The Sun sank below the horizon and its best friend the Silver Moon illuminated the skies instead. A good weather remained for the whole day and Wonbeom was happy the late evening had no wind or rain in sight. That was a perfect night for a walk outside the palace, as Wonbeom wrote in his letter to the Queen just an hour ago. He suggested they could spend their date not as the Queen and King but as common people enjoying the remaining warm evenings before the Autumn’s weather becomes too chilly.
Wonbeom couldn’t hide his excitement. He was looking at the Moon with a smile and stepped from foot to foot impatiently while he waited for Soyong in front of the Daejojeon Hall1Daejojeon Hall – Queen of Joseon’s residence after the wedding.. Finally, he heard movement behind him and turned to see her:
“You’re here…” he froze on half sentence staring in surprise at the Queen in male hanbok2Hanbok – a general word for clothes. before him. She was wearing a dark emerald attire with expensive-looking norigae3Norigae – is a typical, traditional Korean accessory used in Hanbok, which can be hung on goreum (coat strings) of a woman’s jeogori or on her chima.. Her hair was tied in top knot and she was having a gat4Gat – a transparent hat with wide fields. in her hands.
“Is something wrong with my look?” She awkwardly raised her hand to her head fixing an unruly strand of hair around her ear, it appeared too short for the top knot.
“Nothing wrong at all,” Wonbeom finally overcame his first surprise. He stepped closer and reached out for her gat. With all seriousness, Wonbeom put a hat on her head, made sure it fit right without leaning to one or another side and tied the strings under her chin. “Now your look is complete.”
She awkwardly laughed, touching strings with beads from the hat.
“I see you found your burgundy and pink attire I was talking about,” she shifted the topic from her attire to his, observing him from head to toe with a curious look.
Wonbeom puffed his chest proudly: “I did!”
He ordered for eunuchs to find it within the day and they barely managed to prepare it in time. The said hanbok was hidden deep in the wardrobe by Wonbeom himself. The problem was, one day when he was leaving the palace secretly to meet Director Hong and Prince Yeongpyeong, one of the ministers spotted them and Wonbeom couldn’t risk being exposed like that. He wasn’t that attached to this attire and hid it somewhere in his wardrobe but he forgot where. Luckily, eunuchs were able to find it and clean it up for tonight.
“Should we go then?” Soyong suggested, walking past him.
The palace’s grounds were quite big and it took a while for them to reach the main gates. They walked side by side; their hands passed each other with every movement. Even without a touch, Wonbeom felt how close their hands were. With just a tiny movement to the side, they would brush but Wonbeom didn’t want to spook her.
He understood that the changes in their relationship happened too fast from her perspective. One night he rejected her and at their next meeting, Wonbeom showed his apparent affection. But from his side things were moving too slowly. He felt like he was burning inside and each of their meeting only made him more desperate.
Should he slow down so she could change her mind about a divorce? But if changing her mind is impossible, shouldn’t he rush things so they have more memories from their short marriage?
Wonbeom didn’t know the right answer.
In the silence, they approached the main gates and the guards recognized Wonbeom and bowed to him. However, they observed Soyong in a male attire with suspicion.
Wonbeom smiled widely and placed his hand on Soyong’s shoulder, bumping their sides together: “This is my friend Lee Saeng Mang!”
“Khm,” she cleared her throat to make her voice go lower and huskier: “I have a name tag.” She handed it to the guard and smiled at him.
The guard wasn’t certain but Wonbeom nodded with a slow blink of his eyes, signalizing he must let them through without further questions.
“Have a safe night out,” the guard said and let them go through the gates.
As they walked at the distance from the gates when Soyong stepped aside from Wonbeom and glanced back.
“Do you think he knows I’m a woman?” she asked Wonbeom. “I always wondered if I look convincing enough.”
“Well, you’re tall and lean-looking, I would say men looking like you definitely exist,” Wonbeom smirked. “But you need to work on your voice more.”
