Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Grand Prince Seongnyeong's Debut
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Last week, the fourth episode of *Naeuiwon* featured Grand Prince Yangnyeong enjoying a hunt, much to the disapproval of Heo Yuseon. And then, the preview everyone had been waiting for finally aired.
Heo Yuseon's prostrated back filled the screen.
[Raise your head.]
Dum— dum— The drums sounded.
[Next Wednesday on *Naeuiwon* Episode 5, Grand Prince Seongnyeong appears!]
[Actor Lee Seojun's first drama appearance!]
[Not much longer now!]
-I've lost count of how many times I've heard "Raise your head."
-This is the first time I've ever wished for Wednesday to come as soon as it's Friday.
"It's starting! Seojun!"
"Yeah."
Normally, Seojun went to bed early and watched *Naeuiwon* on VOD or as a rerun, but today, he made a special exception to watch it with his parents.
The family sat side by side on the sofa and turned to the KBC channel. A commercial for a new smartphone was playing. It was followed by commercials for a car and a refrigerator.
"Seojun's finally appearing in the drama."
"They took so long to show you, Mom thought you weren't going to appear at all."
"Ahahaha."
Seo Eunhye's joke made Lee Minjun and Seojun burst out laughing. Similar jokes were all over the internet.
People were grinding their teeth, wondering if his name was just used for promotion, if he had even filmed anything, or just how well he'd filmed for them to hold back his appearance for so long.
"Ah, it's starting."
At Lee Minjun's words, the family's eyes turned to the television.
Dum-dum— The drumbeats sounded, and the OST began to play.
"Royal Physician Heo, you will go to Grand Prince Seongnyeong's residence today."
"Yes."
Having dealt with Grand Princes Chungnyeong, Hyoryeong, and Yangnyeong, Heo Yuseon was finally on his way to Grand Prince Seongnyeong's residence. After staying there for three days, he would have to return to Grand Prince Chungnyeong's.
As Heo Yuseon was contemplating various ways to stage a treason attempt—that is, a way to frame Lord Heo for treason—the grand princes caught his eye.
Wouldn't this be easier to handle than the king? With the king paying close attention to his children after the death of Princess Gyeongan, this might be a more certain method.
Heo Yuseon began to walk. Though the palaces looked similar, the atmosphere of each varied greatly depending on its master.
Grand Prince Chungnyeong's residence, which seemed to smell of ink; Grand Prince Hyoryeong's, which smelled of incense; and Grand Prince Yangnyeong's, which could be described charitably as free-spirited.
And then there was the charming residence of Grand Prince Seongnyeong.
The elderly eunuch and court lady who cared for the young Grand Prince Seongnyeong greeted Heo Yuseon. This was the man responsible for the health of the one they served.
"Your Highness, the royal physician has arrived."
"Let him enter."
Grand Prince Seongnyeong's voice flowed out from inside.
-A different line! But it's short!
The door opened. Heo Yuseon bowed his head and prostrated himself before Grand Prince Seongnyeong. The camera focused on the prostrated Heo Yuseon.
-Here he comes! Here he comes!
-He's really going to appear, right!?!
"Raise your head."
A gentle child's voice was heard. Heo Yuseon's head moved. Just then, the screen changed.
A yellow floor appeared on the screen. As if eyelids were blinking, the screen faded to black and then brightened. And slowly, the screen began to move.
Dum—
The drumbeat struck the viewers' hearts.
Dum—
The camera slowly panned up. The yellow floor and a wooden table came into view.
Dum— Dum—
The drums sounded.
The camera moved, following Heo Yuseon's gaze. Slowly, very slowly.
A wooden table and a covered book on it became visible. Two small hands, placed neatly on the book, were also visible.
Dum-dum— Dum-dum—!
Along with the drumbeats, people's hearts began to pound.
Dum-dum-dum—Dum-dum-dum—!
No one could take their eyes off the screen. Even though Lee Seojun's face hadn't appeared yet, their hearts were thumping for some reason.
The flow of the air was different. The line between inside and outside the television blurred. Everyone held their breath, staring at the screen.
Like Heo Yuseon lifting his head from his prostration, their gazes rose upward. It was a brief moment of raising his head, but to the viewers, it felt long.
In that instant, the rapid drumbeat came to a sudden halt.
In the quiet silence, as if looking up from below, Grand Prince Seongnyeong's face appeared on the screen.
Thump!
A loud drumbeat sounded, like a heart dropping.
There, a dignified child was smiling gently.
