The Reason His Majesty the Emperor Is a Web Novel Writer
Meanwhile, as the court debated the Gyeongbokgung IP block, a different rumor was spreading across the internet: that the author of My Korean Empire was none other than the Emperor himself.
You guys all know that alt-history novel getting pretty solid reviews on the gallery lately, right? My Korean Empire Isn't Like This.
It's got a pretty thick Korea-bashing streak, but it sells well enough as a spicy little number, yeah.
Then out of nowhere last month the author dropped a long hiatus and the readers were ready to riot. I know you remember people joking around the gallery like, "Isn't the author busy because he's the heir to the throne or something?"
The gallery blew up for a while after that, but anyway—I've got my own solid conviction about this, yeah.
1. Every single time he was dropping the Seungjeongwon Diaries and the Veritable Records like footnotes… except for the most recent few chapters, where they suddenly vanished.
Fine, that could happen. But the truly fucking terrifying part? The moment the long hiatus ended, those footnotes stayed gone for exactly a few weeks—and those few weeks lined up perfectly with the period right after His Majesty the Emperor's new enthronement ceremony.
2. Then the second the "Annals viewing privileges" thing got cleared, boom—the footnotes of Annals and Seungjeongwon Diaries came back as a full heaping rice bowl, lmao.
Just compare the word counts from last week and this week. The footnotes have inflated the length like crazy.
You really think that's a coincidence?
3. And if I were spreading false information, this post would already be deleted. But for a bait post like this, other than the mods pushing it for overheating the board, there's zero mention of the site getting an official request and wiping it.
In short: author Lee Myeongbok = His Majesty the Emperor. Yeah.
If this is real the post gets deleted and you'll know I've been dragged off by Jeguk Ikmunsa.
Whether the internet community's opinions had spread that far or not, comments like "If the author isn't His Majesty the Emperor, go on a ten-year hiatus~" started showing up under my own chapters—the kind of comments that make you want to die.
"Hmm… still doesn't feel like I've been found out yet?"
Right then the phone rang.
Park Sewon PD. The managing PD I'd spoken with a few times when I signed the web novel contract.
"Hello?"
"Ah, yes, hello Author-nim. This is Park Sewon PD."
"Ah… yes… hello."
What's with this guy? Why is he suddenly calling when he never does…
"Um… have you by any chance seen the latest chapter comments?"
"Ah. Yes, I saw them."
"Ho… it's not actually true… is it?"
"…"
"Au… Author-nim?"
What do I do…
In truth, even when we signed the contract we had handled everything in writing; I had never even seen his face. All work contact had been through messenger only.
Maybe I could just brazen it out here?
"Author-nim? Your Majesty? Uwaaaah—so, sorry. Your Majesty!"
"What on earth are you saying all of a sudden, PD-nim?"
"Ah… that… it's because you didn't say anything, so I thought maybe it was real…"
"Haha, as if I would really be the Emperor? Just a namesake. A namesake."
"Right?"
"Of course. If I were really the Emperor, would I be sitting here writing web novels? Hahaha."
"Ahahaha…"
An awkward silence settled between us.
"But what did you call about?"
"Ah. Yes. It's about launching on other platforms. I need the Author-nim's written consent. Should I send it by mail like last time?"
"Yes. Please do that."
"What's your address?"
"Yes, Seoul Special City, Jongno-gu… no, Jung-gu. Jung-gu. Jung-gu, Gwanghui-dong, Apartment 00, unit 303."
Aigoo. I've only been playing emperor for a short while and already Jongno-gu is stuck to my tongue for the address.
"Yes. Then I'll send the mail so it arrives by tomorrow."
"Yes, thank you. Ah, and about people in the comments constantly calling me His Majesty the Emperor—shouldn't we take some measures?"
"Well. It'll just be a temporary fuss. Since the Author-nim isn't really His Majesty the Emperor."
"Well. Yeah, right?"
Whew. At least I managed to fool one person~
The real problem was how to get into my old house…
"That person outside…? Could you come in for a moment?"
Having people right outside the room is something I just cannot get used to…
The door opened at once and an elderly-looking man entered my unnecessarily large room.
"Please lower your speech, Your Majesty. This servant is merely a servant working here, and Your Majesty is the master of this country—so using informal speech is correct."
"Uh… then, Eunuch? What should I call you?"
"You may call me Eunuch Park."
Bossing around someone who looks much older than me still feels awkward…
"Then, Eunuch Park. Could you call Eunuch Kim Insu for me?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Before long, Eunuch Kim—who already knew about the web novel author reveal—came to find me.
"You called for me."
"Could you have those outside withdraw? This is a conversation that needs to stay secret…"
Hearing my words, Eunuch Kim waved his hand toward the door.
"There is no one listening now. For what matter have you called me?"
"Tomorrow I wish to go briefly to the house I used to live in."
"May I know for what reason Your Majesty heads to the temporary residence?"
"That is…"
Still, for the sake of the future it would be better to explain things in detail to Eunuch Kim, who could be called my close aide.
I had already told him once, but he needed to understand how this whole "web novel" structure actually worked.
Not long after, Eunuch Kim withdrew with a knowing-or-not expression, saying, "I understand for now."
The next dawn I immediately changed into plain clothes—though they were just the clothes I used to wear—got into a car that looked as ordinary as possible, and successfully arrived at my old house.