Hanyang’s5Hanyang was the capital and largest city in Joseon. It was the center of the country’s government and home to the royal family and high ministers. As a result, the city hosted a constant undercurrent of political intrigue between various factions vying for control of the government. Now it’s Seoul – the capital of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). streets in the evening were illuminated with colorful paper lanterns that hung on ropes between poles. There was a lot of time before curfew and the main street with the market still had a crowd as they were walking past counters with various goods.
There was a group of young ladies trying on new shoes with flowery embroidery. When they spotted Wonbeom, the girls started giggling and waved their hands. Probably Soyong was right about this attire, he had never seen women being so eager to be noticed by him, a common nobleman, like tonight. He looked at Soyong, wanting to share his observation and maybe see if it would ignite jealousy but Soyong by his side didn’t mind any of that, her expression didn’t change even for a moment. Wonbeom also thought it was unfortunate that she chose male attire for tonight. Those girls wouldn’t be showing their interest so bluntly if by Wonbeom’s side was walking his beautiful wife instead of her male alter-ego.
“The evening is nice, don’t you think?” She finally broke the silence. “I missed this city in the lanterns lights instead of blinding billboards.”
“I’m glad my idea for today’s date pleases you,” Wonbeom answered politely but still sulking deep inside. Wanting to do something, anything besides walking through the city, Wonbeom picked a counter with hairpins: “Why don’t we buy something?” He took Soyong by the elbow and tugged her to the counter. “How is this one?” He took the first hairpin with pink flowers.
Soyong didn’t have time to give her opinion as Wonbeom already clicked his tongue disapproving of his own choice and taking the next one. He raised the pin to her face to check how it could look on her if she wore it. The hat of course prevented him from placing the hairpin where it was supposed to be but it didn’t stop Wonbeom from his plan.
“Jeonha6Jeonha – Your Majesty.…” Soyong whispered. “People are watching…” She glanced at the merchant who observed them with an amused expression.
“Please use my name instead, at least outside the palace it would be more appropriate,” Wonbeom ignored her pleas and picked the third hairpin, a lilac one. It looked simple and elegant yet interesting. “This is the one!” Wonbeom concluded. “You look beautiful…”
“We need to go,” Soyong grabbed the hairpin from his hand and quickly put it back. She then tugged him away from the counter but Wonbeom still managed to drop coins on the table and sneak the hairpin into his sleeve.
“What were you thinking, Wonbeom-ah?” She shook her head when they were at a big distance from that counter. For the first time, she said his name with affection but it was in a scolding manner like he was a naughty child. Which he was…
“What? You thought if you dress like a man, I won’t compliment you?” he teased her.
“Obviously it didn’t work,” Soyong sounded highly sarcastic but it only amused him more.
“Of course not, Soyong-ah,” he laughed at her naivety. “You look beautiful at any gender,” he added but she didn’t share his joyful mood.
In a way he was pleased he could tease her and spark a reaction from her. Typically, it was Wonbeom who ended up dumbfounded with her unusual way of thinking. It was nice once in a while to have their roles reversed.
“If your goal was to show you’re alright with being embarrassed in public then you failed, I knew it already. You’re good at pretending to be a fool,” she side-eyed him annoyingly. “I’m just not happy you dragged me into this as well,” she pouted.
Wonbeom chuckled, she always tries to keep her act of a perfect lady while completely ignoring her own little moments of embarrassment.
“I remember rumors about a certain lady who participated in the Queen election,” Wonbeom scratched his chin, pretending he had to dive deep into his memories. “She was acting brazen, following the King all around the palace where she shouldn’t be and shouting into the King’s back that she wishes to see his face.” Wonbeom peered into Soyong’s side profile: “Perhaps you might be familiar with a lady like that?”
She avoided looking into his eyes, pursing her lips which only made Wonbeom smile more. He really loved leaving her speechless.
To be honest, Wonbeom heard about those rumors only after she was selected as the future Queen and he found that information alarming. Obsessed with her husband wife would make managing his secret meetings out in the night harder. Now he wished she was as obsessed with him as she used to be or maybe as he became obsessed with her right now.
