Even If Flowers Bloom on a Broken Branch - Chapter 10

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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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10.
The rumors spread like wildfire, as if they had grown wings.
Not only did those who witnessed the seemingly endless procession bearing red boxes entering the Seo Family Residence from early dawn spread the word in all directions, but the many commoners and palace servants who saw Jinyul and Seo Yeo-ro riding together in a carriage toward the palace also passed on what they had seen and heard, whispering it up and down the ranks.
Consequently, on top of the basic fact that Lee Yeon was facing marriage, a grand saga mixed with a great deal of imagination regarding the deep, yearning love story of the two was born in an instant.
“So, you’re saying the Grand Prince himself came bearing the Marriage Proposal Letter?”
“No, when those armored men came thumping over the threshold, my heart genuinely started trembling. How is it that even the men serving the Grand Prince are so remarkably handsome?”
“Don’t even get me started on the bridal gifts. I hear there are still heaps of chests that haven’t even been unpacked yet. People are worrying they might go blind because of how rare and precious the items inside are.”
Moreover, the timing played a significant role.
Since word had been quietly spreading that the Geumhonlyeong would soon be issued, rumors were rife that the Grand Prince had stepped forward himself to proclaim her as his woman before the nation banned marriages.
Though the two had harbored affection for each other for a long time, if they remained still, she might have become his elder brother’s wife, so he had no choice but to break the news like this.
“Well, it makes sense. Lady Seo has no equal, whether you judge by her family background, her character, or her appearance. She surely would have become the mistress of the Queen’s Palace.”
“Do you remember a few days ago when she scolded that man collecting money in the marketplace? I completely fell for her then. It turns out my heart doesn’t flutter only for men.”
“Oh my goodness, then it truly almost became a forbidden love. Imagine if he had lost his sweetheart like that!”
“Shh, shh! Your voice is too loud!”
The fantasy of ‘a man who narrowly caught the woman he could never lose by reaching out his hand at the final moment’ shone even brighter because he was a Grand Prince of this country.
As time passed, the marketplace grew somewhat quieter, but there were still a considerable number of people blushing as they shared the story in their respective homes or throughout various neighborhoods.
And that was by no means a story confined to the outside of the palace walls.
“Marriage, you say!”
The person who had raised his voice without realizing it caught his breath, as if startled by his own outburst. Lowering his voice, he spoke again.
“His Majesty has not yet married, so how can the Grand Prince hold a Royal Wedding first? This greatly disrupts the proper order of things.”
“But has the Geumhonlyeong not been officially issued yet? Since marriages have not been banned by royal decree, there is no law saying he cannot do so. Besides, what do you mean by order? Are you going to block the marriage of an innocent maiden just because of that order?”
“No, but still… Whew, this is quite something.”
The officials of the Royal Court exchanged words back and forth before shaking their heads.
It certainly did not violate the law. However, they could not just blindly celebrate it either.
While it was a blessing for a man and a woman to match each other’s minds and form a marital bond, the problem was that the man and woman were a Grand Prince of the nation and the daughter of the Inspector General. Furthermore, it was even more so because that Inspector General’s daughter was someone who had been mentioned multiple times as the potential mistress of the Queen’s Palace.
Yet, the Seo Clan already seemed inclined to accept the Grand Prince as their son-in-law, and the Grand Prince also appeared to have absolutely no intention of bending his will.
Will or no will, since the rumor that the two were betrothed to each other had spread far and wide, Lady Seo could no longer participate in the Gantaek, nor was there any room for other marriage proposals to come in.
“To think that Lord Seo’s daughter’s marriage would proceed in such a manner, of all people…”
Those who were exchanging quiet words turned their heads to look toward a certain spot. Sitting at his desk there was Seo Yeo-ro, silently turning the pages of a book.
Though his complexion was no different than usual, it was impossible to fathom what was going on inside his head and heart. The people lowered their voices even further.
“How complex must his lordship’s heart be? His only daughter, whom he has cherished so dearly like gold and jade since his wife passed away long ago, is now on everyone’s lips like this.”
“Indeed. Moreover, he must be getting a headache just preparing for the wedding. No matter how much the Grand Prince has already been residing in a Private Residence, wouldn’t the Royal Family be the main party conducting the wedding?”
“We cannot know for sure about that either. Since His Majesty hasn’t said much of anything.”
