Chapter 19
That night, when Yoo Hanshin stormed into the Secondary House, his concubine, who had rushed out to greet him in her socks, was taken aback.
It was a rare sight to see the man who usually wore a beaming, foolish smile whenever he sought her out now fuming with such rage. She sensed immediately that this was no trivial matter. She, too, lived in constant anxiety, terrified of losing Yoo Hanshin’s favor. If he could discard his legitimate wife, what was to stop him from discarding a concubine?
Having already borne him a son as sturdy as a toad, being cast aside now would mean the end of everything. Thus, she struggled every moment to keep a firm grip on Yoo Hanshin’s affection. Fortunately, her efforts had paid off until now.
But what was this?
Even as he stood before her, the anger on Yoo Hanshin’s face showed no signs of fading. The concubine felt a surge of tension, wondering why he was like this and if she had perhaps done something wrong.
"My husband, what is the matter? You look terribly unwell."
As she leaned in with her lovely face and asked in a soft, melodic voice, the fury on Yoo Hanshin’s face finally subsided just a little.
It seemed his affection for her was still intact today. It was a relief that made her feel as though she had escaped a brush with death.
"Hwacheon, that girl...!"
Hanshin was startled by the sound of his own voice and whipped his head around, his neck cracking as he scanned the surroundings.
At the mention of Hwacheon’s name, the concubine wore a look of displeasure, wondering what kind of trouble that insolent girl had caused this time. Hanshin lowered his voice as much as he could and continued in a hushed tone.
"Yoo Hwacheon, that girl gave me a humiliating dressing-down in front of Prince Hye."
"In front of Prince Hye? How did you even run into him?"
"I went to the Imperial Palace to see the Emperor and happened to cross paths with them. I asked the Prince to come to my estate for a cup of tea, but Hwacheon—that girl—flatly refused, saying she didn't want to!"
At those words, the concubine feigned even greater anger, throwing a fit.
"How dare she? She gets married off and now she looks down even on her own father? Though, she treated you with such disdain even before she was married. Now that you can’t even discipline her, how are we to bear this injustice?"
With that, she led Hanshin into the room, acting with all the charm she could muster. Just then, Hwaryeong opened the door and ran to her father, delighted to see him.
Hanshin affectionately stroked the back of Hwaryeong’s head as she nestled into his arms. She was a daughter of a concubine, yet she was lovely no matter how many times he looked at her.
On the other hand, his legitimate daughter—that girl—already treated her father like a subordinate just because she had married into royalty, and his blood boiled so much he could hardly stand it. If only she were as gentle and charming as Hwaryeong.
With a heart so venomous and cunning, who knew if she could even serve her husband properly? Before long, Prince Hye would surely see Hwacheon’s true colors and lose all affection for her.
"Hwaryeong, your half-sister has humiliated your father in front of Prince Hye."
As soon as her half-sister was mentioned, Hwaryeong shuddered, her shoulders trembling in distress. The image of Hwacheon glaring at her with wide, piercing eyes, radiating a murderous intent as if she would kill her, flashed through her mind.
"S-sister... no, the Lady?"
Yoo Hanshin flew into a rage at the title "Lady."
"What do you mean, 'Lady'! You share the same blood, even if the mothers are different! She is not a Lady, she is your sister! Your sister!"
"But... she told me not to call her that... She told me to know my place..."
As Hwaryeong choked on her words, tears welling in her eyes, Yoo Hanshin’s heart ached.
Seeing his poor daughter of a concubine suffering under the harsh oppression of his legitimate daughter, he felt as though he wanted to wring the legitimate daughter’s neck right then and there.
He should have made Hwaryeong’s mother his primary wife from the start. But if he had, the Yoo Clan would have risen up in arms, asking how he could dare bring a lowly entertainer into the position of the primary wife.
Now that Yoo Hanshin was the head of the family, there was no one to stop him from doing as he pleased, but things were different back then. Thus, Hanshin had been making plans to elevate Hwaryeong’s mother to the position of primary wife as soon as Hwacheon’s mother died.
Of course, Hwacheon would throw a tantrum, but what power did a married-off daughter have?
Even if she were the Princess of Yeong and a future Empress, she had no right to interfere in the affairs of another family as she pleased.
In his heart, Hanshin wished for his legitimate wife to die as soon as possible. It was only because of the years she had spent in devotion that he hadn't openly poisoned her or cast a curse upon her.
Regardless, once Hwacheon’s mother breathed her last, he would be able to enjoy a paradise on earth. Hwaryeong’s mother, who had been despised as a mere concubine, and her children would finally be able to stand tall.
Just imagining it made him feel so refreshed that even the water he drank tasted sweet.
