FIB Ch 3 part 2

PR by neji

After waking up, she’d wash and get dressed with Yeori’s assistance.

Whenever she received her freshly washed clothes, one or two would always come back torn. Unlike Yeori’s angry reaction, MoonWon remained calm. Instead of throwing away the ruined clothes, she gathered them in one place.

Other than the occasional rocks in her rice or the ruined pieces of clothing, her life now was a lot more comfortable than the life she had lived before her marriage.

“Are you going to visit the library?”

“Yeah.”

“Give them to me. I’ll take them back.”

When Yeori moved to take the armful of books from her, MoonWon shook her head. One of the only things that she could appreciate after having gotten married was that she could read as many books as she wanted in the library.

Despite his cold, terrifying appearance, she heard that he had personally put a lot of effort into expanding the library. It was as large and as well cared-for as the imperial library in the Palace.

“This is the only way I can get some sun anyway.”

“Then let me go with you. It doesn’t sit well with me that you’re going around the residence all by yourself.”

Last time they had gone out of their residence for a stroll, they overheard a group of female servants bathmouthing MoonWon. MoonWon barely managed to hold back Yeori, who was getting ready to fight them. MoonWon quietly dragged her back to their residence. Ever since then, Yeori was itching to get back out there.

“What do you think is going to happen to me here? I’ll go by myself.”

“But…”

“Can you clean up the room while I’m gone? There are mountains of things that need to be straightened up.”

MoonWon was very simple and tidy, so there wasn’t anything to clean. However, knowing that MoonWon was only using it as an excuse to keep her here, Yeori couldn’t utter another word of protest.

Whenever they left their residence, they would hear ugly rumors drifting around, and Yeori didn’t feel good knowing that MoonWon would be hearing them again.

“I’ll be back soon.”

After glancing at teary-eyed Yeori, MoonWon left her residence.

As her long skirts stretched out behind her, MoonWon grasped them and let out a frustrated sigh. She still felt uncomfortable, and it didn’t look like she was going to grow accustomed to this anytime soon.

It felt like a thorn was lodged in her throat and wasn’t going away.

If it weren’t for the duties she had to fulfill, she would have just tossed everything out the window and walked out the door.

“You saw a man enter the residence?”

“That’s what I said. She acts all quiet and docile, but the things she does are so disgusting. The sounds were so vulgar that I ended up running out of there.”

“I heard a rumor that she was forced to marry the Master by Imperial decree. It looks like that was true after all. Who knows? She could have seduced other men and lured them into her room.”

After MoonWon’s meeting with Consort Yu, the only one who entered her residence was Yeori. So what man were they talking about? And what kind of moans could they have possibly heard?

Her hands trembled, and she could hardly breathe, but she clenched her fists and suppressed her anger.

Live as if you aren’t here. She needed to suppress her presence even more.

“I also heard that she became the Crown Princess without going through the selection process. Don’t you think it’s because she bewitched the Crown Prince as well?”

“You never know. Judging from how her parents turned out, don’t you think they could have secured that spot for her so that she could bewitch the Crown Prince? Ohohoho.”

“I’ve never had my spot secured nor have I bewitched His Highness. And I’ve never accepted a man into my room.”

When they heard the steady voice, the female servants’ gossiping came to a halt. Unlike the terrified looks on their faces, MoonWon’s face was as calm as always. 

She could handle baseless rumors and insults thrown at her.

Even if she stepped up now, it wouldn’t change the fact that her mother had been a notorious bully and her father had become blinded by power. 

However, to MoonWon, they were parents who had shown her nothing but love. She had never done anything to direct such insults towards her parents.

“M-Mistress, this isn’t…”

“If I did bring a man into my residence, don’t gossip around like this. Go and tell the Master directly. If I have truly committed adultery, then I must be punished accordingly. However! By slandering me without any proof, aren’t you also insulting the Master as he was the one who brought me here in the first place?”

“We wouldn’t dare!”

“After I came here, I have never stepped foot outside. So how could I have brought back a man? Even if I ordered Yeori to bring someone, how could it go unnoticed? Tell me how I brought a man into my residence. What did he look like? Don’t leave out any details.”

“M-Mistress, that is… Actually, it’s something I’ve only heard, so…”

“So are you saying that you opened your mouth without checking to see if it was true? Are you telling me that the people who work here go around talking as if something is certain when in actuality it is not?”

“M-Mistress! Please calm down.”

They felt a determined, unopposable force in MoonWon. They wanted to deny what had happened, but seeing as how they were caught red-handed, they couldn’t even do that.

Assessing the current situation, the two servants went on their knees before MoonWon.

“Mistress, we’re sorry!”

“Please do not inform the Master. It was our mistake.”

“If the Master finds out, we will get into big trouble, Mistress. Please save us.”

