The Art of Lighting
Even the same painting looks different depending on the lighting. The King, bathed in the distinct white sunlight of the morning, looked different from how she had appeared the night before. Her black hair shone like ebony, and the white streaks shimmered like silver thread.
“You have achieved a great merit. You may well be proud.”
“If this lowly one has been of even a fingernail’s worth of help to Your Majesty, then I am already overflowing with joy, unable to contain myself.”
“I told you not to lie.”
“Please forgive me. This lowly one was foolish and betrayed the promise made to Your Majesty.”
“Ha!” The King burst into laughter. “That is a grave sin. But I shall let it pass this time.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is as vast as the sea. However.”
“However?”
“It is true that I am happy.”
“…Indeed. That much is true.”
The King set down her spoon. The palace servants from the Sojubang began to clear the royal table. As the space in front of her opened up, the King stretched her legs out straight.
“Han Sujin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“It is also true that you have achieved a great merit this time. Had things gone awry, would you not have allowed a demonic spirit into my bedchamber?”
Her toes twitched.
“What reward do you desire?”
“If I were to speak honestly, it would be an act of disloyalty.”
“I grant you forgiveness. Speak honestly.”
“There is one scene I wish to behold, but it is truly disloyal.”
“Speak.”
“…I wish to see Your Majesty’s hands transform into dragon claws.”
Murmur. A short, bewildered sound rippled through those who always surrounded the King.
“Puh-huh.” The royal countenance broke into a smile. “You continue to betray my expectations, time and time again.”
“Are you displeased?”
“No, I am amused.”
The King held out her hand. “Are you that curious about these hands?”
“To be even more truthful, I wish to see not just your hands, but your entire dragon form.”
“I see you are aware. That even if I wished to show you that form, it is not something I can simply reveal.”
“That is so.”
“Very well. I shall show you how these hands transform.”
“Your Majesty.”
A Jang-i-in (official) in court robes approached. “I humbly submit. My name is Choi Ayeom, the Jeongrang of the Jeonhyangsa.”
The Jeonhyangsa was the department in charge of rituals. And the Jeongrang was its head. In modern Korea, the name of an organization and the title of its head are intuitively linked. The head of a section is a section chief, the head of a department is a department head, and the head of an association is a chairman. But the Joseon rank system was not so simple. Regardless, the important point was that this elf, Choi Ayeom, was an expert in etiquette.
“Revealing the dragon form at the request of a private individual is a grave violation of the law.”
“Your Majesty’s dragon blood is the root of our nation. To reveal it simply because a request was made is akin to taking the contents out of the ancestral tablets at the Jongmyo Shrine just because a commoner asked. I implore you to reconsider.”
The King smiled. “Your words are correct, but—”
“—am I not already lacking, having made the promise? Keeping one’s word is a virtue, and practicing virtue is the quality of a gentleman, is it not?”
“While it is true that keeping a promise is a virtue, that is the virtue of a single person. Conversely, upholding the etiquette regarding the dragon blood is the virtue of a monarch. Your Majesty knows which is heavier and more precious, does you not?”
“…Is that so? Must you even bring up the virtue of a monarch?”
‘If it goes that far, it’ll be a bit troublesome.’
I didn’t want to intervene, but I had to. “Jeongrang-nari.”
If this woman truly became a tyrant, it wouldn’t be good for me at all.
“…Did you call me?”
“Yes, Jeongrang-nari. I am delighted to see that you still have such deep passion for etiquette and virtue. Didn’t you hold a lecture with several elders of the Ministry of Rites last time?”
“H-how does a gisaeng know that?”
“I heard you boasting that it was a great honor to have the entertainers of Hyeobyeokru invited to such a noble gathering.”
“Hmm?” The King crossed her legs. “Is that so? You took a gisaeng to a place where you were discussing scholarship?”
Just by adding a little weight to my words, the picture of Choi Ayeom preaching etiquette to the King fell apart. However, I didn’t want Choi Ayeom to be completely trampled, either.
“However, Your Majesty, Jeongrang-nari’s words are correct. From the beginning, this problem arose because this lowly one dared to speak of a reward far beyond my station.”
“…However.”
I signaled to the Sangseon (head eunuch) guarding the King’s side. As expected, he perfectly caught the signal I sent.
“Your Majesty, it is time for the Sangcham (morning audience). The civil and military officials will be waiting for you.”
