A woman who managed to survive in the palace was, indeed, ruthless and fiercely jealous. Even as her maid, close to tears, pleaded that something terrible might happen at this rate, Yuhwa, who had even taken out a cotton quilt in the middle of the day and wrapped herself tightly in it, was sweating profusely like rain pouring down, but endured without taking a single sip of water.
The night she heard that the king had embraced a woman from a world unknown to her, her insides boiled with rage and frustration, and she couldn’t sleep a wink.
As soon as morning came, she left her residence, and for the first time, she saw the unfamiliar woman being supported by palace maids as she came out of the king’s chambers.
A strange hair colour, and features that looked both familiar and different from the people here.
To anyone’s eyes, it was obvious that the woman who emerged from the king’s embrace had been a virgin, and the clothes she wore looked finer than her own.
Having secretly caught sight of the woman embraced by the king, Yuhwa couldn’t sleep properly from that day on and anxiously bit her fingernails.
Though maintaining a neat appearance was one of the most important rules during her queen training, she found it hard to calm herself, worried that the king’s attention might turn to that strange woman.
To make matters worse, the situation grew even more troubling. Already unable to sleep properly, she heard the news that the king had ordered the woman to remain in the palace.
Even though she was openly preparing to become queen, Yuhwa felt she could no longer remain passive about the king’s decision to act that way. And just as she had driven out her previous rivals, she began preparing to eliminate this one as well.
But this time, that alone wasn't enough.
While she herself hadn’t even properly held the king’s hand yet because she was busy preparing to become queen, that unfamiliar woman was already in his arms.
Unlike the women who had died after entering the king’s chambers, she came out unscathed, so it was obvious the king would seek her out again.
That was why she kept enduring. If she fell ill from the heat, the king would have no choice but to come looking for her, so making her presence known, even in that manner, was her top priority.
Ignoring the anxious voice of her maid, who was pacing nervously with a worried face, Yuhwa quietly closed her eyes.
If she kept this up for just a few more days, even the healthiest body wouldn’t be able to endure it and would end up falling ill.
Then, under the pretext of cooling down, she would loosen her jeogori and, while reluctantly showing a shy demeanour, pretend to meet his gaze and act coquettishly.
Indeed, Yuhwa’s stubborn act of feigning illness succeeded. After two days of such foolish behaviour, by midday, when the weather was unusually hot, dizziness made her body sway. When her maid came running over, Yuhwa snapped at her to back off, and even after that, she remained exposed to the heat without any protection for over an hour. In the end, she collapsed, and only then could news of her condition reach the king.
Even though she hadn’t eaten anything, Yuhwa kept vomiting, her body trembling as she suffered from fever. Still, while lying down, she had her maid dress her up to look as pretty as possible when the king arrived. It was remarkable mental strength, enduring a heatstroke that would have left others in agony. Rather than feeling miserable, her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing the king up close for the first time in so long.
And finally, when the king visited her quarters late at night, Yuhwa closed her eyes without wiping away the beads of sweat forming on her forehead, trying to look as frail as possible. Normally, she was only allowed to meet the king in official settings until she was chosen as queen, but being ill was an exception, and she needed to take full advantage of this opportunity.
"Are you very ill?"
At the sound of the king’s low voice, Yuhwa almost let out a sharp breath through her nose. Having endured the heat to the point of death just to see him, she was so overwhelmed that she struggled to keep her emotions in check and barely managed to pretend to open her eyes.
"I... am..."
It wasn’t entirely an act. She had, after all, wrapped herself up in a thick cotton quilt so foolishly that she actually ended up with heatstroke.
At the sound of her hoarse and faltering voice, the king’s gaze fell upon Yuhwa’s face. Even while sick, she tried to sit up with an apologetic expression, but the king raised his hand to stop her.
"How did this happen?"
There was no particular concern in the king’s voice. Nevertheless, Yuhwa felt her heart pounding even more at his cool and seemingly indifferent attitude.
“...I humbly apologise. My foolishness has led to this.”
