Chapter Text
Park Gyeong-U observed the two princes who were fast asleep next to him. Being a prince must be rare for them to work and move around a lot. He stood up and walked out of his room only to find out the girl who confidently asked to stay the night at his house, basking in the sun while watching the sunrise. Her head turned toward him and smiling softly at him.
"Good morning," she said. Her voice was bright and crisp amidst the sounds of the ocean waves. Park Gyeong-U couldn't help but smile seeing her easygoing personality.
"Look like you sleep alright, Agashi?" said Park Gyeong-U with a teasing smile.
The girl chuckled. "Yes, this is my first time staying near the ocean. I thought the sound of waves would bother me, but it lulled me to sleep instead," said the girl. "So the saying you never knew until you tried is truly real," the girl continued.
"Let's go. I'll buy breakfast for you." Park Gyeong-U gave a cue to the girl to follow him.
"Ne?" The girl asked for confirmation as he act differently from last night.
"Breakfast. The only tavern on this island is open at this hour. If you are late, you have to wait until lunch to eat." Park Gyeong-U said with a clear and loud voice. He could treat the princes harshly but he couldn't do that to this naive little girl.
Park Gyeong-U walked with the girl who followed behind him. They walked in silence while enjoying the sunrise on the beach.
She smiled when Park Gyeong-U introduced herself as his niece. Local people became so enthusiastic and welcomed her with open arms. Several women even played matchmakers and suggested she meet their sons. She only smiled and said that she already had a fiancee.
Park Gyeong-U widened his eyes. "You already have a fiancee?"
"Well, I'm working on it." said a girl named Yoon Cheongha with a bright face.
Park Gyeong-U blinked several times as he couldn't believe what he had heard. How could she say so straightforwardly like that? Did she even know that she chased the prince of this country? The prince that maybe in the future would sit in the crown prince's seat.
"Did your parents know that you came here?" asked Park Gyeong-U curiously.
"I left a letter for them so they wouldn't worry," said Cheongha lightly.
Park Gyeong-U facepalmed. He felt sorry for this girl's parents right now. He shook his head a little and started eating the abalone porridge the tavern served.
"Oh.... delicious," Cheongha exclaimed excitedly. Her eyes dark eyes twinkled while looking at the porridge. "I hate porridge. But this is so delicious."
"Manwol-do is a shabby place, but it also has charms," said Park Gyeong-U proudly.
"This is a beautiful place. The scenery was amazing, the people were very welcome, and the food was delicious."
Park Gyeong-U smiled softly at Cheongha's enthusiastic face and said "Are you not scared visiting a place alone like this? There are robbers and tugs everywhere."
"I could do a few martial arts," said Cheongha grinning with mischief.
"If you like someone, you should tell your father. He would be the one who worked for your wedding." Park Gyeong-U gave his advice and he really did hope this girl could take it.
"My father's requirement is a bit high. He won't allow me to marry a penniless scholar or royal police." Cheongha pouted, she had a faraway gaze as if remembering her father.
"Uhuk... Uhuk..." Park Gyeong-U choked his porridge. Where did this girl get the impression from? Penniless? That prince?
"Then how could you like him if he was penniless? Would your life be miserable if you followed someone with no future?" said Park Gyeong-U. He didn't want to reveal the identity of the prince to her as it was not his place to do that.
"Because he is handsome," said Cheongha seriously.
Park Gyeong-U's jaw dropped.
"You couldn't choose a man because he is handsome." Park Gyeong-U admonished her.
"All men are the same. At least the one I will be married to is handsome. I can enjoy his face every day."
"Could you marry a man just because he is handsome? You need money and his affection to live a good life," said Park Gyeong-U. A look of exasperated flashed over his face.
"I could get my own money. Affection...? It was something that you couldn't control. Whether your spouse is handsome or ugly, you still can't control their feeling. You could have an ugly spouse, and he still doesn't like you. So if I could, I would choose the handsome man as my husband. At least my children would have a beautiful face." Cheongha smiled brightly with a dreamy look on her face.
Park Gyeong-U only could nod his head. This girl's brain apparently had been set differently, not that he hated it. He could see a different perspective from it.
"Still, coming to this island alone is a big risk."
"Seonseng-nim, if we want something, we should be ready to work for it."