They didn’t even think about the wrongs they had committed to their mistress. They were only worried about being punished by Heon.

Although MoonWon knew this was the reality she had to accept, the bitter taste in her mouth didn’t go away. She had become the Mistress, but there was nothing she could do.

“…You may leave.”

She didn’t want to waste any time on them. When MoonWon shook her hand, the servants stood up as if they’d been waiting for it. They glared at MoonWon for a moment before running away with their tails between their legs.

“Does she think we’ll be scared of her because she acts out like that?”

“Shh. Be careful what you say!”

“Isn’t she just a brat who’s locked up anyway? Ugh! She’s so arrogant.”

The mutters traveling in the wind burned through her ears. It was as if they were telling her to realize the situation she was currently in. The words gathered in her heart and left a scar.

“Huu.”

MoonWon let out a breath as if to expel all the emotions pent up within her heart.

She wanted to let out all these frustrating thoughts to someone, anyone. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone here who would be willing to listen to her. 

“I miss SoYoon.”

Whenever MoonWon would lie in bed with an exhausted look on her face, SoYoon would scurry over and tell her all the things she did that day.

Although there wasn’t a specific reason or meaning behind what she said, whenever she spoke with SoYoon, MoonWon felt all the stress melt away.

Back then, it was difficult to survive, but she felt a sense of security knowing that she had people around her whom she could lean on.

“I’ll just go to the library.”

Even if she collapsed from all the difficulties, there wasn’t anyone here to show her any concern.

Knowing that this was what the rest of her life would look like, she couldn’t get herself to say that she was already sick and tired of it after two months. MoonWon did her best to stop thinking about it and began to make her way towards the library.

“Ah!”

The peaceful smile that formed on MoonWon’s lips as she reached the entrance to the library only lasted a moment. When she saw the man who had gotten there first, her breath caught.

The man who had worn the red hood as he drank the nuptial wine, vowing to live the rest of their lives together…

However, after that day, she had never seen his face. Her husband’s face.

Heon was currently looking at her as if he was wondering why she was there.

* * *

The cold winter had passed, and the chilly weather was slowly filling with warmth.

For now, he hadn’t received a command to enter battle, so Heon was enjoying his time off at his residence.

Although he had made great accomplishments and obtained his post as a general, Heon hated the war between the nobility. His top priority was to protect the bamboo grove that he had inherited from his father. That’s all he cared about.

“I never planned on bumping into you.”

MoonWon’s face betrayed her shock for only a moment. Then it quickly returned to its calm expression. She lowered her head to Heon.

Because he had forgotten about her after their wedding, Heon hadn’t expected to run into her like this. As if to keep her promise to him, she lived in her residence as if she were dead.

“I will come back later.”

“There’s no point in taking those books back to your residence, is there?”

No matter how much he hated seeing her, he wasn’t so ridiculous as to send someone with a handful of books back only to return with them later.

This woman was basically a wife he didn’t truly have. Since he had married her as she’d asked, there was no need for him to concern himself with her anymore.

“Or was coming here a mistake?”

“Ah, no. Thank you.”

She entered the library with short, quick steps. She was holding a lot of books.

Did she seriously read all of them?

The collection of books in the library was begun by Heon’s father. Not only was it quite large but most of the topics and themes of the books were very hard to understand. 

Just because she walked quietly didn’t mean her presence would disappear, but MoonWon avoided Heon as she put the books back into the bookshelves. She returned the books to their proper places with a familiarity of someone who had been here several times before.

“Huu.”

MoonWon suddenly let out a heavy sigh as she put the books back onto the shelves.

Having met his wife for the first time since their wedding, Heon noticed that she looked very thin. Although she was the one who had pushed for this marriage, when Heon saw her like this, he couldn’t help but feel concerned.

Heon took a step towards her but stopped himself.

‘A maiden of the Ju family.’

Having moved as the Consort’s hands and feet, Ju YongUn’s wife had greeted Heon at the Palace when he had visited after receiving his first imperial post. She treated him warmly as if he were her own son.

She said something like, ‘Become the Consort’s shield by becoming His Majesty’s sword’.

During their conversation, she showed no guilt towards his father.

‘Damn it.’

This might just be a ploy to return to the Crown Prince’s side. In the end, women were creatures who only moved to protect themselves.

Now that she had managed to save her family, her next task was to return to the Crown Prince. Until then, all he had to do was figure out why the Consort was so against this marriage.

“You’re not finished yet?”

“No. I’ll leave soon.”

After sighing, MoonWon wiped the edge of her eyes with her sleeves. The frustration had surged out in the form of tears.

Was she now regretting this marriage she didn’t want?

Seeing this kind of reaction from her after she had clung onto him as she asked him to save her life made Heon feel sick to his stomach.

