MOSC 26

Just then, Wigyeom, who knew On was watching him, tapped his forehead against hers. Thump.

Only then did On realize that Wigyeom had not let her go from his arms for even a moment.

“My princess, please do not worry about a thing. This Sim Wigyeom will protect you no matter what.”

Wigyeom’s eyes settled with a dignified air.

This time, I will for certain.

He rubbed his nose against On’s with an affectionate expression.

At that action, On felt a sharp pain in her heart.

‘My chest hurts.’

It was strange.

That was surely something Wigyeom was supposed to say to his legitimate wife, Princess Bonghwa, not to me, so why was my heart fluttering like this?

In the end, against her will, On had to clutch her pounding heart and give a small nod.

Meanwhile, watching On, the Kkeutbun Mother’s eyes narrowed.

‘The young master was not originally this kind of person.’

The men of the Sim family, for generations, had been strict, disciplined, and prudent, and they never allowed themselves to be swayed by personal affection. Thus, since the founding of their family, character and integrity had become their creed, and that very creed formed the discipline of the Sim family.

But the young master now seemed like a completely different person.

The Kkeutbun Mother scanned On with a displeased gaze.

She was slender and quiet, like a flower wet with dew.

‘Well now, her being so pretty must be what’s toying with a man’s heart.’

The Kkeutbun Mother found herself clicking her tongue without realizing it.

She had heard rumors about the royal family for a long time. She had heard that Princess Bonghwa was a person of stronger spirit than anyone, possessing a coltish disposition that even the royal family could not dare to suppress.

‘Is she truly innocent, or is she pretending to be innocent?’

She may seem docile now, but would she one day reveal her true colors and take control of the Sim household in the royal family’s way?

‘Hmph. The dirt under my nails from sewing and the grease stained on my hands from scrubbing cauldrons are half a lifetime’s worth. No matter how much she has the royal family behind her, if she looks down on the Sim family servants, she will be in for a rude awakening.’

And so, the Kkeutbun Mother burned with hostility toward the blameless On.

From the steward to the housemaids, there was no servant in the Sim household who was not influenced by the Kkeutbun Mother. If the princess could not earn the mother’s trust completely, her life as a new bride would be far from easy.

…It was a premonition of another hardship in On’s life.

*

On was able to escape the main chamber after a full three days.

But that did not mean On’s path of suffering was over by any means.

Because On’s face had already been revealed when she came out of the main chamber, the few servants of the Sim household were all firmly mistaking her for Princess Bonghwa.

This was largely Wigyeom’s fault, who, before leaving on his trip, had briefly taken On to see his deaf father-in-law, then gathered the servants and introduced On to all of them.

Wigyeom, having become a member of the royal family by marrying the princess, had to go inspect the farmlands in the provinces to manage the property, including the fields, that he had received as a royal grant.

He was full of worry even before his departure.

“My wife. I implore you once again. Even if the servants get on their knees and cry and whine that it is difficult, and even if they cause a commotion saying there is a crisis, you must not move a single step. You must just sit in the main chamber and be served, and you must make sure to have not only three meals a day but also your snacks.”

“Th, that is…”

“Especially if that Gyesaeng’s younger brother, Mansaeng, cries his heart out and asks you for a favor, you must close your ears and shut your eyes. When it comes to coaxing people, he is no ordinary fellow. No matter how much of a fuss that man makes, you must absolutely not get up. You must resolutely ignore him, stay in the main chamber, and leisurely pluck the strings of your bipa.”

“W, well…”

“My wife. Even if the sky falls, a typhoon blows, or a flood rushes in, you must not lift a single finger. You must sit lavishly in the main chamber, eating the meat offered on the drinking table, and wait for me quietly. Do you understand?”

There had never been such a fretful man.

…On was so embarrassed for many reasons that she could not properly lift her head.

First, Wigyeom’s tone of entreaty was excessively affectionate.

On was already weak when it came to handsome faces.

He was a man who possessed a face worthy of adoration even when he was doing nothing.

With such a man as Wigyeom worrying about her so much, On truly did not know what to do with herself.

Second, was the fact that Wigyeom truly did not doubt for a moment that she was not Princess Bonghwa.

This part was a grave misunderstanding on On’s part, but it was still just as embarrassing for her all the same.

…And third, was the servants’ reaction.

The gatekeeper was continuously rubbing his eyes, and the housemaid, the Kkeutbun Mother, was intermittently slapping her own cheeks to discern whether it was a dream or reality.

And the bondsman, Gyesaeng, had turned his back, as if he could not bear to look at such a Wigyeom.

