Chapter 24

 The Night Fate Is Reversed (1)

"Your Highness, please put me down now."

When they had crossed about halfway across the courtyard of Sajungjeon, Yunseo spoke.

In response, Lee Hyang simply lengthened his stride and kept walking in large steps.

As if to make it impossible for her to avoid tightening both arms firmly around his neck if she didn't want to fall.

Left with no choice, Yunseo pulled his neck closer and held on, thinking that today had been far too long, far too dramatic, and far too…

So unbearably exhausting that her mind stubbornly refused to think any further.

So Yunseo simply buried her face against Lee Hyang's neck.

The warmth of his body brushed her cheek, and she could clearly feel the strong pulse of his carotid artery throbbing.

That steady pulse, stimulating her cheek, together with the firm grip beneath her arms supporting her body with every step, seemed to wordlessly declare that no matter what happened, he would protect her.

At that, the fatigue accumulated from working twelve-hour shifts every single day after crash-landing in the unfamiliar 15th-century Joseon—like a stranded alien on another planet—along with the last thread of tension she had never once been able to release in order to survive, slowly unraveled.

"Yunseo!"

With Lee Hyang's startled shout calling her name, Yunseo's consciousness plunged completely into a pitch-black world of deep sleep.

"Yunseo! The royal physician! Call the royal physician!"

Startled, Lee Hyang shouted as he ran toward the Crown Prince's residence, carrying Kwon Yunseo, whose body had suddenly gone limp like a piece of cloth.

Just then, palace attendants and guards who had gathered in the wide courtyard in front of Jaseondang to change shifts between day and night watched in shock as the Crown Prince rushed in like a madman, shouting, "Call the royal physician! Call the royal physician!"

The Crown Prince, with a crushed gat hanging against his chest and torn clothes, was holding someone whose gender was hard to distinguish, shouting, "Where is Yunseo's quarters? No… no. The warm ondol room—my quarters!" He then strode up onto the wooden hall without even removing his shoes and entered the heated room.

At that moment, Hongwi, who had been standing on the wooden hall holding Lady Choi's hand, whining, "Why isn't Father coming?" as he waited for the night shift to begin, immediately recognized who was in his father's arms.

Letting go of Lady Choi's hand, Hongwi hurried into the warm room. Seeing Kwon Yunseo laid down on the bedding, he began to tear up and asked Lee Hyang,

"Is she dead?"

"No, no. Look—she's breathing like this."

"Waaah! Then why won't she open her eyes?"

Hongwi threw himself down in front of Kwon Yunseo and began to wail.

The one who managed to bring order to this chaotic scene was Court Lady Park, who had spent over forty years in palace service and had seen every imaginable and unimaginable sight, becoming thoroughly seasoned.

From the moment she heard that Lady Kwon had been dragged to Cheonchujeon still dressed in men's clothing, Court Lady Park had been anxiously pacing the courtyard of the Crown Prince's residence. With a single glance, she grasped the situation and began issuing rapid, precise orders.

"Lady Eom, hurry and summon the royal physician from the Medical Bureau!"

"Maegum, go at once and bring clothes for Lady Kwon to change into!"

"You there, Musuri Hyang—quickly bring a basin of lukewarm water!"

"Lady Choi! The Royal Grandson is terribly frightened. Take him at once and bring him to the west ondol room!"

After giving her orders, she hurried into the east ondol room and sat beside the Crown Prince.

"Your Highness, that child has always been as sturdy as iron. She will soon recover her strength. She must have been so startled she thought she might die, and now that she feels safe in Your Highness's arms, she has lost consciousness like this."

"…Is that so?"

"It is. Lady Kwon is very robust, after all."

Only when the Crown Prince's expression finally softened with a bit of relief did it become the Royal Grandson's turn.

The child struggled to avoid Lady Choi's hands as she tried to escort him away, crying loudly,

"Don't die! Don't die! Waaah!"

Court Lady Park firmly grabbed both of his arms, holding them against his body so he couldn't move, and lowered herself to meet his eye level.

"My little prince, please look at me."

"Waaah?"

"Lady Kwon is just asleep. When you sleep at night, you don't notice people coming and going, do you?"

"…Mm."

"But if someone makes this much noise while you're sleeping, would that be alright or not?"

"…Not okay…"

"Lady Kwon will wake up soon after receiving acupuncture and taking medicine, so please go to the west ondol—"

"I won't go!"

"…Pardon?"

"I won't go! I'll stay next to her! Waaah!"

Despite all the effort to calm him, the Royal Grandson burst into tears again.

Seeing this, even Court Lady Park—normally composed from a lifetime of experience—felt her heart ache sharply.

Having lost his mother at birth, and with only Lady Kwon to rely on, how desperately he must cling to her.

Lee Hyang, who had regained some composure, felt the same pain in his son's cries.

"Hongwi, come here. Come to your father. Sit on my lap, and let's wait together for Lady Kwon to wake up."

Only after being held in Lee Hyang's arms did Hongwi stop crying and sit quietly, watching Kwon Yunseo.

While patting his son, Lee Hyang suddenly called out to Lady Eom.

"Go to the Royal Detention Office and order them to postpone Jeon Gyun's punishment. Until Kwon Yunseo safely awakens, do not punish him—just keep him securely imprisoned."

"…Yes, Your Highness."

At the Crown Prince's words—applying the custom of releasing or delaying punishment for criminals during times of royal misfortune even to a palace servant—Lady Eom was startled but respectfully bowed as she accepted the order.

Just then, Royal Physician Jeon Sunui of the Medical Bureau appeared carrying his medicine case.

He had only just been shocked by the news that the chief palace eunuch—who had wielded great power—had been dragged off to the Royal Detention Office and would soon be executed after causing chaos in Cheonchujeon surrounding a certain court lady. And now, that very same court lady was lying in none other than the Crown Prince's chambers.

