There Is No Sejong In My Joseon [EN]: Chapter 255

“So, what’s going on?”

I asked again, climbing onto Yi Seong-gye’s back, but he didn’t seem to hear me, suddenly bursting into anger.

“That’s not the problem! Why haven’t I heard news of a great-grandchild?”

“I, I’m sorry.”

I don’t know why I’m apologizing, but it’s a dream, so there’s nothing I can do.

– Bweeong!

Yi Seong-gye, dodging a laser with skillful evasive maneuvers, took out a peach from his pocket.

“Here, take this.”

He tossed it to me, and I almost dropped it.

We’re already at a high altitude, and I wouldn’t be able to go back down to pick it up.

“What is it?”

“I personally stole it from the Western Queen Mother’s field. I brought the best one.”

“Then what about that Mecha Sejong?”

“He appeared out of nowhere and started chasing me when I stole this. No time! Quickly, put it in your pocket!”

“Even if you tell me to take it…”

There’s no place to put it in my pocket. Where am I supposed to take it?

Could it be.

“S, Status window?”

Then a semi-transparent window appeared in front of me.

Something was written on it, but I ignored it and quickly shouted.

“Inventory open!”

Confirming that the space in front of me was fluctuating, I immediately put the peach into the inventory.

“Good job!”

Yi Seong-gye gave me a thumbs up, saying that.

I couldn’t help but feel proud as well.

But that was it.

– I will enlighten you!

Mecha Sejong looked at me and fired a laser, shooting me down while I was on Yi Seong-gye’s back…

“…Huff!”

I opened my eyes wide.

The familiar ceiling of my room came into view.

The sun was already high in the sky, and birds were chirping outside.

My whole body was damp with sweat.

I muttered with a trembling heart.

“Inventory open.”

But of course, nothing happened.

‘What a crazy dream.’

This is my inner world?

What on earth is going on in my subconscious?

“Ugh…”

Jo So-hwa tossed and turned, pulling the blanket over herself.

“I should wash up.”

I slapped both cheeks to wake myself up.

===

My family gathered at Gyeonghoeru Pavilion [a royal banquet hall] after a long time.

With so many family members, it’s not easy for all of us to get together unless we’re holding a banquet like this.

There are so many concubines, princes, and princesses.

Thinking about it, I have to give Lee Bang-won [King Taejong’s given name] credit for his virility.

After the Retired King and his wife from Indeok Palace arrived, Lee Bang-won guided them to the head table and said.

“You’ve all worked hard to be careful during the national mourning period. We are holding a small banquet to comfort the efforts of our royal family, so please relax and enjoy yourselves today.”

Everyone nodded as if relieved at Lee Bang-won’s words.

Indeed, our family members must have had a hard time controlling their behavior.

The mourning period was over long ago, but since it was the death of Taejo [King Taejo, founder of the Joseon Dynasty], no less, we had to be careful for a long time.

Fortunately, my half-siblings didn’t do anything particularly noticeable, thanks to the elite education they received at the Crown Prince’s residence.

Rather, they usually just didn’t try to show their presence in front of me.

That’s the difference between them and my full siblings.

“Finally, the period of self-restraint is over. It was really long…”

“Still, it’s better to be careful. Taejo the Great and His Highness the Crown Prince were not on ordinary terms.”

“If we had done anything rash, His Highness might have thrown us into the gulag.”

Even now, Prince Gyeongnyeong and Prince Hamnyeong, along with their siblings, are just whispering among themselves in the corner. Include your brother, too.

I wanted to join that young and MZ [Millennials and Generation Z] crowd, but due to my position, I had no choice but to be among the adults.

This is the fate of the eldest son.

It’s already unsettling, and now I have to take care of the elders.

“Crown Prince… have a drink…”

“Yes.”

I quickly held out my glass with both hands.

“Aren’t you giving him too much?”

Jo So-hwa poked me in the side, asking.

“We should think of overflowing as love.”

I emptied the glass in one gulp.

My wife gave me a look, but otherwise, my old-fashioned great-uncle would nag me.

Lee Bang-gwa nodded, seemingly satisfied with my one-shot.

Then he suddenly asked.

“But… what’s wrong with your face?”

My fatigue must have shown on my face.

“I had a bad dream last night.”

“A dream…?”

I was about to tell the Retired King about the strange dream I had yesterday.

‘Wait, there’s no way I can say this properly.’

A dream where Mecha Sejong destroys Seoul with lasers.

No, before that, I have to explain who King Sejong is.

Turning my head away from Prince Chungnyeong, who was stirring his salad with a gloomy face, I decided to skip everything else and explain only the last part.

“Actually, Taejo the Great appeared and gave me a peach in my dream. It’s a bit…”

Before I could finish speaking, Lee Bang-won dropped the glass he was holding.

– Clang!

The glass shattered, and the liquor spilled, but no one thought to wipe it up.

Queen Wongyeong, who was picking up food with chopsticks next to him, and Queen Kim, who was chatting with him, also stopped their actions and all stared at me.

The other family members were the same.

Only Jo So-hwa and I didn’t know what was going on.

‘Why?’

I was flustered by the strange silence, but soon Lee Bang-won grabbed my shoulder.

“W, Wait! Tell me more about that!”

“T, That’s all I have to say.”

There’s more, but I can’t say it even if the sky falls apart.

Then Lee Bang-won looked at the Retired King and shouted.

“Isn’t this, that thing, Brother?”

“Yes… that’s right…”

Lee Bang-won was so surprised that he called Lee Bang-gwa by the title he used to call him during his days as a prince, not His Majesty the Retired King.

