Chapter 29: Tea Gathering Part 3

(TN: the ranks of the maids or court ladies are apprentice maid, junior maid, senior maid, headmaid. Yeon Ri should be a senior maid and Seol Ran is an apprentice maid.)

If I was asked to name the most popular character in the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story” pinpointing just one would be a difficult task.

However, if I was asked to choose the character who received the most criticism, I could easily decide on one.

It would undoubtedly be White Princess Ha Wol.

Except for being beautiful, she was the worst character in every aspect.

The White Princess received such harsh criticism more than any other character.

In fact, within the story, the White Princess was inevitably the character who was cursed the most.

Most of the scandals and incidents within the harem began with her, and as a materialist who would stoop to any level for power, she long stood as a tough villain in the path of the heroine, Seol Ran.

She disrupted Seol Ran’s path forward, revealed her ugly desires through bribery and deceit, and muddied the waters more than anyone else with her schemes and manipulations.

In short, she was a character who managed to stir a dark cancerous rage in the hearts of the readers, and those who watched the Heavenly Dragon Love Story would get angry and wish that they could get rid of this crazy woman as soon as possible.

The Vermilion Princess, the Azure Princess, and the Black Princess were all relatively rational and composed characters. Indeed, if the inner palace were to be embroiled in constant trouble, a character like the White Princess Ha Wol was necessary.

However, those who watch Heavenly Dragon Love Story do not need to understand such circumstances. No matter how much a character is meant to arouse anger, how can you deal with the dark frustration that boils up inside you while watching it?

She had flowing white hair and reigned as the mistress of the White Tiger Palace. A cunning woman who always hid her true feelings behind a mask in public and tried to bring others down in order to rise higher.

When the Heavenly Dragon Love Story moved towards its climax, she eventually plotted to poison the most authoritative princess, the Vermilion Princess… She was truly a crazy woman.

It was clear to anyone that she was not a character to be involved with in any positive way.

Well, since I haven’t read the entire content of the novel… I couldn’t verify what end she met…

But considering how the story might end, it seemed clear that she must have met a miserable end. It was clear that she was destined to exit the world in a satisfyingly disgraceful manner after having recklessly sown the seeds of her own misfortune.

From the start, White Princess Ha Wol deserved to meet such an end.

No one would pity her.

“It will be over soon.”

After the meeting ended and I left Azure Dragon Palace, the sun was already setting.

As planned, by the time I checked White Tiger Palace, it would already be dark which meant I would have to return to White Immortal Palace. So I would need to schedule another visit to visit the other palaces.

At this point, heading to White Tiger Palace seemed the safest option compared to going to Black Tortoise Palace or Vermilion Bird Palace.

White Princess Ha Wol would do anything to grasp power. She paid little attention to anything else.

It’s unlikely that any significant trouble would arise just because a third-rate warrior entered White Tiger Palace to check a few talismans. That was the kind of person White Princess Ha Wol was.

“What if there is a major issue with the protective charms? Should we wait for the White Immortal himself to come?”

“Yes, that would be best…. Still, it looks like there shouldn’t be any major problems at first glance.”

Headmaid Ye Rim of the White Tiger Palace asked hesitantly. Her voice quivered with anxiety.

She was already worried about demonic spirits these days and this only added to her concerns.

Inspecting White Immortal’s talismans was not a significant issue. Yeon Ri and I could finish it within an hour as we moved swiftly.

“Since White Princess Ha Wol might be inconvenienced, we’ll inspect the talismans quickly and leave as soon as possible.”

The scale of the Four Great Palaces was so vast it made one wonder if they were truly meant for just one person. Among them, White Tiger Palace stood out with its remarkable presence.

After passing through the main gate of the White Tiger Palace, you will come across a large garden surrounded by a flower garden. And if you go along the path leading through the flower garden, you will see the inner gate.

After one of the maids and the two of us passed through the inner gate, the main building of the White Tiger Palace finally came into view. Its size was impressive, of course, and its beautiful exterior hinted that years could have been spent on its construction alone.

Overlooking the well-kept courtyard before entering the main building, one could see more than a dozen structures behind the main building alone. Including the warehouses, training grounds, and living quarters for the maids, the space seemed to expand even further.

The whole structure was about the size of a small rural village. When I thought about it that way, it seemed too much.

However, it was customary in the state of Cheongdo to prepare to this extent to honor a crown princess consort.

The mistress of White Tiger Palace, White Princess Ha Wol, needed to be able to resolve everything without ever leaving if she so desired.