“Sigh… The turmoil we went through after the passing of the Former Queen feels like just yesterday. If he distances himself from the wedding following the funeral…”
“Shh. Someone might hear you.”
Only then did the people shut their mouths tight. They too felt that it was dangerous for any more talk to come out. Forcing a cough as if nothing were amiss, they dispersed from the area.
Seo Yeo-ro, who had been listening to all of it, slowly set his brush down and ground his inkstone.
Somehow, contrary to their thoughts or expectations, a faint trace of a smile hovered around his firmly closed lips. His expression seemed much more relaxed than it had been two days ago, at the very least.
Meanwhile, there was one more person who was shocked upon hearing the news.
“Lady Seo is?”
Chae Eun-oh, the only daughter of the Chae family and a long-time rival who had been compared to Lee Yeon in every single aspect.
To call them friends, they were not close at all, yet to call them complete strangers, they were in such an uncomfortable and awkward relationship where they had heard each other’s names for far too long and far too often.
Having thought that she would surely submit her Cheonyeodanja and that they would face each other at the Gantaek, she was now hearing her name delivered in this manner instead. Eun-oh’s eyes grew wide.
“You say she is getting married? And with the Grand Prince?”
“That is what they say, Lady. Right now, the marketplace and the wells are all in an uproar talking about that story.”
“No, why so suddenly? Weren’t they preparing the roster until just a few days ago?”
“As the saying goes, ‘the quiet cat climbs the hearth first’. While pretending to know nothing, acting innocent and meek in front of others, she did everything she wanted behind their backs. I hear that from early dawn, sturdy men bearing a marriage proposal letter and bridal gifts stormed into the Seo Family Residence.”
“Watch your mouth. She is not someone for you to speak of in such a manner.”
Eun-oh’s servant pouted at her mistress’s sharp scolding, yet she continued to babble.
“But don’t you think so too, Lady? They say they’ve already set out a bowl of fresh well water and held a private wedding ceremony. Some people even claim to have seen her meeting him secretly at night near the Grand Prince’s residence!”
“She went near the Grand Prince’s residence at night? Lady Seo did?”
“I’m telling you, yes!”
Just how foolishly have you been behaving, Lee Yeon?
Eun-oh burst into laughter without realizing it. It was so incredibly ridiculous that she could not bear it.
‘No one has ever given me such a laugh, yet I end up laughing like this thanks to Lee Yeon.’
The saying that one truly cannot see even an inch ahead in the world fit this situation perfectly.
They were born barely a week apart, and they were also identical in losing their mothers the moment they came into the world. They clashed and were compared in every single matter to the point where one might wonder if they were twin souls of destiny. And it was always Eun-oh who lagged behind.
‘Since I couldn’t even get a single word of praise from my own father.’
Even if she did something well, she was told not to be arrogant and to devote herself further, and if he discovered even a minor mistake, bitter remarks would fly at her without mercy, even in front of the servants.
Doing well was taken entirely for granted, and if she fell short of expectations, her deceased mother was insulted. He would say she was slow-witted just like her mother.
Did he truly not know that saying such things was akin to spitting on his own face? But now—
“Things are turning out quite amusingly.”
The elegant noble lady who was widely praised by the public had turned into a topic on everyone’s lips overnight, like a female cat that had engaged in a secret tryst.
‘Moreover, because she cannot even submit her maiden roster, her path to the Queen’s Palace is also forever blocked.’
Then, naturally, all eyes would have no choice but to turn to her. Eun-oh was certain that no one else but Lee Yeon could ever surpass her.
To think that something could be this gratifying and amusing, she wanted to laugh out loud to her heart’s content.
‘I will defeat you. Since you have taken the position of the Grand Prince’s wife, I shall become the mistress of the Queen’s Palace, Lee Yeon.’
Thereby, she intended to keep her beneath herself forever and inflict humiliation upon her until the day she died. Since she had been compared to her throughout her entire upbringing, it was only right that she should suffer until her final breath as well.
Hiding her sneer, Eun-oh rose elegantly from her seat. Confidence oozed from her very fingertips.
“Prepare the carriage for an outing. Something worth celebrating has occurred, so I cannot simply sit still like this.”
Her destination was, of course, the Seo Family Residence.
It was bound to be a delightful spectacle after a long time. Since being unable to lift her head in humiliation had always been her own share until now.

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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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