“Come on, Soyong-ah, we’re getting late!” Wonbeom took her hand and tugged her away from the market.
“I thought we planned to walk through the city?” She sounded surprised as she was following his steps behind.
“Do you really think I would plan something so boring?” Wonbeom looked back at her with a wide smile.
Her hand felt small in his and he loved that she didn’t try to break their hold. She allowed him to lead her through the crowd, away from the market to the quiet street. And she didn’t ask where they were going and when he glanced back, he saw only that she was curious and the former annoyance disappeared.
Finally, they reached their destination and Wonbeom knocked on the wooden door. Soyong’s hand was still in his when Director Hong opened the door.
“Why are you so late!” He was grumped. “We almost started without you!”
Wonbeom ignored his friend’s complaints when he turned to Soyong: “He really wouldn’t start without us.”
They walked inside Hong’s office and saw the rest of the guests. Prince Yeongpyeong was sitting at the lower table listening to overly cheerful Kim Hwan talking. Which was a normal state for the Queen’s cousin, Wonbeom never saw him in a bad mood. Ignorance is truly bliss and Kim Hwan was blessed with it fully.
“Lee Saeng Mang!” Kim Hwan jumped to his feet dropping whatever story he was telling to Yeongpyeong which made the latter man breathe out in relief. “My dear friend!”
The Queen froze by Wonbeom’s side, blinking in surprise as Kim Hwan was rushing towards her with his open arms. Looked like she never experienced his friendliness with fellow men before and was in quite a shock even though she smiled and waved her hand to her cousin. But as Kim Hwan approached them, Wonbeom stood in front of Soyong just in time to catch an overly excited cousin. Instead of his friend Lee Saeng Mang, Kim Hwan ended up hugging Wonbeom and Soyong used this pause to step aside.
“Jong Cheol? I didn’t know you liked me so much!” Kim Hwan broke free from the hug, sounding surprised.
Wonbeom didn’t like the guy too much but Du Il was fond of him and Wonbeom had no other choice but to act more or less friendly. However, he couldn’t let him hug the Queen now when she was fully herself. Not that he liked any man trying to hug her before. But Bong Hwan opposed it as well and Wonbeom was calm regarding this.
“Shall we start?” Wonbeom faked a wide smile as he placed his palm on Kim Hwan’s shoulder, leading him to walk back to the improvised from the boxes lower table.
“But I… Lee Saeng Mang…” Kim Hwan tried to get out of Wonbeom’s strong hold but failed.
“We need to play at least a few games before the curfew and we already starting late!” Wonbeom insisted when he forced Kim Hwan to sit.
“And who’s fault is that?” Soyong dropped teasingly as she walked to the table herself. She was looking around curiously since it was her very first time visiting Du Il’s place of work.
She sat by Wonbeom’s side who insisted on sitting between her and Kim Hwan.
“Aish7Aish – the form of swearing., stop fighting, and let’s drink!” Director Hong brought a jug of wine and poured everyone’s cups. “For finally getting a time off!”
Wonbeom rolled his eyes, his friend never ended his complaints about overworking. Things didn’t get easier for him as he now worked closely with strict Prince Yeongpyeong on catching the remaining culprits who participated in corruption in favor of the Andon Kim clan. And Prince Yeongpyeong doesn’t know what the rest is, once he focused on the goal, nothing would stop him. Especially Hong’s complaints.
Everyone raised their cups, drinking their wine when they heard the strange hissing sound the Queen made. Wonbeom looked at her in confusion, as she put her empty cup back at the table.
Soyong’s smile froze when she noticed that everyone was looking at her: “Isn’t it… how one show the drink was enjoyable?”
“For a moment I thought the chef was back…” Dul Il mumbled. “But once she talks… puff, the illusion is gone.”
Wonbeom chuckled awkwardly, moving his head closer to Soyong: “I suppose this is how people drink in the future?”
“You need to make noise or people won’t understand the drink is good!” Soyong blinked, confused. “This is how I heard men drinking in kisaeng8Kisaengs were women from outcast or slave families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of the upper class. house, it’s not new!”