"Well, that's true. But what if other people think of you as an improper woman?"
"Seonseng-nim, did you ever want something so badly?" She quirked a dark eyebrow at him.
"Of course," said Park Gyeong-U fast.
"Would you back off because of some obstacles?" she challenged him.
Park Gyeong-U went silent.
"When you want something, you should see the goal, not the hurdles. If you only see the difficulties and then back off because of them, you wouldn't accomplish anything."
Park Gyeong-U laughed. "But sometimes the hurdle is so big that it would harm you."
" Is there anything in the world that would fall into your lap without getting work on it? Nothing. Everything comes with a price. If the hurdles were big, so was the goal, right?" said Cheongha, her face wearing a sudden formidable look.
Park Gyeong-U couldn't find a word to deny this woman. After all, she was telling the truth.
"You are greedy if you want something big with so few obstacles. The world doesn't work like that," said Cheongha, who gave a scoffing laugh.
Park Gyeong-U couldn't help but laugh. It felt like this girl judged him right now. He wanted this country to prosper, yet he ran away when his best friend took the throne. He had been called by the palace several times, but he still avoided it because he was sick of the people in the court. Instead worked hard to make the country strong, they fought for their own gain. And now he had been slapped by teenage girl words.
"You're right. The world doesn't work like that," said Park Gyeong-U softly. He smiled gratefully at the girl. He could see why one of the princes was considerate of her. Talking with her was fun.
They talked about the culture in Manwol-do while eating porridge. Park Gyeong-U won't let Cheongha paid their meal as she was his guest.
"Don't buy it for them," he said when she tried to buy takeaway porridge for people who fell asleep in his house.
"Why not?"
"You can't be too accommodating to your man. Instead of being grateful, they tend to take you for granted."
"Really?" Cheongha's brows lifted in surprise.
"Yes, I'm telling you from a man's point of view here."
Cheongha's eyes show a hesitant look.
"They are a young man. They won't die if you don't buy them a meal," he said, a teasing quirk at the corner of his mouth.
As the king ordered, Park Gyeong-U let the new crown prince help him check on taxation documents. He visited the Crown Prince's palace with a hand full of reports and scrolls. He had to acknowledge that the new crown prince was better than the rumor he had heard about him. Apparently, the new crown prince used to be a rebel prince with a stubborn temper, thankfully, after several months, almost all the ministers who talked badly about the crown prince started to accept that the young man had become the intellectual and responsible heir to the throne.
"Welcome, minister Park. Is this the first time you visited Donggung-jeon, right?" said the Crown Prince when he entered the study room on Donggung-jeon.
"Yes, the first time after twenty years," said Park Gyeong-U feeling nostalgic all of a sudden.
"Oh right, my mother told me you were my father's best friend."
"Yes," Park Gyeong-U smiled. "How about getting work done now?"
The crown prince smiled and gave a cue to follow him to the big table in the middle of the room. They started busy reviewing the tax report from north of Joseon. The crown prince sighed several times, and Park Gyeong-U couldn't help but understand. He, too, got a headache when he read the report as it was a mess. They read and discussed for a long time until they realized it was almost dinner time. The Crow Prince gave the order to the attendant to serve dinner in the study room for the two of them.
"Well, the food here is surely better in the Manwol-do," said Park Gyeong-U with a teasing tone. The Crown Prince couldn't help but grin.
"Nah, I prefer quaghog soup in Manwol-do. They were delicious. I still can't forget it."
Park Gyeong-U chuckled. " That was because your highness ate with a certain lady."The smile on The Crown Prince's face faded. He cleared his throat and busied himself with his food. Seeing an awkward gesture from the crown prince, Park Gyeong-U held back his laughter.
"Your Highness, do you know you inherited your father's eyes?"
"Am I?"
"Yes"
"I met your father when I was seven years old. We have been friends since then." Park Gyeong-U's face had a distant look
Park Gyeong-U looked at the crown prince and could see how confused the young man was in front of him. He must be wondering where this conversation was going.
"Do you know how did your mother become the Crown Princess?" said Park Gyeong-U mysteriously.
"Is there any inside story about how my mother become Sejabin?" asked the Crown Prince curiously.
Park Gyeong-U chuckled seeing the crown prince show an interested face.
