SNF | Chapter 2.1

Yeon-oh, stretching his arms to the sides, indifferently received the assistance of a servant dressing him. He donned a robe embroidered with red lotus flowers and fastened a blue tassel at his waist. With ruby-studded pure gold earrings and his hair neatly done, he looked every bit the scion of a noble family.

As his personal servant stepped back after finishing the preparations, his nanny approached closely, holding a mirror.

“It seems a bit much today.”

“We’re going to the Golden Palace to meet His Majesty and Her Majesty, aren’t we?”

Her point made sense. Yeon-oh wasn’t heading to an ordinary place. It was the Golden Palace, where the rulers of the world resided, and Yeon-oh was on his way to pay his respects to these sovereigns. There was no such thing as too formal for this occasion.

“Still, it’s heavy.”

The pure gold accessories were indeed heavy. Since his official reason for staying in Hanam was recuperation, he had no need for receiving guests at home, nor any need to make unnecessary outings. Therefore, he rarely wore such heavy jewelry, and the weight of the pure gold was oppressively heavy.

“You’ll get used to it soon enough.”

“There’s a lot to get used to here.”

The gazes of people, the weight of the gold. Yeon-oh muttered the end of his thought as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face, which had lost its sickly pallor, now had a touch of color. This should be presentable enough for an audience with the Emperor and Empress.

“Was the appointed time for entering the palace at five?”

“Yes, it’s almost four now, so we should start moving soon to not be late.”

“Right, and today… my second sister and her husband are coming, right?”

Yeon-oh recalled today’s schedule in his mind. The day after returning to the Capital City, he had received a message from his eldest sister, who resided deep within the Imperial Palace. She had sent a letter saying they should meet at least once before the Spring Festival. However, he had fallen ill immediately upon returning home and hadn’t been able to visit the palace right away.

As soon as he had recovered, he had barely sent a reply agreeing to visit the next day when the Prime Minister, who had just left the palace, subtly suggested that he should also meet his second sister and her husband. There was no reason to refuse. It just so happened that he would meet both his sisters in one day.

“The second sister…”

Yeon-oh thought of his sister Hye Yeonseo, who had married into the Tae family of San Seo four years ago. His expression showed no trace of longing as he thought of his blood relatives. Yeon-oh tapped the table pensively.

His three older brothers had either died of illness or suddenly, leaving behind only him, his much older sister, Empress Hye Yeonjin, and Hye Yeonseo, who was five years younger. The Empress had been chosen when he was just four years old and had little interaction with her since she entered the Golden Palace so early. Even if there were any interactions, Yeon-oh was too young to remember them fully.

Unlike the Empress, with whom he felt no real emotional connection, his relationship with his second sister, Hye Yeonseo, was quite strained. It mostly stemmed from the malice she showed towards him. However, he could somewhat understand her feelings. Unlike Yeon-oh, who knew neither loss nor longing from birth, Hye Yeonseo had felt her first loss at the age of five when their mother died.

Understanding her feelings, however, did not mean he harbored friendly feelings toward her. Hye Yeonseo was a difficult presence. And, in some way, he felt a secret relief that she was out of the house.

“Are you still finding it difficult with the second young lady?”

The nanny, knowing Yeon-oh’s expression would darken whenever Hye Yeonseo was mentioned, didn’t want to worry him further. She was aware of Hye Yeonseo’s cunning ways but didn’t fully know how she tormented Yeon-oh. There were times when Hye Yeonseo would pinch or kick him in a fit of rage, often when no one else was around.

Yeon-oh, pushing away the unpleasant memories of his childhood, looked at the nanny. He didn’t want to lie, even politely.

“Young master.”

Just then, a call came from outside for him. Yeon-oh waved his hand lightly. Understanding his gesture, the nanny quickly opened the door. The double doors opened, and through them, Gu Hasung entered, bowing his head.

“Your preparations to enter the palace are complete.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

When Yeon-oh waved his hand a couple of times, signaling for him to leave, Hasung glanced at him briefly before bowing and stepping out.

“The weather has warmed up, but since you’ve been ill, it’s best to be careful.”

As soon as Hasung left, the nanny held out a long coat lined with fur and spoke. Yeon-oh agreed with her to some extent, so he put on the coat without any complaint.

As he stepped outside, the guards and servants naturally bowed in greeting. At first, they had been too busy sneaking glances at him, but now they seemed either accustomed to his presence or simply more aware of their duties. Either way, they no longer stole glances at him.

It was fortunate—for both Yeon-oh and them. If their stares had remained the same as on the first day, he would have had to consider getting rid of them and, regardless of the Prime Minister’s opinion, calling back the attendants who had served him in Hanam Province.

