Chapter 2. Who is "Our" Hongwei!

"Hongwei, it's your father."

Lee Hyang whispered in a voice that instantly softened.

"Abba? Abba!"

Upon hearing his father's voice, Hongwei immediately stopped crying, his pitch-black eyes, wet with tears, shining like obsidian as he tightly embraced Lee Hyang's neck.

"And I missed you, Abba." He sniffled.

"I missed you too. I missed you so much."

"Abba, I almost memorized the Thousand Character Classic."

"The Thousand Character Classic, already? It seems Seung Sammun taught you very well."

"Grandma said I'm as smart as her."

Indeed, with a grandfather like Sejong and a father like Munjong, it would be harder for him to be foolish.

But still, he's not inferior to his grandfather.

He's only about two years old, yet he's almost memorized the Thousand Character Classic.

With that sharp mind, I'll ask your mother for a way to send this young lady back.

The resentment towards the 19th ancestor, Kwon, who is the child's mother, was misdirected at the child.

"Kwon, you! You'll have to explain about that ring later!"

Lee Hyang spoke fiercely to Yoonseo, who was sitting in a daze, and then hugged his son tightly again.

"I'll return to the palace with Grandfather and Grandmother the day after tomorrow. Stay well until then. I'll see you soon."

After exchanging affectionate farewells, Lee Hyang left the room in an instant.

"Abba, Abba. You're coming back, after two more nights."

The child, who had been whispering dejectedly, burrowed back into his arms.

"Sure, it will be. Sure."

When I wake up, will I still be here?

Please, child, tell me this is a dream.

The warmth and wriggling movements of the child provided comfort to Yoonseo's frozen body and mind.

Yoonseo held the small source of comfort tightly and blew out the candle.

And when I open my eyes again, please let me be in 21st-century Korea. Or, if anywhere, please let me be in the 21st-century world. She wished fervently.

On the day Kwon Yoonseo was forcibly summoned to Joseon by wearing the ancestor's ring.

The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, Year 25 of King Sejong, April 4, Year of the Earth Ox (1443, 8th year of the Ming Zhengtong era), recorded the following:

*****

"Kwon! Kwon!"

After tossing and turning, unable to accept the reality, and finally falling asleep in the early morning.

This time, a rough middle-aged woman's voice woke Yoonseo.

"Why are you on night duty again? Oh, you foolish one. How will you manage the day shift!"

Yoonseo tightly closed her eyes, pretending not to hear.

"Open your eyes. I saw your eyelids fluttering."

This is Lady Park Mal-ye, the highest-ranking lady-in-waiting at the Donggung Palace, who is in charge of "Lady Kwon."

She wanted to pretend not to know, but the memories of "Lady Kwon" naturally surfaced in her mind.

Lady Kwon trusted Lady Park like a mother, and her body relaxed at the sound of her voice.

It seemed that Lady Park usually took good care of the somewhat clumsy Lady Kwon.

"Be quiet, Lady Park."

Hongwei, who had woken up and was wriggling in her arms, scolded her quite maturely.

"Oh, I apologize to the Grand Prince. I'll bring the washing water soon. Please get up."

Lady Park soothed Hongwei with a honey-sweet voice.

"Come on, Yoonseo."

Hongwei shook Yoonseo.

Ah, I am Kwon, but I'm not a lady-in-waiting! I'm not!

She wanted to get angry, but what had the child done wrong?

Yoonseo sat up.

"What happened last night that you were on night duty? And why did His Highness send someone to me?"

"What did he say?"

Did he tell you to take the ring and chase me away?

If so, where will I go and how will I survive in this strange world of Joseon?

She asked tensely, and Lady Park hit her back mercilessly.

"You were alone outside the screen door, without any other lady-in-waiting. He asked me what kind of person I am. I already gave Park a good scolding, but the problem is you, the problem is you."

"Yes, my existence is the problem, really."

"…What do you mean, you?"

Surprised by her easy admission of the problem, Lady Park looked at Yoonseo with a puzzled expression, as if to say, "Why is this child, who always giggles, acting like this?"

"Why are you like this? Are you sick? Do you want to go to the royal infirmary for medicine?"

"I really want to disappear from here."

"Not in front of the Grand Prince!"

Lady Park glared fiercely.

Only then did she notice the child looking up at her with eyes that, like a desert night without moon or stars, were filled with transparent moisture.

What am I doing in front of this child?

Especially a child who lost his mother at birth and whose primary caregiver, Nurse Lady Yi, left the palace due to illness, making him emotionally unstable.

Even babies who can't understand words can sense their caregiver's mood and feel abandoned.

How much more so for the genius Hongwei, who has almost memorized the Thousand Character Classic.

Self-reproach stabbed at her heart, and Yoonseo hurriedly apologized.

"No, no, Grand Prince. It's not because of you. I have some problems... I apologize."

Then Hongwei, with a face that seemed to be on the verge of tears, moved his lips and extended his small arms.

"Pick me up."

Yoonseo picked up the child as requested.

The warmth of the child, who fit snugly in her arms, was comforting.

Mammals find comfort by clustering together in fear and confusion, while reptiles freeze in fear, immobile like the dead.

With Hongwei's warmth, Yoonseo could overcome the reptilian brain's fear and only deal with the mammalian level of fear and confusion.

Soon, her prefrontal cortex would function and find a rational way to escape.

