Chapter 47: Heavenly Maiden Part 4

The funeral of the White Immortal was drawing to a close.

The funeral that was led by the old Eunuch was neither overly grand nor excessively simple. It just ended in a balanced manner.

Life’s joys and sorrows always find their way to us in various forms, and it’s something everyone experiences at least once, that the happiness or sadness that seemed to last a lifetime can surprisingly be brushed away.

Living is truly a strange thing.

The celebration that seemed like it would bring eternal joy becomes yesterday’s news after a night’s sleep.

The piercing sadness that seemed to stay in your heart forever also passes when you come to your senses.

Even when you feel like the sky has fallen and you can’t lift your head, the next day’s mealtime comes, and you get hungry, and at night, you feel sleepy.

You clean your room when it’s time to tidy up, and you prepare to go out when it’s time for work.

Our lives have been about brushing off joy and sorrow and moving on.

What meaning is there in holding onto past happiness, and what will change by being overwhelmed with the sadness of the present?

I only thought so while watching the procession of high officials paying their respects at the White Immortal Palace.

Everyone lives this way.

They have lived this way.

“Oh, Ran-noonim.”

Seol Ran visited the White Immortal Palace when the funeral proceedings were nearly complete.

Almost everyone who needed to come had already been there, and by the end of tonight, Wang Han and I planned to clear away all the wreaths.

Yeon Ri who cried all day long was practically useless for any tasks.

Although she usually got along well with the White Immortal Elder, neither I nor Wang Han expected her to grieve this much which surprised us greatly.

Nevertheless, Wang Han quickly pulled himself together and helped a lot with the tasks needed to complete the funeral proceedings.

“It took too long to get permission from the headmaid of the Heavenly Dragon Hall.”

“It’s fine. The White Immortal would understand. Have you finished paying your respects?”

“Yes. I didn’t have much to offer except a few flowers…”

After saying that, Seol Ran looked at my face.

It seemed like she was quite worried about me.

Throughout the White Immortal’s funeral proceedings, people looked at me with concern, but in truth, I wasn’t feeling particularly downcast.

Rather, I talked at length about rice soup with those visiting the White Immortal Palace and often received awkward laughs as they remarked how I hadn’t changed at all.

“You look busy, Tae Pyeong-ah. Is there anything else I can help with?”

“Most of the work is already done. Have a cup of tea before you go, noonim.”

As we sat side by side on the porch of the White Immortal Palace while sipping tea, Seol Ran let out a deep sigh.

“I was so worried you’d be feeling down, Tae Pyeong-ah, but I’m glad you seem to be doing well.”

“Well, of course, I feel something… but I mostly thought it was his time to go. Remembering how he always talked about dying, it didn’t seem like something to make a fuss about.”

Seol Ran, after observing my expression several times, seemed to feel that she could finally let her guard down and relaxed her expression.

For us the Seol siblings, the White Immortal was a great benefactor.

It seemed to be a deep regret for Seol Ran that she couldn’t visit the White Immortal before he passed, so she tried to bring all sorts of condolence gifts, only to be sternly rebuked by the senior maids. It took her a long time to tell that story in detail.

Indeed… knowing Seol Ran’s tendency to overdo things, it was easy to imagine her bringing all sorts of items… I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of how over-the-top she must have been.

“So… I begged the headmaid to let me come and explained how he was a savior to us. She finally allowed me to come…”

“The headmaid of the Heavenly Dragon Hall… I heard she’s very strict with the palace rules… It’s surprising you managed to persuade her today.”

“Well, it turns out that the Heavenly Maiden gave me special permission.”

“The Heavenly Maiden herself?”

“Yes, isn’t it strange? For the Heavenly Maiden to personally concern herself with a maid’s visit…”

It was exactly as she said. It felt as odd as a president personally checking a janitor’s work schedule.

Still, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

… Perhaps the person who felt the most guilt towards the White Immortal was the Heavenly Maiden herself. After all, it was the White Immortal who had suffered the most as she became weaker.

“I heard that the Heavenly Maiden wanted to come to the funeral herself… but I’m not sure if that will actually happen.”

The Heavenly Maiden was said to be in such poor health that she never went outside.

Even the crown princess consorts had only sent their headmaids, so the idea of the Heavenly Maiden coming in person seemed implausible.

