Perfect Crown in Royal Academy of Korea - Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine: The Eve of the Storm

Wan intuited that not much of his patience remained. The matters he had started saying he would help his older brother were rather driving himself toward the edge of a cliff.
 
Although he had tried to refuse circuitously to his brother, who kept passing authorities to himself.
 
'I cannot make even my son live crushed by the weight of the royal family.'
 
"......"
 
His brother was adamant. Although he wished to ask whether it was alright to make his little brother a shield saying he would protect his son, Wan once more kept silence with patience. Because as much as Hwan loved his son, Wan likewise loved his nephew.
 
The plan Hwan chose to protect his son was not merely growing Wan's influence. Saying that just because one was a king's son did not mean they naturally had to become king, he blatantly emphasized the uncertainty regarding the succession. It was an action done while knowing that that was a matter of decreasing the influence of his wife and her family.
 
That Hwan, who had been like that, invested Yoon, who was barely three years old, as the Crown Prince was a sudden matter in many ways. The day after there was an official announcement from the Royal Secretariat that there would be a ritual investing Yoon as the Crown Prince, Hwan flew into a rage like a person who knew nothing at all.
 
He was like a person who definitely laid down the royal edict at the spot where the Chief Royal Secretary was present yet failed to remember everything. Watching Hwan, who was shouting saying someone had impersonated himself and drafted the royal edict, Wan felt a feeling of standing in the middle of hell.
 
Although it was true that he was usually skeptical about investing Yoon as the Crown Prince, it was certain that it was a royal edict his brother granted. Because that night, he phoned him and said, "My son will become king as well, it seems." Although his brother's voice saying that word was heard sadly, a conspiracy in the way that a royal edict he himself did not know of was granted was an absurd matter.
 
Since that day, the relationship between his brother and sister-in-law became irreversibly distant, and the relationship between the Queen Consort's Palace and the Grand Prince's Residence was likewise identical. It was because his brother fixed the Crown Prince's guardian as his uncle, himself. At the unprecedented royal command, her sister-in-law and the maternal relatives, of course, and even the royal relatives revolted immediately, but his brother dismissed all the commotion with the word that it was a king's command.
 
To his brother who threatened to withdraw the Crown Prince investment if she did not follow, his sister-in-law stepped back one pace and established a condition saying 'it shall not be proclaimed to the citizens'. Therefore, even if the citizens knew that Yoon became the Crown Prince, they did not know that his guardian was Grand Prince Leean.
 
Even until then, Wan was in a state capable of enduring. Although it was a matter of regret that he became a villain unintentionally, once his nephew became an adult, his role would finish, so it was a matter of waiting.
 
Above all, a guardian was a condition that premised the time when his brother was absent. It was a sound meaning that unless his brother went out on overseas public duties to leave the palace empty or his body was not good, there would be no matter to come forward either.
 
However, as his brother's condition deteriorated, the situation rushed toward the worst. His brother, who became unable to believe himself since the Crown Prince investment, had frequent days when he failed to distinguish between reality and dreams, and even while awake, he spent most of his time drunk on alcohol.
 
The Cabinet found that kind of Hwan extremely awkward. The royal family of the 21st century had to be a symbolic existence that showed an example before the citizens and made them feel pride. At a juncture where it fell short even to ceaselessly exhibit his appearance and show an appearance of devoting for the country, to make the citizens' blood tax wasteful, they had to find a solution.
 
The pragmatists argued for Hwan to come down from the dragon throne. Since there was also an outstanding royal family member who was already replacing his spot, there was no reason to hesitate.
 
But within the royal family, there was Yoon, who became the Crown Prince through a lawful procedure, and there was also Irang, who was his mother-queen. No matter how much it was the 21st century, the royal family's decision held justification as a priority over pragmatism.
 
Having no choice, the Cabinet brought out a next-best plan to clarify that Hwan was in the midst of illness and set Grand Prince Leean as the regent. It was a method of following the king's command that specified that when he was absent, the Crown Prince's guardian was Grand Prince Leean.
 
Irang, who did not hide an unpleasant look, accepted the Cabinet's opinion on the condition of receiving back the authorities of the Queen Consort's Palace that had been transferred to the Grand Prince's Residence. Also, she laid a condition to place a grace period of 6 months until officially proclaiming that he was the regent.
 
While a sharp process of adjusting opinions continued, Grand Prince Leean watched the situation without any particular word. In the first place, no one thought to ask Grand Prince Leean's opinion.
 
Jungwoo, who finished leftover work at the political party office, entered the palace. Since it was a palace he had gone in and out of since his days as a royal study companion, it was now to a level where he could exchange jokes with the gate guards while laughing.
 
