A Wish
It was an exceptionally warm, sunny spring day when the royal summons arrived: the King wished to see me at Huijeongdang.
It was a call I had been eagerly anticipating. By now, this was my third private audience with His Majesty. Having grown accustomed to the sights and solemn atmosphere of Huijeongdang, I stepped inside with relaxed steps.
"I hear you noticed honey had been slipped into Hwon's porridge?"
"Ah. Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"To deliver a royal prince from danger... Had you been an official of the court, a merit of such magnitude would warrant a promotion of at least two ranks."
"I merely performed my humble duty as a court maid, Your Majesty."
"How remarkably mature. Had you not been a mere child, I would have appointed you a sanggung on the spot."
For a fleeting second, I pictured myself sporting the elaborate coiffure of a senior court lady, bossing the other maids around. Shaking the image away, I bowed politely.
"Your words overwhelm me, Your Majesty. I am simply relieved the little prince is safe and sound."
"And so, did the reward please you?"
"A reward...? Uh..."
The King had never bestowed any reward upon me. I was certain of it, yet...
Then it hit me.
The gold bar...!
So that was where the gold ingot Royal Consort Suk-ui Bak had given me came from! Though an official royal consort, Suk-ui Bak was originally just an ordinary court maid. She possessed neither the vast family wealth of Jang Hui-bin nor the prestigious lineage of Gwi-in Kim. When a modest consort like her handed over a heavy gold bar, I should have been suspicious right then and there.
"Um... You mean the gold bar, Your Majesty?"
"Indeed." The King nodded readily.
"I don't really know where to spend it yet, but I love it very, very much! Every night, I open the box just to make sure it's still safe."
At my candid confession, a gentle smile touched his lips.
"I hear Court Lady Han of Chwiseondang possesses a remarkable talent for multiplying wealth. You are a clever child; entrusting your funds to her to manage your assets would not be an unwise choice."
"Oh! Y-yes! I shall do so, Your Majesty!"
To think the King himself would offer such insider financial tips. I marveled at his magnanimity and felt genuinely grateful for his generosity.
"That aside, Bong-bong. I heard you suffered an ominous ordeal."
"..."
To think he would throw a direct fastball like that the second pleasantries were out of the way.
"Thanks to the warrior, my life was saved. I am quite all right now, Your Majesty."
Not knowing the proper title for Goggle-eyed Ahjussi, I simply referred to him as a warrior.
The King spoke in a calm, composed tone. "I assigned someone to look into your background. The man who rescued you is the Commander of the Royal Guard, my trusted confidant. His name is Kim Che-geon. Should you run into him within the palace, be sure to offer your greetings."
"Yes, I will..."
I answered out of sheer reflex before freezing in utter shock.
Goggle-eyed Ahjussi is Kim Che-geon?!
Kim Che-geon was a legendary figure celebrated throughout history as Joseon's Number One Swordsman. Those piercing, goggle-eyed glances, the dazzling ornaments adorning his scabbard, and above all, the effortless manner in which he subdued Suk-jeong in a single breath—none of it had been ordinary!
In any case, since the King had brought up the phrase "background investigation," I figured I might as well ask about it.
"Your Majesty... In that case, have you learned anything concerning my family?"
"Well now. There is no useful information just yet. Though Che-geon will uncover it all in due time."
That meant all I had to do was sit back and wait. Joseon's Number One Swordsman and Commander of the Royal Guard was running around gathering intel for me of his own accord. A legendary martial artist acting on royal command! It felt as though the day my true origins were uncovered wasn't very far away.
"I heard you also paid a visit to your old home?"
"Yes. I did discover a few new things after going there."
"And what might those be?"
"That my real name isn't Hwang Bong-bong, but Hwang Bong-mok... and..."
"Hwang Bong-mok, is it? That name is vastly superior. Admittedly, 'Bong-bong' is hardly fitting for a person's—"
"Uh... But I want to keep being called Bong-bong."
"..."
The King cleared his throat with a dry cough.
"Ahem. Bong-bong is a fine name as well. If we take it as doubling the character for 'cherish' and 'serve,' it could mean one who is deeply adored and treasured."
...The King was surprisingly quick at changing his tune.
"Aside from your name, what else?"
"Just as Your Majesty said, it appears my mother's family name was Cheok. And... that is all. I do not know anything beyond that."
"Hmm."
The King showed little reaction. Could it be that he already knew everything I had just told him? In truth, my scraps of information were merely trivia gossiped by the tavern lady next door, whereas the King commanded Joseon's greatest swordsman. He might have already uncovered far more.
If that was the case...
After much agonizing, I ventured a question.
"Your Majesty."
"Speak."
"Is my mother... a criminal?"
The King's hand, lifting the teacup toward his lips, froze.
"I heard that the Cheok clan was annihilated and wiped out. That is why I ask."
"An annihilated house indeed. For there is no one left bearing the surname Cheok in this world."
His voice carried a peculiarly lonely, wistful ache.
"Then... that means my mother was someone from that ruined clan. Did she commit a grave crime?"
A quiet murmur of thought resonated from the King, echoing through the tranquil hall. Presently, he shook his head.
