The woman in tattered clothing gazed steadily at Yang Jaenyeo’s face for a moment before silently walking away. Yang Jaenyeo couldn’t even think of standing up—she squeezed her eyes shut and trembled uncontrollably.

“What do I do now?”

“There’s no need to shake so much.”

Ha Jaenyeo gently took Yang Jaenyeo’s arm and helped her to her feet, continuing in a calm voice.

“There’s no need to show her such reverence. You don’t even have to bow. Surely you’ve heard at least a bit about Her Majesty the Empress, haven’t you?”

“I’ve heard that her situation grew quite dire after she was banished to the Cold Palace. But still, isn’t it only right to offer a greeting? To completely ignore her just seems… wrong…”

“Simply ignoring her is actually considered polite. There are some who go as far as to throw stones or spit at Her Majesty.”

“What barbarity is that!”

Yang Jaenyeo was appalled. Even though she hadn’t been struck herself, she was so shocked that her heart pounded wildly.

“What will they do if Her Majesty one day regains her position?”

“That’s hardly likely. Her Majesty the Empress has no children, and her father is imprisoned in the dungeons. Before long, she’ll be deposed, and Her Highness the Gwi-bi will take her place.”

“Is that really true?”

“It’s something everyone knows. So don’t try to gain the Empress’s favor—unless you want to fall out of favor with the Gwi-bi.”

Yang Jaenyeo recalled the sight of the Gwi-bi riding in her palanquin. It had been a procession so grand and resplendent, she seemed to hold the entire world’s power in the palm of her hand.

Perhaps, just as Ha Jaenyeo said, it wouldn’t be long before the Gwi-bi rose to become Empress.

But for some reason, Yang Jaenyeo couldn’t shake a lingering discomfort in her chest at the thought.

In a voice barely above a whisper, she murmured,

“Even if she’s been cast away into the Cold Palace… if His Majesty were to one day learn of all Her Majesty’s suffering…”

“He already knows.”

“Even about the stones… and the spitting?”

“To live the lowest life while holding the highest title—that is the punishment His Majesty has handed down.”

♛༺═════༻♛

Eight eunuchs carried a large, golden palanquin on their shoulders. They passed beneath a plaque inscribed with the name ‘Gwanggeon Palace’, then climbed a stone staircase of more than a hundred steps.

The stones beneath their feet were carved with tall mountain peaks where they could tread and with clouds and dragons in relief where they could not.

Even at first glance, the air around them seemed charged with auspicious energy.

The palanquin stopped in front of the outer gate leading to the guest hall.

The palace maids and eunuchs waiting nearby dropped to their knees and bowed low as soon as the golden curtain was drawn aside and the person inside touched the stone floor with their silk shoes.

“We greet Her Highness the Gwi-bi.”

The Gwi-bi, her lips tinted red with rouge and her black brows carefully drawn, looked down at them with a faint frown of pity.

“The days are growing cold. It must be hard for you, waiting out here.”

“We are honored by your grace.”

The Gwi-bi offered them a small smile, then passed through three outer gates and entered the inner chamber of the guest hall.

The guest hall (gakcheong), where visitors were received, had high ceilings and an open structure that gave a refreshing sense of space.

On the walls covered in golden silk, a few landscape paintings hung at regular intervals.

Each piece had been painted by a renowned court artist, making them so rare and precious that even most nobles would never have the chance to see such works in their lifetime.

From the entrance to the inner chamber, an indigo silk carpet stretched across the floor, extending all the way to the large platform at the far end of the guest hall.

On the platform stood a golden dragon throne, and behind it was a red folding screen adorned with chrysanthemums and plum blossoms.

The jaenyeo, who had come rushing in, quickly lined up behind the Gwi-bi and knelt on the floor.

“We pay our respects to Her Highness the Gwi-bi.”

“And yet mere jaenyeo dare to arrive after the Gwi-bi.”

She said, clicking her tongue several times in disapproval.

“Please forgive us, Your Highness!”

The disciplinary sanggung in charge of managing the jaenyeo threw herself flat on the floor, her forehead pressed firmly to the ground.

But in her heart, she thought something quite different.

‘Who showed up early today of all days? She must’ve done it on purpose—rushing ahead just to break their spirits.’

Still, she had no choice but to swallow her true thoughts.

If the Gwi-bi’s mood soured even a little, no one could predict what kind of order might come from the Emperor’s lips.

‘She might even lose her tongue. No—if it ended with that, she’d be lucky.

The Emperor had spent his formative years on the battlefield.

On the front lines, even the slightest mistake by a low-ranking soldier could result in the loss of hundreds of allied lives.

For this reason, rather than overlooking or forgiving mistakes, the Emperor was known to punish even the slightest error with what many considered excessive cruelty.

Once, a court lady tripped while carrying a teacup in front of him.

