Interview with the Reporter (2)

An awkward silence settled over them for a moment.

I can't believe I made such a basic mistake...

I should have been able to take healthy feedback from my readers, but—ugh.

Still, calling my scenario unrealistic was more than I could stand. By my standards, that was real history!!! Admiral Yi Sun-sin was basically a god!!

"Haa... Now that things have come to this, I might as well come clean. The author Lee Myeongbok is none other than me."

"Then... Your Majesty wrote a novel with that kind of content yourself?"

"Yes."

"But... why...?"

"Why? What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I—I apologize, Your ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Majesty. That was a careless remark."

"What is there to apologize for?"

"W-well..."

"Ah, dear me. I must have sounded as though I were pressuring you. Please, relax—it's simply an honest question. I just want to know which part of the writing made you ask 'why.'"

"I simply found it hard to understand how a member of the imperial family could write about locking a prince in a rice chest and killing him."

"Honestly, I never once thought that content would be construed as an insult to the imperial family. I was simply thinking about how one might dispose of a crown prince without dirtying one's own hands."

"First, you can't charge the crown prince with a crime and punish him. Do that, and the legitimacy of the crown grandson's succession could be called into question."

"But you also can't handle it in a way that leaves unanswered questions. You don't want people talking behind your back."

"In the end, he has to meet a definitive death in a place where anyone can see it. While I was turning that over, I happened to look at the wardrobe in my bedroom. What if I locked him in a wardrobe and killed him? But a wardrobe doesn't have much impact... Right—let's put him in a rice chest. That was the thought."

Perhaps King Yeongjo had thought along similar lines when he locked Crown Prince Sado in a rice chest. I just reverse-engineered cause and effect, but what had Yeongjo really been thinking?

"But the reaction was far hotter than I expected. That's how we ended up with today's situation. Hmm... It's a little embarrassing, but airing out what was bottled up inside has left me feeling rather refreshed, in its own way."

Song Euna felt dizzy.

She could barely make sense of what the person in front of her was saying.

No—it wasn't that she couldn't understand. There was a clear logical thread to his words; from a rational standpoint, the story wasn't nonsensical.

But before writing a plot like that, wouldn't an ordinary person pause to consider the emotional implications? Could someone so casually write about a father killing his own son?

Song Euna now found the man before her frightening.

His way of thinking, his emotional register—they were different from ordinary people's. No matter how much it was for the sake of plot development, could a normal person really go that far?

Who on earth said the Emperor was weak-willed?

Could those who called him a frail emperor still say that after seeing him like this? Maybe even the tears during the Okru Incident had been deliberate?

If that's the case, then the Emperor isn't an ordinary person, but...

"Reporter Song? You look unwell. Are you all right?"

"Ah. I simply heard the story so suddenly... I was startled, that's all. Forgive me for worrying Your Majesty."

Is that really something to be that shocked about? That the Emperor is a web novel writer?

Well... it is pretty shocking. And right now that same Emperor is wearing a mask and defending his own writing, so not being surprised would be the weird part.

"You've essentially got yourself a scoop, but could you keep what happened today a secret? I'd rather not have my private hobby exposed."

"Of course, Your Majesty. Even if I went around saying that Your Majesty is the author Lee Myeongbok, who would believe me?"

"Well. It was a slip of the tongue on my part, and I feel rather sorry for saddling a reporter with a secret she can't share. 'Hush money' sounds a bit too shady, but in any case, I'll compensate you properly for overlooking my mistake."

I should contact Eunuch Kim in advance.

"Your Majesty's grace is boundless."

The remaining interview time passed without any particular conversation.

After the interview, she clutched her startled heart and stepped outside, only for a man in a black suit to approach her.

"Reporter Song. May I have a word?"

"Who are you?"

"Ah. I am Eunuch Kim, who assists His Majesty. I've come regarding the 'compensation' His Majesty mentioned."

"Ah. Yes. About this compensation..."

"For us, monetary compensation would be the simplest, but if you'd prefer another arrangement, that's possible as well."

"Another arrangement?"

"For example... ah, what about candid photos of His Majesty's daily life? There aren't many photos of His Majesty's everyday activities to date."

"His Majesty prefers to remain within the palace, and even the imperial paparazzi don't dare enter the palace grounds."

"In that situation, what if photos of His Majesty were released?"

"Of course, only ones we deem appropriate would be selected, but I'm sure a journalist like yourself would understand their value."

Photos of the Emperor's daily life? That would be scoop material. The public was curious about what clothes the Emperor usually wore, what food he liked, what sports he enjoyed watching.

The most recent incident was a delivery motorcycle dropping off pizza in front of Gyeongbokgung.

The palace never confirmed it was the Emperor's order, but they didn't exactly deny it either—and that alone was enough for that franchise pizza place to see such a spike in sales that deliveries were paralyzed for the week.

The entertainment division of Hansung Ilbo, where she worked, wasn't a media outlet that actively engaged in paparazzi work—but it also wasn't so high-minded that it would throw away a scoop that fell into its lap.

But... receiving those photos has its risks too.

The image of the Emperor, slightly animated as he explained his own writing, floated back into her mind.

Ugh... I'd rather avoid dealing with the imperial family if I can help it...

"I'd like monetary compensation."

"Oh. Unexpected. I thought a journalist would naturally want the scoop. Then please give me your address. Within a few days, I'll send you an item that can be safely converted to cash, along with instructions on how."

A few days later, a small box was delivered to Reporter Song Euna's home.

"Is this the item? What is it?"

It was heavier than she'd expected, so she opened it carefully.

Inside was a single piece of white porcelain and a letter.

Surely the fact that art auctions are tax-exempt in this country isn't for reasons like this... right?

Reporter Song Euna shook her head.

Keeping such a valuable object in her cramped apartment would only raise the risk of it getting broken. Besides, she had no desire to keep something received as hush money around for long.

Not long after, a late-Joseon moon jar went up for auction and sold for one hundred thirty million won. The buyer was the imperial family. The moon jar was scheduled to be transferred immediately to a museum operated by the imperial household.

At the next auction, the starting bid would no doubt be one hundred thirty million.