Wonbeom let out a laugh, of course she visited a kisaeng house before and got drinks there too.
“No one expected you, Lee Saeng Mang, to be this knowledgeable in drinking,” Wonbeom explained to her.
“Then you’re about to be surprised more, bring the game on!” Soyong smashed the table’s surface with her palm. “What are we going to play?”
“Tujeon9Tujeon are the traditional playing cards of Korea used in the latter half of the Joseon dynasty. They are also known as tupae.,” Dul Il as the host of the party, brought cards to the table. He was very excited, preparing more drinks and snacks as well. Wonbeom knew it was just a form of not working for his friend, if it wasn’t for this game, he probably would be out for the whole night investigating.
“I don’t think I have enough money for the game,” Soyong whispered to Wonbeom. “I thought we going to visit the market only…”
“Do not worry,” Wonbeom reached out to his waist where he had his little bag with money. “I prepared everything; it was my idea after all.”
As they pulled out their first couple of cards, it became apparent the Queen was quite good at the game. And after more rounds, the two best players were established: Soyong and Yeongpyeong.
“Ha, I have a Phoenix and an Eagle!” Soyong almost jumped on her seat, throwing her hands in the air after her cards were revealed. If Wonbeom understood something about her tonight is that the Queen is passionate in her feelings regarding both losing and winning. A round before she lost just by one point and exclaimed her frustration in words Wonbeom had never heard before but guessed, those couldn’t be decent.
“Not so fast,” Prince Yeongpyeong smirked and revealed his cards: “A Falcon and a Tiger, together they give a higher score again.”
Soyong cursed under her breath: “Dang, I was sure I was going to win back from the previous round.”
“Maybe it’s enough, we run out of money,” Wonbeom suggested, she put everything she had in this round. He, Hong, and Kim Hwan were all empty-handed by now. It was mostly Soyong and Yeongpyeong who played.
“One more game, please!” Soyong begged. “Don’t you have more?” She patted his waist around the belt but couldn’t find anything.
“I’m afraid not,” Wonbeom giggled feelings ticklish. He was glad to see her having fun but her obsession with winning started alarming him. Apart from the hairpin he brought earlier, there was nothing else left but he won’t put it on the table. It’s a gift for later.
“Not true,” Soyong squinted her eyes and before Wonbeom could ask her what she meant, she reached out to his hairbun and took the pin out and expensive cover for his hairdo.
“What… are you doing?” Wonbeom touched his topknot, thankfully it was intact since it used simpler and less visible pins.
“It’s made of jade,” Soyong smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with ardor. “I’m going all in!”
“No…” Wonbeom smashed his hand over the hair accessories. “You gambling too much!”
“We’re having fun, aren’t we?” She rolled her eyes and tried to put his hand away but he was stubborn.
“What the point, if only you two playing,” Hong grumped glancing between Yeongpyeong and the Queen.
“I already lost my weekly allowance,” Kim Hwan shook his bag made from silk but there were no coins.
“Then let’s make the game more interesting,” Soyong moved closer to the table. “Let’s split into two teams, the team that gets overall more points will win everything.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Yeongpyeong coldly noted. “We can’t part in two equal teams.”
“You can take them both,” Soyong pointed to Du Il and Kim Hwan. “Together they count as one.”
“Hey!” Dul Il shouted protesting her mean words.
“Pretty true, we lost all our money first,” Kim Hwan agreed.
“And we,” Soyong put her hand on Wonbeom’s shoulder, “going to be in another team.”
“We?” Wonbeom melted hearing her referring to them like that. It sounded like a dream come true and he softened immediately.
“Why? You don’t want to form a team, Jong Cheol?” Soyong teased.
Wonbeom really didn’t want to cater to her dangerous gambling desires but when she looked at him with her begging big eyes and called them a team he couldn’t resist. He brought exactly how much he wished to spend without feeling remorse. The jade pin could be sacrificed as well, he didn’t care.
“All in!” Wonbeom agreed with a nod and got the brightest smile from Soyong as a reward.
