If I made this request to our parents, they would be shocked and overreact. Asking whether I had a bad relationship with the 13th Prince, what happened at the palace, why I was making this request, etc.
But not Linhwa. She doesn’t worry about me like our parents and doesn’t pry too much.
Even though she keeps an eye out for my meeting with Sunan, she would head out to see Sunan at dawn if I don’t come home.
Although I don’t need Linhwa’s help much, she was the most suitable for this request.
“But why suddenly make such a request? Did you fight with His Highness? If it’s dangerous, shouldn’t you not go?”
“Why pretend to worry? Finish embroidering that worm. Though I’m not sure if you can properly embroider it as a horseshoe.”
“It’s a dragon! Get lost!”
(This is a time separator.)
I wished time would go slower, but such a miracle did not happen.
The black clouds that had been creeping along covered the sky, and the sun was no longer visible.
I wore a soft and gentle green dress to look as weak and vulnerable as possible. Though I’m unsure if it will be effective.
“His Highness must like you very much.”
My mother spoke proudly as I prepared and left the room, but I couldn’t smile back.
“I wish that were true, Mother. His Highness should be completely enthralled with me.”
I muttered gloomily and adjusted my outfit one last time.
Then I noticed my mother’s puzzled face.
‘Oops. She must have misunderstood!’
“Yohwa, do you perhaps have feelings for His Highness….”
“It’s not like that! Not at all!”
Mother knows I’m a woman. She has to. So every time I praise a goodlooking man, she makes that expression.
She feels sorry. Because I cannot have a normal marriage with a man I love since I must dress as a man due to our family situation.
“Yohwa, if by any chance—”
“No, really, it’s not like that.”
The person I like is certainly not the 13th Prince. Rather, I dislike and fear the 13th Prince… I’ve given up on the person I like in my previous life for the very reason Mom worries about.
I’ll never approach him in this life.
Damn. Thinking about it makes me feel depressed. And my heart was already heavy with the thought of meeting the 13th Prince.
I quickly smiled and spoke brightly to my mother.
“I’ll be back.”
(This is a time separator.)
The moonlit palace at night seems more eerie than during the day. Perhaps it’s because of its master.
Crossing the threshold and stepping inside, not a single person can be seen passing by.
Even so, he’s a prince. To have no one standing by for escort. That’s really too much.
For a moment, a feeling of pity for my disciple tried to arise, but I forcibly put that sympathy back.
‘That pitiable disciple grows up to kill a fair number of his siblings and ascends to the emperor’s throne. Even takes my life on the coronation day. There’s nothing to pity.’
Rather, where is my disciple? It’s hard to find him when he’s not here.
I remember hearing about the support, so I walked along a detour, passing by the usual study room I enter.
Due to the utter silence, the sound of stepping on the stones and the rustling of withered leaves followed one after the other.
‘Even the sound is lonely.’
How long have I walked? Finally, I see my disciple.
Standing alone with absurdly small winter chrysanthemums in front of him for flower viewing.
That figure was entirely different from the one on the coronation day, walking a golden path, dressed in a golden dragon robe.
Come to think of it, he’s like that too. I died and returned, but my disciple succeeded in revenge after ascending to the emperor’s seat, and yet returned.
That’s really unjust…… Huh?
‘Right. Come to think of it, my disciple returned several times, didn’t he? Why? I died and returned, but why did my disciple return while still alive? Because I killed him? But in the last life, I died, and he lived, but he still returned, didn’t he? Oh, did he die right after I died?’
Lost in thought, I see my disciple’s face getting closer.
I snapped to my senses. This is not the time. Let’s focus on reality for now. My disciple, having noticed my arrival, was approaching me.
“You have arrived.”
Coming right up to me, my disciple looked me up and down like inspecting prey, and muttered.
“I thought you wouldn’t come.”
You called for me…
“I had to come since His Majesty summoned me.”
“It’s an honor that you thought so.”
“Ha ha.”
Is he being sarcastic? Looking at him smiling as if reading a book, my disciple starts to walk somewhere.
Following him, I saw a small pavilion with a view of winter chrysanthemums and a table set for drinking.
My attention was drawn to the small pile of chrysanthemums and the disciple standing all alone, too melancholy, so I hadn’t even noticed the drinking table.
But really. Both the chrysanthemums and the table are pitiful. It’s not even a drinking table fit for an ordinary crown prince, let alone the future emperor.
Even the table I eat at would be more splendid.
Surprised by the more modest setup than expected, I still sat politely across from the prince.
But perhaps because I wore such light clothing.
When I kneeled and sat, the hem didn’t spread out as I thought. To observe etiquette, I should sit with the cloth fully spread.
As I was trying to quietly spread the cloth to the side, my disciple bent over slightly and helped straighten my wrinkled clothes.
“!”
Startled, I opened my eyes wide and stared, but my disciple expressionlessly fixed my clothes and straightened up.
He behaved so calmly that I looked strange being so surprised by his action.
I stared at him like a fool for a long time, then finally managed to smile and express my gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
But the response was even stranger than his action.
“Master, do you have someone you like?”
I tried to hide my awkward feeling by drinking water, but choked when I heard the question.
‘What is he saying?’
Holding my throat and looking at him, my disciple remained calm as ever.
Just…… is it just a casual conversation starter? That must be it, right? Come to think of it, I’ve had such conversations with Sunan before.
Right. The topic isn’t surprising. The only strange thing is that my disciple and I are not the ones to have this conversation.
Anyway, as soon as I realized it wasn’t a surprising topic, I quickly pulled out a handkerchief, wiped my mouth, and laughed.
“I wonder.”
“What about this disciple?”
“!”
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