"Wow."
For a moment, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun felt, quite unexpectedly, as if they saw a light shining from behind Grand Prince Seongnyeong.
They weren't the only ones. Those affected by the ability [Majesty of the (Good) Young Lion King] perceived his dignity as a visible light.
-A halo? Didn't you just see a light behind Lee Seojun?
=?? I didn't see anything like that?
=I think I saw it!
"I am Heo Yuseon, a royal physician of the Naeuiwon."
For a moment, the screen showed Grand Prince Seongnyeong and Heo Yuseon looking at each other.
Soon, the dignified Grand Prince Seongnyeong broke into a smile and jumped up from his seat.
"Then let's go ride horses!"
"...Pardon?"
"Father told me I must take a physician with me if I want to go riding!"
His dignified demeanor from moments ago vanished as Grand Prince Seongnyeong excitedly left the room. Heo Yuseon watched with a puzzled expression before quickly following him.
The eunuch and court ladies who cared for Grand Prince Seongnyeong followed the two as if this were a familiar scene.
Seeing Grand Prince Seongnyeong's cute side, Seo Eunhye and Lee Minjun smiled and asked Seojun.
"Seojun, did you ride a horse?"
"Yeah! But it's different from the riding club, so I could only film the scenes."
"That makes sense. At the riding club, there are many instructors to hold the horse and help you, but it's difficult on a film set."
"Still, it was fun riding a horse after so long. Everyone was surprised at how well I could ride!"
They could picture it without even seeing it.
He rides well. He rides well. They had only heard about it; few had seen it in person. Everyone must have been shocked to see Seojun ride so skillfully. Still, it seemed they didn't let Seojun ride alone, for safety's sake. Lee Minjun asked.
"Should we go riding this weekend?"
"Yeah!"
Grand Prince Seongnyeong couldn't stay still for a moment. He did everything with enthusiasm. He rode horses, played, and studied with great zeal. He greeted passing officials cheerfully and visited the residences of the other grand princes.
Heo Yuseon felt like he moved around almost twice as much as he did with the other three grand princes combined. He also seemed to have met the king and queen an incredible number of times over the three days.
Laughing and chatting about what they did that day, their conversations were no different from those of an ordinary family.
To Heo Yuseon, who was not born into an ordinary family, it was an unfamiliar sight. When his disciple returned with a weary face after a long three-day duty, his master, Yang Hongdal, said with a smile.
"You've worked hard."
"...Grand Prince Seongnyeong seems to be truly energetic."
"It's because when he was younger, there were many things he couldn't do due to His Majesty's orders, who was concerned for the prince's health."
Yang Hongdal, who had been a royal physician for many years, brought up the story of Grand Prince Seongnyeong, but Heo Yuseon was only half-listening. If he's such a precious child, wouldn't the king be even more furious? No matter where Heo Yuseon's thoughts began, they always ended with revenge against Lord Heo.
[*Naeuiwon* Episode 5, viewership rating 28%!]
[Actor Lee Seojun Appears! An Aura That Creates a Halo Out of Thin Air!]
[But He's Still a Young Prince. His Childlike Side Brings a Parental Smile!]
-His first appearance was like, "I am the Prince of Joseon!" lol
-My brain was literally creating a halo that wasn't there, lol.
-So cute lol. "Let's go ride horses!" Heo Yuseon's expression = my expression
-This is what being a kid is like.
-Heo Yuseon is all about poisoning. To think about poison after meeting the cute Grand Prince Seongnyeong.
The KBC fusion historical drama, *Naeuiwon*, was a constant topic of conversation.
From the first episode until now, not a single one had failed to become a hot topic. In particular, everyone loved the warm and friendly atmosphere of the Joseon royal family. And they couldn't help but love Grand Prince Seongnyeong, who was at the center of it all.
He shot arrows and rode horses with Grand Prince Chungnyeong, went out to play in the marketplace with Grand Prince Yangnyeong, and visited a temple with Grand Prince Hyoryeong. The scenes of him chatting warmly with King Taejong and the queen were also incredibly cute.
And by his side, there was always Heo Yuseon.
Viewers also welcomed the change in Heo Yuseon as he gradually opened his heart.
Whenever he happened to encounter Lord Heo and his son in the palace, he would glower at them with a murderous expression. After being worn down by work and various incidents, his face would soften upon meeting Grand Prince Seongnyeong, a sight that made everyone smile fondly.
