Chapter 6
“…Yes.”
“Tell me.”
Nayoung barely managed to suppress the words I won’t do as you wish that had risen to the tip of her tongue before answering.
“I… will go to the Northern Empire.”
“…”
Nayoung sat with her eyes lowered, unaware that Prince Inyang was looking at his daughter with sympathy and concern.
The sky was overcast, as though it might rain at any moment.
A senior court lady named Han, dressed in ordinary clothes, gazed anxiously toward the men’s quarters.
Inside, Nayoung was saying her final goodbyes to Eunjeong’s parents before entering the palace.
“Do not forget. From the moment you leave this house, you are Princess Uihwa.”
For the first time, Nayoung heard a slight tremor in Prince Inyang’s voice.
She had thought he was a heartless father who could turn his daughter into a princess and send her to a distant foreign country without a second thought. But perhaps he was not quite as cold-hearted as she had imagined.
That was a relief.
Although she was not the real Lee Eunjeong, she did not want to see Prince Inyang sending her off with a completely expressionless face, as though he felt nothing at all.
“Before you are the empress of the Northern Empire, you are a princess of the Seoyeon Kingdom. You must never forget that either. The fate of the Seoyeon Kingdom rests on your shoulders. This is the destiny of someone born into the royal family.”
“…I will remember.”
Nayoung looked at Lady Min, who was sobbing quietly.
“Mother.”
“…Yes?”
Lady Min’s voice was filled with grief.
“I will send you letters from time to time, so please do not worry. I will be happy.”
After all, what makes a romance novel satisfying is its happy ending!
“Ahem! Please maintain your dignity, Madam.”
When his wife’s sobbing continued, Prince Inyang finally lost his temper and scolded her.
Lady Min turned away in a huff and left the room.
“I shall take my leave now.”
“…Take care of yourself.”
“Yes, Father.”
Nayoung rose from her seat, bowed respectfully to Prince Inyang for the last time, and went outside.
In the courtyard, Lady Min was still wiping away her tears. When she saw Nayoung, Senior Court Lady Han bowed deeply in greeting.
“Mother.”
“…”
A quiet sob was the only response.
Nayoung smiled affectionately and spoke.
“Please give me one last hug, just once.”
“Sob!”
Lady Min burst into tears again.
Nayoung stepped forward and embraced Eunjeong’s mother tightly. Lady Min also wrapped her arms around the daughter she would never be able to see again and gently patted her back.
“I will pray to Heaven and Earth every night for your safety.”
“Thank you for raising me with so much love until now.”
Nayoung offered the farewell that Eunjeong had given in the novel, then climbed into the palanquin.
After helping her settle in and arranging her shoes and skirt, Senior Court Lady Han lowered the palanquin’s door.
“Please take good care of her.”
For some reason, the moment Nayoung heard Lady Min’s words of concern to Senior Court Lady Han, tears began streaming down her face before she even realized it.
It sounded exactly like something her own mother in the real world would say.
How is everyone doing? Have I really disappeared from the real world? Or… has something happened to me?
Nayoung’s mind was filled with confusion.
Regardless of what was happening to her, the palanquin continued its journey. The bearers were changed several times, and her clothes were changed along the way. Only after a long time did she finally arrive deep inside the royal palace.
“Your Highness, we have arrived.”
After Senior Court Lady Han spoke, the palanquin door was lifted.
Nayoung rubbed her stiff legs for a moment before relying on the court lady’s hand to step out.
After sitting in such a cramped space for so long, she felt slightly dizzy when she finally emerged into the open air.
“Please come inside, Your Highness.”
At the court lady’s words, Nayoung turned her gaze toward the small residence in front of her.
According to the novel, this was the princess’s quarters where the real Princess Uihwa had lived. It was also the place where everything had been changed to accommodate the fake Princess Uihwa.
Nayoung entered the residence, followed by Senior Court Lady Han and Myeonghui, who had entered the palace with her as her personal maid.
After everything had been arranged, including the bedding, Myeonghui quietly left the room.
Senior Court Lady Han was the last to remain. She bowed and spoke respectfully.
“This servant will be in the adjoining room. Please call me if you need anything.”
“All right.”
After Nayoung answered, Senior Court Lady Han backed away with her head bowed.
Once the room had finally fallen silent, Nayoung suddenly felt lonely.
She looked around at the bedding where she was sitting, drew her knees up, and rested her face against them.
“Do not forget. From the moment you leave this house, you are Princess Uihwa.”
Remembering Prince Inyang’s warning, Nayoung straightened her back and sat upright with her eyes gently closed.
The author said it would have a happy ending. So let’s believe it. What other choice do I have? Yes, I’ll believe it.
