"Why do I have to find an Empress if I can do handle it by myself?"
For the nineteen girls, they have to take any opportunities to escape the life laid out for them. To be swept up in a world of glittering hanfus and priceless ornaments. To live in...
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Ryujin's POV
Palace of Great Benevolence, Forbidden City January 3, 1745
Wʜᴇɴ I ᴡᴏᴋᴇ up the next morning, my eyelids felt heavy. As I rubbed the tiny ache out of them, I felt glad that I'd told Yeonjun everything. It seemed so funny that the palace—the beautiful cage—was the one place I could actually let myself be open about everything I'd been feeling.
Yeonjun's heartfelt promise settled in during the night, and I felt sure that I'd be safe here. I won't have to worry that I'll be eliminated out of the blue, of course, I won't be careless there's another way to eliminate me. Poisoning, *Marrying my face, and underhanded schemes. This whole process of Yeonjun whittling down nineteen women to one was going to take weeks, maybe months. I couldn't be sure I'd ever get over Junkyu's death. I'd heard Yuna talk about your first love is the one that sticks with you. But maybe I'd be able to just feel normal sooner rather than later.
Nakyung and Yuna didn't ask about my puffy eyes, they just made them less swollen. They didn't question my mess of hair, they just smoothed it. And I appreciate that. It wasn't like home, where everyone saw that I was sad and didn't do anything about it except for Yuna. Here I could feel that they were all worried about me and whatever it was I was going through. In response, they handled me with extreme care as if I'm a priceless porcelain jar.
By mid-morning, I was ready to start my day. It was Saturday, so there was no routine or schedule. I got to wear my new hanbok for the first time.
I went outside slowly, a little tired from a late night. Before I even got to the courtyard, I heard the buzz of talking girls, and when I walked in. Pinky grabbed me and pulled me toward two chairs in the back of the room.
"There you are! I've been waiting for you, "she said.
"Sorry, Jie'er. I had a long night and slept in."
She turned to look at me, probably noting the leftover sadness in my voice, but sweetly decided to ask what I was wearing. "Those look fantastic. Is this what you wear daily in your country? I envy you."
"Yes, " I said matter-of-factly proud of my country's clothes.
I saw Pinky paused for a second as if something clicked in her mind. "You lost the bet right? How did you acquire that?" She pointed at my clothes.
"Oh, when I returned after our date it was already in my room."
"He let you have the hanbok anyway?" She asked.
"Yeah. He was very generous about it all."
"I think it's charming that he's a good winner."
"He is a good winner. He's even gracious when he's gotten the raw end of things." Like a knee to the royal jewels, for example.
