Perfect Crown in Royal Academy of Korea - Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five: The Two People

The funeral procedure, which omitted the state funeral procession, was simple. Within the palace, various rituals continued, such as installing the hall for the coffin and starting the shrouding and washing of the corpse, but nothing leaked outside the palace. It was a matter that was possible because there was the will of Grand Prince Leean not to make the royal family's sorrow into a tragedy of the country, and the active cooperation of the Cabinet.
 
What was urgent was the stabilization of the Crown Prince. Because on the sixth day after the five-day funeral ended, he had to conduct the enthronement ceremony in accordance with the ceremonial laws. But that Hwan's spirit was dazed all along was the problem. There was merely barely one day left until the enthronement ceremony, yet....
 
Wan, who let out a sigh, headed toward the East Palace. Court Lady Park, who stood guarding the corridor, deeply bowed her waist.
 
"Grand Prince Your Highness."
 
"How is Brother."
 
Court Lady Park, who could hardly say that he was alright even by a lie, substituted the answer with silence. Wan, who nodded his head as if knowing everything, entered the bedchamber. Irang, who had been guarding the bedside together with the royal physician, rose from her seat.
 
"Leean."
 
"Crown Princess Princess Consort Your Highness."
 
The two people, who had become pale, placed each other in their eyes. They were two people for whom there was no room to become weak in order to safeguard the things they must safeguard.
 
"Today, I will guard Brother's side."
 
"No."
 
"Sister-in-law must also rest."
 
"I know that the things being done on behalf of Your Highness at the Grand Prince's Residence are not few."
 
"......"
 
"Do not increase the work further."
 
Wan, who discerned the sorriness contained in the worry-laden voice, could hardly speak further and sat in a seat.
 
"How is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
 
Wan asked the royal physician.
 
"It is not to a degree that you must worry too much."
 
Even while speaking so, the royal physician's eyes could not leave the injection needle stuck in the Crown Prince's arm. Even looking only at the stabilizers administered to soothe the Crown Prince, who repeated collapsing from crying whenever his spirit returned, it was already quite a grand amount.
 
"Will there be no problem until the enthronement ceremony."
 
"We are exerting efforts so that it can become so."
 
"If by any chance we must postpone the enthronement ceremony....."
 
"That cannot be."
 
Irang, who had been listening to the conversation of Wan and the royal physician, said with a firm voice.
 
"If Your Highness does not exhibit your appearance, the citizens will fluctuate."
 
"Sister-in-law."
 
"Even with Royal Father's cause of death, there are already many words."
 
"......"
 
Even while knitting his brows, Wan could not deny Irang's words. At a juncture where it wouldn't even amount to enough to promote the stability of the country, it was a matter where the royal family could not cause anxiety. In the first place, the reason they conducted the enthronement ceremony immediately after the funeral was also to prevent the confusion that arose by leaving the king's seat vacant for a long time.
 
"I understand, Sister-in-law."
 
"......"
 
"I will prepare so that there is no matter you worry about."
 
Only after hearing the promise of a solid voice did Irang feel relieved. Recalling the fear she felt four days ago, the calmness of right now was a miracle-like thing.
 
'Sangwibok!'
 
The emotion she felt when the eunuch of the Great Hall ascended the eastern eaves and shouted Sangwibok was a dread she was feeling for the first time in her life. From the sorrow coming from the fact that her father-in-law, who regarded her prettily, had passed away, and the confusion coming from the fact that the master of the royal family disappeared, all the way to the worry as to whether her husband would be able to endure it well. There was nothing among them that she had ever learned or experienced.
 
Her father, who heard the news late, entered the palace and guarded her side, but the anxiety did not fade. Her husband, who must possess dignity more than anyone else, behaved like an existence less than a scarecrow, and the Internal Court was listlessly waiting only for the commands that would come out of her mouth.
 
'Grand Prince Your Highness has been delivered the news. Since he says he is placing his body on the airplane immediately....'
 
Only after hearing that report did a bit of breathing room open up. Even if they were questions for which she did not know the correct answer at all, it felt like he alone would know the answer. In reality, from the time after he came to know the situation, many things began to be decided. From the funeral procedure all the way to the roles of the royal relatives and the enthronement ceremony preparation, entirely.
 
'Crown Princess Princess Consort Your Highness, I am sorrowful for being late.'
 
He, who arrived at the palace, sought out the hall for the coffin and stayed up a whole day completely, and then delivered a word saying he was sorry to her. Along with the word that she suffered hardships because she endured alone.
 
