Surviving the Romance Fantasy

As you know very well, due to my status as a prisoner of White Tiger Palace, it is not easy for me to meet you freely.

However, I always remembered your loyalty, believing in me and helping me until the end when the Queen of Heaven tried to slander me. It always bothered me that I couldn’t say thank you even once.

When everyone in the world doubted me and my death was on the verge of death, it would be difficult for you to guess how grateful I was for you who believed in the truth and became my strength until the end.

Even back then, I praised your merits several times, but I still often felt like checking on your well-being. So, I always wondered whether I should invite you to the White Tiger Palace.

Since I knew how vast you were, I wasn’t all that surprised to see you rise in the world so quickly. On the contrary, I was happy as if it was my own work, and I would laugh when I looked at the tips of the plum blossom branches outside the window. Because you were a person who had to see the light.

Seol unmanned.

From now on, I hope you will listen to what I say without misunderstanding.

Your personality is excellent, as if you have received the teachings of the Emperor, and your qualities as a warrior are as if a martial god had arrived on earth. You are truly a master general with all the qualities of wisdom and virtue.

However, one day I realized something. I was not looking at you with satisfaction as a capable military officer.

When you look up at the night sky alone on a beautiful, breezy night, sometimes your face overlaps the round moon.

Or, when a vase with a nice scent comes as a gift, I feel like I want to smell that scent with you for no reason.

When you eat delicious food, when you get high-quality silk, when you get beautifully embroidered, depending on the day…

I remember your face in vain, and suddenly I feel like a thorn has formed in my heart. It feels as if your face is engraved on my eyelids.

Then, the memories of the time you recited your confession to me come back again… and I feel even more dizzy.

I feel like I was mean back then when I treated him so coldly. This is the first time I’ve felt this way about myself.

I know. As the owner of the White Tiger Palace, I am bound by many things.

However, how can a person’s heart move according to reason?

However, this feeling must always be kept within me, so it is a secret that has no benefit in revealing it.

However, only to you… I hope this feeling is not considered dishonest.

It may be nothing more than a foolish woman’s useless wish, but I hope that at least you will not consider this a burden.

What to call this heart will be different for each person… but at least I have decided what to call this heart.

Even as I write this letter, hesitation and hesitation seem to torment me.

I know very well that informing you of this fact is nothing but an act of suffocating myself.

However, there are some things in life that you just can’t get through without doing. So, I would like you to answer as well.

Are these feelings that I have for you a lie to you?

Or is it really possible for you to accept my accusations like this with joy?

I wanted to ask that, so I spent a few nights rummaging in bed to sort out my confused mind.

I suppressed my frustrated heart and wiped away the tears that were forming for no reason over and over again.

I had to shake my pounding heart again and again.

Please, I hope you will give me an answer to my confession.

Next day, when the moon is waning, I will leave the maids in the main house of the White Tiger Palace.

If you were in the position of an internal inspector, it wouldn’t be that difficult to hide.

Please, I wish you could comfort my helpless heart…

I want to see your face.

I miss you so much.

summer

—–

“Seol Daein. My complexion is bad. “What’s going on?”

Hyeongwoljang’s office.

Seol Taepyeong put down the silk scroll filled with sincerity and bowed his head for a moment with a bloodshot face.

His adjutant Bicheon was worried and asked about his condition, but there was no answer.

Did you say that the political scene at Cheongdo Palace is ultimately a series of battles? Ha Deok-bi is a fox-like person who has endured there for a long time.

Yes. Whatever it is, the strongest weapon that Deokbi Ha has is her status as the crown princess herself.

You can’t fight Seol Taepyeong with half-hearted determination.

If you’re rushing to capture someone as high as Hyeongwoljang, you need the courage to risk even your own life…!

The big move that Seol Taepyeong threw at Ha Deok-bi was a big move that caught the flow and returned it.

Confess and get scolded——the art of beating back.

“….”

Seol Taiping was in a daze!

I do well when I have time (3)

“Oh, my brother-in-law. “It’s nice to see each other for the first time in a while, even though both of us are busy and hectic.”

