Free Web NovelThe king spoke without even a moment of hesitation.
“No.”
“...Your Majesty.”
“I forbid it.”
The lifelong wish of his son was crushed with terrifying ease.
“Why. Why would you do this...?”
“....”
The king did not even give him an answer. As if that was all the response he was willing to grant.
Seonghwi’s jaw trembled violently. This couldn’t be happening.
He bit down on the tender inside of his mouth through clenched teeth, forcing his emotions down.
“That was my place.”
“No. Not once was it ever your place.”
The king’s low voice, which had initially sounded subdued, gained force and thundered directly into his ears.
“Have I ever told you I would give you the throne? The position of Crown Prince already belongs to Yunhwi.”
The cold man before him was not a father. He was the ruler of a nation.
“But... did you not send me to Heavenly Vein Land...?”
“Do not indulge in vain dreams. I did not send you to Heavenly Vein Land with such intentions. Was it not obvious by now that it was merely for appearances?”
The king let out a sigh, as though looking at such a foolish son made his chest feel stifled.
“When envoys visit, would it uphold the dignity of the state to show them a sickly eldest son? When the political climate is already unstable, this is a time when we cannot afford to show even a single crack! Showing a Grand Prince who cannot even hold a proper conversation without the foreign minister, or hiding him away without explanation—both are problems. Why don’t you understand that? Why!”
At the king’s roar, Seonghwi blankly recalled a conversation with his younger brother.
“If that weren’t the case, how could Father have sent me so far away from the palace?”
The truth he had tried so hard to ignore was laid bare.
“He recognized someone more capable. He realized that with my abilities alone, it would be difficult to look after even the most remote villages.”
He had been a sharp child—he must have known. That Seonghwi’s instincts were right. That the seat had already been decided.
That was why he may have only pretended to yield it to his pitiful elder brother. freёwebnovel.com
No— that was exactly it. Because he wanted to play the role of a sage king, because he wanted to sit on the supreme throne without any discord. Because he knew a sickly, incompetent elder brother would never be his match...!
Grit— a faint grinding sound broke from between Seonghwi’s clenched teeth.
“With such a narrow view, you think you can sit in that seat? A king must see a thousand li ahead from where he sits, and you, Seonghwi... You, who cannot even see a single move ahead.”
The king exhaled a sigh of lamentation. Seonghwi lowered his head and begged.
“I will become a wise king like you, Your Majesty! I will support the court! Become the parent of this nation’s people! Leave a legacy that will endure through history—!”
He was desperate.
“No.”
That seat was everything to Seonghwi.
“That cannot be.”
It was the force that sustained this entire life. The only reason Seonghwi continued to exist.
Because that place was his. Because he had believed it without doubt.
In the king’s gaze as he looked down at Seonghwi, there was not the slightest hesitation.
“The king is the foundation of the nation. There are those who pass down their wealth to children who might die at any moment, you know? It pains me that your body is weak, but who knows when bloodshed might erupt in the court!” freēwēbηovel.c૦m
As the ruler shouted, the tiger embroidered across his chest seemed to roar. Light shattered across the beautiful gold thread, glittering so brightly it was almost enough to bring tears.
Truly, it was a garment only the supreme ruler could wear.
“When the top wavers, the bottom collapses.”
As a father, he wavered at the sight of his son pleading—
“But if you truly wish to become the parent of the people, then follow my will.”
As the king of a nation, he did not waver.
“Leave.”
The brush in the king’s hand slowly placed a single dot on the page. Seonghwi slowly lifted his head. Watching the ink spread darkly across the paper, he felt it sink in.
A command already given.
It could not be undone.
“...I will obey.”
Watching the back of his son as he bowed and left, the king quietly pressed his lips together.
The son he had thought would die before reaching ten years of age had, thankfully, grown up.
That was enough.
Yes. That was enough.
Thud— as the Grand Prince exited, the doors closed again from both sides. Now, all that remained in the vast audience chamber was a single ruler who had to live alone at the highest place.
