Chapter Five: The Throne of a Rebellious Heart
The Legacy of the Thorne
Jo Ri returned with swift strides through the palace corridors, those labyrinths and hidden corners etched into her soul by childhood memories. She struggled desperately to regain her composure, but her reddened eyes betrayed her, whispering of the turmoil within.
At that moment, the Queen's majestic procession appeared. Queen Li Yan walked with regal grace, followed by dozens of women trailing behind her like an inseparable shadow. The moment the Queen's eyes fell upon Jo Ri, her calm features shifted into a suppressed rage that flushed her cheeks.
In a sharp tone laced with anxiety, the Queen asked, maintaining her mask of royal detachment:
What is wrong, Contestant Jo Ri? Has anyone in this palace dared to bully you?
The Queen was cautious; she refused to display their familial bond before the court, even though most of her followers knew exactly who Jo Ri was. Gathering the scattered pieces of her strength, Jo Ri donned her usual mask of indifference and replied with a cold respect that concealed a storm of agony:
No, Your Majesty. I am fine... no one has done anything.
The Philosophy of the Royal Shield
The Queen was not convinced, yet she did not press her further. With her customary royal dignity, she turned calmly and began to walk down the wide corridor, issuing an irrefutable command:
Follow me.
They walked in a heavy silence. The Queen's sheer presence made the very air around them feel cold and intimidating, despite the tenderness for her niece that dwelt within her heart tenderness she chose to shroud behind a mask of authority. Suddenly, without turning around, the Queen's voice sliced through the stillness of the hall:
Listen to me closely, Contestant. To put an end to anyone who thinks they can get the better of you, and to silence the tongues of the bullies. Succeed. Underline that word ten times.
The Queen stopped abruptly and turned to her with a piercing gaze that seemed to traverse her soul, adding:
With this success alone, no one will dare to rival you or look down upon you ever again. Success in this palace is not an option; it is your only shield.
A Different Kind of Throne
The Queen fell silent for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the distant horizon where the sun was setting behind the palace's towering walls. She stood with a dignity that made everyone around her feel small before her overwhelming majesty.
Then, she turned with a swift motion, yet maintained her accustomed royal poises if the very movement of her body directed the universe around her. She fixed her piercing gaze upon Jo Ri's eyes and said:
Tomorrow, we begin the final trial. The ultimate decision lies in the hands of the Crown Prince alone; he is the one who will choose the winner. Your mission, Jo Ri, is to make him choose you without him realizing who you truly are. Make him drawn to your essence despite himself. Only then, my dear, will no human being be able to topple you from the throne.
The True Throne
Jo Ri's voice trembled as she replied in a hushed, defeated tone:
But Your Majesty, I have already shown my true self. I do not want the throne, and crowns mean nothing to me.
The Queen drew closer, leaning in to whisper into her ear in a voice overflowing with wisdom and tender cunning, ensuring her words reached no other:
Listen to me carefully, my niece, I, too, am not speaking of the kingdom's throne, nor of a seat made of gold. I am speaking of the only throne worth fighting for; I am speaking of the throne of the Crown Prince's heart.
The Challenge of Dignity
Those words left a resounding echo in Jo Ri's mind. It was no longer a matter of mere politics or ancient covenants it had transformed into a purely personal challenge: could the "foolish girl" as De Lan had branded her truly ascend the throne of his heart and make him regret every word, he had used to wound her?
The Queen stepped back, regaining her composure as she attended to those around her, and said in a tone that tested her will:
I will leave you now to decide for yourself, do you truly deserve to be extraordinary and prove your worth, or do you wish for the label of 'failure' to haunt you forever?
The Spark of Defiance
Jo Ri didn't fully grasp the Queen's philosophy about the "Throne of Hearts" but she yielded to reality with a burning heart. As the Queen prepared to depart, Jo Ri stood watching her back with solemn respect, while a whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind like a hurricane.
She said to herself with unyielding resolve:
If it is the Crown Prince who shall choose, then so be it! I will not allow him to think for a single moment that I am witless. I will force him to admit that I am the cleverest of all the girls here in fact, I will wrest that confession from him in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear!
