Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: His Excellency's Daily Life (2)
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As a child, Baek Ha-yeon had longed to be a princess from a fairy tale.
Was it because the princesses were dazzlingly beautiful?
No.
It was because she envied the love they received from princes on white horses.
That was why she often dreamed of becoming Cinderella.
But dreams were just dreams.
"Cinderella? That could never happen in real life. We'll be covered in ashes forever."
Her peers would giggle at Ha-yeon's stories.
Just as they said, a girl with a father who was a low-ranking soldier with no prospects for promotion couldn't reach a world where royalty existed.
Yes, that was how the world worked.
The innocent girl passed through puberty and accepted reality.
It was best to let dreams end as beautiful memories.
'When I come of age, Dad will find me a good man somehow.'
He'd probably be a career soldier, nine times out of ten.
Even her older sister's friends had married soldiers that way.
Most wed men their own age, but a few had married soldiers much older.
'That must be tough. What fun is there in a marriage like that? They probably can't even communicate.'
Ha-yeon had heard from her sister that a big age gap led to unhappy marriages, so she always felt sorry for those couples.
Then, one day, she heard from her parents that a marriage proposal had come in.
Ha-yeon was startled.
"A-already?"
"What do you mean 'already'? At your age, you're already late."
Of course, twenty wasn't exactly young for a woman in her circle.
Most women her age were married or engaged.
Naturally, Ha-yeon had been aware that proposals might come her way.
She cautiously asked her mother.
"So, who is my match?"
"Well, it's Prime Minister Lee Seong-jun."
Her mother smiled awkwardly as she said it.
"Pardon?"
Ha-yeon was utterly flustered.
No, Prime Minister Lee Seong-jun? Their ages don't match at all.
Even if arranged marriages were common, this felt wrong.
"His Excellency proposed it himself, so we can't refuse."
Before Ha-yeon could say a word, her mother cut her off.
The words "His Excellency proposed" left Ha-yeon bewildered.
"Pardon? His Excellency did?"
Ha-yeon couldn't comprehend it.
Whether she accepted it or not, the marriage was decided.
And just like that, they held a lightning-fast wedding.
At the modest ceremony with only family present, Ha-yeon saw her soon-to-be husband, Lee Seong-jun, for the first time.
'T-This man is my husband?'
Lee Seong-jun looked far younger than his rumored age.
He had a bold, rugged impression.
And a charisma that dominated the room.
Or was it power?
Everyone was busy bowing to him.
Even her stern father couldn't straighten his back in front of Lee Seong-jun.
In that moment, Ha-yeon realized.
There were no separate princes in the world.
The prince she'd admired was a powerholder who could solve anything.
And Lee Seong-jun fit that perfectly.
The moment she realized that, he looked different.
This man was attractive.
No, she wanted him.
Their first night together was better than she'd expected.
Lee Seong-jun seemed somehow lacking in vigor, yet he tried hard to satisfy her.
For some reason, that made him seem endearing.
A powerholder who looked so formidable, yet cute.
Was this what it felt like to like someone?
She couldn't be sure.
The only thing she was sure of was that Lee Seong-jun appealed to her more than she'd vaguely imagined.
Perhaps because she liked him, their newlywed life was sweet.
Every day, she'd fall asleep in his arms confirming their love, wake up together, and share stories.
Of course, their conversations were mostly about everyday things.
She rarely spoke with him as "His Excellency."
Lee Seong-jun didn't particularly enjoy discussing politics with Ha-yeon.
Still, she was content.
The status of being a powerholder's wife, the love she received from him—it was more than enough to fulfill her fantasies.
The one regrettable thing was how precious and scarce "His Excellency's" time was.
Aside from nights when they confirmed their love, it was hard to even see his face.
His Excellency was always chased by affairs of state.
So, the time they spent together in daily life was utterly precious.
That's why she was happier than when she'd given birth to their daughter when he suggested they see an orchestra performance.
To express that joy, she deliberately chose the "Eroica Symphony."
