This was so unprecedented that I had no idea what to do with myself. After he took the comb from my hair and started brushing it himself, I specially remember him letting a horde of servants let loose on me. I was 'pampered' and groomed in ways I had not knowledge of that let me in a considerable amour of pain…until I laid my eyes upon the most beautiful white and blue dress that was surely picked out by Seon-Ho. I had no idea that he realised that most of my outfits were in blue…his favourite colour, and his mother's. Even though my dress sense had indeed changed since I had lost my memories and some of my beauty habits had evolved…but there was still a part of me that missed the girl who dressed up in rags and was invisible to the world. But this dress…it was indeed beautiful, so beautiful in fact that I simply couldn't resist trying it on at least. It was made form the finest silk and I didn't even wan to think how much it cost…or why he would spend that much money on me at all. But from the moment I put it on, I was almost dragged outside and I was placed into a carriage by the servants who refused to leave me alone on Seon-Ho's orders.
As if I wasn't flustered enough, I was most certainly not used to relieving everyone's attention unless I was having one of my fits. And even then I had everyone either pointing at me in disgust or laughing at me, so I want't exactly loving the attention I was getting now publicly, in fact to disgusted me. But before I could react, the servants were leading me to the banquet separately. I had never been to one before, but before I could even take the atmosphere in properly, I was pushed inside and made to sit in the very front row! I was about to start having a panic attack…If it weren't for a large and very familiar hand that was wrapped around mine holding onto it so tight I was afraid he was going to break my hand. I didn't even have to turn my head properly, his nose was already very close to my neck and I almost jumped in surprise. He wasn't interacting or entertaining any other woman and he had his face towards me and his hand in mine, the entire time.
I couldn't waste this opportunity…so I let my guard down, and I just rested my head onto his shoulder and intertwined our fingers. I knew that we were both wishing that we were somewhere else as we were both studious people and would rather read books in our free time than indulge in such frivolous things as if we had no burdens or worries or plans to work on.
An hour passed by like this and we just sat in silence and enjoyed each other's company to the fullest extent that I could. He pulled me by my sleeve and started ordering all of these dishes that I had never tried before. He was laughing and smiling at my various reactions to the dishes and soon we were both laughing on top of each other and almost onto the ground, trying new things and talking about them in detail…until Ae-Cha showed up and tried to ruined all the fun. But still, it was one of the best days of my life.
"Greetings, My Lord, it is my good fortune to see you once again after your travels. Have you been well? My Lord? May I ask you to play a tune with me on the zither?" "Do not stand on ceremony, and I am not much of a player myself. Although I hear that your Young Master is quite a player himself, maybe you should ask him."
Ae-Cha was clearly up to something as she would never previously have the guts to create a scene as she did now. She smashed her teacup on the ground and sulked away for a while, but whatever. I was ultimately glad that I had finally found a way to rid myself off of that scheming leech for a while as she had rarely shown herself after embarrassing only herself in front of Hwa-Wol. I had long noticed her antics towards Yeon from the minute I had brought her home. But I didn't expose her yet as I planned to deal with her as soon as I could settle my work grudge first.
I tried to restrain myself from staring at her when she was around her brother but I couldn't help it, her scent was too alluring for me not to notice her at all even if she wore her old rags.
"Your Highness, I rather find this dancing group to be quite boring, and we have many talented noble-women here. Why don't we ask them to share their talent? And who knows, those that will may become lucky enough to secure a husband for themselves if they do." "Isn't there a Seo Yeon here who is talented in almost everything? Why doesn't she dance for us?" "My love, please calm down. We have always been there targets since the day of your father's rule." She had to quickly whisper to both myself and her brother as she stood up to address. "Forgive me Your Highness, as I possess very little talent in the female arts since I have never had the fortune to meet my mother in this lifetime. But my friend Ae-Cha here certainly has a talent for soaking up as much attention as possible wherever she goes. The Young Master of the tutor is equally gifted in playing the zither I hear, maybe they can pair up and entertain the crowd?" "Very well, it looks like she has also been recommended to dance for us. Well? Where is she then?" "Forgive me Your Highness, your subject Ae-Cha greets you."
