Chapter 4
“Who else would I be? I’m Myeonghui, your personal maid.”
“What?”
Nayoung stared intently at the woman named Myeonghui, who looked about two or three years older than her.
Am I really dreaming?
While Nayoung was still wondering, Myeonghui forced her to sit up and placed a washbasin in front of her.
The moment Nayoung saw it, she let out an incredulous laugh. It was a large brass washbasin, just like the ones she had seen in historical dramas.
This dream is way too realistic!
Nayoung gave another disbelieving laugh as she stared at the enormous washbasin. Just then, the woman named Myeonghui began rolling up her sleeves.
As Nayoung naturally watched Myeonghui’s hands, her heart nearly stopped.
She was wearing a white hanbok, too!
“Wait!”
Overwhelmed with shock, Nayoung jumped to her feet. Myeonghui was startled and immediately stood up as well.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Flustered, Nayoung felt her own body and looked around the room.
There was a small writing desk and a candleholder, just like the ones she had seen in dramas. A folding screen decorated with peaceful paintings stood nearby. Elegant furniture with a refined appearance filled the room, and silk mats and bedding covered the floor.
And… and…
As Nayoung looked around the unfamiliar room, she began to panic. Myeonghui firmly grabbed her arm.
“Young Lady, you were already saying how complicated and difficult life was. If you keep acting like this, I really will just die!”
“Wait! I’m the one who’s confused and shocked here, so why are you the one threatening to die?”
“What?”
Myeonghui stared at her as though the world had come to a standstill.
Then, suddenly, she crouched down and bent forward until her head nearly hit the floor.
“Young Lady! If this lowly servant has done anything wrong, please punish me with death!”
“Nooo! Why would I kill you?!”
“Young Lady!”
“Haah… Anyway, where am I?”
Nayoung hurried past Myeonghui, who was still bowing low, and pushed open the paper-covered wooden door.
Ugh!
The moment bright sunlight flooded in, Nayoung let out a small cry and covered her face with her right hand.
“Young Lady! Where are you going dressed like that? Please come back inside!”
Myeonghui quickly followed her and grabbed her arm.
Blinded by the intense sunlight, Nayoung felt dizzy for a moment. Before she could do anything, Myeonghui dragged her back into the room.
“Now, we must hurry and get you ready. His Lordship has been waiting for you for quite some time.”
“Wait a minute. His Lordship? Who is that?”
Nayoung rested both arms on the washbasin Myeonghui had pulled closer to her and asked with an extremely rude expression.
She was still convinced that she must be dreaming.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
Myeonghui stepped forward with a tearful expression and flapped her skirt in frustration.
“You stayed up all night reading a book you weren’t supposed to read. Did you have a nightmare because of it? And now you’re taking your bad mood out on me, aren’t you?”
Was a web novel something I wasn’t supposed to read? More importantly, did she just call it a book?
Nayoung tilted her head, narrowed her eyes, and stared at Myeonghui.
“What book did I read…?”
“…Young Lady, are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“Yes. I don’t really remember. I guess I’m still half asleep. So please tell me.”
Nayoung tactfully began speaking informally to put Myeonghui at ease, asking in a soothing voice.
Myeonghui stared at her for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
“After you returned from the palace yesterday, you spent the entire night reading that book about the Northern Empire.”
Myeonghui covered her mouth and answered in a low voice.
“…Where?”
The name sounded unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar at the same time.
Nayoung leaned forward and asked again.
Myeonghui’s shoulders trembled slightly as she answered.
“The Northern Empire.”
After hearing the answer, Nayoung’s foggy mind slowly began to clear.
Then, in a trembling voice, she asked,
“Then what is this place? I mean, what is the name of this country?”
“Young Lady, you’re being really strange today. It’s the Seoyeon Kingdom.”
“The Seoyeon… Kingdom?”
“Yes.”
Nayoung hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.
Then she muttered to herself,
“No way. Am I… inside the web novel I read yesterday?”
“What novel? What is that supposed to mean?”
“T-then what about me? Who am I? My name… Tell me my name!”
Nayoung urgently patted her chest as she asked.
Myeonghui stared at her in bewilderment.
“Your name is Lee Eunjeong…”
“Aaaah!”
Nayoung jumped to her feet and dashed outside.
She touched the trees and flowers growing along the walls, then bent down to feel the soil in the courtyard.
Following the sound of birds chirping nearby, she walked toward a tall tree and looked up at the traditional tiled-roof buildings.
