Episode 16
Mother of the Northern Ice Palace, and even further, the vast Northern Ice Castle.
Yerin already knew how heavy her name was.
It was the weight she had carried since she first established the Northern Ice Palace as ‘Seol-lyeon’.
“So, it’s only right to share the difficulties of the Ice Palace together, right?”
And Yerin was willing to share the burden that Doyul carried this time as well.
Even if Doyul was the protagonist of this world, she had dedicated her whole life to supporting him.
“Above all, I…”
I should probably flatter Doyul a bit at this point, right?
Yerin spoke sweet words without even putting on any airs.
“Are you happy just to have a meal with the princess?”
“….”
Suddenly, Doyul’s face turned red.
‘Oh, did I just get a little emotional?’
Yerin shrugged her shoulders and picked up her chopsticks with a mischievous smile.
“Well then, I’ll enjoy my meal.”
“I hope the meal suits your taste.”
The side dishes and the food were all delicious.
While Seol-lyeon finished half a bowl of rice, Doyul didn’t touch his food at all.
Instead, he just looked at her with a surprised expression.
‘What’s with the staring?’
Feeling a little embarrassed, Yerin put down her chopsticks.
“Um, Lord of the Castle.”
“Yes?”
“Did I get something on my face?”
Yerin asked, touching her cheek and mouth for no reason.
Then.
“No, it’s not that.”
Doyul shook his head and smiled with crescent-shaped eyes.
“I just thought you look good eating.”
“…Are you giving me a hard time for eating too much by myself?”
“No, why would I do that?”
Looking at Yerin, who was holding her chopsticks tightly, Doyul spoke affectionately.
“However, I don’t think you had a proper meal at Sachendangmun.”
…Ah, that’s right.
In fact, she had been pretending to be a “poor, weak girl” to gain Doyul’s sympathy all this time.
But…
“The food was so delicious that I completely forgot about acting!”
Yerin’s expression turned into a disaster.
Fortunately, Doyul didn’t seem to be suspicious about that part.
“More importantly, the journey was very long. Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”
He asked, checking her condition.
“Huh? No, I was very comfortable.”
Yerin replied in a bewildered voice.
Back when she was still Seollyeon, she would drink and entertain the soldiers while chewing on the tough jerky like it was steel.
“Compared to back then, warm rice came out every meal, and the bed was quite spacious. How comfortable is that?”
Yerin sincerely thought so, but…
“…Is that so?”
As soon as she heard that answer, Doyul looked at her with a proud gaze.
Yerin stiffened her shoulders.
“What, what’s with that look?”
It was like a little girl answering like an adult, and her father looking satisfied.
“To be honest, I was worried that my wife wouldn’t adapt well to the Northern Ice Castle.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. After all, the Northern Ice Castle is a place with a completely different environment from Sachensung.”
Doyul’s eyes, which had been rolling, were now filled with emotion.
“But I didn’t know that my wife had studied about the Northern Ice Palace separately.”
Ah, that’s right?
Yerin blinked her eyes and gave an awkward smile.
Ahaha, that’s what I’m saying.
Actually, I was a beggar in my past life…
Just then, Doyul cleared his throat.
“Even if you’ve seen it yourself, the Northern Ice Castle isn’t really a suitable place for people to live.”
Um, isn’t that a bit… too objective?
Yerin’s eyes became somewhat cloudy.
“It snows all year round, and the ground is always frozen. It’s almost impossible to farm. But…”
Doyul, who had been hesitating for a moment, spoke in a gentle tone.
“It’s also a very beautiful place with the pure white snow-covered plains.”
His affectionate gaze seemed warm, like someone recalling something very precious.
‘Doyul makes that kind of expression too.’
Yerin was genuinely surprised.
Perhaps he cherishes the Northern Ice Castle and the Northern Ice Palace that much.
After a while, Doyul spoke with a dignified voice.
“I hope the Northern Ice Palace, and the Northern Ice Castle… will be to your liking, my lady.”
