Seorin recovered from giving birth in the palace.
The emperor sent his trusted eunuchs and palace maids to deliver nutritious food and drinks to nourish Seorin while she was recovering and breastfeeding his first grandson.
A month passed, Seorin walked comfortably and her son was chubby and loved to cry.
“Oh my god!” Seorin murmured. “Why does he love to cry? Wasn’t he napping?”
Seorin’s son loved to cry in the morning, afternoon, evening, and before napping. Sometimes he even cried to amuse himself. Other children would cry a little then sleep. But the little tiger cries until someone carried him.
A month ago Seorin was fearful each time her son cried because she was scared an intruder came to harm him. But after a month she found out her son loved to cry so she was used to his crying.
Seorin didn’t want to spoil her son by carrying him every time he cried.
But Jeongguk’s heart couldn’t bear to hear his nephew cry.
The emperor forbids anyone from disturbing Seorin, Jeongguk, and his grandson to protect them.
So Jeongguk loved to guard his nephew day and night and take care of his nephew.
Jeongguk ran to Seorin’s bed. “Cry, cry.”
“Gukkie, ignore him,” Seorin said. “He only knows how to cry day and night.”
Jeongguk thought Seorin was serious and pitied his nephew.
Jeongguk ran back to his nephew’s cot. He remembered how his mother used to coax him to sleep and gently rubbed his nephew’s soft head. “Nephew is good, don’t cry. Look I'm here”
Jeongguk’s nephew stopped crying after sensing him. “If nephew is good, I’ll let you eat sweets after you grow big. Now you don’t have any teeth to chew sweets.”
Perhaps Jeongguk’s warm hand, gentle words, and promise to give his nephew sweets in the future helped his nephew sleep.
Suddenly Jeongguk felt someone enter the nursery, he turned around and quickly bowed to his father. “Appa.”
The emperor came to check if Seorin was doing anything suspicious. After he was satisfied Seorin was only learning to make nutritious herbal drinks with Yunji, he asked Seorin to escort him to see his grandson. But he didn’t expect his weak little Seventh son knew how to speak fluently. It made him happy enough to fly into the sky.
Seorin was overjoyed and knelt in front of Jeongguk. “Gukkie, you know how to speak.”
Jeongguk nodded his head.
“Jeongguk, you don’t need to nod,” the emperor said. “You can speak like earlier.”
“Nephew stopped crying,” Jeongguk said.
“Jeongguk, who taught you to speak?” the emperor asked.
“Fifth brother and Fifth sister taught me,” Jeongguk said.
The emperor’s heart softened a little toward Seorin because she helped Jeongguk learn to speak.
“Seorin, is it comfortable living here?” the emperor asked.
“Imperial father, everything here is good, except…” Seorin said.
“Except?” the emperor asked.
The emperor understood Seorin’s silence meant she missed Taehyung.
Seorin didn’t want to talk to the troublesome emperor. She overheard the eunuchs and palace maids gossip and found out the emperor sent Taehyung to Daegu to perform duties while she was held captive in the palace for more than a month.
Seorin was also suspicious about why the emperor visited her for the first time since she was held captive.
“Tomorrow someone will escort you and your son home,” the emperor said.
Seorin thought perhaps Taehyung completed all his duties.
“Jeongguk, it’s time for you to learn how to read,” the emperor said.
Jeongguk was sad he wasn’t allowed to return home with Seorin and his nephew.
Perhaps Jeongguk’s nephew knew he was feeling sad so his nephew cried loudly.
Seorin couldn’t let her son cry while the emperor was standing next to the cot. She picked up her son and found out her son had soiled his pants.
Seorin bowed to the emperor and carried her son to the bed. She cleaned him and changed his clothes.
Seorin turned around to ask Yunji to pass a new baby garment but she didn’t expect the emperor to be standing nearby and became shocked. She thought the emperor had left, but now it felt like the emperor following her like a faithful dog.
Seorin assessed the emperor. He was looking at her son with his big oval almond shape eyes that even the Third and Fifth princes inherited like he was curious and wanted to carry her son.
Seorin smiled evilly in her mind, she remembered a recent dream… she gave birth to a chubby child and the emperor wanted to carry her child but she carried her child far away from him.
At that moment she wanted to hide her son from the emperor, but she can't able to do that because of the earning glow of the emperor's eyes. She gave her son to the emperor and asked, “Imperial father, who do you think he looks like?”
The emperor slowly accepted his grandson and carefully held his grandson. “His face looks like you but he has Taehyung’s smile.”
