The Naive Rookie (1)
The parted lips of the King.
Red lips, pearly white teeth, and a tongue and gums that looked soft and tender.
"..."
"...?"
"Forgive my intrusion, Your Majesty."
Calmly, I guided the spoon into her mouth.
Feeding porridge to Grand Prince Jinseong had felt like playing a game, but why did doing this for the King feel so strangely sensual?
Was it because, unlike with the Grand Prince, I had already crossed into more intimate territory with her?
After all, I still had no idea what had become of the inner robe I had offered to the King that night.
I would likely never get it back.
Or perhaps she would return it only after my scent had completely faded from it.
The King swallowed the porridge.
"Hmm. It tastes surprisingly good."
"What do you mean by 'surprisingly,' Your Majesty?"
"Is it not only natural for a gisaeng to be inept in the kitchen?"
"Even gisaeng are men, Your Majesty. We do learn a thing or two about cooking."
"Did you learn it from your father?"
"I am an orphan who has never known the faces of his parents."
She paused.
"Why tell me that now? You have ruined your King's appetite."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Tsk... Then how did you grow up? Surely even you had someone to nurse you when you were a babe."
"Say 'ah.'"
"...Ah."
"Since I was taken in and raised at the Hwalminseo, I was practically raised by Your Majesty, albeit indirectly."
I had already told her this when we first met.
As expected, her mind had been elsewhere back then.
Even though she had seemed to do nothing but stare at my face.
"If you were a child back then, would that not have been during the reign of the late King?"
"Is that of great importance, Your Majesty?"
"Of course it is. If I had raised you, would you not be my son? To do... this with my own son would be a monstrous, immoral act."
"Say 'ah,' Mother."
"Do not speak of such disgusting things. ...Ah."
Say what she might, Her Majesty seemed to thoroughly enjoy the porridge I had made.
After all, she had me scrape the bowl so clean that not a single grain of rice or trace of white residue remained.
"Shall I prepare another bowl, Your Majesty?"
"Not right now. I would like to tell you to bring it for tomorrow's Chojobansang, but..."
The King crossed her legs.
"Han Seojin. As you requested, I intend to grant you an opportunity to prove your merit."
"Please bestow your command upon me, Your Majesty."
The King stared down at the crown of my head in silence for a moment, then placed her foot upon it. Does this woman genuinely find using her feet more comfortable than her hands?
"Han Seojin."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Previously, you said that just as a scholar wields a brush, a merchant a purse, and a warrior a weapon, you wield instruments and song."
"Indeed, Your Majesty's brilliance is unmatched under heaven."
"...Why is that a lie?"
"..."
"...Tsk. Well, I suppose so. There are plenty of people in this world smarter than me."
The King used her foot to tilt my face upward.
"Even so, in your eyes, how would you rate my intellect?"
"You are far superior to the average person, Your Majesty."
"Hmm."
Her reaction suggested that was satisfactory enough.
In any case, a ruler does not need to possess the greatest intellect under heaven.
What Joseon demanded of its monarch was not supreme intelligence, but benevolence and virtue.
"Then is my intellect enough to be attractive to you?"
"Of course, Your Majesty."
Fortunately, I genuinely meant it.
"...Hmm."
The corners of the King's lips curved upward.
"Yes, you are a good boy."
"I am deeply graced, Mother."
"Ugh."
The King gave my forehead a light tap with her foot.
"How is it that you never lose a single argument? Had you been born a woman instead of a man, you would have surely gained renown across the land as a master debater."
"Perhaps I might have become one of the Five Tongue-Swords of the Realm."
"The fifth? You are a difficult man to read—I cannot tell if you are being arrogant or humble."
She clicked her tongue.
"Han Seojin. Among the weapons you wield, is your beauty included?"
I lowered my head in silence.
There was no point in lying to her anyway.
"......Tsk."
Clicking her tongue repeatedly, the King pinched my cheek with her toes.
"Lowly creature."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Lewd thing."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Wicked tempter."
"Forgive me, Your Majesty."
"..."
The King's foot lifted my chin.
Just as one would tilt a chin with their fingers to steal a kiss.
"But you are mine."
And so, I held the foot that lifted my face and pressed my lips to her instep.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"Yes. That is enough."
Jealousy still burned clearly within the King's heart.
Yet, even she understood.
That even a King cannot possess everything they desire.
