Episode 7. The Young King Danjong Gathers His Courage
"Grandfather! Grandmother!"
Instead of going toward King Sejong and Queen Soheon, the Crown Grandson stood beside Yoonseo, placed both hands on his forehead, and bowed deeply.
"Grandfather, Grandmother, have you been well?"
With his childish, lisping voice, he asked after their well-being and then plopped down beside Yoonseo.
Embarrassed, Lady Yang—who had bowed together with the Crown Grandson—quickly offered an explanation.
"I have been endlessly busy handling the duties that Her Majesty the Queen usually oversees. Because of that, the young prince has spent most of his time with Court Lady Kwon, so today he seems to be shy."
"Oh dear, our Crown Grandson must have been lonely. Come here, come here, my child. From now on your grandmother will play with you."
The Queen called to him warmly.
But Hongwi instead pulled his body back and glanced anxiously toward where the King and Queen were seated.
"Our Hongwi, I missed you. Come here to your grandfather."
The deep, gentle voice belonged to King Sejong himself.
Yoonseo desperately suppressed the urge to raise her head and see the great king's face. Instead, she lifted herself slightly and looked at Hongwi.
Our clever Hongwi, who can even recite the Thousand Character Classic—why is he being so stubborn?
"…."
Hongwi pouted his lips, tightly gripping the sleeve of Yoonseo's jeogori with his left hand while sneaking glances toward the King.
Even from beside him, the rapid pounding of his heart could be clearly felt.
It was body language that something over there frightened him—and at the same time a signal that here, at last, there was someone he trusted.
Being singled out as that trustworthy person, Yoonseo discreetly lifted her head and followed the direction of Hongwi's gaze.
To the left side of Queen Soheon sat Dowon-gun.
Beside him sat a woman dressed splendidly—surely Lady Yun, the wife of Grand Prince Suyang.
So that's why our Hongwi…
Yoonseo clenched her teeth.
Hongwi must have suffered secretly at the hands of that mother and son—Dowon-gun and Lady Yun.
Yet among adults who constantly demanded that the Crown Grandson be dignified, intelligent, and flawless, the little child Hongwi must have had no one to whom he could speak of this bullying.
Yoonseo looked at the small fist clutching tightly at her skirt.
She shifted her prostrated body slightly backward and gently wrapped her hand around the trembling little fist.
I'm here, Hongwi. You don't have to tremble alone anymore.
"My little dear, come here to your grandmother."
Queen Soheon called again, this time using Hongwi's childhood nickname.
But instead of going to his grandmother, the Crown Grandson stood up and pointed a tiny finger at Dowon-gun.
"He hit me."
"…?"
"…!?"
Everyone's eyes followed the direction of the child's small finger—toward Dowon-gun.
"He hit me. Here."
Hongwi said again clearly, touching the head beneath his official cap with his tiny finger.
At once, Lady Yun—sitting beside Dowon-gun—turned pale.
"Your Highness the Crown Grandson, there is no way our Hyeondong would have done such a thing."
Lady Yun firmly denied Hongwi's words.
Across from her, Sinbin—sitting elegantly—slightly bowed her head toward the King and Queen.
"It seems the Crown Grandson must have had a dream. At that age, children cannot easily distinguish dreams from reality."
Her words clearly defended Dowon-gun and Lady Yun.
"That is correct. Our Hyeondong and the Crown Grandson haven't even met recently."
Emboldened by Sinbin's support, Lady Yun openly treated the Crown Grandson as a liar.
How dare she!
Yoonseo rose and tightly embraced Hongwi, who had begun trembling, seating him firmly on her lap.
She did it to reassure the brave child—not yet even fully two years old—who had mustered the courage to speak.
To let him know he was not alone in this world.
"Hongwi, did you have a dream? How could Hyeondong possibly dare to hit you? That cannot be. Come here to your grandmother."
"Waaah! When we played fishing at the pond, he hit me!"
Crying sorrowfully, the Crown Grandson wrapped his arms around Yoonseo's neck.
In that moment, it felt as if a large blade had stabbed straight into Yoonseo's chest.
Holding the child even tighter, she bowed her head and spoke firmly.
"This humble nursemaid dares to report. Two days ago, the Crown Grandson met the young masters of Myeongrye Palace and Hee-rak Hall. It was when the Crown Grandson was playing fishing games at the small pond in the courtyard."
"How insolent!"
Before Yoonseo had even finished speaking, Sinbin Kim and Lady Yun glared at her as though they might kill her.
"How dare a mere maid slander my son? Your Majesty, Your Majesty the Queen, this is unjust! It is true that I entered the palace with my son Hyeondong the other day to help Lady Sinbin prepare to welcome Your Majesties' return. But to say my Hyeondong bullied the Crown Grandson—such an accusation is utterly absurd!"
Lady Yun passionately defended her son.
Sinbin, however, said nothing. She simply stared coldly at Yoonseo with her beautiful eyes.
There was relief in that elegant anger—because the Crown Grandson had not pointed at her own son.
Yoonseo searched her memory once more.
She had not directly seen Dowon-gun strike Hongwi.
But the moment she had briefly looked away to check the snack tray, Hongwi had returned unable to say anything—only tearfully asking to be held.
This poor child… he couldn't even complain because no one had ever taken his side.
Children are astonishingly perceptive.
Even with his young mind, Hongwi must have concluded that there was no one there who truly wanted to protect him—or could protect him.