“Please take care and return safely, young master.”

Sending off the nanny, who had come all the way to the entrance to see him off, Yeon-oh settled into the closed carriage, lightly swinging his foot. They hadn’t even departed yet, but a wave of exhaustion already washed over him like a high tide.

“Yeon-oh, my goodness. Is it truly you?”

The Empress stepped forward and clasped Yeon-oh’s hands, helping him up just as he finished his bow. She gazed at him intently, as if she couldn’t believe the little boy in her distant memories had grown up and was now standing before her. Yeon-oh, keeping his gaze lowered, waited patiently for her emotions to settle. Even as he did, the Empress continued to scan him with a strange look in her eyes.

“Haha, Empress. You’re making your brother-in-law uneasy.”

“But Your Majesty, the child who remained eight years old in my memories has returned fully grown. How could I not be shocked?”

The Emperor chuckled as he tried to dissuade her, and though the Empress justified her actions, she eventually returned to her seat. The warmth that had covered the back of Yeon-oh’s hands faded away. It was a relief. He discreetly shook off his hands and tucked them into his sleeves before taking his seat as the Emperor gestured for him to do so. No sooner had he settled in than a palace attendant entered carrying a tea set.

“I heard you fell ill upon your return. Was the journey back too exhausting?”

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s concern, I have recovered well.”

“I’m glad to hear that. You wouldn’t believe how much the Empress worried about you.”

“I apologize for causing Her Majesty any concern.”

“Considering how long the journey was, it’s understandable. I know you still need more rest, but if not now, we likely wouldn’t see you again until the Spring Festival banquet. That’s why I called you to the palace. I hope it wasn’t too much of a strain?”

“Being granted an audience with Your Majesties is an honor. How could I hesitate to make the trip? Please do not trouble yourself over me. I am in good health.”

“Hearing that eases my mind.”

“I am simply relieved to lighten Your Majesty’s concerns.”

“There’s no need to be so formal. Outside of official matters, aren’t we family? This is an informal gathering, and today, I wish to treat you not as the young lord of the Hye family, but simply as my wife’s younger brother. So, you should address me accordingly.”

“I am deeply honored by Your Majesty’s generosity.”

Yeon-oh smiled slightly and bowed his head in respect. Of course, he wasn’t naïve enough to immediately abandon all courtly decorum just because the Emperor told him to.

“How was life in Hanam?”

Having somewhat calmed down, the Empress found a moment to interject into the conversation. Yeon-oh glanced at the Emperor, but he showed no signs of displeasure at her interruption. After carefully selecting his words, Yeon-oh replied.

“It was good. The Lord of Hanam took great care of me, so I lacked nothing.”

“That’s a relief. Since he looked after you so well, as your sister, I can’t just let it go unnoticed. I must reward him generously.”

“My father already attempted to bestow a reward, but the Lord of Hanam declined, saying it was simply his duty. If Your Majesty were to send a gift, it might make him uncomfortable. Please do not burden him.”

“If you say so, I suppose there’s nothing I can do. But still, it is a shame.”

The Empress sighed, lowering her gaze as she absentmindedly fiddled with the edge of her sleeve. Just as Yeon-oh was about to reassure her, the Emperor spoke first.

“There’s no need to be disappointed, Empress.”

“But I won’t be able to properly express my gratitude for how well he cared for my brother.”

“The Lord of Hanam is an upright man who governs his territory well, serving as an example to his officials. Rewarding such a man is only natural as a ruler.”

“Your Majesty, does that mean…?”

“At the Spring Festival, I will prepare a formal commendation to acknowledge his service. A fitting gift would be ten rolls of silk from Seojin’s tribute earlier this year, along with some fine celadon. Eunuch.”

“It shall be done.”

The eunuch standing by the side of the room bowed deeply in response to the Emperor’s command.

“Your Majesty.”

The Empress called out to him in a tone filled with gratitude. The Emperor, in turn, gently stroked the back of her hand and smiled faintly.

“The Lord of Hanam will be overwhelmed by Your Majesty’s grace.”

Even if she could refuse a personal gift from the Empress, she could not reject an official bestowal from the Emperor. Furthermore, the justification the Emperor had given—that the reward was for his governance of Hanam—was beyond Yeon-oh’s ability to decline. Thus, he expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Lord of Hanam.

“A ruler must be generous in rewards and strict in punishments. That is how the nation’s order is maintained and the dignity of the throne upheld. You, too, will one day become the Marquis of Hanam. You must keep this in mind.”

“I will engrave Your Majesty’s words deeply in my heart.”

“That’s how it should be. Now, drink your tea before it gets cold. Empress, you as well.”

“Your Majesty should drink as well. The fragrance is wonderful.”