An Insect in the Flower Garden

“My, who do we have here? Isn’t this the master of Bi-eun Palace, the Ru Consort?”

“…Ah…”

“I received word that you were coming, but I thought you wouldn’t since you were so late. Please, come in.”

The moment the doors opened, Yi-seol felt as if he had stepped into a garden of flowers. Women more resplendent than any he had ever seen sat before him, each emanating her own floral scent, smiling as they watched him. Their clothes were made of colorful silks, and their hair was adorned with rare jewels that caught the eye even before their faces. Yet their beauty was not lacking. All were the Emperor’s consorts, and there was not a single one who was not exceptionally beautiful.

“Lady Ru, I’ve prepared a seat for you over here. Come and sit.”

One of the consorts seated at the highest position spoke softly to Yi-seol, who stood dazed in place. Yeonhwa, close behind him, whispered quietly: “That is Lady Yang Sowon.” Whether because she was seated at the head or because her beauty was the most outstanding, she certainly commanded the room.

“…I must have mistaken the time. Please forgive my discourtesy.”

He knew he had arrived much earlier than the appointed time. Fearing that he might be delayed by distractions along the way, as had happened yesterday, he had prepared early and left. Seeing the leftover grilled meat and rice cakes on the tables, it was clear the others had gathered long ago. There was no doubt that they had deliberately sent the wrong time to Bi-eun Palace. Judging by the other consorts whispering and laughing while looking at him, Yi-seol’s suspicion was well-founded.

“Discourtesy? Not at all,” Lady Yang Sowon said with a generous smile. She pointed to the empty seat beside her and invited him. Until Yi-seol took his seat, not a single person stood up to offer a greeting.

“I was late in introducing myself. I am Yang Sowon.”

“Yeon Yi… I mean, the Ru Consort.”

Yi-seol corrected himself mid-sentence, having almost introduced himself by his birth name as he was accustomed to. He had not yet grown familiar with his title, and he wondered how many more such mistakes he would make.

The three consorts seated closest to the head introduced themselves, but Yi-seol barely heard them. He couldn’t completely ignore the consorts seated further away—likely those among the eighty-one concubines who had caught Lady Yang’s eye and were allowed to attend—who were openly whispering and staring at him. Among the fragments of words he caught, none were pleasant. He hadn’t heard a single name. His gaze wandered aimlessly, settling on his own fingertips resting on the table.

“…My Lord, Lady Ru.”

“Ah, yes. I’m listening.”

“I apologize for not visiting you while you were secluded in Bi-eun Palace. Since you did not summon us, we assumed you had your reasons.”

“Yes… Do not worry. I don’t mind.”

“The tea has arrived. Please, try some.”

With a bright smile, Lady Yang pushed a teacup toward him. Without much thought, Yi-seol grasped the cup—but he was so startled that he dropped it.

“…Ah!”

“Oh dear! My Lord, are you all right?”

“What are you doing! Quickly bring some cooling ointment!”

The dropped cup landed squarely on Yi-seol’s thigh, spilling about half its contents before falling to the floor. Before the sound of the teacup shattering reached them, Yi-seol’s low cry and the shriek-like gasp from the consort beside him erupted simultaneously. Lady Yang, who had been watching Yi-seol’s every move from the moment he picked up the cup until he dropped it, shouted at the attendant court lady, who hurriedly left the room.

People of the Geum Kingdom did not drink hot tea. They sometimes drank cold tea, but most preferred it lukewarm. At first, Yi-seol had found this strange, but he had soon grown accustomed to it. That was his undoing. He had picked up the teacup as usual, but the tea inside was as hot as freshly boiled water. The moment his hand touched it, he flinched and dropped the cup.

Startled, Yi-seol stood up, his clothes soaked with tea. The thin fabric allowed the scalding liquid to touch his skin directly. The court lady sent to bring the ointment had not yet returned, but Yeonhwa, who had been waiting below the floor, quickly came up with ointment she kept in her sleeve.

“Are you all right, My Lord?”

“Ah… I’m fine. The teacup was too hot, so I dropped it.”

He couldn’t wipe the area soaked down to the inside of his leg in front of everyone. After roughly wiping his clothes, the heat subsided somewhat, and Yi-seol finally took a breath and sat back down. The dampness of his clothes bothered him less than the atmosphere around him. It seemed that everyone except him and his attendants was suppressing laughter.

“My Lord, are you really all right?”

Except for one consort—the one right next to him.

“Yes, I’m fine. And you, Lady Wu… are you all right? Did any tea splash on you?”

“I’m fine. Only a drop splashed on my skirt.”

He remembered that she had introduced herself as Lady Wu. She looked at Yi-seol’s reddened hand with a genuinely concerned expression. Before they could speak further, Lady Yang interrupted.

“I heard that in the Yeon Kingdom, they drink hot tea, so I specially ordered it prepared that way for you. It seems the servants made a mistake. Please, generously forgive them. What are you doing? Apologize at once.”

“We apologize deeply, Lady Ru.”

“…It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

At Lady Yang’s calm words, the court ladies behind her bowed their heads. Their attitude toward apologizing to their master seemed somewhat light, but Yi-seol pretended not to notice. When Lady Yang offered to prepare more tea, Yi-seol said it was unnecessary and rubbed his already dry hand with the ointment. His left hand, where the tea had spilled directly, was red, and the ointment stung. Watching him, Lady Yang spoke in an exaggerated tone.