Heon turned around after watching MoonWon reach up to grab a book off the highest shelf.

“Ah!”

MoonWon’s body wavered as her arm stretched out. The precariously stacked books began to fall towards her. MoonWon covered her face with her arm.

After hearing a deafening crash, MoonWon opened her eyes.

She realized that the books hadn’t fallen on her and felt a great sense of relief. However, the moment she saw the person who had wrapped her in his arms, her heart sank.

Her sunken heart began to beat again when her eyes met Heon’s.

“Ah…”

Drip, drip.

As a book slipped down Heon’s shoulder, MoonWon froze when she saw the red blood drip down his forehead. All thoughts flew out of her head.

“Are you okay?”

With Heon still holding onto her, MoonWon burst up to her feet. Taken aback by her sudden movement, Heon felt her push against him. He had been holding her in his arms a moment before, but their positions had flipped and she was now sitting on top of him.

Unaware of the way Heon was looking at her, MoonWon frantically looked him up and down.

“I’m sorry. If only I hadn’t thought about my father… Do you feel pain anywhere? Can you move your limbs?”

The moment the books began to fall on top of MoonWon, Heon’s body moved of its own accord. He had been about to reprimand her and tell her to be more careful, but the words remained stuck in his throat when he met her eyes.

He had no reason to give her any leeway. But the moment he looked into her eyes, something deep within Heon’s hardened heart caused it to shake.

“Let me call for a doctor.”

MoonWon’s mouth went dry as she saw the blood trickle down his face. If only she had been more careful. Then this kind of accident wouldn’t have occurred. Taking out her handkerchief from her breast pocket, MoonWon pressed it against Heon’s wound.

“Aah!”

With a mixture of bewilderment and rage in his eyes, Heon pushed MoonWon away. MoonWon collapsed onto her side. Heon gazed at her face for a moment before turning away as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.

Seeing the contempt in his eyes, MoonWon’s gaze wavered. Even though she knew Heon felt badly about her, she couldn’t hate him.

“We must treat the wound.”

Her hand hesitated before grabbing Heon as he moved to stand up. Heon’s brows twitched when he saw her hand holding onto him.

A stubborn woman was merely holding onto him with all her might. However, why did this image overlap with his young self as he held onto Consort Yu on the day she left her family behind? An unknown feeling began to rage inside his hardened heart.

“Go back.”

Heon shook off her hand. Seeing him leave the library without looking back, MoonWon bit her lip.

He had injured his forehead, but MoonWon also saw the wound on his hands as he held her. His blood was still on the library floor.

MoonWon’s feelings were hurt when Heon coldly pushed her away. However, when their eyes met, the person with the most pained eyes was not MoonWon. It was Heon.

What had he been thinking of?

Getting up, MoonWon grasped her skirts and ran out after Heon.

It might have been a mistake to get married so impulsively.

He never expected that his hatred of the Consort would end up shaking his life like this.

To think that he had exposed his emotions to the daughter of his enemy. How pathetic could he be?

“Master.”

Junghwan cautiously approached Heon, whose eyes were as sharp as a blade. Usually, Heon would say that he was fine. However, he wasn’t in the right mind to worry about Junghwan right now.

“Mistress!”

Before Junghwan could say another word, someone pulled Heon by the hem of his clothes. With her brows furrowed, MoonWon was panting for breath. Seeing this, Heon’s eyes widened.

He could clearly see her body trembling, and her watery eyes were glaring at him. Seeing such an unfamiliar sight, Heon’s brows furrowed.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

MoonWon finally let go of Heon’s clothes before proceeding to rip her long sleeves into strips of cloth.

In an instant, MoonWon made bandages out of her own clothes. She began to wrap them around the wound on his hand.

“I know that the very sight of me makes you uncomfortable, but let’s take care of our bodies.”

“……”

“Don’t just brush it off and say you’re fine. Please have a doctor look at it.”

For a man who was the master of a clan, his hands were rough and covered in scars. Unlike MoonWon, who had grown up surrounded by her parents’ love, she heard that this man had grown up alone.

After temporarily treating his wound, MoonWon held out the handkerchief she had pressed to his forehead earlier.

Their eyes didn’t meet, but he could tell from her stiffly closed lips that she wouldn’t back off.

When Heon took the handkerchief, MoonWon let out a deep sigh.

“I will take care of cleaning up the library.”

It was difficult to speak with this man, but she still couldn’t bring herself to hate him.

And because she knew that his hostility stemmed from what her mother had done, she didn’t have the right to hate him.

“Please be careful from now on.”

If they had met with different pasts, would this man have approached her differently?

Even though she knew it was impossible, she found her current situation to be so unbearable.

“I’ll take my leave.”