“…Tsk.” The King clicked her tongue. “Understood. Han Sujin, I shall call for you again this evening. Until then, act as you please.”
“Your grace is as vast as the sea.”
The King and those surrounding her disappeared in one direction. Was that the direction of the Seonjeongjeon I had heard so much about?
‘Now then.’
I approached Choi Ayeom, who looked a bit dazed. Choi Ayeom glared at me.
“What is it? Do you want to mock me?”
The Jang-i-in officials all have pretty faces, it seems. Though the King is even prettier.
“Jeongrang-nari, please do not hate this lowly one too much.” I bowed politely. “I was afraid that because Your Majesty’s mood seemed greatly displeased, it might bring harm to you.”
“…Are you worried about me?”
“What treasure is more precious to our nation than a loyal subject who speaks the truth?”
“Ahem… ahem.” Choi Ayeom looked at me, then quickly turned her head away. “Do not approach a man so casually. People will misunderstand.”
“Your thoughtfulness pierces to my bones.”
Ah, how comfortable. After dealing with the King, who sees through every lie I tell, dealing with an ordinary person makes my heart feel so at ease.
“I shall be going now. In the future… be careful.”
“Let me walk with you until the front.”
When we came out together, officials were busy coming and going inside the palace. “Then, I really must go now.”
“Go safely. If fate allows, we shall meet again.”
Choi Ayeom headed toward her workplace, muttering, “Fate, fate.”
‘Phew.’
“Why is a gisaeng inside the palace?”
Turning around, I saw a woman who smelled of grass. She was an Ain (half-human) with a high affinity for plants. “I am a lowly entertainer called in by the King for amusement… Wait, could you be Elder Yucheon, who was the Byeolje of the Hwalinseo ten years ago?”
“No, wait, are you Sujin!?”
“Since I am in the palace, I am reunited with the elder who went to the Royal Infirmary!” I took her hand. A slight sense of pity could be felt in Gye Yucheon’s gaze as she looked at me.
“So you ended up becoming a gisaeng…”
“It is not such a bad thing.”
And subtly, sexual desire as well. Is it because she is a fruit she participated in the process of raising herself that she looks even more tempting?
“What is this behavior? Why are you flirting with a gisaeng inside the palace?”
A high-nosed Jang-i-in official snapped. Seeing her, Gye Yucheon hurriedly let go of my hand.
“Left State Councilor, it is a misunderstanding. I was simply catching up with a child I raised when I was at the Hwalinseo.”
“A child you raised at the Hwalinseo?”
A chilly gaze turned toward me. Deep contempt surfaced.
“It seems you only handled medicine well at the Hwalinseo, but couldn’t make a person. To think that what you raised turned out to be nothing but a gisaeng.”
“I… I am sorry.” Gye Yucheon bowed her head. I was already bowing my head beside her.
“…Hmph.” The Left State Councilor revealed her contempt for me once more and walked away with a stiff gait.
‘So that woman is the Left State Councilor of Joseon.’
Let’s remember that. I felt like I would be bumping into her again in the future.
From then until evening, I took care of personal matters. I sent a letter asking for my belongings remaining at the gisaeng house to be organized, and I sought out the palace servants who were unsettled due to the previous incident to apologize first. And as I was walking around the palace to familiarize myself with the terrain, a eunuch approached me.
“The King is looking for you.”
“Enter.”
The King tonight was also in comfortable white clothes, and as expected, barefoot without socks.
“So, what did you do all day today?”
“Since it seems I will have to stay here for a while, I was laying a bit of a foundation.”
“A foundation? What foundation could you possibly lay?” The King chuckled. “How did you spend your day today, Your Majesty?”
“What would you know about the work of a monarch even if I told you?”
“If I may be so bold, I am not asking about Your Majesty’s work, but about Your Majesty’s day.”
“…Tell me more.”
“I wish to know if Your Majesty had a joyful day or a sad one, if you had a pleasant day or an unpleasant one.”
“What do you intend to do by knowing that?”
“I intend nothing.”
“….”
“I simply wish to know because I wish to know.”
“…Kuh-huh.” The King turned her head and shouted toward the door.
“Hey, is the liquor table not ready yet?”
“It is being finished and brought now.”
The King looked at me again. “Han Sujin, I heard your main profession is a gisaeng.” She gestured to the seat next to her. “Pour me a drink. I want to know if the liquor poured by a gisaeng truly tastes better.”