Chapter 3
“What are you talking about? Becoming a royal concubine!”
“You know perfectly well why, so why act like this?”
“I’m not acting. I don’t know! I already have someone I’ve promised to marry….”
Ah, right. This is a game, so does that even matter?
As she hesitated for a moment, Som shoved Danbi into the palanquin.
“W-wait! Even if it’s a game, this is too much. You have to give me time to prepare myself mentally!”
Inside the palanquin, Danbi crossed her arms and racked her brain.
Let’s get this straight. This is a game, and I’m on my way to marry the King here?
She stroked her chin, lost in thought. If she refused, she wouldn’t be able to clear the quest, but if she married him….
Danbi suddenly looked at her left hand. The wedding ring she used to wear on her ring finger was gone.
“Fine, it’s just a game anyway.”
“This should cover the bill for today, right?”
“...You jerk.”
***
When she stepped out of the palanquin, a sight she had never seen before unfolded before her eyes. Court ladies dressed in traditional attire stood in two neat rows on either side, bowing in unison.
“We greet the Lady who has received the royal decree as a Sook-won of the fourth senior rank.”
Dozens of voices overlapped and echoed as one. Soon, a court lady in blue robes approached and bowed respectfully.
“I am Court Lady So, who has been ordered by His Majesty to serve you, Lady Sook-won.”
Danbi scanned her from head to toe. Judging by the looks of it, is she the highest-ranking person here?
“I shall serve you with all my heart from now on.”
“Oh, thank you.”
Danbi bowed her head in return, mimicking her. The court ladies standing in line looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
What? Is that not the right thing to do?
“Lady, you must get used to having subordinates. Please do not bow your head so easily.”
“Ah, I see.”
As she corrected herself, the court lady smiled faintly.
“Then, I shall escort you to the Small Palace first.”
Danbi followed behind Court Lady So. With every step, the rustling sound of silk tickled her ears.
Thump, thump.
Her heart fluttered with excitement. It felt as if the world of the RPG game she had only ever seen through a monitor had become reality.
Before long, Court Lady So stopped in front of a small gate. As if on cue, two court ladies following behind carefully opened the doors.
Danbi stepped inside slowly.
“Don’t tell me this is….”
An exclamation burst out of her.
It was a cozy palace where red roof tiles and white walls blended beautifully.
The sound of a wind chime hanging from the eaves rang out clearly, and the colorful flowers surrounding the palace made it look even more radiant.
“This is the residence where you will be staying from now on.”
Court Lady So and the other court ladies bowed in unison.
Danbi looked around with an enchanted expression.
Beside a small pond, she saw a large apple tree. She walked straight over, picked an apple, and took a bite.
“Mmm, delicious! This tastes even better than the real thing!”
Court Lady So bowed her head even lower.
“Everything here is now yours, Lady. Please, do as you wish.”
Just then, a blue window appeared in the air.
「Sub-quest completed.
An item is provided as a reward.
Please check the box.」
“...An item?”
If she remembered correctly, the last sub-quest was definitely ‘Enter the Palace.’ And she had just entered the Small Palace following Court Lady So’s guidance a moment ago.
The reward was given as soon as she cleared the quest according to the game’s instructions.
But the problem was that it didn’t specify what the item was.
In the end, after two hours of calling over the palace staff and turning every box in the palace upside down, Danbi finally found a suspicious box in a corner.
“Found it!”
“Oh, where? What is it, My Lady?”
Danbi gestured to Som, who had approached her. There sat a box with a beautiful blue pattern engraved on a white background.
Danbi reached out slowly with a face full of anticipation. Then, a round blue light burst out around the box.
「Item Discovered」
The text appeared before her eyes. At the same time, with a click, the box opened.
Inside was something covered in floral patterns.
“What is this?”
Danbi held the long object in her hand and pulled gently on both sides. The scabbard opened to reveal a small dagger.
“Is this really the reward item?”
“Wow, it’s pretty! Was a dagger what you were looking for?”
“What good is it if it’s pretty? I have no use for it.”
Danbi put the sword back into the scabbard and tossed it onto the floor.
“Som, aren’t you being a bit too much?”
“Yes? What did I….”
“Whether it’s a game or reality, money is king! What am I supposed to do with this as a reward? It’s not like this is some hunter-themed game; where am I supposed to use this?”
While she was bickering with Som, Court Lady So approached her side.
“Lady, you must prepare yourself soon.”
“Prepare for what?”
“His Majesty the King is waiting for you.”
At the same time, a blue window popped up in the air.
「A new sub-quest has arrived.
─Audience」
***
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady. I am Eunuch Yoon.”
Danbi cast her gaze over the shoulder of the man dressed in green robes.
Eaves that soared as if to pierce the sky and dancheong patterns embroidered with gold.