As a result, she was beaten thirty times with a thick cane on the soles of her feet, after which she was forced to crawl on her knees for four days.

Another eunuch once dropped the inkstick while grinding ink beside the emperor.

As a punishment, he was ordered to pluck all the thorns from a hundred roses with his bare hands. He was unable to use chopsticks for a while afterwards and had to eat his meals with a spoon.

This was despite the fact that not a single drop of tea or ink had touched the Emperor’s revered body.

However, when it came to matters involving the Gwi-bi, the punishments became even harsher.

All it took was a single remark from the Gwi-bi—“The cold kept me from sleeping well”— and the palace maid responsible for heating the Gwi-bi’s chamber was ordered to spend fifteen minutes submerged in a frozen pond

And it had been on a day when snow fell in heavy, endless flurries.

The sanggung shivered involuntarily at the thought of the horrors that could befall her.

‘They say that maid ended up having her big toe amputated from severe frostbite… At my age, if something like that happened, I’d be dead before sunrise.’

As the sanggung trembled in silent fear, the Gwi-bi, as if none of that had ever happened, spoke with a warm and gracious voice.

“Come now. Everyone, rise.”

“We are honored by your grace.”

Those who had been kneeling carefully rose to their feet, stealing glances at the Gwi-bi for any sign of her mood.

Even as she stood, the disciplinary sanggung kept her shoulders hunched and her posture tense.

Noticing this, the Gwi-bi let out a short sigh.

“I only said what I did to restore a sense of order. Do not take it to heart.”

“How could I dare to think such a thing, Your Highness? It is only my fault for having disturbed Your Grace’s mood with my carelessness.”

As the surroundings fell quiet, the eunuch of Gwanggeon Palace brought out a backless chair.

He wiped the already clean seat a few more times with his sleeve before respectfully placing it behind the Gwi-bi.

When the Gwi-bi sat gently upon it, the jaenyeo who had been in the palace the longest approached her with a show of familiarity.

“Your Highness the Gwi-bi, did you rest well last night?”

“I’ve grown so used to falling asleep while gazing upon His Majesty’s face… that I couldn’t sleep at all last night.”

“Then nights like that must be rare for you, Your Highness.” After all, His Majesty visits you so often. As for me, I can’t help but wonder when I’ll finally get a full night’s sleep.”

At those words, the Gwi-bi’s expression, which had remained pleasant until now, turned icy in an instant.

“Haven’t you been in the palace for nearly a year now?”

“P-pardon? Yes… yes, that’s correct, Your Highness.”

“Then I suggest you pack your things. Unless you had something else in mind?”

“I—I’ve already packed. If you wish, I will leave the palace today. I plan to go back home and marry whoever my parents choose. That’s all I want.”

The jaenyeo hurriedly poured out her words, desperate to prove she had never once schemed to win the Emperor’s favor.

Watching her, the Gwi-bi sneered, as though she found the whole thing pitiful.

“And yet you still carry the title of jaenyeo. Were you already planning to marry another man?”

“N-no! That’s not what I meant at all!”

As the jaenyeo’s face turned pale as death, the Gwi-bi finally waved her away and muttered coldly,

“To think someone that foolish was chosen as a jaenyeo.”

Occasionally, jaenyeo were selected in the imperial palace and given a year to become a concubine. If they did not succeed within that timeframe, they were required to leave the palace.

Being chosen as a jaenyeo indicated that a woman came from a good family and was considered beautiful. Even if they did not become a royal consort, they would often return home to marry into an even more prestigious family.

The jaenyeo who had just flattered the Gwi-bi had only meant to suggest that she wasn’t vying for a position as a concubine, but the Gwi-bi found her display irritating and started a fight on purpose.

The air grew tense and the atmosphere turned frigid in an instant.

Trying to ease the mood, a few jaenyeo at the back threw out flattering comments.

“Your skin is so radiant, I can’t help but envy it, Your Highness.”

“Standing beside Your Highness, I feel like an ugly crow.”

The Gwi-bi did not respond directly. Instead, she offered a faint smile, the kind one might give while watching a trained monkey perform.

A short while later, the sound of large doors opening echoed through the hall, and a woman in worn clothes stepped inside.

The room, which had been filled with chatter, instantly fell silent, like the calm at the heart of an ocean.

Everyone knew who she was, yet nobody stepped forward to greet her.

The emaciated woman, whose bones showed through her skin, was Seol Bu-yeong.

With her head lowered as though trying to avoid everyone’s gaze, she quietly moved to the back and stood there.

Some of the jaenyeo began to snigger and point at her.

“What’s that smell?”

“She’s probably letting everyone know that she cleans chamber pots for a living.”

“Stop it! Haven’t you heard? A maiden’s grudge can bring frost even in the height of summer.”

“Oh dear! Is it true that Her Majesty the Empress is still a maiden?”