He had prepared himself for something like this, so making the decision was easy enough. Yet now he wondered why the princess had fought so hard for the wedding. Was it vanity, or a desire to appear proper? Or did she simply enjoy lavish festivities? After all, she was descended from Gyo Geung, who held banquets almost daily.

“Also…”

Had his ready agreement made her think he was easily swayed? Watching his reaction, the princess made another request.

“I would like… to keep the wedding gifts.”

“…”

“They would be meant for me, after all.”

Perhaps she found the request embarrassing herself. The way she offered another justification, only to then lift her chin, was laughable. He had thought he might discover her motive on the wedding day, but she had already given herself away. It was clear that she only wanted a wedding for the gifts. Her calculations were so transparently petty that he couldn’t help but laugh derisively.

“Is there anything else you want, Princess?”

A blush rose to her pale cheeks. So she did know shame? He doubted a woman who spoke of the people’s welfare while calculating her own gains was capable of such reflection.

Seok Haegyeong blamed himself instead. He had let her fragile appearance deceive him. Otherwise, he would never have played along with her little scheme.

“From now on, just say what you want, Princess. You nearly had me moved by your concern for the people.”

She had no answer to his cutting sarcasm and could only bite her lip. His words were courteous, but the mockery was clear whenever he emphasized her title. She could offer no excuse. In his place, she would have found herself pathetic too.

Insisting on her right to the wedding gifts under his contemptuous gaze was humiliating. Yet she needed money. Gifts, valuables—anything she could sell would do. The more she could secure, the better.

The wedding gifts might be her last chance to obtain any funds. No, she was almost certain of it. Seok Haegyeong would never give a queen in name alone an allowance from the royal treasury.

The more she thought about it, the more trapped she felt. She struggled to hold back a sigh. Perhaps she would fare better if she simply abandoned all shame.

‘A strategy, no less.’

With a bitter smile, she made another futile attempt.

“If I speak plainly, will you grant my request? Then I will tell you. Gold, silver, jade—anything that shines. Coral and pearls would do as well.”

She heard an incredulous laugh. She faced his cold derision without lowering her eyes. She tried to remain composed, but when Seok Haegyeong took a single stride toward her, she flinched involuntarily at his imposing presence.

“A clever little act.”

There was no warmth in his voice. He sounded so cold and indifferent that she would not have been surprised if he reached out and strangled her.

“But that is quite enough impudence, Princess.”

After warning her that he would grant her no further indulgence, Seok Haegyeong left the bedchamber. Only when his brisk footsteps had faded completely did Rayeon realize she had been holding her breath.

She pressed a hand firmly to the center of her chest as she struggled for air, then slowly regained her composure.

Sitting quietly and going over their conversation, she realized she must have seemed desperate to wear wedding robes, frantic to look like a proper bride.

That was not it at all. She had no desire to marry a man who saw her merely as breeding stock and intended to kill her afterwards.

“But…”

It was also true that she had no other option. There was a truth she had to uncover, and a child she had to protect. For now, she should be grateful that she had bought herself some time.

Naturally, there were objections. Heo Seonui, in particular, was furious. Everyone in Pajin had known that Seok Haegyeong would marry Heo Saeum, his sister. But now, without warning, he was to marry the princess? Heo Seonui, who cherished her older sister, could not accept it.

“There is no reason the child she bears has to be yours, my lord!”

Clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white, Heo Seonui spat out another bitter remark.

“For all we know, she could already be carrying another man’s child.”

Given the songs that the children had shouted at the top of their lungs, mocking the princess’s debauchery, the idea was not entirely far-fetched. But that was not the only thing that angered Heo Seonui.

“What do you lack that you have to settle for such a… such a cripple!”

Even setting his sister aside, they shared a particularly close bond with Seok Haegyeong. Yet the princess had a physical impairment, her right arm hung limply at her side, seemingly almost useless. This troubled Jang Baek as well, and he cautiously glanced at Seok Haegyeong.

“Will that… be all right?”

“She is a piece to be discarded anyway. Why should it matter?”

The blunt reply left no room for doubt. Heo Seonui, who had been complaining without pause, fell silent. Jang Baek, however, kindled a new spark.