“We bet everything you have against everything we have, since your chances are higher, let’s allow our team to contribute a little bit less,” Soyong announced the terms.
Yeongpyeong shook his head disapproving of the Queen’s behavior, he never liked her for her unusual for a lady character. She masterfully hid it from many people but once the secret was out, it was hard not to notice.
“There’s no way you could win,” confidently said Yeongpyeong however Soyong ignored his words.
All of them reached the cards almost at the same time. Yeongpyeong, Du Il, and Kim Hwan looked at their cards instantly, and by their faces, Wonbeom saw they were happy with what they got. He turned to look at Soyong at the same time she turned to face him. They shifted on their seats closer, their shoulders touched, and both looked at their cards holding their breaths.
“Oh,” Wonbeom gasped one of his cards was the King which granted the most points. The other card was a numeric one with a highest point of 9.
“Oh indeed,” Soyong mumbled. Her cards were both numeric but together gave a good score.
“No way you could beat that,” Du Il smugly proclaimed, revealing their cards. They got the second-highest card: the Dragon but the rest were numeric but, considering that they had three pairs of cards, it gave them an advantage.
“Want to bet on this?” Soyong by Wonbeom’s side smirked. “Because you would lose twice tonight in that case,” she placed her cards on the table and Wonbeom followed her, revealing his highest-scored card.
“You didn’t have good cards for the whole night and pulled the King?” Du Il gasped in disbelieve.
“Maybe he has a lucky charm tonight,” Soyong teased. “If treated nice I can bring a fortune!”
Wonbeom couldn’t hide his bright smile. He didn’t expect this game night to be such a success. Seeing Soyong so relaxed, smiling, and open to a friendly banter made Wonbeom happy. They formed a team and won. She was comfortable sitting by his side and even touching him. And Wonbeom found out more about her nature as well.
“You’re quite dangerous,” Wonbeom noted when they were walking back to the palace, just two of them. She gave him a confused look, raising a brow. “You put everything we had on a line, it was a dangerous gamble.”
“Don’t be so dramatic,” she rolled her eyes. “It was just a game, I took a risk and won.”
“It just… makes me wonder if you’re ready to take a risk with everything you do,” Wonbeom’s voice shifted to a more serious tone. “If you really going to live on your own, you must be more mindful.”
She gave him a softer look this time:
“You’re worrying about me,” she gently stated, looking at him.
His desire to protect her seemed to be quite obvious or she simply knew him so well. Without breaking their eye contact, she suddenly started sharing her story:
“There was a time right before our wedding when I wanted to escape but I realized that I had nowhere to go and I got scared to do it on my own. I couldn’t come home without putting my father in danger or shaming him.”
Her voice didn’t appear sad despite her story being dark, describing her desperation. Now it was just a story. It didn’t even matter to her that she was revealing it to the man who put her in that desperate situation with his hostility. Wonbeom was grateful she was comfortable enough to share her feelings from those times with him.
“And now?” Wonbeom carefully asked.
“Now I feel like I’ve gotten a second chance and I won’t let fear stop me. I will shake off all obstacles and move on no matter what is waiting for me.”
“You’re very brave, Kim Soyong,” he softly said. “But if you are scared and if you are ever in need of help, I want you to know I’m a person you can always lean on.”
“I appreciate it, Jeonha,” she thanked him.
“Is it really this hard to call me by name?” Wonbeom teased. She used his name just a few times since he asked about it yesterday.
“I like calling you Jeonha,” she laughed. “Wonbeom is for special occasions… If I am very happy… or very angry with you. That’s when you will hear it.”
They walked the rest of the way having a friendly discussion and recalling the game. Maybe she didn’t act around him as a woman in love but like just his partner but it still made a memorable moment for Wonbeom.
Instead of returning through the main gates, Wonbeom suggested a secret passing he used when he sneaked out of the palace and the Queen cheerfully agreed. To his surprise, she didn’t need his assistance at all to climb the high wall. She masterfully and gracefully appeared on top of the wall leaving Wonbeom speechless. And then she jumped on another side effortlessly, saying neolttwigi10Neolttwigi is similar to seesaw, except that participants stand on each end of the Neol (board) and jump, propelling the person opposite into the air. When performed as a spectacle, acrobatic tricks such as flips or skipping rope while in the air are often included. made her so good in this.
