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Chapter 318 - Chapter 315: Maljangnan Part 1(Horseplay)

"…This peony pavilion has a lake similar to the one in the palace, no wonder The Young Master chose to hold a birthday celebration her for his new wife." "She is so unworthy of this birthday banquet…wait, why do these noblewomen have a green pear blossom painted onto their foreheads?" "This is something that The Young Master came up for his wife, which seems to have started a trend throughout the kingdom for newlyweds." "Are you saying that he personally painted it on my sister's forehead?" "Of course, do you not see his deep affection in this, Concubine Chung? He isn't just partial to her, it looks like he has given his heart to her. Just how Seo Yeon can enter The Imperial Library and Study anytime, isn't that right Yeon?" "A real man or lover will respect you even when he is angry, that is all that matters…" "There are also these other vixen concubines that i have to go up against. What bewitching women these are! And my own sister out of everyone plays dumb to steal my husband's favour from me and my daughter!" "The chrysanthemums are usually white and yellow this time of year, but now we have lot of red, pink and purple as well…" "Bright colours bring the garden back to life, just like the springtime…" "Ih= hear that the palace grows rare chrysanthemums this time of year with vibrant colours…" "Our worldy wisdom does not seem to appreciate the qualities that these chrysanthemums symbolise. The flowers to decorate the palace are probably required to be brightly coloured…"

Looking back at these chrysanthemums reminded me of a much simpler time on my life when I woke up under the same roof as the man who would inadvertently be pulled into my world so deeply that i simply couldn't part from him, even if he wasn't exactly the same person that I fell for...but then again, i do not think that i was exactly the same person that he fell for either. I knew that he had cut back on his drinking and I couldn't be more happy about that, so what was going n with him? was it…another vice that he was hooked onto? That made more sense since it happened right after he came back from the last war...but why didn't he tell me about this? Why was he keeping this from me, but he didn't hold back with me abut everything else. And why…was he walking up to me this very moment with an even darker look on his face then when i had left him? And instead of panicking like i always did when i saw him, i would much rather run in his arms and take me home this instant. Maybe things had finally changed back to the way they were when we met all over again without the palace politics and schemes coming in between us. And maybe…just maybe i could finally confide all of my secrets and plans to him…and then i wouldn't feel so alone anymore, even when i was with him. Maybe this marriage that he wanted could actually have a chance of working out for the long term…

"What are you doing here?" I asked him as i was the first one to greet him amidst the banquet before anyone else could get to him first. "Do you have everything packed up?" "Let us leave once and for all before i loose my damned mind." he whispered in my ear with that sickly sweet smell that made me want to throw up as soon as i came into contact with him. "What on earth is that smell on you? And why didn't you bathe before coming to this banquet? Why are you sweating so much..." "For goodness sake woman, let us get the hell out of here so you can fix me up before we see your family." "Oh for goodness sake, did you even eat anything before you left the palace?" "I only just turned down the chance to go after General Choi before i got into the carriage..." "We are in the home of your enemy, you might have put more thought into your look no matter what! Here, take my seat and eat my food whilst i do one horse-ride, and then we can leave...." "Why is my sister-in-law looking at us like that?" "Like what? What are you talking about now?" Before i even had the chance to hear an answer from him, he just suddenly took me by the arm rather forcibly and yanked me up on the biggest horse that he could find, knowing that i had little experiences with horses. That jerk! He purposefully kept holding onto me without asking my permission in public! He deliberately almost made me fall on top of him! He sniffed my hair, my neck and who knows what else he would have done if The Concubine Chung did not arrive in time! If he didn't constantly grab my arm, he actually had the audacity to place his hand on my back like it was the most natural thing in the world! What the hell was wrong with him today! Why wasn't he treating me with the same caution and distance that he always has in pubic, since we had yet to announce our engagement? What the hell was I supposed to do under the gaze of his enemy's family? I could barely keep his face out of mine and I almost had to hit him to keep him away from me. I even tried to excuse myself in the face of the entire Chung Family and the man still wouldn't let me go! He actually pulled the back of my hair and almost let me fall backwards if he hadn't caught me in the most appropriate manner and took full advantage of it! I felt him put his hand on my…what was going on?

"Excuse me…" "Can I help you, sister-in-law?" I had never heard him snap at a woman like he now and the fact that he had started holding onto me tighter again wasn't a good sign. I couldn't explain the feeling that passed through my heart when she addressed him as such, but I was sure that I would much rather eat glass than to be in this home right now with the both of them. I could only close my eyes and hope that this talk would come to a stop soon. "I haven't seen or heard from you for a while…" "…it has only been a day or two, My Lady…" "…and I thought that it would be nice for you to take a little break from your work and take us both on a horse riding trip." It was one thing for this woman to constantly show up unannounced, and then to force this relationship on him, but no matter how Seon-Ho got his job, he was extremely hard-working and not even I dared to interrupt him, especially as he made me draw up a specific schedule for him. And I could very much feel his anger pulsing though his veins and onto my arms.

"I have bought some horses along; including one for Yeon if she doesn't mind…" "Yeon has never ridden a horse in her entire life! She does not have the time for such frivolities, Concubine Chung." "Well that is certainly strange upon seeing her condition under the palace roof, it loos like she has all the time in the world to do anything she wants to do. Unless you are keeping her locked up in your home for your own personal use." I had to almost physically stop Seon-Ho from grabbing his sword and doing something very stupid whilst The Concubine Chung had lost her usual kind smile and fake empathetic nature. Now she looked like she would rather be anywhere else than here, which really didn't make any sense at all. Wasn't she the one who invited us to be here, along with my sister-in-law? Who constantly impose herself on Seon-Ho? Just what on earth was going on now?

"Are you suggesting that I put her on a horse without any sort of training at all?" "How will she learn if she doesn't try it?" "Why are you suddenly so worried about Yeon?" "Since she is a part of your life. And son, whatever belongs to you will belong to the palace, isn't that right? I assume that she will not depart your company any time soon, so it is better if we take her along with us, right?" "Yeon, go inside right now and stay there until I fetch you myself…" "why do you always do that?" "What?" "You treat her like a damned child who cannot even walk on her own unless you are the one who is pushing her or carrying her in your arms! She is 23 for goodness sake, can't you tell already?" "I can do to her as I please!""Just get onto the horse and take this girl with you before I call for my husband who already has a tough time remaining civil with you in his home!" "Are you suggesting that I put her on a horse without any sort of training at all?" "How will she learn if she doesn't try it?" "Why are you suddenly so worried about Yeon?" "Since she is a part of your life. And son, whatever belongs to you will belong to the palace, isn't that right? I assume that she will not depart your company any time soon, so it is better if we take her along with us, right?" "Yeon, go inside right now and stay there until I fetch you myself…" "why do you always do that?" "What?" "You treat her like a damned child who cannot even walk on her own unless you are the one who is pushing her or carrying her in your arms! She is 23 for goodness sake, can't you tell already?" "I can do to her as I please!" "Not anymore! You are no longer a bachelor in case you haven't noticed! Now get on the damned horse and take this girl with you before I call for your father and I have all 3 of you whipped!" "Is this the idea of hosting that you have! To treat your guests like damned slave!" "Well it suits you since your mother was a damned slave herself! Isn't that right, Lord Nam!"

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