"My Lady, I feel as though I haven't seen you in a while, Imperial Concubine Park." "Forgive me Mistress Nam, especially after the death of your sister. But I also have been struggling with my pregnancy in my second trimester; I feel dozy in the spring time and fatigued in autumn. And I dislike the bustling environment that the new season brings." "As long as My Lady pays no mind to my lack of intellect, I am more than happy in keeping you company for now. I haven't been eating or sleeping well myself due to the accident and then my sister's death…" "But everyone around you still treats you fairly in all things, so what is upsetting you so?" "My late sister is the one who helped me the most with The Royal Children in Seo Yeon's absence when she used to follow The Third Prince around in The Imperial Library. When I think of how she would leave me alone to fulfil both our responsibilities, I cannot even stay awake long enough o tend to my own son." "Mistress Nam, I simply had no idea…it seems as though your previous efforts into keeping The Royal Children out of harms way for my husband seems to have been for naught if Yeon is really acting this irresponsible…" "It appears that she is even neglecting her fiancé at the moment, but my words still do not carry that much weight in front of anyone in the palace, as I am not in favour with anyone of importance. Imperial Concubine Park, do you blame me? For my social status not being elevated enough to at least discipline the girl properly, otherwise this shall place your husband in a very bad light in front of his father The Emperor. That is one issue, but Seo Yeon going again your husbands decree entirely as Prince of heaven is something else entirely."
"Mistress Nam, are you sure about this? These are very heavy accusations that you are throwing against the daughter of Seo Geom and the precious sister of Seo Hwi himself. Gossips without any substance is just as bad as any rampant rumour about my husband." "But My Lady, why else does she spend so much time in The Imperial Library otherwise?" "If Seo Yeon has something she wishes to tell me, then she can tell me herself, no matter what she does in her free time and what her intentions are. Let us not let gossip upset us…excuse me as I gather myself, my child is kicking me too much in my belly. Please help yourself to some lunch whilst I recover."
"My Lady, I have just witnessed The Imperial Concubine Park storming to her bed very angrily, she must be reacting at the news that you have just given her." "What made her angry was knowing that Seo Yeon is letting her down for once, especially when she is currently too pregnant to sort out this situation herself. What wife wishes to look incompetent in front of her husband, especially after a long absence? She must have previously harboured suspicions about her, only t have her suspicions confirmed by Seo Yeon's closest ally in the palace. I would very much like to witnesses this so-called sister relationship crumble, as Seo Yeon did to us by going back on her word about staying far away from the palace."
"…Forgive me My Lady…" "That is quite alright, Imperial Concubine Park, and forgive me for my comments. I only made them since we haven't seen you with her around the harem as of late…" "I hear that her fiancé sill visits her frequently, so it is not appropriate for me to visit her as much as he does…" "Excuse me? What did you just say?" "They still visit each other frequently to discuss their up coming engagement ceremony, didn't you know about it?" "Oh well, it looks like I was over-thinking this whole time after all. And here was me thinking that we were all beginning drift apart in the palace, as we haven't seen much of each other recently…" "As sisters in the palace, we need to be honest with each other at all times, so why would we ever drift apart?" "Forgive me, I shouldn't have said such a thing…" "I know that you often have the habit of overthinking things Mistress Nam, why else would you make such a trip to let me know about Yeon's failure to uphold your only job in the palace for you to support yourself and your son after the passing of your husband?"
"I…only told you because I was worried about you and your reputation…" "About you being incapable of keeping your job or complaining that nobody else will do it for you? We are all very busy in the palace Mistress Nam, and our individual jobs in the palace helps all of ur families outside of the palace in case you have forgotten." "I…" "What Yeon does is her business which is separate from yours and your own capabilities. But by sowing discord here and there in the palace, what are you doing with the goodness and corruptness from your heart?" "Imperial Concubine Park, you misunderstand me! I really was only worried that she would do something foolish to harm you and…" "If you were so worried abut her, then you would have made her aware of your concerns directly, don't you think?" Please do no be angry at me just because I am bad at communication. Bur forgive me for clearly upsetting you, especially in your current physical state." "Forget it, if you have the time to explain yourself to me like this, you might as well put in the effort to raise your child well, do your job in the palace and even find yourself a husband instead of bleeding others dry like this. I will even have your quarters moved out of my husband's harem to help you to focus on the job at hand, otherwise I am afraid that you shall have to look elsewhere for work, or I can reduce your status one again to become a pal maid to support your son, since The Lord Nam and Young Mistress Yeon shall leave the palace soon for their wedding." I had managed to put up with the sheer humiliation of the conversation quite well until she uttered the comment that completely set me off in a rant due to my pent up emotions. "I fell in love with my husband from the moment I met him, and I have granted him so many favours within the palace to pull up his status as a true member of the Emperor's council and not some irrelevant general inspector. He likes to listen to the zither in the brothel that he frequently visits, and I have been well versed in this instrument since childhood. And because of him, I can now fully understand what each music piece conveys and I have even recently learnt how to make one with my own hands for his birthday. Is there anyone you know that can compare to him? I had noticed the bullying he was to constantly endure, so he now has my support which gave him private audiences with The Emperor himself. Do you know how many times his life has been in danger in the palace? With the various poisonings, real training and almost ending up in other's traps if it were not for me? Can you compare with this? Even if he has never given me any hope, he will learn to love me as time goes by. So stop stealing his brother's affection for me and just leave him be! I already lack the capabilities to persuade him without you all teaming up against me like this!"