A multitude of maids was necessary to serve her and the internal facilities were extensive. There were good reasons for this.

Of the Four Great Palaces, White Tiger Palace was relatively tidy and elegant. Vermilion Bird Palace and Azure Dragon Palace were so splendid that one might wonder if they were allowed to be like this. But they truly represented the authority of their mistresses through their scale.

Still… somehow, I feel most at ease at the White Tiger Palace.

I muttered to myself silently as Yeon Ri and I inspected the talismans and toured the interior.

“Looking at it, it seems that there are no major issues with the protective charms of the White Tiger Palace.”

“Mhmm, Tae Pyeong, you might have noticed too, but only the Azure Dragon Palace has its protective charms slightly disrupted because of the Azure Princess’s spiritual energy; the other palaces seem to be fine in general.”

“Still, we ought to check just to be sure…”

It was about halfway through our tour of the White Tiger Palace.

Despite carefully examining the talismans attached to the wall ends and large pillars, there were no significant issues.

Yeon Ri and I glanced around quietly.

Until just moments ago, a senior maid had been following us and offering help if needed. However, after observing us work without any problems for over half an hour, she believed all was well and had gone to sweep the garden.

We spoke in hushed tones.

“Looking at the situation just now, things seem more serious than I thought.”

“……”

Yeon Ri whispered to me as she headed towards the other wall where the talismans were attached.

“Listen… keep your distance from me while we’re in the inner palace.”

“What?”

“You, you might not have noticed… but I felt my life was in danger just now.”

Yeon Ri’s expression was grave.

From a senior maid’s perspective, the mere presence of a princess consort could be uncomfortable. Even a private encounter with a chief of staff unexpectedly wouldn’t be this intense.

A senior maid to a princess consort was someone who could be dismissed with just a glance.

“Tae Pyeong-ah, you need to be aware… right now, you are… like a plague, a man who could obliterate the ladies around him just by being there…”

“…When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m doing something terribly wrong.”

“I’d rather just leave you to fend for yourself… but we’re still a family of the White Immortal Palace; I can’t just do that…”

Yeon Ri followed closely behind me while suppressing the tears in her eyes.

“First, after we finish checking the protective charms, we’ll return to the White Immortal Palace and think about the course of action we should take when visiting the Vermilion Bird Palace and the Black Tortoise Palace…”

“While you two have certainly been working hard, Lady White Princess would like to offer you tea. Would you like to have it in the main building’s inner chamber?”

While Yeon Ri was whispering something to me, a maid from the White Tiger Palace approached and asked this.

“…Yes?”

“I realize now I’ve never properly thanked the White Immortal. I wanted to offer tea at least once when he visits the inner palace, but since the White Immortal is so busy, I thought I should at least treat you well, who are under his command.”

The White Princess smiled radiantly. Her demeanor could not be more gracious.

Although she was a woman consumed by true power to the point of madness, her appearance alone would never betray that. If it weren’t for my knowledge of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story, I really wouldn’t have been able to guess what she was like inside.

Anyone seeing her in her flawless court robes, draped with a blue cloth over her shoulders, would inevitably think of a heavenly maiden.

Her elegant white hair flowing down her knees made her look as if she had a cloud surrounding her whole body.

Her sharp yet kindly relaxed gaze could make you feel like confessing your deepest secrets unwittingly; such was her mysterious power.

“This is like me to treating the White Immortal himself, so I hope you will speak kindly to him of me.”

Even in the midst of this, her concern for the palace’s White Immortal revealed her innate tendency to clearly express her respect for the influential figures within the palace. This was exactly how I knew her to be.

“Tha-thank you.”

Of course, it was an overwhelming moment for Yeon Ri and me.

The tea room at the White Tiger Palace was simple compared to the tea gatherings where the princess consorts of the four great palaces gathered together. Still, it appeared infinitely luxurious from the perspective of a commoner.

There, the White Princess sat gracefully with her court robe elegantly draped around her and the tea table before her.

Within the confines of the White Tiger Palace, she was the mistress of all. This fact was attested to by the senior maids standing in a cluster beyond the paper doors.

There was no need to explain that it was an extraordinary event for the mistress of the White Tiger Palace to serve tea to a mere warrior and a maid.

But no one could know the intentions hidden beneath her smiling face.

“Speaking of which, at the last gathering, the Black Princess made quite an effort to reduce your punishment.”

