Chapter 870: Meeting Prince Yeon
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 870: Meeting Prince Yeon
Stroke, stroke.
Neung So-hwa began to gently stroke her incredibly smooth belly, a blissful smile gracing her lips.
In here... our lovely child...
She was happy. So incredibly happy. To think that the fruit of her and Sun-woo’s love was growing inside this small womb—how could she not be overjoyed?
Grow... grow quickly... my lovely baby... I am already looking forward to the day we meet.
The smile on Neung So-hwa’s lips deepened. It was because maternal love was surging through her like a rising tide.
She was in the middle of communing with her child when—
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone began to knock cautiously on the door.
"You may enter," she said, her voice carrying a bright smile.
Creeeeeak.
The moment her permission was given, the door swung open, and a man revealed himself. He was a tall man, standing six feet tall with a refreshing impression.
It was Sun-woo.
"Is the conversation over?" Neung So-hwa asked curiously.
"Yeah... more or less..." Sun-woo nodded, his face pale as a ghost.
"Did the Crown Prince give you a hard time? You don't look well," Neung So-hwa asked with a worried expression. Sun-woo’s countenance was far from ordinary.
"No, I didn't get in trouble," Sun-woo replied, shaking his head slightly.
"Then why is your face so pale?"
"......I heard we’re getting engaged."
"An engagement?"
"Yeah. He said he couldn't let you become an unwed mother... so he suggested we hold a small engagement ceremony."
"......His Majesty has shown us great consideration."
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Neung So-hwa looked deeply moved. She realized the Emperor was looking out for her by officially recognizing Sun-woo as her partner. He didn't want rumors spreading about her being a mother without a husband.
"You're right. His Majesty was very considerate... letting it be known that I'm your fiancé even though I haven't built up my own power base yet." Sun-woo nodded in agreement.
"But what does that have to do with your face turning so pale?" Neung So-hwa asked, still looking puzzled.
"..............."
Sun-woo remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together. He was agonizing over how to explain it. After a long silence—
".......Do you... perhaps not want to be engaged to me?" Neung So-hwa asked dejectedly when he didn't speak.
"No, of course not! How could I not want our relationship to be recognized?"
"Then what is the problem? What could possibly be the issue... that the news of our engagement makes your face turn white?" Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with doubt in her eyes.
".........He said the engagement ceremony would be small... only inviting high-ranking officials and a few members of the Imperial Family." Sun-woo looked at her, his face still pale.
"Are you unhappy because it's small? But it can't be helped. Given the current state of affairs... we can't exactly expand the scale..."
"No... it's not because of that." Sun-woo shook his head slightly.
"Then what is it?"
"If the Imperial Family is coming... that means... your parents... will be there too, right?"
"Of course. How could parents not attend their daughter's engagement... Ah!"
Neung So-hwa let out a sudden exclamation as realization dawned on her. She finally understood what was making Sun-woo so pale.
"Are you... perhaps burdened by the thought of meeting my father and mother?"
"..............Yes." Sun-woo nodded weakly.
"I wondered what it was. You don't need to worry about that. Both of them are virtuous, generous, and gentle souls. There is no need to be so nervous." Neung So-hwa waved her hand dismissively.
Her parents, Prince Yeon and his wife, were famous for their gentle dispositions. They were like saints who had never fought with anyone or raised their voices in anger their entire lives. There was no reason to be afraid.
"......The situation is a bit special," Sun-woo said, his voice trembling.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be this anxious. Since he had become a Commandery Prince, he was a suitor with more than enough qualifications. But this was not a normal situation. It was a very, very special one.
"Special?"
"....You're pregnant."
He had gone and gotten another man's daughter pregnant before they had even held a wedding. How could that not be considered special?
".......Hmm... is that such a big deal? Wouldn't they be happy to have a grandchild instead?"
"No... absolutely not... They’re going to be furious. Definitely."
"Hmm... you say that because you don't know my parents well. Those gentle people would never get angry. They might be a bit surprised, but they will congratulate us happily."
"Put yourself in their shoes, So-hwa. If a guy who got our daughter pregnant before the wedding came to greet us, how would you feel?"
"Why ask something so obvious? Wouldn't I break all his limbs?" Neung So-hwa replied, her eyes flashing with a cold light.
"If I were in the same situation, I think I would have sprayed enough Scorching Poison to almost kill him........." Sun-woo added with a serious expression.
The heart of a parent with a daughter was always the same. No matter how gentle their personality, they couldn't help but feel blind rage toward the son-in-law who got their precious daughter pregnant.
"........Hmm... now that you put it that way, it does seem serious." Neung So-hwa nodded, finally sympathizing with Sun-woo. Thinking about it from that perspective, she realized Sun-woo might be in for a severe scolding.
"........Is there no way around it?"
"Hmm...... I can't think of a good way either."
"Is there anything they like? Alcohol... jewelry... something I could give as a gift..."
"They are inherently frugal people....... No matter what you give them, they won't be so happy that their anger subsides."
Neung So-hwa shook her head. Prince Yeon and his wife lived lives far removed from luxury and pleasure. Even when drinking, they preferred cheap Zhuyeqing, and they wore only the most minimal adornments. For a Prince and his wife, they lived incredibly modest lives.
"............This is bad."
Sun-woo’s expression turned grim. He had hoped to win them over with a barrage of gifts, but there was nothing suitable to give.
"Don't worry, Sun-woo. If they try to hit you, I'll throw myself in the way to block them."