“I will replace your personal maid with another court lady.”
"Pardon...?"
"The Buyeon is in such a state, yet her maid remains perfectly fine — this simply won’t do."
"Ah... no, Your Majesty. This happened because I foolishly failed to take proper care of myself. I am deeply honoured by your concern."
If her current maid, who knew her personality and all the schemes she had carried out, were replaced now, she would have to put on an act every day in front of those around her. Although she could show her true self, if the maid had been changed at the king’s command, the new maid would surely report her every move to the other senior court ladies.
“You travelled such a long way late at night on my account... I am deeply sorry. Having been unable to properly prepare, please allow me at least to offer my respectful greetings.”
"That's enough."
"...Even so, Your Majesty...."
Yuhwa placed her small hand over her chest and looked toward the king with a sorrowful gaze. Her pale skin, set against the white hanbok she wore, was so dazzlingly beautiful it almost hurt to look at. But the king, leaving only a few words to take care of her health, immediately turned away.
Compared to the two days of hardship, it was a moment that felt all too fleeting.
As soon as the king left, Yuhwa lay down, dizziness and nausea swirling from the strain of keeping up the act, yet she still managed a faint, satisfied smile.
Even if it seemed like she hadn’t achieved much, she had shown enough to stir the king’s heart.
Now, all that was left was to drive out that strange woman, Yewon or whatever her name was, from the palace.
"I feel like I’m going to die. What on earth must I do to get rid of this fever?!"
As soon as the king left, Yuhwa, who had been smiling with satisfaction, suddenly flared up in anger and roughly grabbed the arm of the maid beside her.
The maid, whose arm was grabbed hard enough to dishevel her clothes, hurriedly left the room, saying she would fetch cold water again.
Meanwhile, Yuhwa roughly tore off the delicate inner jeogori and inner chima she had been wearing.
“I’m suffering through all this hardship because of you — a lowborn wench without any pedigree, so I will make you suffer the same pain.”
・・・・・
‘Let me think. Is there any way to escape without harming General Hunmu?’
‘Pregnancy? Don’t make me laugh! I would never want to carry your child. Not even if it killed me.’
Until I met the king again in the flower garden, I spent my days feeling powerless. But after talking with him, I became wide awake and alert.
If I didn’t firmly secure my place in this palace, my life could be in danger, and the only way to avoid that was by becoming pregnant with the king’s child.
As I thought, there was no way I could stay here for long.
Even if it meant hardship, I had to escape the palace.
But in order to go outside, I needed the king's permission, and I couldn’t confide my true feelings to a palace maid who hadn't yet earned my trust.
Earlier, I had thought about just being honest and asking her to help me get out, but every time I did, the face of General Hunmu, who had been punished with sahal because of me, came to mind.
"Huu..."
I knew I had to stay here and learn how the palace operated, but the truth was, I wasn’t exactly the rational type — just thinking about things like that was already stressful.
Still, it was less stressful than being around the king, so I didn’t really have a choice.
Having steeled myself, I pretended to head to the flower garden and used the chance to carefully observe my surroundings.
The palace was full of cherry trees, and when I subtly asked about them, I was told they had been planted so the fruit could be picked at any time to be offered to the king and the queen dowager.
Now that I think about it, when I did a university project on trees, I once shared an anecdote about how King Munjong personally planted and tended cherry trees in the rear garden of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and offered the cherries to his ailing father, King Sejong, who was said to have greatly enjoyed them.
It might not seem useful now, but if I kept remembering and gathering even these small details, a way out might eventually come to me. For now, though, I still couldn’t think of any way to escape without causing harm to General Hunmu.
“So the flower garden was all you wanted?”
As I gazed at the cherry trees and absentmindedly plucked a flower from the garden, a voice sounded — a voice that made my heart drop with a heavy thud.
The other day, the king’s voice had made my heart flicker like a candle in the wind, but now, this voice came to me carrying a tangled blend of emotions.
The person who appeared, asking if all I wanted was the flower garden, was General Hunmu, the man who had once been punished with sahal.
