Chapter 66: Splendor and Shadows

4. No Flower Stays Red for Ten Days

The sheer grandeur and opulence of Damyeon Palace were in no way inferior to Gyoeong Palace. Yet while Gyoeong Palace exuded a clean, noble elegance, Damyeon Palace was draped in eye-catching, extravagant luxuries akin to a peony in full bloom.

Sa Eun-hyeon wore a robe made of silk as brilliant blue as kingfisher feathers, embroidered at the hem with yellow peonies. On this day, his hair was bound only halfway, lightly adorned with a single long golden hairpin.

Knowing full well the true face concealed behind that scholarly, dignified veneer, Anok found Sa Eun-hyeon’s refined smile anything but welcome.

Moreover, his gaze clung with stubborn intensity to the teal silk wrapped around Anok’s neck. He made no effort to check or conceal his piercing stare.

Offering Anok a seat directly across from him, Sa Eun-hyeon used the tea utensils arranged before him to begin steeping tea by hand.

“It seems the rumors of harmonious affection between the Prince of Myeong and his consort are indeed true.”

Had this been the Anok of old, he would have sputtered in startled confusion. But before Sa Eun-hyeon, he remained perfectly calm.

When Anok offered no answer, Sa Eun-hyeon gestured with his eyes toward the silk binding his neck. Though he did not put it into words, the subtle implication that it was meant to hide intimate marks felt like outright mockery. Anok furrowed his brows slightly in apparent discomfiture before letting out a soft, amused laugh.

“Ah……”

As Anok feigned helplessness, Sa Eun-hyeon grew visibly emboldened, letting his tongue wag once more.

“Is there some unspoken predicament? I, too, entered the imperial family as a man bearing the body of an eumin. You need not feel awkward—speak freely.”

Seven years ago, how naively had the true twenty-year-old Anok—knowing nothing of the world—fallen for those very words? He had felt a foolish sense of kinship, believing they had grown close, only to be subjected to harsh humiliation on the pretext of committing an impiety.

Anok cast his eyes downward as if genuinely agonizing over a dilemma, carefully selecting his words before speaking. A flash of anticipation flickered across Sa Eun-hyeon’s face, like a predator eyeing its prey.

“It seems Your Highness Noble Consort must have suffered quite a few unspoken difficulties upon entering the imperial household as a man with the body of an eumin.”

Sa Eun-hyeon’s eyes sharpened instantly. A moment later, his lips curled into a smooth, lopsided smirk—an uneven yet strikingly captivating sneer. Indeed, it was understandable how the Emperor had fallen in love at first sight, pulling the Prime Minister’s favored youth into the inner court.

“That cold, rational Prince of Myeong must truly dote upon his consort.”

“Why should His Highness have any reason to mistreat me?”

“And is that why you reported Court Lady Jo’s matter to Gyoeong Palace on his behalf?”

Sa Eun-hyeon did not beat around the bush regarding his true motive for summoning Anok. Having gauged Anok’s hostile demeanor, he had evidently calculated that maintaining even a facade of harmony was out of the question.

In truth, Anok had long known that Sa Eun-hyeon called him here to press him over Court Lady Jo. There simply had been no suitable opportunity until now.

For Sa Eun-hyeon—who shared no prior connection with him—to suddenly summon the Consort of Myeong would appear suspicious to anyone. However, an official invitation to the Archery Society had been dispatched to Anok, and he had agreed to attend. Even the Empress was aware of this.

It was merely that Yeo Jae-won had passed the Emperor’s jade medallion to Anok, prompting his entry into the palace to pay formal respects as consort—providing the perfect pretext to summon him at last. It was an encounter that was bound to happen eventually.

Though startled by the sharp, needle-like voice, Anok did not back down.

“Court Lady Jo confessed that Damyeon Palace was the mastermind behind her actions.”

“And do you intend to use that as leverage to intimidate me?”

The tea poured a clear, vivid green. Quietly setting the fine white porcelain cup before Anok, Sa Eun-hyeon raised a single eyebrow. His well-groomed, distinct eyebrows shifted with heavy malice.

“Intimidate, you say……”

Clasping the warm teacup in his hands, Anok let out a soft chuckle. The upward curve of his lips formed a gentle smile—so mild that an onlooker might mistake it for genuine amusement rather than a contemptuous smirk.

“It seems it never crossed your mind that I was offering you an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?”

“An opportunity to repent and reflect on your actions.”

At that moment, Sa Eun-hyeon burst into loud laughter, slamming his palm against the table. It was not genuine laughter, but rather a performative display to mask his mounting irritation. Yet Anok did not so much as blink.