"You handled yourself well sister, but I am getting a bad feeling that tonight will consist of anything but a simple banquet." "I also feel the same way. Yeon, tell your servant to bring Hwa-Wol and her baby back to my residence or the brothel in case anything happens to her with Chief Park. The rest of us need to stay here, and I want you to keep as quiet as possible Yeon. Do not speak unless you are spoken to." I held myself and her brother both simultaneously reached for her hands as Yeon's servant carried out her orders in the middle of Ae-Cha's generic dance routine. But there was anther problem on my mind that I just could not shake or solve; I hadn't seen or heard of Sung-Rok in over a month, and he always showed up to these palace festivities to build up official contacts, so just where the hell was he? I was his only path in life, so he would never willingly abandon me…
"Very well, let us award the girl with some silk and satin robes for her…talent. Now back to you, Seo Yeon. I would very much like to hear you play the zither."
There was no way out of her for this and the minus feeling that I began to have kept growing bigger and bigger inside of me. This is exactly why I wanted to marry the girl as soon as possible so I could hoverer just to myself in our home instead of letting corrupt people use her talents against her and her loved ones, including myself.
I watched her go over to the zither and pick up the sheet of music that was left for her. She only looked at I for a single moment before she declared that she was unable to play the piece in front of her at all. That caused a quite scene in front of the entire banquet that hosted over 300 people as they began to whisper not-so-subtly about her, until she walked over to her cousin and slapped her right across the cheek so damned-hard that she fell right over her table, causing her food and drink to leak all over her very expensive dress that she stole from her before I gifted her one of my own. Yeon had worked on that dress for over a month, just for herself, and her cousin stole it as soon as she came to know about it.
"Cousin! What on earth is wrong with you! Why did you slap me!" "Why did you have your mother change the music sheet? Do you have any idea how much trouble I would have gotten myself into if I had played this piece in front of a Royal Banquet? Do you even care?"
"Seo Yeon! Kim Areum! Just what on earth is going on here? What is this about?" "Your Highness, forgive my impertinence, but this song is not The Cry Of A Crane In Heaven, this is rather a song from the western region that is known as Ghostly Music. This music can confuse one's minds and has been based by the Emperor himself to play. In our entire family, only your mother can know that since she was a musician herself in the Emperor's court and was present during the time that he passed this law himself when fighting battles in the western regions some 2 decades ago. There are many sensitive people in this banquet that can be left feeling unsettled and harbour feelings that they cannot contain, which was go against social etiquette and disharmony in our peaceful community."
"And why would Kim Aerum do such a thing?" "It is because my brother, the right-hand man of the Third Prince gas turned down her…persistent proposals time and time again, Your Highness. So she chooses to frame me for a crime so that she can hold it over my brother's head and use it against him to force him int marriage, which is very similar to what Nam-Jeon did to me in holding me hostage. This woman and her family are set on repeating the crimes of a known traitor against your father's crown and country, I hope that you will not allow the Kim family to roam free without punishment." Fuck me, she cud be rather…tantalising when she put people in her place like this. This is the sort of entrainment that I thrived on, and it was everything I need to help boost my career so I could provide her with the best life possible.
"No! No we…I didn't do this! Please believe me Your Highness, I have no such intention to go against the crown or country! Please, my family is innocent!" "If it wasn't for the fact that my guardian Nam Seon-Ho teaches me a little music in her spare time, then I am afraid I would have become a sinner of my family and his by now. Your Highest has other musicians who can verify this if you need proof?" "No…it must be you who did this to yourself! To frame me! Yes, you got that girl Ae-Cha to do this and frame my family for being disloyal to the crown! I haven't done anything to my own cousin since she came to my family looking for employment! I even give you a decent salary and woking hours and you…" "I what? I am only working on the designs that my mother made before her passing. But she and your father cut their ties for more than 3 decades ago, so how did hey come to be in your family's possession? Well?"