The king lowered his gaze once more. Affairs of state lay piled before him.
Having left the brush idle for a moment in absentmindedness, the edge of the paper was stained.
“How....”
As he left the audience chamber behind, Seonghwi muttered. The blood vessels in his eyes had burst red as he struggled to suppress the emotions surging up.
Standing beneath a towering old tree, Seonghwi darkened as if swallowed by its shadow.
The blue robe he wore deepened in color, edging closer to black.
“How could you....”
With glistening eyes, Seonghwi turned back once more.
“To do this to me, Your Majesty....”
Tears welled in one eye. But he did not let them fall. Instead, he forged a silent vow within himself.
To reclaim his place.
For the natural order.
* * *
“Wow... that hurts to watch....”
“But honestly, a sickly king? That’s basically perfect conditions for a country to go under.”
“At least Yeomga isn’t showing up, so my heart feels calmer.”
“Yesterday B almost cried, didn’t he. But Yeomga is really on another level. She’s the kick of Strange Tales, so I think she could show up a bit more often.”
This was the underground studio of Daily Media. Reporter Wi Jaehwi—also known as Deduck.B—along with a few other reporters, were freely filming their reactions in front of the camera.
Intube
[Watching Is the Best—Drama Geeks Gather <Daily Media> Reporters’ Top Class Ep.1,2 Reaction] 23:21
Views 190K
-LOLOLOLOL It’s even more fun just having it on in the background T_T Please do this often from now on
-Reporter Deduck.B feels like my friend.. every time he wants to swear but can’t and smacks his forehead it’s hilarious
-The further it goes the redder his forehead gets.. at this point just swear already
ㄴ18:02 He actually did quietly here already TT_TT lololol
The special Daily Media video uploaded last time had gained modest popularity and significantly increased the official account’s subscriber count. There was no need to agonize over what the next item should be.
The second drama for the reaction cam was decided immediately: <Strange Tales>.
‘Yeoreum... I want to say out loud that I love you....’
In truth, Reporter Wi was usually fine with horror and gore. But every time Yeoreum appeared in Episode 1 of <Strange Tales>, he had to struggle to contain his affection, which naturally branded him as an easily frightened yet emotionally expressive character.
As they filmed the second reaction video following yesterday’s cut, Reporter Wi predicted—
‘This Strange Tales reaction will probably change the first digit of our subscriber count.’
The fact that Jegal Rok had smiled after seeing Episode 2’s ending inspired near-religious faith. There had to be something there.
Heavenly Vein Land
A beautiful mountain village landscape unfolded. Sunlight poured refreshingly through lush green trees. Birds chirped and twittered.
A waterwheel turned, shattering clear water into spray. The camera swept over the scene from above, showing Heavenly Vein Land—a village isolated, yet perfectly livable.
From a pavilion floating with lotus flowers came the sound of lively music.
“Hahaha! Hahahaha!”
Men’s laughter rang out, deep and hearty. Their faces were full of smiles as they sat with women dressed neatly in hanbok, tucked beside them like dolls.
“Congratulations! Magistrate sir!”
“Ah, how delighted I am to spread the beauty of our Heavenly Vein Land far and wide.”
Drinking the liquor poured by a beautiful woman, the elderly man called the magistrate grinned broadly.
“Our Heavenly Vein Land not only has waters good enough that the Grand Prince himself comes here for hot springs, but this kind of water is good too! Isn’t that right, Hwayeong?”
“Yes. Clerk sir, indeed it is.”
The clerk cackled as he wrapped an arm around the shoulder of the woman in the pink jeogori. The woman called Hwayeong silently raised her smooth hand and poured more liquor into the emptied cup.
“Janghwa and Hongryeon have raised our village’s name so high that part of my heart feels bitter—but at the same time, I’m grateful they’ve made us reconsider women’s chastity.”
“Minister Jang will surely rejoice in heaven!”
