Chapter 77: Troubled Times Part 1

It was only natural that no one could enter the Crown Prince’s palace without being thoroughly checked.

Recently, there had been an assassination attempt centered around the Black Moon Unit, which had led to even tighter security.

Only those of a certain rank among the warriors of the Red Palace could enter the Crown Prince’s palace as escorts, and even maids could not go near it unless they were at least of a senior maid rank.

Maid Seol Ran had been appointed to the position of a special attendant maid who could directly serve Crown Prince Hyeon Won in the Crown Prince’s palace.

Even older senior maids considered it a dream position. It offered a high salary, light duties, and the opportunity to easily form connections with high-ranking individuals, making it an easy path to success.

If a maid who had just become a senior maid were to be appointed as the Crown Prince’s special attendant maid, she would inevitably be met with a lot of jealousy and envy.

As a girl who hailed from the Huayongseol clan, this was a fact that made her an easy target for criticism, so her reputation around here was not very good, but Seol Ran was not one to be intimidated by such things.

However, sitting alone in the magnificent residence prepared for the maids of the Crown Prince’s palace, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

From the Heavenly Dragon Hall to the Great Prison Hall, and now I’ve even come to the Crown Prince’s palace… truly, no one knows what life will bring…

She was sitting quietly in a clean and pretty maid’s uniform as she started to reflect on her life.

Seol Ran now had quite a few maids to manage, and she also had the duty to properly assist Crown Prince Hyeon Won, who frequently visited the Crown Prince’s palace.

It was truly a blessing to be under the protection of Crown Prince Hyeon Won, but Seol Ran felt quite complicated about it.

“This is very different from what I imagined…”

The reason she was assigned to the Crown Prince’s palace by the order of Crown Prince Hyeon Won was because she was highly praised for her loyalty during the recent Black Moon incident when she protected the Crown Prince to the end.

However, no matter how loyal she was, wasn’t it too excessive to appoint a new senior maid as a special attendant maid of the Crown Prince?

Seol Ran had her doubts about this, but after working for a few days, she easily understood the reason.

“I think His Highness the Crown Prince will be arriving at the palace a bit early this afternoon. Should we start cleaning in advance?”

The maids came in a line and bowed their heads as they spoke to Seol Ran.

When she looked at them, they all seemed graceful and full of vitality. It felt like only those who appeared very capable were gathered here.

Seol Ran nodded her head and led them while thinking with her head bowed.

His Highness the Crown Prince has no definite allies.

To him, the enormous Cheongdo Palace felt like a prison.

From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning to the moment he closed them at night…. every person he met approached him with calculation and self-interest.

Every gaze he received was like that. This place was full of people wondering if they could manipulate Crown Prince Hyeon Won to their advantage.

His life was spent reading scriptures, learning how to become the Emperor, and doing some physical training.

From the moment he woke up until he watched the setting sun.

He wondered who was friend and who was foe. He didn’t even know whom to trust in this Cheongdo Palace where everyone seemed to want to use him.

For Crown Prince Hyeon Won, the presence of someone he could trust was incredibly rare.

Maid Seol Ran had been the one who stayed by his side until the end of the chaos caused by the Black Moon Unit incident.

Crown Prince Hyeon Won… had no one else who embodied such genuine loyalty, which was why he brought Seol Ran to the position of special attendant maid in the Crown Prince’s palace.

…How sad.

After she led the maids to their tasks, Seol Ran found herself looking up at the sky for some reason.

A lonely life with no allies must be exhausting and tiring.

Nevertheless, Crown Prince Hyeon Won always lived the same way with the same expression on his face.

Some might see Crown Prince Hyeon Won as a very strong person.

But Seol Ran could not agree with that opinion.

“I heard that the Inbong clan placed five people in the Hwalseong District which is currently managed by Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong.”

“Yes. It’s a bit regrettable that we even gave him inspector Ha Si Hwa, but in reality, it’s as good as having Bright Moon General taken over by the Inbong clan, so it’s a great gain.”

“I can’t believe it. The man who never accepted even the smallest bribe, how could he decide to align himself with the Inbong clan?”

The head of the clan Ha Gang Seok smiled with satisfaction as he looked at Ha Wol.

He probably didn’t have high expectations either. Just being able to establish a connection with Bright Moon General through Ha Wol would already be a considerable gain.

But they actually hit the jackpot.

In this Cheongdo Palace, where it’s rare for a new high-ranking official to appear, and even when they do, they are usually already affiliated with someone, they actually managed to bring in someone who was likely to become a future general-level official into their clan’s power.

