ANOP Ch 3

Hyegang timidly nodded. She had no excuse, and from Sumin’s perspective, it wasn’t entirely wrong. It was true that she had crash-landed in Joseon and was lost. The man stood leisurely and arrogantly, not moving out of her way.

Even without knowing the court customs, Hyegang could easily discern his status. The way he spoke indicated he was of lower rank than the Crown Princess. Also, the sword at his waist and the well-tailored warrior uniform on his sensual body revealed his rank as a military officer.

Nevertheless, the man’s attitude was disrespectful, as if he wasn’t facing his superior.

“Your Highness—where are you?!”

Just then, Court Lady Park’s call drew near. Startled, Hyegang was about to turn around when she suddenly frowned. A sharp headache pierced her temples out of nowhere. Perhaps it was an aftereffect of having fainted before. Dizziness made the man’s face appear double.

It was instantaneous. Her slightly swaying body collapsed.

Only after the dizziness subsided did Hyegang feel the man’s gaze and raise her head. In the world that had swayed just a moment ago, the man’s indifferent eyes looked down at her.

Hyegang’s cheeks flushed. She felt ashamed and nauseous. She wanted to shake off this moment. As she moved to stand up, the man’s right foot pressed down firmly on the hem of her spread skirt.

As if to prevent her from moving.

Frozen like a deer caught in a trap, Hyegang looked up in confusion. He was slightly bent over, extending a hand. It wasn’t a gesture of courtesy, but rather one of scooping up interesting prey. She felt a chill as she sensed his instinct to tame his opponent, ensuring they couldn’t rise without relying on him.

“Your body isn’t well, yet you wander around…! Eek! Your Highness!!”

Witnessing this, Court Lady Park rushed over in a fright and helped Hyegang up.

“Are you alright?!”

The man raised an eyebrow with a bored expression. Every movement, from straightening his back to magnanimously moving his foot, was leisurely. For a brief moment, his red lips twisted coolly. What had piqued his interest in that short instant? Hyegang couldn’t take her eyes off his face. Even though she felt breathless, she couldn’t help but stare straight into his eyes.

Court Lady Park bowed her head toward him. The court ladies who followed did the same. They endured the man’s dry glare with respectful postures.

“What’s all the commotion?”

“The Crown Princess wished for some fresh air, and while we were attending to her… we were distracted and caused a disturbance.”

Court Lady Park was busy covering up the commotion Hyegang had caused. She showed no surprise or discomfort even after seeing the Crown Princess’s skirt being stepped on. She wasn’t shaken, as if accustomed to such disrespect, and her fawning over the man made Hyegang feel like a fool. There seemed to be circumstances she was unaware of.

“But Royal Guard Commander… where are you headed in such a hurry?”

“I was on my way to the Crown Princess’s quarters. The Chief State Councillor ordered me to also oversee the Crown Princess’s security starting today, so these men will be in charge of guarding the Crown Princess’s quarters from now on.”

The man gestured with a glance over his shoulder, indicating his subordinates. Hyegang was startled to hear that they were heading to her quarters. She tensed at the thought of forming a connection with the man she thought she would just pass by.

Royal Guard Commander. The title attached to the man brought to mind a high-ranking decoration. However, that alone couldn’t explain his arrogance and rudeness. No matter how honorable a military officer, could he be of higher rank than the Crown Princess?

While she was organizing her thoughts, the man gave a slow bow and passed by her. His weighty movements mirrored his aura.

Hyegang watched his receding figure with the Royal Guards with a strange feeling. It was odd that he wasn’t escorting her to her quarters, despite the talk of protection.

“Are you injured?”

Regaining her composure, she looked at Court Lady Park. Her worried expression was evident on her deeply wrinkled face.

“Please don’t worry too much about the Crown Princess’s guard that the Chief State Councillor mentioned. We will attend to Your Highness even more diligently.”

“Didn’t he say ‘guard’?”

She wondered why Court Lady Park looked as if the Crown Princess’s quarters had been seized by an occupying force. Court Lady Park opened her mouth as if to speak. While she felt sorry for the Crown Princess, who had lost her memory and even spoke formally to her servants, she also looked like she didn’t know where to begin or what to say to such a superior.

“…The Royal Guard Commander is the Chief State Councillor’s son.”

The Chief State Councillor’s son.

