The Tyrant Has Taken a Liking to Me (3)
“I wonder if they guided you properly to your chambers. I was curious what you might look like before bed, so I came to see for myself…”
Sabak. Sabak. Accompanied by the distinctive sound of footsteps in her heukhyae shoes made of black deer leather, she appeared.
The very woman I had seen just moments ago. His Majesty the King.
The gonryongpo that had already been disheveled was now completely shed, leaving her in comfortable white robes. But shedding the gonryongpo didn't mean she could shed her kingship.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The gungnam, with me in their midst, all dropped into deferential postures at once. The one who had struck me directly was now prostrated flat on the ground, bowing his head.
“We have shown unsightly behavior before Your Majesty. This boy arrived today, and his speech and conduct were unfit for the palace, so we were disciplining him!”
“...Is that so.”
The King of Joseon turned sideways. Color returned to the gungnam's face. He turned that face toward me and sneered. If I had to interpret his expression, it was something like, 'Happy thinking you'd get help from Her Majesty? You're in even deeper shit now, so brace for more beatings.'
But.
Her Majesty had turned sideways not to walk away, but to compose her own emotions.
“What is your name?”
“This servant is called Jongyu, Your Majesty.”
The gungnam beamed with joy. For those who lived serving only one person in the palace, the surest path to advancement was to receive the king's favor. It seemed Jongyu was dreaming of being summoned to Her Majesty's bedchamber tonight.
“...Your Majesty.”
The eunuch shadowing the king like a ghost murmured just those quiet words.
Her Majesty didn't reply to the eunuch but halted her steps and turned around.
“Jongyu.”
The king paced. Five steps forward, then turned and five steps back. With each step, she suppressed her killing intent, turning again for another five steps.
“I am flawed and lacking in virtue, and thus I cannot abide lies.”
“Y-Your Majesty?”
“Yet even one such as I strives daily to uphold the ways of our ancestors and revere virtue. Thus, I shall give you a chance.”
Sabak. Her footsteps stopped. Her red eyes gleamed with a chilling bloodlust.
“Jongyu, was there truly not a shred of falsehood in your words just now?”
“N-No, there wasn't!!”
“...I see.”
“Not a single inch of a lie, Your Majesty!! Not even a little! How could this servant dare commit gigon mangsang—”
Her Majesty's fingertip flashed. Silver gleamed.
“What unpleasant noise.”
Crimson blood spurted. As if scooping a spoonful of rice, a chunk of flesh from Jongyu's throat had been gouged out. Fresh red blood gushed from the carved hollow.
It stained the white stone floor of Changdeokgung.
“Hnggh!!”
“Aaaah!!”
The two gungnam holding me recoiled in horror at the blood.
Her Majesty's right hand had transformed from human fingers into a dragon's claw.
In the Sinosphere, monarchs were likened to dragons. The Emperor of the Middle Kingdom bore the five-clawed ojoyong, while vassal kings had four-clawed sajoyong. Joseon was no different. The King of Joseon wore the gonryongpo embroidered with dragons for audiences and flew the four-clawed dragon flag as the eogi.
The king's face was a dragon's visage, seated upon the dragon throne with dragon embroidery unfurled. But in the original world I knew, the King of Joseon was born human and died human.
This place was different. The King of this slightly strange Joseon was a yongin in the truest sense—not metaphor, but reality.
“...Han Seojin.”
She turned to me. Blood dripping from the dragon-clawed grasp. Her face also splattered with blood.
“Reveal without hiding the thought that just crossed your mind.”
The bloodied claw touched my shoulder. If she willed it, she could tear out my throat just as easily.
“...I thought she was beautiful, Your Majesty.”
“Who?”
“Your Majesty.”
“...I?”
The bloodied claw now touched my face. Delicately, carefully, so as not to pierce the skin.
“Why?”
“Does Your Majesty find jade beautiful to behold?”
“Indeed.”
“Why is that?”
“I am too foolish to know. Would you explain it to me?”
“This lowly, ignorant servant dares not even open his mouth in Your Majesty's presence.”
“I command you. Speak.”
She tilted her sharp dragon gaze toward my face.
“Simply because it pleases the eye, so it is pleasing, is it not?”
“Is that so?”
A smile spread across her dragon eyes.
“Do I appear beautiful in your eyes? In this form, right now?”
“Your Majesty said that if I broke my promise, you would rip out my tongue and crush it.”
