Chapter Text
Jeong-won doesn’t like it whenever he sees his Queen frowning. Especially on a day when he badly needs to recuperate from his exhausting Palace duties.
If Gyeo-ul loves sunsets at the end of a tiring day, Jeong-won loves seeing her happy. Her smile is his sunset - that comforting sight that never fails to perk him up even in the dreariest of his days. Today, it looks like Gyeo-ul is the one who needs some cheering up.
Dropping his own woes by the kitchen door, Jeong-won starts walking towards his wife with his arms ready to give her a hug.
“Gyeoul-ah~, is there something bothering you?” Jeong-won asks. He can’t stop himself from slightly grinning because he still finds it fascinating that he can just easily wrap his arms around Gyeo-ul’s shoulders and she wouldn’t be visible to anyone passing by the kitchen’s door. Her figure is perfectly hidden behind his body. If only he can also protect Gyeo-ul from the thing that caused the deep frown on her face. Jeong-won adds in a concerned cadence, “do I have to order someone’s beheading today?”
“Seriously?” Gyeo-ul bursts out laughing before jabbing his side lightly with her elbow. “Your jokes aren’t really my style.”
Then why are you laughing? Jeong-won can ask such but he let his wife whine about his archaic gags. He instead steps away from Gyeo-ul so he can watch her face crumpled into that my-husband-is-not-funny-but-im-laughing kind of expression. But when he did, he noticed the hair on the back of her head was sticking up.
“Oh,” he utters in surprise, halting Gyeo-ul’s laughter. He explains, “static. Sorry, it was raining a bit outside.”
Knowing Gyeo-ul is watching him, Jeong-won tries to get rid of the static by running his hand through her hair. He can’t help but let out a goofy expression as he enjoys the way a laugh easily bubbles out of Gyeo-ul. It is really pleasing for him to make her laugh like that.
“Ah really,” Gyeo-ul complains but she fails miserably to stop her smile from showing, “the only good thing that happened to me today is getting this nice haircut but you ruined it.”
“Sorry,” he says and he means it even though he has yet to know why his wife is having a bad day. “But why do you look so sad looking at these…” he trails off as he finally inspects the cooking paraphernalia laid out on the kitchen island. One bowl caught his eye - the bowl Gyeo-ul was looking at before he entered. “Blueberries? Are these blueberries making you upset?”
Gyeo-ul nods while her lips protrude into an almost childish pout. She then turns to Jeong-won, her doe eyes almost pleading as she says, “this is my last batch of fresh blueberries.”
Her blues are caused by blueberries. He concludes and immediately offers, “do you want me to buy all the blueberries in Hanyang?”
“No!” she sighs out loud before accusing her husband, “are you making fun of me?”
It is Jeong-won’s turn to laugh. He denies making fun of her but he is already trying to figure out the best person to call so he could source out baskets of blueberries. If he can only legally hoard all of the country’s blueberry supply, he will. He’ll do anything just so his wife will feel okay.
But it turns out, the blueberries aren’t the real cause of her dilemma.
“Seon-joon is craving some blueberry cobbler,” she reveals. The mere mention of their first child’s name and Gyeo-ul’s worried expression is enough for Jeong-won to stop goofing around and listen seriously.
“I want to make Seon-joon feel better,” Gyeo-ul explains, “you know how upset he looks after his game yesterday. They could have easily qualified for the finals if they won but now they have to get another win.”
Jeong-won nods as he listens to Gyeo-ul recall Seon-joon’s glum mood since this morning. They watched Seon-joon’s baseball game yesterday with high hopes that they would be celebrating their team’s win with a simple dinner at a restaurant. They brought with them the twins and for the first time, their one-and-a-half-year-old baby boy. It was supposed to be a discreet family outing. But they instead went home after Seon-joon’s team lost by only a point.
“...I’m already in my fifth attempt but I couldn’t get the right texture that he loves for his cobbler. And this is my last batch of blueberries we have in the Palace.”
Jeong-won stares back in understanding. “What can we do? Blueberries are not in season anymore. It’s already autumn.”