It was a cautious statement, as if she were saying he was the King’s son. Afterward, Court Lady Park briefly whispered about the political situation in the palace. Hyegang put aside the thought of drowning herself for a moment and listened attentively.

Kim Jaeyoon. The man’s name, too.

⟡˖🏮⋆˚࣪

When he drew and swung his long sword, silver light traced a long arc, cutting even incoming arrows in two. His spirit was not only outstanding but also brutal; it was not human swordsmanship.

This was the assessment of the training officers at the Military Training Command who witnessed Jaeyoon’s skills during the military service examination. Therefore, no one questioned his command over all the guards and soldiers in the palace. Although many were astonished when he was appointed Royal Guard Commander at such a young age, when ordinary men would have just passed the state examination.

Jaeyoon crossed the threshold of the Crown Princess’s quarters, recalling his father’s order.

“Keep a close eye on the Crown Princess under the guise of protection.”

Rumors that the Crown Princess had lost her mind after fainting in the bathhouse quickly spread throughout the palace. His father believed that all the commotion was a scheme orchestrated by the Jo clan. He envisioned the Jo clan plotting behind the scenes, using the Crown Princess, who was pretending to have lost her memory, as a front.

Like an eagle, sharp and swift, and like a snake, cunning and sly, he had seized control of the court and kept a close watch on the opposing Jo family.

Jaeyoon didn’t particularly object to his father’s wishes. As long as it was for the family’s honor and power.

Several military boots stormed the courtyard of the Crown Princess’s quarters. The guards standing watch in front of the building bowed their heads in unison to Jaeyoon, who appeared with his Royal Guards. Jaeyoon’s steps were the only things that crossed the desolate landscape.

With his Royal Guards drawing their swords, Jaeyoon crunched across the sand and looked down at the tense guards. His oppressive gaze moved slowly, as if counting their numbers.

“Exactly six.”

As he said, there were six guards. The same number as his Royal Guards.

“From now on, the Royal Guards will be in charge of guarding the Crown Princess’s quarters.”

Jaeyoon’s heavy, cold voice, like iron, gripped the night air.

This unilateral takeover was a violation of the law, as it deprived the guards responsible for protecting the palace of their duty. However, the power of the Kim clan stood above the strict law. The regular guards trembled and exchanged glances, helpless. Jaeyoon sneered coldly, reading their fear. He then turned around as if turning his back on a nuisance and said,

“Get rid of them.”

Replacing six with another six. Jaeyoon’s calculation was cruel and simple. Even when conquering enemy territory, he had killed all living things on that land.

At his casual command, as if ordering a cleanup, the Royal Guards cut down the guards with their swords. While red blood splattered and stained the sandy ground, he gazed at the Crown Princess’s quarters.

The Crown Princess, who had only recently begun her life in Jaseondang[1], was often confined to her bedchamber due to her frail health. Therefore, many court ladies didn’t know her face. Jaeyoon, too, saw Hyegang’s face for the first time.

In that first moment, the Crown Princess looked at him like an ordinary woman, not royalty. Jaeyoon, too, momentarily forgot that she was the Crown Princess. Her gaze, which stared at him differently from others, somehow bothered him.

It was a direct yet harmless stare.

However, a beast caught in a trap will follow helplessly once tamed.

He slowly rubbed his lower lip with his thumb, unaware of what he was thirsting for.

⟡˖🏮⋆˚࣪

The Crown Princess calmed down after searching for every pond, lake, and body of water in the palace. She no longer asked about Seoul, her speech returned to normal, and she looked quite regal sitting at her desk with a brush in hand. Her gait also became more graceful, befitting a lady of the inner court.

The court ladies whispered these rumors while doing laundry in the laundry room or chopping radishes in the kitchen.

Two seasons had changed by the time the Crown Princess became this way. The leaves, once a lush green in the summer, were now tinged with red and brown.

In other words,

It had been six months since Sumin failed to return to the present.

“It’s been a while, Crown Princess.”

The scholar bowed his head in a concise greeting. After the greeting, he gave a gentle smile. The light blue fifth-rank official uniform he wore made his smile even more dignified. Jo Geonwoo, Jo Hyeonik’s nephew, had come to the Crown Princess’s bedchamber to pay his respects early in the morning.

Hyegang, sitting on the floor cushion, gave him a welcoming look.