"Your maternal grandfather was a famous scholar. Your father and I were interested in listening to his lecture. I helped your father snuck out from the palace several times to hear his class from your maternal grandfather. We loved hearing his classes too much and often stayed behind to discuss the lecture material and policies with him. So often that his daughter got angry because we got in the way of his father's resting time. " said Park Gyeong-U, his eyes sparkling with laughter.
"One day, when we stayed behind to ask him something, suddenly your mother dragged us while holding your father and my collars and kicked us from the lecture hall. She screamed that his father was only available at certain times. That was how your father fell in love with your mother." said Park Gyeong-U continuing his story with so much amusement.
The crown prince laughed out loud. "I couldn't imagine how my mother reacted when she knew the person she kicked out became her husband."
Park Gyeong-U snorted. "The last time I asked your father, she still didn't realize it."
The Crown Prince's eyes widened. "Did she forget about him?"
Park Gyeong-U chuckled. "Yes. You don't know how exasperated your father was when he knew she didn't even remember him. Your father even schemed against his own mother to get your mother's crown princess seat."
"How?"
Park Gyeong-U's eyebrow furrowed deeply as if he had to think of something that was buried in the past. "At that time, the situation inside the palace was tumultuous. After the death late crown prince and the big clan like Yoon getting punished and exiled, another big clan fought for the crown princess's seat and rebellion in the south. Your father asked the late king to choose the crown princess from the small clan. Your grandfather hesitated, afraid that many big clans couldn't accept this decision. Your father asked the late king to select the crown princess like a scholarly test. He did that because he knew your mother would be the winner as long as the selection was carried out fairly."
"I don't know that they have a history like that." said the crown prince softly.
Park Gyeong-U looked the, crown prince, straight in the eyes "What I want to say is don't give up."
"Ne?"
"Your father almost gave up on your mother because she is from a small clan, and it was almost impossible to pass even the first stage of selection. If your mother hadn't passed, there wouldn't be any chance she would enter the palace. At first, your father didn't see any hope. I had to take care of him drunk because of a broken heart. The more he wanted to forget, the more he wanted her. So, don't follow your father's steps." said Park Gyeong-U, he raised an eyebrow in amusement.
The crown prince blinked several times as if he didn't believe what he was hearing.
"Your father's broken-hearted eyes are exactly like your eyes right now. If you want that lady, you should be working on it, and not avoiding and getting angry when someone talks about Gantaek," said Park Gyeong-U, he grinned at the flush on the Crown Prince's cheeks.
"I don't know what you are talking about," The Crown Prince said, trying his best to avoid Park Gyeong-U's eyes.
"You know what I'm talking about, your highness. You practically snarled when the minister of personnel suggested holding consort selection six months after the crown princess selection," said Park Gyeong-U holding back his laughter. He still remembered how angry the crown prince was at that moment, the naive minister cluelessly poured salt on the heartbroken young man's wound.
The crown prince glared at the minister of taxation with a stubborn look. "The Crown Princess selection has not yet started, and he already planning for the consort selection."
"You should be proud. That means a lot of ministers are eager to be your allies. Your performance as the crown Prince convinced them you would be a powerful monarch. So they want to send their daughter to you." teased Park Gyeong-U.
Park Gyeong-U couldn't help but sighed at the Crown Prince's dark face. "Your father told me that your mother is the best thing that happened to him. She is the one who keeps his sanity intact in this kind of place, and he is glad that he did everything he could to make her his. He also would do his best to choose the best wife for you despite the background of your future wife. He wants you to have the same support that he has."
Park Gyeong-U could see something flash in the Crown Prince's eyes.
"So if you want that lady to enter the palace, work for it. As long as she is a decent lady, your father is the last thing you need to worry about. After all, he knows how hard it was to sit at the king's seat," he continued.
The Crown Prince was silent in reverie.
"She wouldn't be fit to live in the palace." said the Crown Prince with a hoarse voice.
"Nah, I'm sure she is willing to live everywhere as long as she spends her life with you. She followed you in the middle of nowhere alone without hesitation. Not many a girl could do that." said Park Gyeong-U convincingly.
"The situation in the palace is not secure right now."
"Well, you can make it secure first. So she will live in it with peace of mind."
"Are you telling me to make her my concubine?"
"Could you make her your crown princess?"