Yeon Ri was about to take a sip of tea, but she seemed to have stopped breathing for a moment and she put the tea cup down again.

Fortunately, it seemed she managed to suppress a hiccup with some kind of superhuman willpower.

“It appears the consorts from the other great palaces owe you a great debt.”

“It’s not such a great debt… I merely offered some personal help to them.”

“Oh? Could you tell me what kind of help that was?”

The White Princess was probing.

What kind of political value did this man called Seol Tae Pyeong have? She was trying to figure out how to use him if he actually did have it.

Though they all spoke evasively with skilled rhetoric, the underlying question was why the mistresses of the four great palaces would concern themselves so deeply with someone who was merely a warrior.

“L-Lady Azure Princess was suffering from a severe illness when I helped with her treatment, and I protected Lady Vermilion Princess from demonic spirits during the parade of demonic spirits at White Immortal Mountain. As for Lady Black Princess… she was searching for someone, and I helped her in that search.”

“Indeed… you do seem quite resourceful.”

Her words seemed to carry an underlying meaning. She was possibly wondering how one could coincidentally bestow favors solely upon the princess consorts.

Given her tendency to view everything through a lens of political gain or loss, she probably suspects that my frequent interactions with the princess consorts have underlying political motives.

“Even so, to say that they owed you enough to speak up at the council meeting and reduce your sentence… that does seem questionable…”

“Well, that is because they are all compassionate people. From the standpoint of a mere third-class warrior like myself, it is something I must be grateful for all my life…”

“Oh, you are truly humble.”

“Not at all…”

The White Princess flashed her typical benevolent smile once more. Just by her appearance, one could never imagine that she held any malicious thoughts inside.

For a moment, the White Princess covered her mouth with the sleeve of her robe and gazed quietly through the window at the garden beyond.

It felt as though she was organizing her thoughts.

The White Princess was quite perceptive, after all.

However, it wasn’t easy for her to come up with the ridiculous idea of three crown princess consorts falling in love with one warrior. The truth of the matter itself sounded impossible.

However, too much information had flowed into the White Princess.

And the unusual behaviors of the other princess consorts that had continuously been exhibited at the tea gatherings.

As she continued to observe the crown princess consorts investing so much energy in a seemingly unremarkable warrior, she harbored suspicions for quite some time.

The look in the eyes of the Azure Princess and the hesitant voice of the Black Princess. The expression of the Vermilion Princess swallowing dryly whenever she had the chance.

Piecing these observations together, she seemed to have reached some sort of conclusion and she smiled subtly as if she had just concocted a certain conclusion.

That smile crafted beneath the folds of her court robe sent a chill through the tea room. It was as if one were looking at a witch who had finished brewing a poison.

Then the White Princess quietly lowered the folds of her robe and spoke.

“Warrior Seol, you look rough yet handsome. Have you ever been troubled by the attentions of many women when you were younger?”

Her sudden praise of my appearance seemed to imply that she had grasped something.

When Yeon Ri heard those words, her face turned pale.

“Huh? No, no…”

“Is that so? Well, you have devoted your life to martial pursuits, so that makes sense.”

The White Princess continued with a smile.

“Yes. You all must have plenty of duties under the White Immortal Palace, and I can’t keep you here forever.”

“……”

“I merely wanted to offer you a cup of tea. You must be busy, so please feel free to leave. I have some things to ponder here in the tea room.”

With that, the White Princess smiled again before scanning the end of her robe.

A chilling cold seemed to emanate from her body and seep into the room.

“Th-Then… we will take our leave first. Thank you very much for the delightful tea.”

Yeon Ri and I stood up and walked out through the folding screen doors that the maids had opened for us.

As the doors were closing, I caught a glimpse of the White Princess alone in the tea room with her head lowered as she wore a sinister smile.

It was then that the White Princess I knew seemed to spring forth.

Yeon Ri’s expression became even more serious when she saw that.

“It seems like the White Princess has figured something out.”

“……”

“Th-This could really be a big problem, Tae Pyeong-ah─”

Could it be a girl’s intuition?

As soon as Yeon Ri returned to the White Immortal Palace, she leaned on the porch and doubled over as if she was going to vomit.

Even to me, the White Princess’s demeanor seemed unusual.

The expression I saw just before the paper door closed was one of certainty. As if she had grasped the weakness of the other crown princess consorts.

Having such a weapon in the White Princess’s hands was too dangerous, especially for someone like her.

