"Have you seen much of your sister, servant?" "The Mistress Nam is busy with her own life, what do i have to do with it? She is still quite upset over what happened though recently…." "Here, in that case, take this jade pin and take it to her as a gift. It has durable fine quality and is a rare find…" "Wasn't this gifted to you by The Third Prince? Will you really put in the effort to hand it over just to comfort my sister?" "I only have a handful of allies by my side, and i cannot bare to see her to sad." "Very well, but she is going through a rather sensitive time right now, and you gifting her these expensive times may give her the wrong idea…" "I do not blame her for it, as everyone in the palace must fight for their own survival. She is Seon-ho's responsibility until she starts her new job and from then on, her life is in her own hands."
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"And just why did you come over here sister? To mock me alongside the rest of the world?" "Stop your snivelling and accept this gift from my Mistress; jade pins to match your new piece of jewellery." "Thank her on my behalf, for she seems to always think about me whenever she is adorned with gifts." "I know that you didn't plan to continue to live on charity for the rest of your life sister, but that is just where you are now and you have to accept it to survive until you are recognised for your own work. Whenever there were some pretty accessories in the past, it always took 2 people to wear it. But now in the palace, everyone should get their shares of fortune…" "You and you're damned riddles...and by the way, I have herd her coughing since yesterday. Please give her this pan of sugar loquat leaf…" Thank you for her care, i shall do it accordingly since your new found tolerance is our fortune."
I waited for my sister to leave before i threw the box of expensive hair pin's across the room in pure frustration. "My Lady! Why would you do that?" "If i gave it to you instead, would you be happy?" "Of course i would, My Lady…" "Of course, it is a nice feeling to receive gifts from others. But I am her equal, even if i am widowed and she is still unmarried. I still have never seen such fine things before, but she gets everything handed to her by sheer luck and gifts me these second hand items once she is through using it all."
"My Lady, are you not overthinking this?" "I think that i am sometimes, since I have nothing better to do in my widowhood, but i am also not wrong. She gives me hand-me-downs, and as for the embroidered gown; how could she have so coincidentally gifted The Third Prince once the same time as I did?" "My lady, she was forced to in her confinement for The Concubine Choi..." "You didn't hear what she saiid to me at the dinner banquet; she was relying on him to discover her unique stye and patterns. He even went so far as to praise it for its comfort, but mine alone can be ripped apart? Even my own sister is laughing at my cheap embroidery right in face alongside The Concubine Choi, causing me to lose face even in the privacy of my own chambers. Isn't this cursing me to be alone forever? Seo Yeon isn't even a concubine and she continues to gain favours from Royal Family Members? It is hard not t be prideful around such a rising star in the palace of all places? Even if she does genuinely care for me; she is gifting me things to cool down my anger instead of seeking justice for my grievances. In a way, she is protecting her own interests. When did she ever gift me these luxuries under normal circumstances? Would she really help me if she didn't have her own reasons for coming here?" "But why has she come here then?" "Aside from her own goals, she has followed her lover here to save him from the clutches of his ex-lover." "But otherwise…she is pacifying The Concubine Park? At our expense?" "Why would she bother to help me when she finally has a powerful ally that isn't after her man for once? Here, take this pin for yourself or else it will really be a waste." "It isn't like she has gifted her new servant anything either." "Her new servant? The one that her brother gifted her? And the one who follows her here to my quarters? Now it all makes sense as to how she copied my work to fight for The Third Prince's favour when she needed it the most? After getting her revenge for being locked up in prison alongside her brother?" "My Lady, we are being called into the harem for morning meetings before we are to be taken to meet the children today." "Very well, let us go…."
"…it has been very cold lately, how are you all holding up here in the palace?" "Did anyone notice how mute The Mistress Man is due to her persistent cold?" There is no need to talk abut non-harem members here, Companion Choi, especially when our husband is still privately grieving loss of his favourite concubines…" "I just wish that i could be as paper-thin as she is; but here is no harm in gaining a little weight as long as our husband likes it I suppose." "Are you saying that you are jealous of Mistress Nam's diet? She is indeed rather too slim and delicate…." "I thank your Highness; i am not fortunate enough to enjoy such luxurious foods and be cared for intimately compared to everyone else here…" "Concubine Par, i have just sent word to send you some mountain yam cake for your current pregnancy…" "I thank you and seek your forgiveness at no being able to stand up to thank you…" "Do not become so full of yourself after you have conceive, for your arrogance may become sky-high over your future status, lest you give birth to a useless princess..." we could all hear her mutter in anger under her breath, but it was still too loud for us to hear, including Concubine Park herself. "I just wish for a peaceful life with my child and nothing more…" "Concubine Park, you may tolerate others, but can the same thing be said for you?" "What do you mean by this, Mistress Han?" "There is something that The Concubine Choi just said that i cannot comprehend wih my dull mind; if the most favoured concubine here cannot get pregnant or become so with 'useless girls', is she implying that this is the fault of The Third Prince himself? And that now The Concubine Park has fulfilled her wifely duties; that she will obtain unfair favour? Why say such a thing instead of focusing on yourselves and improve your reproductive health?" "Mistress Nam! What exactly are you accusing me of here?" "Isn't that why you stole all of the Bai Zhu root to be burned with mugwort this morning? You even stole my child's share in the middle of this brutal winter!"
"Your son is older and healthier than my daughter, you need not worry about a mere bastard child like that! Especially when he is my husband's enemy's nephew! Whereas I am his concubine and i needed to be treated with more care….!" 'Companion Choi, are you really stating in front of this harem that you are the only concubine here that deserves to be treated well? No wonder you missed your opportunity to become The future Step-Empress of this nation as your sense of greed is simply unfathomable" "Your Highness! i will surely share some with the res of the women here when they also become pregnant!" "Have you lost your mind? Do you hear the words that are coming out of your own mouth? My apologies mistress Han, i shall make sure that Imperial Infirmary shall dispense your rightful share of medicinal herbs."
"So i see that in the face of The Concubine Park, that The Mistress Nam can finally speak up for herself, but i believe that my husband will give priority to his wives." "So do you mean that if you use up all of the medicine and i fall ill, won't your palace be more at risk? I am afraid that you are not thinking for the greater good…" "are you cursing at me? Just wait until my husband hears about this! Mistress Nam! I shall put you in your place today! Someone! This servant is offensive to me! drag her down and slap her 20 times!" "Do you dare!" "Why don't i dare!" "Your husband personally conferred me and holds to high esteem, do you really dare o touch a single parent like myself in front of all of these witnesses!" "Companion Choi! Stay in your seat and remain calm! How dare you put on such a vile display in front of the whole harem! You have seen here for sometime and you still cannot seem to pull yourself together! You have spoken improperly and dishonoured your husband's guests in his own harem! So i will punish you to paint 100 sutra flags in your palace courtyard and will be confined to your palace until it is done!" "Outside! In eh freezing cold! You pick on me on purpose! I shall inform my husband abut this…" "All matters of the harem are under my control; you first commits a wrong and then want to bother our busy husband with these trifle matters? And as to the situation of the cold, i believe hat your horde of medicine will finally come in handy?"
"Congratulations My Lady, for winning against Companion Choi!" "i only did as my brother-in-law asked of me, but Yeon's new servant is more useful than I could have imagined. I wonder where Seo Hwi found him from? Either way, i could not have accomplished this without him…"