Even if she were the Emperor of the Middle Kingdom rather than the King of Joseon, the truth remained the same.
Of course, she still didn't like it.
"The place I am sending you to this time is Kaesong."
"To the north once again."
"Do not worry. I intend to run you ragged across all four corners of the land. You remember what will happen if you dare to die, yes?"
"Of course, Your Majesty."
"Then listen. There are rumors that strange occurrences take place every night at the royal tombs of the former dynasty in Kaesong."
"By the former dynasty, do you mean Goryeo, Your Majesty?"
"Yes. Specifically, at the tomb of King Taejo of Goryeo."
"...How mysterious."
"Indeed. It is a matter that demands an investigation, and I intend to send you along with them."
The King's lips curled into a smirk.
"I have assigned someone you know to accompany you."
Was she mocking me, mocking those who would be entangled with me, or mocking herself for having to send me away?
Probably all of the above.
"It has been a while, Officer Oh Jayeon."
"It has not been long at all. It has not even been ten days since I returned from Pyongyang with you, young master."
"Time flows like water, does it not? How could this be anything but a joyous occasion?"
"This officer is not pleased in the slightest to reunite with you."
"How disheartening. Do you have any idea how deeply I have missed you, Officer?"
The horse tail behind Oh Jayeon suddenly began to wag from side to side.
"...You missed me?"
"Of course."
"Leaning in toward her, as she was taller than me, I whispered in her ear."
"No matter how much I think about it, you truly offer the best ride, Officer."
"In what world is that supposed to be a compliment to a Ban-ma-in?"
"Why must you always push me away? Please, let me ride you again."
"This officer has absolutely no desire to let you ride again."
"Heheh."
Oh Jayeon took a conspicuous step away from me.
"...The more I see of you, young master, the more dangerous you seem. I am seriously considering binding you with ropes right now and dragging you to the Somawon."
"I am sure Officer Baek Yujon is doing well. I would love to see her again."
"I worry that Sister Baek has lost her wits, completely bewitched by you."
"How can you speak so harshly of this pitiful man? It brings tears to my eyes. Are you a woman who takes pleasure in making men weep, Officer?"
"You...!"
Oh Jayeon's face flushed even redder.
"Stop teasing me like that!"
I simply offered her a silent, bright smile in response.
And there was a woman who seemed slightly intimidated by this banter—or rather, this greeting—between Oh Jayeon and me.
Pointed ears, platinum blonde hair, and blue eyes—all characteristic of the Jang-iin.
While it was their trait to maintain a youthful appearance regardless of their actual age, her demeanor suggested she was genuinely young.
Furthermore, she still looked awkward in her official robes.
She was a rookie official who had only recently passed the civil service examinations.
However, only senior officials had the right to look down on a rookie.
The moment one passed the examinations, their social status soared to an incomparably high level.
It was the same principle as in the distant West, where a duke might look down on a count or a viscount as lower nobility, but a commoner could never dream of doing so.
"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Han Seojin."
"..."
The woman wore a trembling expression, then quickly hid behind Oh Jayeon.
Oh Jayeon spoke up on her behalf.
"...This is Yeol Hayun, a Kwonji Seungmunwon Bujeongja. She says she will not speak with men."
"Is that not the bureau where only the brightest of the successful candidates, those with the most beautiful calligraphy, are assigned?"
"..."
Yeol Hayun refused to utter a single word, even in the face of flattery.
And gradually, her deeper desire surfaced.
Her aunt. Who could that be?
I searched through my mental genealogy of the Jang-iin, focusing particularly on the surname Yeol and her age group.
Ah.
I had it. Her aunt was none other than the Left State Councillor.
In that case, I could easily guess what order the Left State Councillor had given. Ten to one, she had been told to dig up some dirt on me.
That was fine.
I didn't feel insulted in the least.
If anything, I felt flattered.
Instead of simply trying to banish me, she was trying to find my weaknesses.
This meant the Left State Councillor had recognized me as a political rival and was preparing to face me as one.
I am honored, Left State Councillor. For a high official of the Senior First Rank to acknowledge a lowly commoner like me as an adversary.
She had even sent her own flesh and blood to keep tabs on this rival.
She was dead serious.
Then I, too, would have to play this game in earnest.
First, shall I turn the Left State Councillor's spy into a double agent?
Yeol Hayun
