Hongwi's Nurse Court Lady
When Yunseo woke alone to sunlight filling her face, she wondered for a moment if the events of last night had all been a dream.
But beneath the covers, her body was marked with vivid traces of the night before—and beside her pillow lay a neatly placed letter, bearing two carefully written characters: " (Yearning)."
That alone told her it had all truly happened.
Yi-hyang had been a gentle yet intense man.
He pressed forward without hesitation, yet the touch of his hands remained careful and tender.
As though making up for every night he had spent alone, their union had continued again and again—and at the very end, holding her close, Yi-hyang had whispered:
"Now that you've come… I am truly happy, Yunseo."
After those words, Yunseo had fallen into a deep, heavy sleep.
In her hazy awareness, she faintly remembered Yi-hyang carrying her here to the heated ondol room, ordering a court lady to bring warm water, and carefully wiping away the traces of the night with a damp cloth.
As she recalled how he had laughed softly in satisfaction while she lay there, too exhausted to even open her eyes, passively accepting his touch—her body and mind finally relaxed after a day of tension—
Yunseo suddenly bolted upright.
"Hongwi!"
Every morning, she had always been by his side when he woke—but today, having slept here, she had not been there for him.
She hurriedly dressed in the court lady uniform folded neatly beneath the letter, hastily tied up her hair as usual, and opened the door.
From the opposite heated room came the faint clatter of utensils.
The morning attendants were already serving Hongwi his meal.
When she quietly opened the door, Hongwi—just as he was lifting a spoon to his mouth—dropped it and ran toward her.
He toddled over, buried his face in her skirt, and stayed like that for a long moment before finally lifting his head, his eyes brimming with tears.
"Y-you weren't there… my heart went thump-thump and hurt…"
Still unable to pronounce his s-sounds properly, he repeated her earlier expression—"heart-thumping"—to describe how much it had hurt when she wasn't there.
Hearing him use the phrase she had once said while looking at a kitten—"so cute it makes my heart thump"—to express his own pain, Yunseo felt her own heart drop heavily.
Even the court ladies and senior court attendant who had been serving the meal were now kneeling.
Yunseo, having received the Crown Prince's favor, would soon rise above their rank as a highly favored concubine—so they were already showing excessive respect in advance.
But Yunseo only felt the small body trembling in her arms—
Our Hongwi is still a child who cannot sleep alone.
And he needs me—not someone else.
If I become a concubine, I won't be able to stay by Hongwi's side.
She would be given separate quarters, and there would be no place for Hongwi there.
In fact, the reason Hongwi had been moved here in the first place was to prevent him from staying in any specific concubine's residence—doing so would undermine his authority and create factions.
There was no justification now to make an exception for her.
Yunseo hugged Hongwi tightly.
Then she gently pulled back and met his eyes.
"Your Highness… something happened last night. I'm sorry."
At that, Hongwi burst into tears, clinging to her neck again as he cried in a sorrowful voice:
"My heart… went thump-thump… it hurt…"
"!"
He heard.
He had already been told—that Yunseo would no longer be his nurse, that she would leave his side.
Someone must have quietly told him while comforting him as he cried for her.
This sudden reality, with no warning, was too cruel for him.
"Your Highness, please look at me."
Yunseo set him down again, holding his shoulders firmly. He looked up at her through his tears.
"Your Highness, eat your meal bravely. I'll be back soon."
She wanted to tell him she would stay by his side—but she couldn't promise that yet. She needed to confirm with Lady Park whether it was even possible, and what steps it would take.
Her heart ached so much it felt like it might collapse.
She hugged him tightly once more, then pulled back, meeting his gaze firmly as she whispered:
"You'll eat your meal well, right? You'll stay strong and not cry until I return, right?"
"…Okay… Nurse… you have to come back quickly…"
"Yes, I'll come back quickly. Chew well and eat everything."
Even as she said it, Hongwi clung to her, tears streaming down, unwilling to let go.
