Chapter 33: Heavenly Dragon Festival Part 4

“I wish to be carried on your back once more…”

The Vermilion Princess spoke in a distant voice with her face close enough to mine.

The Vermilion Princess had completely lost her self-control, and there was not even a trace of her usual spirited appearance. Looking at her flushed face, it was clear that she must have been affected by some drug or incense or something like that.

“Will you grant my request?”

“This…”

With superhuman-like reflexes, I bellowed out loud for the onlookers to hear me.

“Lady Vermilion Princess seems to have been overtaken by the heat! I shall escort her to the tent at once!”

With that, I quickly grabbed the Vermilion Princess’s arm to support her.

“It’d be better… if you held me…”

“Lower your voice, Vermilion Princess.”

She seemed to care little about the surroundings while trying to cling to me. I held on to her tightly.

To the onlookers, the Vermilion Princess looked like she was staggering.

The maids of the Vermilion Bird Palace started running out with pale faces from a distance.

These were maids who valued their mistress more than their own lives. Failing to notice the Vermilion Princess’s bad condition was a grave act of negligence that deserved severe punishment.

However, such charges would have to be addressed later on. For now, the most important matter was to assess the Vermilion Princess’s condition and the maids gathered beneath the stage all wore worried expressions.

As I supported the Vermilion Princess down from the stage, I suddenly gasped for breath.

Until now, we had been far enough away that her true condition hadn’t been obvious, but there was no hiding it once we got closer to the ground.

Especially the maids from the Vermilion Bird Palace would surely realize immediately that something was wrong with their mistress.

But we couldn’t just stay on the stage. Just as I was wondering what to do, headmaid Hyeon Dang of the Vermilion Bird Palace shouted.

“Make way! Warrior Seol will assist the Vermilion Princess to the tent, so clear the area and do not obstruct his path! Deputy headmaid, call for a physician from the main palace at once!”

“Yes, yes!”

“Clear the way! Push the crowd forward!”

After quickly giving instructions to the maids, Hyeon Dang who had rushed up immediately grimaced upon seeing the Vermilion Princess’s condition.

She sniffed a few times and quickly grasped the situation. Sge then reached out to support the Vermilion Princess’s other arm.

I spoke in a low voice.

“Headmaid Hyeon. The Vermilion Princess’s condition is…”

“I think I understand. It could be fire poison that causes fever or spirit poison that clouds the mind. It might also be a seductive incense like seductive fragrance or celestial fragrance, but we will need to observe more to be sure.”

As expected of a headmaid. She seemed well-versed in various poisons.

She guessed immediately that the Vermilion Princess’s condition was likely not caused by a deadly poison.

“…Warrior Seol, be mindful of your breathing.”

“I am.”

“First, after moving to the tent, we’ll closely examine the condition of the Vermilion Princess…”

“Tae Pyeong-ah.”

At that moment, Hyeon Dang was startled by the sudden sound of the Vermilion Princess’s voice and flinched.

“Lady Vermilion Princess?”

“Tae Pyeong, Tae Pyeong-ah. Yes, your name has a very pleasant ring to it. The pronunciation bursts delightfully off the tongue; it truly suits you.”

“…….”

“When I saw the Black Princess calling your name in the tea gathering, I too wanted to call out your name. Now that I have said it myself, it feels quite exhilarating. Tae Pyeong, Tae Pyeong, Seol Tae Pyeong.”

“Lady Vermilion Princess, perhaps it would be better to conserve your words for now.”

I spoke in a voice as faint as if I were standing on the edge of a cliff.

Looking quickly around, it seemed no one had heard Vermilion Princess’s words, but moving her to the tent in this condition might lead directly to my execution.

Hyeon Dang’s expression turned utterly pale as well.

As I pondered what to do, Hyeon Dang suddenly covered the Vermilion Princess’s mouth.

“Mmm, mmph!”

Indeed… These were fitting actions for the resolute headmaid of the Vermilion Bird Palace.

She did not hesitate to cover the mouth of the esteemed Vermilion Princess.

Then when she pulled her hand to press firmly on the Vermilion Princess’s midriff, the latter appeared to be retching with her head lowered.

“We need to quickly move the Vermilion Princess to the tent now!”

Hyeon Dang somehow managed to cover the mouth of the Vermilion Princess who seemed desperate to speak and led us along a path cleared by the maids.

