Chapter 31

I Reveal to You My Deepest Secret (1)

"The two ministers have passed away, yet it seems Your Highness still has matters to attend to."

After asking to be informed when Yi-hyang's work was finished, Chief Court Lady Eom came to tell her a little past the hour of Sul (around 9 p.m.).

Yunseo tore up the paper again, placed it into a silk pouch, hid it in a secret compartment inside the desk, and then lay down beside Hongwi.

She carefully took in every detail—his hair, loosened like black silk, his thick, long eyelashes, the already well-defined bridge of his nose that resembled his father's, and his slightly parted red lips as he breathed out warm air.

Yi-hyang was cautious by nature, so it seemed unlikely—but he might still accuse her of being possessed and speaking nonsense, and order her dragged to the investigation bureau.

If Yunseo were imprisoned—whether there or anywhere else—Maegum had already promised to come rescue her.

At Yunseo's request, Maegum had nodded enthusiastically, saying, "Okay!" as if delighted at the chance to show off her abilities.

If things unfolded that way, this moment might be the last time she would ever see Hongwi.

Should I just not say anything? I already told him that the Crown Princess appeared in my dream, showed me the future, and gave me the ring—and Yi-hyang more or less accepted it… Maybe I could go on living like this…

But that kind of lie might last for a few months—never for years.

And knowing she was deceiving him, Yunseo would never feel fully at ease. That, in turn, would inevitably place a limit on the deep emotional bond they were meant to share.

A relationship built on lies could never have a good ending.

"Hongwi… I'll do anything—anything at all—to come back to your side."

Pressing her lips gently to his forehead, Yunseo breathed in his scent for a long time.

From Hongwi came a faint camellia fragrance, mixed with the scent of medicinal herbs.

From now on, wherever she might be, whenever she smelled camellias, she would surely think of their Hongwi—who comforted her so warmly, saying, "Don't cry, don't cry."

Yunseo sat up.

Then she stepped outside and asked Chief Court Lady Eom to summon Lady Choi so she could look after the young prince.

"I have something very important to say to His Highness."

Dressed more beautifully than usual, Kwon-ga spoke these words, and Chief Court Lady Eom nodded with a meaningful expression.

It seemed she assumed Yunseo was going to fulfill the king's command from earlier at Cheonchu Hall—not to leave the Crown Prince alone at night.

"Go to His Highness without worry. The young prince rarely wakes during the night, does he?"

Yunseo took a few steps with the lantern Eom handed her, then suddenly turned back and quickly returned. Leaning close, she whispered in a low voice into Eom's ear.

"Court Lady… if anything happens to me, kill Grand Prince Suyang. If the rope you've chosen is not to rot and snap, then he must die."

"...L-Lady Kwon… w-what do you mean…?"

A woman whose expression could turn chilling when emotion left her face—telling her to kill a royal relative as she went to attend the Crown Prince at night—left Eom momentarily stunned.

But she quickly composed herself and answered in haste.

"I will do so. I will plan it meticulously and see it done."

Kwon-ga's expression had been so solemn that it felt like the only possible response.

Holding a single lantern, Yunseo walked alone toward Bi-hyeon Pavilion.

The heat of the day had already cooled into a chill that made her back feel cold.

Just then, an early summer night breeze swept past with a soft rush, fluttering the hem of her skirt.

If Yi-hyang were to learn that the soul inhabiting Kwon-ga's body was something like an alien being from the distant future—what would he say?

Whatever answer he gave would be his choice. Yunseo's duty was simply to tell the truth faithfully.

"Lady Kwon has arrived, Your Highness."

The young eunuch attending him at night announced her presence.

There was the hurried sound of a chair scraping, followed by a voice: "Enter."

The unmistakable joy in that voice made Yunseo's heart drop heavily once more.

If he were to cast her out as some strange creature possessed by a ghost, spouting nonsense—what then?

If she were expelled from the palace, she could still survive somewhere… but what of their Hongwi? And what would become of Yi-hyang, whose ill-fated marriage would once again be exposed to the world?

Or if he were to say, Someone as strange as you—I no longer wish to keep you as a woman. Live only as Hongwi's nurse—

Then could she truly go on living calmly as a mere court lady, like a stranger, while vividly remembering the heat of Yi-hyang's lips against hers?

More than anything… by choosing Yi-hyang, can I truly take on all the burdens of Joseon that come with him—and carry them out faithfully?

In the brief moment as the eunuch pushed the door open, the countless thoughts she had already turned over in her mind branched into countless more.

When the door opened, Yi-hyang was already standing right in front of it.

His face, worn from days of relentless work, looked even more striking in its gauntness—and upon it was written, unmistakably, a longing and joy directed entirely at Yunseo.

Her eyes grew hot again.

"Yunseo!"

Before the eunuch had even closed the door, Yi-hyang pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers fervently.

Originally, Yunseo had planned to tell him everything first, give him several days to think, and only after confirming his decision would she allow something like a kiss.

Love betrayed could easily turn into a cruel hatred as intense as the passion that once fueled it.

But Yi-hyang, unaware of Yunseo's resolve, had already begun a deep, fervent kiss.

Since Yunseo had attended the king's evening meal, Yi-hyang must have heard the royal command issued at Cheonchu Hall.

Unlike usual, he had not immediately come to Jaseondang to find her—likely out of careful consideration, giving her time to think about that command.

And now that Yunseo had come to Bi-hyeon Pavilion first, he must have believed she had decided to abandon the hesitations of courtship and accept becoming husband and wife.

