Secret of the Red Lotus Flower (빨간 연꽃의 비밀)

Chapter 9

Soo-yun stumbled back and bumped into the wall as she stared at her new husband and the raven-haired beauty in his arms. When she left her rooms to go to her husband's bedchamber, many different scenarios had played out through Soo-yun's head. The sight before her was one she would never have thought possible.

The pair must have heard her because Ha-neul turned his head to look at Soo-yun while the court maid cast her gaze downward. The Crown Prince let go of the other woman and slowly stalked across the room towards Soo-yun. She tried to shrink further away from her husband but the wall prevented her from moving anymore backwards.

"What are you doing here?" her husband asked, resting one arm casually on the open door frame. He was acting as if Soo-yun interrupted him in the middle of a midday tea instead of an illicit tryst.

"I- You- We-" Soo-yun faltered. Her mind was still trying to process what was before her eyes with the person she had spent two months privately getting to know. "It's our nuptial night..."

"And if I wanted to spend tonight with you, I would have told you," Ha-neul scoffed.

Soo-yun scanned the Crown Prince's face, looking for some inkling of understanding that could explain this drastic change in his demeanor. However, the look he gave her was so cold. No, not cold. Emotionless. No disdain, disgust, or pity. His face reminded her of a blank mask.

The young bride glanced over her husband's shoulder at the taller woman that occupied his bedchambers. Between the shadows in the room and court maid's bowed head, Soo-yun couldn't get a clear look at her. However, even the flickering lantern light couldn't completely hide the woman's beauty. The other woman's profile made it clear that she was more curvaceous than Soo-yun and she couldn't help but wonder if that what her husband liked. She experienced the familiar sense of imperfection bubbling up within her.

"If that is all, I will see you tomorrow," the Crown Prince said. He slid the door shut again before Soo-yun could reply. Through the paper hanji panels of the door, she could see the silhouette of her husband embracing the court maid again.

All sense of determination and thoughts of creating a true marriage that had spurred her to come here this late at night fled Soo-yun's mind. She found herself unconsciously taking slow stumbling steps that soon turned into a full sprint to get as far away from Ha-neul and his bedchamber as possible.

Once she was safely back in her rooms and had closed the doors behind her, Soo-yun flung herself onto the bed. She lay on top of the finery that Yeo-jin had placed there and curled up into ball, not caring if she wrinkled or crumpled them. She began to sob again as she finally let out all of the pent-up hurt out. She had thought that she had run out of tears the previous night but the hot wet trail running down her cheeks told her otherwise.

It would be a while before, completely drained, she finally started to drift off. As sleep overtook her, she irrationally wished she was back at her father's home. At least the pain she experience there was familiar compared this new agony growing in her chest.

* * *

The Crown Prince and the court maid held their embrace as they listened to Soo-yun flee from the bedchambers. Once the sound of the Crown Princess's footsteps faded and all that remained was their own breathing, the two disengaged and moved to opposite sides of the room. Ha-neul poured a cup of cheongju rice wine while the other woman picked up the dark jade dangui jacket that had been hastily discarded in the corner.

"Was that really necessary, your Royal Highness?" the court maid asked as she slipped the jacket back on and tied the straps firmly in place.