Episode 7
“I gave up you.”
Hwi’s lips pressed into a firm, thin line. It was a choice made by Grand Prince Seowon because he could not protect everyone; it was a sacrifice to save those most precious to him.
“Be careful of the Left State Councillor. Be cautious, and cautious again.”
It was an entreaty from a father, not a King.
“Do you know why your maternal grandfather lives there as a powerless country old man?”
Hwi suddenly recalled the conversation he had with Bam-tol-i when they flew the lantern.
「He is the person who will protect my parents and me.」 「He must be a powerful person then. I hope his power grows even stronger. That way, won’t he be able to protect the Young Master even more reliably?」
That day, Hwi’s wish had been for his grandfather to return to the royal court.
“The Internal Prince (Bu-won-gun) said the time is not yet right.”
The Internal Prince was his maternal grandfather.
“Crown Prince, keep your head low and wait for your time.”
“Yes, Royal Father. I will keep your words in my heart.”
“We will bring in a Crown Princess as soon as possible.”
“May I ask the reason?”
“I heard the Left State Councillor has only one son. Among his subordinates, there are no more daughters left to bring into the palace.”
Until now, the daughters of the Left State Councillor and his followers had all entered the palace as Queens or concubines to the late King. It was a relief to Hwi that he would not have to take a relative of the Left State Councillor as his bride. Now that there was hope of driving out the faction that had seized control of the royal family, Hwi intended to lie low and wait, just as his father requested.
However, his heart was heavy because he could not keep his promise to meet Bam-tol-i again at Kkot-nae. Clinging to the pouch he never got to return, Hwi let out a long sigh.
The wishes Ga-heun had made while watching others’ lanterns must have lacked power. Less than fifteen days after she had written her own wish and flown a lantern, she met her father.
The father she thought had gone for military service turned out to be a nobleman. Ga-heun only realized why her mother had hidden her away in the countryside once she set foot in her father’s house. Her mother was a concubine, and Ga-heun was a child of that union.
“You do not resemble your mother at all.”
Those were the first words her father ever spoke to her. He was referring to her tanned skin, so unlike her mother’s fair complexion.
“She resembles me greatly,” her mother said, shielding Ga-heun behind her back with a protective instinct. “Nan-hui was also small and dark like that child when she was young. I used to tease her and call her ‘Bam-tol-i’ because she looked so plain.”
The woman standing next to her father spoke her mother’s name, ‘Nan-hui.’
“Madam, it has been a long time. I hope you have been in peace.”
“I have been at peace, but I suspect I won’t be from now on.”
One didn’t need words to know that no one welcomed the mother and daughter’s arrival. The household didn’t bother to hide their distaste, offering only icy glares and cold tones. Ga-heun gripped her mother’s skirt and hid further behind her.
“I told you to send only the child. Did it have to be like this?”
“You promised me, Madam, that you would not take the child from me.”
“I did. But now our clan needs a girl—what else am I to do?”
“Madam…”
Her mother’s voice sounded thick with tears.
“As of today, that child is not your daughter. She is the daughter of Min Chi-hyung.”
“My Lord…”
On the day she gained a father, Ga-heun saw her mother’s tears for the first time. She also learned what it meant to live not as her mother’s daughter, but as her father’s.
Ten Years Later
Once again, an edict for the selection of a Crown Princess was issued. Sighs could be heard from every noble household with a daughter. They were finally seeking to fill the long-vacant position of Crown Princess, but no one wanted to offer their child.
“It seems the Crown Prince is finally taking a new wife. It is a good thing.”
“We’ll see if it’s a good thing or not.”
As if cursed, every woman selected as a Crown Princess had either died or fallen critically ill.
“Who knows which family’s daughter will be carried out dead this time? How can you call that a good thing?”
“Shh! Someone might hear! Lower your voice.”
“I’m not lying. To speak plainly, while the Left State Councillor is watching with those hawk eyes, who would feel at ease submitting their daughter’s horoscope?”
In the court, the situation was the same. The officials shared the same anxieties as the commoners. Even though the edict had been issued, everyone was busy reading the face of Min Chi-hyung.
Finally, Min Chi-hyung let out a sigh, and every ear in the room perked up.
“This is truly a dilemma. I cannot simply offer my own daughter, yet as a subject, I cannot ignore a matter of national importance.”
“A daughter? Does the Left State Councillor have a daughter?”
A rumor had been circulating for several years that Min Chi-hyung had a daughter of marriageable age, but most had dismissed it as hearsay. Even with Min Chi-hyung mentioning her himself, the officials looked skeptical. If he had a real daughter, she would have been the first choice years ago.
As if sensing their suspicion, Min Chi-hyung continued.
“She has been frail since childhood, so she has lived far from the capital for her recovery.”
It was a statement loaded with multiple meanings. If she had been away for her health, it explained why no one knew of her. It also indirectly suggested that the previous deaths of Crown Princesses had nothing to do with him—since his own daughter was “frail,” any tragedy befalling her would be blamed on the palace’s poor fortune, not his schemes. It was a gamble worth taking to gain public sympathy.
“Since it is a royal command, this time I shall submit my daughter’s horoscope.”
“Of course! You must do so. It would be an honor for the royal family to become in-laws with the Left State Councillor.”
Everyone chimed in with a welcoming response as if they had been waiting for this. Min Chi-hyung let out a long, heavy sigh, feigning the grief of a devoted father, while inwardly smiling at the cowards around him.
On a perfectly clear day, the grand wedding ceremony of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess took place. The bride’s face was as white as jade, her cheeks flushed with a faint red glow.
Hwi watched the woman approaching in her ceremonial robes with a sharp, piercing gaze. It was far from the fluttering heart of a groom stealing a glance at his bride; his eyes were colder than frost. In contrast, the Crown Princess kept her eyes cast down, never looking up even after they stood face-to-face.
He thought to himself that if she were to look up and meet his frigid stare, she wouldn’t be able to hold that shy smile. Since there would be no reason for her to laugh while living as his Princess, he decided to let her enjoy the joy of the title for at least half a day.
Ga-heun stepped carefully, her head heavy with the weight of the traditional ornaments. Even with the Prince beside her, she didn’t dare raise her eyes. Her facial muscles felt cramped from forcing a smile.
On the day she entered the palace, the words she heard were neither a blessing nor advice.
「Keep this in mind. You are the daughter of the Left State Councillor, Min Chi-hyung. Never forget for a single moment what will happen to your mother if you make even the slightest mistake.」
It was a threat using her mother as a hostage. Ga-heun had only one answer: 「Yes.」
Because she had given that answer, she had to smile now. She lifted the corners of her lips just enough. Her steady smile only faltered when she finally raised her downcast eyes.
The Crown Prince before her was tall, with broad, sturdy shoulders that exerted an air of intimidation. More than that, he had fair skin for a man, eyebrows that looked as if they were painted, and large, fierce eyes.
And…
‘Why is the Sky Lantern Young Master here?’