“Of course.”
Yerin nodded her head vigorously.
“It’s the land that the princess cherishes and loves.”
“…My lady.”
“So, I’m sure I’ll come to love this land too.”
After all, the Northern Ice Castle is the land that has consumed my entire life.
It’s hard not to love it, right?
Doyul, pondering Yerin’s response for a moment, soon smiled graciously.
“I’m very glad to hear you say that.”
Yerin subtly observed Doyul.
Alright, I think Doyul has quite a liking for me.
Alright, I think Doyul has quite a liking for me.
Now was the time to address the issue that had been bothering me since earlier.
“However, the Northern Ice Castle that I like, you know it’s the one where the princess is, right?”
“Yes?”
At Yerin’s sudden remark, Doyul looked bewildered.
“The princess should stay at the Northern Ice Castle for a long time, and for that to happen, she needs to be healthy.”
Saying whatever came to her mind, Yerin resolutely picked up her chopsticks.
“Eating a balanced diet is important for staying healthy and growing tall.”
Doyul felt a bit uncomfortable at her words.
“Well, the princess is much smaller than me, but…”
Sadly, Doyul’s feeble protest was ignored.
Yerin had only her own words to say, as she tapped her chopsticks.
“So, please eat your meal.”
“….”
“Not taking an interest in your meal doesn’t help the princess’s health at all.”
“….”
“Really, being a princess. Having to be served every single side dish before you eat is not a good habit, is it?”
Every time Yerin nagged, Doyul couldn’t help but tense his shoulders.
It felt like being scolded by a strict mother as a child.
Maybe it’s just my feeling…?
“Why don’t you even touch your food?”
Yerin taunted Doyul as she pushed a plate of braised fish towards him.
Then she started to pick at the fish.
“Here, have some rice.”
I think Doyul was trying to put some fish on my plate…
‘Oops.’
The fish splattered, and the chopsticks dropped on the table.
“….”
“….”
Silence filled the air.
A moment later.
Doyul, who was staring at the scattered fish on the table, asked Yerin a question.
“Did you… try to put some fish on my plate?”
“Just pretend you didn’t notice.”
Yerin turned her head away quietly.
Her neck had turned red as if it would stain red if touched.
Doyul, who was gazing at her, burst into laughter.
Yerin widened her eyes.
“Are you laughing at me?!”
“No, no. I didn’t mean to… Haha!”
Doyul laughed heartily for a while.
After that, Doyul skillfully moved his chopsticks and began to carefully transfer the dropped fish onto his plate.
Yerin looked disgusted.
“Why are you putting that back on your plate?”
“Isn’t it something the princess herself put on my plate? How can I throw it away?”
Doyul, with a smirk, put the fish in his mouth.
“It’s delicious.”
“I, really… with that smirk…”
“Do you not like it then?”
Doyul retorted with a voice mixed with laughter.
“No, it’s fine.”
Yerin raised her head as haughtily as possible.
‘Even this bickering doesn’t feel so bad.’
Unconsciously, a faint smile appeared on Yerin’s lips.
* * *
So the meal ended.
The last thing served was candied fruit and a clean cup of tea.
With anticipation in his eyes, Doyul looked at Yerin.
“Madam, here’s the candied fruit.”
Huh?
Yerin looked bewildered.
Right, this is candied fruit.
But why?
Am I not able to recognize even candied fruit?
With that, Doyul pushed the candied fruit plate in front of Yerin’s nose.
“Try the candied fruit quickly.”
“Oh, okay….”
Unable to resist Doyul’s coaxing, Yerin picked up a piece of candied fruit.
As soon as she took a bite, Doyul’s face lit up.
“How is it?”
“Huh?”
“Do you like the candied fruit?”
“Oh, it’s good…?”
Well, deep-fried and honey-soaked snacks can’t be bad.
Yerin nodded obediently.
Then, Doyul’s face brightened.
“Really?”
…No, why is he so happy?