"Your place is not that of a mere daughter of a concubine, but the daughter of the Left State Councilor, Yoo Hanshin! You were born the daughter of a high-ranking official, so what nonsense is this about 'knowing your place'? The problem is that crazy girl who spews such madness, so why are you losing heart?"
Yoo Hanshin pulled his daughter into a tight embrace. The way Hwaryeong sobbed in his arms tore his heart to shreds.
Hwacheon and Hwaryeong—they were both his own flesh and blood, so how could they be so different?
As of today, Yoo Hanshin discarded even the last shred of affection he had for Hwacheon. He intended to treat her as a complete stranger from now on.
Even after marriage, one usually misses their maiden home, but he would see how well she fared without the help of her family.
Just then, the concubine spoke up.
"How should we resolve this resentment? I cannot live with this injustice, my husband! You know how much that young thing has looked down on us and ignored us every time she saw us!"
He knew it well. He knew how much the headstrong Hwacheon had troubled the mother and daughter.
While Hwacheon’s mother remained quiet and submissive, why did her daughter have to be so overbearing? Hanshin felt the urge to slap Hwacheon across the face just as he had in the past.
"The night air is cold; let us go inside first."
The three of them entered the inner room.
There, Hanshin’s son, Yoo Hwajun, was reading a book. At the sight of his brilliant son, joy welled up in Hanshin’s heart.
The children of his concubine were so comforting to his heart, so why was his deranged legitimate daughter the way she was?
It seemed it was all because her mother had spoiled her too much.
It was all Hwacheon’s mother’s fault. A stupid, boring woman who had no merits other than being kind. Hanshin clicked his tongue in his mind.
"Oh, my eldest son. Were you reading? How commendable."
"You have arrived, Father."
As he approached with praise, Hwajun closed his book and bowed to his father. Politeness was ingrained in him.
Hanshin was so delighted by his son’s charm that he kissed his soft cheeks repeatedly. Hwajun burst into giggles at his father’s playful display of affection.
On the surface, it was a truly harmonious family.
The four of them put their heads together to plot how to humble Hwacheon, but they couldn't easily find an answer. Was she not the noble Princess of Yeong who had married into the Prince’s Estate?
Before she was married, he could have at least laid a hand on her, but now, he could barely even see her face.
He couldn't play any tricks on her if he couldn't meet her, and the lack of any point of contact only made his blood boil.
Just then, the concubine clapped her hands and made a suggestion.
"We should send Hwaryeong to the Prince’s Estate. Our Hwaryeong is dazzlingly beautiful, so she will surely capture the Prince’s heart in an instant."
Hanshin shook his head.
"How do you expect to marry Hwaryeong off to Prince Hye? From what I see, the Prince seems to cherish Hwacheon quite a bit. Hwacheon won't give us an opening, so you should abandon that dream."
"I don't mean marrying her off right away! That is the long-term goal, but for now, we should send her under the guise of running an errand. Until Hwaryeong and the Prince cross paths."
"An errand, you say?"
"Yes! If Hwaryeong goes under the pretext of bringing rice cakes or sweets to her half-sister, that is a perfectly reasonable excuse. If the Prince isn't there, we will seek him out."
She continued, her voice filled with excitement.
"Just wait until Hwaryeong runs into the Prince. Do you think he could resist falling for such a beauty? Where else in the capital is there a face like hers!"
Hwaryeong blushed, looking shy.
"In any case, as a daughter of a concubine, it would be difficult for her to secure a position as a primary wife unless it's into a mediocre family, so it is a hundred times better to become a concubine to the man who will be Emperor. A concubine to the Emperor is called a Royal Consort, so the status is entirely different, isn't it? Tell me, Hwaryeong, don't you think so too?"
The concubine grabbed her daughter Hwaryeong’s hands and danced with joy.
Hanshin pondered for a moment before concluding that if Hwaryeong entered the Prince’s Estate, it would both spite Hwacheon and open a bright future for Hwaryeong.
Even in his eyes, his daughter’s beauty was outstanding. He was certain that if she just showed her face once, Prince Hye would have no choice but to lose his heart to her.
Of course, that was merely the blind conviction of a father who only saw the greatness in his own child.
"Hwaryeong, are you truly alright with this?"
Although he had already reached a conclusion in his mind, his precious daughter’s thoughts might be different. He had to ask for her consent.
He never wanted to do anything that Hwaryeong disliked.
"I am fine with it. If I marry into the Prince’s Estate, I will be able to be a source of strength for you, Father."
Oh, what a lovely child. Hanshin smiled until his mouth felt like it would split. His cheekbones rose like waves.
"Yes, if he doesn't fall for our beautiful Hwaryeong’s charms, then Prince Hye must be a eunuch."
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