Perfect Crown in Royal Academy of Korea - Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty: Sin

Irang recalled the matter of the daytime. It was when she was sharing stories regarding the upcoming Royal Inner Banquet with the people of the Outer Court Ladies.
 
'His Majesty does not exhibit his appearance at all these days, it seems.'
 
Jeonggyeong-buin Lady Heo, the wife of Prime Minister Min, said. No matter how heavy Prime Minister Min’s mouth was, there was no way the Jeonggyeong-buin knew nothing at all. Nevertheless, her saying words in that manner was bound to be a heart wishing to mock her own precarious situation.
 
"It appears Madam does not know what Prime Minister Min knows."
 
"Pardon? As for me, of course...."
 
"There is bound to be a reason in Prime Minister Min not speaking."
 
"......"
 
Irang stared intently at Lady Heo. Because she would not be ignorant that saying she knew here, and saying she did not know, entirely were not good choices.
 
As expected, Lady Heo appeared a bit embarrassed, then hoisted a white flag by avoiding her vision.
 
Since she became the head of the Inner Court Ladies at a young age, that there were various difficulties was a matter having no choice. It wasn't as if other elders of the royal family were present either. It was a sound meaning there was no person who would become a protective shield or become a background support.
 
Therefore, she intended to endure it to a certain degree, but to tolerate being ignored because of her husband's weakness was not easy. If she began to permit it once or twice, it was certain that they would ignore her son, Yoon, as well. As her thoughts reached up to there, anger surged up.
 
Irang was a person who loved everything of the royal family. She loved not only the power possessed by the royal family, but even the history and traditions that the royal family had protected. Even if that was peradventure tedious and old-fashioned, it didn’t matter. The pride of the royal family, which had never collapsed even once during hundreds of years of time when everything changed, was soon Irang's pride.
 
Therefore, she had no choice but to hate her weak husband. It was terrible that the fellow who made everyone nearby unhappy because he failed to govern a mere unique mind was her husband.
 
"Where are you going, Your Majesty the Queen Consort."
 
"I will go to Gangnyeongjeon."
 
In the end, Irang, who started up from her seat, headed toward Gangnyeongjeon. Since there was also a report from Court Lady Park that Hwan's condition was alright after a long time, she hoped to be able to do a thing called conversation.
 
"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen Consort has entered."
 
"Tell her to enter."
 
Upon entering Gangnyeongjeon, her husband, whom she faced after a long time, was visible. Court Lady Park’s report that his condition was alright was true. Unlike having been drunk on alcohol every day, he was sitting in his place with quite a neat appearance today. To the extent that a resolution was felt, he was even wearing the dragon robe, which could not be seen unless it was an ordinary day.
 
"Your Majesty."
 
"Queen Consort."
 
Irang, who moved her steps slowly at the unfamiliar feeling, stared at the paper Hwan was writing on. She thought whether he had composed a tasteful poem or something....
 
"What is this."
 
"It is a royal edict saying I will abdicate to Grand Prince Leean."
 
"What word is that. Passing the throne to Grand Prince Leean!"
 
Irang glared at Hwan, unable to do anything about her eyelids that trembled rapidly. She felt that herself, who had tried to have a conversation, thinking of him as her husband anyway and as the father of her child, was ridiculous. He had done a crazy deed like that when investing Yoon as the Crown Prince, and it appeared he eventually failed to suppress his madness again.
 
"Have you truly gone mad."
 
"It is better than dying, at least."
 
At that word, Irang wept and laughed. In the midst of tears flowing from fury, she could not suppress a sneer.
 
"Exactly what is so difficult that you do such a death throe."
 
"Queen Consort."
 
"The work is done by Grand Prince Leean, and the insult is received by me and the Crown Prince, so why!!!"
 
Irang poured out a fury like a scream.
 
"Is Your Majesty saying you will die."
 
Hwan, who was watching his wife's sharp fury quietly, turned his vision back to the royal edict. As if his own opinion was not important anyway, there was no blockage in his hand holding the brush. Irang, who could not endure, gripped the candlestick that was brightening the inside of the room.
 
"Rather die. That is the matter for the Crown Prince."
 
"Queen Consort!"
 
Whether Hwan shouted or not, Irang set fire to the royal edict. Just as he did not regard her opinion as important, it was enough for her to disregard his opinion as well.
 
At that time, Wan was at Gangnyeongjeon by his older brother's call. Wan, who arrived at the corridor before the bedroom, chose to wait at the word that Irang was present, and also, the one who arrived just at that moment was Yoon, who was the Crown Prince. Wan and Yoon headed toward the adjoining room, which was a side room of the bedroom.
 
Right at that time when he was doing a car play while making Yoon sit on his lap, the loud voices of the two people were heard. The action he took as soon as he heard his brother's voice saying he would pass the throne to himself was blocking his nephew's ears. His eyes, which were brimming with tears as if already frightened, were pitying.
 
