Chapter 44: The Structural Mirage

“Is this your very first time entering the palace?”

“It is, Your Imperial Majesty.”

From Min Hwa-young’s quiet, even tone, Anok could read a familiar shadow. It was the same thick, heavy cloud of resignation that had once shrouded him when he sat upon that very throne. Feeling a sudden sense of shared kinship, he felt the tension tightening his chest begin to ease.

“The capital is a world apart from the Baekya Manor. To say nothing of how different the imperial palace is from the Myeong estate.”

Watching Min Hwa-young’s elegant hands as she personally brewed the tea, Anok quietly waited for her to continue.

“I heard about the matter regarding Court Lady Cho from the Prince of Myeong. I personally put much thought into selecting and sending her to you… so when the news reached me of what she had done, I felt completely lightheaded. I know whatever I say will only sound like an excuse, but I want to apologize first for failing to properly manage my subordinate. I am truly sorry.”

In his past life, Anok had never exchanged such a long conversation with Min Hwa-young, so he genuinely never expected to receive an apology from her in this lifecycle. Her sincere words caught him entirely by surprise.

Anok had not come here to exact an apology; he had merely wished to settle the final verdict on Court Lady Cho. What if she misunderstood and thought he had intentionally used Yeo Jae-won to force her hand into making amends?

Had the person sitting across from him been Noble Consort Sa instead of the Empress, she would have undoubtedly twisted the situation to corner Anok despite him being the victim. Reflexively fixing his posture, Anok shook his head.

“I believed that deciding Court Lady Cho’s punishment arbitrarily would be a grave discourtesy to Your Imperial Majesty, who dispatched her. I assure you, I did not delay the decision out of a desire to extract an apology from you.”

“It is only right for the one at fault to apologize,” Min Hwa-young replied gently, setting a teacup down before Anok. “When the Prince of Myeong came to the Gyoyeong Palace the other day, he told me that there is another mastermind pulling Court Lady Cho’s strings. ……How do you wish to handle this matter?”

Min Hwa-young, too, seemed to have a faint inkling of who that mastermind was. Clenching and unclenching his fingers beneath his wide sleeves to steady himself, Anok spoke with measured caution.

“To tell you the truth, there is no physical evidence. There is only Court Lady Cho’s confession.”

“Depending on who the adversary is, it will be difficult to bring this matter to light so easily.”

If it was Seol Eun-hyun, he was a man who could easily wiggle his way out of anything even if they possessed physical proof. Touching him was an incredibly risky gamble. Seol Eun-hyun was far too formidable an opponent to charge at with nothing but a court lady’s testimony.

Neither Anok nor Min Hwa-young openly uttered Seol Eun-hyun’s name, yet both carried on the conversation fully aware that he was the shadow behind Court Lady Cho.

“Even so, that does not mean the crime committed vanishes into thin air.”

“Yes. At least as long as Court Lady Cho remains alive, and I am able to use her at a moment’s notice.”

Seeing Anok—who had seemed so quiet and wooden in the inner chambers of Seonghwa Hall, moving like a puppet bound strictly by etiquette texts—speak with such calm, deliberate clarity, a new light flickered in Min Hwa-young’s eyes.

“Court Lady Cho is both the culprit and the witness of this crime. She cannot go unpunished, but if we cast her out entirely, we would be destroying our only living witness.”

“Which would only aid the true mastermind. Then, what do you propose we do?”

This was the exact puzzle Anok had been turning over in his mind for days.

He could not let Court Lady Cho remain at the Myeong estate. If he followed his raw emotions, he wanted to banish her to the farthest corner of the earth so he would never have to look upon her face again. But if he wanted to use Seol Eun-hyun, he needed to hold at least one weapon against him, and that weapon was Court Lady Cho.

Human beings, by nature, find it difficult to turn their backs on those who spare their lives. If Court Lady Cho was truly a creature devoid of humanity, she might betray him anyway, but Anok decided to gamble on a sliver of her conscience. If Yeo Jae-won—the man who warned him to trust no one—heard of this, he would surely scoff.

“I wish to send her back to the Gyoyeong Palace.”

Instead of serving a prince’s consort, the woman had been promoted to a training court lady. However, returning to the Gyoyeong Palace meant she would be stripped of that status, reduced back to an ordinary court lady—and depending on how Min Hwa-young handled it, her rank could plummet even lower.

Regardless of the downgrade, escaping exile meant Court Lady Cho would preserve her life. While it would be impossible to stop the rumors that she had been sent back in disgrace, her life would remain intact. Knowing her neck was on the line, she would think twice before crossing either the Empress or Anok in the future.

Min Hwa-young studied Anok with a complex, contemplative expression. Court Lady Cho had already betrayed a master once. Welcoming back a person who had turned their back on you was never an easy choice.