Jeon Sunui, who had always devoted himself to those in power, took her pulse and examined her complexion before bowing to the Crown Prince and reporting:

"Her pulse is strong, and her body is healthy. However, she was momentarily greatly shocked, causing her energy and blood to become severely blocked, which led her to fall into a faint-like sleep. With acupuncture and medicinal decoction, she will soon awaken."

Sitting by the doorway, Court Lady Park heard Jeon Sunui's words and cursed inwardly.

That sly fox—falling over before the wind even begins to blow.

At the same time, seeing the Crown Prince's pale face flush with color at those words, she let out another inward sigh.

He's been acting as if women were nothing but stones all this time… only to gather all that restraint and lose his mind over Lady Kwon at once. What am I to do? What am I to do with this? A woman's fate is best when she remains a court lady… What am I to do? Our poor Lady Kwon…

"Postpone Jeon Gyun's punishment until further orders. Do not administer the flogging yet—just keep him securely confined."

Inside the Royal Detention Office, where the stench of rotting flesh from those who had died under brutal torture and beatings filled the air—

Jeon Gyun, who had fallen in an instant from the highest position to one awaiting death, felt the faint hope he had clung to as the door creaked open collapse into despair.

Then he realized that the owner of the commanding voice was none other than his lifelong rival, Senior Attendant Eom Jachi.

"H-hey! Senior Attendant Eom! Senior Attendant Eom! Please, spare me. For the sake of the miserable years we've both endured living without manhood—please, save me!"

The two had entered the palace around the same time as trainee eunuchs and had risen through the ranks at similar speeds, becoming the two most powerful figures in the court.

Heavy footsteps approached, and Eom Jachi appeared, his face illuminated in the lantern light.

"Please, Senior Attendant Eom… just spare my life. If you do, I'll give you all the treasures piled up like mountains in my storage. Just let me live long enough to be exiled to Bukcheong. Please… I beg you, like this."

Though the number of flogging strokes could not be reduced, the force behind them could be lessened.

It was an unspoken practice: those destined to be beaten to death could, with sufficient bribes, survive—living for years as crippled invalids before slowly regaining strength enough to hobble about with a cane.

Though it pained him terribly to hand over the fortune he had accumulated over a lifetime to that wretched Eom, Jeon Gyun believed that as long as he lived, he could seize another opportunity. Bowing his head, he desperately begged for his life.

Eom Jachi raised the lantern to get a better look at him.

The once-arrogant man had, in less than half a day, become as wretched as a beggar from the streets.

Finding the sight both satisfying and pitiful, Eom Jachi—who had originally intended only to confirm his state and leave—changed his mind and spoke of the past.

"Do you know this? His Majesty always kept you close and used you, while I was constantly sent off—to Hoeryeong, to Muchang—dangerous war zones, carrying secret letters. Riding through freezing lands, I sometimes resented His Majesty for favoring someone as cunning as you."

Thinking this resentment was directed at him, Jeon Gyun dropped to his knees and cried out,

"T-that's all in the past, isn't it? And look—now I'm the one who'll be sent to Bukcheong, where frozen corpses lie scattered on the roads every year!"

Eom Jachi shook his head.

"That Lady Kwon—the one you tried to harm but ended up being undone by—she said this: a person does not know who they truly are until they stand on a test. On His Majesty's test, I always chose to follow and uphold his will. Since His Majesty cherishes the Royal Grandson, I have done everything in my power to check you—who clung to Prince Suyang's faction and sought to harm the child."

"T-that's—!"

"You thought no one knew? No. It was all visible. I saw it all. And if I could see it, do you think His Majesty, with his keen eyes, did not?"

Jeon Gyun's face twisted viciously.

"Ha! You and I are the same—living as dogs of power without manhood. Win, and you become a meritorious subject. Lose, and you become a traitor. Who can guarantee you won't end up here like me someday?"

"Perhaps that may be so. But Jeon Gyun—if that day comes, it will be by my own choice. A path toward death I walk into knowingly. Not like you, dragged here after your dirty schemes backfired. Farewell. I'll make sure you have plenty of money for your journey to the afterlife."

"Y-you… you…!"

Grinding his teeth in fury, Jeon Gyun watched as Eom Jachi turned away.

He had to return quickly—to attend to the Crown Prince and the young prince.

Then, from behind him, Jeon Gyun hurled a venomous curse.

"How long do you think your glory will last, you bastard?! A powerful shaman at Seonbawi foretold that the brat whose feet you lick won't live past his teens—you hear me?!"

At that, Eom Jachi turned back, lifting his lantern, and asked calmly,

"Did that powerful shaman not foresee that you would die today?"

"!"

Without a trace of hesitation, Eom Jachi turned and left.

Something soft and warm stirred Yunseo's consciousness from her deep, dreamless sleep.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Hongwi.

Just like the first day she arrived in Joseon, he was clutching tightly at her clothes and burrowing into her embrace.

"...!"

Yunseo pulled the sleeping Hongwi closer and turned her head.

Under the gentle glow of the lantern, Lee Hyang sat cross-legged, wearing a sky-blue robe.

Resting his arms on his knees, his chin propped on his hands, he had fallen asleep in a precarious position.

Yunseo watched him for a long time.

Because she knew that the moment she opened her mouth and called out, "Your Highness," their relationship as Crown Prince and court lady would break—and they would be forced into something else.

Kwon Yunseo, a person from the 21st century, simply gazed for a long time at the Crown Prince of the 15th century.

But despite her quiet observation, Lee Hyang suddenly opened his eyes.

The deep gaze of the Crown Prince instantly caught Yunseo's, just as she tried, flustered, to close her eyes again.