The room was silent. A pair of wrinkled fists trembled slightly.
“…The mad prince and nineteen officers as his entourage, you say?”
So Gyedu, the youngest elder of the So Clan, the direct lineage of Son Cheongeum, the Lord of Wolhanseong, asked hesitantly.
Someone seated in the corner cautiously replied, “Of those nineteen, one is a blind eunuch.”
Laughter erupted here and there.
“So, only eighteen officers in total?”
“That must be it, surely.”
“What do they think they can accomplish with such a small number?”
One elder asked gravely.
“Is that true, my lady?”
Son Cheongeum could only nod in response to the elder’s question. There was no other option.
What reaction could she give? The capital, and the king, had decided to send the notorious mad prince, Grand Prince Ikwon. She had no choice but to comply.
Knowing that following the capital’s decision was her only option, Son Cheongeum racked her brain for alternatives, but her exhausted mind refused to cooperate for long.
“This… this treatment…”
So Gyedu let his emotions flare. Another elder tried to restrain him, but it was futile.
Everyone silently sympathized with So Gyedu’s outrage.
In such a situation, how could the elder council remain calm? A wrong word now would lead to blame without gain.
Son Cheongeum couldn’t say anything.
Then another elder spoke. His face, marked by the passage of time more than any other, belonged to the Grand Elder.
“My lady.”
Son Cheongeum’s head turned quietly toward the Grand Elder. Shadows fell across her face, revealing a haggard complexion. She looked like a corpse, her face so pale it seemed blue.
The room fell silent.
“Yes, Grand Elder.”
“What does my lady think of this matter?”
At the question, Son Cheongeum lowered her gaze. Her head followed, tilting downward.
“The atmosphere was already tense, wasn’t it?”
The words urged a quick response. Unable to meet the Grand Elder’s eyes, Son Cheongeum closed her trembling eyes.
“He was more refined than I expected.”
She opened her eyes again.
Though it was a brief encounter, the mad Grand Prince Ikwon she met wasn’t the reckless fool rumors painted him to be. He had an unpolished air, but it wasn’t a major flaw. Especially since his maternal family was a storied military clan, and he himself was inclined toward martial arts—such traits could be seen as part of a warrior’s qualities, not flaws.
“Refined, you say… And? My lady, that’s not all, is it?”
The Grand Elder pressed further. Son Cheongeum hesitated before replying.
“He went out into the streets as soon as he arrived.”
A collective sigh spread through the room.
“Tch, really…”
“Ha…”
“What is this…”
Murmurs arose. With over ten elders each saying a word, Son Cheongeum was bombarded with a chorus of voices. Swallowing her frustration and fatigue, she looked around.
There was no one to help her.
She felt alone among the crowd.
No one comforted or empathized with her. No one cared how hard or exhausting this was for her.
No matter how much she tried, she was stuck in place. Her efforts went unnoticed.
If she’d ever felt she’d lost her purpose, what was this state?
Was it just loneliness?
Or was she simply exhausted?
Son Cheongeum swallowed a sigh.
So Gyedu shouted, “In this critical and urgent situation, they send a green prince barely past adulthood! And not just any prince—the mad one, said to be useless no matter where you look!”
The other elders, startled, fell silent at So Gyedu’s outburst.
“This is, without a doubt!”
Son Cheongeum sighed inwardly.
“It’s clearly the king’s scheme to bring down our Wolhanseong in these perilous times, a mistake born of his filthy intentions!”
As the youngest elder, So Gyedu was the quickest to lose his composure and raise his voice. But that wasn’t entirely bad.
What others held back, wary of consequences, So Gyedu freely expressed.
For those who shared his views, it was cathartic.
In contrast, Son Cheongeum was cautious and strategic.
Speaking impulsively and emotionally, like So Gyedu, didn’t suit her character or her position as head of the clan. It was forbidden.
It was right, and it had to be that way. Yet some compared her to So Gyedu, weighing who was better.
Naturally, this was frustrating for Son Cheongeum.