“Young Lady!”
At Myeonghui’s desperate shout, Nayoung turned pale and screamed toward the sky.
“I want to go home!”
“I’m not going!”
Nayoung was clinging to a pillar on the wooden veranda, refusing to let go.
Myeonghui was beside herself with worry, stamping her feet in frustration.
“Why are you acting like this today of all days? His Lordship has been waiting for you for ages!”
“That’s exactly why I’m not going! I’m absolutely not going!”
Nayoung hugged the pillar even more tightly and stubbornly held her ground.
First of all, she couldn’t understand why she had become Lee Eunjeong inside a web novel.
And on top of that, she had just learned something truly shocking.
The main character, Lee Eunjeong, had gone to the palace yesterday.
Which meant that today was the day Eunjeong was supposed to tell her father that she would go to the Northern Empire!
If she went there, she might literally lose her head. It was a life-or-death situation.
She had to find a way to escape from this novel, no matter what it took.
“What on earth are you doing?”
While she was struggling with Myeonghui, a stern voice interrupted them.
Nayoung didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.
It was Prince Inyang, Lee Eunjeong’s father.
“Your Lordship, you’ve arrived!”
Myeonghui immediately released Nayoung’s waist, which she had been holding, and bowed deeply in greeting.
Nayoung, however, paid no attention to them. She simply tightened her grip on the pillar and glared ahead with all her might.
“I asked you what you were doing!”
“…”
“Have you decided to keep your mouth shut entirely?”
Only after Prince Inyang finally shouted at her did Nayoung reluctantly release the pillar and step in front of him.
Strangely enough, it felt as though her body was moving on its own.
Myeonghui glanced nervously between them before quickly leaving the separate residence.
When Prince Inyang approached with a stern expression, Nayoung instinctively swallowed hard.
In the novel, Prince Inyang was a man of unyielding principles. One could even describe him as cold-hearted.
After all, he was the man who would disguise his only daughter as a princess and send her far away to become the empress of the Northern Empire.
“You said you would think about it. Is this your answer?”
Prince Inyang’s voice was filled with disappointment and reproach.
Even if I’m the eldest daughter in a Korean family, this is going way too far!
Nayoung took a short breath and stared directly up at Prince Inyang’s face.
“Yes. I’m not going to the Northern Empire.”
“Whether you agree or not, the decision has already been made. You will become a princess of the Seoyeon Kingdom and go to the Northern Empire. That is your duty as a member of the royal family.”
“What kind of nonsense is that? What exactly does being a member of the royal family mean? Is it some kind of official position?”
Prince Inyang’s brow furrowed deeply.
Of course it did. His daughter had always been well-mannered, calm, gentle, and… well-educated in the duties of a royal family member.
This woman in front of him was nothing like her.
“What did you just say?”
As expected, Prince Inyang repeated the question with an expression of utter disbelief.
Whatever. I don’t care anymore!
Nayoung plopped down onto the floor and shouted at the top of her voice.
“Why does it have to be me?! There must be another way!”
That was right. No matter how much the author had promised a happy ending, Nayoung couldn’t possibly go to the terrifying Northern Empire without knowing what awaited her there.
“What nonsense are you spouting after I spent all this time giving you books and making you study?”
Prince Inyang shouted at her again.
“You deliberately deceived Eunjeong all this time! You knew she loved reading, so you intentionally gave her those books to prepare her for this! You might as well admit it! How could you do that to your only daughter?”
“You’re even speaking strangely now. More importantly, are you talking back to your father?”
Prince Inyang asked, looking utterly dumbfounded.
Nayoung stood up, brushed off her skirt, and stared straight at him.
“Let me tell you again. I’m not Lee Eunjeong. I’m Lee Nayoung. And this place! I mean, this country…”
She couldn’t bring herself to say the words I’m inside a web novel.
She could hardly believe it herself. How could she expect a man who seemed to belong in the Joseon era to understand?
“This won’t do. You will not take a single step outside this separate residence until you have reflected on your behavior and come to beg me for forgiveness!”
Having firmly laid down the rule, Prince Inyang stepped through the gate of the separate residence and left.
Nayoung glared fiercely at the gate, her anger still far from settled.
At least I’ve bought myself some time. Now I need to find a way out of this.
“Young Lady, are you really planning to skip your meal?”
Myeonghui asked worriedly as she brought in the meal tray.
Nayoung remained seated with her back turned, hugging her knees tightly to her chest.