How could a mere twenty-year-old prince’s consort—someone I viewed as completely insignificant—act with such reckless arrogance? Sa Eun-hyeon’s inner thoughts were plain as day.

Only now did Anok finally grasp the truth, late as it was: the reason Sa Eun-hyeon had sent medicine to mess with his heat cycle the moment he arrived in the capital, tormenting him relentlessly.

What Sa Eun-hyeon felt toward him was an inferiority complex. His mood had likely turned sour the moment he heard Anok had stopped by Gyoeong Palace first. No matter how much Sa Eun-hyeon clawed his way up, he was merely an imperial consort—forever destined to play second fiddle to the Empress of the main palace.

Anok calmly lowered the hand clasping the teacup beneath the table.

“Please drink. This is tea I steeped with great devotion—why will you not even sample a taste?”

“Who knows what you might have mixed into it?”

“If you drink it, you will see. That nothing was added.”

“Is it poison this time?”

“Consort of Myeong.”

Seeing Anok shrug his shoulders and speak so casually, Sa Eun-hyeon seemed genuinely incensed. Yet his long-standing habits formed within the imperial court held back his every impulse. Even as he watched Sa Eun-hyeon raise his own cup to drink, Anok did not lift a single finger.

“Ah, I received the invitation to the Archery Society with gratitude.”

Though sent by the Master of Jeongan Palace, the invitation would never have reached the Prince of Myeong’s residence without Sa Eun-hyeon’s personal approval. At Anok’s brief acknowledgement, Sa Eun-hyeon forced down his displeasure, offering a curt nod.

“If Your Highness has nothing further to say, I shall take my leave.”

“Consort of Myeong. No matter how beautiful and brilliant a flower may be, no flower stays red for more than ten days.”

It was a warning. Sa Eun-hyeon undoubtedly meant that the Prince of Myeong’s favor would not last forever, but to Anok, it was simply laughable.

Neither in the past nor in the present had there ever been a rival for Yeo Jae-won’s favor. While the prince now wore his emotions on his sleeve, the Yeo Jae-won of the past was a man who rarely showed that his affection belonged to anyone. That applied not only to love, but to his trust in his ministers as well.

Besides, Anok no longer desired Yeo Jae-won’s affection. Moreover, hearing such words from someone who had enjoyed a single person’s absolute favor for years was so absurd that Anok could not suppress a smirk, covering his mouth with his hand.

“I shall keep your words in mind. I take my leave.”

Though he could see the paper-thin wall of Sa Eun-hyeon’s feigned composure crumbling into dust, Anok paid it no mind, bowing courteously according to court etiquette before turning away.

Leaving Damyeon Palace behind, he could not hold back a deep breath of relief. Believing he was exhaling due to lingering tension, Eunuch Im asked if anything had transpired, but Anok merely shook his head.

“I ought to stop by the laundry bureau to see Court Lady Jo briefly before we leave.”

“I shall guide you, Your Highness.”

Thoroughly familiar with the palace grounds after years of service, Eunuch Im led the way.

Facing Sa Eun-hyeon, Anok felt as though he had turned into an entirely different person. He was amazed at himself for speaking so boldly before such a formidable opponent.

Was it because venting his hidden feelings before Yeo Jae-won the other day had served as a dress rehearsal? He had managed to confront Noble Consort Sa with far more composure and ease than expected.

Of course, this was merely the beginning. Thinking of the countless tea gatherings to come made his head spin. Furthermore, what was he to do about the Archery Society? Accepting the invitation out of reluctance to refuse the Master of Jeongan Palace to her face was easily one of the worst decisions he had made in this life.

To attend the society’s gatherings, he needed a basic command of archery, yet his foundational skills were abysmal. Asking Yeo Jae-won to arrange a tutor meant approaching him directly—a thought he found deeply reluctant to entertain.

“This servant pays respects to Her Highness the Consort of Myeong.”

Unlike before, Court Lady Jo kept her head bowed deeply, kneeling before Anok like a condemned criminal. Since he had not even expected this level of submission, Anok signaled Eunuch Im to quickly assist her to her feet.

“You will be reassigned to Sain Pavilion shortly.”

“Pardon? Sain Pavilion…… Do you mean Sain Pavilion of Damyeon Palace?”

Not only had she never anticipated Anok coming to find her, but hearing that she was being pulled out of the laundry bureau caused Court Lady Jo to snap her head up in utter shock. Though Eunuch Im promptly gave her a warning glare, forcing her to bow her head once more, her sheer bewilderment at Anok’s intentions remained glaringly evident.

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