There was once a rumor that So Gyedu nearly became clan head instead of her. To Son Cheongeum, he was an uncomfortable obstacle—too big to remove.
“What state is our castle in now?”
Magical beasts kept crossing the northern border. It was still manageable with their forces, but they couldn’t stop the growing unease within the castle.
“We need to bolster our forces and crush the beasts, don’t we?”
So Gyedu’s speech-like assertions heated the room’s atmosphere. Son Cheongeum grew anxious.
Her fingertips were still cold, yet the air was stifling.
The Grand Elder spoke.
“My lady.”
“Yes, Grand Elder.”
“So Gyedu’s words have merit. Are we in a position to wage a siege?”
This was the cold, harsh north. Food was always scarce, and the few trees were burned for firewood. Holding the gates shut for months? Impossible. What use was victory or glory if no comrades or citizens remained to celebrate?
In truth, the elders knew only part of the story. Beyond the green mountains, ominous things stirred.
When would they come?
It was frightening. Soon, those foul, terrifying feet would tread this land.
The mad prince, who had gone into the town, returned. His presence in Wolhanseong matched some rumors and contradicted others.
For example, his appearance matched the rumors—a courtesan-like beauty. Some might call it refined.
He was far from the rough or burly figure vaguely imagined.
His lavish attire was the finishing touch. Silk clothes in the harsh north were a comical contrast.
A prince dressed so flamboyantly wandering outside would surely attract a beast’s attention and become its meal.
Yet, unlike the rumors, the mad prince’s reality didn’t fully match his reputation.
Still, a mad prince was a mad prince.
“Hey, come on!”
The mad prince yelled at a soldier following him. The soldier looked troubled.
“I can handle myself, come on!”
The soldier, stepping back, replied, “I cannot, Your Highness.”
“Why not?”
It was an order from above—to closely monitor the mad prince. A direct command from the elder council couldn’t be taken lightly.
How could a mere soldier defy such orders?
Following the northern custom of valuing blood ties and elders, Wolhanseong prioritized the elder council, sometimes even over the lord’s commands.
But the mad prince, true to his name, didn’t cooperate with the soldier’s duty.
“Get lost! Just get lost!”
“My apologies, Your Highness…”
“I like wandering alone!”
Now he was practically raving. Several had already seen him jumping in place.
Yet the prince felt no shame. Everyone who saw him understood why he was called mad and walked away.
“Get out of here!”
Despite knowing why he was called mad, the soldiers tasked with watching him couldn’t turn away.
They feared the moment his sword, hanging at his waist, might be drawn.
But according to rumors, the mad prince had little talent in martial arts.
With such poor skill, even ordinary soldiers could overpower him.
Flashy, hard to approach, yet talkative—that was the first impression of Grand Prince Ikwon in Wolhanseong’s eyes.
Then a man approached from one side of the castle with measured steps.
“Hey!”
Yu Geung approached the mad prince, Ye-kyeong. The prince’s tantrum subsided slightly.
“Oh, Nangjang Yu.”
“Yes, Your Highness. A moment…”
Yu Geung glanced at the soldiers around the prince. He had something to discuss privately.
Even someone as oblivious as Ye-kyeong could sense the locals’ unwelcoming attitude.
And with Heoseokgyeom, sharper than most, and Han Naegwan, a eunuch who lived by his wits, how could they not notice the atmosphere?
Everyone sensed the clear hostility permeating the castle.
If everyone felt it, how could the prince not?
With that thought, Yu Geung stepped forward despite Heoseokgyeom’s dissuasion. But upon seeing the prince…
He seemed utterly unbothered by the castle’s hostility.
Yu Geung spoke to the soldiers monitoring the prince.
“Could you give us a moment?”
But the soldiers, bound by duty, didn’t budge, even under Yu Geung’s gaze.
“Hey, you lot! Our Nangjang Yu says to get lost, so why aren’t you?”
Thanks to that, the mad prince’s tantrum resumed.
“Argh!”
The mad prince’s screams echoed.
Wolhanseong did not welcome Ye-kyeong.