Blooming even in the mud - Chapter 4

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 4: Blooming Even in the Mud

“…….”
“…….”
And then, there was no conversation. It was not as if either of them was particularly at fault.
Yoo Seo-hwa had never in her life had to scramble for a topic to break a silence, while Gyeong Won-ui was a youth of few words and had held his tongue out of fear that speaking to the princess first might be deemed discourteous.
Above all, because he had never once conversed with a girl his own age, he was utterly at a loss for what to say.
‘I can hardly discuss the martial arts or debate swordsmanship in front of Her Highness.’
Fearing he might make a blunder by bringing up an ill-advised topic, he found himself unable to speak further.
“…….”
As the minutes stretched on with him sitting as blankly as a stone statue, Yoo Seo-hwa’s eyes began to flicker with anxiety.
‘Why is he staying so silent?’
She did not desire flattery praising her renowned fragrance, but the inability to sustain even a scrap of smooth conversation made her anxious.
Though her nervousness had eased when her highly anticipated fiancé arrived, she had already been deeply unsettled from waiting alone for so long.
‘Could it be that the young master does not welcome our marriage?’
Unable to master her rising anxiety, Yoo Seo-hwa was the first to speak.
“I heard you shared such a long and pleasant chat with my imperial father, yet you do not even wish to exchange words with me?”
“T-That is not true, Your Highness.”
Gyeong Won-ui panicked as a suddenly disheartened voice reached his ears.
Even a boy blind to the opposite sex instinctively realized that he needed to carry the conversation somehow. However, unlike when he was answering Emperor Xuanwen’s inquiries, his tongue froze.
‘What sort of topic am I supposed to bring up to a thirteen-year-old girl? What if she becomes even more displeased, thinking I am saying something strange?’
He wanted to bitterly curse his own foolishness for failing to prepare a topic of conversation in advance.
Unable to watch any longer, Court Lady Lee whispered into Yoo Seo-hwa’s ear.
“Your Highness, why don’t you try to initiate the conversation first?”
Faced for the very first time in her life with the task of ‘finding a topic first,’ she pondered for a moment before parting her lips.
“From what I heard from a palace maid earlier, it seems you helped a Saenggaksi?”
Relieved that a topic he could actually answer had finally been raised, Gyeong Won-ui felt a wave of comfort.
“Was she a Saenggaksi of the Princess’s Palace?”
“How exactly did you help her?”
“I merely helped her up and handed her a Silk Handkerchief to bind her wound, so it can hardly be called help.”
Yoo Seo-hwa blinked at his flat, detached response.
Judging by his tone, he seemed to have absolutely no ulterior motives; while it was a relief that he was not a frivolous man, she also felt inexplicably uneasy.
For that very Saenggaksi had been none other than herself.
“She was a child of a similar age to you, Young Master. Did you truly have no other intentions?”
As Gyeong Won-ui pondered the meaning behind this sudden question, she followed up.
“For instance… did you perhaps help her because her figure was so lovely that you reacted without realizing it? I have heard that men are usually that way.”
Gyeong Won-ui did not let his expression slip, even at a question that could be considered rude. He already knew that the princess possessed an unbridled personality.
He merely replied with utmost sincerity.
“How could I harbor wicked thoughts toward a palace maid?”
“What if she were not a palace maid?”
“I am not so shameless as to comment on the figure of a young child who appears even younger than myself.”
‘Oh dear.’
Court Lady Lee swallowed a groan and pressed her hand to her forehead. Yoo Seo-hwa’s voice grew disheartened once more.
“Do you truly mean to say you thought nothing at all? Not even of the child’s beauty?”
“I did not see her.”
Since she had kept her head lowered the entire time out of fear of having her face discovered, Gyeong Won-ui’s answer was only natural. Yet, it was far from natural for the girl who had just been called a ‘young child’ by her own fiancé.
‘Meeting a strange man face-to-face goes against etiquette. But…’
Hesitating, Yoo Seo-hwa rose from her chair and swept the screen aside. She felt as though she could not bear it unless she confirmed things with her own eyes.
“……!”
As the beautifully adorned, lovely girl stepped forward with graceful strides, surprise flickered in Gyeong Won-ui’s eyes.
Though they had been conversing through the screen until just moments ago, he had never imagined they would actually look upon each other’s faces, and he was profoundly startled.
As if proving she had grown up bathed in her father’s absolute love, a spotlessly pure girl stood before him.
Her neat features, boasting a healthy glow and skin as fair as white jade, did not look out of place even with her beautiful brows narrowed in a slight pout. Her lower lip, which she was biting tightly, would normally be curved into a soft, gentle arch.
He suddenly found himself wishing to see the smile that the girl had yet to show him.
‘If she smiles, those furrowed brows of hers will surely bend neatly and brim with laughter, right?’
He found himself terribly bewildered by his own thoughts.
‘Why am I wondering about a woman’s smile, something I have never once been curious about or considered until now?’
As Gyeong Won-ui was drowning in a flurry of confused thoughts, entirely captivated by Yoo Seo-hwa’s overwhelming presence filling his vision, the girl stepped closer and stared at him.
“Look at me.”
Gyeong Won-ui’s eyes were already reflecting nothing but Yoo Seo-hwa.
“Are you marrying me solely because of my imperial father’s command?”
“That is…….”
Failing to realize that he was far more flustered now than when Emperor Xuanwen had thrown testing questions at him, Gyeong Won-ui stammered out his words.
“How could a mere commoner like myself dare to covet Your Highness?”
How could he ever dare to covet this lovely girl? If not for Emperor Xuanwen’s decree, she was a girl he could never have presumed to look up to for the rest of his life.
With no way of knowing the thoughts bedeviling his mind, Yoo Seo-hwa took Gyeong Won-ui’s seemingly rigid answer as confirmation.
‘Seeing how he lacks the manliness to offer even a smooth lie about wanting to marry me regardless of the imperial decree, it is clear he does not fancy me at all.’
Heartbroken, she whipped around. Staying anchored to a man who disliked her would only bring her more sorrow.
“The young master is leaving, so see him out.”
Because she issued such a cold dismissal, she failed to see it.
She missed the sight of the boy’s earlobes finally turning a bright, burning crimson, triggered by the fragrance wafting from her fluttering sleeves as she turned away.