But as fun as their pastime was, it was supposed to end soon. When they reached Daejojeon Hall, it was time for them to part ways. After such a happy memorable night, Wonbeom didn’t want to be left alone but he couldn’t ask for more of her time.
“Thank you, Wonbeom, it was a very fun date tonight,” Soyong sincerely smiled. “I was surprised we didn’t spend this night alone.”
“I figured my ardor regarding my feelings for you might pressure you a lot and make you uncomfortable. It is true that I’m interested in you as a woman, as my wife, but I do want to know you as a person as well. And having a game night with friends seemed to me like a good opportunity for that.”
“You’re very… attentive,” she admitted.
“Good to know you appreciate it,” Wonbeom laughed. He reached down the wide sleeve of his attire and pulled the hairpin he had secretly brought from the market earlier. “But my affection isn’t going anywhere,” he reached out his gift for her.
“I wondered if I imagined you taking it anyway,” she took the pin in her hand. “Goodnight, Wonbeom.”
He waited for her to climb the stairs of her residence and smiled when she gave him one last look before walking towards the doors.
Wonbeom sighed, saddened that night was already over. He slowly walked towards his residence which was near hers. If he wanted, he could’ve visited her in the shortest time. There were even side stairs to reach her residence as quickly as possible since the ancestors who built both residences were very invested in an heir. But Wonbeom wouldn’t dare to cover this short distance without her consent.
“Jeonha,” he suddenly heard Soyong’s voice calling for him again. If she used his title again, does it mean her happiness from the night already vanished?
When he looked at her again, standing by the column on the Daejojeon Hall’s wide terrace, she indeed looked worried.
“Would you… If I were absolutely selfish, thinking only about my goals, would you despise me again?” Her question caught Wonbeom off guard.
“Never,” he answered without hesitation. How deep her wounds were that she still thought he was capable of this.
“Even if you would get hurt?” she stepped closer to the edge of the terrace, the Moon now illuminated her concerned face.
Wonbeom smiled sadly, lowering his gaze for a moment before returning her eyes to her: “If I get hurt by you, then I deserve it.”
“No, Jeonha should never think like that,” she passionately exclaimed. “You must live a long and happy life…”
A sudden realization hit Wonbeom: “Do you know something I don’t? From the future?”
“I…”
“Whatever you’ve discovered in the future probably changed when you got back,” Wonbeom interrupted her. “I will do my best to live the life you want for me. So stop worrying, Jungjeon11Jungjeon – Queen or My Queen., I will fight my fate if I have to and be happy because this is my Queen’s wish.”
He walked away before she did. Wonbeom got enough of cheating information from the future, some of it was useful and some troubled his thoughts. If he would constantly think about what is waiting for him, nothing helpful would come out of it. He must concentrate on things that are right before him: the woman he loves and the prosperity of his Kingdom. No matter how much time is left for him, he wishes to spend it doing everything he can.
==== POST CREDIT SCENE ===
There were days when Soyong accepted her new reality of living in the 21st century as a man. However, on most days, she missed her home tremendously. In her dreams, she saw herself walking through her gardens back home, past the phoenix-shaped tree her father loved so much until she reached her favorite gazebo with a view of the river and green hills. When she woke up from those dreams, she felt crushed again as it happened the first time she discovered herself in a male’s body.
And when she felt especially homesick, Soyong didn’t want to see Bong Hwan’s family and return to their cozy home. Because it wasn’t her family or her home.
“I bet you could understand me, Jeonha,” Soyong mumbled, pouring another cup of soju to herself. The historical book was standing on the table and opened on the page where Cheoljong’s portrait was as if he was part of this drinking gathering. “If you would stop being a jerk to me or lowered the level of your disgust, Jeonha could’ve realized we were the same… Both puppets of my clan… Both lost someone we cared about and missed…”
She let out a sad sigh and drank the whole cup in one big gulp. Cheoljong’s portrait was silent.