“The condition of the Vermilion Princess is serious! There is a poisonous scent in the surrounding area so evacuate all the maids from the tent and let no one else in!”

Hyeon Dang gave instructions while shouting in a loud voice. The maids who were inside the spacious tent streamed out in response.

As I supported Vermilion Princess and entered the tent, Hyeon Dang followed me and closed all the inner doors behind us.

Once inside the innermost chamber of the large tent, we soon stood in the very place where the Vermilion Princess used to dress herself.

I quickly helped the Vermilion Princess towards the bed situated in the deepest part of the room.

“Headmaid Hyeon!”

“Do-Don’t panic, Warrior Seol. I know what’s happening to a certain extent.”

Clearly, Hyeon Dang had long since noticed something amiss about the feelings of the Vermilion Princess.

However, since the Vermilion Princess herself was managing to control and overcome it, Hyeon Dang considered it a matter that time would resolve.

“The Vermilion Princess’s condition is too strange. It doesn’t seem like a typical poisoning… she appears as if intoxicated by a strong liquor. Be careful not to get affected yourself, Warrior Seol.”

After ensuring the doors were properly secured, Hyeon Dang rolled up her sleeves and fetched some clean water and cloth from a corner of the chamber.

“Even when intoxicated, the Vermilion Princess never loses her composure. It is indeed strange for her to be this disheveled.”

“Do you have any suspicions, Headmaid Hyeon?”

“… It’s not like I have no ideas, but…”

“Tae Pyeong-ah. Is Tae Pyeong here…”

The Vermilion Princess struggled to open her eyes and called out my name.

“Vermilion Princess, you seem to be in poor condition. Please lie down on the bed.”

“My… arm… help me hold it… ugh… erk…”

“I will spread the blanket on the bed now. Here, hold onto the bedside.”

The Vermilion Princess seemed to regain some semblance of her senses.

I quickly moved across the bed before tapping and spreading the blanket. Just as I pulled it tight and finished arranging it, the Vermilion Princess leaned on me before she suddenly pushed and knocked me onto the bed.

“Vermilion Princess…?!”

She pressed firmly near my solar plexus with her slender hand and then she climbed onto my waist while looking down at me. Her cascading hair obscured my surrounding view of the room, making it almost impossible to see the lantern’s light.

Her breathing was heavy and her face flushed.

The body that seemed so sturdy when wielding a sword became infinitely frail when held this close.

It was hard to believe that such a frail body had blocked my heavy sword strikes, one after the other.

It was at that moment when I thought that I had to push her away even at the risk of hurting her that the Vermilion Princess grabbed my collar and lowered her head.

“Uhmm.”

She stole a kiss from my lips without any hesitation.

“Uh…!”

“Ah…”

It was a completely unexpected blow. Hyeon Dang who was quickly rinsing a cloth beside us widened her eyes and gaped.

Everyone in the inner chamber was so shocked that they couldn’t even utter a sound for a brief moment.

Then the Vermilion Princess who let her red hair fall down raised her head and spoke to me.

“When you hold your sword, your eyes are like those of a wild beast… but now, they look like those of a boy of your age.”

“Ve-Vermilion Princess…! Th-This isn’t right…!”

“Why, was it too quick for you?”

She seemed completely intoxicated; her seductive yet reckless giggle made me wonder if this was indeed the usually spirited Vermilion Princess.

No matter how much one has lost their self-control, there are limits to a person’s drive. In this situation, the resolute nature of the Vermilion Princess seemed to act as a poison instead.

She gripped my collar tightly once again and bowed her head.

Although the first had been a sudden “attack”, this time I reacted properly.

I grabbed the Vermilion Princess’s shoulders tightly and rolled to the side, falling beneath the bed.

Since the Vermilion Princess herself could barely control her body, there was a real risk of serious injury if she fell too so I rolled onto the floor beneath her.

“Erk…”

“Warrior Seol! Are you alright?”

I shook myself off her grasp and somehow managed to get to my feet.

The Vermilion Princess who had rolled to the floor with me was also holding onto the bedside and she was staggering as she tried to stand.

Then she looked at me with cloudy eyes. After shaking her head for a while, she eventually asked me.

“How is it? Would you like to hold my shoulders tightly and embrace me? Your arms seem so reliable.”

“Vermilion Princess, you have lost your composure right now.”

“So what if I have? I was merely asking for your opinion.”

Holding tightly to the bedside, she raised her head and asked with cloudy eyes.