I stuck out my tongue. It must have looked like I was mocking her, for the officials behind gasped in shock.
“Th-That...!”
“Is he mad...!?”
Yet the subject herself seemed rather delighted.
“Is that right?”
The dragon claw slipped beneath her sleeve, reverting to human fingers. Pale, slender fingers pinched my tongue.
“Then this tongue is mine?”
With my tongue caught, I couldn't speak. I smiled with my eyes instead.
As if it could be anything else? From Joseon's highest peak to its deepest waters, all belongs to the King.
“...Heh heh.”
Her shoulders trembled with delight. Saliva dripped from my protruding tongue, wetting her royal hand. The King of Joseon raised the finger slick with my saliva to her mouth. Her red tongue licked the clear fluid.
“Sweet.”
“If Your Majesty dries my saliva, sugar crystals will form.”
“A lie.”
“This servant deserves death. Please snap my waist.”
“Such impudence. How swollen is your liver? If I slit your belly, it'd be nothing but liver.”
Her Majesty sucked the finger clean with her tongue and held it out to me.
“Shall you taste it too? What flavor does the king's nectar hold?”
“How could a lowly wretch like this servant presume to crave yongyeon?”
“Ha.”
Her wet finger brushed my cheek, as if painting a picture on my skin, then the other cheek as well.
“Much improved.”
Her Majesty turned away, satisfied.
“I retire to my chambers. Give that Jongyu a lavish funeral.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Her final words to me came with her back still turned.
“You sleep soon too, Han Seojin. Tomorrow, it will be your turn to be my eyes and mouth.”
I bowed deeply.
“As if it could be otherwise.”
“Your Majesty.”
Before her chambers, her attending eunuch spoke briefly once more. Just one word.
“...I know.”
Han Seojin. He was ultimately a baseborn man. Even if the king could take any man she pleased...
A gisaeng—no matter what—rumors were bound to spread. Let alone making him consort or lady-in-waiting; even appointing him senior court lady would bring a storm of remonstrations from the yangban.
'Even with his peculiar cheonryepum.'
I know. I do know.
But.
“Sangseon.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
【FALSE】
The character for "false" floated over Sangseon's face.
“...Yes, of course it would be.”
Her Majesty looked around at the people nearby. The eunuchs and ladies solely devoted to serving her.
“You all live only for me, don't you?”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
“What else would we think of besides Your Majesty?”
“Your Majesty is our sun and moon.”
【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】
【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】
【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】
【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】【FALSE】
No matter where she looked, whichever way she turned her head.
All of it.
【FALSE】
'Ah...'
How nice it would be to sweep it all away—this world of lying filth. Until not a single soul remained, butchering them all.
“Heh heh. Hahaha.”
“Your Majesty...?”
“It's nothing.”
That man. Han Seojin. He alone did not lie.
At first, that vile "false" had clung to his face too, but when told not to lie, it vanished instantly.
“Hehehe.”
A funny man. An entertaining man. An intriguing man. A man she wanted to keep close.
Yet.
He was a baseborn man. Regrettably so.
The next morning.
Young gungnam brought breakfast to my room. Palace fare lived up to its reputation—rice glistening white and oily, sides lavish in variety. Five dishes, including soy-marinated beef.
'Splendid.'
I polished off the bowl, rinsed my mouth, and then Uigeumbu Dosa O Ja-yeon came for me. Right on time, at the hour of the snake, as she had said.
“Shall we depart?”
“Am I riding on your back again today, my lady?”
“No. Nothing urgent today.”
What a shame. Her gait was far superior to any horse's.
“But where to? Pungyang Jo clan—does that mean Pungyang?”
“Pungyang no longer exists; it's called Yangju now. And Yangju lies about forty ri east of here.”
“Close enough.”
Forty ri—three or four hours on foot.
“Any specifics on how to investigate? Did Her Majesty say?”
“Why would Her Majesty bother with such minutiae? She sets the broad strokes; the rest is for subordinates like me.”
“Of course, you're right, my lady.”
“...”
O Ja-yeon gave me an odd look.
“Are you mocking this investigator now?”
“Which would you prefer?”
“Naturally, I hope not.”
“Then I'm not. All depends on the heart, doesn't it?”
“Monkish nonsense.”
“Monks visit gibang sometimes too.”
“What! Truly? They preach Buddha and no-self on their lips, yet can't hide their lust after all.”
“So won't you give this servant a ride today?”
“...How does the conversation twist to that?”