Perfect Crown in Royal Academy of Korea - Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: The Child Who Is Loved

As the birthday of Chairman Sung Hyunkook arrived, the public relations office of Castle Group became busy. There were many who possessed interest as much as the status of Castle Group, which boasted the top spot in the financial world's ranking. In a good way, or in a bad way.
 
Consequently, the employees of the Castle Hotel where the party was being held poured all kinds of effort into not making a single mistake. There was much to care about, such as tuning the music not to be too loud and filling the flowers with ones whose fragrance was not excessive.
 
But despite this effort, Chairman Sung Hyunkook's birthday always failed to escape the evaluation of being frivolous and extravagant. A kind of obsession telling himself not to appear frivolous was rather carrying weight onto that frivolity.
 
A tycoon of commoner origin.
 
Hyunkook knitted his brows while reading a newspaper where a commentary about himself was written. He was sick and tired of the title attached in front of the three characters of his name. No matter how much he exerted effort, and no matter how much he climbed toward a high place, he could not shake off the tag of being of commoner origin. Both the word saying he was magnificent for a commoner, and the word saying it couldn't be helped because he was a commoner.
 
It was a status only in name. It wasn't that the aristocrats' consciousness of privilege or chosen people nation ideology was blatant either. In the first place, the number of aristocrats was very small. But that small number was occupying most of the social leadership class. There, they solidified their class. While drawing a line even while recognizing a class different from themselves, and ostracizing even while hanging out together.
 
If they despised him openly instead, he would at least face them.
 
Hyunkook, who swallowed his bitter feeling with effort, stood in front of the mirror. He was a person thoroughly accustomed to their subtle disregard. Because the time when he was a young man was a time when class discrimination was more if it was more, not less. Actually, the more his status rose, the more he felt the checks and disregard of the aristocrats grew severe.
 
Therefore, occasionally he used to have that kind of thought. The thought that if he were not a tycoon, and if he hadn't invaded their territory because of that, he wouldn't experience this subtle despise either.
 
"Father!"
 
At that moment, a cheerful voice was heard. It was Taejoo, who arrived after only changing clothes at home. Behind the son who was laughing while handing over a grand bouquet of flowers, there was a daughter with a face that was the dead ringer for himself.
 
Heejoo looked at her father, who was surrounded by the executive board and receiving congratulatory greetings. Then, she also tried imagining herself standing in that spot.
 
When considering her appearance resembling her father, her talent resembling her father, and even her personality resembling her father, it felt like a natural order for her father's position to become her position as well.
 
Just then, her eyes met her father's. Although the face smiling as if proud was unfamiliar, her father waved his hand as if telling her to come here. The moment Heejoo, who swallowed her breath without her knowledge, rose from her seat—
 
"Sung Taejoo, what are you doing. Come here and give a greeting."
 
The one her father searched for was Sung Taejoo, who sat behind her.
 
Heejoo, who was about to sit back down in her seat, changed her mind and walked straight to her father. Her father appeared flustered for a moment, but straightened his facial color before long. It seemed he didn't want to hear up to words saying he was a father who treated his child coldly, on top of the stigma of having made an illegitimate child.
 
Heejoo gave a deep bow toward the executive board.
 
"Hello. I am Sung Heejoo."
 
Between the people where a bit of silence flowed, awkward laughter burst. Then, a completely insincere greeting formality followed. Things like they heard a lot of words from the Chairman, or they didn't know the daughter was this pretty. It was a feast of stories that were obviously lies, but there was a fun in looking at her father's expression.
 
It seemed his inside was turning over at the fact that a child he didn't love snatched away the interest and favor of the people, which he would have wanted to give to the child he loved.
 
"You have arrived!"
 
The court servants of the private residence welcomed Jungwoo. The private residence of Grand Prince Leean was a place that had nothing to call a guest. Even if there was a family gathering, it was the principle for Wan to enter the palace, and because of Wan's position where he could not give his side privately, he had almost no friends.
 
As that was the case, Jungwoo was almost the only outsider who could enjoy the beauty and abundance of Grand Prince Leean's private residence.
 
Passing through the courtyard of the private residence and stepping onto the wooden veranda, the court servants moved busily following Jungwoo. While carrying figs, crackers, and flower tea, which Jungwoo liked, to the study.
 
"I will eat well."
 
At the very brief moment Jungwoo, who didn't forget his greeting of gratitude, tilted his teacup,
 
"You came early."
 
