When the Black Moon Rises - Side Story 15
Side Story 15
When Baek Giha returned, the room was filled entirely with food. Surprised by the feast of snacks spread all over the floor, he asked with wide eyes.
"What is all this?"
"I was preparing for morning sickness in advance."
Chihwa answered first.
"Morning sickness? The royal physician's notes said it would come around a month and a half later."
"But when I called the female physicians to inquire, it seems a bit different from what the male physicians know. According to the female physician, morning sickness can start as early as before the first month. Apparently, the royal ladies hid it from the male physicians so as not to give the impression of being overly sensitive."
"A month? It's already been over a month. Then could it start as early as today?"
"Yes. So I was choosing foods good for morning sickness that Sehwa might like."
Hearing this, Baek Giha immediately spread out what he had brought before Sehwa. They were wild berries he had picked himself. Even though the rain from the Spirit Stone had restored the mountains and rivers, it would take time to replenish the food stores depleted during the drought and present them as tribute.
During such a time, having arrived uninvited and staying, they couldn't just demand this or that food.
Thus, after hearing Sehwa casually mention wild berries earlier that morning, Baek Giha had gone out himself to find and bring them back.
Although, thanks to the abundant refreshments provided by the palace attendants, his consideration went completely unnoticed.
As he laid out the berries, cleaned with spiritual power, Sehwa picked one up as if she had been waiting, popped it into her mouth, and offered some to Chihwa.
"No, I'm fine. But if you're already craving things like this, hasn't morning sickness already started?"
"Huh? No. I've always preferred fruits because they're easy to eat."
"Really? Still, it seems like morning sickness. I don't know much either."
With that, Chihwa's gaze turned towards one of the palace attendants lined up beside the room. The attendant who received the gaze quickly shook her head.
"We don't know either. All palace attendants are His Majesty's women, so we've never even been close to a man."
At this, Baek Giha's eyes widened.
"What? Then how many wives does the king of this country have?"
Realizing his misunderstanding, the attendant turned pale and denied it.
"Ah, no. It's not that His Majesty has taken all of us as wives, but in a conceptual sense."
As such nonsensical words were exchanged, Jung Chihwa, having compared the precautions advised by the female physician and the royal physician, nodded.
"Certainly, the female physicians know more details about these things. There are also examples of other royal ladies' cases written down, so we just need to prepare these in advance."
"Don't make a fuss. Nothing has happened yet. Even if it starts, it will probably pass moderately."
"No. If you had stayed in the heavens, I wouldn't have had the chance to take care of anything. For the sake of my soon-to-be-born niece or nephew, this aunt will do anything."
"What about you?"
"Huh? Me? What about me?"
"It seems like there's something going on between you and that king's son. Am I wrong?"
At her friend's astonishing words delivered with a nonchalant face, Jung Chihwa immediately denied it strongly.
"What are you talking about! No!"
"Haha. Alright. I just said it because you're only focusing on my affairs."
"Really, no. Don't misunderstand."
"Yes, alright. I know too, you've suffered a lot. You didn't have time to think, being so busy."
"......"
"You've suffered so much, yet you only take care of me. I wish you would look after yourself too, so I was just teasing. I know it's not true. I'm sorry."
"We heard when we were studying at the academy. In Hyeson Kingdom, if there's a death in the family, the daughters of that family can't marry for several years. How fortunate this country isn't like that."
"I'm also very worried about your affairs. So just think about yourself. When you get married, I'll be there in the family's place."
Jung Chihwa stared silently for a moment at the smiling face saying those words. When they first met, she was just a cold friend.
"I'm also very worried about your affairs. When you get married, I'll be there in the family's place."
But after letting her into her heart, how could she be so warm and affectionate? Hearing the kind words made her eyes sting, so Jung Chihwa replied even more playfully.
"Still, definitely not him. Just between us, I actually left him trapped twice, all night long. He didn't punish me, but if he had made an issue of it, I would have been accused of treason."
"Trapped? What trap?"
"You know, the thing you saw when you came. The deep pits dug along the wall."
"He fell in there? That man? The king's son?"
"Not only that. He was even trying to save me, but I threw a water jar, threatening to break his head."
‘Come to think of it, not only Prince Yeong but also His Majesty and Head Eunuch Hong fell into that trap and had a hard time.’ Thinking about it made her break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, His Majesty graciously overlooked it; otherwise, it was truly an act akin to treason.
'Since there's been no further word, he must have decided not to punish me. Well, if I'm forgiven, that's all that matters.'
Then, as if remembering something, Jung Chihwa quickly turned her head towards Baek Giha, who was reading the precautions left by the female physician.
"But where are you planning to go now, Master Baek?"
"Go? Where?"
"Huh? Aren't you two going somewhere?"
"Where should we go?"
Seeing Baek Giha's puzzled expression, she asked Sehwa this time.
"Really, not going anywhere?"
