Secret of the Red Lotus Flower (빨간 연꽃의 비밀)

Chapter 22

The sun had dried up the puddles by the time tea was over and the women left the north-west tearoom. While it meant there was no more danger of getting mud on her hanbok, the air was now more humid and Soo-yun felt the sweat run down her back. She could barely wait to get back to her rooms to cool down and process the new information she had learned.

Soo-yun politely bowed to the king's concubines as they left and gave Princess Chae-yeong a quick, but discrete hug when the other women's backs were turned. The older woman promised to come visit the palace more often now that she had a reason to. It had been years since Soo-yun had a matronly figure in her life and it made her miss her mother even more.

By the time Soo-yun and her court maids made it back to Donggung, she noticed a small commotion in the courtyard. There was a carriage and two small carts being loaded by servants that were steadily pouring in and out of the palace of the Crown Prince. Soo-yun grabbed the arm of a passing eunuch.

"What is going on here? Is the Crown Prince going somewhere?" she asked.

"My apologies, your Royal Highness," the eunuch replied, bowing deeply. "The Crown Prince said that he wanted to explain everything himself and that we should inform you that he is waiting inside."

Soo-yun thanked the servant and climbed the steps into the Crown Prince's home, leaving Yeo-jin and the other servants behind. She still hadn't gotten used to the idea that this was her home as well. Her husband was still a complete stranger to her and her rooms unfamiliar.

Passing the Crown Prince's quarters, Soo-yun saw that her husband was not in his rooms as a pair of eunuchs carried out a large chest. She was briefly confused as to where he might be when she heard talking further down the hall. Turning the corner, the young woman saw the Crown Prince standing there with four eunuchs and telling them of things he needed packed up from his study. They are dismissed once Ha-neul saw Soo-yun.

"What is going on here, husband?" Soo-yun asked. Between Seung-wan's revelations and this chaos that awaited her when she returned, she struggled to keep the irritation from her voice.

"Perhaps we can have this conversation inside your quarters, wife," Ha-neul shot back. Soo-yun gritted her teeth in frustration. Ha-neul has talked about finding common ground, then proceeded to avoid her for the last three days, and now this. "It would be best if we continued somewhere more private."

"I'm surprised you didn't go inside already to wait for my return. Wouldn't be out of character for you at this point."

"You're right. I have not been treating you fairly. After telling you that you were not allowed in my quarters without permission, I felt you deserved the same rights. That is why I decided to wait out here until you got back."

Soo-yun felt her resolve soften and hated herself for it. She wanted to match the 'Stone Prince' in intractability but found she didn't have it in her, especially after that admission. She was used to men telling her what they wanted with no thought of desires but, unlike them, the Crown Prince was at least respecting some boundaries.

"Fine. You can tell me what it is you need to say inside." Soo-yun sighed. She hoped she wasn't making a mistake.

As the two entered, Soo-yun realized how stark and barren her room was. The court maids had already put away all of her clothes and jewelry in the closets and dressers. She had been too preoccupied with waiting for the Crown Prince to come continue their talk from the night of the banquet to do any decorating. The only things she had out was the inkstone, brushes and blank papers on her sitting desk. At least the empty boxes had been removed by the servants.