Despite wanting to leave right after the royal banquet had concluded; Eun Jung found that she would not be able to do so until Prince JiangSu had finished his conversation with the King. When she heard the King’s directive for Prince JiangSu to come to his chamber to discuss an important state matter; Eun Jung understood that she was now expected to return to their living quarters alone. The astute King observed that the new couple was not thrilled at the prospect of having to be apart for an entire night and recollected that they were still in the honeymoon period of their marriage.

Trying to be an understanding father; the King permitted Prince JiangSu to stay behind to properly say goodbye to his wife. After the King had taken his leave, Prince JiangSu turned to Eun Jung to say, “I don’t know how long this meeting is going to last, so don’t wait up for me tonight.” With a discontented sigh, Eun Jung asked, “Are you really not coming home tonight?” Prince JiangSu thought that she was worried about being alone in their unfamiliar room and reassured her by saying, “I’ll come home right after the meeting ends.” Nodding her head to acknowledge his response, Eun Jung wished Prince JiangSu a good night before turning to leave the hall.

Having overheard their conversation, Prince Dae Hyun quickly approached the couple to ask Prince JiangSu, “Would you mind if I escorted the Grand Princess Consort home?” With a critical eye focused on his brother, Prince JiangSu pointedly countered, “Do you really think that it’s appropriate for you to walk my wife home at this late hour?” Fully aware of the impropriety of his request, Prince Dae Hyun explained, “If I didn’t have an urgent matter to discuss with the Grand Princess Consort; I would never be so bold as to make such a request.” Eun Jung Failed to see why it would be considered improper for Prince Dae Hyun to walk her home and interjected herself into the conversation by saying, “I wouldn’t mind having some company on the way home.” Addressing Prince Dae Hyun, Eun Jung suggested happily, “Let’s go before it gets any later.”

Seeing that she was about to leave with his brother, Prince JiangSu grabbed a hold of Eun Jung’s hand and turned to Prince Dae Hyun to say, “Just give us a minute; I need to talk to her about something.” More than happy to comply with his brother’s request; Prince Dae Hyun politely bowed to Prince JiangSu before turning to Eun Jung to say, “Please take your time. I’ll be over there waiting for you.” Eun Jung was oblivious to Prince JiangSu’s obvious irritation and pulled her hand away from his grasp before asking, “What did you want to talk to me about?” Glaring at her, Prince JiangSu asked, “Why are you always going against my wishes?!” Unable to figure out why Prince JiangSu had become so angry with her; Eun Jung asked in an agitated tone, “Is it your wish for me to walk home alone? Or are you just trying to be mean to me again? And here I thought you and I were finally getting along!”

Realizing that he had upset her, Prince JiangSu lowered his voice and explained, “It’s just that he’s Concubine Su’s son; so I’m worried about you spending any time with him alone.” Having heard Prince JiangSu’s explanation, Eun Jung began to feel a tinge of remorse and apologized by saying, “I’m sorry for misunderstanding what you meant a while ago. But I think that Prince Dae Hyun is nothing like his mother.” Seeing that her assertion had failed to convince Prince JiangSu, Eun Jung quickly added, “You don’t have to worry about anything; I can take care of myself. Don’t you trust me?” Recognizing that he would no longer be able to raise any further objections; Prince JiangSu reluctantly nodded his head to consent to her wishes. Looking on with displeasure at the sight of his wife walking out of the hall with his brother; Prince JiangSu thought to himself, “It’s not you that I don’t trust; it’s that brother of mine that has me concerned.”

As they made their way to the Jaseondang, Eun Jung asked Prince Dae Hyun, “What did you want to discuss with me?” Momentarily halting his steps, Prince Dae Hyun turned to Eun Jung and replied, “I wanted to talk to you about the cricket that I gave you this morning. He made a special appearance at the royal banquet, right?” Startled by Prince Dae Hyun’s unexpected question, Eun Jung quickly averted her eyes and struggled to come up with an acceptable response. Seeing the worried expression, which had overtaken Eun Jung’s face; Prince Dae Hyun smiled, placed his hand on her shoulder and said, “I’m not bringing this up to make you uncomfortable. I just wanted to caution you against openly offending my royal mother. She’s definitely not the type of woman who lets things go easily.”