He can’t help but sigh along with Gyeo-ul, “but you know, Seon-joon would definitely still appreciate it even if the cobbler you make wouldn’t be as perfect as the one he prefers. Our firstborn might be moody but he is really softhearted.”
“You think so?” Gyeo-ul looks over the four pans of cobbler on the side before turning her gaze back to Jeong-won. “Can I cheer him up even with the worst-tasting dessert?”
“Of course. You’re the best person in the world for him anyway,” Jeong-won reaches out and pulls her by her elbow. He settles his hands on both of her shoulders and gives her a light and comforting pat. “He doesn’t need the world’s best dessert maker. He just needs his mom.”
“How can you be sure of that?” she asks but she already placed her hands on his hips. Her habitual preluding gesture before pulling him into a hug.
“I’m sure because Seon-joon is just like me,” he snickered when Gyeo-ul rolled her eyes at his remark. And just like what he expected earlier, Gyeo-ul takes one more infinitesimal step forward and comfortably lays her head on his chest while she wraps her arms around his hips.
“I can’t understand why he had to take after you,” she quips.
Jeong-won barks out a laugh. He then offers, “and since I can’t do anything about his genetic makeup, can I just help you with this last cobbler?”
“Aren’t you tired from your duties today?”
If Jeong-won will answer honestly, he should tell Gyeo-ul that he can already sense a headache coming because of exhaustion. But he will rather be sleepless tonight because of a migraine rather than nightmares of Gyeo-ul’s frustrated expression because of blueberries.
“No,” Jeong-won replies, “I can still definitely help you. Besides, we do things better when we are together.”
- ♛ ♛ ♛ ♛ ♛-
“How is it?” Gyeo-ul asks as soon as Seon-joon takes a spoonful of the cobbler she and Jeong-won made.
The time seems to tick slowly as Jeong-won carefully watches every minuscule expression their son made as he tastes his mom’s home-cooked dessert. He tried to assure Gyeo-ul earlier that the last pan they made was the best among the batches she baked. As seconds pass and their son remains mum, his confidence starts to dwindle.
The head monarch of Hanyang is used to facing off hard-headed policymakers, sensitive diplomats, and even the most unpredictable foreign head of state. But he never once felt the kind of apprehension he feels at the moment.
Seon-joon ends their agony when he finally drops his verdict, “it’s the best one I had.”
“Really?!” Gyeo-ul exclaims, beaming so widely that her deep dimples are visible in her cheeks. She then proudly tells their son that she can easily make one for him anytime he wants. Jeong-won feels relieved and very much happy to see his wife smiling like that again.
“You should also have some, Mom,” Seon-joon reaches for an extra dessert plate and scoops a huge slice of cobbler for his mother. Seon-joon also offers a plate to Jeong-won but his father declines, gesturing that he’ll just taste some from his mom’s plate.
After placing one in front of Gyeo-ul, Seon-joon adds, “I was actually looking for this because you mentioned you’re craving blueberries the other day.”
“I did?” Gyeo-ul points to herself and Seon-joon nods.
“It makes me feel better whenever I share a meal with the both of you,” Seon-joon continued. He seems oblivious to how his words filled so much warmth in his parents. Jeong-won is about to comfort Seon-joon about his lost game with some good observations he made during the game. But then Seon-joon speaks again and points out an observation Jeong-won failed to notice.
“By the way mom,” Seon-joon casually asks, “will I have another sibling?”
Jeong-won turns to Gyeo-ul and the latter is much more surprised than he is.
“How did you come up with that question?” Gyeo-ul asks back, her expectant gaze matching Jeong-won’s anticipation.
“Because you usually eat anything but when you are pregnant you ask for a specific food,” Seon-joon explains like an ancient sage confident with his answer.
Now that Seon-joon pointed it out, Jeong-won has realized Gyeo-ul has been craving very specific food these days. The other morning she asked their convoy to stop at a corner street just outside a university so she could buy a warm soya pudding. When they had lunch the other day, Gyeo-ul specifically instructed her baked fish to have extra cheese on top. And last night, Jeong-won woke up with Gyeo-ul gone in their bed because she went up to make some jasmine tea with three (she said with emphasis) spoonfuls of honey.