"Inability isn't the issue wither brother-in-law, it is your unclear lack of boundaries that is making everyone around you miserable, including yourself." "I…apologise to you and I….appreciate your advice…" "I have absolutely no intention on giving any advice as we have known each other for some time now, so I believe that we can communicate with each other directly instead of sideways. It is simply unnecessary and tiring, so if you will excuse me once again, I need to attend to my husband's harem in his absence."
"My Lady, The Imperial Concubine was incensed and very plain-spoken today, maybe we shouldn't provoke her any further?" "Her temperament has hardened in the absence of her husband, as has mine, but hers even more with all of the pre-natal tonics that she must take to carry the heir to full term. But Seo Yeon still remains to have the highest favour in the ned without having to do much at all as usual." "But isn't being close to her still close to being in favour, My Lady?" "She has been keeping a distance from me since my sister's death, which is the opposite of what I thought was going to happen. But I can still always see if, even if she doesn't wish to visit me or my son anymore."
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"My Lady, The Imperial Concubine Park's servant has reported to us that The Mistress Nam made lost her temper in front of her in your name and is now on the way to see you…My Lady? What are those on your neck…?" "Oh, it is nothing…just a little something from my fiancé…" I replied sheepishly when trying to hide my sheepish face and trying to avoid thinking about the memory when I was with my fiancé last…and how tender he was compared to my very first time….
"…All of the servants along the way are gossiping about how inherently she is starting to behave on the way here…" "She should be hiding in her quarters and thinking of making amends to her benefactor here in the palace instead of displaying false friendship with me once again. She is disrupting the peace of the palace as many noblewomen are calling her out for having a job in the palace that she can barely keep up with anyways. I should ask The Imperial Concubine to confine her in her quarters and…" "She was made it clear that she will be moved closer to The Royal Children in order to bond with them better." "So this shall be her last chance in the palace? Then who are we to let her down? I do not recall doing anything to her at all for her wanting to attack me like this, but it is her blessings that this coincides with the time that I wish to leave this place, and preferably before she looses her mind in public once again." "My Lady, this does suggest that she does have some kind of guilty conscious and that her own fears are taking over her rational mind and are driving her insane…"
"I will still give her an easy exit due to my fiancé's nephew and nothing more…" "My Lady? What is the matter?" "I used to think that my fiancé was controlling and possessive due to his own traumas and loneliness, that is the reason why I kept running away from him to pursue mown goals alone. But it is only now, years later, that I can see that every prediction that she has made, despite his own selfish reasons and ulterior motives…that he had been right all along. " "But would he have let you eve purses anything in the first place?" "That is true Dae-Jung, but I have still wronged that man and I owe him so much…." "My Lady, you are even dealing with people differently than before since you followed him here into the palace…" "I…will be the wife of a nobleman soon….I want to be his wife, so I must continue to be subtle in my dealings, especially after my stay in the brothels. In order for me to put on the act that he wants, I can rely on disarming his enemies with my words and their actions only. And The Mistress Nam's declining state of mind shall be a warning to any enemies that stand in our way, as well as the decline of The Third Princess Consort. Myself and my family are not easy prey and we shall be victims no longer." "Everyone says that The Third Princess Consort was aggressive and ruthless with an iron fist." "Her tactics were indeed effective when dealing with her enemies, so I should learn her methods and use it for myself. For every single day that my brother and myself live, we will always have enemies in the name of my father."