‘My ancestors appeared in my dreams, they must finally be coming to take me. Kkeutbun Mother. You have endured so much hardship until now.’

‘What do you mean, so much hardship? I will be following you soon enough. It must be the end of the world. Seeing the young master hold his wife’s hand and speak like that, Mother, my time to die has come.’

‘…Both of you, please compose yourselves. I am currently searching for monks with renowned spiritual power from all over the country.’

But the servants’ shock did not end there.

Wigyeom, who had been earnestly telling her not to work while sharing the household’s affairs in great detail as if he were going abroad for several decades instead of just a few days, took something out from within his robes.

“Wait, before I go…. My wife. Here, please take this.”

…It was a money pouch filled with pocket money.

Seeing this, not only the gatekeeper and the Kkeutbun Mother, but even Gyesaeng’s eyes popped out of their sockets.

“It is all yours, my wife. It is not much money, but please keep it.”

Like a bolt from the blue, or rather, pocket money that came from none other than Wigyeom’s robes, the Kkeutbun Mother finally foamed at the mouth.

‘Wh, where in the world did that money come from…!’

‘Kkeutbun Mother! Get a grip!’

‘Ma’am!’

A small commotion arose among the Sim family servants.

Regardless, Wigyeom placed the money pouch into On’s two hands and urged her again and again.

“You must spend it on yourself alone. If anything happens, solve it with this, and though it may be insufficient, I will procure more. Whether you buy snacks, or hire a bipa teacher, you must use it to take care of your body and mind. Remember this. You must use it only for yourself.”

Meanwhile, On, as shocked as the Sim family servants were to receive the money Wigyeom handed her, almost staggered.

It was the first time in her life.

To have received something from someone without expecting anything in return.

It seemed there was a time when On, too, was born and raised in an ordinary prestigious family, a cherished daughter who received plenty of love from her family.

They say you give as much love as you receive, and it seemed the reason she could be so devoted to Princess Bonghwa was because of that unconditional love from that time.

…However, after her family fell, her parents passed away, and even her younger brother’s whereabouts became unknown, she entered the palace and was barely able to keep herself alive. Since then, On had always been the one giving love, not the one receiving it.

So the sincerity Wigyeom showed now, no matter how small its scale, was to On like being given the entire world.

Her two eyes, looking up at Wigyeom, wavered.

It was not even meant for her, yet for some reason, her heart felt strangely touched.

Wigyeom, his brows deeply furrowed as if he were a parent who had to leave a five-year-old child behind to go to work, urged her.

“Promise me. That you will use this to go visit the marketplace, buy some wine rice cakes and candied fruits, and hire a bipa teacher.”

As he said this, the man held out his pinky finger.

On, while captivated by Wigyeom’s handsome face, hesitated in bewilderment, not knowing what it meant.

Then Wigyeom grinned and pulled On’s hand.

During his stay in the Unnam Kingdom in his past life, Wigyeom had learned this unique way of making a promise from a blond, blue-eyed merchant he met there.

“Like this. You hook your pinky finger on my finger.”

Wigyeom interlocked On’s pinky finger with his own and gave a gentle smile.

‘I will always protect you.’

As On looked up at that face, a sharp pain struck her heart once again.

She rubbed the area around her solar plexus and thought.

‘Do I have indigestion?’

But I have not eaten anything.

That was all the clueless On could think of.

“Gasp! The Kkeutbun Mother is…!”

Just then, the sound of someone collapsing behind her was heard.

Gyesaeng was hoisting the Kkeutbun Mother onto his back and heading somewhere, and the gatekeeper was following behind him.

‘Th, this is not the young master I knew! Misfortune has befallen the household…!’

‘Kkeutbun Mother, you cannot die.’

‘Ma’am, please hold on until the spiritual master arrives!’

At Wigyeom’s behavior, which had changed as if heaven and earth had been overturned, the Kkeutbun Mother had finally lost consciousness and collapsed.

On made a decision.

‘I should prepare some nourishing food and send it to the Kkeutbun Mother.’

…The Kkeutbun Mother had never been so full of energy in her entire life as she was these days.

In any case, this incident unintentionally(?) solidified On’s position within the household as Princess Bonghwa completely.

Furthermore, she also learned that Wigyeom was a person who was excessively distant from words like gentleness, quietness, calmness, simplicity, and integrity, which were the chief virtues of a Royal Son-in-law.

Not just distant, but a man on a completely different plane altogether.

On’s guess was accurate.

The only difference was that there was now not even a speck of a chance for her to escape the trap Wigyeom had set.

And so, within the Sim household, the days of On and Wigyeom, the husband and wife, deepening their different misunderstandings and affections, began in earnest.