She firmly suppressed her growing fear and made that promise to herself.
The road to the Central Palace felt unusually long that day.
Nearly a month had passed since Nayoung entered the palace as Princess Uihwa.
The sunlight was warm, but her heart felt empty, as though nothing remained inside it.
“Sob… sob…”
A quiet sob came from beside her.
Nayoung looked at Jagyeong, who was holding her hand tightly.
Jagyeong was one of the girls selected to become a secondary wife in the Northern Empire. Just as in the original story, events had unfolded exactly as written, and this had happened to her after all.
Without saying a word, Nayoung put an arm around Jagyeong’s shoulders.
Fortunately, by the time they reached the Central Palace, Jagyeong had stopped crying.
A senior court lady who spotted Nayoung and Jagyeong bowed and announced their arrival in a quiet voice.
“Your Majesty the Queen, Princess Uihwa and Princess Uihyeon have arrived.”
Unlike Nayoung, who had become a fake princess, Jagyeong had officially been granted the title of Princess Uihyeon before being sent to the Northern Empire.
Since she was a secondary wife rather than the empress, the imperial envoy had not raised any particular objections to her selection.
“Bring them in.”
A gentle voice came from inside.
The senior court lady bowed to both women.
“Please enter.”
Nayoung took Jagyeong’s hand and led her inside.
The Queen was seated in the most honored position in the room. A short distance away, Lady Park, Consort Hyeonbin, stood up.
Lady Park was Jagyeong’s stepmother.
“That’s enough. Sit comfortably.”
When Nayoung tried to bow, the Queen raised her hand to stop her.
“I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness.”
Just as Nayoung was about to sit down, Jagyeong approached the small desk and fell to her knees.
“Dear Aunt, please save me…”
She clasped her hands desperately as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Princess.”
Even when the Queen called her, Jagyeong could not raise her head. She continued sobbing.
“I… I am truly terrified of that place. I am still too young and know nothing about the world. Why does it have to be me…?”
Her trembling voice grew quieter and quieter.
“His Majesty has so many daughters. It doesn’t have to be me…”
Unable to bear watching any longer, Consort Hyeonbin gently admonished her.
“Your Highness, you must not behave this way in front of Her Majesty the Queen.”
Like a little child, Jagyeong shook her head.
“I… I don’t think I can bear it. Please, isn’t there any other way…?”
Everyone remained silent as Jagyeong’s sobs spread quietly through the room.
Nayoung lowered her gaze without saying anything and waited for Jagyeong to calm down.
More time passed, and the day finally arrived for the two women to leave for the Northern Empire.
The palace had been bustling since early morning.
The court ladies who would accompany and serve the two women on their journey were carefully checking the silver money and supplies they would need in the Northern Empire.
By the time the traveling officials and escort guards had finished preparing to protect their procession, Nayoung took Jagyeong’s hand and headed toward the main audience hall.
Jagyeong kept her head lowered, looking utterly dejected.
“Uihyeon, you must not cry this time. Above all, you must remember that we are daughters of His Majesty and Her Majesty the Queen.”
“…Yes.”
Jagyeong pressed her lips together and gave a short answer.
Nayoung let out a long sigh inwardly.
She wasn’t even the real Eunjeong, so she couldn’t understand why these words came so naturally to her.
At this point, she was beginning to feel confused about whether she was Lee Nayoung or Lee Eunjeong.
She thought it was all because of the training she had undergone for more than a month.
Will I be able to do this?
Nayoung did not know how the novel would end, since the author had never written that part. Every day, she felt exhausted and overwhelmed.
But the day to leave for the Northern Empire had finally arrived, and there was no way to turn back anymore.
With a heavy heart, she arrived at Gangnyeongjeon, where the king and queen were standing outside despite the cold wind.
“Please take good care of yourselves.”
The king spoke solemnly, his eyes red with tears.
The queen’s eyes were also filled with tears as she held the hands of her two daughters, who were about to embark on a journey from which returning would be difficult.
“Wherever you go, you will always be my daughters. I will never forget either of you.”
“We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness.”
Jagyeong finally burst into tears and could no longer speak.
Nayoung answered in a calm, quiet voice.
After exchanging their farewells in the sorrowful atmosphere, the two women climbed into their palanquins.
A small brazier had already been placed inside, so the cold was not too unpleasant. Nevertheless, their hearts felt empty and cold.
“Your Highness, the Princess!”
“Please stay healthy, Your Highness!”
The desperate cries coming from outside told Nayoung that they had now completely passed through the palace gates.
She opened the small window of the palanquin slightly and looked outside.
Along both sides of the road where the procession was passing, the people had knelt down, weeping as they bid farewell to the two women.