The Challenge of Wits: Daughter of Joseon
She raised her hand in a victory sign, clenching her fist as if she had already settled the battle before it even began. For Jo Ri, a girl tempered by the hardships of life away from palace luxury, once she set her mind on a goal, she would not rest until she saw it realized beneath her feet. She thought defiantly:
Who is the fool here? I am the daughter of the Family Tutor, one of the brilliant minds of the Joseon era, so do not dare pit your small mind against mine!
However, her excitement soon flickered, and she wondered with a creeping anxiety:
.. how will I do it? How will I overcome the contestants and their vast knowledge?
Then, she tilted her head with a proud smile:
.. I am not the one to be surpassed by a handful of spoiled girls.
The Covenant Gaze: Wit vs. Rote
At that moment, as if reading her mind, the Queen turned abruptly. She caught that defiant glint in Jo Ri's eyes and the victor's smile painted upon her small face; in response, the Queen offered a mysterious, reassuring smile of her own. Queen Li Yan knew with certainty the unique quality that set Jo Ri apart: she was not merely a collection of "memorized books", but a free spirit and a mind that perceived what others could not.
The Queen was determined not to let her break under the toxic words of the contestants or the harassment of the maids, unaware that the blade which had cut Jo Ri's heart deepest did not belong to them it belonged to the Crown Prince himself.
Jo Ri, who once failed on purpose, had now decided to wrest the Crown Prince's recognition of her intelligence by force. Will the "Rebel Girl" be able to defeat the high-born ladies on their own turf?
The Silence of white
Jo Ri did not wait for the dawn; she launched her battle at that very moment. She entered her room and bolted the door behind her. Instead of surrendering to sleep, she sat at her desk, piled a mountain of books before her, and began a lightning-fast review. She knew the palace's volumes by heart, for her late father's library had held copies of every one of those treasures.
Before the first light of day, Jo Ri sat before the open balcony, watching the fading stars. She was no longer the girl yearning to flee; instead, a "huntress" had awakened within her, waiting for her moment.
Reflecting on everything she had learned from her late father's books and her years of struggle, she thought:
Your Highness, you called me a fool because I left my papers white, but you failed to realize that whiteness is the pinnacle of intelligence when there is nothing worth writing. Tomorrow, I shall fill your void with a brilliance that will make you stumble before your own throne.
The Quill of Destiny
On the final, decisive day, Jo Ri was no longer the hesitant girl searching for an exit; she was the first to set foot in the examination hall. She chose a quiet corner, far from the hubbub of whispers and prying eyes, sitting in a silence tinged with defiance. She had no desire to draw attention prematurely surprise was her most potent concealed weapon.
One by one, the successful contestants arrived until only five remained, led by Mi Fa with her usual haughtiness and a pride that preceded her every step. Suddenly, the palace trumpets blared, announcing the entrance of Queen Li Yan. She appeared in her full majesty, radiating a breath-taking dignity. Standing before the girls, she spoke in a resonant voice that filled the hall:
Today, your battle will be in the realm of painting. I wish to see the creativity hidden within your souls. Each of you must paint the most cherished wish you hold in this life, then write a brief commentary expressing what occupies your mind regarding that image.
Battle of Souls
The Queen paused for a moment to heighten the suspense within the hall, then continued in a voice that carried historical weight:
And the greatest surprise is that Crown Prince De Lan himself will choose the winning painting. Remember, young ladies, that the winning masterpiece shall serve as the official 'Wedding Gift' for the prince. So, begin painting your futures."
Fire ignited in Jo Ri's eyes the Queen had chosen the very craft in which Jo Ri excelled most. She wasn't thinking of wedding ceremonies or the glitter of the crown her entire mind was fixed on that inevitable moment when De Lan would stand before her canvas, forced to read the words of that "foolish girl" who would humble his pride with the brilliance of her brush. She gripped the brush with a steady hand to her, it was no mere tool of art it was a sword with which she would wage her final battle.