“Of course! Better to follow one’s father than live under a stepmother a hundred, no, a thousand times over! Chastity and filial piety both? Those two sisters were truly admirable!”
At their casual treatment of death, the expressions of the girls sitting nearby stiffened in an instant.
The men were talking about the two sisters, Janghwa and Hongryeon, who had recently taken their own lives.
They were about the same age as the girls present here. In this small village, they were acquaintances who had exchanged a few words in passing during childhood.
Yet the girls soon managed their expressions back to calm. These men were, for all intents and purposes, the sky of this village.
“The suicide of virtuous women after being violated by bandits—how moving is that? And on top of that, compensation money comes into Heavenly Vein Land, so what could be better? Right!”
“Ah, then doesn’t that mean Sink-and-Dark /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ Land is basically finished, and merchants will naturally pass through our village now!”
“Then Heavenly Vein Land will prosper even more! Hahaha!”
Laughing loudly, they hurled insults at Sink-and-Dark Land—a neighboring village with a similar name, whose gentler mountain slopes had drawn more merchants.
Because of that, Heavenly Vein Land’s isolation had grown worse by the day.
“Once the compensation money comes in, how about fixing up this pavilion first? After all, for a village to prosper, it needs something impressive to show off, doesn’t it?”
They had no interest in the miserable deaths or lives of innocent people. Despite their polished words, it was obvious their priority was their own greed.
“But still... it’s a shame.”
The magistrate, drinking, slowly trailed off.
“A woman’s chastity is something that, especially for a widow, must be guarded even more strictly...”
In an instant, the air turned cold. Everyone present thought of the same person. Side glances were exchanged.
At this very moment, atop this pavilion, everyone sensed that some kind of plot was unfolding.
And yet the women and girls could say nothing. They were flowers that understood human speech, but not humans themselves.
They bit their lips briefly and moved their hands instead. Flower-like hands plucked the geomungo strings. Beautiful music continued to flow.
Clunk— the waterwheel made a slight noise as it stopped, then turned again. The lotus flowers remained, as always, fresh and serene.
The small village of Heavenly Vein Land was being peacefully trampled beneath their feet.
“Fuck— those crazy bastards.”
Staring at the screen, Seo Eden pointed like a drunk on Line 1. Without anyone asking, he immersed himself nonstop, as if filming his own reaction cam.
“What the hell is this, some first-daughter-in-law system or what? She’s not even their daughter—she’s young enough to be their granddaughter!”
“Eden. It’s the child bride system.”
“Ah, whatever. Still—what are those old fucks doing at their age.”
“Leave it. From a story perspective, they’re dying soon.”
“I hope they die right now. Seriously, they have zero shame.”
Seo Eden had fully fallen into <Strange Tales>.
With the TV, a tablet PC, and phones all playing <Strange Tales>, the lodging felt completely filled with old men from the drama. The magistrate’s face appeared simultaneously across screens of all sizes.
“Eden, can I use your phone?”
“Didn’t expect this from you, hyung. That’s seriously disloyal. You’re supposed to cheer.”
“...Why does your loyalty include me? He’s your coworker.”
“My coworker is your coworker! That’s what a team is. Anyway, no. Keep watching. Damn, the story’s insane.”
After confiscating even his group members’ phones and filling everything with <Strange Tales>, Seo Eden slapped away the hand reaching for a phone and refocused on the screen.
The members were forced by Seo Eden to watch <Strange Tales>.
But as time passed, all of them abandoned the sofa, sat on the floor, and gradually leaned closer and closer to the screen.
* * *
The woman called Hwayeong, who had been sitting beside the clerk moments ago, suddenly ran off in a hurry.
Her bright red skirt hem flapped violently. Urgent breaths spilled between lips tinted with rouge. The silk bundle in her hand looked heavy.
“Huff... huff....”
As soon as she reached someone’s house, she hid herself.
Bang—! Bang—!
She grabbed stones nearby and hurled them at the kitchen door. As if someone inside had heard, creak— the door opened slightly from within.
