Rainbow Bridge
The next day arrived. Whether from the terror of death or the grief of losing Jang Ogyeon, Yu Hyeop refused every meal and starved herself the entire day.
"What should we do? Please go talk to her, Lord Do Yeop."
The palace maids fretting over her came to me and begged me to do something. But when something like this happened, shouldn't they go to the seniors first instead of me?
"Even the elders aren't being allowed in. What am I supposed to do?"
"Oh, come on... You're different, Lord Do Yeop. Or do you still not understand how His Majesty sees you?"
"W-what are you talking about? Don't say such nonsense and get out of here!"
I was startled. Had they all noticed the connection between me and Yu Hyeop?
Well, we had been getting rather close lately. Aside from pressing her a little on the first day, she had been unable to control her emotions, thinking of me as the only person she could trust.
Separate from that, I was worried about Yu Hyeop. Of course I understood it was unreasonable to force food on someone who had nearly been poisoned right away. But was it even possible to live a proper life under this extreme stress?
Afternoon came. Absurdly enough, the imperial workshop had crafted a leash overnight and sent it over.
What was I supposed to do with this? The dog meant to wear it, Jang Ogyeon, had long since died and been buried. Handing this over would only feel like mocking Yu Hyeop.
Yet it was also true that this was the only excuse I had to go see her. Summoning my courage, I headed to her chambers.
"Your Majesty? It is Do Yeop. I have something to report."
"Enter..."
Yu Hyeop permitted me entry in a voice utterly devoid of strength. I had expected her to refuse everyone, but it seemed I really was a little different from the others.
Stepping inside, I found Yu Hyeop sitting on the bed with a pale face. She had cried so much that the skin around her eyes was swollen and puffy, and tear stains marked every fold of her clothes.
"What is it..."
"Well... the leash has been completed."
"..."
I approached her and offered the leash respectfully with both hands. At once Yu Hyeop's shoulders began to tremble violently.
"Are you... mocking me right now?"
"No, Your Majesty. It is simply that it was the item originally ordered, so..."
"I don't need it! It's already long dead and buried—what use is this worthless thing?!"
Whoosh!
Yu Hyeop snatched up the leash and hurled it with all her might. Still not satisfied, she raised both arms and began pounding on my chest.
"You idiot! You brainless fool who doesn't even understand a king's mood! How could you do this?! How could you?! Hic... sob..."
"..."
I let her hit me as much as she wanted, to vent. After all, she was just a child who spent her days idling in the palace. She couldn't even manage more than a few blows before exhausting herself. Then she buried her face in my chest and burst into endless tears once more.
"Hic... It was a gift from Father. The only thing in the whole world I could truly call mine. And it died because you people failed at your jobs! Useless fools! Worms who can't even fulfill a man's role! Hic... sob..."
The harshest insults a child could muster. Yet far from laughing at the childishness, only a heavy sorrow filled my entire body.
Who could hate this child? What kind of twisted mind would be so desperate to kill her?
"Your Majesty? There's a story a merchant from the Western Regions once told me. Would you like to hear it?"
"Hic... sob..."
"Far away in a country called Israel, there lived a man named Jesus Christ. He wandered the world saving countless people, but he incurred the wrath of those in power and was nailed to a wooden cross shaped like the character for ten. Yet amazingly, three days later he returned from death and was resurrected."
"Hic... Is that true...?"
Fortunately Yu Hyeop showed interest in my story. I patted her slender back and continued.
"Amazingly, it is said to be true. As soon as Jesus came back to life, he gathered his disciples and spoke of what he had experienced in death. Does Your Majesty know where people go when they die?"
"To Mount Beimang... is it not?"
"Here, yes. But there, they say one goes to a place called Paradise. The moment Jesus arrived, he was terrified. Because there was only a vast plain and forests overflowing with fruit trees—not a single sign of human presence."
"Would one have to live there alone forever? No—since the dead cannot die again, it would be an eternity of solitude."
"Yes. But then it happened. A bridge made of rainbows appeared from the heavens and stretched out before Jesus."
"How wondrous. I would love to see such a bridge someday."
"Perhaps you will, someday. And on that rainbow bridge, there was a being running toward Jesus. It was the little puppy that had played with young Jesus when his carpenter father was hard at work sawing wood and his mother was weaving cloth."
"...?"
Only then did Yu Hyeop realize the meaning of my words and lift her head. I raised my thumb and gently wiped the tear-stained corners of her kitten-like eyes.
"Yes, they say you meet everyone there. Father and mother, grandfather and grandmother. But the first one you meet is the dog you raised. From the moment it dies until its master arrives, it never takes a single step away, waiting at the end of the rainbow bridge, and then runs to you first of all."