The real portrait was half burnt, the face looked unrecognizable to Soyong but his eyes, just above the burnt place, were so familiar.
“I wasn’t even able to say goodbye to my family,” Soyong sobbed as she filled another cup. “Just like you never said goodbye to yours…” She raised her cup before the King’s portrait: “For your family, Jeonha.”
The bottle of soju was emptied and Soyong shouted ordering more. She felt tipsy but not enough to forget her situation and feel at ease.
Her cheeks burned and she waved from side to side on her seat.
“What an improper look, Jeonha!” Soyong shook her head, judging the King’s appearance in the book. “Why are you so…” She mumbled: “I can’t say goodbye to you too… If only I knew our last meeting was the last, I would…”
What would she say then? That she loved him to the point it hurt?
“Why do you look like that,” Soyong teared up. “You should’ve protected your portrait better so I could say a proper farewell…”
She looked at her cup with soju, tears started falling right into her cup and she wondered if it would now taste even more bitter and maybe a bit salty. But before she could find out how it really tasted, she hiccupped and her head fell on the plastic table.
“Bong Hwan-ah!” his mother found her again. Soyong thought she must change the tent where she drinks. She just wants to be left alone for some time.
“Jang Bong Hwan!” now his mother sounded like Choi Sanggung12Choi Sanggung – sanggung is the 5th senior rank court lady, Choi is her last name. Sanggung is the highest rank attainable by a court lady.. Maybe they have the same motherly vibes, Soyong smiled.
She opened her eyes and looked at Cheoljong’s portrait again. He looked captivating even with half of his painted face destroyed in the fire. Soyong wondered, if she would think hard enough, could the King really appear before her? She shut her eyes and concentrated on voices from Joseon.
“Bong Hwan, what the hell are you doing here?” it was Bong Hwan’s mother again. Wrong voice, she needs to find the voice of Choi Sanggung.
“I will bring a royal physician,” it was Hong Yeon’s worried voice this time.
“Hurry, I prepare cold compresses,” Choi Sanggung’s voice sounded far as if she was leaving and then Soyong recognized the sound of doors closing.
Soyong opened her eyes and saw the same portrait again. Her vision was blurry and she had to try really hard to focus. She blinked, hearing the ringing noise and when she focused again, the portrait wasn’t damaged anymore. The King’s mouth even moved and his deep voice flooded her ears:
“What happened?” the King asked, looking down at Soyong. She never saw him being so concerned and worried. “Did you wake up?” The King asked peering into her face.
“No,” Soyong sighed. “If I would, you wouldn’t be here…” It was a dream, definitely one of her dreams about her home.
Soyong frowned, remembering that the King never appeared in her dreams, at least, he was never seen in the bright light. He was always somewhere in the shadows. She reached out her hands and cupped his face with a loud slap. The King shuddered, looking in absolute shock at her.
“Huh?” Soyong blinked again. He felt so real and now looked very annoyed, that was a more familiar look for her than the worried one from before. She used her hold on his face to sit and take a closer look at him. Soyong moved one hand up and the other down, squishing the King’s cheeks in between.
“Jeonha?” Soyong carefully whispered. She was afraid to spook her vision.
The King’s eyes changed again, to something soft and hopeful: “Kim Soyong?”
“It’s a dream after all,” Soyong sighed, letting go of his face. “Since when do we use given names instead of titles?”
“You’re back…” the King whispered. “Are you really back?” He asked with uncertainty in his voice.
“Aish,” Soyong hit his shoulder. “Jeonha! Why you don’t care about your legacy at all?” She scolded him. “I just wanted to say goodbye and your portrait…” She let out a sad sigh without finishing her sentence.
“What about my portrait?” The King asked, turning his head to the side. It looked like he was amused by her improper behavior. But did it matter if it was just her dream? She can’t embarrass herself in her own dream.
