Chapter 34

Returning home, Heonui passed into the guest room so as not to see Princess Chenghuan and immediately went to the garden greenhouse. There, already almost in the heat, only two gray-haired servant sisters were digging with tomato greens, arguing where it would be better for them to plant them so that they would not interfere with the radish.

"It is too early to think about it in the spring!" Heonui called to them, sitting down on a semicircular bench in the greenhouse. "Plant those closer! Otherwise, we will not be able to brush off all those bugs!"

"Everything is covered and warm here, Your Royal Highness, Miss!" one of the ladies answered, and they immediately realized that the Princess had called them, surely, just as a hint that Her Ladyship wished to be alone in the greenhouse for a while, and they hurried to leave the seedlings and retire a little to give her time.

She smiled gratefully.

It was really stuffy inside, and Heonui took off her gloves and boots and so, barefoot, stretched out on a bench, watching how perspiration slowly and lazily dragged down the crooked wet paths along the greenhouse glass. Her head was spinning a little — either from the scorching spring sun or from a conversation with Wang Han, and Heonui, directly stepping with her white legs on dirty boots, got up and stretched.

And at the entrance, she saw Chenghuan.

"Greetings to you, Heonui, Your Royal Highness," she greeted with a smile playing on her lips.

Heonui could imagine that the Princess saw her now, and she smiled back.

"Good to see you, dear Princess," she nodded.

"What are you doing here? We are already leaving, but I still could not catch up with you, which I regret so much now. I talked with your dear mother for a long time and even saw your beloved maid — she almost hurt me, hurrying somewhere."

"Mimi? Today, she is not herself. Please, would you accept my apologies on her behalf? Sometimes, she knows no manners," Heonui agreed, frowning.

"Prince has already given you the news? He, I think, wanted to tell you personally and was looking for you," continued Chenghuan, going up to Heonui but with obvious disgust, not daring to sit on the bench next to her.

"Oh yeah. We saw each other, he told me. Congratulations!"

The Princess suddenly laughed out loud, as if embarrassed.

"Thank you! Who would have thought, right?"

"Oh, why so? You are wonderful together, and our native places and people will only benefit from this amazing love union. I talked a lot with the folks. They know you and think that you are worthy of the best praise."

"Oh, Lady Heonui, you are just an angel! I also heard that you are in good standing with the commoners."

Heonui grimaced.

"Are you leaving already?" she asked the Princess impatiently.

"Already, and I am so sorry we cannot chat more!" Chenghuan winked. "I am glad that now you know that I should be Wang Han's wife."

She suddenly changed her tone to a serious and somewhat threatening one and turned again to Heonui:

"King Lee Song has already handed over the wedding gift — expensive wines and cheeses — so kind of His Excellency! Your winery has already found great fame! How lovely! But do not bother yourself. I am sure that you, with such and such a grief of yours, will not be able to come to the ceremony. But do not worry — do not force yourself to go. We'll understand everything, dear."

With these words, the Princess, her eyes flashing, made a farewell curtsy and disappeared into the passage.

Heonui closed her eyes and took a deep breath.