Chapter 7. The young Danjong mustered his courage and said, "Habamah, Hamamah!"

Instead of going to Sejong and Queen Soheon, the Grandson knelt down beside Yunseo, pressing his hands to his forehead and bowing deeply. "Habamah, Hamamah, did you hit me with a stick?"

With his lisp, the Grandson sat down heavily beside Yunseo. Then, the concubine Yang, who had also bowed beside the Grandson, tried to explain with an embarrassed look. "I have been busy handling the matters that Queen Mama has been overseeing. Since I have been staying mostly with the palace ladies, the Grandson is shy today."

"Oh, you must have been lonely, our Grandson. Come here, come here, Grandson. From now on, Grandma will play with you."

Queen Mama called out. However, Hongwei instead pulled back, glancing nervously at where His Majesty and Queen Mama were seated.

"Our Hongwei, I missed you. Come to this old man quickly."

A deep and gentle voice called out to the Grandson. It was King Sejong.

Yunseo slightly raised her head, trying to suppress the urge to look up at the great man, and glanced at Hongwei's face.

Our clever Hongwei, who can recite the Thousand Character Classic, why are you so stubborn?

"..."

Hongwei pouted, gripping the sleeve of Yunseo's jeogori with his left hand and glancing sideways at where His Majesty was seated. The rapid heartbeat could be felt clearly even from the side.

It was a body language that expressed fear, and also a sign that he now had someone he could trust.

Yunseo, who had been designated as someone Hongwei could trust, subtly raised her head and looked at where the Grandson was looking.

Dowon-gun was sitting on the left side of Queen Soheon. The woman sitting next to him, resplendent in her attire, must be Lady Yun, the wife of Suwon-gun!

'So that's why our Hongwei!'

Yunseo clenched her teeth.

Hongwei must have suffered unspeakable pain from Dowon-gun and Lady Yun.

In the midst of adults who always demanded that he be mature, intelligent, and flawless as the Grandson, the young Hongwei must have had no one to turn to for help.

Yunseo looked at the small fist gripping her skirt.

She pulled her bowed body slightly back and wrapped her hand around Hongwei's trembling fist.

I'm here, Hongwei. You don't have to be afraid anymore.

"Our Kaedong, come here to Grandma."

Queen Soheon called Hongwei by his pet name again.

Instead of getting up to go to his grandmother, the Grandson pointed a small finger at Dowon-gun.

"Hit me."

"..."

"!?"

Everyone's gaze followed the Grandson's cute finger to Dowon-gun.

"Hit me, here."

Hongwei pointed to his head with his adorable finger and said it again clearly.

Then, the face of Lady Yun, the wife of Suwon-gun, who was sitting next to Dowon-gun, turned pale.

"Grandson, our Hyondon would never do such a thing."

Lady Yun denied Hongwei's words strongly.

On the opposite side, Shinbin, who was sitting elegantly, slightly bowed her head to Sejong and Queen Soheon.

"Grandson must have had a dream. At that age, they can't distinguish between dreams and reality, can they?"

She was defending Dowon-gun and Lady Yun.

"That's right. Hyondon and the Grandson haven't met recently."

With Shinbin's support, Lady Yun accused the Grandson of lying.

How dare you!

Yunseo stood up and tightly hugged the trembling Hongwei, placing him on her lap.

To give courage to Hongwei, who had shown such bravery at such a young age, and to reassure him that he was not alone and that she was by his side.

"Hongwei, was it a dream? How could Hyondon dare to hit you? It's impossible. So come here to Grandma."

"Uaaah, he hit me when we were playing with the lotus pond!"

The Grandson sobbed and clung to Yunseo's neck.

At that moment, it felt as if a large knife had stabbed her heart.

Yunseo hugged the Grandson even tighter and bowed her head, speaking firmly.

"Your humble wet nurse dares to speak. Two days ago, the Grandson met Princess Myeongrye and Princess Heilak. It was when the Grandson was playing a fishing game by the small pond in the courtyard."

"Arrogant!"

Before Yunseo could finish, Shinbin Kim and Lady Yun glared at her as if they wanted to kill her.

"How dare you, a mere palace lady, accuse my son? Your Majesty, Queen Mama, I am wronged. I did enter the palace with Hyondon to prepare for the welcoming of the two Mamas, but it is an outrageous accusation that Hyondon has been tormenting the Grandson!"

Lady Yun defended her son actively.

However, Shinbin only glared at Yunseo with her beautiful eyes, a mixture of elegant anger and relief that the Grandson had not directly accused her son.

Yunseo recalled the memory again.

She had not seen Dowon-gun hit Hongwei directly.

However, right after she turned her eyes to the snack tray, Hongwei was unable to speak and only sobbed, asking to be held.