“What kind of formality are you showing when you don’t even have eyes to see?”

“Birds hear what you say during the day, and rats hear what you say at night, so there is nothing wrong with being careful about how you behave in everything. “Tsk tsk.”

It is very reassuring to know that there is a long-standing Bungwoo inside Cheongdo Palace.

In particular, after becoming a high-ranking official, you have no choice but to pay attention to political conditions no matter who you meet, and in times like this, meeting people you have known since your lowly days is often of great emotional help.

When I came to my brother-in-law’s building to meet an old friend, the secretary, wearing a uniform that looked quite sophisticated, greeted me with a happy face.

I heard that he caught the attention of high-ranking officials and became a member of his brother-in-law, but I had no idea that he would even become chief secretary directly under the magistrate. It was definitely a speed of success worthy of someone from Baekseon Palace.

There were widespread rumors that the people whom Baekseon Lee Cheol-woon had his sights on would become something in the future, but it seems they were not just rumors.

“So, Taepyeong. “I guess he had some business to do since he personally walked over to my brother-in-law during a busy time.”

Han, who was sorting out the books filled with all kinds of rulings, looked at me and stood up, dusting off his clothes.

“Yes, Han… It’s nice to see you after a long time, but…”

“…”

“You… why did you lose so much weight…?”

Wang Han, a close friend whom I hadn’t seen in a long time… was cut in half.

“…”

“What happened?”

I almost didn’t recognize it at all.

Among the six departments, the section known to be the most arduous is the section for punishment.

My main job was to make decisions on judicial matters inside and outside the palace, and just working as a clerk there for about two years was enough to cut me in half.

Secretary Wang Han was a pretty, chubby, and familiar figure until he was in Baekseon Palace… but suddenly he became a sleek male figure and was striking the hearts of many women.

It seemed that she was already famous among her brother-in-law’s maids.

“Han…”

“…I ended up like this because I slept four hours a day and worked all day.”

After a long time, we came out of the palace, sat in the pavilion, and exchanged a drink. It reminded me of the Baekseon Palace days and I felt very happy.

“Labor makes people impoverished…”

“What kind of place is Daejoint Hyeongbu…”

“No matter what happens, avoid your brother-in-law… It’s the worst place to work…”

Still, it seems like he has achieved success by being recognized for his skills, but he doesn’t look that happy.

“I have to live with this mess for at least 10 more years to become a Panther… but I think my body will die before then. “We have to find a way.”

“Okay, cheer up…”

“But, Taepyeong, why do you come and go to the main palace when you hold the position of chief of the royal court? “There is nothing good about dealing with hard-headed civil servants for a long time.”

“Han came here because he needed some help. “Anyway, out of all the people I know, you are the one who has the keenest insight into the power structure inside and outside the palace, and you are also quite good at strategizing.”

I feel like nothing will work out if I just rely on Princess Ahyeon’s strategies to solve the problem.

So, first of all, I went to Han, who can be said to be the smartest person I know.

“We need some personnel to handle internal affairs in the active room, and I was thinking that Han would like to have you sit there if possible.”

“Hmm… I appreciate the offer, but since I am a man with ambitions to take my brother-in-law’s position as a magistrate, I have no intention of becoming an internal affairs officer in my family’s town.”

It’s typical of Han to coolly decline my offer.

As expected of Bung-woo, whom I have known for nearly 10 years, he had no hesitation in rejecting me, and I also easily accepted Han-i’s rejection.

“Still… I can recommend useful talent. “I figured it out when I was working in the department, but there are many people inside Cheongdo Palace who are still low in rank compared to their skills.”

“Are there any talented people that I can hire? If you are a person with a certain level of rank, you often have someone else working behind you. That’s why recruiting talent is so difficult.”

“Well… the person you want would be someone who is smart enough to handle all the administrative tasks and internal affairs of the town even if he just stays still…”

For a moment, Han placed his drinking glass on the wooden table in the pavilion and tapped the tip, lost in thought.