While getting a third rank official might not seem significant at the moment, it would make a huge difference in five years.

“Ha Wol-ah, your contribution is truly great this time. Having a talent like you in the Inbong clan is a tremendous blessing for us.”

Watching Ha Gang Seok sit in the guest room of the main palace and praise the White Princess until his mouth was dry, it was hard for her to believe that he was the same cold-hearted person she had always known.

The White Princess had never seen the clan head smile so contentedly in her life.

I’m being recognized…

In truth, the White Princess had already risen to an irreplaceable position within the Inbong clan.

Having ascended to the position of the mistress of the White Tiger Palace, her mere presence contributed immensely to the Inbong clan.

Moreover, she had recruited the promising Bright Moon General and brought him into the fold, which gave her a voice nearly as influential as that of the famous fourth consort Ha Chae Rim in her prime.

“In the long run, Bright Moon General won’t be able to ignore the Inbong clan’s opinions. All his advisors and close aides are Inbong clan people.”

The White Princess smiled at this. She felt satisfied with her growing authority.

However…

Yet, the White Princess was a keen observer.

There was no way Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong had accepted the Inbong clan’s people without any thought.

The White Princess still did not fully understand the Bright Moon General’s true intentions. Achieving success without knowing the other party’s mind was only a half victory.

Of course, the head of the clan was no stranger to politics so he was not oblivious to this point.

“It’s good that things are going well, but we must constantly watch what that man is thinking.”

Soon after, the head of the clan wiped the smile from his face and spoke quietly to the White Princess.

His gaze had turned considerably colder.

“Until we can fully control Bright Moon General, never let your guard down.”

His eyes were cold to the point of being icy.

The White Princess had watched those eyes of the clan head Ha Gang Seok for what felt like an eternity since her childhood.

The slaves he had chased away, the aides who had been used and abandoned, the enemies who had been killed by his schemes… they all screamed in despair before the cold gaze of Ha Gang Seok.

He probably even saw the White Princess as a mere tool. When her value was exhausted, he would be ready to discard her at any moment.

She no longer felt hurt by such things at this point.

She had lived her life judging others with the same cold eyes.

Despite the achievement of bringing in the Bright Moon General in just one night, she wondered if she was still nothing more than a piece on the chessboard.

After all, they shared the same blood.

She saw her life where she had never once considered them family, and it suddenly felt cold…

It seemed that recent events had made her lax.

The next day, the state of the crown princess consorts sitting in the tea gathering at the Azure Dragon Palace did not look very good.

News travels fast inside Cheongdo Palace.

The news that Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong had been recruited by the Inbong clan had already spread throughout the inner palace.

The Black Princess who had somewhat sorted out her feelings about Seol Tae Pyeong seemed somewhat relaxed, but the Azure Princess and the Vermilion Princess wore very complicated expressions on their faces.

The Azure Princess who had an unusually strong obsession with Seol Tae Pyeong did not look pleased, and the Vermilion Princess who was entangled in the power struggle with the Inbong clan also had a complicated expression on her face.

When the White Princess entered the tea room, all three crown princess consorts focused their gazes on her.

…It wasn’t unexpected, but still…

In this ruthless political landscape, she had essentially become a partner with Bright Moon General Seol Tae Pyeong.

In politics, whom you trust and whom you suspect can greatly alter the future. Joining hands in such a place was quite important.

Most of all, Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon wanted to ask why he had brought in the Inbong clan’s people over the Jeongseon clan’s people.

However, this was not during his apprentice days. Ordering the Bright Moon General who had risen to a lower third rank position around at her whim wouldn’t be possible.

“The White Princess looks to be in good spirits today.”

The White Princess sat at the tea table and inspected the tea brought by the maid.

…Inferior quality, it seems.

She subtly sniffed the aroma of the tea served by the Azure Dragon Palace’s maid and noticed that the other princess consorts’ tea was clearly of a different quality.

The Azure Princess was subtly mocking her.

Despite her remarkable abilities in every aspect, the Azure Princess turned childish like a girl her age whenever Seol Tae Pyeong was involved, which was very tiring to deal with.

The White Princess quietly sipped her tea as if she knew nothing.

Yes, it made sense now why there had rarely been a time in history when the mistresses of the four palaces got along well.

With things like this, it was impossible for them to get along.

In such situations, the White Princess was the type to confront things head-on rather than feeling intimidated.

“I’ve had many good things happen to me recently.”

When the White Princess put down her teacup with a big smile, the Azure Princess puffed out her cheeks.