* * *

Returning home late in the evening, Gyeong Won-ui’s father, Gyeong Baek-jong, went searching for his son.
‘Today was Won-ui’s first time entering the palace to audience the Emperor, so I am worried about whether everything went well. If only something hadn’t cropped up at Xichang a few days ago, forcing me to leave the estate, I would have been there to guide the boy.’
Having finally wrapped up his duties and returned home this very day, he did not even unpack his travel gear before heading straight toward the Training Grounds to find Gyeong Won-ui.
“Won-ui!”
Gyeong Won-ui, who had been uncharacteristically sitting blankly in a corner of the Training Grounds staring up at the sky, leaped to his feet in surprise.
“I trust you have been well on your long journey, Father. Forgive me for not greeting you sooner.”
“Think nothing of it. I did not notify anyone beforehand because I wished to return quietly.”
It was practically impossible for anything to have changed in the mere few days they had been apart. Even so, Gyeong Baek-jong scrutinized his son closely.
“Did the audience conclude well?”
It seemed certain that something had transpired within the Imperial Palace, whether for better or for worse. Otherwise, there was no reason for Gyeong Won-ui to be staring blankly up at the full moon in the middle of the Training Grounds.
Whether he noticed his father’s anxious heart or not, Gyeong Won-ui replied composedly.
“I returned after paying my respects to His Majesty and Her Highness in turn.”
“What sort of person is His Majesty?”
“He is not someone I dare to judge.”
Gyeong Baek-jong’s expression stiffened slightly.
At first glance, it sounded as though he meant a subject should not evaluate the Emperor, but Gyeong Baek-jong knew his son well.
If he had truly thought that way, he would have answered clearly: ‘How could a subject ever judge His Majesty?’
‘Something happened with the Emperor.’
Given the character of Emperor Xuanwen, who tested and doubted his subjects to the point of absolute paranoia, it was glaringly obvious what must have occurred. He had placed a son-in-law candidate who was a mere fifteen years old onto a testing block that weighed life and death.
‘This is precisely why I hoped we would not become the Emperor’s Imperial In-laws.’
When the Crown Princess was selected, they had managed to avoid it because their daughter was too young, but he had never imagined his son would be chosen as the Buma.
‘There is no telling when or where the Emperor’s eyes and ears might be watching. From now on, we must be careful even with private chats like this between father and son, keeping our heads down and living as quietly as the dead.’
Unlike himself, who was a thoroughly stubborn warrior, Gyeong Won-ui was intelligent and quick-witted, so he could only hope the boy had managed well before the throne. It was lamentable that there was nothing he could do for him as a father.
“You must be exhausted, so what are you doing out here instead of resting? You may skip your martial training on a day like today.”
“My mind is… a bit troubled…….”
Gyeong Won-ui’s voice, which had remained steady even while recounting the encounter with Emperor Xuanwen, faltered. Gyeong Baek-jong, who had been about to take his son back to his room, tilted his head as he sensed a strange vibe.
He could not be sure if it was just his imagination, but Gyeong Won-ui’s cheeks looked strangely flushed beneath the brilliant light of the bright full moon.
‘Could it be that this boy……?’
He asked, just in case.
“Did something happen with Her Highness?”
“……!”
This time, his face turned undeniably red.
Gyeong Baek-jong was astonished to see his son—who had never once lost his composure since the day he first gripped a sword—looking so thoroughly flustered.
“To tell the truth… I believe I made a blunder before Her Highness, but I have absolutely no inkling as to what mistake I committed.”
Upon hearing about the events at the Princess’s Palace from Gyeong Won-ui, Gyeong Baek-jong was plunged into worry right along with him. He was equally ignorant when it came to the psychology of a thirteen-year-old girl.
“I do not know why Her Highness brought up the matter of the Saenggaksi, but isn’t there only one way to clear up a misunderstanding?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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