“What thing?”

At my question, Lee Bang-won shouted with an excited expression.

“Auspicious dream!”

The adults’ gazes all turned to Jo So-hwa’s belly.

To me, it looked as slender as yesterday, but the adults were glaring, trying to find something invisible.

“This is an auspicious dream?”

That crazy dream?

But the adults seemed to believe without a doubt that this was an auspicious dream.

“Your Majesty, if it’s really conception, it’s not good for the Crown Princess to be outside on a day like this. Take the Crown Princess inside quickly.”

My mother, Queen Wongyeong, said that, and

“Summon the royal physician! We must check for signs of pregnancy!”

Lee Bang-won went even further.

Lee Bang-won grabbed me and ordered me like this.

“From today, the Crown Prince should stay only in the East Palace [residence of the Crown Prince] and take care of the Crown Princess.”

“I’m currently handling state affairs as regent, though?”

“Then handle state affairs in the East Palace.”

There’s no confirmation of pregnancy yet, but they’re making such a fuss over a single dream.

I was dumbfounded and looked at Jo So-hwa, and she also gave a troubled smile.

“Is it really our baby?”

“I don’t know.”

If so, what kind of baby will be born?

“Come to think of it.”

Jo So-hwa hugged me and whispered in my ear.

“I’ve been feeling dizzy lately.”

I’m dizzy too.

===

“She is pregnant.”

At the royal physician’s words, I was in a daze.

‘That’s really, an auspicious dream?’

Auspicious dreams are just superstitions without scientific basis.

So the dream I had was a result of chance created by my messed-up subconscious.

Yes, our baby won’t let this dad down.

I was thinking that when Lee Bang-won burst into laughter next to me.

“I knew it!”

The faces of the royal family members brightened.

The Grand Princes, who were going to be uncles, were the same.

I was the only one with a bewildered expression.

I’m going to be a dad.

“It’s an nephew, an nephew!”

“Will it be a son or a daughter?”

“It would be nice if it were a son, but it would be okay if it were a daughter since His Highness and his wife are still young.”

“The joy of having a child is the same, isn’t it?”

“Lords, you can’t do this here!”

Only after the royal physician chased out the bustling family members did only the two of us remain in the room.

Jo So-hwa, who had been lying down to have her pulse taken, looked at me and asked.

“Aren’t you happy?”

My expression must have bothered her.

“No, I’m happy. Of course, I’m happy.”

Securing an heir is the duty of a monarch.

As the Crown Prince, I had no choice but to be happy that the project to produce a grandson had been successful.

But as a dad, when I heard the news of the pregnancy, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was really ready.

‘Kids usually grow up on their own.’

I thought so nonchalantly until it was right in front of me.

Should I say that worry precedes joy?

‘I should look for a way to become a dad.’

The parenting advice available in this era is limited.

It’s not an era where parenting books properly exist.

How did my siblings grow up when they were young…?

My wife smiled softly as she watched me straining my forehead and recalling memories.

“Don’t worry.”

Jo So-hwa said, stroking her belly.

“Our baby will definitely be good. Maybe they’ll listen to their parents well?”

I grabbed Jo So-hwa’s hand.

Yes, it’s faith.

Even if that faith is misplaced later, there’s no need to worry from the start.

The story of the two people’s love, starting from their first kiss,

has come to fruition today.

===

There are no secrets in the palace.

Besides, the adults made such a fuss, so it was only a matter of time before the rumors spread.

The gathered officials offered their congratulations until their mouths were dry.

“We believed in you, Your Highness!”

“It has been several years since the royal wedding and there has been no heir to the East Palace, so the Crown Princess’s conception is truly a national celebration.”

“It’s embarrassing since Taejo passed away not long ago.”

“It has been a long time since the mourning period ended with the Yi Il Yeok Wol [a mourning period of 27 months], so how can it be against the law?”

“Above all, Taejo appeared in Your Highness’s auspicious dream, so it is his intention to help the prosperity of his descendants. Rather, it is in line with the will of Taejo the Great.”

In particular, people like Sim On, who was my in-law, took the lead in creating a congratulatory atmosphere.

This guy must have something to feel guilty about.

“It can only be said to be the blessing of the Jongmyo Shrine [royal ancestral shrine]!”

“Yes, yes, I understand, I understand.”

As the officials continued to offer their congratulations, someone opened their mouth.

“Shouldn’t we also inform the Ming Dynasty?”

“That’s right. The Crown Princess is privately the Emperor’s sister, isn’t she? We must inform them of the celebration and establish an even stronger relationship.”

Let’s also inform our brother-in-law?

“There’s no need to do that yet since the baby hasn’t been born yet?”

It is an era where countless dangers lurk until the baby grows up in the womb and comes into the world, or even after that, until they grow up without dying young.

That’s why they give the baby a name late.

Therefore, there is no need to report everything to the Emperor unless it is a major issue such as the Crown Prince’s investiture.

Maybe this story wouldn’t have come out if it wasn’t for our brother-in-law.

Then Sim On said.

“There is no need to send an envoy to deliver it directly, but there is no reason to hide it, is there? An imperial envoy will be coming soon, so tell them then.”

“Hmm…”

That’s also true.

There’s no need to deliberately hide the pregnancy.

In particular, the imperial envoy coming to Joseon is said to be grilled by the Emperor to find out about the Princess’s news before leaving. The source is Wang Ho.

That’s why a sense of unease crept in.

‘But…’

Our brother-in-law is also known to be a fool for his sister,

I have a feeling that something troublesome will happen.

End

ⓒ Pitkong