YICOABT

2. King Shin-Nong Jae-hu

Su-ryeon narrowed her eyes, wondering what Sohan was up to. She stared intently at him, trying to read his inscrutable expression, but Sohan subtly avoided her gaze.

Just then, a voice came from behind the sliding door.

“Chief Assistant, are you in?”

It was a young servant. Officials at Seonnong Palace usually sent messages or documents through servants. The irony was that these servants were all collateral descendants of the four Great Families. The officials of Shin-Nong were truly obsessed with bloodlines.

“Come in.”

The servant who entered looked uncharacteristically grim. Usually, they wore bright expressions, fueled by a sense of duty in serving the state, but this boy’s face was dark.

“What is it?” Sohan asked, knitting his brows. Suddenly, the young servant dropped to his knees, tears fat as raindrops rolling down his cheeks.

**"...The former Shin-Nong King, Hu-jik, has passed away..."**

The atmosphere in the room turned heavy in an instant.

King Jae-hu belonged to the “New” Shin-Nong lineage. When the original family vanished, the four Great Families decided they had to create a King artificially. They elected one of the four heads and bestowed upon them the royal surname “Shin-Nong.” However, these new lineages rarely lasted beyond two generations. Rumors whispered it was a heavenly curse for trying to artificially continue a divine line.

In that regard, Jae-hu was a miracle. He was the son of the previous King, Chu Hu-jik, and had legitimately inherited the throne. To stabilize his power, the influence of his predecessor—his mother—had been vital.

‘Now that the former King is dead, the palace is going to be noisy again,’ Su-ryeon thought blankly. She remembered the late Hu-jik’s eyes—eyes that had looked upon her, an orphan, with nothing but contempt and disdain. It would be a lie to say she felt grief. She wasn’t a saint; her feelings were refreshingly clear. Since the woman had lived a full life before dying, it was a “good death,” if such a thing existed.

‘…Good riddance.’

Su-ryeon didn’t know her parents’ faces. Her earliest memories were of being a servant in the Chu family estate. The person who had rescued her from that hollow existence was the current King, Jae-hu.

[Su-ryeon, do you want to escape?]

He had asked her that one simple question. He had reached out his hand.

[Work as my Second Assistant for five years. After that, I will send you wherever you want to go.]

That was the promise. Five years of work in exchange for freedom. But now, Jae-hu was missing. He disappeared often, but the timing this time was terrible. Was this some new form of punishment—refusing to let a hardworking ant retire? Her thoughts were interrupted by the servant’s voice.

“And…” the boy continued, still kneeling. “His Majesty has returned. He is asking for the Second Assistant.”

Su-ryeon almost wanted to clap. Her lord was back. The former King’s death meant a state funeral, but that wasn’t her problem. She was going to be demoted to an archivist, and Sohan, as Chief Assistant, would handle the funeral. As a faint, relieved smile touched her lips, Sohan’s eyes suddenly turned sharp.

“Su-ryeon, it looks like you’re planning to dump this funeral on me and run.” “…”

Sohan stood up, giving her a pouting, sideways glance. “Let’s go.” “Where?” “To see our Lord, obviously.”

“He only called for me.” Su-ryeon didn’t want this man tagging along; he was a threat to her grand demotion plan. But Sohan ignored her protests. Even as they walked toward the inner palace, she kept complaining.

“I told you, he only asked for me.” “I know. But I need to discuss the state funeral.”

He cut her off coldly. Su-ryeon closed her mouth, her conscience pricking her slightly. Managing a state funeral was a massive task; it would take weeks of overtime. Especially if done alone.

They reached the innermost part of Seonnong Palace. A servant announced them: “Your Majesty, Chief Assistant Sohan of the Dong Family and Second Assistant Su-ryeon the Nameless request an audience.”

“Let them in.”

At the sound of the refined voice, the doors slid open. Inside the office, Sohan and Su-ryeon dropped to one knee.

**"Long live Your Majesty, the Shin-Nong King."**

Su-ryeon looked up. In the office stood a birdcage holding a bird with shimmering blue feathers. Jae-hu was stroking the bird, his long silver hair sparkling in the sunlight. Su-ryeon thought, as she did every day, that he was more beautiful than any woman.