Finding the path within the deep palace walls was also easy. In particular, Anhwadang, where Wan stayed, was a pavilion Wan had been using since he was young, so it was familiar.
 
The Anhwadang of these days performed almost the same function as the convenience hall. It was because the official documents that should be raised to His Majesty headed toward Wan, who was the regent. Thanks to that, Wan had longer times being in the palace than times staying at his private residence.
 
Whether that was stifling, to Wan, who schemed to leave the palace whenever a gap arose, the guards and the Cabinet said:
 
That the security level of a Grand Prince in the midst of regency and a general Grand Prince had no choice but to be different.
 
At the unarguable reason, Wan stayed in the palace unless he used an official vacation. Therefore, if Jungwoo wished to have a conversation with Wan, he had to seek out the palace, not the private residence.
 
"Grand Prince Your Highness, Representative Min Jungwoo has entered."
 
"Tell him to enter."
 
Jungwoo, who exchanged a familiar look with Court Lady Choi who opened the door, entered inside.
 
How much he was steeped in fatigue. The complexion of Wan, who was clutching his head before the desk, was hollow.
 
"Representative Min."
 
"Yes, Grand Prince Your Highness."
 
"Since I am extremely tired right now, I wish to do a favor."
 
"Do so."
 
As he answered easily with a pitying mind, Wan raised his head swiftly.
 
"I will sleep for only two hours."
 
"Right now?"
 
"Uh, because I will tell them not to let anyone enter pretending to talk about a very important story with you, only two hours. Uh?"
 
Jungwoo, who let out a hollow laugh at Wan who poured it out like a rapid-fire gun, sat leaning his back on the sofa.
 
"No wonder. He told me to come quickly even though there was no issue."
 
"Save a friend."
 
Jungwoo, who could not become a harsh person to the extent of refusing a friend's request asking to let him sleep a bit, nodded his head as if unable to win.
 
The Wan of usual times was not a type to make a groaning sound no matter how hard it was. That that kind of him made a favor of this degree was a sound meaning he failed to sleep for at least three days or so.
 
"There is only you."
 
Wan, who raised his heavy body, headed toward the bedroom like a zombie. Watching Wan who fell down with a thud and fell asleep in an instant, Jungwoo shook his head. He appeared to hold no spirit even to turn off the lighting.
 
Jungwoo, who turned off the bedroom lighting and closed the door carefully, stared at the documents Wan had been looking at. Documents raised from the Cabinet, files stamped with the Royal Secretariat mark, and data sent from the Queen Consort's Palace, the Ministry of Rites, and the Protection Bureau were piled up like a mountain.
 
"It seems he is overdoing it too much...."
 
Jungwoo, who shook his head, pulled out a book from the bookshelf. It was a novel that was read more entertainingly than expected.
 
At the juncture where his mood was becoming good feeling like he was spending a leisurely time after a long time, without even a sound of announcing, the door of Anhwadang opened.
 
While the embarrassed Jungwoo rose from his seat and stood awkwardly, Hyun, who wore the full dress of a royal aide, bowed his head.
 
"Representative Min."
 
"Ah, that, His Highness right now...."
 
While rolling his head as to what kind of excuse he should make—
 
"He is sleeping, right?"
 
Hyun exhibited a bright smile as if knowing entirely.
 
"Ah, you knew?"
 
"Yes, Grand Prince Your Highness said he would call the Representative and catch some shut-eye for a moment."
 
"Ah-ah."
 
Jungwoo, who had also seen Hyun when he was very young, felt Hyun wearing a full dress awkwardly, but Hyun did his job familiarly. Moving the ones Wan had sanctioned among the documents piled on top of the desk onto a handcart, and organizing the documents not yet sanctioned while distinguishing them with red and blue indexes, there was no blockage all the way.
 
"I heard the story that you became an aide, but seeing you in person, it's cool."
 
At Jungwoo's word, Hyun, who was engrossed, waved his hands as if embarrassed.
 
"Aie, cool indeed. I get scolded every day by Grand Prince Your Highness."
 
Seeing that he hummed a nose song despite having done so, it was not greatly different from the appearance of him playing in the private residence garden.
 
"Is it continuously like this these days?"
 
"Pardon?"
 
"Because it seems Grand Prince Your Highness could barely sleep."
 
"Ah.."
 
Hyun, who became crestfallen, nodded his head spiritlessly.
 
"That there is no time to sleep is a problem too, but even if he sleeps, he keeps repeatedly....."
 
Right at that moment, from the inner side of the bedroom, Wan's scream was heard. While the startled Jungwoo froze, Hyun ran into the bedroom. Through the gap of the opened door, Wan, whose face had turned pale, was visible. How much sweat he had shed, his pitch-black hair was soaked completely.