The Marigold Pavilion

“Your Highness! Come and smell these weeds! Aren’t they wonderfully fresh and green?”

He had never been told to smell weeds before. It was a comment that would have made him laugh in the past, but now Yi-seol merely nodded absently, rose from his seat, and craned his neck.

“Who are Hwahong and Danhyang talking to over there?”

“Ah, it’s no one! They must have spotted an acquaintance outside the wall! Please don’t mind them, Your Highness, and quickly go inside. It’s almost time for your evening meal!”

The sun was still high—evening meal already?

Juran was clearly trying to hide something. Yi-seol pushed her aside and approached the wall. Everyone stopped what they were doing, their faces pale as they looked at him, but no one dared stop him. Hearing someone whisper, “Call the Lady,” only made him more suspicious.

“Hwahong, Danhyang. What are you doing there?”

“Y-Your Highness…! It’s nothing. Please don’t concern yourself!”

“We just exchanged a few words with someone we know outside the palace.”

Hwahong, who never even flinched at the most troubling matters, was so flustered that Yi-seol couldn’t just let it go.

“Didn’t someone say they saw a rat sneaking a peek?”

“This is not something for Your Highness to worry about. We will handle it, so please don’t trouble yourself.”

“Judging by how secretive you’re being, it must be about me.”

“…”

“I won’t get angry. Tell me.”

“It really is nothing…”

Danhyang, who had been glancing nervously between the wall and Yi-seol, jabbed Hwahong in the side. With a resigned look, Hwahong spoke.

“It’s not that we’re afraid Your Highness will be angry.”

“Then why can’t you say it?”

“Because we’re worried it will upset you.”

She couldn’t meet his eyes, staring at the ground and mumbling, but he understood her well enough. Yi-seol tilted his head and asked again.

“I’m truly fine, so just tell me what’s going on.”

“These days, there are many people sneaking peeks into our palace.”

“For what reason?”

“…To see Your Highness.”

The unexpected answer startled him, but soon it made sense.

He was a consort who had entered the palace as the Emperor’s true love, only to be granted the low rank of So-ui, assigned to the derelict Bi-eun Palace, and then effectively abandoned. Of course, the court ladies were curious. Moreover, he was a rare royal from Yeon—and a prince, not a princess. In the monotonous life of the imperial palace, who would pass up such a spectacle?

That was why he had objected when Lady Ju said she would bring people from the bureau to sweep the front yard. He wanted to avoid others’ eyes as much as possible. Though he had steeled himself, it wasn’t nothing—it was difficult to remain unbothered knowing people were pointing fingers at him.

Though Yi-seol was by nature indifferent and unruffled, he had not fully mastered such unfamiliar humiliation. Sometimes, when he saw the early morning moon, he still recalled that moment of endlessly waiting for the Emperor, and his heart grew heavy.

When Yi-seol remained silent for a long time, Hwahong, thinking she had said too much, bowed her head in apology.

“This is not something you need to apologize for. Why are you sorry?”

“It seems I have upset Your Highness…”

“I am not upset. They will stop eventually. From now on, do not pay them any mind.”

“Before, they wouldn’t even glance at the wall, saying it was dirty. But these days, I can’t tell you how much they lurk outside. Yesterday, a young maid from the Fresh Fruit Room even pulled out a handful of the trumpet creepers that Your Highness cherishes.”

Seeing Danhyang gritting her teeth as if she could die of annoyance, he couldn’t help but smile, and the mood lifted. The trumpet creeper growing outside the wall was something Yi-seol had been diligently tending to, hoping it would bloom.

No matter how beautifully he described the flowers trailing down the wall, the court ladies responded lukewarmly, so he had resolved to show them the sight himself and even took to watering the plants personally. It was understandable that he felt indignant that someone had pulled out a whole handful of his cherished flowers.

“Once the trumpet creepers bloom and the leaves grow thicker, they’ll hide the palace from view. Let’s endure until then.”

“From now on, Hwahong and I are planning to stand guard outside the wall.”

“Don’t. Even under the shade of a tree, it’s this hot. Won’t it be worse outside the wall? You’ll fall ill, and then we’ll have real trouble.”

“It’s true the palace is cooler than outside the wall, but this is just an ordinary summer’s day. The hottest days haven’t even come yet.”

Yi-seol had already broken his personal record for the hottest day multiple times. The clothes he wore were thinner than the inner garments he had used in Yeon. Compared to Yeon, the attire was lighter, which was good, but the heat itself was hard to adapt to.

According to Ki-yeon and Yoo Kang, who came from Yeon with him, there wasn’t much difference in temperature except for the intensity of the sun, which made him think he might be especially sensitive to heat.

“Anyway, Your Highness, please stop worrying. We’ll take care of everything.”

Despite Yi-seol’s permission to leave Bi-eun Palace, the court ladies who remained under him were particularly attached to the place. As Lady Ju had said, if they left here, they would have nowhere else to go in the palace but back to menial labor, so their loyalty was understandable.

