Episode 2: Who Says "Our" Hongwi?!
"Hongwi. It's Father."
Yi Hyang whispered, his voice softening instantly.
"Abam-ma? Abam-ma!"
(Father? Father!)
The moment Hongwi heard his father's voice, he stopped crying at once.
His tear-soaked black eyes gleamed like obsidian as he tightly wrapped his arms around Yi Hyang's neck.
"Mi-missed you, Abam-ma," he sniffled.
"I missed you too. I missed you very much."
"Abam-ma, Cheonjamun—I memorized it all."
"The Thousand Character Classic already? It seems Seong Sam-mun must have taught you very diligently."
"Teacher said I'm smart like Grandfather."
Well, with King Sejong as his grandfather and King Munjong as his father, it would be harder to turn out stupid.
But still, he's almost as remarkable as his grandfather.
He looked barely two years old, yet he had already memorized the Thousand Character Classic.
With that brilliant mind, could you maybe ask your mother how this big sister can get back home?
The resentment she felt toward the child's mother—her 19th-generation ancestor Lady Kwon—unfairly turned toward the child instead.
"Kwon-ga! Later, you will have to explain that ring!"
Yi Hyang spoke sharply to Yoonseo, who sat there blankly, then hugged his son tightly again.
"In two days' time, I will return to the palace with your grandfather and grandmother. Stay well until then. I will see you soon."
After finishing his affectionate farewell, Yi Hyang left the room in an instant.
"Abam-ma… Abam-ma… coming… after two nights…"
The child whispered sadly, then burrowed into Yoonseo's arms again.
"Sleep now… here…"
Maybe when I wake up, this place won't be here anymore.
Please tell me this is just a dream, little one.
In her completely frozen body and mind, the child's warmth and small wriggling movements offered comfort.
Holding the small source of warmth tightly, Yoonseo blew out the candle.
Then she prayed desperately that when she opened her eyes again, she would be in 21st-century Korea—no, anywhere in the 21st-century world would do.
On the day Kwon Yoonseo put on her ancestor's ring and was forcibly summoned to Joseon,
the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty recorded the following entry:
April 4, Year of Gi-chuk, 25th year of King Sejong (1443, Ming Zhengtong 8):
The royal procession halted in the western fields of Janghowon, Jinwi County.
At early evening, Jinseong (Saturn) shone brightly in the eastern sky.
A white aura brushed past the moon.
"Kwon-ga! Kwon-ga!"
After tossing and turning, unable to accept reality, Yoonseo had finally fallen asleep—only to be awakened at dawn by the rough voice of a middle-aged woman.
"Why are you standing night watch again? You foolish girl! How are you going to endure the day shift!"
Yoonseo squeezed her eyes shut and pretended not to hear.
"Open your eyes. I saw your eyelids twitching."
It was Lady Park Mal-ye, the highest-ranking court lady of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, who oversaw Court Lady Kwon.
Even if she wanted to pretend otherwise, the memories in her head naturally told her so.
Court Lady Kwon trusted Lady Park like a mother, and just hearing her voice made her whole body relax.
It seemed Lady Park had always taken good care of the somewhat slow-witted Kwon.
"So noisy, Lady Park."
Hongwi, waking up and wriggling in her arms, scolded her with surprising dignity.
"Oh my, Royal Grandson, forgive me. I'll have the washing water brought in right away. Please wake up."
Lady Park soothed Hongwi in a honey-sweet voice.
"Kwon-ga, wake up."
Hongwi shook Yoonseo.
Ah… yes, I'm Kwon, but I'm not a court lady! I'm not!
She wanted to protest, but what had the child done wrong?
Yoonseo suddenly sat upright.
"What exactly happened last night that you stood the night watch? And why did His Highness send a messenger to me?"
"What did he say?"
Did he say to take the ring and throw me out?
If that happens, how am I supposed to survive in this strange alien Joseon?
The moment she asked nervously, Lady Park smacked her hard on the back.
"He said you were the only one there without even a single maid standing guard outside the door! He demanded to know what kind of person I am running this place! I've already thoroughly scolded Park-ga and Han-ga, but you're the problem here—you're the problem!"
"Yes. My existence really is the problem."
"…What are you saying?"
Because Yoonseo admitted it so readily, Lady Park instead stared at her in surprise.
Why is this girl acting so strange when she usually just giggles?
"What's wrong with you? Are you sick? Should I send you to the Royal Medical Office for medicine?"
"I want to disappear from here. Truly."
"Not in front of the Royal Grandson!"
Lady Park shot her a sharp glare.
Only then did Yoonseo notice the child looking up at her, lips trembling slightly.
In his eyes—like a desert night without moon or stars—clear tears began to gather.
That instantly brought her to her senses.
What am I doing, saying things like that in front of a child?
A child who had lost his mother at birth.
And whose primary caregiver, Nurse Lady Yi, had left the palace due to illness.
His emotional stability must already be fragile.
Even babies who cannot understand words sense their caregiver's mood from expressions and tone, and fear abandonment.
And Hongwi—who had memorized the Thousand Character Classic—was a genius child.
Guilt stabbed her heart.
Yoonseo hurriedly apologized.
"No, no, Young Master. It's not because of you. I just… have some problems of my own. I'm sorry."
Hongwi pursed his lips as if he might cry again.
Then he stretched out his tiny arms and demanded:
"Huug."
(Hold me.)
Yoonseo picked him up as requested.
The child's small body fitting snugly in her arms felt comforting.
Mammals comfort each other by huddling together during fear and confusion.
Reptiles freeze like the dead to endure fear.