Still, it appeared that the Heavenly Maiden wanted to pay her utmost respects to the White Immortal.

“If she intends to come, it would have to be today… or at the latest, early tomorrow morning to pay her respects properly … but it might be too difficult.”

“…Yes, it might be.”

Seol Ran wore a sad expression on her face for a moment, then stared blankly at the night sky.

After slowly organizing her thoughts about the departed White Immortal, she sighed deeply and spoke with a troubled tone.

“What will you do now, Tae Pyeong-ah?”

“……”

“Emperor Woon Sung might be thinking about selecting the next White Immortal, but that’s not something that can be decided in a day or two.”

Seol Ran knew.

The reason I had stayed at the White Immortal Palace until now was to show respect to the White Immortal.

I had stayed by his side until he passed, so I had done everything I could. There was no longer a need for me to stay at the White Immortal Palace.

According to my original plan, I was supposed to leave the Cheongdo Palace and travel the world.

However, there was now a reason I couldn’t do that. Whether I liked it or not, I had to stay in the Cheongdo Palace a bit longer.

So then… what should I do?

“If you want to go to the Red Palace, Jang Rae-nim will give you a position. Tae Pyeong-ah, you know how much of an honor this is for a warrior, right?”

“That is true, but…”

“Also, besides that… I heard from Jang Rae-nim that Woon Baek-nim the commander of the ghost hands is also looking for the same thing …”

In short, it seemed like I had become a free agent on the transfer market after leaving the White Immortal Palace.

Places like the Red Palace which trains first-class warriors, the ghost hands which carry out the Emperor’s orders, and the personal guards of high officials were all eyeing me.

Even though I had just lived by doing my duty, it seemed my reputation had spread around.

“I should think about it after the funeral procedures are over. I also want to ask where the other members of the White Immortal Palace are going.”

“Mhmm. I see you’ve been thinking about the future. I was so worried that you’d be too heartbroken and discouraged.”

“Haha, have you only known me for a day or two? Noonim, just like I’ve said repeatedly… I don’t lament just because an old man left when it was his time. Even though I might have grown fond of that ill-tempered old man, I’m not heartbroken.”

After saying that, I sipped my tea.

The aroma of the tea was always the same, but having a cup after a long time felt surprisingly special.

“However… if there is something that bothers me…”

The night sky of Cheongdo Palace was always beautiful as usual.

The night air is soft and calm. It mixes with the sound of insects and gently tickles my soul.

“I’ve received so much, but haven’t given anything in return.”

“……”

“That is what keeps weighing on my mind…”

When I said that, I lowered my head for a while.

The faint sound of insects echoed on the porch of the White Immortal Palace.

Seol Ran quietly sat beside me and gently embraced my shoulder.

“Oh, Tae Pyeong-ah. Did you finish organizing the funeral arrangements?”

“Yes, let’s take a break.”

The next morning, Wang Han entered the inner chamber after finishing his paperwork.

With this, all the official funeral procedures were completed and all that was left was to decide my future course.

Wang Han probably came to see me because he was curious about such matters.

“I think I’ll be taking a secretary position at the Jeonghwan Palace, which manages the emergency supplies. If I perform well there, I might even secure a higher official position… I enjoy playing the power game, so it’s perfect for me.”

“Is that so…”

“What about you, Tae Pyeong? Are you going to the Red Palace? Success is guaranteed there, but it doesn’t seem to suit your nature…”

“Hmmm… honestly, I’m still considering it.”

Wang Han and I fell into a brief silence as we poured and drank a glass of Cheongju together.

For the time being, I had to stay at Cheongdo Palace, but as someone who preferred to work in less demanding roles, I would probably have a hard time since it seemed that every position would involve a considerable amount of work.

Once the main story of the Heavenly Dragon Love Story began, the situation would change more rapidly than expected, and it didn’t seem beneficial to be overwhelmed with too much work.

According to Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun, I would need to achieve some level of success to ensure my survival…

“Success, huh…”

While I was pondering this, Wang Han spoke up first.

“The old Eunuch has already made all his retirement plans. Once this is all wrapped up, he’s going to retire to Anyang Province to cultivate tea… It’s hard to imagine someone who has served in this palace taking up tea farming in the countryside…”

“Have the high officials of the palace approved this?”

“Yes. I processed the paperwork myself and, given his age, it seems he received approval without much issue.”