As a psychological counselor, Yoonseo held the small child and habitually checked his emotional state.

Hongwei's emotions were more stable than she had expected, but he showed signs of separation anxiety.

The fact that he could openly ask to be held and be comforted meant that his primary caregiver had provided stable affection and formed a good attachment.

Since his primary caregiver was not present, he was clinging to Yoonseo as a temporary separation anxiety.

Nurse Lady Yi must have raised him well, in place of our deceased ancestor.

While writing a mental counseling note, Yoonseo heard Lady Park say to Hongwei,

"Grand Prince, please wash your face. I'll inform them to prepare the morning meal."

She then urged Yoonseo with her eyes to get the Grand Prince ready and left the room.

The door opened, and a black lacquered basin filled with lukewarm water was brought in.

Yoonseo gently squeezed a fine towel and washed the child's face.

Lee Hongwei.

This pitiful child, who will later become the Crown Prince and then King Danjong, only to die at the young age of seventeen, was unaware of his fate as he closed his eyes and obediently let her wash his face.

His long, dark eyelashes were very thick.

His cheeks were rosy, and his forehead was round, suggesting that his prefrontal cortex had started to develop early.

This adorable child, who would only live for seventeen years...

Thinking this far, she suddenly gasped, and tears burst out like a scream.

It was pitiful for a three-year-old, so full of life, to be destined to die at just seventeen,

and it was pitiful for me, who was dragged into this bizarre world by wearing a ring.

"Why are you crying?"

"…No, I'm not."

"Stop crying, stop crying. I'll give you a sweet later."

The child, with a tear already hanging from his long eyelashes, pouted and promised to give her a sweet as a consolation.

It didn't seem very delicious, but the gesture was very comforting,

and her tears gradually stopped.

After Bongja took the washing basin out, another wet nurse, Lady Yoon, who shared the day shift with her, came in.

"Kwon, you really are something."

Lady Yoon, with her cat-like eyes raised even higher, clicked her tongue.

After scolding her with her eyes for a while, Lady Yoon bowed deeply to Hongwei and smiled brightly.

"Grand Prince, did you have a good dream?"

The daily routine of the wet nurse, whose main job was to care for the Grand Prince Hongwei, started again.

******

"Mu (bind) dok (束) tti (belt) da (帶) danghal (boast) geum (矜) tteokdal (brave) dang (zhuang) (莊) eodeunggeonit (stroll) bae (徘徊) meomugeoneunil (hesitate) hae (回) bo (see) cheom (瞻) barabot (look) jo (眺)."

"You read it very accurately. Now, can you read it in sequence and explain the meaning?"

In the small building on the east side of the hall where Hongwei resided.

Hearing the short-tongued voice from inside, Yoonseo chuckled, her shoulders shaking.

Lady Yoon, who was sitting in front of the screen door with her back straight, glared fiercely.

It was a reprimand for daring to laugh while the Grand Prince was studying.

"Ye, deungnim, dokdaegumdanghago baehaecho daya. Heoiteul dandan-i meokgeo geumdi-reul gakko yeo yeo gosul duy sa pyeo-a tteusimnida."

(Yes, teacher, dokdaegumdanghago baehaecho daya. Tie the belt firmly, hold your pride, and look around carefully.)

"You are very accurate. 'Tie the belt firmly, hold your pride, and look around carefully.' You remember the meaning I explained the other day very accurately."

The teacher instructing the Grand Prince Hongwei in the Thousand Character Classic was the famous Seung Sammun.

When he ascended the main hall earlier, he had a full beard, a stern face, and a posture that matched the description of 'dokdaegumdang' (dignified and proper).

"This phrase is from the Book of Rites of the Zhou Dynasty, which states that a gentleman should always dress neatly and..."

Seung Sammun's voice explaining the origin of the phrase hummed and gradually faded away.

It was still five hours until the shift change at the ninth hour, which is around 4 PM in modern time.

"…Charyeo."

"…?"

"Pay attention. The Grand Prince's class is almost over."

Yoonseo woke up when Lady Yoon shook her shoulder fiercely.

"Wipe your mouth. Oh, deo."

Lady Yoon, who had a great sense of pride in serving the future king, glared as if to eat her alive.

When she rubbed her chin with her palm, it was full of saliva.

But after a brief nap, her mind felt refreshingly clear.

If only I could have a cup of coffee, I'd be content.

Thinking this, Yoonseo followed Lady Yoon, got up, and bowed by the door.

The door creaked open, and Hongwei, who was still a toddler, walked out steadily but wobbled due to his short legs.

Then, the historical figure Seung Sammun walked out, now a living, breathing person.

"Grand Prince, there will be no class tomorrow as His Majesty will return to the palace. I will see you the day after tomorrow."

Seung Sammun bowed, and Hongwei, placing his hand on his belly, bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

"Deungnim, annengi gadeyo."

Hongwei still pronounced the fricative sound of 's' as the plosive sound of 'd'.

The 's' sound is the last consonant to develop, and it is a difficult sound that can only be pronounced accurately after the age of six.

However, it is a sound that can be mastered by practicing the friction of air by placing the tongue near the hard palate just behind the upper teeth.

'Our Hongwei, who can memorize the Thousand Character Classic so well. I should correct his pronunciation a bit.'

Yoonseo was startled by her own thoughts.

'Our Hongwei? Who said "our" Hongwei!