She didn’t have the courage to continue looking at Heon.

Turning around, MoonWon ran to the library as if she were making an escape.

* * *

Junghwan swallowed his breath as he watched Heon. The atmosphere felt heavy.

Usually, when Heon was in these moods, the best thing to do was to leave him alone. However, Junghwan was here to give his report, so he couldn’t avoid it.

“You said that things have changed after she returned from seeing Consort Yu?”

“Yes, according to Yusun, this is the case. However, at first, the Mistress never let anything show, so Yusun didn’t notice it at first. That’s what I’ve heard.”

Although she left because she claimed to hate the clan and her husband, Consort Yu seemed to have some sort of lingering attachment to this place. 

She thought Heon didn’t know about it, but Heon knew everything that took place within his house.

“It seems that my mother thinks that this place is still within the palm of her hand.”

Junghwan crouched down even further at Heon’s cold words.

The Consort Yu that Heon knew would use her silver tongue to make MoonWon’s heart waver. Her elegant figure could melt the hearts of any person, and her soft expression as she approached you would usually win her opponents over and make them do whatever she wanted.

‘She didn’t give Consort Yu what she wanted?’

If MoonWon asked the Consort to help her return to the Crown Prince’s side in exchange for information about the bamboo grove and Heon, the Consort would have wholeheartedly granted her wish.

Although he felt uncomfortable and annoyed whenever he saw her face, Heon couldn’t help but feel that MoonWon was a bit different from the other women he knew.

Although she had a difficult time withstanding Heon’s fierce aura, MoonWon didn’t avoid him. Instead, she approached him.

“How much have you progressed in preparing what I’ve asked?”

“Things are almost done on our end. However, Yusun says she will need more time.”

“I don’t care who you use or how you use them. Tell her she mustn’t miss a single thing.”

Hearing the cold command, Junghwan couldn’t stop his body from trembling.

After raising his collapsed clan and taking everything that had been snatched away by the Consort and the nobility back one by one, Heon’s personality grew harder and colder.

At times, Junghwan wished Heon would pause and take a breath. But instead of resting, Heon would merely charge forward.

Because of Heon’s efforts and sacrifice, he was able to come this far. However, Junghwan was worried. He felt that Heon was racing precariously towards his goal, and that he would collapse at any moment. The anxiety almost brought him to his knees.

However, there was nothing Junghwan could do. He merely sighed in silence and continued to speak.

“And it looks like the Crown Prince’s marriage has been postponed. It seems that they have discovered the corruption rooted in the Deputy Secretary General’s family.”

“Whether someone discovered it or it was merely time for the truth to be exposed… No one really knows.”

“Excuse me?”

Although the Crown Prince was gaining supporters, the Deputy Secretary’s family was under the Consort’s realm of influence. All in all, the Deputy Secretary General had started out as a merchant and managed to make it this far.

Because his house was one that had gained power by going back and forth between Consort Yu and the Emperor, it had definitely touched a nerve with the nobility. And yet the family disregarded this and the daughter had been chosen as the future Crown Princess. And this was all due to one reason.

They had the unspoken permission of the Emperor or the Consort.

And this permission had been shattered from one end.

“For now, give the people who are keeping an eye on this situation more money. Tell them we’ll give them more based on the information they bring us, and they’ll take care of the rest.”

“Yes, sir.”

Figuring out what family the future Crown Princess would come from was not an immediate problem that needed to be solved.

Either way, Heon’s foundation wasn’t based on the government post that came with his achievements in war. His foundation was based on the soldiers under his command.

Because SeoMoon was a nation that favored scholars and civil servants over the military, the imperial forces were a lot weaker than those in other countries. Therefore, whenever the country was thrown into war, the Emperor would use the soldiers belonging to noble families to fight the foreign nations.

Thanks to all the time and capital Heon had invested, Heon’s soldiers were one of the most powerful forces in SeoMoon.

Now that there wasn’t a war to fight, Heon planned on merely keeping an eye on the capital and focusing more of his attention on his soldiers.

“What did you do with the new weapons we brought with us?”

“We’ve placed them in the warehouse for now. Would you like to take a look?”

Heon got up from his seat at Junghwan’s words. As he began making his way to the door, he stopped and fixed his eyes on something outside the window. Heon’s eyes saw the entire scene unfolding outside.

“Master?”

“That woman seriously…!”

Heon hurriedly went outside.

Wondering what made Heon behave this way, Junghwan looked out the window.

“M-Mistress!”

Right now, it wasn’t important why the woman who was supposed to be in the inner residence was over there.

The problem was that MoonWon was currently climbing the tall wall with her long sleeves and skirts tied back. Below her, a group of servants had gathered as they murmured amongst themselves and tapped their feet.

Astonished, Junghwan ran out after Heon.