After eating, the spokesperson announced that there would be presentations to welcome the guests to the palace. The palace had prepared five performances, with the highlight being the fifth and final presentation.
The music began. I could hear traditional melodies as the performers started moving gracefully. The props they held added to the aesthetic and authenticity of their traditional performance. The first group, who performed the traditional dance of this era, gave a goosebump-inducing presentation. The crowd was amazed, especially the visitors, who smiled and clapped their hands.
I looked at Von again. From time to time, I checked her expression. She looked cold and emotionless. I couldn't figure out what was going on in her mind.
I wanted her to look at me—eye to eye—but she didn't even bother.
The first performance ended well. The crowd applauded.
For the second presentation, the performers played traditional musical instruments. The king had chosen the favorite songs of the former king to commemorate his memory.
The performance started, and just like the first, it was executed flawlessly.
I clapped my hands, swaying slightly to the rhythm of the music. Just as I was beginning to enjoy it, I spotted Min Yun in the crowd, standing and looking directly at me.
He looked as if he wanted to tell me something important.
The performance continued. I wanted to stand up and approach Min Yun, but I was afraid I might draw attention.
I leaned toward the court lady beside me and whispered,"I want to talk to Min Yun."
The court lady looked concerned.
"But Your Highness, how can you stand up? Everyone might notice."
"Can you bring him here? Please call him."
She nodded and went down to call Min Yun.
I looked around. The third group of performers was supposed to be waiting on the side, ready to enter after the second performance. But I couldn't see anyone there.
Min Yun walked over and stood to my left.
"Is there a problem?" I asked.
He whispered, "Our third to fifth performers are missing from their rooms."
"What? How did that happen?" I asked, worried.
"I don't know how it happened. But isn't this what we expected?"
"Yeah… that someone might try to ruin the celebration. But we have a backup, right? Your cousin from the courtesan house?"
"Actually..."
I didn't want Min Yun to finish his sentence. It sounded like bad news.
"What happened?"
"The performers went back because their dresses were ruined. They couldn't perform ."
"How did that happen?"
"I don't know. Even my cousin was furious about it. They were already prepared the day before, but she had no idea how their dresses got ruined."
"Could it be an inside job? We even traveled there just to make sure we had a backup."
The music ended. The crowd clapped their hands.
I became uneasy and nervous, but I tried to calm myself.
"What shall we do? The visitors are expecting more performances," I said.
"The courtesans will come here after they fix the dresses. That's what my cousin told me."
"But they can't come here right now, can they?"
"Yeah, they're probably still at the courtesan house."
I bit my lower lip and thought deeply. This should not be happening. I wanted everyone to think that everything had been well-prepared and perfectly organized.
"I can't find any other performers right now," Min Yun said.
The spokesperson began speaking again and introduced the third performance. He even called the third presenter.
The crowd fell silent after the announcement, but no one came to the center.
I looked at the king, who was getting worried. I couldn't let him down. Not today.
Three minutes passed, and still, the third performer hadn't appeared.
The king was visibly uneasy.
"Min Yun, make sure the courtesans get here. I'll buy you time," I said.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
"I'll perform."
"What?"
I stood up, and that alone caught the attention of the visitors—even Von.
The court ladies gasped when they saw me standing.
I walked down the stairs and headed to the center of the performing stage.
I could hear gasps and see shocked faces—especially the king, whose mouth was literally wide open.
Even Min Yun hadn't expected my move. Honestly, neither did I. But I had no other choice.
The spokesperson was stunned, unable to speak.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. This was my backup plan. Since I suspected the courtesans might be sabotaged—which happened—I prepared myself. In my world, I'm a singer. I'm not joining contests, but I know how to sing.
Before this event, I had already been practicing in my chamber. The musicians knew about it too. I hadn't told Min Yun because I knew he wouldn't approve of my plan.
"Hmmm... aaaa...." I started singing.
According to the musician who would accompany me, it was captivating to hear this kind of traditional and ancient music, something that royal families often listened to.
I had practiced for just three days. It was difficult, but I was determined not to ruin or make a mistake at such an important event.
I continued singing the ancient song I had practiced. I made sure that every word struck their hearts. Even though I wasn't into contests, I had trained my voice well at home.
I hoped that by now, the courtesans were already on their way. The fifth performers, the highlight of the show, were gone. Our only hope was the courtesans.
I extended my performance. I didn't sing just one song—I performed three, just to buy more time. I only stopped when I saw Min Yun and the courtesans standing at the back.
"Thank you," I said, then bowed.
The crowd clapped their hands with joy. I even saw Von clapping and smiling.
I smiled too. I never imagined a day would come when I'd perform in front of so many people.
Pleasing everyone is not easy. One mistake, and people will judge you. I didn't want our visitors to think we were incompetent or weak leaders.
After bowing, I returned to my seat. The king looked at me with confusion, but I could tell he was happy with my performance.
I sighed. I was so tired today. When would this event end? I was exhausted from pretending to be someone I'm not.
I sat on my throne and watched the courtesans take their positions at the center aisle. In no time, the music began, and they danced gracefully. Every movement spoke volumes, full of meaning and beauty. I was mesmerized by their talent. No wonder—even the owner is beautiful.
The performance lasted five minutes. I could see that some of the visitors were just as captivated.
I smiled. Was this a good sign that the guests were pleased with what we had prepared?
I looked at the king. Maybe after this event, I will explain everything to him about the last-minute changes.
I was brought back to the present when the crowd clapped their hands again. The spokesperson announced that the performances had ended and that the socialization would begin.
The queens and kings stood up and started approaching us. The king came beside me, and together we went down the stairs to greet and entertain our guests.
"Your queen has an angelic voice—no wonder you married her," said a king, though I couldn't remember his name or which country he was from.
The king beside me smiled and held my hand. "That's just a bonus," he said.
"I loved the food, the performances—everything. You're very accommodating, and your palace is beautiful," said the queen, who was with the king, who had just complimented me.
"Thank you for your kind words. We truly appreciate your presence at this important event," I responded.
"We'd like a tour of the palace," the queen added.
"Oh yes, let our head eunuch guide you," said the king.
They bid their farewells and followed the head eunuch.
I looked around, searching for Von. But she was nowhere to be found.
"Your Highness, I need to look for someone. Is it alright if you stay here alone for a while?" I asked.
"Where are you going?"
"I need to find the Empress."
As soon as I uttered the word Empress, the king gasped.
His reaction caught me off guard.
"Why?" I asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You seem to know her," I said.
And then, like lightning flashing before me, everything I'd read in the book came rushing back.
"It was just the past," he said.
"She was your lover, wasn't she?" I asked calmly, though inside, my heart was pounding with questions.
I couldn't believe it. Out of all the women in this world, how did he fall in love with her? According to the book, he had fallen in love with her when he was a teenager. That means Von had been here long before me. How could I not have known? I thought I was the one with secrets—but it seems Von had more to hide.
"Please excuse me, Your Highness," I said.
He wanted to stop me, but he didn't. I slipped away from the crowd to look for Von. I scanned my surroundings but couldn't see her. Where could she be? Did she already leave?
"Looking for me?"
That voice. The voice I had longed to hear. The same voice that once scolded me for returning to this book. The voice I missed.
I turned around and whispered, "Von."