The walk back from the palace was always a struggle for me, especially as I was the only one who had to always enter and leave unseen as if I hardly existed at all. And the worst part was that I had to do it all the way from my grandfather's village since I did not have the heart to leave my father's side as my older brother did. My stubborn old father would never admit it, but my brother broke his heart a little when he left, even though we all knew that he would have to one day. Chul was far too ambitious and he had plans bigger than our village could contain him...but he would never leave us, never. He himself missed my father just as much but he was also too stubborn to say anything at all..."Eonni! Where are you! I'm hungry! And tired! Eonni Hana! Bo-Geom!" "Will you shut up! Do you have any idea what time it is! Everyone is sleeping, as you should be! Where did you go! Who were you with! And why didn't they take care of you! You stupid..." I could hear him shout at me all night long, because I knew that was his way of showing me affection since he had grown up and decided to follow our uncle everywhere and everywhere. I knew that I was older than Hana, but in her mother's absence, she was the only one everyone wanted to be taken care of, because she knew exactly how to do it just like her mother does, foot rubs and all. "Hyung! If you are going to scold me, then at least take care of me. I am hungry and...." "And you are tired and you are drunk and god only knows what else you are! Grow up and get to bed!" "What was that sound? Is Geom home? Quickly, go into the kitchens whilst I heat up your food for you straight away." "Eonni! I missed you so much..." "Geom! For goodness sake! Hana, just go back to bed..." "Absolutely not! Go on, you go back to bed and I shall take take of Geom here, no matter how old he is. Come, let me wash your feet as well, you must have had a busy day out all day long. Did not even think of going back to the village at this time of night! I shall draw you up a bath after you eat everything and don't you dare leave a morsel out!" "Eonni, I'm so tired...can you feed me instead?" "Why you little attention seeker...!" "Chul!" "What! What are you turning against me for! He is far from being a baby and you just..." "He is your father's baby no matter what and I promised him that I would take extra care of his youngest son." "And what about me? Did he say anything about me? At all?" "Of course he did, I promised to look after the both of you equally..." "So he didn't say anything about me? Specifically?" "You know what he is like, he cannot even mention your name without tearing up...Chul? Where are you going?" "And he calls me a baby. Just leave him to throw his silent fit Hana and feed me." "Geom!" "What! If he misses my father so much, then he should swallow his pride and visit his village! I cannot do everything in the village on my own anyways!"
"Well? What did you see in the palace?" "I can only tell you after each and every spoonful!" "Do not push it Geom." "But I am hungry and I am tired and every single second that I stay by that dunce's side, I feel my copious amounts of energy drop. No wonder your father dropped him, he made the right choice. But he also knew how much The Third Prince hated him, enough to snatch what was left of his biological family. He was just granted second honours, you know." "So he was chosen to have power over his father's private armies? He must get getting desperate now in his old age. Who are the concubines? How is Yeong?" "She is already pulling tricks on him to pit him off as much as possible, she must still be waiting for your brother to show up and rescue her. I cannot believe that you tricked her into thinking that she had a chance with him." "Out of all of the families in the village, her's was the last that my father had suspicions about. But if I let him do the same thing to her family as he did to the rest then it would have altered his long lasting friendship with your father instead. So I did something about it, and so what if I did? Look at how her parents are happily reaping the reward without even bidding farewell to their only daughter." "That is true I suppose; they are flaunting off their new found wealth, completely unaware of the trap that has been set for them in return for even refusing to pay back my father what they owe him." "Fret not, I am sure that Hyeon is so angry right now that she will willingly send us her gifts for her parents, but I shall send them to your instead. She comes from our grandfather's village; so everything she has and will become is what she will owe to the village who raised and educated her, if she wants to save her family that is." "What a clever little girl you turned out to be cousin, it is actually quite terrifying to work with you and see all of your predictions come true." "Is that so? Then I guess you must be too terrified to try anymore of my food then..." "No! Ok, I shall talk! Just don't stop feeding me!" "Who is the one in charge?" "Mistress Jeong." "The one from the Ihwaru brothel? That you have temporarily taken over with the blessings of my father?" "She I s seriously threatened by the other girls from there rather than any politicians daughter that stands in her way. She even punished one of the Attendants that was acting out with The Scarlet Red." "Excuse me?" "A severe punishment in the palace; once legs will be beaten with wooden sticks that are 2 inches thick and 5 feet long until there is a pool of scarlet blood on the ground." "The Scarlet Red...I could have sworn that I have read that term somewhere before..." "Not only that; she had her team of servants kill a new maid that was sent by The Princess who was later found in a well in her residence." "For what?' "For capturing her husband's attention no doubt and being a spy from the Princess. This Mistress claimed that she had fallen to her death late at night and our dunce cousin doesn't seem to to underhand the significance of it yet."
