Chapter 869: I... I’m Not Going to Die, Am I?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 869: I... I’m Not Going to Die, Am I?
"Hahahaha! Here, try some of this as well. The texture is quite excellent."
Emperor Jeongmun laughed heartily as he placed a piece of Dongpo pork onto the plate.
"Ah, thank you."
Chomp.
Chew, chew.
Sun-woo immediately picked up his chopsticks and began to eat the Dongpo pork Emperor Jeongmun had offered.
The rich, signature flavor and the tender texture of the meat swirled in his mouth, making his taste buds dance.
It’s delicious.
It really was.
Perhaps because it was food fit for an Emperor, the meat was far richer and more tender than any he had ever eaten before.
Sun-woo chewed and chewed in admiration.
He was feeling truly happy.
"How is it?"
Emperor Jeongmun’s gentle voice reached his ears.
"...It’s... it’s incredibly delicious."
Sun-woo replied with a look of genuine moved emotion.
"Hehehe, you certainly know the meaning of epicureanism."
Emperor Jeongmun spoke with an amused smile.
He found Sun-woo’s reaction quite entertaining. To see the great hero who saved the Empire so moved by a single piece of Dongpo pork—how could he not find it amusing?
"Now, try some of this bird’s nest. It has a flavor that naturally lifts one’s spirits."
This time, the Crown Prince lifted some bird’s nest with his chopsticks and placed it directly onto Sun-woo’s plate.
"Ah, yes... thank you."
Sun-woo accepted the offering politely, looking a bit dazed.
He took a spoonful of the bird’s nest the Crown Prince had given him and tasted it. Just as the Crown Prince had said, a delightful sweetness began to spread throughout his mouth.
"Is it to your liking?"
"It is very delicious."
Sun-woo spoke in admiration.
It was his first time ever eating bird’s nest, but the taste was so exquisite it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a masterpiece. He could finally understand why Emperors favored it so much.
"Now, now, try this Beggar’s Chicken as well."
Emperor Jeongmun began to offer him a chicken dish next.
"Ah... thank you."
Sun-woo continued to accept and eat the dishes, his stomach growing fuller by the moment. It was because the two most powerful men in the Empire were relentlessly urging him to eat.
After the meal had continued like that for some time...
"......Please, stop now... Grandfather, Your Highness. If you give him any more, the Commandery Prince’s stomach will burst."
Neung So-hwa finally reached out and pulled the plate away from Sun-woo.
She stepped in to stop the two men who were incessantly offering food. She truly felt that if they fed him any more, Sun-woo might actually explode.
"Hahahaha! Are you looking after your husband?"
Emperor Jeongmun burst into a jovial laugh at the sight.
He found it quite adorable to see her taking care of her husband.
"As his wife... is it not... natural for me to... worry about my husband?"
At Emperor Jeongmun’s blatant teasing, Neung So-hwa spoke with a flushed face.
A sudden wave of shyness had washed over her.
"Hahahaha... Yes... of course... it is natural. Our Gyeonghwa is doing exactly what she should."
Emperor Jeongmun continued to laugh merrily.
"......Please do not tease me."
Neung So-hwa spoke, her face completely red.
"I am not teasing you. I am proud of you."
Emperor Jeongmun spoke with a warm, satisfied expression.
He was truly pleased to see the growth of Princess Gyeonghwa, who had now become a full-grown woman.
".............."
Neung So-hwa simply moved her chopsticks in silence.
She felt that if she spoke any further, the teasing would only get worse.
Chomp.
Neung So-hwa picked up a piece of Dongpo pork.
Seeing Sun-woo’s reaction had made her want to try it as well.
Gulp.
But the moment the Dongpo pork touched her tongue...
An indescribable nausea suddenly surged within her. At the same time, something began to well up from deep inside.
"Ugh... blegh!"
Neung So-hwa began to dry heave.
She felt as if she were about to vomit.
"What’s wrong? Are you okay?"
Sun-woo looked at her in a panic and asked.
What was happening all of a sudden?
