Chapter 51: The Name He Gave

“Songa, come to your uncle.”

Anok stood frozen, as if turned to stone. The child merely parted his lips. The strange silence between them was broken by a deep, resonant voice.

It was her husband’s familiar voice. Yeosong quickly turned and ran to Yeojaewon. Yeojaewon naturally lowered himself to pick up the child. Anok stared at him with a gaze both unfamiliar and strange.

The child was quite large to be held in someone’s arms. Still, Yeojaewon held him comfortably. Yeosong hid his face over his uncle’s shoulder. But from time to time, he turned his head to sneak a glance at Anok, revealing an irrepressible curiosity.

She had never even properly held her own child, who was much smaller than this one.

Her thoughts, jagged as broken glass, spread like poison in her heart. It grew cold and damp, like smashing the frozen surface of a winter lake and sinking beneath.

She had resolved to clearly distinguish the Yeojaewon of her past life from the one now. They were different people. She didn’t know everything that had happened before, so she should understand. She had pledged this dozens, hundreds of times. But her resolve shattered into pieces.

“Songa.”

Yeojaewon’s soft, deep voice called to the child as if soothing him. Yeosong, who had been clinging tightly to his uncle’s neck with both arms, responded with a muffled voice, “Yes?”

“You should greet your aunt.”

“Aunt?”

A faint smile curling his lips, Yeojaewon gestured with his eyes toward Anok.

Children are ignorant of the world. In Yeojaewon’s voice explaining that the person married to his uncle was called “aunt,” there was no trace of annoyance or bother.

Hearing this, Yeosong nodded at his uncle’s words, as if reviewing a word he had learned before, repeating it with his small, cherry-like lips. Soon, as if concluding that this person was someone he could be close to, he turned to Anok with a bright smile.

“Hello, Aunt!”

His cheerful voice was lively, unaware of Anok’s inner state. Dimples formed on both cheeks of his smiling face.

Even objectively, Yeosong was an adorable child. Although his father, the Crown Prince, had died young, he had grown up in the Jeongang Palace, cared for by many people, without any signs of neglect or bitterness.

The ruthlessness of the imperial family and the stuffy etiquette had not tightly bound him, which had a positive effect. In her previous life, Anok had also doted on Yeosong.

But now, Anok couldn’t help but feel complicated seeing Yeosong. For the first time, she wanted to turn back time. If she could return to that time, if she could meet the Yeojaewon of her past life again, she wanted to confront him.

Why were you so heartless to our child? Were you afraid that naming him would create affection? Then why did you bestow a name on your nephew so generously, while not granting even a single character to our child?

While suppressing the surging emotions, Anok kept her eyes on Yeojaewon, who was holding Yeosong. As she swallowed her unspent resentment, Yeojaewon soothed Yeosong, who had not completely overcome his shyness, and then set the child down and sent him to Anok.

“Aunt?”

The child called again. Only then did Anok realize that the small child, barely reaching her knees, was calling her.

“Oh…”

Words wouldn’t come easily. She stared blankly down at Yeosong, unlike herself, unable to say anything. Yeojaewon, who had been standing at a distance, approached.

“He is the eldest son of the Crown Prince and the Princess of Jeongang. His Majesty has granted him a princely title, so you may call him Prince Jinyang.”

Probably, Yeojaewon thought Anok was embarrassed because she didn’t recognize Yeosong.

Anok glanced briefly from him to the child, who looked up at her with clear, sparkling eyes.

Yeosong was innocent. The Yeojaewon before her merely cared for his nephew. Yet, the wound scratching her inner self was clearly there. It was a strange situation where no one was at fault, but only she felt the pain.

Seeing the child’s face gradually stiffen, Anok thought she should smile, but the corners of her mouth wouldn’t lift easily. She mocked herself for not being such a generous person, then slowly opened her mouth.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Are you really my aunt?”

