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The Princess of the State of Lu (魯國大長公主) was a woman of the Yuan dynasty. Her original name was Botapsiri (寶塔失里). She was a cousin of Yuan's Emperor Shun, Togon Temür, and thus a member of the imperial bloodline. Due to political necessity, she came to Goryeo and became King Gongmin's consort, but it wasn't a typical political marriage. She learned the Goryeo language, followed its customs, and immersed herself in Buddhism and the rites of the kingdom. Rather than reigning as a princess of Yuan, she chose to live as a queen of Goryeo. Because of this, even the palace women respected her, rather than feared her. What was most remarkable was that King Gongmin loved only her. Unlike the previous kings who toppled the nation with their love for women, he distanced himself from his concubines and loved no one but the Princess of the State of Lu. They discussed matters of state together and spent their nights together. For the king, she was a companion and, above all, the last remaining peace. The fact that she was infertile did not shake his love for her. The king did not seek to continue the royal bloodline through her but instead sought the strength to set the country right. Therefore, her disappearance was not just a palace event. It was a matter of the king's politics, his decisions, his reason. A pillar of everything had vanished. The moment the Princess of the State of Lu disappeared, King Gongmin was losing his balance, not as a king, but as a person.
The Princess of the State of Lu fled in haste. She tried to hide, but staying within the palace felt like she would be caught. If she were captured, it would break the king's negotiating power. She judged that she couldn't surrender herself to the rebels. She didn't run, though. She simply walked. The night at Manwoldae was strange. Though it was a palace, it didn't feel like one. The halls built on the mountainside were more like a temple than a royal palace. If you climbed the foundation, there would be another courtyard, and past that, more woods and stone steps. The queen didn't know where she was going. But her steps instinctively followed a familiar path. She liked the Buddhist halls. The smell of incense in the corridor, the sound of the morning bells lingering on the stone steps, the darkness under the eaves that the light couldn't reach. Even in the palace, there were spaces like this. That night, she headed toward the Goldwon area. To the northwest of Manwoldae, the royal garden, and the forbidden forest. Beyond that, the old paths leading to Sunggyosa, Sungnyeongsa, Gwangdeoksa, and Hwangan Temple stretched on. It was on this path that the queen lost her way.
Park Seongjin didn't look for people. He didn't track their presence. He followed the remaining traces. Every person has a unique energy. A feeling that clings to the body over time, different from scent bags or perfumes. The energy of the Princess of the State of Lu was clear. Calm, but not heavy, not cold like metal. A mix of palace incense and the smoke of the temple. It was a presence that could only be felt by those who had spent a long time in the temple. He briefly stood on the stone road of Manwoldae. He closed his eyes and lowered his breath. As the noise of the palace faded and the night air was peeled away, a faint trace became apparent.
"This way." Park Seongjin murmured to himself. It wasn't kidnapping. It wasn't an escape. She had simply walked in the direction her heart was leading, but had lost her way back. Behind Hwangan Temple, there was an old, unused hermitage. The door was slightly ajar, and a single candle flickered faintly inside. Park Seongjin paused at the threshold. He didn't go in. He already knew. It was a certainty. This was the place. The innermost, untouched by disturbance. She was hiding here. She was just waiting for the storm to pass.
He sensed her presence. "Your Highness. It's Park Seongjin, the middle general." His body bowed, but his words remained clear, ensuring that his voice reached through the door. There was a moment of silence. Then, the paper-covered door suddenly swung open. The Princess of the State of Lu was standing in the doorway, leaning against it. She looked as if she no longer had to hold on. There was sadness on her face, and layers of exhaustion could be seen beneath it. Her eyes were red, but she hadn't cried. She had used up all her tears.
"Park… Middle General…" Her lips moved, but the words didn't finish. Just the fact that he was standing there caused her shoulders to lose strength. At that moment, all the worry, fear, and isolation that had been suppressed for days came rushing out. When what she had been holding onto loosened, fatigue washed over her like a wave. Her legs wavered. Park Seongjin stepped closer, but didn't touch her. He pressed just lightly on her pulse, using a method of energy channeling, a technique to calm her breathing. Her breath slowly subsided, and as her tension melted, her eyelids grew heavy. She no longer resisted. She slowly sank into a deep sleep.
Park Seongjin gently covered her with a blanket. He wrapped her carefully so that no part of her body would be exposed, then picked her up. She wasn't heavy. It wasn't the weight of a person, but the sensation of carrying a promise. He immediately headed toward the palace.