Unnerved by her inability to decipher Prince Dae Hyun’s motives and slightly uncomfortable with his touch; Eun Jung shifted her body so that his hand would fall from her shoulder and asked bluntly, “Why are you warning me about your royal mother?” With an affectionate smile, Prince Dae Hyun replied, “Because I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” Without censoring her thoughts, Eun Jung absentmindedly blurted out, “Wouldn’t it be great if your witch of a mother was half as nice as you?” Clasping her hands over her mouth, Eun Jung gave a muffled apology by saying, “I’m sorry for calling your royal mother a witch, but she was really wrong to hit me this morning for no good reason.” Amazed by her candidness, Prince Dae Hyun was unable suppress a laugh before turning to her to ask, “How did you manage to apologize for calling my royal mother a witch while reprimanding her at the same time for slapping you?”

Not really expecting Eun Jung to respond to his question; Prince Dae Hyun quickly observed, “It’s nice to hear someone actually speak their mind around this place. But, Princess Soo Jin, you must be careful not to say these types of things to just anyone. There are people in the Palace who are not very easy going.” Eun Jung nodded her head to indicate that she would take his words to heart and replied, “Okay, I’ll be sure to only say these kinds of things to you and Prince JiangSu.” Upon hearing Eun Jung mention his brother, Prince Dae Hyun thought aloud, “It must be really hard for you to be married to such a difficult man.” Eun Jung found that she was somewhat offended by Prince Dae Hyun’s description of her husband and resolutely replied, “It isn’t hard for me to be married to Prince JiangSu. I think that I’m lucky to have married a man like him.”

Taken aback by Eun Jung’s response, Prince Dae Hyun asked, “Do you really consider yourself a lucky woman to be married to my royal brother? Prince JiangSu is notorious for being quite obstinate.” Eun Jung contemplated Prince Dae Hyun’s question before finally replying, “I don’t really know what obstinate means; but I guess my husband can be a real pain sometimes. But even if he doesn’t express it well, Prince JiangSu is actually quite kind and he’s always there to help me when I need him. So in my eyes he’s a good husband and I’m lucky to have married him.” Unable to argue with Eun Jung’s assertion, Prince Dae Hyun decided to let the subject drop and continued to walk her home.

When they arrived at their intended destination, Eun Jung thanked Prince Dae Hyun for walking her home and bid him a good night before entering her room. Seeing that it was rather late; Eun Jung decided that it would be best for her to go to sleep but quickly discovered that it would be difficult to do so. As she shifted her body in bed to get comfortable, Eun Jung turned to examine the empty space next to her and wondered when Prince JiangSu would return from his meeting. Meanwhile, Prince JiangSu found that his attention was being diverted during the meeting as he worried about whether Eun Jung would be able to sleep without him by her side.

After an exhausting night, Prince JiangSu was finally allowed to return home to rest and quickly rushed back to the Jaseondang. Upon entering their room, Prince JiangSu immediately walked over to their bed to see if Eun Jung was asleep. Much to his surprise, Prince JiangSu discovered that their bed was empty and looked around the room in search of his missing wife. Scanning the dark room, Prince JiangSu could make out Eun Jung’s figure seated at the table, slumped over and sleeping. Moving in closer to examine her, Prince JiangSu noticed that there was a small bowl of porridge sitting atop a handwritten note next to Eun Jung’s extended arm. After picking up the bowl to place it aside; Prince JiangSu took hold of the note and proceeded to sit by Eun Jung at the table.

With the note in hand, Prince JiangSu read silently to himself, “I thought that you’d be hungry after your meeting; so I had someone bring you some porridge. I’ve asked them to heat it up three times but you still haven’t returned. I’m too tired to stay up any longer, so I guess that you'll need to ask someone to warm it up for you. Enjoy the late night snack that your beautiful wife has prepared for you and then go right to sleep. Also, try not to be so loud when you come to bed or else you’ll wake me up.” Setting the note down on the table, Prince JiangSu smiled at his sleeping wife and picked her up in his arms before placing her gently onto their bed. Taking his place by her side, Prince JiangSu turned his body to face Eun Jung and whispered, “Soo Jin, thank you for the very warm porridge.”

awww.... i'm having goosebumps! they might not know it yet, but they have a way of taking care of each other.