'This child, with no one to turn to, has been suffering in silence!'

Children are surprisingly perceptive.

He had concluded that there was no one there who could truly protect him or whom he could trust.

But now, he was reporting it to the King and Queen in the Gyeotaejeon, sitting on her lap.

Relying on her promise to protect him, using her body temperature as a stepping stone, he was revealing that Dowon-gun had been tormenting him.

Yunseo tightened her hold on Hongwei.

"Many palace ladies saw the Grandson rubbing his head and sobbing when the two princesses came to watch him play the fishing game. Please investigate. The Grandson is not old enough to fabricate a sophisticated lie."

"Is it that he is not old enough to fabricate a sophisticated lie? What do you mean by that?"

Suddenly, Sejong asked with an interested tone.

"What is the basis for saying that lying requires a certain age?"

Sejong was asking!

Despite the burning in her heart for Hongwei, she was trembling so much that she could hardly breathe.

Yunseo tightened her hold on Hongwei, took a few deep breaths to calm her overexcited sympathetic nervous system, and then spoke calmly.

"To fabricate a lie, one needs sophisticated cognitive abilities. The Grandson, while accurately describing the location of the incident two days ago, is not old enough to fabricate an event that did not happen."

"Your words imply that one can infer a child's cognitive abilities or developmental stage from their lies?"

Sejong asked again.

"Your Majesty, that is not the important issue now!"

Suddenly, Queen Soheon scolded Sejong.

It was a strong rebuke that this was not the time or place to explore new knowledge.

"..."

Sejong fell silent, and Yunseo buried her face in Hongwei's back to hide a smile.

Then, taking advantage of the moment, Concubine Yang, who had been silent all along, stepped forward.

"Since the incident occurred in the Yanghwadang, I will confirm it with the lower servants and report back."

"Concubine Mama..."

Lady Yun called out to Concubine Yang, seemingly flustered.

However, Concubine Yang was a politically astute woman.

She instinctively knew that this was a golden opportunity to block the moves of Suwon-gun and Lady Yun, who were beginning to court the royal family and high officials with their vast wealth.

"Even though Princess Myeongrye and Princess Heilak are still young, they should show proper respect to the Grandson. If this incident becomes public, it will bring criticism of the royal family's discipline."

Concubine Yang also implicated the children of her rival, Shinbin.

Realizing Concubine Yang's intentions, Shinbin quickly filled her beautiful eyes with tears and trembled, bowing down.

"I am sorry. It is all due to my inadequacy."

With Shinbin's quick admission, Lady Yun, who could no longer deny it, also bowed down.

"Your Majesty, Queen Mama, I am sorry."

"Grandfather, Grandmother, please forgive me."

Even the six-year-old Dowon-gun bowed down.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Sejong only made an annoyed sound and tightly closed his mouth.

It was because it was an internal matter of the inner court.

Queen Soheon looked at the Grandson and Yunseo, who was holding him.

The Queen's gaze was far from kind.

It was filled with anger at the turmoil in the royal family.

However, Yunseo was certain.

'Queen Soheon cherishes her first grandson, Dowon-gun, but not enough to jeopardize the Grandson's position. As the head of the inner court, she knows how the dignity of the royal family must be maintained.'

And Yunseo's prediction was accurate.

"Grandson, come here. Come to Grandma."

Queen Soheon called Hongwei again, her voice soft.

Yunseo quickly whispered firmly into Hongwei's ear.

"You must go."

The Grandson, who had buried his face in her chest, looked up at Yunseo.

Yunseo nodded at the child, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

'Go, go and establish your position!'

Then, the three-year-old Grandson got off Yunseo's lap and ran to the Queen with his short legs.

He threw himself into his grandmother's arms and cried out again.

"Grandmother, I'm in pain."

"..."

"..."

"..."

A heavy silence fell over the Gyeotaejeon.

In the thick silence, Yunseo read the common fear and terror of the royal women.

A life lived on the edge of a sword, following the direction of royal power.

Even Queen Soheon, who was holding the Grandson, had to sacrifice her father's life and her mother and siblings' descent into slavery to maintain her position as Queen.

Then, what about me?

'A mere palace lady, a transdimensional traveler, with no family or anything.'

In this brutal struggle where she was risking everything to live and enjoy glory.

What must she sacrifice to save the young child and preserve her own life?

Yunseo quietly asked herself.

"..."

"Hyondon must have invited you to play, Hongwei."

The long silence was broken by Queen Mama's words.

The balance of power in the inner court, no longer requiring any sacrifices, had tilted slightly towards her first grandson, Dowon-gun.

And that slight weight ultimately became the price of the child's life.

Yunseo clenched her fist again.

Disappointment made her nails dig into her palm.

But it was premature disappointment.

The...