Grand Prince Seongnyeong could have easily become a tool for his revenge against Lord Heo, but as he followed the energetic prince around and took care of him, he grew fond of him, a change that was depicted very well.
-Heo Yuseon... is like me, tormented by my boss. I wish I had someone like Grand Prince Seongnyeong to heal me.
-The royals are all laughing and relaxed, while the people below them are working their butts off. It's not so different from our world.
-Watching Grand Prince Seongnyeong is so healing ㅠ
-So glad Heo Yuseon had a change of heart!
Today, they were out again, playing on a mountain near the palace. Enjoying the mountain scenery, Grand Prince Seongnyeong and Heo Yuseon climbed the mountain.
While Grand Prince Seongnyeong and his guards were fine, Heo Yuseon alone was sweating profusely as he climbed.
"Huff. Huff. Your... Your Highness. Please, slow down a little."
"Ahahaha. You need to exercise more, Physician Heo."
"Your Highness will surely live a very long life."
"Of course. I have to live a long, long time to see you get married, Physician Heo. When you have a child, I hope your child and my child can be good friends!"
Grand Prince Seongnyeong, speaking of the future with a bright smile.
Dum— dum— A heavy drumbeat sounded.
Catching his breath, Heo Yuseon opened his mouth with a faint smile. In this moment, he forgot all about Lord Heo, his wife, and his mother.
"Haha. Then I shall have to teach my child to become a physician as well."
Heo Yuseon pictured a future he had never dared to dream of. Just the thought of such a happy future made his heart swell. If he could forget his anger toward Lord Heo and the revenge he had risked his life for, and instead pledge his loyalty to this person, wouldn't his life be a very happy one?
Grand Prince Seongnyeong's small back looked dependable as he gazed at the palace.
Heo Yuseon's gaze shifted to the palace visible beyond Grand Prince Seongnyeong. His eyes sharpened like a kite spotting its prey.
"Ugh. It's cold. Physician Heo, let's go down quickly."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The weather grew chilly, and winter approached.
[KBC Fusion Historical Drama, *Naeuiwon*'s Ratings Soar!]
[Heo Yuseon Gives Up on Revenge? What's Next for Him?]
[Grand Prince Seongnyeong's Fateful Day, That Cold February!]
-ㅠㅠ He's talking so brightly, can't he just not die? ㅠ
-I must've gotten attached while watching the drama ㅠ At first he was just cute, but now my heart aches every time Grand Prince Seongnyeong appears smiling ㅠ I really hope Physician Heo can cure his illness ㅠ
-Heo Yuseon... is finally happy.
-Ah... seriously... that last line about it being cold is bothering me.
-But didn't it feel ominous when Heo Yuseon looked at the palace at the end?
=??? Did it?
* * *
Seojun spread the books out on the floor. He was diligently selecting abilities to act out Grand Prince Seongnyeong's death.
"Death."
Seojun looked around the Library of Life. To put it nicely, it was the Library of Life, but in reality, it meant there had been this many deaths.
Monsters that had to die at a young age. Monsters that died because they were weak. And monsters that died as if falling asleep after living out their full lifespans.
The number of books here was beyond estimation.
There were many open library books, but also many that were still closed. Seojun had experienced this many deaths.
"The Library of Death is a bit creepy..."
Having long since resolved his ponderings on life, death, and continuous existence, Seojun casually spoke as he chose an ability.
"When a person dies, their breathing stops, their body temperature drops, and their heart stops, right? I can stop my heart, but that would make waking up a bit difficult. So, let's go with this!"
[(Good) Core of a Blue Slime - Low Grade]
This is the core of a Blue Slime.
The core of a slime that uses ice as a means of attack is cold.
While holding the core, you gain resistance to ice (low temperatures).
The intensity of the ice (temperature) can be controlled.
After choosing [(Good) Core of a Blue Slime - Low Grade], Seojun shifted his gaze to the side. There was a pile of books from which demonic energy billowed.
"If it's death, it has to be demonic energy!"
For a perfect performance, Seojun read through the black books. Since all the books in the Library of Evil had significant side effects, he picked a life from among the lowest-grade abilities.
[(Evil) Scent of a Skeleton Mouse - Lowest Grade]
This is the first skeleton created by a novice necromancer.
Due to the imperfect magic, the scent of death leaks out.
Shortly after becoming a skeleton, it was discovered by a priest due to its unconcealable scent of death and was annihilated.
"It died early and was purified by a priest, so there are no side effects. Perfect."
Seojun giggled as he absorbed the two abilities into his body.
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