At the brief greeting that came after a long pause, Yeosong asked innocently with a face that had brightened again. Anok slowly nodded. The child who pointed out the fact she wanted to deny was simply naively pure.

“My name is Song, and my courtesy name is Jeonghyeon.”

The child seemed to want to boast about the courtesy name his uncle had given him. His eyes, demanding admiration, were clear.

Although it had been less than a hundred days, the imperial palace had prepared everything to celebrate the birth of the first legitimate imperial grandchild born in thirty years.

Anok was a member of the inner palace who could not interfere in state affairs, but even she knew that the Ministry of Rites had proposed over ten names for the emperor’s first legitimate eldest son.

The problem was that the emperor had not approved any of them. Yeojaewon had not selected any name for the child.

“…It’s a good name. Who gave it to you?”

Even though she had heard the conversation outside, Anok asked as if she didn’t know. Then Yeosong glanced at his uncle and said with a lovely smile.

“My uncle gave it to me.”

If she had known that being reminded of this would be so painful, she wouldn’t have asked.

She clenched her hand hidden under her robe, desperately holding back the sorrow that threatened to burst out. Her forced smile must have looked unsightly and pathetic, so she slightly lowered her head and cast her eyes down.

“You are all here. I’m late because my conversation with the guest from my family home went long.”

An elegant, deep voice gently cut through the awkward atmosphere that was about to stiffen. After dealing with the guest who had come from her family, the Princess of Jeongang entered Dacheongheon.

Yeosong ran quickly, toddling, toward the most familiar face among the people surrounding him. After lightly stroking her son’s soft hair, the Princess of Jeongang casually asked if he had been any trouble.

Yeosong, who had been chattering about what he and his uncle had done, eventually pointed to Anok.

“…And I saw Aunt too!”

Feeling the Princess of Jeongang’s gaze finally turn to her as if it was only proper, Anok opened her mouth with a calm voice.

“I, Anok of the Seol family, wife of the King of Myeong, greet the Princess of Jeongang.”

“Please, there’s no need for such formalities, Queen of Myeong.”

It was said with a hint of laughter, so it didn’t feel very decisive. Anok slightly raised her bowed head and met her eyes.

In her previous life, perhaps due to her unstable position, the Princess of Jeongang, like Min Hwayeong, had been noticeably anxious. Moreover, after Anok had been called by the four consorts and suffered various humiliations, the princess seemed to distance herself, as if trying to avoid being entangled with Anok.

One couldn’t criticize that as bad. In the capital, especially as a member of the imperial family without a solid foundation of one’s own, it was best not to create any excuse to be involved with unstable elements. Therefore, Anok did not have clear likes or dislikes toward people like Min Hwayeong or the Princess of Jeongang.

The Princess of Jeongang naturally led the guests to the reception room of Dacheongheon.

“You seem unwell.”

As they followed behind the princess, who was busy telling the fast-walking Yeosong to be careful, Yeojaewon lowered his voice and spoke to her. Anok, who was walking beside him, only moved her eyes to give him a glance.

“Your complexion is pale.”

His gentle words continued, and then his hand suddenly reached into her sleeve. His large hand with prominent knuckles unclenched her fist, and finally, their palms touched.

“Your hands are cold, too.”

Their steps slowed somewhat. Her lips parted slightly, but no answer came out. Everything was so sudden she didn’t know what to say.

It wasn’t that her body was unwell; her mind was troubled. She wanted to separate the past from the present reality, but deep inside, the memory was vivid, like a wound that bled profusely just by being touched, causing her pain.

Now, just looking at Yeojaewon’s face brought back memories of the past. She was so distressed she wished someone would hit her head hard and erase all previous memories.

“…I’m fine.”

Even though she was not fine at all, Anok answered habitually.

Because Yeosong had run far ahead, the distance with the Princess of Jeongang’s group had increased further. Whether to avoid interrupting family time, the attending court ladies were silently following a little behind.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

The Days That Are Gone

Gender BenderPsychologicalSlice of Life

Read Now →
Not interested