< Chapter 3: Who Do You Say My Father Is? >
It was a bright spring day, warmed by gentle sunshine.
"We will end here for today, Mama."
"You have worked hard."
Had he just turned six?
The young master, far too polite for his age, formally dismissed the young official and then stretched out his legs, muttering a curse under his breath.
"Damn it… I'm tired as hell."
He rubbed his tingling legs, numb from kneeling so long, and turned his head toward the window.
Beyond the layered rows of tiled rooftops, a blue sky filled his view. Staring up at it, the young master let out a sigh.
"Haah~. Being born a prince is great and all… but of all things, the Crown Prince? And with Father being King Sejong, no less…"
He sighed once more, long and deep.
"I finally get reincarnated, so why doesn't it feel like I hit the jackpot?"
If anyone else had heard the word "reincarnation", they would never have believed it.
The child speaking those words was Jinho, reborn into this world.
He had been reborn as Yi Hyang—the eldest son of King Sejong, and the man who would one day become King Munjong.
* * *
When he first opened his eyes, Jinho thought he was in a temporary medical facility set up at a disaster site. The first thing he saw was exposed rafters overhead.
'Whose tiled-roof house in my neighborhood was this again…?'
He briefly wondered whose home had been turned into an emergency clinic before realizing something was off.
'Why is this room so huge? And why does my body feel so constricted? Don't tell me I'm in a full-body cast?'
Summoning all his strength, Jinho forced his head to turn. And then he understood.
His body was tightly wrapped in swaddling cloth—and far smaller than he had expected.
"Gya?"
The sound slipped out of him automatically at the utterly unexpected situation.
At that moment, from somewhere just beyond his line of sight, a woman's voice cried out:
"Milady! The young master has opened his eyes!"
It took Jinho three days to fully accept the reality that he had been born as a baby.
Still wrapped in swaddling cloth, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and relieving himself—counting the rafters overhead—his body was helpless. But his mind never stopped searching for answers.
'I've definitely been reborn… but where is this? It looks like Joseon…'
He couldn't be certain where he had been born, because he couldn't understand the language yet.
'Is this some other world that just looks like Joseon? If so, that's pretty creative.'
After three months, he gradually began to understand enough speech to confirm it.
'It really is Joseon! What kind of archaic speech is this…'
Blaming the language instead of the five hundred years that separated them, Jinho pressed on.
His attempts to assess his situation led his parents to a misunderstanding.
"Husband, I do not believe our child is ordinary."
"You feel it too? I have sensed the same."
"That is why I worry."
"As do I."
The more convinced they became that their child was no ordinary infant, the deeper their concerns grew.
'Royal family, huh? Royal family…'
Oblivious—or perhaps indifferent—to his parents' growing anxiety, Jinho organized his thoughts.
My father is a member of the royal family. We currently reside in Gaeseong. The capital of Joseon is Hanyang.
Conclusion 1: Combining 1 and 2, my current father must be far from the throne.
Judging by the servants' voices outside and my parents' attire, we are quite wealthy.
From what I remember, royal family members deliberately distanced themselves from scholarship for survival.
Conclusion 2: No need to worry about livelihood. No one to bow to. Minimal studying required.
Based on what I've heard, I am the eldest son. My standing within the family will not be weak.
I retain all knowledge from my previous life.
Once I grow up a bit, if I act based on my past-life knowledge, it will simply be seen as the eccentric behavior of an idle royal.
Final Conclusion: Yes! This is the sweet life!
Confirming his reasoning, Jinho broke into a wide grin.
'Judging by the situation, memorizing the Thousand Character Classic and doing the bare minimum of study should be enough… If this is after King Sejong, then Hangul must have been created, so I'll study that. Around that time Westerners were probably wandering into China, so I can grab a few translated Chinese texts and clean up my sources. Perfect! This is heaven!'
Watching Jinho beam with delight as he dreamed of a rosy future, his wet nurse and mother smiled and chatted.
"Oh my, Milady! The young master is smiling!"
"Is he now? What could make him so happy?"
Holding the swaddled Jinho in her arms, his mother glanced around.
Everything looked as usual, and she heard her husband's voice reading aloud. Assuming the baby was smiling at the sound of his father's reading, she gently stroked his head.
"Already smiling at the sound of reading… our child must be gifted in letters."
A fatal misunderstanding.
Meanwhile, Jinho continued adjusting his scenario.
'First, let's assess my parents…'
The first time he saw their faces clearly—after the swelling from childbirth had gone down—his impression was simple.
'A kid having a kid.'
In the 21st century, both families would have raised an uproar. But in Joseon, where early marriage was common, it made sense.
'And I'm the eldest son… that part I get. The issue is their clothing.'
He tilted his head slightly.
