(The terms that used here in bold style, their meanings were mentioned at the end)~
Seorin fled away from Kim Taehyung the moment the crown prince left.
Taehyung stared at the back of Seorin's figure for a while and reminisced about the past.
"My Dongsaeng, what are you thinking about?" Jung Hoseok, the third prince and son of Consort Jung asked.
"Hyung, I'm admiring the palace gardens," Taehyung said. "It looks like a heavenly landscape."
"Looks like a mortal landscape," Jung Hoseok said.
Taehyung didn't refute his third brother.
Jung Hoseok glanced at Seorin's back. "My dongsaeng, do you know about our hyung and the younger Lady Park?"
"I recently returned from Southern Busan," Taehyung said. "Third brother, what has been happening in the imperial city while I was away?"
"Little brother, you'll be drinking celebratory wine at their wedding early next year," Hoseok said.
"Truly?" Taehyung asked. "What good news."
Taehyung's smiling face made Hoseok's eyes itch.
"Good news indeed for the crown prince," Hoseok said. "With Jin Young's support, the crown prince can sleep higher and more carefree."
"Prime Minister Park is reputed to be a resourceful and diligent court official, who he supports will certainly become more influential," Taehyung said.
Hoseok's eyes darkened from the sounds of Taehyung's words that didn't reveal any hidden emotions. Hoseok's desire to seize the crown prince position was well known. He had always wanted his fifth brother's support. But two years ago when he subtlety asked the fifth brother to help him, the fifth brother volunteered to go to Southern Busan to subdue rebels. The moment the fifth brother left, he knew that his fifth brother had no intentions to join in the battle to contest the throne.
Jung Hoseok watched Seorin play with young children nearby for a while. "If Park Sang-Hee wants to marry then Park Seorin needs to find a husband. It's been a contentious problem for the Park household."
Taehyung's intuition told him that his third brother's intentions toward Seorin are not quite good.
"Truly?" Taehyung asked. "I have met the older Lady Park. I enjoy talking with her. Third brother, what do you think about me marrying her?"
If Taehyung's intuition was right then his cold-hearted third brother wanted to marry Seorin. Taehyung wouldn't allow that to happen, his third brother married many wives because of his mother's continuous pressure and to gain power in the imperial court.
Hoseok knew his fifth brother understood him well. If the crown prince marries the younger Lady Park then Park Jin Young would be an obstacle for Hoseok to become the crown prince. He had intended to marry the older Lady Park, but he didn't expect his fifth brother would voice an intention to marry Park Seorin first.
Hoseok frowned at the sight of Taehyung's shiny eyes and his careful words. Hoseok didn't know if Taehyung truly wanted to marry Seorin or if Taehyung wanted to oppose him.
"She is known for being gentle and docile, she'll be compatible with my dongsaeng," Hoseok said.
Hoseok knew it wasn't worth fighting with his fifth brother only for a woman, it was beneficial for him to concede Park Seorin to his fifth brother.
"But my dongsaeng, you'll owe me one favor,' Hoseok said, brushed the sleeves of his outer robe, and left.
Behind Hoseok's back, Taehyung was smiling ear to ear. Taehyung turned his head and stared at Seorin who was busy playing with children.
"Little tigress, I've helped you avoid a catastrophe, how will you thank me?" Kim Taehyung asked softly.
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That afternoon Taehyung discussed his intentions to marry Park Seorin with the emperor.
The emperor was always indifferent toward his fifth son. He thought Taehyung's request wasn't unreasonable and gave his consent.
Early the next morning Taehyung visited the Park Manor to ask for Jin Young's blessing for him to marry Seorin.
Only a day ago Jin Young returned to Park Manor shaking his head in a worrisome way, his oldest daughter's plan to find a husband at the banquet failed.
Park Jin Young was happily surprised to have the fifth gentle prince visit Park Manor and ask to marry his oldest daughter. Jin Young knew his oldest daughter must be married off, but he never expected she would have a husband from high in the sky.
Jin Young's ears were sweetened by the fifth gentle prince's praises and admiration confession toward his oldest daughter.
Princess Ji Hoon thought the gentle Fifth prince had mistaken Seorin for Sang-Hee.
In contrast, after Seorin heard the prankish boy's proposal, she spat out tea from her mouth.
Seorin widened her eyes and looked in disbelief at her father who sat opposite her in the courtyard.
"Seorin, the fifth gentle prince has a weak status in the imperial court but he is still a prince," Jin Young said. "I've assessed him for many years, he is a good man. Unlike his brothers, he doesn't want the throne. If you marry him then you'll live a peaceful life."
Jin Young sighed. He didn't want to be involved in the princes' battle for the throne. But his association with Princess Ji Hoon forced him to be involved. He knew there were two consequences for supporting a prince for a throne, either staying alive if the prince he supported became emperor or being killed if lost the throne. Although the crown prince was powerful, he couldn't underestimate the third prince's power in the imperial court either.
Park Jin Young was overjoyed to let his oldest daughter marry the fifth gentle prince. Whether the crown prince or third prince became emperor, his oldest daughter would be alive and safe.
