“She spent barely a single year as the consort of Prince Yeong, and at only sixteen years old, to think her end is so wretched… Furthermore, word has it that the very person who informed on Prime Minister Go’s treason was Prince Yeong himself, and he was also the one who slaughtered the Go clan a month ago.”
A subtle flicker passed through Jangson Anri’s eyes.
He turned his gaze back to the young woman in the arena. Slowly, he set down the teacup in his hand.
The porcelain met the saucer with a faint clink.
The hatred seeping from her eyes, and the silver needles held stealthily in her hand—he looked back and forth between the two.
Betrayed by her husband, stripped of her entire family, and now fated to be torn apart by beasts. Even so, she had fought tooth and nail to survive.
Until the very last moment.
Before long, his lips curled slightly as a low, deep chuckle escaped him.
Then he spoke.
“If this prince desires that woman, would Your Imperial Majesty spare her life?”
The moment his words left his mouth, the ministers and officials of the Great Ha Kingdom were all struck with utter astonishment. Every eye turned toward Jangson Anri.
Yet, since Prince Seong had already made the declaration openly, who would dare refuse?
Emperor Genyuan hesitated briefly before offering a smile—an awkward, forced one.
Three months ago.
Go Gyeong-seong sat by the window, looking at a calendar. She pointed with her finger, counting the dates one by one.
If her calculations were correct, it was now time for On Mu-ae to return.
Her husband. Ever since they married when she was sixteen, they had spent far more time apart than together.
The universally praised Prince Yeong, On Mu-ae—wherever he went, he achieved triumphant victory.
He had made a name for himself as the fourth prince of the Great Ha Kingdom.
After their wedding a year ago, he was granted the title of prince, holding the heavy favor of the Emperor.
She and he had grown up together since childhood, first meeting when she was eight. For the eight years following, they had secretly nurtured their affection for each other.
Having confirmed their feelings, they made a firm vow never to betray one another in this lifetime.
Looking into his eyes, she had believed it—that they would be together forever.
Yet, after the wedding, everything changed. On Mu-ae grew busier by the day.
War at the borders, state affairs at court, the Emperor’s summons, and meetings with officials—an endless stream of duties bound him.
He had no time to stay at the prince’s manor, nor any leisure to attend to her.
At first, she understood.
She knew he was handling important affairs and laboring for the country. Because Go Gyeong-seong was not a foolish woman, she endured the hours alone, dispelling her boredom in her own ways.
She read books, did embroidery, and strolled through the garden. As each day passed, she made her modest life lively and colorful, always waiting for his return. Always.
It had been two months since On Mu-ae left for the frontier to quell the war—time she had counted on her fingers.
By the calendar, his return was imminent.
This morning, a maid came running in, gasping for breath as she delivered the good news: Prince Yeong had already returned to the imperial city and would arrive at the manor in the afternoon.
Gyeong-seong’s heart fluttered with an excitement she hadn’t felt in a long time.
She began preparing early, carefully combing her hair and pulling out his favorite dress—a soft blue gown he had gifted her when they married.
She inserted a silver hairpin, another gift from him.
Looking into the mirror, her sixteen-year-old face reflected back—still youthful and fresh. She wore no makeup.
He had always said her face was most beautiful just as it was.
Her face was filled with longing for her beloved, brimming with the excitement of an impending reunion.
Just past the hour of Wu.
The sound of presence was heard outside the gate—the clatter of horse hooves and the rolling of carriage wheels. He had returned.
Go Gyeong-seong hurriedly rose, smoothed her skirt, and took a deep breath.
With a pounding heart, she stepped into the front courtyard of the manor, every step light with anticipation.
She was joyful at the thought of seeing him after so long.
“Ah…”
However, the scene unfolding before her eyes was utterly bewildering.
The husband she had cherished in her heart for so long was stepping inside, holding a beautiful woman in his arms.
Gyeong-seong’s footsteps froze, her smile hardening.
Her pounding heart turned icy cold in an instant.
A strange woman.
She was dressed in vibrant red clothing, possessing a seductive beauty entirely different from Gyeong-seong’s style.
She was whispering something in a gentle, soft tone—a stark contrast to Gyeong-seong’s usually upright and straightforward nature, almost as if chosen deliberately to highlight the difference.
The look in On Mu-ae’s eyes as he held the woman bore affection and a tender warmth—a look he had never given Gyeong-seong recently.
Stepping into the inner courtyard, the two simultaneously spotted Go Gyeong-seong standing in the middle of the blue stone path.
On Mu-ae’s expression froze for a moment, but it lasted only a split second before returning to an emotionless mask, as if it were nothing at all.
The woman scanned Gyeong-seong from top to bottom, slowly.
Though Gyeong-seong rarely dressed up, she had taken great care to adorn herself today—for him.
Yet in the eyes of the new woman, it looked laughable.
“They say everyone calls the Consort of Prince Yeong the most remarkable woman in Great Ha, do they not?”
The seductive woman spoke, her voice sweet as honey, yet poison lay hidden within.
“Rescuing your mother at the border in your youth, matching wits with the enemy state’s envoy in the palace at eleven to receive a reward from the Emperor, and already renowned across the realm for your beauty by thirteen.”
