By Zephyria 
“I’m too late. I’m in trouble.”
Sitting at a convenience store table, spacing out while eating snacks, I only realized how much later it was than usual when I saw the sky stained red by the sunset.
Moreover, today was one of the two days a week I had dinner with Joo Min-hyeok. He seemed to consider our meal times quite important, so I had to keep those appointments no matter what.
Though he never said anything, Joo Min-hyeok surely knew that I left the palace to wander around. He had tacitly allowed it until now, but today I had been out so long that I wouldn’t have any excuse if he scolded me.
Running like my life depended on it, I sprinted into the palace and dashed straight toward my pavilion. If I just climbed over that wall, I’d be right at my pavilion, but I didn’t have enough time to run all the way to the gate at the end. Feeling rushed, I had a brief internal conflict before sticking close to the wall. Let’s just… just climb over.
To wash up, change clothes, and get to Joo Min-hyeok as quickly as possible, I had to save every single second. I threw one of the snack bags I was holding over the wall with all my might. Just as I was about to throw the other bag, a thunderous roar erupted from behind me.
“Grand Imperial Concubine! What on earth do you think you are doing!”
Uh… this voice. Pressed against the wall, I froze at the sound of the voice I hated most. He was the person I felt most uncomfortable around here. The current Prime Minister of this country and my grandfather. It was the voice of the man I didn’t even want to call ‘grandfather.’ Damn it. I didn’t even turn around at his call.
“Palace Lord, I asked what in the world you are doing right now!”
What do you think? I got caught climbing the wall. Ah… I’m already short on time, how long is he going to nag me? Last time, he even smacked me on the back. Every time he sees me, he hits me on the forehead, telling me to wake up. But wait, is this right? I am the Emperor’s official concubine—a first-rank official.
No matter if he is family or my grandfather, he shouldn’t treat me like this. Even if he is the Prime Minister of the country. Yet, he comes by every single day to nag and lay hands on me. Closing my eyes tight, I slowly turned my head to see my grandfather’s fierce face.
“…You’ve arrived.”
“Have you perhaps been outside the palace? Looking like that, no less.”
“Yes. Since outings are permitted, I just briefly….”
“Did I not tell you to answer precisely without trailing off when I ask you something! Nothing about you pleases me! What reason could you possibly have to leave the palace? And what are those vulgar things in your hands!”
His ‘rage button’ pressed once again, my grandfather screamed frantically and strode toward me, snatching the bags from my hands and throwing them on the ground before I could say a word. This is truly absurd. His current behavior is a violation of the law, an act that insults even the Emperor.
I cannot understand why this man acts so violently in everything. What is he unhappy about today that he’s so angry? Did something happen during the state council meeting?
A scene like this never appeared anywhere in the novel. There wasn’t much of a narrative between the Palace Lord and this man, so this treatment was extremely baffling. Did the Grand Imperial Concubine in the novel suffer through this without anyone knowing? Or did the nature of the story change after I possessed the Grand Imperial Concubine?
I had often seen descriptions of him being fiery and hot-tempered, so I knew he had a short fuse, but his behavior and language toward the Palace Lord were never described. And even while I was thinking this, his actions didn’t stop.
“And what is this clothing? This is why the Emperor treats you that way!”
The grandfather, who had only been raising his voice, grabbed my arm and roughly spun my body around. My arm’s going to pop out!
“No, His Majesty doesn’t particularly….”
“How dare you talk back!”
The old man, who had been pulling my arm, suddenly raised a hand, clearly intending to strike me. Is he insane? This isn’t even inside my quarters; it’s outside the pavilion, open to all.
If someone saw this, putting aside the rumors, my position would become extremely precarious. If I’m treated like this by my own family, people will start looking down on me. The one treating me recklessly isn’t the Emperor, but this human being.
It was already too late to dodge, and I couldn’t overcome the strength of my Alpha grandfather, so I simply curled up and closed my eyes tight. I’ll get revenge later, you old man! However, even after he raised his hand, I felt nothing on my body.
……?
He’s not the type of person to hold back out of pity. I waited for the next moment with my eyes closed and shoulders tense, but nothing happened. What? Why? I peeked my eyes open and cautiously lifted my head.
“…Your Majesty?”
There, in front of me, was the Emperor, holding my grandfather’s arm and breathing slightly heavily. As I called him with a voice trembling like an ant, Joo Min-hyeok’s eyes turned toward me. He scanned me for a moment and then glared at my grandfather with eyes full of murderous intent.