With Hongwi's warmth, Yoonseo could overcome the primitive fear of the limbic brain and endure only the confusion of a mammal.
Soon, her prefrontal cortex would function properly again and rationally find a way to escape.
Psychological counselor Yoonseo, holding the small child, instinctively began observing the child's emotional state.
Hongwi's emotional state was more stable than she had expected, though he showed a slight separation anxiety.
The fact that he asked to be held without hesitation and rested comfortably in someone's arms meant that his primary caregiver had given him steady affection and formed a secure attachment.
Since that caregiver wasn't beside him now, clinging to Yoonseo instead was likely just temporary separation anxiety.
Nurse Lady Yi raised him well. In place of our ancestor who passed away.
While mentally writing what was practically a counseling report in her head, Lady Park spoke to Hongwi.
"Young Master, please wash your face now. I will have breakfast prepared."
Then she looked at Yoonseo with her eyes, urging: Get yourself together and wash the young master's face.
With that, she left the room.
The door opened and a black lacquer basin filled with lukewarm water was brought in.
Yoonseo lightly wrung out a soft cloth and washed the child's face.
Yi Hongwi.
The poor child who would later become Crown Prince, then King Danjong, only to die at the young age of seventeen—unaware of his fate, he obediently closed his eyes and entrusted his face to her.
His thick black eyelashes were very long.
His cheeks were rosy, and his rounded forehead protruded slightly—perhaps his prefrontal cortex had begun developing early.
Such a cute child, and he would only live seventeen years…
As the thought reached that point—
A sudden sob burst out of her like a scream.
The bright three-year-old child destined to die at seventeen was pitiful,
and she herself, dragged into this bizarre world just because she put on the wrong ring once, was pitiful too.
"Why are you crying?"
"…It's nothing."
"Don't cry, don't cry. I'll give you sweets later."
Already with a tear clinging to the tip of his long eyelashes, the child pouted and tried to comfort her by promising sweets.
They probably wouldn't taste that good.
But the thought behind it was comforting enough that
her tears quietly stopped.
Only after the servant had taken away the washbasin did another nursemaid court lady, Court Lady Yun, who worked the day shift, arrive.
"Kwon-ga, honestly."
Raising the sharp ends of her catlike eyes even higher, Yun-ga clicked her tongue.
Her gaze scolded Yoonseo silently: How do you always end up being taken advantage of like that?
After silently reprimanding her for a while, Yun-ga turned toward Hongwi and immediately bowed deeply with a bright smile.
"Young Master, did you have a good dream?"
And with that, the daily routine of the nursemaid court ladies whose main duty was caring for Royal Grandson Hongwi began again.
"Bind (sok), belt (dae), dignified (geung), solemn (jang), wander (bae), linger (hoe), look (cheom), gaze (jo)."
"You read it very accurately. Now, could you connect them and explain the meaning?"
Inside the small eastern building within Hongwi's residence,
a childish voice echoed.
Listening to the lisping pronunciation, Yoonseo suppressed a laugh and shook with quiet giggles.
Court Lady Yun, sitting upright before the door, shot her a fierce glare.
How dare you laugh while our royal young master is studying?
"Yes, Teacher. 'Sokdaegeungjang, baehoecheomjo' means one should tighten their belt firmly, keep one's dignity, and observe many places carefully."
"You are absolutely correct. 'Tighten your belt firmly, maintain dignity, and observe many places.' You remembered exactly the explanation I gave you yesterday."
The teacher instructing Royal Grandson Hongwi in the Thousand Character Classic was none other than the famous Seong Sam-mun.
Earlier, when Yoonseo saw him step onto the wooden hall, he had a thick beard, a stern face, and carried himself exactly like the phrase "sokdae geungjang"—properly dressed and dignified.
"This phrase originates from the Rites of Zhou, meaning that a gentleman must keep his attire neat in daily life…"
Seong Sam-mun's voice explaining the origins of the phrase gradually faded into a distant hum.
It was still five hours before the shift change at Shin-si half-quarter—about 4 p.m. in modern time.
"…Wake up."
"…?"
"I said wake up. The young master's lesson is almost finished."
Court Lady Yun shook Yoonseo's shoulder sharply.
"Wipe your drool. Honestly, that's disgusting."
Yun-ga, extremely proud of serving the future ruler of the kingdom, glared at her as if she might devour her.
Yoonseo rubbed her chin with her palm and found it covered in drool.
Still, that brief nap had cleared her mind refreshingly.
If only I had a cup of coffee…
Thinking that, Yoonseo stood and bowed beside the door along with Yun-ga.
The door slid open.
Hongwi came out first, walking with dignity—though his toddler body still made him wobble slightly.
And behind him came Seong Sam-mun, the historical figure himself, now a living, breathing person of flesh and blood.
"Young Master, tomorrow His Majesty will return to the palace, so there will be no lesson. I will visit again the day after tomorrow."
As Seong Sam-mun bowed,
Hongwi also placed his hands over his belly and bent forward at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
"Tea-cher, goodbye!"
Hongwi still pronounced the 's' sound as a 'd' sound, since he hadn't yet developed the fricative pronunciation.
Among consonants, the 's' sound develops the latest, often only becoming accurate after the age of six.
Still, if he practiced bringing his tongue near the palate behind the upper teeth and making a soft "sss" sound, he could learn it sooner.
Our Hongwi already memorized the Thousand Character Classic so well. This big sister should help fix his pronunciation.
Then Yoonseo suddenly froze.
Our Hongwi?
Since when did he become "our" Hongwi?!