Old Memories
"Bong-bong-ah. Someone’s outside for you."
Oh! Could it be His Majesty?
"Meow—"
...Geumdeok, it was just you.
"Bong-bong-ah. Someone’s looking for you again."
At last, His Majesty!
"Meooww!"
...You again.
The King she so eagerly anticipated never appeared. Instead, days dragged on with only Geumdeok padding over to visit day in and day out. Her tiny arms felt ready to fall off from waving toys around for the pampered royal feline.
Should I file a petition for overtime pay?
Just as she was giving that thought serious consideration, an invitation from the King finally arrived.
The person who came to escort her to Huijeongdang was an intensely stern-looking Great Hall Court Lady.
"It is the command of His Majesty that the child be brought before him at once," the senior court lady announced briskly. "There is little time, so pray explain the matter thoroughly to Royal Consort Hui-bin, Court Lady Han."
It was a purely unilateral decree, yet Court Lady Han could not muster a single squeak of protest before letting her go.
So this is the sheer weight of absolute power.
Bong-bong cautiously trailed behind the Great Hall Court Lady, reading the mood with every step.
"There is no need to be frightened, little one."
"Y-yes... Mama-nim."
Her gentle tone caught Bong-bong completely off guard. Despite her intimidating expression, the court lady proved remarkably kind. She even offered to carry the toddler on her back all the way to Changdeokgung, an offer Bong-bong politely declined.
By now, Hui-bin-jaga must know I’ve been summoned by the King.
The arrival of an attendant from the Great Hall had surely sent ripples of shock through Chwiseondang. Once she returned, a torrential barrage of questions was guaranteed. Anxious thoughts naturally weighed on her mind, but the moment she crossed into the inner grounds of Changdeokgung Palace, all worries about Chwiseondang vanished into thin air.
Whoa...!
It was an entirely different world. Dense royal pavilions stood in numbers incomparable to Changgyeonggung, nestled among towering, ancient trees. Huijeongdang sat majestically at the very heart of the complex.
To think I’m actually walking inside Huijeongdang.
The lavishly painted rafters and the ornate covered corridors were breathtaking, but what struck her most was the atmosphere. To a girl accustomed to the modest, cozy daily lives of the court maids, the air here felt suffocatingly heavy. The royal attendants of the Great Hall made neither a scuff of a footstep nor the faintest sound of breathing. Even at the unexpected arrival of an unfamiliar toddler maid, not a single soul spared her so much as a curious glance. Under the dim, solemn lighting, the sense of dread reached its absolute peak.
"Your Majesty, the child maid Hwang Bong-bong has arrived."
"Bid her enter."
The King sat upon the royal throne, waiting for her.
"Meow."
Geumdeok, who had been sprawling comfortably at the monarch's feet, came scurrying over on pattering paws.
"Habe you been well, Your Majestee?"
Bong-bong prostrated herself in a polite, toddler bow before sitting down, whereupon Geumdeok promptly trotted over and curled into her lap.
Thank you, Geumdeok. I swear I’ll never call you a freeloading alley cat again.
Clinging to the warm feline like a frightened child holding a teddy bear in the dark, Bong-bong fought desperately to steady her fluttering heart. She hadn't anticipated feeling this terrified. Moments ago, she had been giddy at the prospect of visiting a monumental historical site, but stepping into Huijeongdang made her realize just how foolish and reckless that naive excitement was. The suffocating majesty of the King's private convenience hall, combined with the piercing gaze of the monarch at its center, made her throat tighten until she could barely breathe.
"Make yourself comfortable."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Gingerly adjusting her posture, she finally dared to look upon the King's face. His appearance seemed uncharacteristically foreign today—he was wearing aeche, spectacles. A fleeting line from historical records crossed her mind: King Sukjong was the first monarch in Joseon history to wear spectacles.
"Was the journey long and tiring?"
"No, Your Majesty. It did not feel so far."
"Indeed. The spot where I first encountered you was near the woods, a fair distance from Chwiseondang as well."
"I still visit those woods from time to time."
"And what could possibly be in those woods to draw you there?"
Recalling the little stone cairn she had built over the dead bird a few days prior, Bong-bong answered in her sweetest voice.
"There are butterflies, lots of blooming flowers, and plenty of squirrels and little birds. Geumdeok visits sometimes, too."
"That rascal often returned dusted with fallen leaves, so I assumed she was wandering through the Rear Garden. It seems she claimed those woods as her personal hunting grounds instead."
"Then, Your Majesty... would you like to see how I play with Geumdeok?"
Bong-bong knew perfectly well that the sovereign had summoned her to ask questions. Even so, breaking this suffocating tension took priority.
"Go on, then."
With royal permission granted, Bong-bong drew forth her secret weapon: a colorful hair ribbon she had acquired from Seol-hyang.
"Geumdeok-ah! Jump, jump!"
Under Bong-bong's dazzling, expert hand movements, the cat fell into a hypnotic frenzy, twisting through the air. Whenever Geumdeok contorted into an absurd, comical posture, the King's low chuckles echoed through the hall. And yet, even as he laughed...
He's still watching me.
The sovereign's gaze was fixed not on the tumbling cat, but on her.
Right on cue, an exhausted Geumdeok flopped down with a soft thud, panting heavily.
"All finished playing! Shall I give this ribbon to Your Majesty?"
"Enough of that. How could the ruler of a nation wave a mere ribbon about?"
