Snow Flower Tea
Even a drop or two should have filled the cup with flower water, and she had poured the whole thing in—so of course it overflowed. That much, at least, must be common sense even in Heaven.
Which means they probably won't even realize I just made a mistake.
She decided to brazen it out. As calmly as could be, as naturally as if this had been her intention all along, she set down the teapot and picked up a spoon.
With the spoon, she scooped the flower water brimming over from the cup and filled the one she had set aside for the petals. As the clear liquid mingled with the skins, it began to shimmer with a soft golden light.
There, finished.
Since it had overflowed anyway, she divided it and made two cups. She held out the finished golden teas.
"This is Seol-hwa tea, a medicinal tea of the Seol clan's secret arts. Please have Her Majesty the Queen drink it."
Seol-hwa tea was, of course, a name she had invented on the spot. She could hardly call it wedding-haze blossom tea, after all.
A fragrant tea scent—familiar to her, but strange to these humans—bloomed into the air and filled the room.
She could see the others around her sniffing at it and murmuring in admiration. A few even felt their expressions soften, or caught themselves smiling without meaning to.
Only the King, who was not in his right mind, seemed displeased, and he frowned as he asked, "Both cups?"
"One of them is an offering for the Crown Prince."
"For her? What for?"
"They were together that day, weren't they? It would help if the Crown Prince drank it as well."
The King looked down at the teacup with suspicion, then gestured to the royal physician.
The physician produced a silver spoon, dipped it into the tea, and, finding nothing amiss, laid a hand over the cup and closed his eyes.
Sorcery, is it? Well, I suppose any physician worth his salt would have mastered the healing arts of the Dao, even as a mortal.
After a long moment, the physician opened his eyes with a look of wonder on his face.
"Your Majesty, I sense no intent to harm in this tea. Rather, I sense an astonishingly pure energy, and vitality in abundance. And yet that energy is not fierce but gentle—"
"So which is it? Get to the conclusion!"
When the physician's words stretched on, the King snapped at him in irritation, as though long explanations were something he could no longer follow.
Another aftereffect, I see.
Perhaps used to it by now, the physician showed no fluster and rephrased himself. "This tea is not poison. It is closer to a restorative."
"Hm."
The King glanced back and forth between the physician, her, and the teacup, looking unconvinced—then abruptly thrust out his hand. "Then before it is given to the Queen, she will taste it first herself."
"Your Majesty, perhaps I should test for—"
"The physician already confirmed it. What more is needed?"
Waving off the chief eunuch, who had interjected in alarm as if the man were simply a nuisance, the King took a sip of the tea and held it in his mouth.
“…….”
Every eye in the room fixed upon the King as he savored it.
And thanks to that, everyone noticed the change that came over him the moment he swallowed.
The bloodshot threads that had stood out red in the King's eyes grew dim.
The bulging veins that always made him look on the verge of rage visibly subsided. The tension drained from his jaw, and the fury and madness that had haunted his face slipped away all at once.
"Your Majesty? Are you quite well?"
Startled by the swiftness of the change, the physician asked after him.
“…….”
The King did not answer. He stared down at the teacup with a dazed face, like a man waking from a dream.
Then, as if to drink again, he lifted the cup—only to freeze abruptly and cry out, urgent: "The Queen! Take this tea to the Queen—now!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Give it to the Queen at once, I said!"
Furious, the King thrust his own cup forward. He seemed to have entirely forgotten that a second cup of tea existed.
"Quickly!"
At his roar, the senior court lady hurried over, took the cup, and hastened to the Queen's side.
Spoonful by careful spoonful, she poured the tea into the sleeping Queen's mouth.
The King watched the sight with unblinking intensity. The others, including Seol Deunghwa, held their breath as they looked on.
Only she herself was not the least bit tense.
[Princess! Are you safe?]
[Yes, I'm perfectly fine, so stop worrying and wait.]
While answering Ansi—who had somehow made her way near the Junggungjeon—through their mind-link, she watched as the court lady finished feeding the tea to the Queen and stepped back.
The effect came at once.
The Queen's eyelids, sealed shut for three long years, trembled faintly—then slowly opened.
"Your Majesty!"
The King cried out her name like a scream and dragged himself closer, seizing her hand.
The Queen blinked her eyes slowly, turned to look at the King, and gave a weak smile. In a low voice, she whispered, "My lord."
“……!”
At that small voice, the King abruptly burst into tears. The great man clutched the Queen's hand and began to sob like a child.
"Good heavens……."
"Her Majesty has truly awakened……"
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Queen……"
As those around her reeled in shock or dabbed at their eyes, Seol Deunghwa leaned close to her and whispered in relief, "Is it over, then?"
"Yes. You worked hard."
She answered, and thought to herself:
Not so much ended as only just begun.
Chapter 2
The last day of the month.