"What are you suddenly talking about? Where should we go?"
"Well, I thought since you came down to the human realm while pregnant, you came to see good things and eat delicious food. Wasn't that it?"
"......Ah."
She couldn't possibly say she ran away because she couldn't let her pregnancy be discovered.
"Not really. Since the damage from the drought was severe... just checking if it recovered well. If the people are all healthy... I came to see things like that........."
"Gasp. So you didn't come to rest, but to check on the country you saved, how it revived, and if anything is lacking?"
As if hearing something unexpected, Jung Chihwa's eyebrows furrowed with emotion.
Unable to meet that gaze directly, Sehwa averted her eyes.
"......Um. Well, that too...... Since there's a Funeral, I thought I'd help with that too."
"Funeral? You knew about the Funeral in advance from the heavens? How? Did His Majesty send a letter? Is there a way to send a letter from the human realm to the celestial realm?"
Finally, she was speechless. Baek Giha quickly came to her aid.
"Not exactly. Since many bodies turned into pools of blood at the Lake of Blood back then, we intended to console their souls. Since they happened to be holding a Funeral, we decided to preside over it."
"Oh, my goodness. So you came specifically for us anyway. Thank you for caring so much. Even in this situation, with your first pregnancy making you tired, you thought of us first. Sehwa, I really don't know what to say to you either. Thank you so much."
"Indeed. As expected, the compassion of a celestial is different. On behalf of the palace attendants, we also thank you."
"Thank you."
"Thank you very much."
As if agreeing with Jung Chihwa, the gazes of all the palace attendants there, shimmering with emotion, flew towards them like a tidal wave.
Sehwa and Baek Giha simultaneously averted their eyes stealthily, as if by agreement.
"Anyway. Then Sehwa, you don't have anything specific to do after this, right? Then this is no time to be idle. There are many places to go."
"Places to go?"
"Yes. About a day's journey west from the capital gate, there's a low mountain called Uionsan, and on its peak, there's a small well and a pavilion. They say if you spend a night watching the stars from that pavilion, drink the well water, and return, you'll surely give birth to a son. That's why, before the drought, women's footsteps never ceased there."
"I prefer a daughter."
As Baek Giha interjected, Jung Chihwa's eyes sparkled.
"You prefer a daughter? Then you must go there. About two days south, in the Adu region, there's a village called Sugwanchon. At the entrance of that village, there's a small rock shaped like a rabbit, and they say if you touch that rock and return, you'll surely give birth to a beautiful daughter."
"Really?"
"Of course! These two places are so famous that their miraculous effects need no further explanation."
"Oh."
"And near the east gate of the capital, there's a temple called Eulseonsa, and they say if you burn incense there and return, you'll surely have a smooth delivery without any problems."
"Gasp. Is there such a place?"
"Yes, security was very precarious during the drought, but now the officials are quickly cleaning things up, so if you're going anyway, you should stop by there too. Thanks to Sehwa, the mountains and rivers have all recovered, so now, when the autumn leaves burn like flames, the scenery will be even more breathtaking."
Baek Giha, his eyes sparkling, asked, "There seems to be more than just that. Could you perhaps write down everything you know?" Jung Chihwa answered at once.
"Of course!"
Thus, Baek Giha accepted the suddenly created 'List of Must-Visit Places in This Country' with a serious face.
"Since you're in the human realm anyway, see and eat many good and delicious things. Alright?"
"Alright."
Jung Chihwa, putting down her brush with a satisfied face, chatted with them for a long time before returning.
Sehwa, having seen her off and returned, looked at the precautions still placed around the room, the types of food to eat when morning sickness starts, and the list of must-visit places, and smiled again.
"Why?"
"I'm grateful."
"For what?"
"That someone feels another's business is like their own. I couldn't bring myself to tell her first, given she just lost her father, but she's so happy about it."
"A good friend."
"Indeed."
"So, which place among these do you want to visit first?"
"Pardon?"
"The list your friend just wrote down at length."
Sehwa, who had been staring wide-eyed wondering what he was talking about, finally let out a small, incredulous laugh.
"It hasn't been long since the Funeral ended. The king is working without proper sleep, yet for us to just go sightseeing carefree is a bit....."
"Actually, the king would probably prefer us to go out rather than just stay in the palace. How much would he worry if we stayed here the whole time? And I already gave him my spirit orb."
"You gave him the Divine Beast's spirit orb?"
"Yes. With that, there's no need to worry about how many fragments of the Corrupt Dragon remain."
"Ah, right. Why didn't I think of that? I should have shared some earlier. You did well."
"Then we don't need to worry about going out, right?"
"The traces of the drought haven't all been cleared yet, so there might not be much to see. Are you really going?"
"Yes. We must go. We must touch it."
"Touch what?"
Baek Giha answered with a determined look.
"That rabbit rock they say brings a daughter if you touch it."
Comments
Post a Comment