“It’s burnt! Your face is unrecognizable!” She pouted. “Only eyes…” Soyong raised her hand to his cheek again, but this time she was gentle. “Your eyes are the only thing I could see…” Soyong peered into the eyes of the dream version of the King. “Looks so real, my mind is really marvelous… Maybe I should say goodbye to you here?”
“Or you could stay and look into my eyes as much as you wish if you like them so much,” the King covered her hand on his cheek with his palm.
“I don’t think it’s possible, Jeonha, I tried and failed before…” Soyong whispered. His warm palm felt so real against her skin. Even if it wasn’t a dream, she already felt herself slipping away from Joseon.
“Don’t go…” Cheoljong moved his other hand to her waist and tugged her into an embrace. “Stay…” he begged but his voice already sounded distant.
“I’m sorry,” Soyong whispered, burying her head in the crook of his neck and inhaling his scent. “I’m so sorry…”
When she had fallen into the darkness, Soyong still heard his voice and felt his warm embrace. Her mind desperately tried to hold onto this feeling but inevitably she slipped away from the past. When she regained her consciousness, Soyong knew she was back in the 21st century without opening her eyes. By the scent of the hangover soup Bong Hwan’s mother was making, it was obvious in what time Soyong woke up.
Soyong yawned and rolled on the side forgetting the bed in Bong Hwan’s natal home was small, the same one he had in his teenage years. She understood it too late and fell on the floor with a loud thud.
“Ugh,” she groaned in Bong Hwan’s voice. “When I get used to the bed so high?”
She finally opened her eyes and sat on the floor, embracing her aching head. She never considered herself having a problem with alcohol but maybe it was time to find other ways to clear her head.
“Bong Hwan-ah!” his mother called Soyong, she probably heard her falling a moment ago.
Soyong stood up and only now noticed the historical book she had with her last night while drinking. The flashes of her whining at the King that his portrait wasn’t right came back to her.
“Oh, what was I thinking?” she frowned recalling more embarrassing moments.
Soyong took the book from the floor, smoothing out crumpled pages, when she noticed something strange. She blinked first then rubbed her eyes but the portrait didn’t change. It wasn’t burnt anymore but it looked strange. Instead of the beautiful eyes of the King from before, she now saw him making a silly face with his eyes crossed and cheeks sucked inside.
“What the…” Soyong mumbled. He looked ridiculous! The previous portrait, while being half burnt, still had some regal vibe in it. It was the great reformer King Cheoljo, there was some power in his look. Now… it was a clown, not the King!
Soyong couldn’t believe in those changes, did she really travel back in time? She read the page beside the portrait and it said the King cherished this art a lot. He cherished it so much, that he ordered to put it in a metal box and protect it at all costs, so it wouldn’t be damaged over time.
“While it’s not clear what was so special about this portrait of the King. The contemporaries who lived at the time of ruling of King Cheoljo noted his unique sense of humor and pointed out that the King was very young and handsome…”
Soyong shifted her eyes back to the portrait. The King looked like he was mocking her, it was like he was showing her a middle finger across the time: “If you want to see my handsome face – come back!”
Author’s notes:
- That post-credit scene just came out of nowhere lol I wanted to write a different one (WB visiting HJ for those 2 years and observing a girl sneaking out of the neighbor’s estate without seeing her face) but there wasn’t enough plot for that. And the portrait was fun so I decided to write it and tie this scene to the very first chapter where SY mentioned a failed attempts to switch back. That scene happened before BH’s previous one with BI, this is how he ended up in her natal home: he got sick, they almost switched and CJ sent her home but it didn’t help.
- The tides are turning in SY’s head but she needs more time to decide. If she stays, it won’t be a fairy tale happy ending just yet.
- In the next chapter, SY finally meets BI, so not much fluff, but it’s time for her final decision. Maybe the post-credit scene will be SY\CJ, I haven’t decided yet.
- I plan to touch more of this last bit from WB with cheating information from the future in the last third of this fic. This whole story is about changing their lives but they can’t rely on tips from the future forever. They will be truly happy only when they let it go and simply live their lives. Preferably together.
LMFAO that ending omgggoshhh!