It had been several days since I last saw him, and when I finally did, General Hunmu had a scab on the corner of his lip, as though he’d been in some kind of fight.
However, perhaps because of the breeze that just happened to blow, or because I was comparing him to the king whom I saw in the flower garden, he had quite a gentle aura. Perhaps his long hair, softly drifting in the wind, only added to that impression.
Watching the palace maid bow her head respectfully to General Hunmu, I belatedly greeted him as well and stepped into the flower garden to stand before him.
Seeing him appear just as I was reaffirming my resolve to leave, I realised that unless I could find a way to escape without causing any harm, escaping this palace would be impossible.
“Are you feeling alright...?”
"What do you mean?"
"I heard from the king that you regained consciousness after several days… but…"
At my words, General Hunmu’s expression flickered. But soon his expression turned blank, and instead of answering, he asked another question.
“Has the wound on your arm healed?”
The scab from the wound scraped by the stone had fallen off, but the mark still remained.
When I casually rolled up my sleeve to show my arm, the palace maid let out a startled hiccup, and General Hunmu turned his head away.
It was only then that I realised a woman embraced by the king must be careful even about showing her arm to others.
"Did the king not ask why you got the wound?"
"...Yes."
There wasn’t even time for that. The candle went out, and before my clothes were even completely removed, I was roughly pressed against him from behind.
When my expression darkened at the memory of that rough movement from that night I had tried to forget, General Hunmu said, “That’s enough,” and immediately turned his back.
"...I'm sorry."
He stood tall.
“Because of me… You suffered such a dreadful punishment called sahal… I’ve been deeply concerned ever since.”
“It’s not your fault. This happened because of my own shortcomings.”
“Still, it was because I ran away…”
"Be careful with your words. You got lost in the forest; you didn’t run away."
General Hunmu paused for a moment but then disappeared without so much as a glance back.
I realised too late that the palace maid was listening when I mistakenly said I had run away. Fortunately, Hunmu clarified that I had simply gotten lost, which helped prevent any unnecessary suspicion.
“My lady, please go back inside. It’s hot today.”
Despite the wounds on his lips, seeing General Hunmu in decent condition brought me great relief. Knowing he had awakened after three days, I had felt guilty even for simply lying there and resting.
But did General Hunmu come just to check the wound on my arm?
Either way, I was glad he came.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yes, Your Highness! Please ask me anything you wish.”
“Who is this person called Buyeon Yuhwa?”
"Pardon?"
At my sudden question, the palace maid who had just encouraged me to ask anything flushed with embarrassment.
I wasn’t sure if I had used the wrong title or asked something I shouldn’t have; everything still felt unfamiliar, so I panicked too.
Seeing this, the palace maid, who had been glancing around nervously, stepped closer and finally spoke.
“‘Buyeon’ is the title used before someone becomes queen. Lady Yuhwa is currently undergoing training to become the queen.”
“What...? Training to become queen? You mean there’s a woman who’s going to marry the king?”
“Your Highness! Please watch your words! I’m afraid someone might hear you.”
"Ah… so there’s a woman who will marry His Majesty?"
“Yes, many candidates came to the palace, but now only Lady Yuhwa remains.”
"...So once that training is finished, she will become queen?"
“That is correct.”
Crazy king. Even though he already had a promised bride, he held me so recklessly, and when I said it hurt, he didn’t care at all, but bit and licked my skin?
I was already aware that traditionally, kings practised polygamy and had many women, but knowing he already had a woman destined to be queen, anger welled up inside me at the king for embracing me.
Come to think of it, I remembered what the king said when I first met him.
After our eyes met, he said he might as well gouge out my eyeballs to feed the birds that Yuhwa raised.
Even in my wildest dreams, I never would have guessed that the Yuhwa he mentioned was the name of the woman who would become queen.
“Does she know that I live inside the palace?”
“I do not know for sure, my lady. However, there was some commotion not long ago during the creation of the flower garden, so she may be aware."
