Veil of the Dusken Rose - #ambw (18+)

20장 || A Distant Melancholy

Uhn Yuhn looked down at the forged document, her smile fading. "Unnie..." she began hesitantly. "I don't know if you remember, but one night I woke you from a dream...you were mumbling in your sleep, and said something about not telling the king."

I raised my brow, wracking my brain trying to recall any such dream. "I...I might have, but I can't remember..." I said uncertainly.

Uhn Yuhn gazed at me steadily, her eyes searching mine as if piecing together a puzzle. She opened her mouth as if to say more, but stopped herself. Taking a breath, she asked instead, "What do you think they wanted with your lands?"

I pondered her question, glancing between her and the crown prince's intent faces. My people were peaceful, thriving on trade, yet strategic in our border locations between territories.

"Control," I finally whispered. "Control over my lands, my people, and the trade routes."

Uhn Yuhn's eyes took on a faraway look, her mind clearly lost in troubled thoughts. The crown prince noticed it too. His gaze flicked to her, his voice gentle with concern as he asked, "Is everything alright?"

Caught off guard, Uhn Yuhn quickly composed herself, straightening her posture and arranging her face into a serene mask. "Ye, Jeoha," she replied politely with a graceful bow of her head.

But her eyes told a different story, haunted and conflicted. I wondered what she was thinking...what she knew that I did not.

Before I could further ponder the depth of Uhn Yuhn's thoughts, the subtle sound of silk against the wooden floor heralded the entrance of a servant. With a whispered urgency, he leaned in close to the crown prince, who then took a brief moment to consider. I felt his eyes on me, and then on Uhn Yuhn, as if measuring our reactions.

With a grace that always seemed to come naturally to him, he stood up. "I must attend to this," he told me, his voice filled with a quiet assurance. "We'll talk soon."

As he stepped out, Uhn Yuhn's cool fingers found my shoulder. "Unnie," she murmured, "Let's use this moment to visit Lady Jinsun." I nodded, the suggestion a welcome distraction from the chaos of my thoughts.

Leaving the room, the gentle sound of palace activity surrounded us. The once bright sun was now settling into a golden hue, casting longer shadows along the intricately designed hallways. I could hear the faint sound of water splashing from the nearby gardens, and the distant chatter of court ladies and palace guards, their voices mixing with the calls of birds perched on the tiled roofs.

We took a path leading us to Lady Jinsun's quarters. The gardens were beautiful this time of day, the golden morning hour making every flower and blade of grass shimmer. The scent of blooming flowers enveloped us, and for a moment, I felt relaxed.

We reached Lady Jinsun's quarters and
As we entered, Lady Jinsun looked up from where she was seated, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise. "Ah, Neeira, Uhn Yuhn! I wasn't expecting you both so soon."

Uhn Yuhn grinned, "We thought it a good time to visit, My Lady." She smiled.

I bowed slightly, feeling a warmth for this woman who had been so kind to me. "I hope we aren't intruding, Lady Jinsun."

She waved away the formality with a graceful hand gesture. "Nonsense. You're always welcome here. Please, sit... we were suppose to speak anyways." She smiled.

Uhn Yuhn and I settled onto silken cushions, making polite small talk as attendants served us tea. But behind her gentle smiles and nods, I sensed Lady Jinsun had something more substantial she wished to discuss.

A lull fell in the conversation. Lady Jinsun straightened, smoothing her hanbok over her knees. With delicate fingers, she reached beneath the layers of embroidered silk, retrieving a shimmering gold locket on a chain.