Secretary Wang Han is a person who carries in his head all the character relationships of all kinds of high-ranking officials within the Cheongdo Palace.

The memory was so specific that he knew all the people from the lowest positions in the various departments under the 6th Department.

It means that no matter what happens, this is the guy who will become it.

“This is a woman named Hashi-hwa, the inspector general of the study, and she is a 6th rank official in charge of inspecting and managing the houses built in each room of the imperial capital. From what I’ve seen, he is a person who has the talent to rise to the rank of party boss if given the opportunity. “He is good at strategy and has a clear sense of self-interest.”

“Is there any possibility of inclusion?”

“Well, that’s fine. Taepyeong, you have a knack for attracting people, but you won’t be an easy person to deal with. “The sealer is a person.”

Sealing.

I’ve heard that family’s name several times.

Han probably thought I knew something about them, but he still raised his glass to his lips as if he wanted to point things out.

“The people from Seal Haga would normally be perfect as advisors. He is quick-witted, has a wide perspective, and is quick to understand and calculate calculations. But most of them are very ambitious, so they are not easy to handle, and if you let your guard down, they will eat you.”

“…”

“The man at the top, Ha Kang-seok, is the same as Deokbi Ha-wol, who is currently the owner of Baekho Palace… Everyone knows him well, right?”

Wang Han said with a frown on his face as if he was disgusted.

“The people of the Jeongseon family, the most powerful, sometimes discuss the bare minimum of justice and morality, but the people of the Seonbongha family probably have that kind of family atmosphere… In most cases, there is no blood or tears.”

“Okay… just remember the name. And since the sealer said he was a person, I have some other things to discuss…”

After saying that, I took out the silk scroll that came from the White Tiger Palace and showed it to Han.

In fact, it was considered top secret and should not be shown to anyone, but Han was able to share this much.

“Oh, what… If it’s something to be conveyed in such a high-quality scroll, how can it be appointed to an important position?”

Hani’s expression hardened little by little as she opened the scroll with a smile.

After looking around several times, he lowered his voice and asked with puzzled eyes.

“Taepyeong… you… are you still going around beating the crown princes these days… I wonder how many lives you have in your great joints…”

“That’s not it… This is Ha Deokbi’s political chatter…”

“…”

“…Really.”

“Writing a love letter like this…? Are you risking your own life to get a death sentence?”

Han Yi shook his head as if he could not believe it as he read the love letter sent by Ha Deok-bi over and over again.

There is no need to elaborate on the terrible outcome that awaits her if she becomes involved with a military officer outside the concubine.

“Deokbi Howol… He’s not an ordinary person after all… If he’s going to live in politics in the main palace from now on, he’s probably someone he’ll run into at least once…”

“So I came here to get some advice from you, Han.”

“If it’s come this far, you need to calm down a bit…”

Although his name has been heard a lot inside and outside the main palace these days as he has achieved the position of Hyeongwoljang, he cannot challenge the owner of White Tiger Palace with his authority.

“Perhaps Ha Deokbi’s purpose is to entangle you with her love and somehow tie you to the sealing Haga…”

“i think so too. However, I had no idea that the other side would use such a tactic of putting down their pride…”

“Well… I can’t say that there won’t be such political calculations… but I wonder if this love letter is just the result of a political trick…”

“what…?”

Han looked at the contents of the scroll several times.

Some of the content was filled with traces of having been erased and written after a long period of agonizing, and there were many traces of agonizing over what to do with expressions and vocabulary.

“It’s quite a lot of hard work put into it…”

“…”

“…I won’t say something ominous for no reason. First of all, the best thing would be to somehow build an iron wall. “Unless you have the desire to maintain moderate connections with people.”

Han thought for a moment, then nodded and spoke to me.

“I can roughly guess what trick Ha Deokbi will pull. To deal with it properly… you have to play on Ha Deokbi’s head…”

After saying that, he began to tell me his guess in detail.

*

It was a day when the moon in the sky was completely full, making even the night sky feel bright.

