Futile Love

After hearing that Kyosul was pregnant. She reluctantly went to the Dongbi Palace to see Kyosul. Since then, Kyosul’s voice kept echoing into her ears.

It was not easy for her to eat or sleep comfortably. All her peace was broken.

Kyoyoung, who used to be quiet and neat, became increasingly harsh and prickly.

Her sweet face also became haggard.

“I came here to inquire after you, but you don’t look very good.”

She heard someone’s coquettish voice suddenly.

Kyoyoung’s face hardened suddenly. When she turned, she found Oran coming up at the pavilion with a smile.

“… I’m honored to see you here.”

As soon as she greeted her, Kyoyoung sat down and picked up the broken pieces of china dishes.

“Oh my god! What is this mess? ”

Though she asked worriedly, there was something mischievous in her voice.

Not caring about her on purpose, Kyoyoung focused on picking up the broken pieces.

“…bugs…”

Hearing her scared voice, Oran burst into laughter. Grabbing her own skirt, Oran squatted in front of her. She touched a few broken pieces with the tips of her long nails.

“You should kill bugs by applying insecticide. You can’t kill them by breaking your stuff like this.”

“Let me clean it up. I am sorry you saw this messy stuff here. As you can see, it’s very messy. Won’t you leave for today and come back another day? ”

Her voice was firm, but annoyed. Though she spoke politely, it was obvious that she was treating Oran coldly. But Oran didn’t care at all and said, “Have you heard about the update on the Crown Princess recently?”

“Although I belong to the Dongbi Palace, I don’t have to know everything about her.”

“I knew you would say so.”

Oran said as if she was trying to show her goodwill.

“I hear the Crown Princess has had pretty bad morning sickness. Every time kitchen women serve food to her, she reacts so quickly and violently that they find it difficult to prepare her food.”

“I see.”

Kyoyoung reacted indifferently. Pretending not to know her feelings, Oran just went on casually, “Being pregnant brings lots of pain. Not to mention morning sickness, you have to avoid certain food.”

Kyoyoung didn’t even respond. She put all the pieces in a partially broken bowl, but she didn’t want to get up because Oran would keep talking if she was done and took a seat.

“You can eat the food when you’re not pregnant, but the same food is poisonous when you’re pregnant. Isn’t it funny? ”

Kyoyoung stopped moving her hands at the word ‘poisonous.’

As far as pregnancy and poison were concerned, she vividly recalled assasination attempt on Hyejin by poison. The court lady who secretly loved her husband Prince Binsung tried to poison Heyjin’s food.

Fortunately Hyejin and her baby Koryun emerged unscathed.

“Look at this,” Oran said, taking out a pouch from her inside pocket.

“I hear your face has become haggard these days, so I specially prepared this pouch for you.”

“… What is it? ”

“It has mung beans inside.”

Oran, who was squatting to make eye contact with her, stood up. She put a heavy pouch on the table.

“It’s good for the skin, but if a pregnant woman eats mung beans, she will get into trouble.”

“Princess Oran!”

Kyoyoung sprang to her feet and stared at the Oran sharply. Nonetheless, Oran kept smiling.

“I told you this before; please watch your language in the palace.”

“What are you talking about? It looks like you are misunderstanding me. I just wanted to present mung beans that are good for your skin as I am concerned about your health.”

Oran tapped the thick pouch.

“I’ve ground it finely, so it’s easy to clean it with water and apply it directly to your face. If you enjoy snacks, it is easy to mix it with them. You won’t think it’s mung beans. ”

“Is there any reason I should not know it’s mung beans?”

“Well, that’s just what I think.”

Oran casually replied to Kyoyoung’s sharp questions.

“I hope you can use it as you wish. In the meantime, let me leave now as you seem to be busy.”

After speaking her mind, Oran left without delay. Stopping at the gate of the pavilion, she suddenly stopped and said lastly, “Oh, if you’re bothered by bugs, you’d better apply insecticide immediately, so you don’t have to be tormented.”