While tightly embracing his nephew who dug into his bosom, Wan leaned his ears. Every single time he had to perform the role of a king without being a king, there were many times he rather wished to be a king, but he did not think his brother's words were sincerity. It was certain to be a death throe he did because he was fearful anyway.
 
If he knew that that trivial death throe drove his little brother into a corner, it would be good if he did it appropriately.
 
Wan, who was disgusted by his brother's cowardice, leaned his head against the wall. He thought that he would forget it all again by tomorrow anyway, so for what did his sister-in-law exhaust her strength.
 
"Queen Consort!"
 
Along with his brother's outcry, the sound of the bedroom door opening was heard. His sister-in-law's shadow leaving the corridor flickered beyond the paper sliding door.
 
"Ha.."
 
Wan, who let out a small sigh, looked down at Yoon whom he was holding.
 
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, you must see His Majesty the King next time."
 
"Yes, Uncle."
 
His nephew, who was barely five years old, possessed a brilliance that caught even the meaning of difficult words well. Wishing that he had prayed to hear nothing, Wan left Gangnyeongjeon.
 
Wan, who returned to Anhwadang, pulled out sleeping pills that he did not usually eat well and swallowed them. Even if his brother said he called again, he did not wish to go. It was already a too fatigued day. In the dawn, he woke up having dreamed a nightmare without fail, and in the daytime, he was out of his mind working all day long, and in the evening, he had to be called to Gangnyeongjeon even while skipping his meal.
 
Therefore, for today at least, he wished to ignore his brother's call.
 
But—
 
"Grand Prince Your Highness."
 
Court Lady Choi entered inside along with a grand chest.
 
"What is this."
 
"They say His Majesty wove clothes matching Your Highness."
 
"Brother did?"
 
Wan, who opened the chest with a questionable face, drew back his steps without knowing. The face of Court Lady Choi, who stood on tiptoe as if curious what kind of clothes it would be, also froze in an instant. What was contained in the chest was a bright red dragon robe.
 
"Ha.."
 
Wan, whose spirit became hazy from the sleeping pills he ate just before, spat out an annoyed sigh. A thought arose that peradventure this time, Brother might have really resolved.
 
A perversity began to be placed deep within his heart. For his brother, escaping would be enough, but he himself had to correct the errors created because of the numerous timings his brother missed.
 
"Court Lady Choi."
 
"Yes, Grand Prince Your Highness."
 
"It appears Brother will do an abdication."
 
"Since His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is present, how could...."
 
For example, these kinds of things.
 
It felt like he would die because he hated his brother who passed entirely everything to himself only when the time became completely late.
 
And at that moment, Hyun, whose face turned pale, came running inside.
 
"A grand matter has arisen. Your Highness!"
 
Wan, who began to run upon hearing the sound that Gangnyeongjeon was burning, staggered at the suffocating fear watching the black smoke soaring up above the sky.
 
No way.
 
Up to his brother, it won't be.
 
No way.
 
The front yard of Gangnyeongjeon, where he ran while reciting a desperate wish like a prayer, was already filled with the weeping sounds of palace attendants. Even at that moment, Wan did not think a mishap would have arisen to his brother. How many were the people who resided in Gangnyeongjeon, and the one whom all the people of this palace protected was his brother, so there was no way it could be so.
 
But as if sneering at that kind of desperate wish, his brother was carried out loaded on a stretcher. Although they had covered him with a white cloth, everyone could know. Because that the fire-singed red dragon robe belonged to his brother was something everyone knew.
 
Even in the midst of a feeling of reality not being felt, Wan advanced toward his brother. While the weeping palace attendants made a path, Wan's vision was entirely touching his brother. As he cleared away the white cloth, his brother, who looked as comfortable as if asleep, revealed his appearance.
 
That he shouldn't have left Gangnyeongjeon. That he shouldn't have returned to Anhwadang. That he shouldn't have left his brother alone.
 
What arose after repeating regrets that had already become late was Yoon. What his brother, who did not know a method to protect anything, exerted effort to protect somehow was Yoon.
 
"Where is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
 
As the eunuch, who was embarrassed at the calm question, mumbled, Wan knitted his brows.
 
"My nephew, who will succeed my brother's back, I mean."
 
Other than the thought that he would protect Yoon, nothing arose. Since there was no brother who said it was alright to weep, a heart wishing to weep did not arise either. He merely wished to wash away the sin of failing to protect his brother.
 
 
From the Annals of Seonjong
 
March 2022, Gangnyeongjeon was engulfed in flames. The guards and eunuchs tried to rescue the King, but because the door of the bedroom was closed from the inside, they missed the timing, so it was truly a matter to lament.
 
—End