"Is it already decided that I'm getting hit?" Sun-woo asked, looking bewildered. He was taken aback by her assuming he would be struck.
"Hahahaha, I'm joking." Neung So-hwa burst into a playful laugh. "Don't worry too much. They'll be angry, but it won't be as extreme as you or I would be. How much anger can people who have never truly been angry in their lives even muster?"
She spoke as if it were no big deal.
"Is... is that so?"
"It is. Besides, based on age alone, aren't I an old maid? Since you appeared when I had no suitable match, they might actually be glad."
It was common for the Imperial Family to decide on a spouse before reaching the age of twenty. This was because they needed to build a foundation and grow while tied together by political marriage from a young age. By those standards, Neung So-hwa was indeed an old maid. Despite being in her late twenties, she hadn't had a proper match. In that situation, a perfect son-in-law like Sun-woo might actually be a godsend to Prince Yeon and his wife. They had always worried about their daughter's marriage.
".....Do you really think so?"
"Of course. Isn't it said that a child knows their parents best? Just trust me. I can assure you, nothing will happen." Neung So-hwa looked at Sun-woo with eyes full of confidence.
"........Whew... hearing you say that makes me feel a bit better."
Meeting those eyes, Sun-woo finally let out a sigh of relief. Since their daughter was so certain, he felt somewhat reassured. After all, who knew parents better than their own child?
Right. It's already happened anyway... and by Central Plains standards, So-hwa is an old maid... From Prince Yeon’s perspective, they might even welcome this with open arms, right?... Yeah... surely... that's how it'll be.
Sun-woo calmed his mind with his own brand of rationalization. If what she said was true, there was no reason for him to be severely reprimanded.
Nothing will happen... Yeah... definitely.
*
"You absolute scoundrel!"
SLAP!
A crisp hitting sound echoed through the room.
Whisk!
Sun-woo’s head snapped to the side.
Wait... what?... Why is this...
Sun-woo stood dazed, his head still turned. He was utterly bewildered by the sudden slap to the face.
"You got my daughter pregnant before even holding a wedding!?"
The man who had slapped Sun-woo—Prince Yeon—was shouting at the top of his lungs, his face flushed deep red. His features were filled with pure rage.
"If you love her, you should know how to protect her! How could you not restrain yourself and bring such dishonor upon my daughter!?"
Prince Yeon raised his other hand.
"Fa... Father-in-law..."
"Who is your father-in-law!?"
SLAP!
Prince Yeon delivered a stinging blow to Sun-woo’s other cheek.
Whisk!
Once again, Sun-woo’s head snapped helplessly to the side. Since he had no excuse even if he had a hundred mouths, he could only stand there and take it.
SLAP!
SLAP!
Soon, Sun-woo’s head was whipping back and forth incessantly. Neung So-hwa watched her father with a stunned expression.
This was the father who had lived his entire life like a virtuous gentleman. The father who was praised by the people for his great virtue and generosity. The father who was so gentle he had never truly been angry, who had never even been in a proper fight—that father was now using violence with the expression of a vengeful demon.
The cognitive dissonance was overwhelming.
"You wicked bastard!"
Prince Yeon let out a roar and raised his hand high. He looked ready to deliver a truly powerful blow.
"Fa... Father, please calm down!"
Startled back to her senses, Neung So-hwa quickly grabbed Prince Yeon’s arm. She couldn't bear to watch her beloved being beaten any longer.
"Do I look like I can be calm right now!? He got you pregnant! He made you carry a child before the wedding!" Prince Yeon screamed in a voice thick with frustration.
"It's not just Sun-woo’s fault! It's my fault too! If you're going to hit someone, hit me instead!" Neung So-hwa cried out urgently.
"No! You are the victim! You are blameless! All the fault lies with this degenerate!"
"No! This happened with mutual consent, so how can I be a victim just because I'm pregnant!?"
Neung So-hwa couldn't understand it. Premarital pregnancy wasn't just the man's fault. It was a joint mistake committed by both the man and the woman. So how could he make the man the sole perpetrator and berate only him? It made no sense.
"No! It's because this guy seduced your innocent self..."
"He didn't seduce me! I wanted it! I wanted to have his child! I wanted our love to bear fruit! He did nothing wrong!" Neung So-hwa raised her voice, staring at her father with fiery eyes.
"I am twenty-eight years old! I am not so innocent that I can't look after myself, nor is my will so weak that I would fall for mere seduction! I like him! Because I love him! I simply wanted to carry his child!"
"Hah.... You... you... truly..."
Prince Yeon began to stammer, looking completely shocked. The rebellion from Neung So-hwa, who had always lived according to her parents' words as if they were law, came as an even greater shock.
She was a dignified child who, despite her somewhat old-fashioned nature, understood the meaning of Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, and Wisdom. She was a wonderful, filial daughter who believed that practicing filial piety toward her parents was the greatest virtue.
And yet, that daughter was now raising her voice with a resolute attitude. She was shouting at him not to touch her partner, her lover, her husband—saying that she was pregnant because she loved him.
"Hahhh.... Hah... Hahhh."
Prince Yeon began to feel a sharp, pulling sensation at the back of his head. He was so enraged that his blood pressure had skyrocketed.
Snap.
Prince Yeon’s consciousness cut out completely. Unable to withstand the surging blood pressure, he fainted right then and there.
"Your Highness!"
"Father!"
"Father-in-law!"
Immediately, screams erupted throughout the room.