He said he would send tea every season, so we should expect that. He was definitely a very affectionate person.

“Tae Pyeong-ah, if you don’t make your plans clear, it’s going to cause a lot of commotion in the palace. From what I’ve heard, there are many officers eager to capture you. It’s not just General Jeong or Commander Woon Baek you need to worry about.”

“What do you think, Han-ah?”

“Well… it’s your decision to make. Just… don’t go near the internal palace. And absolutely do not get involved in any security matters related to the Four Great Palaces…”

“……”

As I’ve explained before…. there are only three reasons a man can enter the internal palace.

If he’s an imperial family member, an eunuch…. or a military officer in charge of security.

“…and Yeon Ri?”

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me and I asked about Yeon Ri’s whereabouts.

In truth, Yeon Ri was someone who wouldn’t seem out of place no matter where she went.

Come to think of it, Yeon Ri had barely shown herself since hearing of the White Immortal’s death.

Despite everything, she was a sentimental person and I’d only heard that she was overcome with grief and was crying all day long.

She walked around the inner chamber from time to time, and only a few times did I see her with her head down while she was sobbing quietly behind the paper doors.

I always saw her confident and energetic appearance, so my feelings grew complicated upon seeing her steeped in sorrow for days on end.

“Come to think of it, we need to check on Yeon Ri’s condition too… She’s not in the inner chamber; where could she have gone…”

“Well, Tae Pyeong-ah, while I was organizing the documents, I checked on Yeon Ri’s whereabouts… It’s quite surprising.”

“Really? Why? Where is she going?”

When I thought about it.

I realized I knew nothing about Yeon Ri’s past.

No matter what, the White Immortal personally sensed her potential, brought her in, and kept her as a family member of the White Immortal Palace.

The old Eunuch had experience, Wang Han had strategy, and I had strength.

For everyone, it was understandable why the White Immortal had taken them in.

But… Yeon Ri felt especially unique.

Anyone could have been brought in as a maid.

Frankly, Yeon Ri was just skillful for her age. If the White Immortal needed a skilled maid, there were many older and more experienced maids within Cheongdo Palace.

What exactly made the White Immortal keep Yeon Ri in the White Immortal Palace? I could understand the others, but that one thing remained a mystery to me. I just accepted it as it was.

Of course, Yeon Ri was a good fellow worker.

She was always strong, cared for me, and helped me find ways to survive whenever the crown princess consorts were involved. As a person, there was no better companion to ask for and the trust between us had been built over time.

At this point, why the White Immortal brought her to the White Immortal Palace wasn’t an important issue anymore.

“Yeon Ri is heading to the Heavenly Dragon Hall.”

However, the White Immortal… he seemed to have an inkling about something…

The fact that I never asked about it… kept bothering me.

The day after the White Immortal’s funeral.

When I entered the inner chamber, Yeon Ri was not there.

All that was left was a small bamboo slip on the table.

– When you see this bamboo slip, take the wooden tablet and come to the Heavenly Dragon Hall.

Next to the bamboo slip lay a wooden tablet about the size of my fist.

The tablet that was intricately carved with a large dragon pattern was actually…. the “Heavenly Dragon Tablet”.

It was then that I realized. It felt like all the scattered puzzle pieces had come together.

The reason Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun never emerged from behind the paper doors.

The reason she never once stood on the Heavenly Dragon Festival’s stage.

The reason she never appeared before people while using her illness as an excuse.

The reason she tore my pants and tied them with a string that had a jade pendant the day the Azure Princess arrived at the palace.

The reason she quietly bowed her head in front of the Vermilion Princess in the White Immortal Palace.

The reason she insisted I join the special unit and go searching for the Black Princess.

The reason she strongly urged me to persuade the White Princess to survive.

The figure of Heavenly Maiden Ah Hyun whom I had only seen as a shadow behind the paper doors, what kind of woman she really was.

I thought she was a frail, gentle, and delicate person as the rumors said, but the reality was──

“………”

– So… tell me… who is this woman that harbors feelings for you?

I still remember how the Heavenly Maiden’s arm trembled as she asked that question from behind the paper doors of the Heavenly Dragon Hall’s inner chamber that day. Her voice, though heavy and strained, was also trembling.

I thought she was struggling to hold herself together due to her illness…

In reality, she was holding back a laugh from bursting out in front of me.

TN: Wooooow…