Chapter 90 (1/2)

Kyousl replied, “Yes, I do. As I said I liked outings, you recommended a special villa.”

Ruhae gladly replied, “Well, in the southern areas, there is one in Kongrimok. As that place is famous for hot springs, they made the villa for hot baths very well. As it is getting cold, it’s the perfect time for hot baths.”

“That sounds great!”

While she nodded, she didn’t know exactly why he brought up Kongrimok suddenly. When she looked at him with a curious expression, he added with a gentle smile, “And that villa is located in the easternmost of the southern area. I think I’m going to wrap up my provincial inspection there.”

“I guess what you mean is you want to visit….”

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She felt her heart sank at that. Her expectation didn’t go amiss.

“Yes, if you come to visit the villa in Kongrimok secretly and stay there, I think we can have a good time there without anybody knowing.”

“Oh my god! Really? Can we do that?”

“The problem is you need to get the Crown Prince’s approval first to get there.”

“Ah…”

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Her excitement quickly subdued. She felt heavy at the thought of getting Bipaan’s approval because she already offended his feelings recently when she was found with Ruhae in the shack on Mt. Mokak. She felt rather uncomfortable about trying to seek his approval of her outing to the Kongrimok villa.

Ruhae was well aware of her agony. That’s why he cautiously suggested it to her.

“If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to. It looks like I have entrusted you with a burdensome task that I can’t solve by myself, so I feel sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to feel sorry.”

“Well, it is my own greed. I just want to spend time with you alone in a place outside the imperial palace without being conscious of other people.”

“I am of the same mind,” she said.

He held her hands tightly.

When she thought of Bipaan, she got scared all the time, but she grew bold this time when she thought of spending happy time with Ruhae.

“We never know when we can have a chance to get out of the palace, can’t we?”

“Yes, you’re right. By the way, you said it was the special villa in Kongrimok, right?”

She made eye contact with him with sharp eyes.

“If everything goes smoothly, so you can visit and stay at the villa, let me put this flower between the windows of my room,” she said.

She was holding the purple flower, which was a perfect token of their promise. He grinned at the flower.

She made that promise like that to Ruhae. As it turned out, however, she was destined to depart for the villa with Bipaan. Of course, Ruhae and Kyosul never expected it.

While heading for the southern area with Bipaan, she became more and more gloomy with a heavy heart.

***

Bipaan’s parade was simple. The Imperial Army guards stood in a row before and after Bipaan’s horse and the Crown Princess’s sedan chair, but there were only a few court ladies and guards following the couple.

Kyoyoung, Bipaan’s second wife, saw them off and watched them heading toward the wall of the outer palace. Watching them disappearing in the distance, her eyes were blurred with tears. She bit her lip without anyone knowing.

After Kyosul supposedly sprained her ankle on Mt. Mokak, the Crown Prince took care of the injured Crown Princess and slept with her for several days. And several days after she went back to her residence in the Dongbi Palace, the Crown Prince asked to accompany her to spend time at the special villa in Kongrimok for recuperation. The Emperor gladly approved Bipaan’s request, deeply moved by his affection for Kyosul.

All these alleged facts made Kyoyoung very much upset.

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She recalled Kyosul’s face, who confessed her hard married life to her, shedding tears.

She felt disgusted when she thought of Kyosul’s blood-shot eyes and tears.

‘I think I can’t love the Crown Prince for the life of me,’ Kyosul had confessed to her.

Recalling her feeble voice, Kyoyoung’s fists trembled with anger.

She thought she could make great friends with Kyosul. When Kyosul came to see her with a subservient attitude, she underestimated the Crown Princess. Looking back, Kyosul seemed to be much smarter than she thought.