A Pledge of Loyalty

“I speak by order of our master.”

“Are you commanding us to return to where we came from?”

“If Lady Ju wishes it, then yes.”

Lady Ju paused, as if deep in thought. Yi-seol had no intention of pressing her, so he didn’t look at her, instead gazing into the distant rear garden. Besides the door that led to the bedchamber, there was another door that opened onto the garden at the back of the palace. With that double door left open, the boundary between the garden and the bedchamber seemed to vanish. Though now the weeds were rampant and the gloomy shadows were stronger than any verdant greenery, he thought it would be quite a sight if properly tended.

Yi-seol approved of Lady Ju’s strict and upright nature. She was by no means weak, yet he himself could not deny that he was indecisive—and he sorely needed someone like her. But he also pitied Lady Ju and the other court ladies who had to serve a master in his position. Ki-yeon said it wasn’t his fault, but it wasn’t theirs either, for they had no choice in their master.

He was thinking about how to tidy up that garden. When he realized that having a hobby he enjoyed would make the long, lonely life in the imperial palace more bearable, Lady Ju finally answered.

“This servant will remain by Your Highness’s side.”

“Are you sure that’s all right?”

“The master I served passed away several years ago, and since then I have been in charge of training apprentice court ladies. It was not a place I was deeply attached to, so please do not worry.”

A faint expression of relief crossed her resolute face, and Yi-seol smiled. He lightly patted her folded hands and said thank you; she replied that it was her humble duty.

“But, Your Highness. If it is not too impertinent, may I ask why you issued such an order?”

“There’s no particular reason. Ki-yeon and Yoo Kang came with me, so they have no choice, but I wanted to give the court ladies who serve me at least a choice in what I could offer them.”

“…….”

“I couldn’t send them to any palace or department they wished, but at least I wanted them to have the option to leave me.”

Behind his benevolent smile, Yi-seol hid a touch of loneliness and moistened his lips with a sip of lukewarm tea. Lady Ju quickly continued.

“What I wish to ask, Your Highness, is why you believed this court lady and the others would even think of leaving you.”

“……I am a man. I have no outstanding beauty, nor am I sharp-minded enough to aid His Majesty in politics, nor do I have any backing. What court lady would wish to serve a consort who cannot gain the Emperor’s favor?”

“Your Highness has not even been in the palace for a full day yet. It is far too short a time to gauge His Majesty’s heart.”

“…You know His Majesty did not visit me last night, Lady Ju.”

Realizing the intent behind Yi-seol’s words, Lady Ju deliberately did not answer, nor did she even nod.

“By now, all the court ladies know. By sunset, everyone who comes and goes within the palace will know, and by tomorrow, there will be no one in the capital unaware of it.”

“…….”

“And all the court ladies gathered in that courtyard know it too.”

Seeing Yi-seol smile faintly, Lady Ju was not surprised. She had probably guessed as much.

On the way to the bathhouse, he had instructed Ki-yeon to gather the court ladies and tell them they could return to their original positions or leave if they had a desired palace or department. He had not relayed the message through Lady Ju because he worried the court ladies might feel pressured by her and stay by his side even if they didn’t want to. Ki-yeon might not be as gentle, but he was less intimidating than Lady Ju, so he thought it was the right call.

“I apologize to you, Lady Ju. We may end up even more shorthanded.”

“The children like Your Highness.”

“I like them too.”

“…Your Highness, this servant is hesitant to speak, but…”

“Go ahead.”

Seeing Lady Ju trail off so hesitantly for the first time put Yi-seol on edge; he adjusted his posture. After a moment of searching for the right words, she said:

“Most of the court ladies who came with me failed the apprenticeship exam and were preparing to leave the palace, or were doing menial work in the laundry room. They lack the basic refinement to be court ladies, and… there are hardly any places that would accept them.”

Yi-seol hastily replied to Lady Ju, who shook her head heavily.

“I’m not driving them out. I only said they could go if they had somewhere they wanted to go…”

“They are not court ladies accustomed to a master’s thoughtful care. If Your Highness does not explain directly, misunderstandings may arise.”

A low sound escaped Yi-seol’s tea-moistened lips. Had he acted rashly? He felt a twinge of regret when footsteps from the corridor announced several people. Sure enough, the steps stopped right in front of his bedchamber. Ki-yeon’s voice asked permission to enter; he told him to come in. As the door opened, a cluster of court ladies spilled in like a flood, kneeling before Yi-seol.

“Your Highness…! Have we done something wrong?”

“No, no! Whatever it is, we have committed a mortal sin! Please, retract the order to leave this palace!”

