Chapter 20

How Lee Hyang Faces His First Love (1)

Yunseo ran with Hongwi for half a si (about an hour) without stopping.

Breathing hard, she shook off the unpleasantness from earlier—her encounter with Kwon's half-sister and Hong Seunghwi—and caught Hongwi just as he was about to trip again.

"Haa… haa… shall we go back and wash now?"

As Yunseo asked, also panting, a long shadow fell over them, and a gentle voice spoke from above.

"Hongwi, the maid must be tired. Come to your father."

It was Lee Hyang.

Dressed in a red dragon robe, he looked down at Hongwi and Yunseo, his eyes faintly flushed.

"Haa… Abamama!"

Still clutching the kite string, Hongwi stretched his arms toward him.

"Haa… Your Highness."

Yunseo, still breathing heavily from the run, handed Hongwi over to him.

Holding the child tightly, Lee Hyang looked down at her.

Even after being warned so sternly, she still shone with such radiant vitality.

As the crimson sunset slipped past his face and cast shadows over hers,

his deepening gaze traced the beads of sweat on her forehead,
her slightly parted red lips catching her breath,
the long, glistening line of her neck damp with sweat,
and the rise and fall of her chest.

In that instant, Lee Hyang felt a dizzying surge of desire.

Unaware of this, Yunseo spoke in a breathless voice,

"Your Highness… haa… later… I have something… haa… to show you!"

"So it really was that maid Kwon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. That night at Bihyeon Pavilion, His Highness met her privately for a long time and even sent Eom Jachi here to request an audience."

"Hmm…"

The palace eunuch Jeon Gyun, though puzzled as to why even the king and Grand Prince Suyang's palace were concerned over a mere maid, began faithfully slandering Kwon, having received ample incentive.

"That Kwon woman is bewitching. Ever since she took night duty, the Royal Grandson has neglected his evening studies, causing much concern. Just days ago, she even took him dangerously close to the waters of Gyeonghoeru. Even now, they're making a racket flying kites in the courtyard before the Eastern Palace."

"Flying kites? Our Hongwi?"

"Yes. The maid claps and coaxes him, and the young prince struggles to follow. If he were to fall, it would be disastrous—yet she behaves so roughly that many are worried."

"..."

"…Your Majesty, earlier today there was a disturbance at Geonchun Gate. That Kwon woman, regarding a debt document—"

"Bring her to Cheonchujeon tomorrow by sinshi (around 3 PM)."

King Sejong cut him off.

Nothing could be read from the king's contemplative expression.

Jeon Gyun withdrew, bowing deeply, though inwardly confused.

That night, after Hongwi had played himself tired, bathed, and fallen asleep,

Yunseo wrapped finely ground charcoal powder in paper, took a weasel-hair brush, and carried the box containing the fake debt document to Bihyeon Pavilion.

Rain had begun to fall lightly, filling the air with the earthy scent of wet soil.

"His Highness looks quite serious today. Mind his mood carefully."

Chief Court Attendant Eom personally escorted her with a lantern and gave a quiet warning.

Yunseo recalled Lee Hyang's earlier expression—his reddened eyes, the way his throat had moved as though holding back words he could not say.

"Why? Because I played energetically with the Royal Grandson again? That's actually necessary for his cognitive and emotional development."

"It's not that. It's the issue of currency circulation and tribute procurement. He had a heated debate with Kim Jongseo and Jeong Inji earlier but couldn't reach a conclusion."

"Currency circulation?"

At once, historical knowledge surfaced in her mind—

from paper currency (jeohwa) in King Taejong's time,
to Joseon Tongbo coins under King Sejong,
to iron coins under King Sejo—

all repeated attempts to circulate currency, all ending in failure.

"The atmosphere was terrible. When they couldn't reach a conclusion, Jeong Inji accused Kim Jongseo of being ignorant of economics from spending his life fighting barbarians on the frontier. Then Kim shot back, saying that if Jeong Inji had amassed such wealth in Hanyang through moneylending, why couldn't he understand even the basics of currency?"

Yunseo let out a small laugh.

To think she had missed such a spectacle—two of Joseon's greatest minds arguing like that.

"Our Crown Prince, gentle as spring sunlight, finally told them to stop wasting energy fighting and focus on solving the problem. But even after returning, he sighs, closes his eyes, and flushes red while working. So be especially careful."

By then, they had reached the pavilion.

"Your Highness, the maid Kwon has arrived."

"…Let her in."

The reply came after a slight pause.

Eom quickly whispered—don't push too stubbornly if he doesn't believe the fingerprint method right away, and if needed, they could just drag the culprits in and make them confess—before hastily opening the door.

Lee Hyang sat leaning back in a chair, eyes closed, dressed in light ramie garments.

He wore pale pink trousers and jacket, with a sky-blue outer robe draped over them. His damp hair, still wet from bathing, hung down his back.

Under the candlelight, his strikingly beautiful figure resembled a painting.

Yunseo almost wanted to admire him longer—but she shut her eyes briefly and steadied herself.

Now was not the time to be distracted by his looks.

"Your Highness, I have something to show you."

"…What is it?"