Under a sky so bright that even the starlight hides itself in shame, perhaps soon a man will open the back door of the White Tiger Palace and come in.

A tea room with a swaying lantern. All the maids had left the place after receiving orders from Deokbi.

Only the head maid, Ye-rim, was guarding the room beyond the paper door, and if Seol Tae-pyeong came to visit, she would quietly let him go. Even if it were evidence of vice, she would keep it secret.

Deokbi Ha, who was watching the lantern swaying quietly and gracefully, swallowed dry saliva for no reason.

I feel nervous, like a new wife waiting for her first night…

In fact, he wrote a detailed love letter and sent it, but a person of the rank of Hyeongwoljang would have seen through the fact that this was all a political trick.

So, both parties must be well aware that this meeting is not a shameful secret affair.

Nevertheless, I feel nervous without knowing why, and my eyes wander in the air for no reason.

It’s not like I’ve endured a day or two in the Cheongdo Palace political arena, so why am I nervous and swallowing dry saliva over something like this?

Thinking back on his harsh life as a cold-blooded person, he regains his composure.

Today, at this place, I bring Hyeongwoljang Seol Tae-pyeong to the side of Haga for sealing.

I gathered my strength, checked my cold heart again, and straightened my back.

– Grumble

At that time, the paper door of the tea room opened and Hyeongwoljang Seol Taepyeong came in.

Because it happened so suddenly, Ha Deok-bi had to hold his breath for a moment.

“Ha Deokbi.”

Late at night.

Baekho Palace’s tea room.

Is it because of the moonlight coming in behind the open paper door?

A shadow was cast over Seol Taepyeong’s figure in the tea room, making it difficult to see his expression.

– ‘Taepyeong.’

– ‘Those who use sly tricks and try to subtly entangle them… Do you know what kind of natural enemies such snake-like people are?’

“I have received the letter you sent…”

– ‘That’s… people who go as far as they can without looking back.’

“Ha Deokbi…! How…! How could the owner of the heavenly White Tiger Palace harbor such feelings…!”

Seol Tae-pyeong, who was kneeling in the middle of the tea room, spoke with tears of blood in his eyes.

“Stand… stand unmanned…?”

“but…! This man, Seol Tae-pyeong…! It is impossible to ignore Ha Deok-bi’s love letter filled with his passionate heart and ignore it…! Because that too is disloyal!”

Seol Taepyeong lowered his head and spoke in a firm voice.

“A person like Deokbi Ha has shown such undeserved love for me, and for me, who is just a writer, it is an undeserved honor…!”

“Seoul… Seol unmanned…!”

“I think the future will be filled with many trials, but…! How could the rules of the world try to regulate a person’s heart! The human heart is like a precious treasure created by God! “Living without one’s heart because of the gaze of the world may be in accordance with the rules of the Qingdao Palace, but it is against the rules of heaven!”

From Noble mtl dot com

Ha Deok-bi’s pupils began to tremble even more.

From the position of Hyeongwoljang, Ha Deokbi’s love letter with all his effort must have felt like a sharply sharpened blade.

However, there was something Ha Deokbi had not taken into account.

It may be a truly absurd story, but… Seol Taepyeong, the leader of Hyeongwol, has already overcome the fear of death due to the love of the crown princess several times to reach this position…

Putting aside whether it was an ordeal that a person living a normal life could experience, Seol Taepyeong managed to maintain his composure.

Even when Ha Deok-bi used his love as a hostage to negotiate, he had the skill to deal with it somehow…!

“That feeling… I will gladly accept it! Ha Deokbi!”

The basis of water fighting is to never move as your opponent expects.

I thought he would be troubled by Ha Deok-bi’s love affair and struggle to escape somehow… but Seol Tae-pyeong went one step further and opened his arms and came to support Ha Deok-bi’s love with all his heart.

Two carriages running towards a cliff.

The one who pulls the reins and stops the carriage first loses.

If you want to take control of a situation… you have to somehow accept the other person’s reckless behavior.

“Is that so…! Seol, seol unmanned…!”