By Zephyria 
Han Hee-sung of the Yeonghwa Palace, a Dominant Omega. Why has he appeared already? My heart began to beat frantically.
No matter how many times I retraced the plot, there was no such scene in the novel. Han Hee-sung of the Yeonghwa Palace was officially selected at the age of twenty-two and entered the palace after completing the concubine selection process. At that time, the Grand Imperial Concubine was twenty-three.
I have no memory of any scene where he meets the Emperor before then. There was no description of them meeting separately, and it was stated that the Emperor and the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace met for the first time after he entered the palace. In other words, this current scene is not part of the novel.
Since he is a year younger than me, the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace is nineteen right now. Does that mean the meeting between the two of them has been moved up? I think it’s entirely possible. Since the situation here is flowing completely differently from the novel, the meeting between the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace and Joo Min-hyeok could also flow differently.
It means the time for Joo Min-hyeok to be captivated by the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace is coming. Since it was said he fell in love at first sight, could that situation be happening right now? Listening to the court lady with my mouth agape, I turned my head toward them and tried to get a closer look at the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace.
I couldn’t see him in great detail, but it was enough to verify the descriptions in the novel. He was described as having a white face, long eyes without double eyelids, pupils as black as black pearls, a high and straight nose, and charming lips with pretty corners.
In the original work, it was clearly stated that in contrast to the Grand Imperial Concubine’s flamboyant beauty, the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace captured the Emperor’s heart with a neat and comfortable appearance, even if he wasn’t a traditional beauty. But where is that “comfortable” about him? He’s incredibly pretty. That is definitely a face Joo Min-hyeok could easily fall for.
The fact that the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace appeared this early might mean the day of my death has been moved forward. By as much as the time was advanced because those two met sooner. No, get a grip. That’s not it, Cha Hae-joo. Stay calm.
Things are different now. I’ve maintained a good relationship with Joo Min-hyeok. If I continue to cooperate as I have until now, he will surely let me live. So, stay focused until the end and protect your brother and yourself.
My pounding heart wouldn’t settle. Honestly, I was scared and terrified. Now that a vague possibility had manifested into reality, I wanted to run away. No matter how much I told myself it wouldn’t happen, anxiety and fear regarding an uncertain future surged over me.
I peeked my head out and observed them again. Joo Min-hyeok was smiling, unable to take his eyes off the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace. He has never smiled that broadly and brightly in front of me. Even when he smiled warmly recently, it always felt like a fabricated smile.
But he isn’t like that in front of Han Hee-sung. Is this the power of the main lead? Or the power of a Dominant Omega attracting a Dominant Alpha? An instinctual attraction to one another? Whatever it was, it was certain that this man was Joo Min-hyeok’s true Omega.
∗ ∗ ∗
After returning to my Imperial Pavilion, I took a nap in my room and then stepped out into the garden. The image of the three of them hurrying to the Queen Dowager’s palace upon hearing that she was waiting lingered in my mind.
Throughout the walk, Han Hee-sung smiled continuously while looking at Joo Min-hyeok. It was a truly pure smile. Joo Min-hyeok, facing him, seemed to find something so delightful that he burst into laughter.
The Queen Dowager must have certainly taken a liking to Han Hee-sung. He would have been very different from the sharp version of himself I’d seen. And why am I so obsessed with them?
I don’t know who this obsession is directed toward. No, that’s not it. It’s not obsession; I’m just terrified because I witnessed with my own eyes a gathering of people determined to kill me. I’m afraid my future will turn out that way.
“User, please go inside. You’ve been outside too long today. The sun has set and it’s cold.”
The court lady approached me, appearing out of nowhere. She’s worked hard today following me around all day.
“I like the new swing chair. The lighting is pretty, too. I’ll stay just a bit longer. You go inside since it’s cold.”
“Cold? I’ll stay with you. Our Palace Lord user is so beautiful, I must protect you. Your bodyguard isn’t here right now, either.”
Even if Kang Hyun-wook isn’t here, there must be a security team protecting me from unseen places, but the court lady seems worried.
“Am I really beautiful?”
I asked her with a playful smile. In the past, I would have been disgusted by such talk, but it seems I’ve truly adapted to the life of an Omega.
“Of course. You are so beautiful. Your bright amber eyes are as pretty as jewels, your plump little lips are lovely, and above all, this skin is a work of art, our user.”
I laughed out loud at words that would usually make me cringe and fall backward. I know she’s just saying things to make me feel good. But since I’ve been cursed at so much and my heart feels strange, these compliments are welcome.