Only then was breath taken entirely. It was thanks to his taking away the complicated ceremonial laws and procedures of the royal family while executing them like a machine, and taking away the Cabinet which was difficult to deal with and the mountain-like documents entirely. It was a moment when it became understood why her husband had no choice but to rely on his younger brother that way.
 
Thinking about it, he always possessed a talent of appearing at the necessary moment. Even at the time when the relationship of the two brothers was not good so there was no interaction, he could not be harsh.
 
'Your Highness needs Little Brother. Please be beside him.'
 
When I, unable to look further at the long antagonism, requested so, he gave an answer saying he understood while putting on an appearance of being unable to win. Watching that appearance, I thought. That that the mind is weak seems to be the ancestry of the royal house.
 
Therefore, her husband's enthronement ceremony would also be alright. If he guarded her husband's side, sufficiently.
 
Hwan ascended the throne safely. At least looking at the exterior, it was so. Throughout walking the royal path, he had to endure a hazy spirit, but at least he did not scream out or collapse, so it was worth looking at as a success. It was the effect of the stabilizers poured in to the extent of being excessive.
 
Wan looked up at that kind of Hwan and offered the mountain call of congratulations.
 
Even in the midst of shouting long live together with the royal relatives, Wan's vision touched his older brother's complexion. His eyelids that were half-closed and his lips that turned blue made his mind anxious as to how much more he could endure.
 
Even if they proceeded with the funeral privately, because for that reason they could not do so with the enthronement ceremony. The whole country had to know that the throne was succeeded safely. Therefore, selected broadcasting stations and reporters stood in the front yard of the Great Hall holding cameras.
 
Thanks to that, the Royal Secretariat and the Cabinet had to brace for every worst thing that could be imagined. While making a manual from A to Z as to who would move how, and how they would release the press release if Hwan collapsed or fell into panic during the enthronement ceremony.
 
Therefore, that the enthronement ceremony ended without any accident was scarcely no different from a miracle.
 
"I kept being sleepy, but because it ended, my spirit returns."
 
Hwan softly intoned. It was Wan's share to take off his ceremonial attire as he sank down as if exhausted. Because he rejected Court Lady Park's attendance, and Irang's attendance, it could not be helped.
 
Wan, who stayed up several nights, wished to return to his private residence even an hour faster.
 
"Wan."
 
"......"
 
"Leean."
...Why."
 
Wan, who managed to ignore his warming eye rims with effort, barely answered. He did not wish to vomit out the sorrow he endured for the whole 6 days belatedly.
 
"You may cry."
 
"Hah.."
 
Hwan carefully swept his younger brother's reddened eye rims. On top of his younger brother's pupils, which had sunk pitch-black and appeared ruthless, moisture filled up. He was a younger brother who persevered even to his own share so that he could set his mind at ease and sorrow. Containing the sorriness and thankfulness toward that, Hwan swept Wan's back.
 
A grand back began to heave, and before long, a suppressed sobbing leaked out.
 
"Damn it...……."
 
Wan, who tossed and turned his body here and there as if embarrassed that he exhibited his sorrow, eventually burst into crying. His mind had broken down at the hand gesture of his older brother who carefully, carefully soothed him.
 
He thought he hated Royal Father. Thinking that that kind of Royal Father was no longer present, it was listless and fearful. If he had known it would be like this, he should have tried saying, please do not hate me. Knowing what Royal Father's worry was, he should have tried begging, please stop hating me.
 
It was sorrowful that he only went crooked because he was envious of the affection poured upon his older brother. He would have worried only about his older brother until the end. He should have tried promising even comfortably on his going path, saying you do not have to do that kind of worry. A faint regret left a deeper scar than sorrow.
 
"To you, there is still an older brother."
 
Hwan said while sweeping the back of Wan's head. Wan, who had been crying for a long time while burying his head in his older brother's lap, felt it was absurd so a laugh came out.
 
"An older brother must act as an older brother to be an older brother."
 
"Look at you."
 
"What."
 
"I am the king now, you know?"
 
At that value-less threat, Wan let out a hollow laugh. Hwan likewise burst into laughter because the word he himself spat out was funny.
 
"That I am the king. I also find it absurd."
 
"My words exactly."
 
"Since I will abdicate, do you wish to be the king?"
 
"Consistent. Seriously."
 
Hwan, who received Wan's disillusion-filled gaze with his whole body, began to laugh once more. While everyone became listless with the sorrow of losing the king, only those two people became one with the sorrow of losing a father.
 

From the Annals of King Heejong
 
July 2012, the King passed away from a heart attack at Gangnyeongjeon. The Crown Prince, who was wailing beside the passed-away King, was unable to control his body and swooned.