Part 16

            It’s been a while since I went to the Flower Fence Palace. It’s been 12 days after the sowing season’s Planting Festival. In the dawn, Soa was leading me the way. Because this palace was too far away from the Heavenly Purified Palace, he said he will send an emperor’s carriage, but I declined. I’m not used to riding that because I never rode that, and I didn’t want to interact with strangers. The air in the dawn was very fresh. I walked pretty fast, so I was able to get there earlier than I expected. Many beautiful flowers planted in the palace bloomed beautifully. Some of the big flowers already had some dew on their leaves.

            “It’s been a while. I"ve never seen flowers bloomed in this palace.”

            I said it, and Soa turned and smiled.

            “Yes, Your Highness. You came here during the fall. It’s already been seven months since you came here.”

            “Really? I was thinking barely that much.”

            I was touching the flower pedals and murmured to myself. There were many things happened, so I was surprised only that much have past. I came here to die instead of my sister. I didn’t even die, and even though I’m a man, I became the highest ranked concubine in the country. What else is funnier than this. Except for a month, I lived in this palace for six month. I was happy to visit here again. After the night when he said he was sorry, but he couldn’t let me go, we were little awkward to each other. But suddenly, he told me to visit the Flower Fence Palace. I was kind of confused, but I liked it because I’m used to this place. I was thinking and murmured to myself.

            “I wonder what he’s thinking.”

            Soa looked at me confused.

            “Pardon?”

            “No, His Majesty. I wonder why he told me to come here.”

            Soa smiled after I said that. I opened my eyes widely seeing her smile.

            “There is something going on right? You know it. What’s happening? Why didn’t you tell me?”

            I was questioning her without a breath, but Soa just smiled. I got little distracted because of her smile and tried to open my mouth again. But when I heard my name, I stopped breathing.

            “Yeho.”

            I couldn’t turn my body. I was too scare that I might have heard it wrong.

            “Yeho.”

            I heard my name again, and I turned my stiff body to see behind me.

I saw my sister smiling standing on the Flower Fence Palace’s flower garden. I unconsciously rubbed my eyes, but she didn’t disappear. She is still small and has a white face. She was standing with tear in her round eyes that made her look neither crying nor smiling.

            I was barely able to move my feet. I slowly walked to my sister and stood in front of her. She still didn’t put powder on her white face, but her clothes were beautiful, and she used a simple hairpin to put up her hair to symbolize that she is married.

            “It’s my sister.”

            I was barely able to say a sentence because I was holding my cry.

            “My beautiful sister came.”

            My sister ended up pouring her tears.