...You certainly had no trouble waving Boom-boomi around the other day.
"Instead, Bong-bong, come to Huijeongdang from time to time and play with Geumdeok."
Me? Come here?
"...Yes, Your Majesty. I shall obey."
As she had learned time and time again, when the King commanded, one had no choice but to comply. Fortunately, thanks to Geumdeok's antics, the rigid air in the chamber had softened considerably. Gathering her courage, Bong-bong ventured a tentative inquiry.
"But... Your Majesty. Why do you gaze upon me so intently?"
"You noticed?"
"Yes."
How could she fail to notice when he was staring directly at her?
"There are two reasons I look at you so," Sukjong murmured. "One is that you bring back old memories. The other is that you resemble someone."
"What manner of memories might they be, Your Majesty?"
"Memories of On-hui."
On-hui. It was a name she had never heard before. As the King uttered it, his features melted into an expression of tender, wistful sorrow.
"A mere court maid like you would have no way of knowing the personal names of royalty. On-hui was my younger sister. She was formally known as Princess Myeongan."
Princess Myeongan...
A faint, shadowy recollection danced at the fringes of Bong-bong's graduate-school memories, and the King spoke to bring it into focus.
"She was the only sister of mine who survived into adulthood. Yet even On-hui left this world far too soon, passing away at the tender age of twenty-one."
His voice trailed off into quiet reflection before resuming.
"Much like you, On-hui adored cats. She was constantly bustling in and out of the royal kitchens to feed them, earning countless scoldings from Queen Myeongseong. Whenever I see you playing with Geumdeok, thoughts of On-hui naturally arise."
So... the person I supposedly resemble is Princess Myeongan?
"To think that I resemble the Princess-jaga... I am so overwhelmed with unworthiness that I know not where to hide myself."
"Hm?"
A faint, amused smile tugged at the corners of the King's lips.
"It seems you have misunderstood my meaning. Your conduct reminds me of On-hui, but your outward appearance bears no resemblance to her whatsoever. On-hui looked remarkably like me."
Bong-bong cautiously peeked upward at the monarch. His imposing stature, authoritative bearing, and piercing gaze radiated the majesty of a fierce predator.
If Princess Myeongan looked like Sukjong, that means the princess was built like a fierce predator too.
Total confusion washed over her. In terms of animal appearances, Hwang Bong-bong was at the absolute bottom of the food chain.
Hamsters, chipmunks, squirrels...
Anyone with eyes could see she belonged to the rodent family. Steeling her resolve, she parted her lips once more.
"Your Majesty... you mentioned once before that I resembled someone. If it was not the Princess-jaga, then who were you speaking of?"
It was then that the King slowly rose from his throne.
Step. Step.
His heavy footsteps approached. Instinctively, Bong-bong pressed herself flat against the floorboards. Looming right before her nose, the King sank down to one knee. The luxurious silk of his crimson dragon robe rustled softly in the quiet hall. A moment later, his hand reached out and grasped her small arm.
Why is he doing this...?
Her entire body locked up in an instant. A suffocating dread froze her in place, rendering her unable to twitch so much as a finger. In that breathless silence, the King pushed back the fabric of her sleeve, pulling it up toward her elbow.
The red mark...!
Only then did realization strike. The birthmark shaped like a red plum blossom on the inside of her arm—that was the very thing the King had wanted to confirm with his own eyes.
"You have not forgotten your vow to answer my inquiries truthfully, have you?"
"Y-yes, Your Majesty. I have not forgotten."
"I had the court maid registry brought to me and searched it myself. Aside from the name Hwang Bong-bong and the fact that you hail from Namchon, there was not a single scrap of information recorded."
He went so far as to inspect my official registry?!
A bone-chilling shiver crawled up her spine.
"Therefore, child... tell me the names of your parents."
"..."
Predictably, the words choked in her throat. She had no idea what her parents' names were. She had only discovered that she originated from Namchon a few seconds ago. Her small frame began to tremble uncontrollably.
"...Good grief."
The firm grip on her arm loosened and fell away.
"I do not intend to interrogate you. There is merely something I must ascertain, so pray calm yourself."
Bong-bong timidly lifted her head, meeting a gaze that had grown considerably softer.
"Tell me. Could your mother’s family name happen to be Cheok?"
Cheok...?
Could he possibly mean the Cheok clan of Goryeo’s legendary Great General Cheok Jun-gyeong? As far as her historical knowledge went, that lineage had vanished from the records early in the Joseon dynasty.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty... but this humble servant does not recall the names of her departed parents."
"...Departed? Both of them?"
"Yes. I am an orphan."
A heavy, hollow silence fell across the chamber. Across the King’s stoic visage, a subtle ripple of emotion broke through—agony, or perhaps deep sorrow.
"Then it means you know nothing of your kin."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I cannot even recall the name of my older brother."
"You had a brother?"
"Yes... but my brother has passed away as well."
The King let out a low, muffled groan, followed by a heavy, distant sigh that seemed to carry the weight of decades.
"I have pressed far too cruel an inquiry upon a mere child. Are you all right?"
"I am qweete all right. It seems to be a matter of great import, so I am deeply sorry that I know nothing."
"A matter of great import, you say."
Sukjong’s large hand reached out and gently patted her head. The touch was astonishingly tender, almost bewildering in its warmth.
"I know not whether it could truly be called important. But... it is an ache in my heart."
Behind another quiet sigh, the sovereign added softly,
"And something I bitterly regret."