"I... I am fine... It is just... a bit of... indigestion... Ugh."
Neung So-hwa frowned deeply and continued to retch.
"Gyeonghwa! Are you alright?"
"What is the matter!"
Emperor Jeongmun and the Crown Prince asked with panicked expressions.
They were bewildered by Princess Gyeonghwa’s sudden dry heaving.
"...........Ugh... blegh!"
However, Neung So-hwa could not answer them.
She simply could not hold back the relentless nausea.
The expressions of the three men watching her grew grave. Concern for her began to flood their hearts.
*
Imperial Medical Institute
"Hmm... Hmmm..."
Go Ryang, the Physician, let out a deep sigh while holding her pulse.
He looked incredibly pensive.
After checking her pulse for quite some time...
Slide.
Go Ryang slowly took his hand away from her wrist.
"She has conceived."
He spoke in a calm tone.
"Con... conceived?!"
Sun-woo’s eyes widened in shock.
Conceived?
Did that mean Neung So-hwa was carrying his child?
How could he not be shocked?
"Is that true?"
"It is the truth. Your Highness, I can feel a strong fetal movement."
Go Ryang nodded as he spoke.
"Heh..."
Sun-woo wore a dazed expression.
The sudden news of the pregnancy felt surreal.
After standing there blankly for a while...
"...Sun-woo... are you alright?"
When Sun-woo didn't say anything, Neung So-hwa spoke with a worried expression.
Grab!
Suddenly snapping back to his senses, Sun-woo reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"You’re pregnant! So-hwa! You’re pregnant! We’re having a baby!"
He began to raise his voice, his tone filled with overwhelming joy.
He was clearly ecstatic.
"...Yes... our... our baby has been created... A baby has been created!"
Hearing his voice, Neung So-hwa spoke with an equally overwhelmed tone.
The realization that she was having a child filled her with profound emotion.
It was the child she had always longed for. How much had she envied Bukgung Yeon while looking at Yeon-woo?
The child she had been so envious of was finally hers.
How could she not be overcome with emotion?
"I’m so happy... so happy... Our love has borne fruit... So-hwa... thank you... thank you so much..."
Sun-woo expressed his gratitude with a face full of emotion.
He felt a deep sense of thankfulness toward her for carrying his child.
"No... it is only natural. Is this not the child of the man I love? It is only right and natural."
Neung So-hwa shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears.
Carrying the child of the one she loved was the most natural thing in the world. How could she be the one receiving thanks?
If anything, she was the one who should be thankful.
Thankful to him for teaching her love.
Thankful to him for allowing their love to bear fruit.
"I am the one who is grateful, Sun-woo... for letting this fruit blossom... for loving me..."
Squeeze.
Neung So-hwa also raised her arms.
She began to hug Sun-woo tightly, as if she would never let him go.
Sun-woo did not hold back either, pulling her even closer.
They felt each other’s warmth until their overwhelming emotions finally began to settle.
*
"Hohoho... To think Gyeonghwa has conceived."
Emperor Jeongmun spoke in a surprised tone.
He had been happy that she had become a woman, but he had never expected her to become pregnant so soon.
"Indeed... this has become quite... complicated."
The Crown Prince spoke with a heavy expression.
She had conceived before the marriage ceremony. As a member of the Imperial Family, this could serve as a pretext for scandalous rumors.
"........Are you not happy that Gyeonghwa is pregnant?"
"Of course I am happy. She is like a daughter to me, so how could I not be? But... since it is a premarital pregnancy... I am worried she will become the subject of gossip in many ways... And it is not as if we can hold the wedding immediately, is it?"
"That is true...... It is still a bit early to announce their marriage."
Emperor Jeongmun spoke with a grave expression.
It had been decided that the wedding would take place after Sun-woo had built up a certain level of power. They couldn't just take that back now.
"........I am not sure what we should do..."
The Crown Prince looked worried.
To him, Sun-woo and Princess Gyeonghwa were his life-savers. They were great benefactors who had saved not only his life but the lives of his entire family.