“If Your Imperial Majesty feels uncomfortable keeping her nearby, you may station her elsewhere.”

“But under no circumstances is she to be cast out of the palace entirely. Is that it?”

“A day will surely come when we must stand face-to-face with the one who pulled her strings, will it not?”

They had told her he was merely twenty. A naive child born and raised in the rural periphery of Baekya Manor, entirely ignorant of the ways of the world. A fragile, exquisite piece of porcelain too delicate to survive the ruthless currents of the capital. Min Hwa-young, who had judged Anok by those exact measures, quickly adjusted her assessment to recognize his sharp resolve.

“Very well. I shall recall Court Lady Cho back to the imperial palace. However, where she is stationed will remain strictly under my authority.”

“Of course, Your Imperial Majesty. You are the absolute head of the inner imperial court.”

Min Hwa-young shook her head with a soft smile.

In truth, she had been incredibly tense ever since Yeo Jae-won paid her that surprise visit a few days ago. It was also true that she had felt defensive and slightly displeased earlier in the chambers of Seonghwa Hall. Yet, sitting down with Anok and untangling the mess of Court Lady Cho lifted the suffocating weight of guilt that had been pressing against her chest, leaving her mind lighter and remarkably softened.

Their conversation flowed naturally from one topic to the next. To their surprise, their rhythms matched beautifully. By the end of their meeting, they had grown comfortable enough to resemble an older sister conversing with her youngest brother.

“Has the Prince of Myeong already returned to his estate?”

“Ah……!”

They had been deeply immersed in discussing which province harvested the most flavorful sparrow-tongue tea when Min Hwa-young’s sudden question made Anok’s eyes widen in realization.

“Court Lady Choi, fetch the sparrow-tongue tea that was presented from Unhyang Province and see the Grand Consort out with it.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. Your command shall be executed.”

Showing zero signs of offense, Min Hwa-young warmly sent him on his way, gifting him the very tea leaves he had enjoyed so much during their chat.

As he walked away from the Gyoyeong Palace, Anok felt dazed; when he had entered the gates this morning, he never imagined he would leave feeling a sense of lingering warmth. In his past life, he had never formed any real bond with Min Hwa-young, making the gentle, peaceful hours he had just spent with her feel almost like a mirage.

Perhaps things really can change, he thought.

Come to think of it, his bond with Han-wol had unfolded in a similar way. A single, altered action on his part had rewritten their entire dynamic.

“I shall escort you to the Anhwa Garden, Your Highness. Please wait at the Hamhyang Pavilion while we send word to the Ministry of Justice.”

The Anhwa Garden was a sprawling garden located in the rear palace that remained constantly open. It was a highly familiar space to Anok, as tea parties for the nobility and the imperial court were frequently hosted there. However, he kept his familiarity to himself and quietly followed Court Lady Choi to the pavilion.

As if announcing the imminent arrival of early summer, the sky stretched out in a flawless, piercing blue, and the blooming flowers painted the world in vibrant, exquisite hues. Around the uncharacteristically quiet Hamhyang Pavilion, only the occasional, crisp chirping of birds gently broke the absolute stillness before dissolving back into the silence.

Sitting in the wide-open pavilion with all its screens lifted, feeling the cool breeze wash over him as he gazed out at the peaceful scenery, all his looming hardships suddenly felt worlds away. He wished he could reach out, catch the flowing threads of time, and hold them perfectly still.

Declining Court Lady Choi’s offer to bring out a refreshment table, he sent her back to the Gyoyeong Palace. After savoring a brief interlude of absolute freedom, Anok rose to his feet.

“Where are you going, Your Highness?” Eunuch Im asked.

“I wish to walk for a bit.”

The terrifying worries of a repeating future, the anxious weight of navigating an unreadable husband—in this exact space, it felt as though he could lay them all down.

As if sensing his desire for isolation, Eunuch Im maintained a respectful distance, slowly trailing behind Anok alongside the other attendants. The distance allowed Anok to feel entirely alone within the soothing perimeter of the garden.

It had been so long since he had tasted such tranquil, unhurried peace; it felt so incredibly sweet and precious that he never wanted to step away from it.

As he traced his slow steps along the path, Anok suddenly registered a distinct presence tracking him from behind. It was absolutely not Eunuch Im.

Could there be a brazen assassin lurking in broad daylight within the imperial palace, hunting for royal blood? Anok instantly dismissed the logic. Objectively mapping out his current reality, his life simply didn’t hold enough political value to warrant a risk of that magnitude.

Could it be someone sent from the Damyeon Palace? If Noble Consort Sa had already received word that he had stepped into the Gyoyeong Palace, she might have dispatched someone to watch him.

Anok abruptly halted his steps. The presence behind him instantly froze in perfect synchronization. Before calling out to demand an identity, Anok spun around sharply to catch a direct look at the intruder’s face.

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