Surviving as the Heavenly Demon’s Concubine - Chapter 25

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

Princess Cheonyang Seol.

The second child of the current Heavenly Emperor and the painful thorn in Mahu Munseorhwa’s side.

In the fierce and exhausting competition for Junior Sect Leader, Mahu couldn’t afford to disperse limited resources, so she concentrated all the family’s resources on her eldest son, Cheonmu Hyeon.

This was purely a strategic decision, but there was someone who was unintentionally sacrificed in the process.

Yeonhwa, who from the moment of her birth had to be forced to yield to her older brother, was exactly that person.

Fine clothes and food, of course, but also good elixirs, good masters, and good martial arts.

All the good things in this world were given to Mu Hyeon first, and Yeonhwa could only receive what was left over.

How heartbreaking and unfair it must be.

A pitiful demon princess stripped of the rights and opportunities she rightfully deserved as part of the Cheonma Bloodline.

A life born on the highest ground yet destined never to reach the heavens.

People pitied Yeonhwa and clicked their tongues at Mahu’s coldly rational decision, but…

“Mother, please give me money.”

Without a doubt, if one were to choose the most carefree person in Mount Shiwandai today, Yeonhwa’s name could not be left out.

“Do you truly need such valuable treasures?”

Mahu bit her lips and barely held back a sigh. There were many watching eyes in this place.

“Don’t misunderstand. I understand the case of the stonemasons last time. You wanted to use flawless marble and brilliant jade as materials, so of course you’d need a lot of gold.”

“I was grateful then.”

Mahu’s heart began to grow anxious at Yeonhwa’s attitude of calmly expressing gratitude as if it were natural.

“The painters are the same. Wasn’t it just last month that I paid for the pigments made from lapis lazuli imported from the Western Regions? And what about when the musicians wanted to make a pair of geumseul from lightning-struck paulownia wood? You should remember that your mother readily opened her purse then too.”

“Yes. I was grateful then as well. Mother is a generous patron.”

Strangely, it was a scene where the one giving money looked more desperate.

On the other hand, Cheonyang Seol merely gave perfunctory answers with an almost indifferent attitude, as if it didn’t matter much.

“The flourishing culture of Mount Shiwandai is thanks to the generous help of people like Mother.”

“I’m grateful you say that. However…”

Mahu Munseorhwa clenched her fists and bit down on her rolled lips.

“Isn’t this going a bit too far?”

“What do you mean?”

It seemed the girl who should know better was determined to make her mother say something critical.

Usually, Mahu would give in and grant whatever Yeonhwa did, pretending she couldn’t win, but this time she couldn’t just let it pass.

“…Asking me to sponsor a storyteller.”

Mahu Munseorhwa trembled as she held the sponsorship request that Cheonyang Seol had shamelessly submitted. The request was pathetically thin, lacking even specific details, fluttering at her fingertips.

“As someone with insufficient knowledge, I simply don’t understand. Being particular about brushes and paper doesn’t make one’s writing more refined.”

Wasn’t this going too far?

It’s natural that sculpting requires jade stone, painting requires pigments, and playing melodies requires instruments.

But what could storytelling possibly need besides brushes and paper?

‘What money could be needed to concoct nonsense like ghost stories or fantasy tales, or lewd and frivolous romance novels!’

She wanted to rebuke her like this.

Nevertheless, Mahu, who felt sorry for not being able to love her daughter as much as she loved her, couldn’t bring herself to speak harshly to Yeonhwa.

If by any chance Yeonhwa looked at her with moist eyes and said something like ‘Do you find it precious? Even though it’s not even half of half of half the cost of the elixirs you gave to my brother, do you still find it so precious when your daughter asks?’ Munseorhwa’s heart would be torn apart. (Though Yeonhwa had never actually said such pitiful things, Mahu’s guilt always kept that possibility open.)

“Indeed. That’s a common misconception.”

“A misconception?”

“Let me use the examples of the stonemasons, painters, and musicians that Mother mentioned earlier. Sculpture and painting are skills that have visible materials and results. Music, while heard by the ears, still requires visible materials. In other words, Mother judged that paying for materials is a proper expense regardless of the form of the result. Do you agree?”

Mahu felt the flow of the conversation was becoming troublesome, but since there was nothing immediately wrong with what was said, she reluctantly nodded.

“Then what about singers? You must remember the innovative songstress we discovered at the banquet. Mother allowed me to give that child a reward. Singing also has no visible results and requires no materials, so it’s no different from novels.”

“That, that was…”

As expected, Yeonhwa’s logic was naturally flowing in a direction that made Mahu uncomfortable.

In truth, Mahu didn’t particularly think that ‘innovative songstress’s’ song was good, and had only given a small sum as a face-saving gesture to respect Yeonhwa’s wishes.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say that out loud.

“It must be difficult to answer. Deep in your heart, Mother already knows. That the form of art has nothing to do with patronage.”

“…Truly eloquent as flowing water.”

Though she barely held back a sigh, she couldn’t help the strength draining from her voice.

Seeing Yeonhwa speak, it seemed like this time too she would end up giving whatever was requested.

‘How much did she ask for this time?’

Mahu glanced down and skimmed through the funding request.

The amount was dizzying just to look at.

Though Munseorhwa’s personal wealth was abundant enough to be compared to a cornucopia, it fell short when it came to the bottomless pit of artist welfare.

“The material of writing is thought, and the foundation of thought is experience. If we fill the storytellers’ lives with poverty that makes them worry about their livelihood, how could they write about the glory of Mount Shiwandai? Please consider the difficult circumstances of the storytellers.”

“Your words are truly right.”

Mahu half-listened to Yeonhwa’s lengthy speech and answered as if she had been waiting as soon as it roughly ended.

“Since your mother has learned greatly today, I cannot help but show magnanimity. Listen, head steward. Open the storehouse and provide the sponsorship funds as Yeonhwa requested, and in addition, add various exotic specialties that will enrich the storytellers’ experiences.”

“Your grace is overwhelming.”

Yeonhwa smiled elegantly like her mother and showed her joy.

The more she did so, the more uncomfortable Mahu’s expression became, as if she were chewing on an unripe persimmon, but Yeonhwa didn’t care. Supporting artists was a good thing in itself, and no matter how much she extracted, Mahu would still be rich.

‘One down. Now next is…’

“Sister!”

As Yeonhwa left Mahu Palace with her pockets full, Mujin suddenly appeared behind her and called out.

“Did you extort money again? At this rate, Mahu Palace will go bankrupt.”

Yeonhwa chuckled at her half-brother’s teasing, who was notorious for being a troublemaker, and answered.

“You don’t understand. This is all filial piety.”

Mujin approached Yeonhwa with light steps, matched her pace, and teasingly mocked her.

“I quite like that kind of filial piety. Maybe I should try it too.”

“Stop it. For you, not going in and out of Noeok is filial piety. You should put Lady Seo’s mind at ease.”

“So Mahu’s mind is at ease when you extort money from her?”

“Of course. She’s comfortable.”

Yeonhwa truly believed that.

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