“Or, do you hate me…?”

“Vermilion Princess, this is not the time to say such things…”

The Vermilion Princess bowed her head again and spoke with difficulty.

Her voice grew heavier and seemed to weigh down the air around us.

“I just need someone… to cross swords with, to discuss life with…”

“…….”

I was aware that the Vermilion Princess held some degree of favor towards me. However, it was unthinkable that her feelings had developed into such a desperate emotion.

It was clear she had been completely bewitched by some drug.

“If that is the case, as the mistress of Vermilion Bird Palace, I order you to do it. If you disobey, you will be severely punished. I swear by the names of my beloved subjects that I will see to it that you are punished.

“…Huh?”

“Do not…. resist, no matter what I do.”

The Vermilion Princess turned her body towards me while sneezing incessantly.

Her movements were sluggish, yet each step she took was heavy. I could have easily subdued her with my hands but she was Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon, the mistress of Vermilion Bird Palace.

She was a girl lost in delusion, yet mercilessly capable of taking lives. Realizing I should no longer stay in the inner chamber, I shifted my gaze towards the central gate. The rest could be handled by the headmaid of the Vermilion Bird Palace.

Just as I was about to turn and escape through the central gate,

“Please forgive me! I will accept a fitting punishment, Vermilion Princess!”

Swoosh

Hyeon Dang poured clean water, which she had been using to soak a cloth, directly onto the head of the Vermilion Princess.

“Huuuh, aah…! Huuuh!”

The Vermilion Princess who was completely soaked with water sneezed endlessly while holding her hands on the ground.

If she was indeed intoxicated by some incense, it was necessary to continue wiping around her respiratory system with the soaked cloth. However, from the head maid’s point of view, it was impossible to just stand there, wringing out the cloth and watching the situation unfold.

At that moment, dousing her in cold water seemed to be the best way to help her regain her senses.

Hyeon Dang who had rushed over with a dry cloth quickly wiped the Vermilion Princess’s face.

While gently brushing back her tangled hair, Hyeon Dang continuously uttered apologies.

“I’m so, so sorry!”

“Hy-Hyeong Dang-ah… urg… ack…”

“Just take deep breaths in and out! Keep breathing in fresh air!”

After watching Hyeon Dang manage the situation with the Vermilion Princess, I quickly dashed out through the central gate.

“It was truly dangerous. She is now unconscious and recovering on the bed.”

After some time, Hyeon Dang came out of the tent to find me.

she led me out among the anxious faces of the other maids and went behind the tent to sit across from me on a wooden crate. She then spoke with a serious expression on her face.

“So… the situation is…”

“There shouldn’t be any major issues if we consult a physician.”

“Have you identified the cause?”

“It seems she was affected by poison or perhaps an incense. It’s hard to discern the exact type… but it appears to involve herbs that disorient the mind.”

Hyeon Dang leaned on her chin with a worried look on her face and then eventually spoke to me.

“I will take what happened inside the tent to my grave. Do not worry too much, Warrior Seol.”

“…I owe you my life, Headmaid Hyeon.”

“No. If anyone owed a life, it was my mistress and I. Just consider it repaid with this. However…”

Hyeon Dang hesitated for a moment and then firmly continued.

“You should be aware of this. I suspect… it might be the work of the White Princess from the White Tiger Palace.”

“……”

“Was there anything unusual about the sachet hanging from the hilt of the Vermilion Princess’s sword during the incident on the stage?”

Everything had happened so quickly that I was probably the only one close enough to have noticed.

The string of the sachet had come undone on its own, spilling an unidentified powder over the Vermilion Princess’s face.

“…It seems your suspicion might be correct.”

“……”

“So that sachet…”

“This was a gift sent by the White Princess of the White Tiger Palace in appreciation for her ascending to the stage of the Heavenly Dragon Festival.”

No further explanation was necessary.

This entire scheme was orchestrated by the White Princess. The testimony from Hyeon Dang alone was enough to somewhat confirm it.

“……”

I swallowed hard.

Hyeon Dang was completely on my side. If I asked her to testify for me, she would do so at any time.

And so, the White Princess who orchestrated all of this will not be able to escape responsibility.

If the emperor finds out about this, her dismissal would be certain. What’s more, she could even face the death penalty.

“Headmaid Hyeon.”

Then… my role here was simple.