The woman leaned languidly into On Mu-ae’s embrace, as if that were her rightful place as a matter of course.
“Enjoying the favor of Prince Yeong, entering the Prince’s Manor to become the most blessed consort in our Great Ha Kingdom. Meeting you in person, Your Highness truly possesses incomparable beauty.”
Her words offered praise, but her eyes spoke differently.
The look with which she scanned Gyeong-seong’s attire was filled with intense contempt.
Though carefully arranged, her attire remained modest—clear and pure like a lotus above water.
It was elegant and refined, but in the eyes of the siren, it merely looked plain and insignificant, lacking splendor and seductiveness.
Yet there was one thing that could not be denied: Gyeong-seong indeed possessed a beauty capable of toppling nations.
Fine features, clear eyes, and natural grace—it was no exaggeration that the women of Great Ha envied her beauty.
Gyeong-seong first composed her chaotic mind and took a deep breath.
She chose not to address the woman directly, instead turning her eyes to On Mu-ae, believing he would explain everything.
Surely it was a misunderstanding. There had to be a reason.
Yet she could not comprehend the situation before her. Why was he holding another woman in his arms? Why were they so intimate?
Whether On Mu-ae knew her mind or not, he offered no explanation.
Instead, he affectionately patted the shoulder of the woman in his arms and spoke nonchalantly.
“This is Yu Geum-yeon, the daughter of the city lord from the southern border.”
Gyeong-seong’s gaze faltered. Yu Geum-yeon—it was a name she had never heard before.
“We have just returned from paying our respects to His Majesty together. I declined all other rewards and requested only that she be bestowed upon me as a secondary consort.”
Secondary consort.
The words stabbed into Gyeong-seong’s ears, making her heart sink with a heavy thud.
On Mu-ae continued as if it were nothing, as though talking about the weather.
“Yu’er, greet the Consort. Since you are two years older, you may comfortably call her Sister Consort.”
Yu Geum-yeon beamed, stepping out of On Mu-ae’s arms to perform a polite curtsy toward Gyeong-seong.
Her movements were graceful and her etiquette flawless, yet her eyes mocked her.
“Sister Consort, meeting you for the first time in the front courtyard of the manor is quite unexpected. I originally intended to find an opportunity to offer you a cup of tea, but it seems I am offering my greetings like this first.”
Sister Consort. She called her sister simply because she was older in age, despite the difference in hierarchy.
Gyeong-seong stared intently at Yu Geum-yeon, sensing through just a few words that this woman was no ordinary person.
Yet what shocked her even more was something else—the fact that On Mu-ae, who had once sworn to grow old together with her, dared to bring back another woman.
They had grown up together since childhood and shared affection for years, having been married for barely a single year.
The shock was all the more intense, and a wave of betrayal rushed over her.
Over the past year, he had used business as an excuse, treating her with a strangely cold attitude. They had spent more time apart than together, never even consummating their marriage.
Now she understood why—there had been another woman.
To ultimately bring another woman into the manor as a secondary consort was a staggering situation Gyeong-seong could not easily accept.
Furthermore, consider how On Mu-ae introduced the two. He named only Yu Geum-yeon, making no mention of Gyeong-seong’s name, addressing her merely by the title “Consort,” as if her name were not even worth speaking.
To make matters worse, On Mu-ae told Yu Geum-yeon to address her as “Sister.” Even with an age gap, protocol dictated that she should not be called “Sister” given the distinction between primary and secondary statuses.
Yet referring to her as “Sister Consort” clearly implied that Yu Geum-yeon’s status would not remain merely that of a secondary consort, but could stand above her.
Upon returning after two months, he had not come straight to the manor, but went first to the palace to request a marriage from the Emperor.
On top of that, he brazenly appeared with a woman in his arms right in front of his wife.
He clearly had no regard for her whatsoever.
Gyeong-seong struggled to maintain a calm face, her hands clenched into fists as her fingernails dug into her palms, yet her expression remained peaceful.
Ignoring Yu Geum-yeon, she stared solely at On Mu-ae, looking straight into his eyes.
She opened her mouth, her voice un-trembling.
“A secondary consort?”
Gyeong-seong’s suppressed anger went unnoticed by On Mu-ae—or rather, even if he noticed, he did not care.
He merely curled his lips into a faint, cold smile.
He offered not even half a word of explanation.
“Yu’er is thoroughly exhausted from following me all the way from the southern border to the imperial city. I will take her to rest, so have the servants clean the West Courtyard so she may move in tomorrow.”
It was a command, not a request—not the tone used with a wife, but an instruction given to a servant.
Having spoken, On Mu-ae immediately took Yu Geum-yeon back into his arms and brushed past Gyeong-seong without casting a single glance at her.
There was not a shred of apology in his eyes, nor any sign of attempting an excuse.
He remained composed, as if no matter how coldly he treated her or how many women he brought in, it had nothing to do with her.
Yu Geum-yeon’s voice began to echo with coquettish charm, intentionally loud so that Gyeong-seong would hear.
“Stop it, why are you touching my waist again! You tormented me like that last night, and you wouldn’t let go of me for even a moment inside the carriage. I really just want to get some sleep now.”
Gyeong-seong’s face turned pale.
Last night.
Inside the carriage.
There was no way she could misunderstand the meaning of those words.