It was to show her admiration for him.
*I'm telling you I think that highly of you.*
On the way out after the performance, they walked intimately around the theater, chatting.
She took the chance to express her resentment about not spending enough time together.
*Just give me a little more time.*
His Excellency looked troubled at her words and, as always, changed the subject.
He said she looked especially beautiful today—a signal to head to the bedroom.
*He plans to brush it off in bed again, all rushed.*
She knew his intentions full well, but Ha-yeon fell for it again.
Every night they'd share passionate love, but when she opened her eyes, he was gone.
His Excellency always rose early for exercise.
Still, she wished he'd be there beside her one morning.
When she asked if he could skip exercise for a day, he replied:
"To live long, you need to stay healthy."
Ha-yeon took that to mean he wanted to spend a long life with her.
Even his occasional words were so charming.
Or maybe she was just seeing him through rose-colored glasses.
His Excellency's diet was always simple.
At first, she'd piled on meat, but over time, he shifted to light, vegetable-focused meals.
When she teased if that affected his bedroom performance, he shot back:
"They say a vegetarian diet is best for longevity."
At that, Ha-yeon removed meat from his meals.
Of course, His Excellency living long was what mattered, not his performance.
Well, performance mattered a bit, but she could feed him then.
Anyway, though she grumbled about not having time with him, Ha-yeon was quite busy herself.
In his stead, she handled a great deal of social activities.
Dealing with wives of foreign diplomats stationed in Pyongyang, spouses of chaebol chairmen, and wives of high-ranking Guardian Army officials—all fell to Ha-yeon.
At first, she made plenty of mistakes.
How could she know protocol without training?
So, she heard plenty of talk behind her back.
"Can you believe it? Pyongyang's Cinderella turns out to be the First Lady, and she's so lacking in refinement?"
People flattered her to her face, but stabbed her with their tongues behind her back.
As if jealous of her sudden rise.
Ha-yeon found them ridiculous.
*What can you do? If I'm Cinderella, you're not even fit to play her stepsisters.*
She hadn't been a powerholder's wife for long, but she understood power better than they did.
Whether they pointed fingers or cursed, power was what made them bow their heads in the end.
Getting angry at those who couldn't even look her in the eye was pointless.
Before those who bowed to her, Ha-yeon held her chin high.
This power.
The power to make others bow.
Ha-yeon loved His Excellency for granting her all this.
"Prime Minister."
At her call, he turned his head.
"Will you stay in that position until our daughter grows up?"
"Probably."
He pretended to have no ambition for power, but she knew his true feelings best.
His Excellency had an immense thirst for power.
He saw everyone in this Daehan Empire as fools, tormented by the worry that if anyone else took the helm of the Daehan ship, it would run aground.
When it came to power, he trusted no one.
That's why he always got angry at talk of successors.
"You there! Where's this nonsense about successors coming from? Tell them not to even mention it. Got it?"
In truth, he had every right to say that.
Even Ha-yeon, who knew little of politics, could see that his rule had something extraordinary about it.
So, for the sake of the nation, she hoped His Excellency would continue steering the Daehan ship.
Well, she didn't need to worry about him relinquishing power.
He wouldn't let go until the day he was laid in the ground.
Watching him like that sometimes sparked a curiosity.
Lying side by side with him, Ha-yeon voiced the question she'd mulled over.
"Why didn't you ascend to the throne when you had the chance, Prime Minister?"
If he wanted power forever, claiming the throne was one way.
It was a position passed down through generations.
He laughed at her words.
"If I'd taken the throne, I wouldn't have half the power I have now. With that much, I couldn't steer this country as I please."
She thought she understood.
As he always said, he valued substance over form.
This consistent attitude toward power.
Ha-yeon loved his endless desire, his ambition.
It was endearing that her man was so greedy.
She hoped to keep watching Lee Seong-jun's avarice from here on.
Ha-yeon lightly kissed the cheek of Lee Seong-jun, who had already begun snoring, then turned off the light.