As if unwilling to wait any longer, his hands moved boldly inside her clothes, as though he meant to see it through to the end right away.

Yunseo's own body responded, her yearning desire rising just as fiercely.

But before anything was decided—before her desire overwhelmed her reason—Yi-hyang had to know the truth.

In the end, Yunseo used Kwon-ga's strong hands to push against Yi-hyang's chest.

"There's something… I must tell you, Your Highness."

"...Yunseo."

Yi-hyang, his breath still rough, stepped back as if to say something—but instead simply lifted his hand and gently brushed Yunseo's disheveled hair back behind her ear.

Yunseo took a step back to avoid his tender touch, then dropped to the floor and bowed her head deeply.

"Your Highness, there is something you must hear. Please go and sit over there."

Sensing something unusual in her tone, Yi-hyang straightened from the motion of trying to lift her and instead gave an order.

"Rise, Kwon Yunseo. Your knees will hurt. Sit on a chair and speak."

"Your Highness, there is something I have not been able to tell you until now. I intend to tell you here. You must hear it—and only then make your judgment."

"!"

As if seized by a foreboding feeling, Yi-hyang suddenly dropped to his knees before her and gripped her chin so tightly it hurt.

"Is it because of that man, Bogeom? Because of the one you call for so desperately even in your dreams—have you concluded that you can never accept me?"

…What?

Her tension about how he would receive her confession instantly melted away.

Only then did Yunseo recall how Yi-hyang had once ordered the entire palace searched for this man named Bogeom.

So much had happened that she had completely forgotten to explain it—and never imagined it would resurface like this now.

"Your Highness, Bogeom is someone I've never even met in my life—he's like a figure in a painting!"

"!"

"And I clearly said back then that Your Highness is far more handsome than Bogeom, so why are you bringing him up again? This is not the time for that."

"..."

At Yunseo's scolding, Yi-hyang muttered, "…Whenever I stand before you, I lose my senses." Yet, clearly pleased at being told he was more handsome than Bogeom, he softened again and led her to a table where several people could sit and confer.

"Sit here and speak. Don't kneel and hurt your pretty knees."

"Your Highness, please sit across from me. I'll sit here."

She sent him to the opposite side instead of letting him sit beside her.

Instead of sitting immediately, Yi-hyang poured tea from a porcelain cup and set it before her, then poured one for himself and sat across from her.

Recently, she had only seen him in light, flowing robes—but tonight, having been handling state affairs late with Kim Jongseo and Jeong Inji, he was still dressed in his formal dragon robe and winged crown.

"Your Highness, once your official duties are done, even if you still have work left, please wash yourself first, dry your body thoroughly, and then change into lighter clothes before continuing. I've taught Lady Park's attendants how to make something called soap. Wash with that, dry yourself well, and always wear lighter garments so you don't develop boils."

Without meaning to, her nagging came out first again.

"And although I haven't had time yet to render pig fat for oil, Lady Park and her attendants also know how to make something called Jawoongo. It's very effective for mild itching and the early stages of boils, so please use it—and have the Royal Infirmary refine it into a stronger topical medicine. That way, you won't die prematurely from severe boils."

"Yunseo."

Only now realizing something was truly wrong, Yi-hyang began to rise and move toward her.

But Yunseo shook her head firmly and spoke again.

"Listen from there, Yi-hyang. Crown Prince of Joseon, who will one day receive the posthumous title King Munjong—listen to me from where you are. I am a soul from the future residing in Kwon-ga's body."

"Yunseo!"

"Didn't you find it strange? That Kwon-ga—suspected of having borderline intellectual disability, unable even to read, yet kind-hearted—suddenly began writing new characters, claiming the Crown Princess showed them to her in a dream… insisting that the young prince be moved here to Jaseondang… constantly nagging Your Highness, still in good health, about boils… Didn't you find that strange?"

"..."

The color drained from Yi-hyang's face.

Across his refined features—worn by long days of exhausting duties and sleepless nights—passed waves of shock, disbelief, and astonishment.

She hadn't wanted to reveal it so abruptly, cornering him like this.

Yunseo had planned to bow her head and gently confess that she was a soul from the future—and that, if he could accept even someone like her, she wished to marry him.

But from the moment their lips met, a desperate desire had surged within her—to bury it all, to continue the lie that she merely knew a few things because of a strange dream involving the Crown Princess.

To resist that temptation, she had to push herself—

And in doing so, she had no choice but to push Yi-hyang as well.

The truth is always more painful than lies.

Even now, the urge to laugh it off as a joke was overwhelming, so Yunseo forced herself onward again.

"Yi-hyang, nine years from now—from this moment—in the year our Hongwi turns twelve, history records that you died suddenly within days from boils that spread across your entire back. That is why I have constantly urged you to wash frequently, wear light clothing, and tried to make soap and Jawoongo."

"..."

"I am Kwon Yunseo, the nineteenth descendant of Crown Princess Kwon, from Joseon more than five hundred years in the future. I am three years older than you—and I was a woman who healed the hearts of others."

"..."

"I had returned to my hometown for my parents' memorial day and found the ring you gave to Lady Kwon in the attic. When I put it on, I was summoned into the body of Lady Kwon, who had just died after eating poisoned sweets. Your wife entrusted me with saving poor Hongwi, who was harmed by Grand Prince Suyang—"

"Yunseo."

Yi-hyang, who had been silently listening to her hurried, bizarre confession, cut her off.

"Stop. Say no more. From now on, answer only what I ask. This is the command of the Crown Prince of Joseon."