How would the woman destined to be queen feel, watching the king embrace another woman instead of her?
Though I didn’t know what she looked like, I felt a strange sense of guilt toward the woman named Yuhwa, and though that if I ever met her, I should treat her with proper respect.
But that woman’s life was no less tragic.
Of all the many noble-born children, how did she end up destined to become the king’s wife?
Although it was the highest honour a woman could have, given the king’s condition, I doubt anyone would want to do it, even if they were paid.
Then again, the queen wouldn’t die, so maybe I was the more unfortunate one, having to carve out a place for myself inside the palace.
In the end, if we both had to stay by the king’s side, it was really no different either way.
・・・・・
“...”
In the pitch-black night, the king stood silently before an unnamed grave.
General Hunmu, holding a torch, stood a step behind, enduring the heavy atmosphere alone.
The owner of the grave was a woman who had lived a turbulent life that wouldn’t earn her even a single mention in history. At the same time, she was also the very person who created the current mad king.
Though she had given birth to the king of a nation, her grave, left neglected for years without even a simple headstone, remained tidy, thanks to a servant who had cared for it.
"Hunmu."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
“The woman I once followed when I was a child, thinking she was my mother — isn’t she dead and gone now?”
“...”
“If that’s the case, shouldn’t we now seat this woman in the queen dowager’s position?”
"Pardon?"
“It’s a joke. What difference does it make whether we seat someone already dead as queen dowager, or let her lie buried forever like this?”
The king soon stepped forward and placed his hand on the burial mound. His touch was light at first, but before long, he grabbed a handful of the well-tended grass.
Since it was summer, when insects were at their peak, Hunmu tried to stop him, but at the sound of the king’s voice, he bowed his head again and stood respectfully.
“Give the old man who tended this grave a proper reward. Make sure he never has to go hungry for the rest of his life.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall carry out your command.”
"Had she lived, she would probably be around the same age as the late queen dowager by now."
“The one who tended the grave is old and doesn’t remember clearly, but I’ve heard she entered the palace at a young age, so that must be so.”
Hunmu was reminded anew of the chaos in the palace a few years ago. The once perfectly peaceful court was swept by a bloody storm after the current king had nearly been poisoned by someone.
The grave incident, which left a permanent scar beneath the left side of the king’s neck, seemed to end with the death of a woman. However, it was soon revealed to the world that the queen dowager, the king’s own mother, was behind it.
Having barely survived and awakened to the fact that the mother he had trusted and relied on for over twenty years had tried to kill him, the king changed day by day and ruthlessly uncovered the truth.
Soon after, his only brother, the grand prince, was poisoned in the same way. The queen dowager died from the shock, and not long after, the late king also passed away.
Many rumours circulated in the palace after the late king’s death, but once dozens who spoke carelessly had their tongues torn out and died, everyone fell silent.
Around that time, the king, who had ordered Hunmu to kill him, said that if Hunmu couldn’t bring himself to raise his sword, he would come to regret it. But Hunmu never once regretted sparing his life.
Rather, he hoped that his former childhood friend, suddenly burdened with so much, would become a virtuous king and leave the pain of the past behind.
The king, standing with his back turned, lifted the corners of his lips but did not smile. Though his voice was gentle, it revealed a cruel nature. No one who displeased the king ever left alive.
Sometimes, people were killed even without defying him.
"Let's go back."
The king soon vaulted onto the horse he had ridden in on, without any help from Hunmu. There was a time when he said he would rather live freely than be bound to the title of king. He loved martial arts, and before he changed, he often went hunting with Hunmu.
Why did such cruel things happen to a man who had no desire for power?
Upon arriving at the palace, the king refused even the palanquin and walked on foot. The crescent moon hung round in the sky, and though everyone feared the king’s back as he walked away, to General Hunmu’s eyes, it looked lonely.
But soon, Hunmu, following behind the king, noticed that his steps were leading somewhere other than his chambers.
"Your Majesty, are you going somewhere else?"
"I want to see the woman you brought. The one called Yewon."
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