A palace, far more magnificent than the Small Palace, unfolded before her eyes.
As if noticing her gaze, Eunuch Yoon bowed deeply.
“His Majesty is still attending to state affairs.”
“T-then, I’ll come back another time….”
Danbi smiled brightly, seizing the opportunity.
But just as she was about to turn around, Eunuch Yoon’s voice drifted over again.
“He has ordered to see you shortly, so please enter the bedchamber first.”
Leaving him to lead the way, Danbi looked back at Som with a worried expression.
But the oblivious Som just clenched her fists and whispered, “Good luck!” with her lips.
Danbi let out a heavy sigh and followed behind Eunuch Yoon.
The interior of the palace was far more dazzling than the exterior.
The intricate patterns carved into every wall seemed to squirm as if alive under the candlelight, and the air was filled with a thick, subtle scent of sandalwood.
‘Did they spend the entire budget just on the background graphics?’
After passing through several layers of doors, Eunuch Yoon finally stopped at the end of the hallway.
Then, the eunuchs guarding both sides of the door opened it silently, as if by agreement.
Eunuch Yoon stepped aside and bowed. Danbi followed his gesture and stepped inside slowly.
“Please wait for a moment.”
At the same time, the door closed.
Fortunately, there was no one else around. Danbi bit her nails and paced around the room.
“Ha, I managed to get here somehow, but….”
As she turned her eyes, she saw red flower petals scattered all over the snow-white bed. Unable to bear the sight of its splendor, she squeezed her eyes shut.
“This is way more intense than I thought! Don’t tell me, for real…!”
Danbi ruffled her hair with both hands.
Just then, her right hand touched the soft texture of silk. It was a red ribbon tied around her long hair.
Suddenly, she snapped to her senses.
“Even if it’s a game, this isn’t right.”
Danbi strode toward the door. Just as she was about to grab the handle, the door was flung open violently from the outside.
“Ack!”
With a thud, as if she had hit a solid wall, her body was pushed back.
Before she could even clutch her stinging nose, Eunuch Yoon’s low voice filled the room.
“His Majesty the King has arrived.”
Danbi lifted her head while holding her reddened nose. A familiar face came into view.
Sharp, cool eyes shining beneath thick eyebrows. A straight nose bridge and the neat lips beneath it.
“Hyun…?”
As she called his name as if bewitched, the man standing in front of her twitched his eyebrows.
“You are Hyun, right! What is this, you were the King?”
Danbi burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. The court ladies and Eunuch Yoon standing behind him widened their eyes in shock.
“Hey, even a jerk like you is strangely nice to see here.”
Danbi tapped the man’s shoulder lightly with her hand.
The red dragon robe, typically worn by kings in historical dramas, sat perfectly on his broad shoulders.
“Wow, you look great in that outfit! So all that desperate working out didn’t go to waste, huh?”
She put her hands on her waist and nodded vigorously.
“No, wait. It’s Som who’s amazing for perfectly recreating reality, yes.”
Eunuch Yoon stepped forward as if to say something. Then, the man in front blocked him with his hand.
“Get out.”
“But, Your Majesty…!”
“I said get out.”
The man’s heavy voice cut through the thick air. Eunuch Yoon and the other palace staff had no choice but to close the door and leave.
Before she knew it, only Danbi and the man were left in the room.
He narrowed his eyes and looked down at Danbi.
“It seems you know me quite well.”
“How could I not? We stuck together for eight years, even if it was exhausting.”
“Eight years…?”
As Danbi answered nonchalantly, the man frowned.
“I am seeing you for the first time. How do you know me?”
“What? ‘You’?”
Pfft, Danbi covered her mouth with her hand.
But the laughter that burst out from between her fingers had already echoed through the room.
“...Are you laughing?”
The man bit his lower lip. He reached out and grabbed her arm roughly.
Pulled by his great strength, Danbi fell somewhere before she knew it. When she opened her eyes, she was already on the bed.
A familiar face was right in front of her nose.
However, it was a little different from usual. The eyes that were always indifferent were now burning with fire.
He tilted one corner of his mouth.
“They said you were the daughter of that wily Prime Minister, but unlike what I thought, you’re quite transparent. How long has it been since we met, and just how much do you intend to show me?”
Danbi lowered her head, following his gaze. She saw her clothes disheveled over her chest.
“N-no, why is this…!”
She quickly pulled her collar together.
When she looked up, she met a strange, slyly smiling gaze. Goosebumps rose on her back.
What is this, this fox-like jerk? Is he really Hyun?
Before she knew it, his face began to get closer. Danbi turned her head in a hurry and stammered.
“W-wait…!”
He didn’t stop. As she squeezed her eyes shut, their lips drew closer and closer.
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