“Imperial father is right,” Seorin said. “He also has Taehyung’s eyelashes and nose … hurry little treasure, smile with the emperor.”
Seorin was coaxing her son to smile while gauging the emperor’s reaction. Indeed the emperor relaxed and softened after he heard that he is the imperial grandfather now.
Seorin’s heart cursed the emperor, 'You’re only allowed to hold him this one time!'
“Imperial father, give nephew a name,” Jeongguk said.
The emperor had been busy with imperial court duties and didn’t have time to name his grandson.
“Jeongguk, what name do you think suits him?” the emperor asked.
“Gukkie, think of a meaningful name for your nephew,” Seorin prompted.
Jeongguk thought deeply but he was only a five-year-old boy. So he looked in all directions and sometime later his eyes brightened and he pointed at himself.
“Jeongguk or Gguk?” Seorin asked. “Gukkie, do you want your nephew to have the same name as you? That means Gguk?”
Jeongguk reluctantly nodded his head.
"But after your fifth brother hears that his son was given your name, but not his then doesn't he will become sad..... Gukkie, then what am I going to do?" Seorin said.
"Then, also include fifth brother's name in his name" Jeongguk confusedly stated.
“Gguk… Taegguk” the emperor called. “But it doesn’t sound that majestic. Let’s change it to, Joon-Seok. It’s a peaceful name.”
Seorin thanked the emperor but Jeongguk wasn’t a little bit satisfied with his nephew’s name, his kind of narcissistic father put his own name in his name but not Jeongguk’s. He thought the name Taegguk will be quite pleasant to hear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Mistress, Yunji, and the young master are back!” Wung announced.
Taehyung was playing chess with Yoongi. After Taehyung heard Seorin was back, he overturned the board, threw the chess pieces, and ran outside.
Yoongi looked like he didn’t care but he ran fast.
The moment Seorin carried her son and stepped out of the horse carriage, she saw everyone crowded together at the front of the manor. But her eyes solely focused on Taehyung who stood at the center.
Taehyung and Seorin felt each day they were separated was like being separated for three years.
Seorin wanted to run and hug Taehyung. But Taehyung ran to her and hugged her first.
“Our son!” Seorin warned.
Joon-Seok was squashed between his parents, his head ached and he cried loudly.
Taehyung loosened his hold around Seorin’s waist and assessed their son.
“Why is he this ugly?” Taehyung asked.
“My husband, he is a newborn baby, and even if he is this ugly he’s still your son!” Seorin said.
Joon-Seok was insulted by his father and cried louder.
That evening everyone held a reunion banquet. After the banquet, Taehyung asked a guard to watch over Joon-Seok in the nursery. Then Taehyung dragged Seorin to their chamber, locked the door, and kissed her against the door.
But suddenly a loud cry echoed in the manor’s air, “Go see your son!” Seorin surrendered.
Later Seorin napped but was awoken by Joon-Seok’s loud cry. She opened her eyes and saw Taehyung was carrying Joon-Seok and sitting on a chair. Taehyung looked frustrated and Joon-Seok cried loudly.
Seorin sat on the bed. “What happened?”
“I only wanted to hold him but I didn’t expect he would cry,” Taehyung said. “So I coaxed him to sleep… then this little scoundrel again cried in his sleep!”
Joon-Seok again feel insulted and cried even louder.
Seorin picked up Joon-Seok from Taehyung’s arms and coaxed him to sleep for a while but he didn’t stop crying. So she started to breastfeed Joon-Seok, after kicking out Taehyung from their chamber.
Joon-Seok stopped crying after drinking milk.
Seorin patted Joon-Seok’s bottom and slowly coaxed him to sleep.
Seorin put Joon-Seok back in his cot and returned to the bed. Taehyung sensed that his son might be asleep now, so he returned to the chamber.
“In the future, if you tease your son then you’re responsible for coaxing him to stop crying,” Seorin said. “But, why did imperial father free me and your son?”
“Imperial father’s heart grew compassion,” Taehyung said.
“Why?” Seorin asked.
“Seorin, do you want to know why the Third brother was willing to kill Su Ryeon’s son?” Taehyung asked.
Seorin’s eyes brightened.
“Su Ryeon’s son… isn’t Third brother’s blood son,” Taehyung said.
“What?” Seorin asked in shock. “How did you find out?”
“From a spy in the palace,” Taehyung said.
A month ago Jimin secretly met Minji in the palace.