“…Don’t worry. It’s none of your business.”

“Okay, as you please.”

Oran left the pavilion without any regrets.

After Oran left like a gust of wind, Kyoyoung stood there without clearing up the mess.

Having heard the latest news about Kyosul unexpectedly, she felt frustrated and depressed once again. She beat on her chest. She felt bitter as if the gastric juice came up.

‘I am afraid.’

She didn’t throw a tantrum. She quietly bit her lip and looked at the pouch on the table.

***

“Kyoyoung! ”

Kyosul shouted with a bright smile when she visited the Dongbi Palace.

“Oh, Princess Kyoyoung.”

It was her unexpected visit to Kyosul. She really didn’t even expect it.

When Kyoyoung visited her and left with a sullen expression last, Kyosul thought she would never see her again. Surprisingly, however, Kyoyoung came to see her first. Sitting silently for a while, Kyoyoung slowly opened her mouth.

“Last time I was rude,” she said, but couldn’t look straight at Kyosul.

Instead, she stared at the prenatal education book on the small deskWhile reading the contents of the book casually, Kyoyoung continued, “Please forgive my faults last time.”

“Oh, never mind. I wouldn’t call it your fault.”

Kyosul reached out to her with pure joy, but she could not hold her hands. She held the box that she put down next to her, as if to avoid Kyosul’s hands.

“By the way…”

Kyoyoung put the box on the table. She unwrapped the knots of the cloth one by one and opened the lid.

“I made this snack by myself for you and your baby.”

“Are you sure you made it yourself?”

“When I heard that you suffered from morning sickness, I made some snacks and refreshments I used to enjoy before I came to the palace.”

The box, half as big as the desk, was filled with bite-sized rice cakes. Kyosul was more delighted at the fact that she came back rather than the gift itself.

“Thank you. I’ll eat it every day. ”

“I hope you like it,” said Kyoyoung, bowing to her.

As she was overjoyed with Kyoyoung’s visit, she did not recognize that there was no smile at all on her face.

***

The air of the West Palace was hot as if there was never winter there. In particular, Oran’s room was full of heat. The mysterious fragrance filling the room stimulated their senses.

“Princess Oran, my dear baby!”

Dukwol grabbed her round butt as if he could not stand it. He touched, sucked, and licked her across body. As long as he was with her, he felt every second was precious.

“Your Excellency!”

When they were in the middle of making love, someone called him from outside. Though the stranger couldn’t hide her excitement, she was afraid to bother their private time on the bed. Her urgent and trembling voice threw cold water on the heated atmosphere of the room.

Although he held Oran in his arms, his eyes suddenly changed. He raised his head suddenly and stared at the stranger outside sharply.

“Who dares to hinder my sweet sleep at the West Palace?”

Oran touched his neck softly with her tender hands. She lifted her upper body, touching her body to his back closely.

“Please calm down. She is my mole in the East Palace.”

“In the East Palace?”

“Yes. I planted a court lady in the East Palace secretly to check out something. As she came to my place urgently at this time, it looks like my prediction was right. ”

Oran stood up happily. She never pulled her body from him. Dukwol was puzzled and tried to calm down. She came across the room naked body. When she opened the door, the young court lady was lying face down on the floor.

“Come in.”

Trembling with fear, she crawled into her room, feeling much relieved to hear Oran’s answer.

As the door was closed with a bang, the court lady raised her head inadvertently and saw Prince Dukwol and Oran naked before her eyes. Stunned, she shook her shoulders and lay face down again.

“I’m so sorry!”

Walking behind Oran with a silk cloth, Dukwol covered her with it as if he embraced her shoulders. Hiding their naked bodies with one blanket, they sat on the cushions.

“I clearly told you to come to me only when you have news about any accident.”

“Yes, madame.”

“Are there any accidents in the Dongbi Palace?”

“I hear that the Crown Princess collapsed, complaining of abdominal pain,” she said curtly.

At her very short report, Oran and Dukwol’s expression changed quickly.