He had intended to check on the trumpet creepers along the wall, but Hwahong and Danhyang pushed him back toward Dowolso. As he sat on a rock and opened his book again, Yeonhwa approached hesitantly and said that if something like this happened again, she would give those girls a piece of her mind. They were sweet-natured girls. It was nice to have people he could call his own amidst the court ladies who only saw him as a curiosity.

The book he was reading was something Lady Ju had brought from outside the palace. After he had read all the books he brought from Yeon, she had sent someone to bring in a few more volumes. Most were about the history, myths, and culture of Geum, but among them were herbology and plant encyclopedias. He had never asked, but somehow she had discerned his interests.

The sun shone well in Bi-eun Palace, and the weather was clear. As long as there was enough water, any plant would grow well. Looking at the illustrations in the botanical guide, he saw many flowers he had never seen in Yeon. Even now, there were many plants in the garden, but not a single one had bloomed yet.

As he turned a page, Yeonhwa, who had been moving stones near the pond of Dowolso, came over and glanced at the book, pretending to recognize it.

“Your Highness, do you know the name of this flower?”

“Well, I don’t know. Yeonhwa, do you?”

“It’s a marigold.”

“How do you know this flower when you didn’t even know a dandelion?”

“Because there’s a whole bunch of them blooming behind a pavilion on the other side of the imperial palace. That’s how I know.”

“A whole bunch?”

“Yes! They’re so beautiful that I wanted to keep it a secret from everyone. I’m only telling Your Highness secretly.”

“If they’re that beautiful, wouldn’t the court ladies already know?”

“It’s an old pavilion that hasn’t been used in a long time, so no one goes there anymore. I discovered it by accident when I got lost shortly after entering the palace.”

Yeonhwa whispered, afraid the other girls might hear, and grinned. She seemed like a child seeking praise, so Yi-seol laughed and patted her shoulder, making her cheeks flush.

The illustrations in the botanical guide couldn’t capture the vivid colors or shapes of the flowers. Marigolds grew in hot climates, so they were rare in Yeon. If he only had seeds or seedlings, it wouldn’t be too difficult to grow them. After some thought, Yi-seol asked Yeonhwa:

“How far is that pavilion from here?”

“If you cross Taegeum Palace and the main hall, it’s not that far.”

“If I finish my evening meal and hurry, I should be able to return before the Hour of the Boar (9–11 PM).”

“Yes? Your Highness intends to go there?”

When Yi-seol smiled and nodded, Yeonhwa was flustered.

“Your Highness has never once left Bi-eun Palace since entering the palace, have you?”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to get out for once?”

“But…”

“Don’t worry. I’ll go after the evening meal, after sunset. By then, I won’t attract attention from the court ladies.”

“It’s not that you’ve done something wrong and shouldn’t be seen! It’s that seeing those loose-tongued wretches will upset Your Highness…”

“I know, I know. I understand what you’re saying, Yeonhwa, so stop.”

He patted Yeonhwa’s shoulder, who looked about to burst into tears, and hurriedly soothed her. To Yeonhwa, who was pouting, he asked:

“So, what is the name of that pavilion?”

“It’s a pavilion with green tiles. The name is probably…”

She was lost in thought for a while. Just as he thought to ask Lady Ju, Yeonhwa clapped her hands.

“It’s Nokyeom Pavilion!”

“Nokyeom Pavilion, you say?”

“Yes, Nokyeom Pavilion.”

Yi-seol, who had been toying with his evening meal, nodded lightly. The pavilion was said to be abandoned, and even Lady Ju, who knew everything about the palace, seemed unfamiliar with it for a moment before nodding in recognition.

“Yes, it’s an old pavilion that requires crossing the main hall and walking quite a distance.”

“Quite a distance?”

“Considering the size of the entire imperial palace, it’s not far from here, but at this servant’s pace, it would take about two hours.”

Further than I thought, Yi-seol realized.

He knew that when they walked together, Lady Ju adjusted her pace to match his slower steps. At her pace, two hours meant it would take even longer for him. He had no urgent business, but he couldn’t be wandering the palace too late at night.

After hearing the answer to his sudden question, a pensive expression lingered on his face. Lady Ju filled his teacup and asked:

“Why do you suddenly ask about Nokyeom Pavilion, Your Highness?”

“I heard that marigolds are in full bloom in front of Nokyeom Pavilion, so I wanted to see them. Have you seen them too, Lady Ju?”

“I’m not sure if they are marigolds, but I have seen bright yellow and crimson flowers in full bloom there.”

“Those are marigolds. Aren’t they pretty?”

“I haven’t seen them up close… But with the bright yellow flowers blooming even more widely than those in Dowolso, they must be beautiful.”

Dowolso was quite large—large enough to float a small boat. If marigolds were in full bloom across that expanse, it would surely be a magnificent sight.

His mood, which had dampened at the thought of the distance, perked up again. Even Lady Ju’s words made him think he had to see it in person. Suddenly, he lost his appetite and felt a sense of urgency. The sun was beginning to set, and soon it would be dark. With his slow pace, he would have to hurry.