'From the dramas I watched in my past life, this looks like early Joseon. At the latest, maybe around Taejong, Sejong… perhaps as late as Seongjong? Or Yeonsangun? If it's Yeonsangun's era, that's a disaster.'
As he pondered the era of his birth, something even more troublesome happened.
After safely passing the three-week mark and the hundred-day celebration, and as his first birthday approached, relatives from his mother's side began visiting frequently.
One day—
"Leave us for a moment."
"Yes, Milady."
After dismissing the wet nurse and maids, his grandmother spoke quietly to his mother.
"Does His Highness the Grand Prince still keep close to his books these days?"
"As always, he is immersed in his studies."
His mother answered proudly.
The grandmother squeezed her daughter's hand.
"There is much talk due to the Crown Prince's recent misconduct. Words are circulating concerning His Highness the Grand Prince as well. Your father is beginning to move quietly. For now, both of you must remain cautious and patient."
His mother paled.
"Mother! How could you say something so unthinkable?"
"Speak of this to no one. Endure quietly."
His mother was not the only one shocked.
'What is this? They're talking about replacing the Crown Prince! Which king had a Crown Prince swapped out again?'
Lying on his blanket, Jinho desperately searched his memory.
'Sejong succeeded in replacing one… and who was almost replaced?'
He frowned.
'Too many variables!'
In Joseon history, disputes over a Crown Prince's qualifications were not uncommon. Some cases rose to the surface; others disappeared without record.
"My little Hyang, are you uncomfortable? Did you soil yourself?"
Seeing the baby's scrunched face, his mother hurriedly checked his diaper and bedding, then turned back to her own mother.
"Mother. I will pretend I did not hear this today. Please never speak of it again."
"…Understood."
"I will not see you out."
His grandmother quietly left. His mother, still turned away, sighed deeply.
"Fuuh~."
'Am I going to end up a slave right after my first birthday?'
Worrying about his future, Jinho finally learned exactly when—and to whom—he had been born at his first birthday celebration.
"Congratulations!"
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you."
On the day of his first birthday, guests dressed in splendid silk garments streamed in with congratulatory words.
Each time someone arrived, his father bowed diligently in return.
'My father seems pretty influential. Doesn't that make things even more dangerous?'
Looking at the faces of the guests, Jinho wasn't sure whether to be pleased or terrified.
'If someone bets wrong and loses everything, we're doomed…'
"Our little Hyang, why such a sour face on such a happy day?"
His mother lifted him and checked him again.
"He's not wet… what's troubling you, my Hyang?"
He let out a small sigh.
'Well, no matter what, I guess I'll be living as Hyang from now on.'
He had still occasionally felt confused about being Jinho, but now he made his decision.
'From now on, I will live as Hyang, with Jinho's memories.'
At the very moment he settled his identity, the man holding the most crucial answer appeared.
"Haha! Chungnyeong! Congratulations! Sister-in-law, congratulations!"
"Sister-in-law, congratulations."
Two young men in their mid-twenties entered. As they did, all the guests rose to their feet.
"Welcome, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Welcome, Your Highness the Grand Prince."
One of the young men raised a hand casually.
"Ah~ good to see you all."
Flapping the hem of his robe, the young man strode to the seat of honor and approached Hyang's mother.
"Sister-in-law, may I hold my nephew?"
"It would be an honor, Your Highness."
Taking Hyang into his arms, the Crown Prince bounced him lightly and studied his face.
'Smile! Smile!'
With desperate effort, Hyang forced himself to beam.
Seeing this, the Crown Prince laughed heartily and turned to Hyang's father.
"Hahaha! Chungnyeong! The boy looks just like you—sharp already!"
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"Don't be so formal between brothers. That's your problem."
After returning Hyang to his mother, the Crown Prince took his seat and the feast resumed.
Meanwhile, Hyang was reeling in shock.
'Chungnyeong? My father is Grand Prince Chungnyeong? My father is King Sejong? Then I'm Munjong… and my son will be Danjong?'
By the time he regained his senses, the ceremony had reached the doljabi—the choosing ritual.
"Now then! Let us see what my nephew chooses!"
At the Crown Prince's booming voice, several objects were placed before him.
All eyes focused on the child.
'Let's see… brush, rice, gold, jujube, thread, wooden sword… pretty standard.'
As he deliberated, his gaze suddenly locked onto something else.
His eyes fixed on the Crown Prince's ear. More precisely, on the earring hanging from it.
'Is craftsmanship like that even possible in this era?'
Curiosity overtook him, and without thinking, he reached out toward the Crown Prince.
"Gyaah!"
"Hmm?"
As soon as the Crown Prince held him closer, Hyang reached for the earring and grabbed it.
"The earring?"
"Gyaah!"
When Hyang chose such an unexpected object, the guests at the banquet fell into thoughtful silence, unsure how to interpret it.