“My Lord, you have such white and lovely hands.”

“Lady Yang Sowon, your hands and your features are all lovely.”

“Even if my features are lovely, how can they compare to His Majesty the Emperor?”

“Indeed…”

“By the way, Lady Ru…” Lady Yang’s previously energetic voice suddenly lowered, as if she were about to share a secret. Even so, everyone gathered closely could hear. As if she had been waiting for this moment, Lady Yang asked: “My Lord, you must be so fortunate.”

“What… do you mean?”

“I mean your name. The name His Majesty carved onto his wrist.” With a meaningful smile, Lady Yang leaned slightly toward him. The thick scent of flowers emanated from her, but it was not particularly pleasant. “I heard His Majesty covers that name with a silk ribbon wherever he goes.”

“…….”

“He must truly treasure you. Otherwise, why would he conceal the name of his heaven-ordained fated one so tightly?”

Lady Yang laughed, and the other consorts followed suit. Their prettily made-up faces giggled like young girls, and in that moment, Yi-seol realized something: he was the only man in this place. Like an uninvited insect among a garden of colorful, beautiful flowers, only Yi-seol did not belong.

He knew that the Emperor covered his wrist where the name was carved. The Emperor always wore a silk ribbon there. Yi-seol had only heard that his name was engraved there but had never seen it himself. The Emperor only said it was so but never showed it directly. Yi-seol simply assumed that his name was written in red. He was curious but never dared to ask.

Therefore, he did not believe Lady Yang’s words literally. Neither Lady Yang nor the other consorts likely believed them either. The claim that the Emperor valued Yi-seol so much that he would hide the token of that fortune was preposterous. Everyone knew that Yi-seol had spent his wedding night alone. They were all mocking him—the neglected consort.

“Is… that so?”

“Of course it is. If your name weren’t shameful to him, he wouldn’t need to hide it, right? Don’t you agree, Lady Gam?”

“Lady Yang Sowon is right. His Majesty seems not only to want to hide your name but also to keep you tightly hidden. That’s why he granted you Bi-eun Palace.”

The young-faced Lady Gam Jaein nodded and added her jab. Despite clearly speaking harsh words, she looked so pleased that Yi-seol wondered if he had personally wronged her. He didn’t reply, just fiddled with the ointment in his hand.

“How is Bi-eun Palace, My Lord? I heard there are many trees, so it must remind you a lot of the Yeon Kingdom.” To Yi-seol, the consort beside him, Lady Wu, spoke quietly. Her smiling face suggested she didn’t intend to embarrass him.

“Yes, there are many trees and plants. It reminds me a lot of home.”

“I heard that when the moon shines on Dowolso in the garden of your palace, it is truly beautiful. If it’s not too presumptuous, perhaps sometime I could—”

“Lady Wu.” At Lady Yang’s sharp call, Lady Wu stopped mid-sentence, and the smile left her face. In its place, Lady Yang’s smile deepened. “Do you not like the tea I prepared? Your cup is still quite full.”

“No. It is very fragrant… and delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it. I’ll pack some tea leaves for you before you leave.” Lady Yang smiled, but Lady Wu did not. She merely answered with thanks, her face full of embarrassment. Yi-seol felt sorry for her. He saw dark patterns etched onto her skin below her neckline—she was surely from a frontier tribe. Bearing the weight of her tribe on her shoulders, she must have understood the cruelty of palace life.

“But Lady Ru, why aren’t you wearing the gold bracelet His Majesty gave you?”

“What gold bracelet do you mean?”

“The gold bracelet that His Majesty personally gives to a consort on their wedding night.”

“Or perhaps you didn’t receive one?”

Since the Emperor had never even set foot in his chamber, it was impossible for Yi-seol to have received one. He had nothing to say. The question was asked knowingly. As Yi-seol looked away, unable to find an excuse, everyone held their breath and laughed.

“I… received nothing from His Majesty.”

As he trailed off, the door to Tanyeongdang burst open without announcement. All eyes naturally shifted to the door and turned to surprise. Everyone rose abruptly from their seats—except for Yi-seol, who continued to stare blankly at his own pale, slender fingers.

“Your Majesty! What brings you here?”

Startled by Lady Yang’s soft voice, Yi-seol rose hesitantly, later than the others. Through the open doors, the Emperor entered.

“I was passing by on my way to the main hall and noticed everyone gathered here. Are you having tea?”

“Yes. We thought we’d greet Lady Ru and share some conversation.”

The Emperor nodded and surveyed the consorts. His gaze flowed from one end to the other. It paused in the middle. His brow briefly narrowed, then smoothed, but everyone saw it, even with their heads bowed. They saw where his gaze had halted.

Feeling the Emperor’s gaze linger near him, Yi-seol discreetly covered the front of his wet clothes with his hand, but he couldn’t hide the stain. The cold wind seemed to blow again, originating from the Emperor’s frozen gaze.

“Among the flowers,” the Emperor began.

“…….”

“An insect has found its way in.”

The ointment Yi-seol had been holding fell to the floor. Biting his trembling lower lip, he bowed his head even lower. Now he felt not only the Emperor’s gaze but also that of every consort and palace attendant. A clear snort of derision echoed—Yi-seol knew exactly who it was.

“Lady Yang, from now on, take special care of the flower garden.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will keep that in mind.”

The Emperor turned and left, and the door closed. Everyone straightened their backs and looked at Yi-seol.

The insect in the flower garden was Yi-seol.