Even If Flowers Bloom on a Broken Branch - Chapter 39

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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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39.
Meanwhile, Eun-oh was not the only one who could not sleep a wink. Jinpyeong stared at the door Eun-oh had left through and sighed softly.
She was pathetic, frustrating, and annoying.
‘How could a creature like that…’
How could she be called the mother of the nation, or be seen as the Queen?
Jinpyeong recalled the other woman who had appeared at the banquet last night. It was the image that had not left his mind all night.
‘Lee Yeon of the Seo family.’
Jinpyeong took a deep breath. Yet, the stifling feeling in his chest did not clear.
The pure white ceremonial robe she wore, her refined movements, and her beautiful face came to mind.
She was not flashy or dazzling. However, unlike the Queen who was dressed in multi-colored layers like a peacock, everything about her was elegant and beautiful.
‘That woman truly possessed the demeanor of a Queen.’
She was not excessive or loud. She did not wear a single piece of jewelry, yet her presence alone was distinct. She had overwhelmed Chae Eun-oh with her dignity.
Moreover, what shone within her straight gaze was resolve and spirit. The more he thought about it, the more it felt like a waste, and the more he recalled it, the more regrettable it became.
‘Compared to Chae Eun-oh…’
Jinpyeong clicked his tongue. His face scowled on its own.
Chae Eun-oh had appeared with her entire body wrapped in jewels and ornaments, as if to prove she was the Queen. That too was unsightly, but what displeased him most was the royal crest embroidered in gold on her clothing.
‘How dare she put the crest of the King, which can only be placed on the Dragon Robe.’
Who did she think she was to embroider that on her skirt and drag it along the floor? The moment he first saw it, he wondered if she was out of her mind.
On the other hand, Lee Yeon had captured everyone’s attention with a look that was even noble. Even his own, Jinpyeong’s, gaze.
‘How could such a woman go to a mere Grand Prince…’
His stomach grew stifled again.
The more he coveted Lee Yeon and the more his eyes drifted to her, the angrier he became with her.
If she had advanced to the Gantaek as scheduled, she would have easily become the Queen even without his influence.
‘If only everything had gone according to plan.’
He would have seated that woman by his side and toyed with her. He would have tightened the noose around her neck, threatened her father, and made her suffer.
Both daughter and father would have been held in this palm of his and moved according to his heart and will, but all of that had gone to waste.
‘Because that wench chose Jinyul.’
Jinyul was the sole blemish on Lee Yeon. Jinpyeong recalled what kind of expression he wore when he appeared with Lee Yeon last night.
It was a smug expression as he showed off his wife before everyone. It was a boasting, vainglorious face. An expression as if he had obtained all the joy in this world.
Jinpyeong’s face distorted.
‘Unlucky bastard.’
He wanted to steal whatever belonged to that bastard. He wanted to hold it in his hands. However, since Lee Yeon had already fallen into that bastard’s hands, a sense of loss, stubbornness, and greed swirled in his heart at the fact that he could not steal her.
Jinpyeong slowly rested his chin on his hand.
‘What a waste.’
Missing out on Lee Yeon was a waste. If he could go back to the past, he would have defiled that woman before that bastard came to ask for her hand in marriage. He would have planted his seed inside her and ruined her.
If he had done that, he would have been able to take her away from him. It was a way to ruin Lee Yeon and defeat Jinyul at the same time. Belatedly, his insides burned.
‘Is there no way to get my hands on her again?’
Even though he knew there was no longer a way since he had appointed her as the Grand Princess Consort by Royal Decree, he did not want to give up.
‘Even if I cannot have her in my hands right now, at least a way to keep her by my side and watch her.’
Jinpyeong pondered for a moment and then called for Sangseon.
“Sangseon.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Sangseon, who was standing behind him, immediately approached and bowed his head.
Jinpyeong looked out the window for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
“What would it be like to summon the Grand Prince and the Princess Consort to the palace to live together?”
Sangseon flinched. A surprised expression was fully visible on his wrinkled face.
He asked back.
“Are you saying you will bring the Grand Prince into the palace?”
“To be precise, it would be correct to say it is toward the Grand Princess Consort’s side,”
Jinpyeong replied. He slowly rubbed his chin.
“If the Grand Prince receives my orders and leaves home for a long time, the Grand Princess Consort will have to be alone, so wouldn’t she be lonely? Besides, she is also in a position equivalent to royalty, so she will need an escort.”
Jinpyeong began to like his own idea more and more.
Strength was added to his voice.
“Rather than staying alone at a private residence, staying together in the palace would be better in many ways.”
“That is not the case, Your Highness.”
Cold water was poured over it.
Sangseon spoke politely but clearly.
“It is the law for a Grand Prince who has come of age to leave the palace and stay in the Capital City. Accordingly, everyone knows that Grand Prince Jinyul stays at a private residence, so there is no precedent for a married couple to enter the palace together.”
“But must we not protect the Grand Princess Consort?”
Jinpyeong said shamelessly. He slowly crossed his arms.
“How can we leave a woman who has tied a connection to the Royal Family to live outside alone dangerously?”
Jinpyeong tilted his head as he continued speaking.
“While the Grand Prince handles matters outside the Capital City, we are protecting his wife. On the contrary, shouldn’t he say he is grateful to me?”
Sangseon quietly looked at Jinpyeong. He spoke the word protection, but in reality, it would not be protection.
Sangseon also knew very well with what kind of gaze Jinpyeong had looked at Lee Yeon at the banquet last night.
‘It was the gaze of looking at an object he wanted to possess. It was an expression of wanting to snatch away something coveted.’
Using protection as an excuse, the King was trying to naturally keep her by his side. And he intended to make sure no one could interfere when an opportunity arrived.
Moreover, he had had her in mind as the Queen from the very beginning. Sangseon knew very well the malice he held toward Seo Yeo-ro.
Therefore, he had to stop it even more.
“I am deeply sorry, but I must report that it is impossible, Your Highness.”
Sangseon said firmly.
“Not only is there no precedent for a married woman to enter the palace alone, but if an escort is needed, I believe it is correct to send soldiers to guard the private residence more firmly.”
“Sangseon.”
“Furthermore, it has not been long since you welcomed the Queen, so if you place another woman inside the palace, noise will surely arise.”
Jinpyeong frowned. Eun-oh was mentioned this time as well. Unpleasantness surged at the thought that she had caught his ankle again.
“Originally, the Grand Princess Consort does not even have many matters to enter the palace for. It is not in accordance with proper reason in many ways, so please withdraw your thoughts.”
Jinpyeong glared at Sangseon. He did not like that old man who firmly blocked his decision by talking about proper reason and precedent.
However, he could not easily punish Sangseon. This was because he was a talented individual who had served the Royal Family since the time of the late King, and moreover, his character and reputation were deep, so those who followed him were very many.
Jinpyeong clicked his tongue inwardly and opened his mouth.
“Then I shall command again. Tell the Grand Prince to conduct a surprise inspection of every government office across the country.”
It had already been several months since that bastard stayed in the Capital City. He had no intention of leaving him to flicker before his eyes any longer.
At his command, Sangseon gathered his hands and bowed his waist.
“I shall convey it as such.”
Sangseon retreated backward, and Jinpyeong, after looking at the quiet Grand Hall, turned his head to look out the window.
Passing the dawn that had been greeted noisily because of Eun-oh, the sun had now risen in the sky and it was fully morning.
His appetite was extremely bitter.

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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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