(this is a double update so if you haven't read the previous chapter, GO BACK!)

Chapter Seven

Falling

Three months had passed since Yeonhwa agreed to be friends with Yifan. Every day, Yifan would have his meals with her and every day, they learned something new about each other. She learned that his mother, the late Empress Dowager, used to call him ‘Rourou’, because of his big hands. That led to them comparing hand sizes, and that led to them finding out that Yifan’s hands were almost twice the size of Yeonhwa’s. Yifan learned that Yeonhwa knew about administrative matters, and that led to him bringing her into his office, so he could listen to her views and opinions for him to consider.

Slowly, but surely, they began to unfold each other, getting to know each other better. Slowly, but surely, Yeonhwa’s feelings towards Joonmyeon was beginning to disappear, getting replaced by her fondness over Yifan. And for some reason, that terrified her.

-

Yeonhwa was standing in the gardens again, feeling content with her life. She looked around her to see that the flowers had fallen to the ground, and the leaves were beginning to turn yellow. The air was beginning to become cooler. Summer was almost over and the scent of autumn was already beginning infiltrate her nostrils.

Suddenly, she heard a faint meow among the bushes. She followed the noise and crouched down, only to find a small, white cat its’ paw. Cautiously, she picked the feline up and though it seemed scared at first, it eventually relaxed against Yeonhwa’s body, probably relieved by the warmth provided.

“Hey there little one, are you okay?” she said softly, petting the cat.

She had always been fond of cats. Back when she was in Korea, every time she saw a cat, she would stop to pet it, much to the displeasure of her father. Her father did not like cats, as their fur made him sneeze profusely, so she never had the chance to keep one as a pet. Joonmyeon used to bring cats back to their residence in secret, and the two of them would play with them until evening, where Joonmyeon would return the cats back to the marketplace. She smiled at the memory and focused her attention back on the cat. It seemed as if it was in pain. Upon closer inspection, she found out that its paw was bleeding. It seemed that a huge splinter was stuck in its paw, and she figured that it was big enough for her to pull out using her fingers.

Carefully, she placed the cat on the ground and lifted its paw. The cat struggled a little, but Yeonhwa held it firmly. She slowly picked the splinter out and when it came out, the cat suddenly became agitated and screamed, running away from Yeonhwa, but not before scratching her.

Yeonhwa frowned at the cat’s behavior. Well, at least it’s in less pain now. Only when she wanted to walk back to her quarters did she notice the pain on her left wrist. She lifted her sleeves slightly and winced when she saw blood oozing out from the scratches that the cat had left her. She sighed. She would have to clean that up before it got any infections.

-

"It’s been almost half a year, Your Majesty, but there is still no news about an heir. Pardon me for saying this, but I suggest you try harder, or there might be unwanted rumors spreading about you and the Empress.” said the Prime Minister.

Yifan massaged his temples. The court had been pestering him for an heir endlessly. That was all they ever talked about. Yifan wanted to yell,  “SO WHAT IF RUMOURS SPREAD? WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN MY WIFE AND I IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” but he restrained himself. This was the court, and he was the Emperor, so he had to be diplomatic. He listened to more of the ministers and scholars’ ramblings about his lack of an heir until he finally decided to speak. He told them that he would spend the night with her, and told the eunuch to relay the message to his Empress.

Surely Yeonhwa would understand and not get angry, ri