"Why do I have to find an Empress if I can do handle it by myself?"
For the nineteen girls, they have to take any opportunities to escape the life laid out for them. To be swept up in a world of glittering hanfus and priceless ornaments. To live in...
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Ryujin's POV
Palace of Great Benevolence, Forbidden City January 5, 1745
Tʜᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴄᴋ ᴏɴ my door came around ten. I flung it open, and Yeonjun rolled his eyes.
"You really ought to have a maid in here at night."
"Yeonjun! Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to call you that in front of everyone. It was so stupid."
"Do you think I'm mad at you?" he asked as he walked in and shut the door. "Ryujin, you call me by my name so often, it was bound to slip out. I wish it had been in a slightly more private setting," he said with a sly smile, "but I don't hold that against you at all."
I sighed in relief. Good thing, Yeonjun decided to forgive. Reminiscing what happened at the banquet that was prepared for us(Concubines) the Prime Minister asked me what I think of Yeonjun. Well, as his favored concubine, I listed out every positive thing about him but I forgot to filter my words out and called him his name in front of the girls, royal family, and high-ranking ministers.
"Really?" I asked.
"Of course, really."
"Ugh! I felt like such an idiot tonight. I can't believe you made me tell our first encounter!" I slapped him on the side gently.
"That was the best part of the whole night! Mom was really amused."
We walked across my room and ended up on the arhat bed, the windows were open. There was a small, cold breeze blowing the scent of the thousands of flowers in the flower beds outside my room. A full moon shone down on us, adding to the lights around the palace, and it gave Yeonjun's face a mysterious glow.
"Well, I'm glad you're so amused, virgin boy," I said, running my fingers across the embellished handle of the arhat bed.
Yeonjun hopped up to sit on the handle of the railing, looking very relaxed. "You're always amusing. Get used to it."
Hmm. He was almost being funny.
"So. . . about what you said. . ." he started tentatively.
"Which part? The part about me calling you names or fighting with my brother or saying the food was my motivation?" I rolled my eyes.
He laughed once. "The part about me being good . . ."
"Oh. What about it?" Those few sentences suddenly seemed more embarrassing than anything else I'd said. I ducked my head down and twisted a piece of my hanfu.
"I appreciate you making things look authentic, but you didn't need to go that far."
My head snapped up. How could he think that? "Yeonjun, that wasn't for the sake of the banquet. If you had asked me a month ago what my honest opinion of you was, it would have been very different. But now I know you, and I know the truth, and you are everything I said you were. And more."