I would be asking her if she could keep this fact a secret. I would just need to explain the situation to the Vermilion Princess. The commotion caused by the fainting on the stage could also simply be dismissed as a momentary bout of heat.

Yes, this was exactly my main goal. To exploit the weakness of the White Princess. With this weakness in my grasp, the White Princess could not openly oppose me.

There was no need anymore to capture her heart or whatever was said before.

I closed my eyes and pondered.

In a way, this might not align with my beliefs.

Turning a blind eye to injustice, clinging to that weakness to manipulate someone at will, left a bad taste in my mouth and wasn’t very pleasant.

However, considering the grave crimes she committed, it is only right to do what must be done for my own survival.

Here, I will conceal the crimes of the White Princess. In exchange, I will use this weakness to control her.

Yes, this had been my objective all along.

“……”

“…What’s the matter, Warrior Seol?”

I found myself deeply lost in thought for a long time with my eyes tightly shut.

A sense of discomfort.

The White Princess I had seen in the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story” was a villain among villains, driven by power to commit all manner of despicable deeds and atrocities.

She was a difficult character to like. And she was quick-witted and sinister which made it difficult to catch her in her schemes.

If left unchecked, she was just the type of villain to throw the palace into chaos. A character without a shred of compassion.

But.

A persistent sense of discomfort kept rising in my heart.

It seemed to endlessly question me, asking if this was really all there was to resolve the situation, if everything was really settled by this.

My blood rushed faster through my brain and started relentlessly refreshing my memories.

The image of the White Princess in my head, sitting demurely and smiling in the White Tiger Palace tea room, overlapped with the scenes I knew from the “Heavenly Dragon Love Story”’.

A fox lurking in the inner palace.

Her cunning intentions, her careful planning, a woman who never showed her tail.

Considering her role in the scenario, anyone could see that she was meant to be a character who would spectacularly fall towards the end, providing the readers with catharsis.

She was a character completed by her splendid downfall. A character that was surely destined for a most miserable end.

However, it seemed quite strange when I thought about it like that.

She was the mistress of the White Tiger Palace; someone who was seated in the position of the White Princess. Her authority ranking was high even within the confines of Cheongdo Palace.

How could Seol Ran, who has not even become the Heavenly Maiden, have been able to condemn her?

How could she have possibly grasped the tail of the cunning and sinister White Princess?

What could have possibly brought about her downfall?

Through what process was she condemned?

I had not read that far, so I couldn’t know.

Yet the rising discomfort spoke to me.

It was strange, and eerily so. The more the image of the White Princess as seen in the Heavenly Dragon Love Story surfaced in my mind, the stranger it felt.

Perhaps delving deeper here was meaningless. Yes, all the issues I had been pondering were resolved.

It might just be enough to achieve my goal with the weakness of the White Princess that I had come to possess as originally planned.

However, something akin to my instinct was whispering to me.

There was… something more…

“Headmaid Hyeong.”

Finally, having finished my thoughts, I spoke in a low voice.

“Something is odd.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you know who the White Princess is? She is someone… who thinks very deeply in these matters.”

I recalled the appearance of the sachet in my memory.

The sachet that fluttered attached to the sword tip of the Vermilion Princess.

“She conducts any scheme so covertly and leaves no trace behind.”

“I-Is that so?”

“But…”

I spoke with my head lowered.

“This… seems too sloppy to be a scheme made directly by the White Princess.”

The essence of the matter often revealed its true form only after peeling back one more layer than one initially thought.

“It’s the rare Heavenly Dragon Festival; why stick around the White Immortal Palace?”

“Ah. Elder. Why have you come out instead of resting more in your inner chamber?”

When the White Immortal Lee Cheol Woon stepped onto the porch of the White Immortal Palace, his scribe Wang Han was so startled that he immediately tried to rise.

Then the White Immortal waved his hand briskly as if to tell him to sit back down.

Wang Han bowed his head deeply once and then settled back on the porch before he started silently watching the sky over the bustling festival grounds.

“The lanterns fly and the fireworks burst, and from here, the view is quite splendid. I am waiting for that moment.”

“Pretending to be romantic, tsk tsk. You’ve gained a lot of weight again. You were quite slim when you first arrived at the White Immortal Palace.”

“Haha… What can I do when Tae Pyeong’s cooking is so good?”

Wang Han sat quietly like that as he drew indistinguishable shapes in the dirt with a twig he had picked up from somewhere.

It seemed to be some large diagram of relationships.