"Our dunce cousin...my father clearly described him as being intelligent in his youth...he must have given up hope whilst being raised by The Third Prince as roughly as anyone could be brought up, despised and neglected. That must have been what happen to that witch who made my mother's life a misery..." "Hwan already took care of her, and he is now properly settled into the brothel although he is still studying to become an attorney at law..." "Kim Yeong will settle our scores for us in the palace, and my little brother will exterminate their clans for us." "She is even tricker; she is currently faking an illness as a reaction to The Scarlet Red punishment." "What a foolish woman; but she cannot hide from him forever I suppose. Oh well, she has now her entire lifetime to catch his attention I suppose..." "...but even without her, you have placed Bo-Geom in the palace to carry out the dirty work along with Hyuk, just in case, right?" "Absolutely, is there anything else that I need to know?" "I have collected some information about The Sarim and Hangu Factions, but I will tell you when I have all of the information. There maybe an issue of spinsters coming up soon if we wish to enthrone who we want to, to keep The Third Prince in power until his last breath." "Very well, I shall look into that later. Is there anything else that you are not telling me, cousin?" "There is a funny case of identity theft going on in the harem at the moment." "What do you mean?" "Some maid has falsely identified herself as Yeong late at night and your idiot cousin thinks that it is another trick from her, so he is entraining it. She herself has no idea what is going on." "Very well, Yeong can handle everything in the harem as I have taught her to do so. I just need updates on the most powerful ones, including this soon-to-be Princess Consort Jang." "You were right to be worried; she is the sister of the wife of the man in charge of The Hangu Faction- the new man anyways." "Ok, I have fed and washed you, I shall fill up your bath and..." "Sister....I do not wish to return to the village just yet, even though I know that everyone needs me. I miss my father too much..." "Fret not cousin, your father at least set you up with the right people that can help you manage the village in your absence at east for a while. You are welcome to stay here in your brother's home for as long as you wish to, but you know that you will eventually have to return to the village. Hyuk isn't needed for now, so he will stay there in your place until otherwise." "I miss my father, cousin, I do not know how to function without him. Did you know? Most of the time that I came home drunk in the middle of the night...." "You only faked that so your father would have to stay home with you to take care of you, even though you are a fully grown man?" "And your mother....I mean, my mother would take care of me to the best of her ability, but nobody could take care of me better than your mother could." "I know; she could melt anyone's heart, no matter how rock hard it was. Look at what she did to my own father." "What do you mean?" "My mother isn't as innocent as everyone makes her out to be; she is an evil genius who made my father obsessed with her to the point where he was always willing to just about give up everything for her." "But he did lover her, not even you can deny that."
"Just get into the bath and straight to bed, and..." "Sister...cousin....I know that this is an usual request, but..." "You can sleep in our room on lonely nights like these, just do not make it a habit. Your brother is already worried out of his mind for you and the fact that he cannot always baby you when you want it makes him feel guilty enough. I will spoil you in our mother's absence, just keep it to yourself until the days your brother can come home and give you his undivided attention, ok?' "Very well, what about the twins?" "I have almost concluded my business here as I cannot leave aunt Hwa-Wol to raise my sisters forever. They have already been burdens upon her and..." "You should stay here in the kingdom and raise them here." "I wish to stay with my husband of course, but they are far too young to understand the implications of being identified as twins in our society yet. I only need a few years to educate them about that before I bring them over here and integrate them here one twin at a time. And in the meantime, I shall be on the lookout for a wife for you, no questions asked." "She must take care of me exactly how you and your mother does." "I will personally train whoever matches with you, do not worry about it cousin. Do you have anyone in mind?" "I am only close to you and Bo-Geom, I have not found anyone in the village to my liking." "Then you clearly have not looked hard enough." "And no spoiled brats please, the only one who should be getting all of the attention is myself!" "Yes cousin, I shall find someone who will positively worship the ground that you walk on..." "But who can you find? Admit it cousin, we have all been way too informal to each other from the start! I am older than you, and that does not stop me running into your arms when I am exhausted and away from my own parents. I do not want someone shy either; she should fulfil all of my needs as my mother did to her own husband and..." "Geom..." "You know what I mean; I want the same affection that you're cold gather imposed on your mother, in front of all of us at most times." "Then good luck to whoever your heart falls for cousin, for you deserve everything that you wish for and more. As long as you can fulfil your duties towards your partner, then I can sure you that she will go above and beyond to fulfil hers." "I want to be loved and taken care of for the rest of my life, sister...I do not wish to sleep on my own anymore." "i promise you that I shall hunt down such a person, even at the risk of my own life. Now go to bed baby, for we all have a busy few weeks ti prepare for with this dunce cousin of mine."