Chapter 20

Lee Hyang had been raised from birth as someone destined to be king.

Her frail older brother was said to not live past twenty. Though he held the position of Crown Prince, no one knew when he might die. Lee Hyang and her brother were born in the same year, from different mothers. Once fifteen days passed after his birthday, he would turn twenty first, and she would follow fifteen days later.

When would he die?

Everyone in the palace wondered, even Lee Hyang herself.

“Royal consort?”

“Yes. They say a selection decree will be issued soon.”

Her brother, still the Crown Prince, didn’t even have a Crown Princess yet. Lee Hyang let out a short laugh. The red ribbon her father had recently given her matched her braided hair perfectly. The golden dragon embroidered on it symbolized the king.

Both the red color and the golden dragon embroidery were reserved for the ruler of the nation.

“Will there be a man who suits my taste?”

Lee Hyang asked Hyoseon, her court lady. Her skin was like white jade, her cheeks and lips carried a healthy glow, and her eyes were sharp and bright. Though she hadn’t even reached twenty yet, rumors of her beauty had already spread throughout the capital. As Lee Hyang grew more radiant by the day, the Crown Prince grew thinner and more withered. Sometimes she wondered if she was draining the remaining life from her brother.

“They say His Majesty already has someone in mind.”

Hyoseon lowered her voice and spoke quietly.

“He already has someone in mind, yet he calls for a selection. Who is it?”

Lee Hyang walked quickly. Though she wore only the ribbon, her clothes were no different from a man’s. She moved around the palace in trousers. Hyoseon followed in small hurried steps, hesitating.

“T-that would be the second son of General Hong.”

“General Hong?”

Lee Hyang stopped at the familiar name. She turned back toward Hyoseon with her hands behind her back like a man. Hyoseon quickly halted before bumping into her.

“The meritorious family… that…”

“Ah, the one exiled to a village near the capital?”

General Hong.

She had completely forgotten. Lee Hyang tilted her head at her father’s unexpected move.

“Exiled? Princess, he retired to the countryside.”

“That’s the same thing.”

Originally, Lee Hyang wasn’t meant to become king. Her grandfather had started a rebellion with the current meritorious officials. At the forefront was General Hong’s father, who had betrayed the Crown Prince he had sworn loyalty to and sided with his younger brother. That younger brother became the previous king, Lee Hyang’s grandfather.

A man who had betrayed once was difficult to keep close, even if he was a meritorious subject. Whether General Hong was sent away or left on his own was still unclear.

“Princess.”

“How can General Hong’s son become my consort?”

“The northern barbarians are stirring, and even after all this time, many generals still follow General Hong. I believe His Majesty intends to bring him back.”

“A royal consort. Isn’t that too grand a position just to call back an old general’s son?”

“They say the second son passed the military exam this time.”

“Passed the military exam…”

That reminded her of someone. The man who had stood out during the final test came to mind. Lee Hyang immediately thought it must be Hong Yeom-rang. No one else there seemed capable of passing. When he rode his horse, leaned to the right, and shot an arrow to strike a moving target, everyone had been impressed.

She had been impressed too, though she had only watched in passing. Still, it had stayed in her memory.

Even so, the idea that the son of a man who lived in the countryside was her match didn’t please her.

“And before you were born, the kingdom’s great shaman made a prophecy when General Hong’s second son was born.”

She vaguely remembered that. Her grandfather had started a rebellion after believing that shaman’s words. Before dying, that shaman had mentioned her destined partner. It seemed that person was General Hong’s second son.

“What do you think?”

“W-well…”

“Why can’t you say it?”

Hyoseon hesitated. It could sound like slander about the man who would soon become her consort. But at Lee Hyang’s sharp tone, she had no choice but to speak honestly.

“They say he often associates with thugs in the back alleys, so the rumors…”

“He associates with thugs? And still passed the military exam?”

“Not associates. They say he beat them down excessively. It even involved the son of the Minister of Justice and nearly caused a major incident recently.”

“That gambler?”

The minister’s son was infamous for gambling. He must have been the one associating with thugs. A man known for brutally beating them down didn’t sound good. Lee Hyang suddenly became curious about this second son of General Hong.

“The rumors are widespread. They say whether noble or not, if you cross him, he won’t let you go. But he’s still from a meritorious family, Princess. And he listed all the other party’s crimes at the government office, so the minister had a very hard time this time.”

“He sounds interesting.”

More infamous than a gambler. Seeing Hyoseon’s reaction, Lee Hyang burst into laughter.

“And apparently he’s quite handsome, so there are many girls in the capital who are taken in by his looks…”

“The man who’ll become my stud is handsome too? I should go thank Father right away.”

“Princess! I-I only heard rumors, nothing certain.”

Lee Hyang understood that the prophecy was just an excuse. The king intended to bring General Hong back and send him and his followers to the border to defend the country. A meritorious subject had to be treated as such. Keeping him in the countryside would only increase dissatisfaction among those loyal to him.

“If he’s sent to the border, his power will weaken.”

A royal consort couldn’t hold office. But if the country faced a major crisis, someone would have to step forward. If the northern tribes were truly a threat…

Lee Hyang smiled lazily as she finished her thoughts.

“In times of turmoil, having the royal consort go to war for the country isn’t a bad picture.”

He had passed the military exam. That made him perfect.

She would become the pillar of the nation and care for the people from the palace, while her consort fought for them on the battlefield. Her father truly saw further ahead than anyone.

“Princess, will there really be a war soon?”

“Who knows.”

Even if war didn’t come immediately, making him her consort was a good excuse to pull General Hong in and send him and his son to the front. The title of consort was only a formality. He just needed to give her good offspring.

If he died, she could always replace him with another man.

“Is he in the capital?”

“They say he returned to his hometown not long ago.”

“He settled somewhere not far from the capital, right?”

“Yes, Princess.”

Though she hadn’t remembered General Hong at first, she quickly recalled where he was staying. And she had a perfect excuse.

Her eyes lit up.

“They say my brother’s sores have worsened again. I should fulfill my duty as his sister. We’ll go to the hot springs near the capital.”

Hyoseon understood her princess well. Going near the capital meant going directly to where General Hong was.

“While we’re there, I’ll take a look at the man who’ll become mine.”

She didn’t care about her sick brother’s opinion. He would go along with whatever she decided. He was supposed to die before reaching twenty, yet he was still alive. Lee Hyang liked taking her brother around like this.

While he was still alive, she wanted him to see and experience as much as possible.

“Let’s go see my brother.”

“Princess…”

“Before he dies, he should at least see that man’s face, shouldn’t he?”

Lee Hyang winked with a bright, innocent smile. She knew her brother would follow her in the end. She understood him better than anyone.

Lee Won. Her pitiful brother.

Everyone in the palace wanted him dead. There was no reason for him to want to stay here long. The rare outing filled Lee Hyang with excitement. She hoped her brother felt the same.