“Tae Pyeong-ah… this is a serious situation. Of course, there’s no physical evidence, but if the White Princess starts looking for solid proof, we can’t predict how big this could get…!”

I agreed with that opinion.

The White Princess would do anything to gain more power.

If she found out that the other crown princess consorts had developed feelings for a third-rate warrior like me… anyone could guess what she would do with such information.

At this time, it might have only been a stage of suspicion, but if it progressed to certainty and further, to the point of obtaining some kind of proof…

It wasn’t too far-fetched to imagine that she would dispose of one of them.

Especially since she was wary of the Vermilion Princess… if she saw an opportunity to depose her, she would likely act immediately.

Of course, I who was entangled in this political turmoil could never be safe either.

“The way I see it… it’s not just suspicion but certainty.”

The smile I saw through the paper door. That smile, as if she had roughly figured out the situation, will never leave my memory.

There was no need to even consider Yeon Ri’s intuition. The White Princess looked to be almost certain.

However, a third-rate warrior and a senior maid were not in a position to do much.

“Tae Pyeong-ah…”

Yeon Ri spoke in a low and solemn voice.

“We can’t just sit idly by. We have to find a way to handle this.”

“But… what can we do…?”

“Ugh… right… the other party is none other than the mistress of the White Tiger Palace…”

Yeon Ri looked frustrated and miserable.

“If the White Princess has caught wind of what’s going on… there might really be nothing we can do from our end… maybe nothing at all…”

She then tightly shut her eyes and sighed as if to suppress her pain.

Is this really the end?

“It’s all over…now… Tae Pyeong-ah …”

Was this the end of warrior Seol Tae Pyeong’s extraordinary journey of survival?

Had the desperate struggle of a warrior to stay alive come to its end?

To survive in this romance fantasy novel …!!! Was his story going to end with tears and with a poignant scene at the scaffold with the morning dew reflecting off the executioner’s blade?

Did all my efforts, all my struggles, merely lead to a tragic ending?

“Tae Pyeong-ah.”

At this time, Yeon Ri spoke in a low and solemn voice with her head lowered.

An inexplicable, solemn feeling overflowed from her.

“I… have a good idea…”

“Idea …?”

“Yes, regardless of what happens later, we need to find a way to hold on right now. Even if the chances are slim, we must struggle for it.”

Yeon Ri lifted her head sharply. Her eyes were blazing as she exclaimed.

“You must survive!!! Even now!! Even just a little!! Even if it’s only for a moment longer!!”

“Yeon Ri…!”

“Humans exist to live! So, whatever happens… You must find a way to cling to life a bit longer…! That’s what life is all about…!!!”

“Yo-You’re right…! Those words are true…!”

“If that’s the case… let’s change our way of thinking, Tae Pyeong-ah.”

Yeon Ri gripped my shoulders tightly and spoke with desperation.

“Don’t misunderstand, just listen… Tae Pyeong-ah …”

“What exactly is this so-called good idea…”

Up until now, I had to flee with all my might from the affections of the crown princess consorts to survive.

But if things have come to this point──

“If it has come to this… whether it’s three or four, that doesn’t make much of a difference…”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“Yeon Ri… what… what on earth do…”

I couldn’t even finish asking what she meant.

A train with a broken brake system shouldn’t be forcibly stopped.

Until another alternative is prepared, one must keep running along the tracks. Trying to stop it half-heartedly only leads to more casualties.

Imagine the feelings of a locomotive engineer hurtling down the track without knowing where the final stop will be.

Who can measure the swirling sensation of fear that burns through the skin and the will to live?

Yes. This was the final counterattack of the desperate warrior, Seol Tae Pyeong.

Let’s take it to the end.

(TN: The author here mentioned a Korean K-drama called “A Hard Day”. Or “Take it to the end”. I’m assuming he did. This is the raw name of the movie 끝까지 간다.)

“The reason we have gathered here today is…”

In the front yard of the White Immortal Palace.

With the scribe Wang Han and apprentice court lady Seol Ran sitting side by side, Yeon Ri spoke as she stood on the porch with her arms crossed.

“We must do whatever we can….to save Tae Pyeong…”

The strategy that was eventually announced was called “White Tiger Hunt”.

If up until now we had been fleeing,

This time, we had to go in for the attack.

There wasn’t much time left.

Before the White Princess could become more certain or secure evidence to take other actions, we had to move in some way.

Is this the right thing to do?

Is this really the right decision???

Such overwhelming thoughts… it was time to set them aside for now.

TN: Operation make her fall in love too…?