It’s suffocating…!

The Black Princess was sweating nervously as she observed the expressions of the others. Usually, at this point, the Vermilion Princess would change the topic to diffuse the situation.

The Black Princess was ready to back up whatever the Vermilion Princess would say next. She was hoping that she would quickly resolve the situation.

However… the Vermilion Princess’s next words were completely different from the Black Princess’s expectations.

“The White Princess seems to be very interested in the power struggles of the court.”

“…Huh?”

“It has been said that the proper conduct of the mistresses of the four palaces is to keep oneself pure, study poetry and calligraphy, and constantly refine oneself. Is it fitting for a mistress of one of the four great palaces to be swayed by secular ambitions and power?”

The atmosphere in the tea room instantly turned cold.

The coldness was so severe that even the Azure Princess who usually behaved recklessly widened her eyes and swallowed dryly.

“Huh? What are you saying…”

“I am merely stating the truth, White Princess.”

…Cold.

What kind of person was the Vermilion Princess?

She was always the one at the center of these tea gatherings; she observed and helped mediate among the other princess consorts. Since she held the most authoritative position among them.

She was so perfect in every way that one couldn’t find a single flaw in her. This made her seem like the most perfect woman to ever grace the mortal world.

She was like the arch-rival of White Princess Ha Wol, but in truth, it was only Ha Wol who saw her as a rival; she didn’t even consider Ha Wol a worthy opponent.

The White Princess harbored envy and jealousy, and tried her best, but could never reach her; no matter what she did, she couldn’t stain her reputation.

“It is indeed important to work tirelessly for one’s family, but isn’t it inappropriate for the mistress of one of the four great palaces to go out of her way to recruit the Bright Moon General?”

No matter what she said, she always considered the other person’s intentions first and was always considerate.

Even when harsh words were necessary, she always maintained her dignity by speaking indirectly. Wasn’t she the Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon?

However, the Vermilion Princess had a valid reason.

As the owner of the Golden Hairpin, and as the most authoritative princess consort, she had the right to express her disapproval of Ha Wol’s actions which deviated from her duties.

But… was that really the only reason for the Vermilion Princess to speak that way?

Although In Ha Yeon was lofty and aloof like a being above the clouds…

The White Princess who had lived her life crawling in the dirty mud could easily read the root of those emotions.

“That… is not proper, White Princess.”

It was jealousy.

Vermilion Princess In Ha Yeon was jealous of her.

She, who once seemed like a fairy floating among the clouds, was now shrouded in the ugly and dirty emotions of human jealousy.

Seeing her like this made the White Princess’s heart start to beat faster.

Eventually, the corners of her mouth lifted and a strange sense of joy began to flicker in the eyes the of White Princess.

“As expected. When I followed your advice, things seemed to go smoothly. I benefited a lot. I’ll bring some good liquor to your place next time.”

After everything was settled, I sat with Wang Han in the pavilion and we enjoyed some simple refreshments.

I visited Wang Han to express my gratitude for his help.

“Hmm… yes. There are some parts that I don’t like though…”

“Part you didn’t like?”

“When you worked at the White Immortal Palace, didn’t you suffer a lot dealing with the other princess consorts? I’m saying some of those issues are still there.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. The Black Princess seemed to have given up on me, the Azure Princess can now make sound judgments, and the Vermilion Princess is mature enough.”

I picked up a few pieces of yakgwa (confection) before I chewed and swallowed them with a chuckle.

“And as for the White Princess … you know her better than anyone. She has a strong obsession with power, so she would even sell her heart if needed to climb higher. In that aspect, she’s rather trustworthy.”

“You are right about that… but human desires are always unpredictable. The need for recognition, feelings of inferiority, and obsession with success… when these things intertwine together, a person can spiral out of control. You must never forget that.”

Wang Han who was resting his chin on his hand fell into deep thought for a moment.

“If things go wrong… an even worse hell than at the White Immortal Palace might actually happen…”

Wang Han said this with a stern expression on his face.

That expression, as if he were a prophet who had seen the future… it was so cold that it made me feel uneasy.

“Well, anyway, I’m sure you’ll handle it well. By the way, there’s a rumor going around among the officials of the Ministry of Justice … have you heard it?”

“Rumor?”

From this point, Wang Han spoke with a rather stiff expression. This pointed to the gravity of the matter.

“They say that in the Anhyang region east of Cheongdo… a higher demonic spirit has appeared. The courier informed us this morning.”

“…What?”

A higher demonic spirit.

As soon as that name came from his mouth, my expression also hardened.