Late afternoon, just before the night when Seol Deunghwa and Seruhwa were to wake the Queen.
"Your control is perfect in the daylight now, my lord."
The silver-haired girl said it with jade-bright eyes sparkling.
The Crown Prince, Cheon Gyeol-woo, shook his head. "I still have far to go."
"Care to put it to the test?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"The weather is so fine today."
Seruhwa turned her gaze toward the window. Cheon Gyeol-woo found himself following her eyes outside before he knew it.
Beyond the open window, the autumn sky rose dazzlingly blue and high. A cool, crisp wind drifted gently in through the casement.
It was glorious weather.
Then the boy paused, marveling that he could actually feel good because of it.
There had been a time when he had no leisure to notice the weather. He hadn't even lived with the windows open.
In barely a month's time, his whole state of mind had changed. Somewhere along the way, he had begun to see that the sky was blue, and to feel the wind on his face.
He stood idly gazing out the window until Seruhwa took his hand and tugged it. "Let's go out for a walk."
"Ah—no, I mustn't!"
The Crown Prince recoiled in alarm and held his ground. Seruhwa's round eyes narrowed into a sly gleam. "Why ever not?"
"Someone could be hurt—"
"You control it well now, don't you? Nights may still be hard, but in the daytime, like this—"
The girl stepped right up to him, rose on tiptoe, and abruptly cupped both his cheeks in her hands.
The clean scent of peaches.
Her face, suddenly close enough to touch.
Somehow he couldn't bear to meet her eyes; he was too embarrassed. The boy grew worried his own face might be turning bright red.
Unlike the boy, at a complete loss, the girl was utterly unbothered. "See? Even this close now, nothing happens, does it?"
“…….”
"It's only because you are my lady that it's fine," he managed.
"No, it's because you're good at it, my lord. Come on, let's go test it."
"Failure is all but certain."
"How would you know, when you haven't even tried?"
“…….”
When he pressed his lips firmly shut, she tilted her head. "Are you frightened? Afraid you might hurt someone again?"
"……Yes."
At the answer he ground out with such difficulty, Seruhwa rose a little higher on her heels.
The girl pressed her forehead against the boy's.
Startled, he flinched and tried to pull back—but she held his face gently in her soft hands and whispered, "See? Even touching like this, all of a sudden, nothing happens."
“…….”
"You already know the method, my lord. And haven't you practiced diligently, every single day?"
“…….”
"And even if it does seem dangerous, I'll stop you in time. So don't be afraid."
Seruhwa smiled brightly, right there before his eyes.
Was his heart pounding because he was terrified his darkness might harm her? Most likely, that was it. Most likely.
The Crown Prince stammered out his answer, face burning. "I-if you say so."
"Good."
Seruhwa released his cheeks and stepped back.
For an instant, Cheon Gyeol-woo felt a pang of loss—but he had no time to recognize it, because of what she said next.
"We ought to test it soon. Tonight, once Her Majesty the Queen is awake, you'll both have to pay your respects to the King and Queen together."
"……!"
His young wife spoke of things like dreams as if they were the most natural matters in the world.
Her mother, who had lain abed all this time because of him, would awaken. The two of them would forgive him. They would even grant him an audience to bow in greeting.
The Crown Prince lowered his eyes. "Come to think of it, it's already the last day of the month, isn't it."
"No, my lord."
Reading his expression, Seruhwa put on a deliberately stern face. "You must think positively. If you aren't joyful and happy, your darkness will only grow."
"……I'm sorry."
"No—none of that blaming yourself again, all right? Now, look here."
When Cheon Gyeol-woo lifted his head, Seruhwa covered her face with her small hands, then whipped them away and beamed. "Peekaboo!"
"……Ahem."
His wife was a whole two years younger than he, and yet sometimes she babied him like this.
The Crown Prince found it absurd and adorable all at once, and couldn't hold back his laughter. "There! See how your shadow shrinks right down when you smile?"
Seruhwa announced it with a face full of pride.
The sight of a girl barely tall enough to reach his chin, standing there so smugly—she was so terribly endearing that Cheon Gyeol-woo could not take the smile off his face.
"Now, let's go out, shall we?"
His wife tugged him along, and the Crown Prince let himself be led out of Jamryongdang at last.
Bright high noon. A place where many people came and went.
He shrank back of his own accord. Perhaps she felt that tension through their clasped hands, for Seruhwa did not venture far.
They stepped into the garden that lay between Jamryongdang and Unyeondang.
Something has changed.
The Crown Prince looked around the garden, bewildered. The grounds that had languished in neglect for two years, grown into a wretched state, had somehow been tidied, if only a little.
It was as much as clearing away the dead grass and weeds—but even that made it look entirely different.
As he turned about in astonishment, Seruhwa smiled. "It's improved some, hasn't it?"
"It has. How did this come about?"