Jeong-won should have been the one who noticed it first but since they are not yet planning for another baby, he has missed this peculiar habit of Gyeo-ul in her past pregnancies.
“I’ll call the twins so they can taste this cobbler too,” Seon-joon announces and his parents nod with distracted looks on their faces. Seon-joon scoops another spoonful of cobbler before he scurries out of the kitchen and probably into the Palace’s garden where his siblings usually spend their afternoon.
Jeong-won lets himself smile widely as soon as they are left alone in the kitchen.
“Are you that happy about what you heard?” Gyeo-ul asks while an exaggerated frown appears on her face.
Jeong-won bobs his head enthusiastically, “I’m going to set an appointment with Min-ha tomorrow.”
“Don’t get too excited,” Gyeo-ul mutters but she doesn’t stop Jeong-won from reaching for his phone and sending a quick message to Min-ha. Still, she adds, “I don’t feel queasy these days. You know that I always suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum whenever I’m pregnant. What if I was just really craving blueberries?”
“But still, we have to be sure,” Jeong-won can’t hide his excitement. A wide smile sneaks out on his lips. But then he realized, there is a chance Gyeo-ul doesn’t want this anymore. She is sort-of vocal about maintaining their family of six as it is. He reluctantly asks, “don’t you want another child?”
Sure, they can probably provide for a family as big as a baseball team but he knows where Gyeo-ul’s hesitancy comes from. They are not that young anymore. And he is well aware of how dangerous it is to carry a child for nine months and deliver it safely. Even when their last child was born more than a year ago, Jeong-won still felt the same amount of dread and fear when Gyeo-ul gave birth to Seon-joon.
But just like every day in their married life, Gyeo-ul quickly calms down the fear that is starting to fill Jeong-won’s mind.
“Why would you think that way?” she asks while she scoots her chair towards her husband. She doesn’t care a bit if her movements made too much noise acceptable for a royal. “Of course not. I’m actually quite happy to build a big family with you. Especially because I’m an only child and you know how lonely my childhood was.”
Jeong-won feels an all-familiar ache in his chest that will only happen whenever he remembers Gyeo-ul’s past. He can’t change those things anymore but he can do something in their present that can help her forget about it. Even just for a while.
“And you're creating wonderful childhood memories for our children. I love you for that.”
“Just that?” she playfully asks.
“And for making an effort to cook even if you destroyed half of our kitchen.”
“Well you married a doctor, not a baker,” she whines in between Jeong-won’s laughter.
“And I love you…” Jeong-won cradles both sides of her face and looks her in the eye, “for being my ultimate rest when I’m tired. I love you for everything.”
Gyeo-ul looks surprised by the sudden declaration. She answers back with a quick peck that caught Jeong-won off-guard.
“I love you too for everything,” she replies. Her bedimpled cheeks are turning red like how they did the first time she said those words to him. They’ve been together for years but the butterflies that cause inescapable flutters whenever they show their affection to each other are still alive.
“And now I’m excited about our appointment tomorrow,” she admits, “Her prenatal name should really be blueberry.”
Jeong-won let out a soft laugh, “I thought we shouldn’t expect too much.”
“Your excitement is contagious.”
“But wait,” Jeong-won lifts his hand up when he realizes something. He looks at her and asks if he heard her correctly, “what did you say earlier? Her name? So are you also expecting…”
“Sort of,” Gyeo-ul divulges. She clears her throat in an attempt to hide her embarrassed blush. “I even want her to be named Ji-”
Two excited voices interrupted the royal couple’s conversation.
“Mom!” The twins announce their arrival with a loud shriek. They entered the room together with Seon-joon.
“Let’s talk later,” Gyeo-ul whispers, reflecting a smile that is probably visible on Jeong-won’s face.
Jeong-won stands up to help get some extra dishes for the twins as Gyeo-ul listens to their kids’ stories. They’ll deal with the worries that come with the possibility of a new child tomorrow. Her past childhood blues, he’s sure, will also soon be replaced by all these mundane yet happy memories of their own family. And today at least, Gyeo-ul’s blueberry blues are now gone.