Seorin suppressed her fear and composed herself. She heard her father's words and understood his intention. But she didn't say anything. She lowered her head and assessed the situation in her heart. She heard rumors of the third prince and the crown prince battling for the throne. The emperor had seven sons and three daughters. But only four of his sons and one of his daughters who is quite ill were alive, the others were dead.
Hanyang's Kim dynasty's specialty is that the princes of this dynasty here are known by their mother's last name, only if the absence of the mother is observed or the prince receives the title of Crown Prince, only then are they allowed to use their fathers' last name.
The four princes included the second prince, Kim Namjoon is the crown prince. Namjoon's birth mother was the empress. The third prince, Jung Hoseok. His birth mother was Consort Jung. The fifth prince, Kim Taehyung, and his birth mother was rumored to be a palace maid whose no news is available at present. The seventh prince, Jeon Jeongguk was only three years old and his mother Consort Jeon was an unfavored consort.
It was known that Kim Taehyung had no intention to become emperor and he wanted to be a carefree prince. While Jung Hoseok whose sunshine heart was spoiled by his own birth mother and led it to become a black heart. Jung Hoseok's relatives on his mother's side were as powerful as the empress' family and his desire to be emperor was infamous.
In the last few years, Jung Hoseok and Kim Namjoon's support from court officials were split.
Of course, Princess Ji Hoon supported the empress' son and wanted Sang-Hee to marry Kim Namjoon.
"Eight years ago, the fifth gentle prince had a betrothal with a court official's daughter," Jin Young said. "But the court official's daughter died before the wedding. He was heartbroken and he remained loyal to her even after her death."
Jin Young's regret of betraying Shin Hye was reflected on his face.
Seorin's mouth tightened. What heartbroken?! What loyalty?!! Eight years ago that boy visited her in the countryside of Daegu. In front of everyone else, that boy acted like he is heartbroken. Behind their backs, he loved to bully and threaten her!!! Thoughts about the past pained her heart.
"Fifth gentle prince is handsome and charming too," Jin Young said. "I'm certain you will not suffer if you marry him... Seorin, what do you think?"
Seorin's heart protested. What no suffering? That prankish mouthy boy would bully her until death. She raised her head and glanced at her father. Her heart laughed coldly. Her father talked for half a day yet he pointlessly asked for her opinion when his decision was made immediately after that boy's proposal.
Seorin nodded and spoke in the gentlest tone. "Father, you can make the arrangements."
Even though she disliked that boy, she understood his higher status didn't allow her to refuse his proposal.
Seorin didn't want to admit that she couldn't find a more carefree life than marrying Taehyung. She would have status, didn't have to worry about him fighting to be emperor, and most importantly she would fulfill her mother's final request, "I want you to be fed, clothed, and live a peaceful life."
Seorin accepting Taehyung's proposal was her best choice. She predicted that in the future she would be married to the most cunning, thick face and an expert actor. It was a prediction scarier than death.
Park Jin Young gave his blessing for Kim Taehyung to marry Seorin.
In the palace, the emperor Kim Seokjin presented to Taehyung two auspicious days for his wedding. The first day was at the start of the eighth month and the second day was in three months.
"The start of the eighth month is a good day," Taehyung said. "If the wedding is in three months it'll be too close to the New Year and will detract from hyung's wedding. Also, the rebels in the south are unpredictable. It's better for imperial father to prepare a simple wedding for me."
The emperor was pleased to hear Taehyung understood the situation well and immediately consented to prepare Taehyung's wedding for the start of the eighth month. The emperor didn't have a deep bond with Kim Taehyung, but he thought that Taehyung was a reasonable person.
The moment Taehyung was not within sight of his father, he smiled sadistically. Taehyung chose the earliest auspicious wedding day because he couldn't wait to tease and torment the little tigress.
After the wedding gifts were prepared, wedding garments were sewed and invitations were delivered, it was the fifth day of the eighth month which was the day before Taehyung and Seorin's wedding day.
That hot night Seorin couldn't cope with the humidity. She lay on her bed wearing a loose inner robe. She thought it was surreal that she was marrying the prankish boy the following day. But she didn't doubt that prankish boy was anticipating their wedding day.
That prankish boy's scoundrel face appeared in her head. She didn't know why there were many women he could marry, but he purposely wanted to provoke her. Since their first meeting when she was six years old, each time they met was never a good experience.
Seorin felt within the last twelve years that she was a pitiful mouse caught by the cunning tiger Taehyung. Taehyung didn't eat her whole. He preferred to claw her slowly, tease her and frustrate her to death.
Luckily she wasn't her naive self from fourteen years ago.
Suddenly she felt there was something suspicious. She knew Taehyung's real personality too well. It was unlike him to let her live peacefully. Their wedding day was set but it was suspicious he didn't come to see her privately to cause her grief within the last month. Apart from the day he made an appearance at the Park Manor to give wedding gifts, he didn't even deliver one message to provoke her.
She didn't know what that boy was scheming. Suddenly she heard a faint noise from the window. She turned her head toward the window and saw someone climb through the window.
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Dongsaeng - Younger sibling.
Hyung - Elder Brother.
Consort - the spouse of a reigning monarch.