Her chest hurt so badly she could barely breathe—
She hadn't given birth to him, but the bond she had built in raising him was too deep.
Tears burst from her eyes.
How could I have ever thought of leaving you behind and escaping across the Han River?
The room fell silent, filled only with the sound of their quiet sobbing.
The five court ladies and one senior attendant, who had been kneeling, raised their heads slightly—
And were moved by the intensity of the bond between the two, stronger even than that of a biological mother and child.
In a palace where everyone sought only to rise in rank—
To see a woman, newly favored by the second most powerful man in the realm, clinging to the child she was about to leave behind, weeping so sincerely—
It was too genuine, too heartbreaking to be mere pretense.
The moment of tears and emotion was broken by the sudden opening of the door.
"Kwon-ga, so you're here. Her Majesty the Queen is looking for—…? Oh my, Your Highness, why are you crying?"
It was Lady Park.
Having spent a restless night outside Yunseo's quarters after hearing from Chief Court Lady Eom, Lady Park had only just fallen asleep before being summoned with news that the Queen was calling for Kwon-ga. She had been searching for Yunseo everywhere.
"Madam!"
"And why are you crying like this!"
Lady Park frowned deeply, then muttered under her breath—just loud enough for Yunseo to hear—
"That bastard should be treating you like treasure, and instead he's making you cry—damn him."
Then, as if nothing had happened, she composed her expression and sat before Hongwi.
"Your Highness, Kwon-ga will soon go to see Her Majesty the Queen. Shall you go together to see your grandmother?"
It was a quick calculation.
If the Queen saw just how much the young prince adored Kwon-ga, perhaps she would be granted not merely the rank of Seunghwi (Junior 4th rank), but at least Yangwon (Junior 3rd rank).
If she were only granted the lower ranks after receiving royal favor, it was obvious that the existing concubines would tear her apart.
In the palace, rank determined everything.
No matter how much favor one received from the king or the crown prince, it was difficult to escape the cruel realities of the inner court during the day.
After all—even when the late Crown Princess Kwon had been pregnant with the young prince, she had once been beaten by the deposed Crown Princess Bong.
And that had happened while both the king and queen were checking on her daily.
"Okay, let's go. Let's go together."
At the thought of going with Kwon-ga to see his grandmother, Hongwi's face finally brightened, and he tugged at Yunseo's skirt as if ready to leave immediately.
"Not now, Your Highness. It will take half a shijin. First, finish your meal."
Lady Park shook her head sternly.
Hongwi, who still remembered being firmly scolded by her before, obediently released Yunseo's skirt and returned to his meal.
"Your Highness, I'll speak with Madam for a moment and then come back."
Yunseo said with reddened eyes.
"Come back quickly," Hongwi replied obediently, letting her go.
The moment they stepped into the courtyard of Jaseondang, Lady Park grabbed Yunseo's arm with frightening strength and dragged her toward Chief Court Lady Eom's quarters, speaking sharply.
"Just how roughly did he treat you?! Honestly! There are plenty of women lying around willing to throw themselves at him—why pick on someone living just fine and make her cry like this!"
…Madam Park's tone is getting rougher by the day.
Even so, Yunseo felt reassured—
In this vast palace, the only person who truly cared for her as Kwon Yunseo the person, not as a nurse, a lover, or a stepping stone to glory, was Lady Park.
"Madam, I don't want to become a concubine. Please find a way."
At her words, Lady Park abruptly stopped, then smacked Yunseo's back and ground her teeth.
"That's something you should've said before sleeping with him! The whole palace knows you received his favor so loudly that Bi-hyeon Pavilion shook all night!"
"..."
Yunseo's face flushed instantly.
But now was not the time to dwell on last night.
"Even if I've received his favor, I can still remain as the young prince's nurse, can't I? I just want to stay as his nurse. Even if I become a concubine, there's no guarantee I'll bear a child. And if I can't, I'll just be left in an even more difficult position with nothing but a title."