"Politics is a tangled affair. A young child such as yourself could not possibly comprehend it, but there exist countless matters in this world that cannot be weighed simply by guilt or innocence."
"..."
"Your mother was merely a scapegoat. She is no sinner."
I had been silently fidgeting with my small teacup, but now I raised my head. The gaze the King directed at me looked somber, weighed down by solitary gloom.
"...Then that is enough."
"What do you mean, that is enough?"
"I was frightened."
"For what reason?"
"Because I was afraid Your Majesty was searching for a mother named Cheok because of some crime she committed... and that I would have to pay for that sin as well..."
Though the underlying reason remained a mystery, the King clearly favored me. Even so, discerning the inner workings of a man like King Sukjong was next to impossible. That was precisely why a faint ember of fear had lingered within me. I had chosen the frontal approach—laying bare that fear without disguise.
A subtle ripple flickered across his eyes.
"Not in the least. None of that is true. It seems I burdened your young heart with needless worry." His voice was warm, yet resolute. "Do not be afraid. If I sought your mother's whereabouts, it was not because she sinned—rather, quite the opposite."
I yearned to know what he meant by "the opposite," but I dared not press further.
"Child. You have no need to fear me."
"...How could I ever not fear Your Majesty?"
Those words came straight from the heart. My life and death. Hui-bin's life and death. The very lives of every soul in Chwiseondang—he was the sole person holding all our fates in the palm of his hand. No matter how much he doted on me, no matter how many privileges he showered upon me... I was still terrified of him. Terrified of the judgments he might one day hand down.
"I am not someone you must fear. If anything, I am the one who will protect you from fear."
"...Your words are too difficult for me."
I understood them well enough. I could distinctly feel the immense weight behind them. Yet no other reply would come to my lips, so that was all I could say. Amidst the heavy stillness, I opened my mouth once more.
"Your Majesty... Did you say you would protect me?"
"I did."
"Then, someday... in the future... just once... could you grant me a wish?"
"What kind of wish are you speaking of?"
"I do not know yet myself, but... whatever it may be."
The King fell silent for a moment.
"I cannot make such a promise."
"..."
"Without knowing what tile you intend to play, I cannot rashly bind myself to a pledge."
"...Yes, Your Majesty."
My fragile hope crumbled into dust. Yet I could not help but acknowledge it: this was precisely the kind of response one would expect from King Sukjong. A cold-blooded, calculating monarch. A ruler who never, under any circumstance, played a losing hand—even if maintaining his advantage meant unleashing a catastrophic tempest of blood.
Just then, the King, who had been studying me intently, spoke again.
"However... you are merely a four-year-old child. I have no desire to hear the world brand me a king incapable of granting a little child's simple wish. Therefore..." A soft smile graced his face as he looked down at me. "I shall promise. Whatever that unknown wish may be, I will grant it."
"..."
A dazed sensation washed over me.
This was a Wish Coupon. A magical coupon granting any single wish! Naturally, there was no telling how the King's inclinations might shift down the road, but it felt as though I had secured a priceless insurance policy. My heart swelled within my chest.
Pattering quickly toward the King, I thrust my pinky finger forward without warning.
"...And what might this be?"
"We link pinkies to seal the promise! It means you can never, ever break your oath!"
Chuckling softly under his breath, the King hooked his little finger around mine.
"I am deeply moved to tears, Your Majesty! Your royal grace is boundless!"
Those words welled up from the absolute bottom of my heart. To the King, this pledge was undoubtedly a trivial indulgence. Yet to me, this single promise might very well serve as the ultimate trump card to save Jang Hui-bin's life.
"Your Majesty, have you been busy lately? Well... of course you are busy, but..." Floating on cloud nine, I decided to push my luck and toss out one more line while the mood was high.
"I am always busy. Why do you ask?"
"I just thought... it would be so wonderful if you could visit Chwiseondang sometime..."
"Haha! So that was your wish after all?"
"No!" I shook my head violently from side to side. "It is absolutely not that!"
A reunion between Jang Hui-bin and the King was important, but wasting this precious Wish Coupon on something so ordinary was out of the question!
"I was merely curious, that's all! Because the weather is so lovely. If Your Majesty pays a visit to Chwiseondang, I wanted to fry azalea flower cakes with my own hands and serve them to you."
Seeing right through my intentions, which were as transparent as thin air, the King laughed heartily.
"Azalea flower cakes made by Hwang Bong-bong's own hands, is it? Very well. I shall make a royal procession to taste them without fail."
Score!
"Yes! Please come without fail, promise!"
My steps as I exited Huijeongdang were lighter than air.
Hope. In a palace life fraught every single day with turbulent incidents and unpredictable crises, it was because, after so long, this was a day where I felt genuine hope.
A bashful smile playing upon my lips, I stepped onto the stone path stretching before Huijeongdang.
"...Urgh."
Halt.
My feet froze in place of their own accord. Two women were approaching from the distance ahead, dressed in exquisite elegance and wearing aristocratic smiles as they chatted in intimate murmurs.
Suk-bin Choe and Gwi-in Kim.
I had run smack into the two royal consorts.