His usually neatly tied hair was half-undone, and the hand gripping my grandfather’s wrist was so tight that the veins were bulging. Joo Min-hyeok was expressionless as always, but from the clenched jaw muscles and the veins standing out on his neck, I could tell he was in an extremely displeased state.
“…Prime Minister. I do not understand the current situation. Did you perhaps just attempt to lay a hand on the Grand Imperial Concubine? I believe an explanation is necessary.”
His voice, usually low, resonated even more heavily, as if it were sinking into the ground. He looked more terrifying than the grandfather who had been raving madly. The fact that the Emperor, who had never once spoken informally to my grandfather, did not treat him with courtesy this time proved it.
“Your Majesty, this is merely a matter between family….”
“Family? Who? The Grand Imperial Concubine? The Grand Imperial Concubine is not your family, but my spouse and my family. Stop talking nonsense and answer my question: did you dare attempt to lay a hand on the Grand Imperial Concubine? Furthermore, it seems to me that this is not the first time. Otherwise, how could that action be so natural? Grand Imperial Concubine, you tell me.”
Why isn’t the old man answering, making the sparks fly my way too? As I rolled my eyes, not knowing what to do, the Emperor asked me again.
“Answer me, Palace Lord. Did the Prime Minister lay a hand on you? I can tell by looking at you. Have you been hit?”
I was hit every time I saw him! But if I speak recklessly, I’ll be abandoned by both sides. According to the novel’s plot, Joo Min-hyeok will discard me in the end, and while not immediately, my grandfather won’t discard me until I die if I’m careful now. But I don’t want to keep being treated like this.
What should I do? If I were to be reborn in a novel, it would have been better to be born as a nameless extra. Then at least I wouldn’t have to live in anxiety without the fear of dying. A feeling of unfairness welled up, and my vision blurred again. Clueless tear ducts. Grandfather will probably scold me for crying again, right?
I bit my lip hard and lowered my head. However, the clueless tears trickled down and fell onto my hand, and in panic, I rubbed the tears off and gripped my hands tightly. What a fate, not even being able to cry in peace. If Seo-joo saw this, how heartbroken would he be? He’d say I look too pathetic. I feel like I’m even running a fever.
Whether he noticed what my actions meant or whether I just looked too foolish, the Emperor watched me in silence. That gaze pressed down on me, intense and heavy. I want to leave quickly and live alone.
“…Prime Minister.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Joo Min-hyeok flung my grandfather’s arm away, his stiff face never leaving me. Perhaps he was angry, thinking I was taking my grandfather’s side. That’s not it.
“From this moment on, you are forbidden from stepping a single foot into the Grand Imperial Concubine’s quarters. You cannot approach anywhere near this area, and meetings with the Grand Imperial Concubine are strictly prohibited without my permission. You cannot even request an audience without going through me, so listen well. If you violate this order and dare attempt to contact the Palace Lord, you shall forfeit your life.”
“Your, Your Majesty?”
Not only my grandfather but I was also gaping in shock. Perhaps noticing my distress, Joo Min-hyeok had taken the measure I needed most in my current situation. He hadn’t misunderstood me.
I should be grateful for Joo Min-hyeok’s quick judgment and the unexpected order, but shivers ran down my spine. Even if I’m grateful for this decision right now, it means I’ve fallen into the bad graces of such a man in the future.
My mind is complicated. How should I conduct myself from now on? I must decide as wisely as possible. In the original work, the Grand Imperial Concubine loved the Emperor too much, and her jealousy was great.
Consequently, she ruthlessly dealt with the beautiful Omegas and women who approached him, as well as the Movie Palace, which caused the problem to grow. It was already the worst situation due to the families trying to climb above the Emperor, and the Grand Imperial Concubine’s villainy made the Emperor even colder.
But now, I was quiet. At least there won’t be a worst-case scenario caused by jealousy, so if I try, I might be able to maintain a good relationship. If I help the meeting between Joo Min-hyeok and the Movie Palace, I’ll find a way to survive too. After all, Joo Min-hyeok’s Omega is the Movie Palace. It seemed like a decent plan.
But why is my body like this? Perhaps because I ran in hurriedly, or because my grandfather and the Emperor arrived one after another, I started feeling feverish and dizzy again.
Joo Min-hyeok’s face, as he said something to me, seemed to split into two, then three. Before I could see four of him rushing toward me in surprise, my vision plummeted toward the ground, and soon, the whole world went black.