But now, here in Gyotaejeon, he was reporting the truth before the King and Queen.
Sitting on Yoonseo's lap.
Relying on the promise she had made to protect him.
Using her warmth as his courage.
That Dowon-gun had been tormenting him.
Yoonseo tightened her arms around Hongwi.
"When the Crown Grandson was playing fishing, the two young masters arrived. Many palace attendants saw the Crown Grandson rubbing his head and crying. Please question them and confirm it. Our Crown Grandson is still far too young to fabricate such elaborate lies."
"…Too young to fabricate elaborate lies? What do you mean by that?"
Suddenly King Sejong spoke with interest.
"You say even lies require age. On what basis do you claim that?"
The great King Sejong himself had asked her.
Even while her chest burned fiercely because of Hongwi, Yoonseo felt as if her breath might stop from nervousness.
Tightening the arms that held Hongwi, she took three or four deep breaths to calm the overly excited sympathetic nerves, then spoke again in a steady voice.
"To fabricate a lie requires sophisticated thinking ability. What I mean is that although the Crown Grandson accurately mentioned the place where the event occurred two days ago, he is not yet of an age where he could invent something that did not happen."
"Then are you saying that even through lies, one can infer a child's cognitive ability or developmental stage?"
King Sejong asked again.
"Your Majesty, that is not the important matter right now!"
Suddenly Queen Soheon sharply rebuked the king.
It was a firm scolding—this was neither the time nor the place to be exploring new knowledge.
"…."
King Sejong fell silent.
Yoonseo buried her face in Hongwi's back to hide the faint laugh that almost escaped her.
At that moment, Lady Yang—who had been silent all along—stepped forward.
"Since the incident occurred within Yanghwadang, I will question the servants and report the matter."
"Lady Gui-in…"
Lady Yun, the wife of Grand Prince Suyang, called to her in confusion.
But Lady Yang was a woman with sharp political instincts.
She instinctively realized that this was a perfect opportunity to block the growing influence of Grand Prince Suyang and his wife, who had recently begun quietly winning over royal relatives and ministers with their vast wealth.
"Although the young masters of Myeongrye Palace and Hee-rak Hall are still young, should they not properly observe etiquette toward the Crown Grandson? If this matter were to leak outside, there would be criticism that discipline within the royal family has collapsed."
Lady Yang had cleverly entangled even the children of her rival concubine Sinbin in the matter.
Realizing Lady Yang's intentions at once, Sinbin quickly filled her beautiful eyes with tears, her lips trembling as she prostrated herself.
"This is all my fault. I am ashamed. It happened because I was foolish."
Since Sinbin admitted fault so readily, Lady Yun—wife of Grand Prince Suyang—could no longer deny it and also prostrated herself.
"Father, Mother, I am ashamed."
"Grandfather, Grandmother, please forgive me."
Even six-year-old Dowon-gun bowed his head.
"…."
"…."
King Sejong merely let out a displeased "Ahem" and closed his mouth.
This was a matter of the inner court.
Queen Soheon examined the Crown Grandson—and Yoonseo, who was holding him.
The queen's gaze toward Yoonseo was far from kind.
It was filled with anger that a disturbance had been caused within the royal family.
But Yoonseo was certain.
Queen Soheon cherishes Dowon-gun, her first grandson, but not to the point of letting the Crown Grandson's position be shaken. She is the head of the inner court. She knows well how the dignity of the royal house must be maintained.
And Yoonseo's prediction proved correct.
"Crown Grandson, come here. Come to your grandmother."
Queen Soheon called Hongwi again, her voice gentle.
Yoonseo quickly whispered firmly into Hongwi's ear.
"You must go."
The Crown Grandson lifted his face from where he had been buried against her chest and looked into Yoonseo's eyes.
Yoonseo nodded toward the tearful child.
Go. Go and secure your place.
At that, the three-year-old Crown Grandson climbed down from Yoonseo's lap and toddled toward the queen on his short legs.
Then he threw himself into his grandmother's arms and cried out again.
"Grandmother, my head hurts."
"…I see. Our little one was hurt."
The queen's sighing response carried complicated emotions.
She could not take the side of Dowon-gun, her beloved first grandson.
Yet she also could not accuse the Crown Grandson—the future king—of lying.
"…."
"…."
"…."
A heavy silence fell over Gyotaejeon.
Within that thick silence, Yoonseo sensed the common fear shared by all the royal women.
A life walking along the blade of life and death, following wherever royal authority turned.
Even Queen Soheon herself—who now held the Crown Grandson—had only been able to keep her position as queen after sacrificing her own father Shim On's life, while her mother and siblings were reduced to slavery.
Then what about me?
I, who am merely a court maid without family or backing—someone who has crossed into this world.
In this brutal arena of struggle, where everyone wagered everything simply to survive and gain glory—
What sacrifice would she have to offer to save that child and keep her own life?
Yoonseo was quietly asking herself that question when—
"…Hyeondong must only have wanted to play with you, Hongwi."
The long silence broke as the queen finally spoke.
The scale of power in the inner court—now freed from the need for further sacrifice—tilted ever so slightly toward Dowon-gun, her first grandson.
And that slight tilt had once become the price of that child's life.
Yoonseo clenched her fist again.
Her fingernails dug into her palm with disappointment.
But it was disappointment that had come too early.