"Ha… But if you've received favor and remain just a nurse instead of becoming a court lady consort, what will people think of you? They'll treat you like nothing more than a bed servant for the Crown Prince! I refuse to watch that happen."
Lady Park turned sharply, as if to say it wasn't even worth discussing.
But Yunseo grabbed her arm again and pressed on.
"Madam, think about it. I'll soon be seeing Her Majesty the Queen often and teaching her letters. I've also received an order to compile a book with Princess Jeongui. And before long, I'll be summoned to gatherings with princes and princesses. Do you think they'll openly dismiss me as just a bed servant?"
"Oh?"
"If anything, if I receive a high rank, I'll become a target of jealousy and restraint from the other concubines. Their families will stir things up, and it could even become an issue in court."
"Oh?"
"So this is better—this is better as it is. The young prince is still too young to sleep alone, and soon Princess Pyeongchang will arrive too. I'll need to take care of her as well."
"Oh-ho-ho!"
"And if I remain a nurse and later become a senior court lady because I don't bear a child… maybe we can live comfortably together in old age, traveling and enjoying life just like we talked about."
"Kwon-ga!"
Lady Park grabbed her arm tightly.
"Yes, Madam!"
"That pine-flower sweet—do you really not know what poison was in it? I'd like to feed some to Maegum too."
"M-Madam!"
"We must catch that court lady and beat it out of her. If we turned that into a medicine that makes fools smarter, we could rake in all the wealth of Hanyang."
Lady Park smacked her lips dreamily.
"Madam, is now really the time to be talking about money? You already have more wealth than you could spend in a lifetime!"
"Ah, Kwon-ga, Kwon-ga… People like us find happiness in accumulating wealth—not in spending it."
Then suddenly, she grabbed Yunseo's arm again and began dragging her forward.
"Come on, let's find Chief Court Lady Eom first. After using all that energy last night, our Crown Prince is apparently in perfect condition this morning—and has already said he wants to make you the Crown Princess. Of course, it won't happen immediately, and the formal process takes time—but when it comes to matters involving you, His Highness turns into a madman, so we must stop this at once!"
The moment Yunseo said she didn't want to become a concubine, Lady Park switched from calling Yi-hyang a "bastard" to "our Crown Prince" and quickly sought out Chief Court Lady Eom.
Chief Court Lady Eom, who had been in her office, bowed politely upon seeing Yunseo—as if she were already a concubine.
But as she listened to Lady Park's rapid explanation, her expression gradually darkened.
Frowning slightly, she shook her head.
"If it proceeds that way, it will take far too long for her to rise to the rank of Crown Princess."
"No, no, Chief Court Lady. Do you not know of the great roc that soars after long preparation?"
To persuade someone, you must offer what they want most.
To Lady Park—a future where they could live together like family.
To Chief Court Lady Eom—the fastest path to making Yunseo Crown Princess.
"A favored court lady who deeply cherishes the young prince chooses to refuse the position of concubine and remain as his nurse."
"!"
"Even if she conceives and bears a royal child, as the child of a mere court lady, it will not influence the royal succession."
"!"
"If such a story spreads, would it not become the strong rope you so desire?"
Chief Court Lady Eom nodded with a satisfied smile, reassured that her judgment of people had not been wrong.
"I will report this once His Highness finishes his morning duties. You go see Her Majesty the Queen, and explain how deeply the young prince is attached to you—and how necessary you are for him to grow into a wise ruler."
And so, the three most influential women of the Eastern Palace parted ways, each carrying her own ambition.
"Nurse! Let's go!"
Yunseo held Hongwi's small hand tightly as they headed toward the Queen's palace.
"Grandmother! I missed you!"
Hongwi ran forward with open arms and threw himself into the Queen's embrace, planting a kiss on her cheek.
Our Hongwi has already done half the work.
After all, everyone in the palace knew whose influence had made him shine so brightly.