“I have heard people say it is just superstition.”

“Superstition?”

“Yes, they weren’t denying the power of the Myeolang Flute. The fact that it can control the rain clouds is beyond question. But apparently, it has shown little remarkable power in recent years. Fires take longer to extinguish and droughts persist — that sort of thing. Some wonder whether its divine power has finally run out.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“In the marketplace. They seemed eager to hush it up when they noticed me looking, but I distinctly heard them say it.”

At Jang Baek’s account, Heo Seonui, who had quieted down, grew emboldened once more.

It was worth considering, but his decision remained unchanged. Whether he discarded the princess sooner or later, her fate would be the same.

“Even if the rumors are true, the wedding will proceed. The superstition may be groundless, but the people’s fear is real. Why deliberately stir up unrest?”

Once the matter had been resolved, Seok Haegyeong handed over a bundle of notices announcing his marriage to Geum Rayeon.

Heo Seonui’s face twisted as he read one of them. Before he could crumple it up, Jang Baek grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, bowed, and hurried him away to display the notices. Soon, announcements of the royal wedding were displayed throughout Geumseong.

***

Seok Haegyeong didn’t care much about clothing, but he recognized some auspicious symbols embroidered on the bride’s wedding robes. After attending her cousin’s wedding, Heo Saeum had talked about the robes until Seok Haegyeong’s ears rang.

She had been especially moved to learn that, on her wedding day, a bride could wear vibrant red, which was normally reserved for the king.

“They say phoenixes symbolize a couple living in harmony. Even the name reflects it: bong is the male, and hwang is the female. As for butterflies and flowers, well, that is…”

The way she suddenly twisted her legs together amused him. When he looked at her, she had turned as red as a ripe jujube.

“L-love! The butterfly finds the flower… and drinks its nectar… through its proboscis, rather like…”

She had mumbled the last part so faintly that he could not make it out. He had almost teased her about what she was imagining, but she looked so earnest that he let her be. Soon, she resumed her explanation, pretending nothing had happened.

“And lotus patterns mean that your descendants will prosper for generations.”

She had talked at length about auspicious patterns, such as the five blessings, bats and qilins. He had paid little attention to most of what she said, but three things had stuck in his mind: Phoenixes, Butterflies and flowers. lotuses.

Yet the wedding robes that Geum Rayeon would wear the following day bore neither phoenixes nor butterflies. Instead, there was a single enormous dragon coiling upwards towards heaven. Only the lotuses embroidered along the hem matched Heo Saeum’s description. The robes seemed more fitting for a coronation than a wedding.

“This departs from convention. Is there a reason?”

At his observation, the court embroiderer bowed apologetically.

“Her Highness requested it.”

“I see.”

Haegyeong nodded as though he understood, then dismissed the woman and pondered Rayeon’s intentions. Was she suggesting that a harmonious marriage was impossible and that her only goal was to bear an heir? Even so, she should have kept the butterflies and flowers. How did she expect to conceive without the act they symbolized?

With a derisive chuckle, he headed for Bongryong Pavilion, intent on seeing the Myeolang Flute for himself. How remarkable could a mere flute be? Still amused by the thought, he reached the entrance and was surprised to find Geum Rayeon waiting for him.

“I do not recall summoning you, Princess.”

Geum Rayeon answered his sarcasm calmly.

“We are to be married soon. There is no harm in letting people see us together.”

She was mindful of the many watching eyes within the palace. Thinking her rather thorough, Seok Haegyeong glanced pointedly at her arm. It hung limply at her side, withered and seemingly a little shorter than the other.

“Can you even play?”

Lowering her eyes, Geum Rayeon countered that sincerity mattered more than skill.

“When a person strives with all their heart, how could heaven disregard them merely for want of a melody?”

She sounded as though she were reciting a passage from a book. As he took in her rigid earnestness, an old man emerged from Bongryong Pavilion and approached them. Stern and exacting in appearance, he examined Seok Haegyeong with open wariness. Then, apparently realizing who she was, he narrowed his eyes slightly before bowing.

“Your servant humbly greets Your Majesty.”