"Hmm? The mail hasn't come yet. I'll have to wait a bit at the old place."
With natural steps I rode the elevator. The old house I arrived at should have felt empty with the people gone… yet a couple of middle-aged men were there.
"…? Who are you, and why are you in my house…?"
"Your Majesty. The temporary residence is in principle treated as a detached palace. These are the management officials who look after that detached palace."
The guard officer beside me spoke quietly.
"Ah… I see."
Crazy. What a cushy job. Standing duty in an empty apartment and then going home?
If I weren't royalty I would have tried hard to get a job in the Imperial Household Agency.
"We have been waiting, Your Majesty. There is a 'guest' who says he must see Your Majesty, so we were about to contact Jeguk Ikmunsa."
"No— a guest? What do you mean…"
Only then did I notice a person trembling in a corner of my former workroom.
"Au… Author-nim! Ahah—no, no, Your Majesty! Sa… save me. No—please save me!"
No, why is PD-nim here? He said he'd send documents.
"That… he's my guest, so for now everyone leave."
"Yes, Your Majesty. For contingencies the body search has also been completed."
"Aigo… I know, so just all get out for now."
Only Park Sewon PD and I remained in the room.
"No, why did you bother coming… You said you'd send documents, so I thought you'd at least send a quick delivery or something."
"So… sorry, Your Majesty! I ended up having improper thoughts…!"
"For now you don't need to bang your head, so raise your head first."
"Your grace is boundless."
Park Sewon PD immediately assumed a formal seated posture.
"No, you don't need to talk like that either. Well… for now… I'm sorry."
"Pl… please, at least not Jeguk Ikmunsa…! I will live my whole life pretending not to know. Your Majesty! Please! I still have many things I want to do! Uhhhuk…"
"No, what are you imagining? I said I'm sorry for deceiving you. Who's saying they're taking you away?"
"Earlier those people were like, 'Do you know where this is?' and when I said, 'Isn't it Author Lee Wonbum's house?' they were like, 'Who dares call His Majesty the Emperor's name sacrilegiously—' and… uhunghung."
No, why are you scaring people like that, you crazy bastards…
I'll have to say a word later…
"Aigo, well, there won't be any problems with your personal safety. The Korean Empire these days isn't some absolute-monarchy era, haha."
"Re… really?"
"Yes. This Emperor of the Korean Empire guarantees it. Is that enough? So stop crying. Geez."
"Th… thank you."
Park Sewon PD managed an awkward smile.
"In fact I hope you understand a little that I had no choice but to deceive people until now. I was also suddenly elevated to this position and was equally flustered. And if I deleted everything I've written so far, it would reveal to the whole world that I'm the author. So for now I just denied it."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I understand everything. No—it's not a matter of me understanding or not. Your Majesty's words are absolutely right."
"But why on earth did you come in person today?"
"That… to see if it's true… that His Majesty the Emperor is just a namesake with the Author-nim. To see if it's true… hehe…"
"No—what if it had been real? Well, nothing happened this time so there won't be a problem, but… sigh…"
Whether the man had nerves of steel or simply no thoughts at all…
"I will bury today's events until the grave…!"
"Is there anyone else who knows that you came here today?"
"I told the workplace that I was meeting with the Author-nim. That's all."
"That's a relief at least. Then how about we continue as before? Refrain from direct meetings, and keep contact to messenger only. Documents… well, there won't be any more to send, but since there's an official place that receives documents externally, send them there."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Really, really thank you…!"
Park Sewon PD disappeared with quick little steps, careful never to show me his back. That… has fear driven him mad? That sort of etiquette has already disappeared even from the imperial palace.
The simple micro-incognito outing ended after I stamped the seal on the document. Park Sewon PD vanished into a taxi driven by a suspiciously young driver.
Since he had suffered because of me I had meant to send him off by taxi, but until the very end he seemed to think it was some loyalty test, swore he would never talk, and then quietly got into the car.
I gathered the things I had been unable to take care of because of the busy schedule, and returned to Gyeongbokgung.
Well, this much counts as a solid save. If the internet noise just quiets down I can live peacefully.
"Ah, Eunuch Kim. Come to think of it—those officials of that detached palace? There might be people looking for the old me, so please tell them not to treat visitors too harshly."
"There was such a thing… I will take measures immediately, Your Majesty."
That night. The detached palace.
"Hey, you bastards! And you call yourselves officials managing the detached palace?! What are you, street thugs?! Not even listening to explanations from people who come looking! Hey!"
"So… sorry!"
"Do you know how much I got chewed out from above?! You guys prepare to spend this summer at the Danamo winter villa, and winter at the Harbin summer palace! Prepare to spend summer hot and winter cold!"
"Pl-please just forgive us once…"
"The personnel transfer is an upper-line order. Know that and go as if you're already dead."
I'm Daebung, the one who recently landed an imperial attendant post. I thought I was sucking pure honey being assigned to temporary-residence management…
For a few days I really did suck pure honey. It's called temporary residence or detached palace, but it's just killing time in an apartment, so sometimes we just drank and played games, lmao.
(Of course everything there belongs to His Majesty the Emperor, so we brought our own stuff separately, yeah.)
But fu~ck, as of today that honey pot is also screwed.
Next week I'm shipping out to Danamo, and this winter I'm assigned to Harbin. Fuck. The senior pulled troll-level shit and this is the result. Fuck…
This post has been deleted due to violation of community terms of use.