*sigh*

thanks jessicaaron! will be waiting for the chapters to come.

wow i really enjoyed reading this...chapters 1 to 11 in just one seating hehe...i remember dramas like princess hours and my bratty princess because of the setting dialogue-wise reminded me clearly of YB...even in their characters while reading i could really imagine JGS, PSH, and JJH in the story i even saw the UEE as the fake fairy in concubine SU 's character

thank you jessicaaron for this fanfic ....excited for the next chapter

our 2nd jealousy ?

I love the last scene.
Eun Jung had porridge prepared for JiangSu and even waited up for him, but fell asleep in the end.
And then JiangSu carried her to bed thanking her for the warm porridge. hehehe
AwWWwww, so sweet.
Thanks jessicarron!!

Eun Jung awakened from her deep slumber feeling well rested but was astonished upon discovering herself tightly within Prince JiangSu’s embrace. Although, her first instinct was to pull away from him; Eun Jung ultimately decided to remain still as to not disturb his sleep. Slightly tilting her head upwards to observe Prince JiangSu’s face, Eun Jung asked herself silently, “Now who’s the one with their tentacles all over the other person?” Despite Eun Jung’s attempt to remain perfectly still; Prince JiangSu was still able to detect her small movements and knew that she was awake. Pleased to find that Eun Jung had not withdrawn herself from his grasp; Prince JiangSu decided that he would continue to feign sleep, so that he could keep her in his arms. Much to his annoyance, Prince JiangSu soon found that his ruse was to be thwarted by the sound of loud knocking coming from the front entrance of their room.

Upon hearing her ask who it was at the door, Prince JiangSu reluctantly loosened his grip before entirely releasing Eun Jung to allow her to sit up on the bed. Observing that Eun Jung’s inquiry was being met with silence; Prince JiangSu turned to her and instructed, “Stay here. I’ll go find out who’s at the door.” Without waiting for Eun Jung to acknowledge his instruction; Prince JiangSu got off of the bed and grabbed his robe from the nightstand before making his way to the front entrance of the room. As he swung open the door, Prince JiangSu took note of the official royal decree in Prince Dae Hyun’s hand and asked, “What’s that?” Ignoring his brother’s question; Prince Dae Hyun inquired, “Can I come in before we discuss this?” Prince JiangSu examined the anxious expression on his brother’s face and knew that the official royal decree did not contain good news.

Seeing that Prince JiangSu had not responded to his question, Prince Dae Hyun repeated himself by asking, “Can I come in to discuss this with you and the Grand Princess Consort?” Recalling the way in which Eun Jung was dressed; Prince JiangSu shook his head and replied, “No, you can’t come in yet. Give us a minute.” As he turned around to walk back into the room, Prince JiangSu caught sight of Eun Jung walking out towards the front entrance. Disturbed by the fact that Eun Jung was well within Prince Dae Hyun’s sight; Prince JiangSu quickly walked past her and retrieved her robe before rushing back to drape it over her body. As he watched her properly cover herself; Prince JiangSu asked Eun Jung in a highly agitated tone, “Are you ever going to listen to any of my instructions?” Recognizing her own propensity for disobeying him; Eun Jung excused her actions by saying, “I did stay on the bed just like you asked me to. But you never specified how long I should stay there; so technically this is your fault.”

Although, Prince Dae Hyun would normally be disinclined to disrupt other people’s conversations; he figured that the urgency of the situation warranted the disruption. Holding up the official royal decree in his hand, Prince Dae Hyun apologized by saying, “I’m sorry for interrupting your conversation; but this really is an important matter.” Prince JiangSu took note of Prince Dae Hyun’s sense of urgency and motioned for him to enter the room. When all three individuals were properly seated around the table, Prince Dae Hyun promptly handed Prince JiangSu the official royal decree. As Prince JiangSu examined the decree, Prince Dae Hyun explained its content by saying, “My royal mother has convinced our royal father to give her full control over Princess Soo Jin’s formal palace training. Starting today, Princess Soo Jin will be required to report to my royal mother’s living quarters for daily lessons.”