"Really? If I go to that Paradise place, can I really meet it again?"
"Jesus never told a lie in his life, so I think we can believe it, don't you?"
"..."
Yu Hyeop took a moment to steady her breathing. Whether my words were true or false didn't matter. She simply had no choice but to believe and lean on them. That is what religion is.
"Bring me the leash."
"Didn't you say you didn't need it?"
"But we will meet again someday, will we not? So I will take it with me. When it runs to me first, I will personally put the leash on it, and then go to meet Father and Mother, and Grandmother."
"..."
Such pure, childlike innocence. I barely held back the tears welling up as I fetched the leash for her once more.
Having regained her calm, Yu Hyeop clutched the leash precious against her chest and lay down on the bed. Then... she finally fell into a deep sleep.
I returned to my quarters with a faintly proud feeling. I had always been the type to shudder at the mere mention of church, but seeing her so moved by the story of Jesus made me think that religion wasn't so bad after all.
Of course, Jesus never said a word about any rainbow bridge...
It was around midnight when one of the eunuchs on the first night watch returned to the quarters far earlier than scheduled.
"Why have you come back so soon?"
"His Majesty told me to go rest. Probably wants to sleep without any presence nearby."
"...?"
Do you really think that makes sense? Even a king isn't made of steel, you know?
Just yesterday she had faced an assassination by poison. Today she had refused food and drink all day, mourning her dead dog, and only just managed to doze off. And now she was refusing the night watch? Something felt wrong, so I sprang to my feet.
Then, like an arrow loosed from a bow, I ran without stopping toward Yu Hyeop's chambers.
"Your Majesty!? May I enter?!"
....
There was no answer. Of course, if she was sleeping it would be fine, but if not?
Knowing full well it was a grave breach of etiquette and a serious crime, I entered her bedroom without permission. Waiting for me was only an empty bed and a half-open window.
"..."
Shit. Where the hell did she go?
If she had left the palace, I needed to call the Imperial Guards immediately. But what if she had gone with Chosun?
Splash... splash...
Then suddenly I heard the sound of someone thrashing in water. At the same time I realized there was a lotus pond beyond the window.
I dashed out at once, kicking open the door and running toward the lotus pond. And there was Yu Hyeop.
"Your Majesty!"
Gasp... gasp...
Yu Hyeop was flailing in the water. If the pond was deep enough for boats, neither she nor even I would be able to touch the bottom.
Splash!
Without a second thought I stripped off my eunuch robes and dove into the water in just my underclothes. With my pathetic swimming skills I barely managed to reach her body.
Huff... huff...
I somehow succeeded in pulling Yu Hyeop out, in a way that even I found impressive. But she was completely unconscious.
What now? Should I call a physician? But if word got out that the king had fallen into a pond in the middle of the night, heads would roll that very day. Besides, even if a physician came, I doubted they could handle this situation.
Left with no choice, I attempted CPR. As I pressed on her solar plexus the way I had learned in the military, it occurred to me that Yu Hyeop's problem wasn't cardiac arrest.
She had drowned, right? Water had probably filled her airway, preventing her from breathing. In that case there was only one method...
Huff... ha... huff... ha...
I squeezed my eyes shut and attempted artificial respiration. Begging her to open her eyes just once, I blew breath into her over and over until...
Pwah!
At last she woke up.
"Your Majesty!? Are you all right?"
"Hah... hah... Where is this? Have I finally reached Paradise?"
"What are you talking about? How did you end up falling into the pond?"
Yu Hyeop looked around and finally realized she had not left the royal palace at all. Then, with sad eyes, she clung to my chest and burst into tears.
"Hic... Why did you save me? Why... sob..."
"What kind of... Are you saying I should have just left Your Majesty to die?"
"I only wanted to go to Paradise. I just wanted to see it again... Why won't you even let me die as I please? Hic..."
"..."
Hearing those words, my mind went blank. Without thinking I turned my head to check her right hand.
There, hanging from it, was the leash I had brought her that afternoon. So this kid had thrown herself into the pond on her own. For only one reason.
She had believed my words and tried to summon the rainbow bridge.
I hugged the crying girl even tighter. At the same time an absurd delusion rose in my mind.
The Empress Dowager would never give up. After slowly draining her of life, she had finally driven the girl to throw herself into the pond.
And so now I thought: if I cannot stop Empress Dowager He with my own hands, I must have someone else stop her in my place.
And interestingly enough, I knew exactly who the only person capable of that was.