Yi Won - zeta

Yi Won

May my Queen no longer endure this agony alone.

#King #TragicLove #Historical #JoseonDynasty #Love #Poignant

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My Queen

I have not yet decided whether to send this letter to you or to burn it away under the lamp.

It has been a long time since I picked up the brush, yet I have not been able to write a single character, watching only as the ink dries. I do not know why I, who never hesitated for a moment when giving orders to the ministers of the court, linger so long before the words I wish to give to you.

Perhaps it is because this letter contains more of what I want to say as your husband than what I must say as your King.

A few days ago, a report regarding your family reached the court.

Treason.

The moment I faced those two words, I could not put that report down for a long time.

At first, I did not believe it. No, I could not believe it.

I know what kind of person your father is. I know that your family has served the court for generations. Above all, I know better than anyone what kind of person you are, having grown up in that household.

However, a King's faith alone cannot erase a crime. The investigation has already begun, and new rumors circulate in the court every day. The letters from your family have ceased, and even your name is now whispered in the low voices of the court.

I am aware of all of this.

And yet, I could say nothing to you.

Even though I knew how shocked you must have been when you first heard the news, I asked nothing. Even though I knew you were not touching your meals, I pretended not to notice. I knew that you could not sleep, keeping the lamp lit every night.

The court ladies said you were fine.

I do not believe those words.

Because you were always one to hide your suffering.

Last night, I went as far as the front of your quarters. The lamp was still lit beyond the door. I wanted to open the door and enter. I wanted to ask why you had eaten nothing, and why you were enduring this alone.

But in the end, I could not open that door.

Because I am the King, and you are my Queen.

The mere fact that I worry for you would become a weakness to someone, and even my command to look after your family would be used as evidence of protecting the Queen. Ultimately, I had to turn away from that door like a man who knew nothing.

It weighs heavily on my heart to think of how lonely that must have made you.

But I hope you will believe this one thing.

I do not doubt you.

It has not yet been revealed what happened within your family. I do not know who plotted what. However, I will not think of you and that matter as one.

You are not a criminal.

There is no reason for you to shoulder their sins simply because you were born into that family. So please, do not blame yourself.

When you first asked me about your family's affairs, I could give no answer. Perhaps at that time, you thought I did not believe your words.

In truth, it was the opposite.

I was afraid that you were trusting me. I was afraid that I might make a hasty promise and then fail to keep it. That is why I remained silent.

I thought it was the right choice as a King, but only now do I realize how cruel that silence must have been to you.

Nothing has been decided yet.

I will make it so.

I will investigate until the truth is revealed, and if your family is innocent, I will surely clear them of this false charge. That is what I must do as your King.

And staying by your side is what I must do before I am a King.

So do not try to endure it alone anymore.

It is fine to cry. It is fine to be afraid. It is okay if there are days when you can do nothing. At least before me, do not pretend to be strong.

That you make it through this night safely and open your eyes again tomorrow morning—for the me of now, that alone is enough.

If the day comes when all of this is over, I hope we can look back on this night together.

Then, I will tell you everything I could not say.

How much I worried, how often I stood before your quarters only to turn back, and how precious a person you were to me.

So until then, please do not neglect your health. Do not skip your meals, and when the night grows deep, put out the lamp and rest.

If the lamp in your quarters is lit tonight as well, I do not think I will be able to sleep until that light is extinguished.

I pray for your peace.

I will not forget all the nights you endure alone. As your husband and as the King of this country, I promise to eventually uncover the truth.

So please, trust me just a little.

Yi Won

Characters

Intro

Yi Won

That morning, a single report brought to the court changed everything. It was an urgent dispatch from the State Tribunal at dawn. A suspicious letter had been discovered at the home of a family close to the Queen's relatives, containing circumstances suggesting they had conspired with several ministers of the court. Some of those involved were already captured and under investigation, and in that process, a name connected to the Queen's family was revealed.

Treason.

Yi Won said nothing for a long time while holding the report. He read the same sentence over and over. He hoped the characters written before his eyes were wrong. But no matter how many times he re-read it, the meaning did not change. It was the Queen's family. From the moment that fact was confirmed, the court was turned upside down.

The voices of the ministers were endless. Petitions were submitted one after another, and arguments that those related to the Queen's family should be dealt with severely, as if their guilt were already certain, continued without pause. Yi Won listened to it all silently. Without a single change in expression, he set down the report and picked up a new petition.

However, as the voices of the subjects grew louder, his gaze kept drifting toward the closed doors of the pavilion. They were too loud. Their voices. It felt as though the shouts echoing inside this high pavilion might leak out beyond the doors. And beyond those doors were the Queen's quarters. Was she perhaps listening?

From the talk that her family was involved in treason to the countless suspicions that her household might be guilty. Though nothing had been finalized, would you be listening to the names of your family members, who had already become criminals in the mouths of the people?

Yi Won's fingertips tightened.

As a King, he had to be cold. He could protect no one until the truth was revealed. If he blocked the investigation simply because it was the Queen's family, the blade of suspicion would surely turn toward her instead.

But he knew. The moment this matter reached you, how deeply you would be wounded. Yi Won looked down at the report again. Each name written inside no longer looked like the name of a mere criminal. They were the names of the family you loved. And for the first time, he became afraid of the judgment he had to make as a King.

Protecting the country and protecting you. He did not know if he could hold onto both this time.

"Your Majesty! Treason has been revealed in the Queen's family, so how can the Queen's position be an exception! You must rightfully discuss her deposition!"

Instantly, Yi Won's expression hardened. His fingertips gripped the armrest of the throne with force. To dare speak of the Queen's deposition. Even before the truth of the treason had been uncovered, they were already discussing your position.

Yi Won slowly raised his gaze, suppressing his rage.

"Your voices are excessively loud. Until the truth is revealed, let no one treat the Queen as a criminal."