He asked without opening his eyes, clearly troubled by the currency issue.

If she could help solve that, he might have the capacity to consider her forensic method.

Placing her items on the edge of his desk, Yunseo knelt beside it.

One of the strengths of modern education was its broad foundational knowledge—enough to offer basic solutions even in a 15th-century setting.

If only compulsory education could be implemented in Joseon after Hangul is promulgated…

Then a handful of yangban elites wouldn't dominate the masses with shallow knowledge and empty rhetoric.

Clearing her throat, Yunseo spoke.

"Your Highness, for currency circulation to succeed, silver must be introduced."

"!"

Lee Hyang—who had been trying to keep his eyes closed, overwhelmed by unfamiliar feelings of love and fearing he might lose control if he looked at her—

snapped his eyes open.

Kneeling before him, Kwon met his gaze boldly, her eyes shining brightly.

"Whether in China, Japan, or even the distant lands of the West, silver is used as the primary currency because it has intrinsic value. A silver ingot from China is recognized as valuable whether brought here to Joseon or taken to Japan. But paper currency like jeohwa is nothing more than a scrap of paper you can neither eat nor wear. And since people still vividly remember the heavy losses from the Yuan dynasty's paper money collapse at the end of Goryeo, they simply cannot trust it."

Lee Hyang's mouth fell open.

Who was this beautiful and clever girl, who had already shaken his heart—and now was shaking his mind as well?

Yet as a ruler, he had to ask more of the maid who so readily offered answers even his most capable ministers could not find.

"My father minted copper coins. Copper has many uses—why did that fail as well?"

"I have heard that even government offices preferred to collect goods in kind rather than in copper coins. If the state itself does not trust its own currency, how could the people trust it? Moreover, there are scarcely enough goods in circulation to trade with such coins."

It felt as though his mind was clearing.

Lee Hyang picked up a brush and gestured with his left hand.

"Stay there for a moment—no, wait. If you kneel like that, your delicate knees will hurt. Bring a chair and sit beside me."

He quickly began writing down everything she had just said.

Then, frowning slightly, he muttered,

"China once demanded excessive amounts of gold and silver, causing great suffering among the people. His Majesty barely managed to negotiate an end to tribute demands and even closed the mines. If we reopen them…"

"It will be fine, Your Highness."

Yunseo brought over a simple wooden chair and sat beside him, speaking confidently.

"The Xuande Emperor of Ming has already passed away. The current emperor is entangled with eunuchs and preoccupied with wars against the Mongols. For the time being, he will not have the capacity to concern himself with Joseon."

"…How do you know that?"

Lee Hyang was about to ask—his handsome face once again betraying his astonishment—

but Yunseo answered first.

"Last night, the Crown Princess appeared in my dream again and told me. And Your Highness, I may occasionally speak such knowledge from time to time in the future as well. When that happens, please understand it as guidance from the late Crown Princess for our Hong—"

She stopped herself just before saying Hongwi, forming her lips as if to cough.

Lee Hyang lightly tapped her lips with his finger.

"When we are alone, call him Hongwi. You feel close to my son, don't you? That is why you call him so. But be careful elsewhere. Pretending to cough as you did before will not always suffice."

Oh my… he knew!

"That is correct, Your Highness. Everything the Crown Princess tells me is for our Hongwi. So rather than asking how I know, please simply consider whether it is reasonable and apply it where needed."

Saying it aloud felt refreshing.

Part of her wanted to confess the truth—that her soul had come from the 21st century—

but if she did, King Sejong, who never put down a book even when ill, would surely summon her constantly and demand she reveal everything she knew like a walking encyclopedia.

Her prediction proved accurate.

Even from this brief discussion on currency, Lee Hyang's eyes gleamed intensely as he leaned closer—so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath.

"Every night, after Hongwi falls asleep, come here. Come and tell me everything you have heard from the Crown Princess."

There it is.

Like father, like son.

"Only half a si. If Hongwi wakes, I must soothe him back to sleep. And I need rest as well—I have duties during the day, Your Highness."

"Half a si? That is too short. Make it one si."

"Half a si and one gak!"

"Half a si and two gak! This is the Crown Prince's command!"

"…Yes, I will obey."

Yunseo had no choice but to bow her head.

As she did, the collar of her jacket loosened slightly, briefly revealing the pale curve of her chest before it disappeared again.

Lee Hyang squeezed his eyes shut once more.

His mind reeled between the urge to reach out and touch her—and the restraint that told him he could not treat her so carelessly.

Meanwhile, Yunseo misunderstood, thinking he had momentarily dozed off from exhaustion after a long day of work.

She herself was tired as well.

Her muscles, pleasantly loosened after running for the first time in a while, cried out for rest.

So she quickly spread out the paper and began explaining about fingerprints.

"Your Highness, I sincerely apologize for troubling you with my personal matter while you are so busy with state affairs. However, this method is not only for my case—it is extremely useful for identifying criminals. Your Highness, I know you are tired, but please open your eyes and look at this."

Yunseo gently shook his shoulder to wake him and rose from her seat.

Then she pressed each fingertip of her left hand onto five circles she had drawn beforehand.

And without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed his left hand.