Wan, with a listless face, entered the study. It was a moment when the mouths of the court servants, which had been noisy, were quietly shut. Every time it was like this, Jungwoo realized that Wan was the Grand Prince of this country.
 
Jungwoo was one who had seen Wan ever since he was eight years old. Although he had no choice but to use respectful speech in front of others, when only the two of them were together, exchanging rough words that men of that age side would do was a daily routine. Because they were in a relationship where he knew even the moment he threw a fit while memorizing multiplication tables, and all the insignificance of the days he fell down and cried while playing soccer.
 
Therefore, whenever he felt that he was the Grand Prince of this country, it used to become needlessly unfamiliar. As if he were not the friend he knew. Of course, such a moment was not long.
 
"Ugh, it's sweet."
 
Because the face of his childhood when he was a picky eater and his face now when he couldn't eat sweet things were not that different,
 
"Did you do exercise or something at this hour?"
 
Jungwoo, who was looking at the moisture dropping from his hair, asked.
 
"Because it's hot."
 
"It's October though?"
 
"Because I had a phone call with Royal Father since morning, a burning anger arises in my entire body."
 
"Ah."
 
It seemed he was scolded again.
 
"Why again today."
 
"I don't know. He's making a fuss telling me not to stay too close with Yoon Irang."
 
"Yoon Irang?"
 
"......"
 
Wan, who acted as if he would talk smoothly, shut his mouth as if thinking 'uh oh.' Seeing him unfurl a folding fan and flutter it, he seemed to be in a state of dying of frustration, but it seemed he couldn't grasp a feeling whether it was alright to speak.
 
"You can speak. Since I know too."
 
"What?"
 
"That Yoon Irang is the Crown Princess Consort designate."
 
"How do you know that?"
 
"Are you forgetting that my father is the Prime Minister?"
 
"Ah..."
 
Only then did Wan nod his head and fold the fan with a snap sound.
 
"But are you close with Yoon Irang?"
 
"Close, what do you mean close. It's only to the extent of exchanging a few words."
 
Whether it was annoying the more he thought, Wan knitted his brows.
 
"Saying words will come out if I am too close with a person who will become my sister-in-law, or something like that."
 
"He is being careful in advance."
 
"No, if it's a relationship that will become family anyway, isn't it better to be close?"
 
Jungwoo let out a loose chuckle without his knowledge. What Wan, who looked like a single drop of blood wouldn't come out even if pricked, was thinking was cute in being warm, and even charmingly detailed.
 
"Hey, can you marry a person you don't love?"
 
"Suddenly?"
 
"Our brother does it, and Yoon Irang does it too. Without love. I am asking if you can do it too."
 
"Well…."
 
Jungwoo, who was looking at Wan asking quite seriously, slurred the end of his words. It was a topic he hadn't particularly thought about.
 
"If it's a thing that must be done, I must do it."
 
But the answer was simple. Wan's mouth fell wide open.
 
"You were that kind of person?"
 
"Why, do you want to do a marriage that has love?"
 
"Is that not a matter of course?"
 
Wan received a shock at the fact that even Jungwoo, whom he trusted, found a marriage without love possible. Although he knew he was a cold-blooded man pretending to be sweet, to think he would have no romance to this extent. Exactly what of his did they see to make him a study companion, telling him to learn.
 
"Just accept it. If you accept it, it's comfortable."
 
"What if I can't accept it."
 
"It's treason, what else.”
 
"......"
 
Wan, who was at a loss for words, grew quiet. Just as Jungwoo said, compliance was a destiny for royalty. Because not losing the honor and majesty piled up by ancestors was the sole reason for existence and duty.
 
But protecting the state altars was a work for Royal Father or his older brother to do.
 
"It's alright. I can do it. A love marriage."
 
"The dream is grand. Friend."
 
"Since Royal Father loves my brother, he will interfere with marriage and everything, but it's not me."
 
Wan spoke with an innocent face.
 
"Even if I marry whomever, he won't even care, will he?"
 
"Why do you say that kind of word while eating a fig."
 
"What do you know, being the eldest son who is loved."
 
"Hey."
 
"Don't make that kind of expression. Because it's a word I say because I feel good."
 
Wan showed a bright smile as if proving that word was the truth.
 
Royal Father failed in making a happy home, but he himself had confidence. If he had to betray the duty of the Royal Family for that, he also had confidence. Because he would absolutely never say a word telling his person to sacrifice for the Royal Family.
 
If that was the sole privilege the second son of the Royal Family could enjoy, it was truly satisfying.