"I don't think that is possible. She might be from a noble clan, but her family was not prominent enough to be selected, and the Crown Princess family is not up to me." said The Crown Prince, there was so much regret in his voice.
As if he remembered something The Crown Prince squinted his eyes at Park Gyeong-U "Why are you telling me this? I know a woman is not your area of expertise. You didn't even get married."
"I just want you to do your best to lead this country. If that means, you have to have some woman, then do it. Having someone who always stays by your side throughout the journey would lighten your burden as a monarch. Don't you want a relationship like your mother and father?" said Park Gyeong-U, as he calmly sipped his tea.
"She is too precious to become a concubine. I couldn't repay her feeling by making her one of my consorts. She is not some woman for me." said the crown prince with a final tone.
Park Gyeong-U smiled. He bet that the crown prince would change his mind. Love is selfish. With that kind of deep feeling, the crown prince would ensure that girl entered the palace.
Eight months later
"Could the three of you stop talking about work?" King Lee Hoo squinted his eyes. He invited his best friend Park Gyeong-U, the Crown Prince, and Bogum-gun to enjoy the full moon and wine, but they were still talking about the trouble of taxation in some provinces.
"Then what does your Majesty want to talk about?" said Park Gyeong-U smiling at his best friend who was clearly sick of court matters.
"How about talking about you and Bogum-gun future?" said King Yi Hoo excitedly.
Park Gyeong-U and Bogum-gun exchanged a glance.
"Gyeong-U ya, you had said before that you want to get married someday. You know I asked Jungjeon to see if she ever knows a candidate, then she will introduce a good woman to you. And three days ago, she finally met a good woman that suits you." said King Yi Hoo happily. He laughed as if his best friend would get married tomorrow.
"Jeonha, it was my words from twenty years ago," said Park Gyeong-U facepalmed.
"We are getting old. Look at my son. He would become a father next year. You should hurry up!" said King Yi Hoo pointing at Yi Kang who calmly sipped his tea.
"I'm fine, Jeonha." Park Gyeong-U refused fervently.
"You could just meet her first. You know my wife. Her eyes are exceptional." King Yi Hoo didn't give up and persuaded him eagerly.
"I have a lot on my plate right now. I couldn't afford to add a woman to it. You should think about Bogum-gun marriage instead." said Park Gyeong-U throwing a new bait for his best friend.
Hearing someone call his name, Bogum-gun's face paled. "I'm okay right now, Abba-mama. It was not a long time since Muan Daegun and Simso-gun married. We should wait for the next marriage."
"Right? We should." King Yi Hoo nodded at Bogum-gun's explanation.
"The marriage could wait, but you could start choosing the bride, right?" said Park Gyeong-U. He was worried that King Yi Hoo would return to persuade him to get married.
Bogum-gun squinted his eyes at Park Gyeong-U.
"Right... Do you know any prospective bride for my son Gyeong-U ya? Do you have a niece?"King Yi Hoo raised an eyebrow questioningly
"My niece is already married. Maybe your Majesty should ask Bogum-gun whether he has a girl in mind. I knew someone in the court who got angry when someone else talked about marriage because he couldn't get the woman he liked. We do not want anything like this to happen to Bogum-gun, do we?" Park Gyeong-U said, his eyes sparkling with laughter. He watched the two princes glare daggers at him.
Before King Yi Hoo asked his son, Bogum-gun frantically said to his father, "I barely went out of the palace Abba-mama. I don't know any woman out of there."
"Now that you have a chance to go out more, you could look around. You could meet someone you like," said King Yi Hoo, a teasing smile crossing his face.
"I don't have any interest in marriage at this moment," Bogum-gun said to his father with a pleading tone.
"Why did you two so against marriage? Look at Yi Kang here. Out of all my sons, he was the one who worried me most when it came to marriage. He was scowling and brooding all the time. I'm afraid that many women will be scared and run away from him. But look at him now! He turned out to be a doting husband. Even my consorts gush about him." said King Yi Hoo proudly.
"Really? I didn't know that royal highness was not good with women before. " Park Gyeong-U squinted his eyes at the crown prince across him. His eyes were full of mischief.
Crown Prince Yi Kang glared at the minister of taxation as a warning. He absolutely didn't want his father to smell his love story with his wife. His mother already gave him and his wife plenty of teasing remarks once and a while. He didn't need more.