Therefore, he did not want them to be the subject of scandal. They were not people to be treated so lightly as to be the target of idle gossip.
"It cannot be helped."
Emperor Jeongmun spoke with a firm expression.
"Do you have a suitable plan, Your Majesty?"
"How about we hold a small engagement ceremony for now, Crown Prince?"
"An engagement ceremony?"
"Yes. That should be enough to prevent any scandal regarding the pregnancy. Who would criticize a couple for having a child when they are already betrothed?"
"But... did you not say that revealing him as Gyeonghwa’s partner should wait until after he has built his power?"
"Something unexpected has happened, so I am simply adjusting the plan slightly. We will reveal him as her partner first and hold the actual wedding next year."
"...There will be... considerable backlash."
"Do you think I care about such things?"
Emperor Jeongmun spoke with a stern expression.
"........Of course. You are not one to care."
The Crown Prince nodded in agreement.
The Emperor was not one to care about the opinions of others. If he had cared about such things, he would never have been able to appoint Jang Sun-woo as a Commandery Prince in the first place.
"I will leave the preparations for the engagement ceremony to you, Crown Prince."
"I shall follow your command, Your Majesty."
*
"An engagement ceremony?"
Sun-woo spoke with a surprised expression.
"That’s right."
The Crown Prince replied in a calm tone.
"But I thought revealing our relationship was supposed to wait until I had built up some power..."
Sun-woo’s voice trailed off.
"Gyeonghwa has conceived, has she not? Her belly will grow as the days pass. If the father is unknown, how do you think the world will look upon that child?"
"........Then is it alright to reveal that I am her partner?"
"There will be a lot of backlash. However, even so, I do not wish to see Gyeonghwa’s honor tarnished."
".....I see."
Sun-woo nodded in agreement.
"Even though it’s called an engagement ceremony, it will be a small ritual with only a few members of the Imperial Family and high-ranking officials, so do not feel too burdened."
"I understand. Thank you for your consideration."
Sun-woo bowed politely.
He felt grateful for the Crown Prince’s actions in looking out for him and Neung So-hwa.
The Crown Prince looked at Sun-woo quietly.
"Listen, Commandery Prince."
"Please, speak."
"Make Gyeonghwa happy."
He spoke with a very serious expression.
"I will make her happy for the rest of her life."
Sun-woo looked at him with eyes full of conviction.
".......That is enough then."
Grin.
Hearing Sun-woo’s confident answer, a deep smile spread across the Crown Prince’s lips.
He felt that such an answer was more than sufficient.
"Then I shall take my leave. I will send someone once the date for the engagement ceremony is set."
Step, step, step.
The Crown Prince turned around and began to walk away, as if his work there was done.
"Thank you. Please go safely, Your Highness."
Sun-woo bowed politely as he watched him leave.
Stop.
Suddenly, the Crown Prince stopped in his tracks.
"Do you know something?"
He slowly turned his head to look at Sun-woo, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Know what?"
Sun-woo looked puzzled.
"Prince Yeon and his wife will be attending the engagement ceremony."
"Prince Yeon and his wife?"
Sun-woo tilted his head and asked back.
His expression seemed to say, What does it matter if they come?
"I mean Gyeonghwa’s parents."
"Ah!"
Sun-woo let out a gasp of realization.
He finally remembered.
The fact that Prince Yeon and his wife were Neung So-hwa’s parents.
"They will likely flip out when they hear their daughter is pregnant. He is quite the doting father, you see."
The Crown Prince looked at Sun-woo with an amused expression.
"Hehehe... I truly hope everything goes well for you."
And with that, he turned back around and began to walk away again.
His footsteps were incredibly light and cheerful.
'Ah...'
As Sun-woo watched him walk away, his face began to turn deathly pale.
The thought of having to meet his father-in-law and mother-in-law after getting their daughter pregnant filled him with an immense sense of dread.
I... I’m not going to die, am I?
Sun-woo’s eyes began to tremble uncontrollably.