Whenever he had time, Wang Han would sketch out the relationships among the palace personnel and mentally reinforce the overall structure in his mind.

He was very interested in the power dynamics within the palace.

Moreover, he was skilled at reading people’s temperaments and was quick-witted. He had a knack for organizing information, and he had sorted out the characteristics and temperaments of every official of fifth rank or higher within the palace in his head.

The White Immortal had an exceptional eye for people.

He would not accept someone into the White Immortal Palace unless they possessed some extraordinary quality.

Scribe Wang Han’s quality was the eyes to see the whole picture.

“Tae Pyeong, that fellow, has he gotten himself into a life-threatening situation again?”

“…Did you know?”

“It’s obvious just by looking at his face. Little rascal, you should only hide what needs to be hidden.”

“…It’s a tricky situation for the Elder to intervene in, so I kept silent until now…”

“Insolent, very insolent.”

“I apologize.”

Wang Han drew various images on the dirt ground and then he let out a hollow laugh.

“Though there have been many grave situations… Tae Pyeong will somehow survive this Heavenly Dragon Festival as well. As his long-time friend, I assure you, he’s quite the extraordinary fellow.”

“How do you know that?”

“I’d look cooler if I said it’s intuition, but truthfully, there’s a reason behind it.”

“Is that so? Then that’s fine.”

The White Immortal didn’t even bother to ask what the reason was. It was as if he didn’t care.

This man called the White Immortal Elder was unpredictable as ever. Wang Han let out a weary laugh and then flung a branch over the grass.

“Aigoo… As the elder says, since it’s the rare occasion of the Heavenly Dragon Festival, why stick around at the White Immortal Palace? I might as well go to the gambling pits near the Heavenly Dragon Festival later on.”

“Planning to gamble away all your money and come crawling back?”

“I have a good feeling today. I might really win, haha. But…”

Wang Han leaned on the railing and blankly stared up at the sky.

──Drawn on the dirt ground was the organizational chart of the Inbong clan.

From the clan head Ha Gang Seok at the top, down to the Emperor’s fourth wife Ha Chae Rim. Ha Wol the White Princess, Ha Jin Seong the Household Warrior… all the way down to the name of a lowly family retainer.

“Elder White Immortal, have you ever tried gambling?”

“I did a bit when I was younger.”

“When I tried it myself, I realized that if you want to win big money, you inevitably have to place large bets. There comes a moment when you must take a gamble! If you hesitate to bet big at that moment, you’ll never win big. Otherwise, you just get nibbled away until you’re left with nothing.”

“You do go on with your stories.”

“…But really, I will win this time.”

“Talk is cheap, alas.”

Despite the White Immortal’s reproach, Wang Han couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

The White Immortal always responded coldly like this, yet somehow one couldn’t help but grow fond of the old man while living beside him.

The moon continued its climb towards its zenith.

The night of the Heavenly Dragon Festival was deepening.

It was easy to imagine the scenes unfolding with one’s eyes closed.

Consort Ha Chae Rim hiding her expression behind a fan while walking on the main palace floor.

Clan head Ha Gang Seok fawning beside the Emperor.

Household Warrior Ha Jin Seong guarding him.

And the White Princess Ha Wol who was overseeing the festival frantically running around the place.

“Of course, a wise person like you, Elder White Immortal, would quickly see through my enlightenment.”

After saying this, Wang Han spoke in a hushed tone.

“Still, I often think how similar it is, the power games people play with each other, and the gambling at the pits. Even when playing Go or Janggi, you can’t capture all the pieces on the board.”

When he spoke on such topics, Wang Han’s voice always grew heavy.

“Sometimes, it becomes necessary…”

All the White Immortal could see was the silhouette of Wang Han looking up at the night sky.

His silhouette looked lonely. As if he were reflecting on his abandoned past.

“To discard a piece.”

At that moment, the greatest threat to Seol Tae Pyeong’s life was White Princess Ha Wol.

As his long-time friend, Scribe Wang Han could not just stand by and watch his crisis unfold… Yet he sat on the porch of the White Immortal Palace and merely tilted a cup of rice wine in his hands.

As if nothing needed to be done.

The night deepened.

It was the night of the Heavenly Dragon Festival.

TN: Wang Han was the one who put the incense in the sachet?! I am flabbergasted…. But wait, wasn’t this clearly stated to be the plan of the white princess? Am I jumping to conclusions here?