After reading the contents of the official royal decree for himself, Prince JiangSu set it down on the table and asked his brother pointedly, “How did your royal mother convince our royal father to grant a Concubine full authority over the training of a future Queen?” After a slight pause, Prince Dae Hyun replied, “I think that she obtained his consent by noting that the Queen’s fragile disposition would become overwhelmed by Princess Soo Jin’s lively spirit.” Despite being unable to understand everything that was being said; Eun Jung could tell, from the distressed expressions on the faces of the two men, that there was nothing that either could do to help her. Taking hold of the official royal decree, Eun Jung frowned and observed, “I guess this thing gives your royal mother the authority to torture me in the privacy of her own home.”

Unable to bear the thought of allowing his wife to suffer in the hands of Concubine Su; Prince JiangSu looked at Eun Jung and promised, “I’ll think of something to get you out of this.” Focusing his attention on his brother, Prince JiangSu asked earnestly, “Can you please protect Soo Jin from your royal mother, while I’m trying to figure something out?” Prince Dae Hyun was slightly taken aback by his brother’s sincere plea for help and was astonished that Princess Soo Jin had been able to evoke such a drastic change in him within such a short amount of time. Nodding his head to acquiesce to Prince JiangSu’s request, Prince Dae Hyun replied, “I promise that I’ll keep Princess Soo Jin as safe as possible.” Prince JiangSu felt a slight sense of relief upon hearing his brother’s promise and began to think of ways to get Eun Jung out of her current predicament.

Unaccustomed to having anyone take care of her; Eun Jung felt herself becoming more agitated upon hearing the two men speak about her as though she was a little baby who needed to be coddled. Without explaining herself, Eun Jung stood up and walked out of the room to get some fresh air. Unable to comprehend her altered demeanor, Prince JiangSu quickly followed Eun Jung out and grabbed a hold of her hand before asking, “What’s wrong?” Pulling her hand away, Eun Jung replied, “Nothing’s wrong. Since you and Prince Dae Hyun don’t seem to need to include me in the conversation, why should I stick around?” Prince JiangSu was at a loss for words and wondered what she wanted him to say. Seeing the confused expression on his face, Eun Jung continued to say, “I’ve already told you to trust that I can take care of myself.”

Having had enough of what he considered to be her obstinacy, Prince JiangSu asked, “Do you expect me to just stand by and do nothing when I know my wife is in trouble?” Staring at him blankly, Eun Jung replied, “I expect that my husband acts like a husband and not a father.” Before he could respond, Eun Jung walked away leaving him in a complete state of utter shock. As she walked around the outer perimeter of their living quarters, Eun Jung became more worried about how much she had angered Prince JiangSu and decided that it would be best to return to their room to apologize.

Upon entering their room, Eun Jung saw that Prince JiangSu was sitting alone at the table and took a seat by his side before asking, “Are you very mad at me?” Turning to face her, Prince JiangSu shook his head and replied, “I’m not mad, but I’m upset that you won’t let me help you.” With a slight smile, Eun Jung clarified, “I never said that you can’t help me, I just don’t want you to do everything for me.” Seeing the blank expression on Prince JiangSu’s face, Eun Jung picked up the official royal decree and continued to say, “I can take care of this. Please try to trust me like I trust you.”

thank you jessicaaron! you have quite a gift- the gift of spinning beautiful tales. keep up the very good work!

Love the opening scene. Hahaha, JiangSu is so cute pretending to be asleep so he could hold Eun Jung longer. awwwww.
Why do I have this feeling that JiangSu's words to Prince Dae Hyun are going to bit him back, making him super jealous??
Oh, and I can't wait to see what Eun Jung has in store for Concubine Su and vice versa. hahaha. Eun Jung, fighting!!

Thanks for another great read, jessicaaron!!

"Please try to trust me like I trust you."

Ilike the turn of events so far, in this chapter. Unlike in your other fanfics, there's no attempt to deny the attraction. Eun Jung doesn't want to rouse Jiang Su from his sleep, so she allows him to embrace her. Jiang Su wants to keep her in his arms, so he feigns sleep. Even when Dae Hyun was knocking on the door, there wasn't clamor to cover their act - EJ didn't wake JS up to let her go and open the door, she just asked who was there. Seems like she wasn't even bothered to be seen in that state, except that her husband already acted upon it when no one answered, with no pretense whatsoever that he has just been roused from sleep. hoho!

The plot thickens... I can hardly wait.

Thanks Jessica!