“Then why does nobody like me? If I’m pretty, why does nobody like me?”
Perhaps because of the wine I tasted earlier, the alcohol is kicking in and my emotions are acting up again. Again. I wonder how much I’ll regret this when the sun rises tomorrow.
“Who doesn’t like our user? Everyone is so fond of you they don’t know what to do with themselves.”
The court lady asked back with a face of genuine incomprehension. Seeing her serious expression, I burst into laughter again.
“Who? My parents passed away early, my brother is busy, and I’ve lived holding my breath in a palace where I don’t have a single person on my side. The man who is my grandfather comes every day just to get angry and hit me. Isn’t my fate truly ridiculous?”
“…User.”
“Do you know the look in the eyes of the imperial family members I meet during royal events? That look that says they are so disgusted by me they can’t stand it. Every time I see it, I shrink. I feel like I’ve become a very strange person. I barely even meet them, but they’re like that every time, so I can really feel the hatred. Still, I understand. My family was… like that.”
Though I wasn’t the one who did it. But that’s the thing. They can’t do a thing to the actual culprit, yet they all throw fits at me. This is strictly taking their anger out on someone else.
“Your Majesty is by your side, user. He has been paying so much attention to you lately.”
“His Majesty?”
At those words, I laughed truly loudly. It was just so absurd. The intoxication is really hitting me now.
“His Majesty is probably the person who finds me the most annoying. He does maintain my dignity, but… have you seen the expression on His Majesty’s face when he smiles at me? Only the corners of his mouth go up. Like this.”
Right. It was always like that. A smile where only the corners of the mouth rose. There was no affection in the eyes that looked at me. Listing it out like this, I really am living in a place like a jungle. Once the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace makes his full appearance, it will only get worse. Just thinking about it makes me feel sorrowful.
“Later… once the Empress arrives, wouldn’t it be okay for me to move out of the palace?”
“User! The Empress! How can you say that when you are here!”
The court lady, deeply shocked by my immature, drunken words, gripped my hand tightly.
“I’m just the Grand Imperial Concubine. I know His Majesty doesn’t even consider me for the position of Empress. Later, if he meets an Empress he truly likes, I’m not really needed, so wouldn’t he allow me to move out and live elsewhere?”
It seems the premature appearance of the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace has made me this way. There were many times I wished the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace would appear quickly so that Joo Min-hyeok would let me go.
But now that he has actually appeared, a fear arose that reality might not flow as I expected. Do I feel a sense of crisis? Not at all. I’m not in a position to feel a sense of crisis. This isn’t a crisis; it’s fear.
Fear that the plan I boldly set might crumble, or that my unstable plan was actually futile. That’s why I want to confirm it for myself. That it’s okay. That nothing will happen.
That even if the Lord of Yeonghwa Palace appears, I’ve done well so far, so it will be different from before. It goes without saying that the Emperor will love him, so there’s no need to mention it. I just need to be able to live happily. But I don’t know if I can.
“No… will I even be able to leave here alive?”
“User! What terrifying things are you saying? Why are you saying things you normally wouldn’t?”
“Isn’t it true? Given what my family did to the Imperial House. Would the Emperor let me live? Still, since we’ve developed a bit of affection over time, maybe he’ll let me live out of pity? I wanted to live in the countryside. Raising cats and planting persimmon trees. Meeting someone who tells me I’m pretty and being loved. I’ve never been loved, so I don’t know what that is, but.”
I’m rambling. Still, just thinking about it feels wonderful. Living in a house like the ones in cartoons. Of course, the maintenance would be expensive and there would be many bugs, but regardless, a life of living in such a house while waiting for Seo-joo. It seems quite nice. Brother would catch the bugs for me.
“In that sense, shall we roast some marshmallows?”
“…Please don’t make up ‘senses’ just because you want to eat them. No. You’ve been eating nothing but snacks instead of meals all day today. I must have made you say strange things by praising your beauty. I must reflect on my actions. If His Majesty hears this, I’ll die.”
“That won’t happen. He’s not even here. And when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll be so embarrassed by today that I’ll be kicking all the blankets in the pavilion. Please forget it.”
“Don’t worry, user. I am also scheduled to suffer from amnesia tomorrow.”
“What a relief.”
Our sensible court lady, who had no intention of dying, did not give in to the temptation of eating marshmallows until the very end.
∗ ∗ ∗
After Hae-joo went inside. Min-hyeok, who walked slowly into that spot, stood motionless with a gift box in one hand, simply staring at the Imperial Pavilion. Min-hyeok’s face was distorted more than ever before.