“Sohan, I don’t recall calling for you too?” Jae-hu said with a gentle smile that carried a hidden thorn. Su-ryeon flinched, but Sohan remained composed, bowing his head.

“Sire, we must discuss the state funeral.” “Is that so?”

The tone was soft, but the air between the two men felt like frost. Furthermore, Jae-hu’s tone was incredibly light for someone whose mother had just died. Sohan continued, “The seating chart for the four families and their positions in the procession will be of utmost importance.”

In Shin-Nong politics, the seating chart revealed the King’s current alliances and his future intentions.

“We shall need to examine the records of previous state funerals,” Jae-hu said, his gaze shifting to Su-ryeon. He smiled brightly, seemingly without malice. But wanting to see records meant the Archivist had to be involved.

**"Since Su-ryeon is scheduled to be demoted to the Archives, let her act as the bridge between the Assistants and the Records Office while she learns the ropes."**
**"...Yes, Your Majesty."**

Su-ryeon’s heart sank. In trying to avoid overtime, she had just doubled her workload.

“Your Majesty, please designate which family should have priority,” Sohan pressed. “Well… Sohan, don’t you know the answer to that better than anyone?” Jae-hu smiled and stroked the bird. Today, his words were particularly biting.

The Dong family, which Sohan led, was the most powerful in terms of wealth and military might. Naturally, they would expect priority. But the deceased King was from the Chu family.

“But Sire, the late Hu-jik was of the Chu family,” Sohan noted quietly. Su-ryeon groaned inwardly. This funeral was going to be a political nightmare. The four families were predators waiting for a lapse in the King’s power.

“I shall think on it slowly,” Jae-hu replied. “The news has surely spread to the families already. We shall decide based on how they act.”

A silence followed. Jae-hu smiled with his eyes. “If you are done, you may leave.” As they bowed to exit, Jae-hu added:

**"Ryeon, you stay."**

Su-ryeon froze. “Ryeon” was her childhood nickname, used by Jae-hu before he took the throne. The tenderness in his voice made her dizzy. She had long ago buried her feelings for him, yet hearing that name made those discarded emotions stir again.

Sohan didn’t leave immediately. He stood still, staring at Jae-hu with an unyielding gaze.

“Leave, Dong Sohan.” Jae-hu’s voice was kind, yet it carried terrifying authority, emphasized by the use of Sohan’s full name and title. Sohan was deeply loyal, which made his hesitation today all the more confusing. Finally, biting his lip, Sohan turned to leave. His eyes met Su-ryeon’s for a split second, but she couldn’t read the emotion behind them.

Once they were alone, Jae-hu stepped toward her, his sleeves rustling elegantly. Su-ryeon looked down, her heart racing.

“Look at me, Ryeon.” She looked up, and Jae-hu gave her a clear, innocent smile—not the calculated one he used for politics.

“Are you troubled by your mother’s passing?” she asked worriedly. “Well… how do you feel about it?” Jae-hu countered. “I feel relieved.”

Relieved? Su-ryeon stared at him, bewildered. She understood her own lack of grief, but he was her son.

“By the way,” Jae-hu continued, “I heard you harassed Gwan-myeong to create a demotion request while I was away?” “That was…” “There was no need for a formal document, Su-ryeon. I haven’t forgotten our five-year pact. I’m just surprised Sohan is so worked up about it.”

“It’s likely nothing special. He’s probably just worried his workload will increase once his colleague of five years is gone.”

“Perhaps… Regardless, I haven’t officially approved the demotion yet. Since your only colleague is so against it.” “…”

Su-ryeon worried she had somehow offended Sohan. Why else would he block her path to a peaceful life?

“Until you persuade Dong Sohan, you are officially still part of the Assistant’s office. You may go to the Archives to learn, however.” “But Your Majesty—!”

Before she could protest, he reached out and gently stroked her hair. Su-ryeon looked up at him, startled. His eyes were calm and unreadable.

**"Your hair is messy, Ryeon."**

He smiled with his eyes, seemingly oblivious to the chaos he had just stirred in her heart.