Prologue
The Mute Queen
“Hyung1, hurry up! We’ll be late!” a skinny guy shouted excitedly while running toward Jonseong Palace Museum. The guy who followed him breathless (because of running, too) stopped beside The Great King Cho statue that stood proudly at the center of the front park.
“(Sigh)... Damn that Anchovy. He's running so fast. Whatever. I don’t care. So what if Teacher Kim will scold me because of coming late? History is not in my interests, either. It’s such a boring subject,” the young man grumbled to the person who had left him into Museum.
“Nuna2!!!”
“Nuna, wait !! Your bag’s zipper is opened” someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. He stopped and glared to the young boy “What did you just call me?!!” snapped him. The former looked at him with surprised eyes as he addressed the manly voice “You... you’re a girl?”
“Do I have any s, you stupid brat?!! You’re lucky I am in hurry now or I will—“
“But it’s pink”
“SO WHAT IF IT’S PINK?!!!” he raised his voice making the younger boy jerked back. He was tired of this. For every damn time in his life he wondered why every stranger would mistake him as a girl. They said it’s because of his feminine features and his addiction with pink stuffs. Just because pink is often used by girls doesn’t mean it’s a girl colour’ he always said that as an excuse, but it would never stop people’s weird stares everywhere he went. Screw that. People didn't have any right to decide what he liked.
He checked his watch, let out a groan. He was late for history class. Damn it. He cursed in his mind. He quickly turned around and run with all his might toward the museum.
“Nuna!! Your bag”
“I HATE YOU !!!”
~~~*SJ*~~~
He entered the museum. The time was still 9 a.m but it had been crowded with people who got interest to see the special exhibition of the new found out artifacts and royal treasures from the palaces of the Jonseong Dynasty. It displayed records, state rites, architecture, clothing, royal life, education, culture, paintings and music of the dynasty’s ruling era.
Then he found a crowd of familiar people in front of some antique paintings which were hanged on the museum's wall. Great. He thought. Mrs. Kim outdoor class had begun and he's ready to receive Mrs.Kim's famous nagging style.
“Lee Sungmin. You’re 5 minutes late !!!” said a middle age woman sending a death glare with both hands attached to her waist. Before Sungmin had a change to say his reason (well it’s definitely a lie to say his grandma got a heart attack again and Mrs.Kim wouldn't be tricked twice), Mrs. Kim dragged him to stand in front of another students. “Now, stand still here and give a good attention to our tour guide, Miss Sooyoung. Be a good student just even once, Sungmin!!”.
Sungmin scoffed. He really hated history. He thought people didn’t need past. Why should they spend much money to dig out hundred years corpse, rusty metals, and broken glasswares, then set them with fantastic high prizes or just hanged them at museum with high level security. Such a waste of times. They should concern more about their future.
“Please continue, Ms. Sooyoung” Mrs. Kim gave a bright smile to a tall woman who acted as the teacher for a day for them.
The skinny guy (who left him to enter Museum back then) patted him on his back and stood with his special gummy smile beside him “It’s okay, Hyung. It seems pretty interesting though. Beside I am with you for this whole day hehe...”.
Sungmin sent a death glare to him “You left me behind, Eunhyuk!!”. He felt like being betrayed. The guy named Eunhyuk rubbed his both palm in front of his mouth with eyes frowning. “Sorry…sorry… Mrs. Kim is scarier than you” He whispered.
Sungmin gave a twist pinch to his arms as a revenge. But Miss. Sooyoung voice made him to stop his action. “Now guys. Let me explain about this painting. This painting is called Miindo or Portrait of a Beauty. It’s made by The Great King Cho for Lady Seohyun. His lover. The prettiest concubine in Jonseong dinasty”.
