His Majesty. She took a deep breath and stared at the lake nearby. She leaned her head against Lady Lim's shoulder.
"Unnie… are you here to find out the truth?" she asked suddenly.
Lady Lim's face turned pale. She gulped loudly as her hands trembled.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Have you been sending secret information to get closer to the truth—?"
"Seon-in Ah, stay away from it… go back home," Lady Lim interrupted. She stood and turned away.
Seon-in bit her lower lip and grabbed Lady Lim's wrist.
"Why?! You'll get hurt!"
"I'll be fine… I am not so fragile as you think—"
"But you have no one watching your back in there! You don't understand the danger in the palace—"
"I understand it very well… Seon-in Ah," she replied. They both paused. Lady Lim looked at Seon-in with a bitter smile. "But I can't accept that my father committed suicide. He would never leave us behind if he had never done anything wrong…"
"Unnie…"
"Someone used my father as a scapegoat, and… I want to find out who that person is…" she declared. She clenched her fists. "Even if that's His Majesty…"
"But… what happens if you couldn't find the truth and you… got hurt?" Seon-in cried.
Even though he couldn't hear a single word, Baek's chest tightened at the sight of her tears. She's crying? What are they talking about to make her cry?
Lady Lim pulled Seon-in in and hugged her tightly.
"My little Seon-in… your grandfather taught my father everything we needed to understand in life. I'm grateful that your grandfather showed us love and wisdom despite everyone else shunning him… I will never forget that," she stated. She kissed Seon-in's forehead. "Now… go home because… the palace is a dangerous place for someone as stubborn as you."
Seon-in sniffed and shook her head.
"Unnie…"
Lady Lim wiped her tears and beamed happily despite being sad for everyone.
"Let's meet here tomorrow. I have something to give you… okay?" Lady Lim changed the topic.
Seon-in frowned, pushing her away.
"You can't just make me cry and then tell me that you have a gift for me…" she pouted, rubbing her nose. She inhaled, then exhaled. "You're so mean, Unnie…"
Lady Lim chuckled and patted her head.
"I'm sorry, Seon-in Ah… but once I entered, there's no going back. But us… I will always love you."
Seon-in nodded and hugged Lady Lim tightly.
"Before the gong…"
"Before," Lady Lim repeated with a gentle smile.
Seon-in giggled and followed her inside the palace. After that, Lady Lim returned to her position to continue her work, while Seon-in entered the Forbidden Library. A new tray of meals had been delivered. She walked to the seat and sat down—
"Welcome back," Baek greeted.
"Argh!" Seon-in jolted out of the chair, looking at him with horror. Her heart raced rapidly while she attempted to steady her breath. "Your Majesty… how long have you been there?"
"Me? The whole time."
Seon-in placed her hand on her chest, fanning herself from her burning embarrassment.
"I… I see…" she replied solemnly.
Baek paused, closing the book in his hand. He hurried to her side and placed his hand on the table.
"What worries you, Lady Park?"
Seon-in sighed heavily and loudly.
"I… Your Majesty, if you have a friend who lives in a dangerous place but has people who care about that friend, would you urgently tell your friend to leave for your friend's safety?" she asked, losing composure about whom she's talking to.
Baek pondered. A friend living in a dangerous place? Is she calling the palace a dangerous place? He smiled.
"Why would your friend live in a dangerous place?"
"Not my friend… imagine your friend. And it's because your friend wants to find justice—!" she stopped. She covered her mouth. "Never mind… forget what I said—"
He pulled her hand away from her mouth.
"What? I didn't hear you clearly," he teased.
She blushed and stared at his eyes.
"I said never mind!" she yelled. Her ears burned, and she turned her head away. "I… I have to leave early tomorrow… I don't know anything about the note yet…"
"Yet?" Baek echoed, furrowing his brows.
"Yes…"
"Then what do you know about the note?"
She stared at him, holding her breath.
"That… the person who wrote it seems like a good person?"
"How can you judge a person based on the note? What if… the note is false, hoping that I fail in my duty so someone would take over?"
"What! No, the person would never!" Seon-in blurted. She sucked her lips inward and frowned. Calm down… just keep pretending. "Why would you think that, Your Majesty—?"
"Why do you think that the person would never?"
"Because we don't know…"
"And you don't know… so why are you jumping into the boat that this person has good morals?" he questioned.
She chuckled nervously, shaking her arms and stretching them.
"Well, Your Majesty… I still need time to… you know, find out more."
"But it seems like you found something—"
"I haven't! I… just hung out with my friend. That's all," Seon-in argued.
Baek's eyes widened before he laughed. She looked at him with confusion, averting her gaze. He then grabbed her chin, pulling her face forward. She gasped, holding her breath as she kept her eyes away.
"Then hang out with me… too," he replied, his voice softer than any other moment he had spoken to her.
Seon-in's gaze moved to his face, her mind battling with composure. I'm going crazy. Is His Majesty teasing me right now? No—he can't be… Her lips parted a little.
Baek stared at her, then he glanced at her lips with a burning sensation of devouring those small lips of hers. He leaned closer, tilting his head as he pulled—
"Your Majesty…" Hye-shik's voice called out from behind the door.
Seon-in and Baek paused, pushing each other away. Both of them flushed. She clutched her fabric tightly, sweating, while he covered his mouth, mortified that he had almost crossed the line.
Hye-shik entered the room without looking ahead until he closed the doors behind him. He looked at them, confused.
"Is… everything alright, Your Majesty?"
"My… my apologies for my rudeness from last time…" Seon-in blurted, standing and bowing. Then she closed her eyes. "I—I need to go somewhere now! Farewell, Your Majesty!"
She hurried out of the room, brushing past Hye-shik. He looked at Baek with confusion, and Baek muffled his laughter with his hand pressed against his face.
She sprinted out of the palace as if she had just fled prison. She turned her head back each moment to check if anyone was following her. I can't believe my face was so close to His Majesty! I need to escape!
As she was running, Seonu walked by and noticed her. His eyes squinted, and he observed her.
"Who is she? I have never seen such a red camelia like her…" he grinned with his thumb rubbing his lower lip.