"I'm sure with your face, you could bewitch a girl to follow you anywhere, Hyungnim," said Bogum-gun joining Park Gyeong-U to tease his older brother.
"Right... with your face alone, your highness must have experience with a woman before," said Park-Gyeong-U pretended not to see a warning from the crown Prince.
"What the use of having a handsome face if you scowling all the time," said King Yi Hoo oblivious to the exchange between his companions.
Klak... Klak... Klak...
A sudden voice not far from where they were seated made them pause their talking. The crown prince and Bogum-gun rose from their seat and looked at the source of the voice and found out that two palace maids busy shook the persimmon tree, the two palace maids naively couldn't see what other people observed they were doing because of the wall between them and they were on lower than the building.
"Du-ri ya, I want that one, The biggest one on the left. " one of the palace ladies screamed excitedly.
The crown Prince's eyes widened, and he turned his head toward his little brother as if asking something. Bogum-gun only gave a teasing smile to answer his brother inquiring gaze.
"Did they hadn't give enough food? Why should a young palace maid try to harvest persimmon in the middle of the night?" asked King Yi Hoo curiously.
"She doesn't change so much." Park Gyeong-U whispered to the crown Prince.
The Crown Prince pursed his lips. "I would give them warning, Abba-mama," he said with a dark face, ready to unleash wrath for the palace ladies.
"No... No... No... Let them be. It's just persimmon. They must want it very much. Don't be so uptight. Look at them! They even bring a spear." said King Yi Hoo amused.
They returned to their seat and talked about the future of Bogum-gun's bride.
"Wait... does she want to climb the tree?" King Yi Hoo commented excitedly.
Yi Kang widened his eyes. He turned around and saw one of the palace ladies trying to climb the short branch.
"YOON CHEONGHA!!!! GET DOWN!!!! NOW!!!!" The crown Prince roared. He ran with everything he had to those two palace ladies.
Park Gyeong-U couldn't hold back his laughter, Bogum-gun snickered, and King Yi Hoo's jaw drooped. They heard the crown prince scolding his wife.
"I thought Seja-Jeoha would pretend until the end," said Park Gyeong-U wiping the tears from the corner of his eyes.
"Not a chance. Hyungnim is overprotective of Lady Yoon. He wouldn't let any chance that could hurt Lady Yoon." said Bogum-gun shaking his head hopelessly seeing his brother now busy shooting arrows at a persimmon tree.
"Yeah, I remember when he halted the ferry for her," said Park Gyeong-U. He couldn't help but agree with Bogum-gun's statement.
"And you had the audacity to tease him by ordering the ship captain to hurry up," said Bogum-gun sniggering at the thought of his brother's panicking eyes when he couldn't find his girl at the port.
"Well, I couldn't believe someone could have time to flirt with a girl in the middle of Taekhyon," said Park Gyeong-U exasperatedly.
"Wait... what is it? Am I the only one here who is clueless" said King Lee Hoo, suddenly waking them up from reminiscence of the past.
Park Gyeong-U and Bogum-gun realized that they had said too much. They exchanged a glance and didn't know what to say.
side story
"Now, not only do we have to pretend not to see the queen who poses as the palace lady, but we also have to be ready to see Bingung-mama doing the same thing." Eunuch Song sighed. He was walking side to side with Hye Sanggung to their respective room after their shift ended.
"You don't know. I almost have a heart attack when I see Jungjeon-mama wearing palace lady attire bowing at me in the near west gate. I almost kneeled automatically," said Hye Sanggung shaking her head.
"And I couldn't believe not only Jusang-Jeonha letting this happen, but also Seja-Jeoha intend doing the same thing."
"Well, like father like son. The Crown prince also dotes on his wife very much."
"Why did Bingung pose as palace lady in the middle of the night?"
"She is pregnant. Craving persimmon in the middle of the night is not something she should control. She already promised to Seja-Jeoha, if she ever has feeling craving again, she will ask him to fulfill it."
"Seja-Jeoha's archery is really good. With one move, he could shoot the persimmon that his wife wanted."
"You forgot that Seja-Jeoha's best ability was fighting when he was a Grand Prince. He skilled using sword and bow."