“Official Park, on the day of the emperor’s birthday banquet I heard Consort Jung say Third prince’s second wife’s son must be killed,” Minji said. “Official Park, Fifth prince’s wife was framed…”
Jimin inwardly smiled while he listened to Minji confessing Consort Jung’s scheme to gain his favor.
That day the emperor summoned Taehyung to the palace to receive an edict to go to Daegu. Jimin secretly passed a folded note to Taehyung before Taehyung left the palace.
Later that day Taehyung read the note in the horse carriage, “hates * child.”
Taehyung didn’t expect his Third brother’s wife will cheat on his third brother and understood why Consort Jung killed Su Ryeon’s son, the child wasn’t her son’s blood.
Taehyung knew Consort Jung’s motive so he sent his guards to the Third Prince’s manor to find evidence that he and Seorin were framed. His guards reported in the last three months there were two deaths in Hoseok’s manor, a guard and Su Ryeon’s personal maid.
Taehyung smiled coldly; that late guard was the father of Su Ryeon’s son. Taehyung thought of a plan to spread the news to his father without being implicated.
“Why are you so calm?” Yoongi asked. “Don’t you want your wife and my maid to return to the manor?”
“Wait another three days,” Taehyung said.
Yoongi glared at Taehyung, another three days they would be in Daegu.
After three days Taehyung and Yoongi arrived in Daegu. Yoongi hated the way Taehyung wasn’t anxious about being away from the imperial city while three of the important people of their lives were held captive in the palace.
“Wait another ten days,” Taehyung said. “We’ll return home and be reunited with them.”
In a busy restaurant in the imperial city, two gentlemen were gossiping about the Third prince.
“Did you hear Third prince’s wife cheated on him?” the first gentleman asked.
“How do you know this rumor is true?” the second gentleman asked.
“I’ll tell you how I found out but you have to promise not to tell another person,” the first gentleman said. “I heard Third prince’s second wife’s dead son isn’t his blood son.”
“Truly?” the second gentleman asked.
“Of course,” the first gentleman said. “I have a close acquaintance who works at Third prince’s manor.”
“I see… but who would dare to fool him?” the second gentleman asked.
“Didn’t you hear about how the Third prince’s trusted guard mysteriously died?” the first gentleman asked.
“Um, how is his death related to this rumor?” the second gentleman asked.
“You fool… think about why a healthy man like would die at a young age,” the first gentleman said.
“I see… you’re saying-” the second gentleman said.
“It’s a secret!” the first gentleman said. “You can’t say the secret.”
The two-gentleman looked in all directions, everyone in the busy restaurant was eavesdropping on their conversation.
The two gentlemen left the restaurant and took off their disguises in a remote alley and looked like their usual selves, Dami and Wung.
Dami and Wung’s secret conversation spread throughout the imperial city within a few days.
Consort Jung was furious after she heard everyone in the imperial city knew the truth about the * child. Consort Jung beat Su Ryeon to vent her anger and summoned everyone from her son’s manor into the courtyard. She knew someone inside the manor betrayed him. Everyone in the manor denied they didn’t betray him and blamed each other.
After the interrogation Consort Jung saw Hoseok’s grief-stricken and panicked reaction to the rumor, and after hearing and discussing everything clearly with his mother, Hoseok realized he fell into Taehyung’s trap, and soon their father would find out the whole matter.
At Taehyung’s manor, Seorin thought the Taehyung fox was impressive.
“Rinniee, do you think I’m impressive?” Taehyung asked.
“Tae Tae, how did imperial father find out?” Seorin asked.
“Imperial father likes to pass by remote areas in the palace gardens… to eavesdrop on eunuchs and palace maids gossiping,” Taehyung said. “Thanks to Dami and Wung, Third brother’s secret was spread to the palace.”
“Are you saying imperial father sent people to investigate the rumor at Third prince’s manor and confirmed the Third prince framed us?” Seorin asked.
“Imperial father suspected Su Ryeon committed adultery long ago because she is too ambitious and always tried to became the favored consort of my third brother and Imperial father also sensed that Consort Jung and Third prince framed us,” Taehyung said. “Imperial father knows that Consort Jung would rather die than admit the truth. So imperial father let you go and he can only curse Consort Jung and Third brother.”
“Third prince still wins if the imperial father can’t punish him,” Seorin said.
“Seorin, be patient and you can eat hot chicken soup,” Taehyung said. “Third brother knows imperial father is watching him closely and he won’t dare to make any moves otherwise he’ll make imperial father angrier.”
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A/N ~~
Another Update My Precious Readers........ Please Enjoy........ ^_^