“I beg you, spare us from expulsion! We will do anything you command!”

Yi-seol scrambled up from his seat and looked at Ki-yeon, who stood awkwardly by the door. Without even saying a word, Ki-yeon understood and replied in a flustered voice:

“I relayed Your Highness’s message to the court ladies, and they suddenly burst into tears and came rushing here…”

The court ladies, still in their aprons—having been summoned by Ki-yeon while doing cleaning work—wailed loudly on the floor. Among them were the two who had spoken curtly to Yi-seol in the bathhouse earlier. Their tear-streaked faces lifted only slightly to implore Yi-seol. While Yi-seol was flustered, Lady Ju stepped forward.

“What display of indecency is this before His Highness! Cease your crying at once!”

Her stern rebuke, which immediately affirmed her previous role as a training court lady, barely suppressed the court ladies’ weeping. They choked back their sobs, but tears still dripped down, and Yi-seol felt uneasy.

“I don’t know what Ki-yeon told you or how he said it,” Yi-seol began.

“…….”

“But I never intended to drive you away. Not at all.”

“I also relayed it that way,” Ki-yeon quickly added.

“But, Your Highness! Ki-yeon-nim said that Your Highness wanted us all to return to where we came from…”

“Yes! He said those who didn’t wish that had to leave the palace!”

“Your Highness, I did not say it like that…”

“Enough. Ki-yeon, you may leave now. Yoo Kang is alone cutting weeds; go help him.”

Watching a somewhat disgruntled Ki-yeon exit the bedchamber, Yi-seol had all the court ladies stand up. Some were missing, apparently having actually returned to their original posts after hearing Ki-yeon’s words. Still, they had found a place they wanted, so his heart eased.

“I will tell you myself. As you all know, I am a man, and also a consort who was cast aside in this neglected palace.”

Yi-seol gave a bitter laugh, but no one followed suit.

“If any of you wish to rise in the world by serving a master well, you may leave this place now. I wanted to give you the opportunity to choose whom you serve. That is all I wished to convey.”

The meaning was subtly different from what Ki-yeon had told them, so the court ladies stopped crying and pondered Yi-seol’s words. A brief silence passed. No one left. Then the court lady standing directly before Yi-seol raised her head with a determined expression.

“We have nowhere else to go if we leave Bi-eun Palace. Serving Your Highness for life is our sole duty as court ladies.”

She finished speaking and prostrated herself on the floor again. The other court ladies followed suit, bowing their heads to the ground. Lady Ju, standing beside Yi-seol, also silently knelt. Watching the court ladies bow before him, pledging their loyalty, Yi-seol was taken aback but then laughed ruefully and brushed back his hair.

He had thought he would spend his days in the palace lonely and forlorn, but now there were people with whom he could share his heart. That, at least, was a small comfort.

There was no doubt that Geum was a nation blessed by the heavenly god in many ways. With fertile soil and a warm climate, they never worried about farming; they withstood invasions by northern nomads without flinching; and trade with the maritime countries across the sea was free, so there was nothing they couldn’t obtain.

But aside from all this, the greatest blessing was considered to be the Emperor’s outstanding beauty. The Emperor was so handsome that flowers were said to bloom wherever he stepped, captivating all who saw him.

Yet it was not only his appearance that stole people’s souls.

The Emperor was not tyrannical. He was neither a madman with a fierce and cruel temper who massacred without reason, nor a warmonger who drove his people into death. Even less was he a half-wit lacking in any way. In every scheme and conspiracy that arose within the imperial palace, the Emperor had never once been caught off guard. With his thoroughness and cold rationality, he captivated the minds of all his ministers.

The Emperor was simply indifferent.

He seldom revealed his emotions; he almost never smiled, nor did he ever get angry. It was as if there was nothing good or bad in the world—he simply attended to state affairs with a vacant expression. It was no different when he met his consorts. He did his due diligence, but he never bestowed special favor upon anyone. To the Emperor, all his consorts were equally insignificant.

Every day was the same routine with the same face. Even after having the name of his destined lover from the Heavenly Mandate inscribed on his wrist and then taking that lover as a consort, the Emperor remained unchanged.

“Your Majesty.”

“…I forbid it.”

“I have not even said anything yet; what is it that you forbid?”

“Do not even call for me.”

“I have been in the room for a little while and only just called out to Your Majesty for the first time.”

“Who said I didn’t know that?”

By the unchanging Emperor’s side stood the unchanging High Minister, Bi Cha-ran. He had been standing there for two quarters, reading memorials beside the Emperor. Finally ready to speak, Cha-ran was cut off by the Emperor. The Emperor’s eyes were still on the memorial.