“What? That's the prettiest concubine in Jonseong Era? That King had such a bad taste. Even my cousin Sunny is prettier than her” Sungmin protested. “Geez this hyung. Low down your voice. Mrs.Kim may hear you” Eunhyuk warned him
Sungmin glared at him. It’s so obvious that he's still angry toward the skinny guy. The younger then leaned to his ear and whispered “It is an ancient painting Hyung. We would never find any gorgeous woman painting in Jonseong era because all of the painters had this kinda well ... a 'unique style' you can say to make it less rude"
Eunhyuk looked back at the painting and tapped his finger to his chin then continued "So I think in the real life, she would be really pretty. Look at her s. Wow..!!!”. Eunhyuk’s eyes grew bigger drooling over Lady Seohyun’s painting.
Sungmin slapped his head quite hard “ Ackh !!!. Hyung. It’s hurt aww…uh....” Eunhyuk whimpered. His lip gestured Hyung please I am sorry with his lip begging his forgiveness. He had gotten warning twice from Mrs.Kim because of skipping historical class. He didn't have any other choice.
Then a voice from Mrs. Kim clearing was heard to warn those two. Thus they finally returned their attention back toward the tour guide.
Mrs. Sooyoung just smiled “It’s okay Mrs. Kim. Now let me continue. The Great King Cho loved Lady Seohyun since he was young. But because of Lady Seohyun came from middle status family, She can’t be an empress of Jonseong”
A student raised his hand to ask a question “Miss Sooyoung. How did the King fall in love with lady Seohyun?”.
Miss Sooyoung smiled at the student “It’s a good question. What’s your name?”
“Onew” he answered.
Miss Sooyoung continued her story “Lady Seohyun is a daughter of a court lady who served The Great King’s mother, Queen Insoo She was very smart and eventhough she was a girl, she could write chinese characters pretty well. She was Crown Prince Kyuhyun‘s childhood friend. The prince often asked some advices from her even after he became Emperor of Jonseong. Their closeness made crown princess became jealous over Lady Seohyun. Because for over 10 years, Prince Kyuhyun always acted cold toward her. She would do anything to separate them. Even after she became queen, she still tried to make Lady Seohyun suffered”
Miss Sooyoung then walked to the next painting and everyone followed her.
“She is the Great King Cho’s wife. Queen Myeongseong is actually her posthumous name. Her real name is Lee Sung Min. Folks often called her as Queen Min”
Everyone looked at Sungmin. Some of their jaw dropped, formed an ‘O’ shape (including Eunhyuk) while others were giggling after hearing the queen’s original name was Lee Sungmin. Some of them whispered to each other and wondered if Sungmin's previous life might be the queen since the latter had a pretty face and sometimes acted like a bully. Bad Queen Syndrome. They thought.
Sungmin snapped at them “So what? I admit my name is a common name and what’s with that exaggerating faces???”
“Min Mama3, Min Mama!! From now on I call you Min Mama. Hahaha…” Sungmin snarled at the laughing tall boy who's mocking behind him. He's ready to form a fist to draw a blossom bloody flowers onto his face until Mrs. Kim yelled at them “Shut up Minho!! And you too Sungmin”
'Just wait after this. You'll be a dead meat' Sungmin glared at him. But the tall boy just gave a sly smirk. Miss Sooyoung shook her head and chuckled “So your name is Sungmin?”.
Sungmin looked back at her with a pouting lip then slowly nodded. “It’s okay. I am sure you’re better than the Queen since you’re cuter (smiled). Now let me tell you about Queen Min. Like I said before, she would do everything to get King’s love. No matter it’s good or bad things. The worst thing happened when King Cho discovered that the queen together with her brother tried to kidnap Lady Seohyun and killed her. He released his anger toward Queen Min on their royal first night ritual as a husband and a wife. Telling her to stop speaking lies. So on the following day, the queen lost her voice because of the King’s curse”
Sungmin's staring on the painting. First impression of the Queen gave him an arrogant yet bold feeling. But when he looked at it longer, he could feel a sad yet a loneliness from the Queen's eyes. Sungmin stared as like he’s too drowning into it deeply. He didn’t realize that Miss Sooyoung and other students already moved to see another painting.
“Don’t forget to breath just because you are too amazed by Queen Min, young man” said an old man who’s standing only 3 steps beside him which made the younger man startled.
“Do you like her?”
Sungmin shrugged “I don’t know. Seems like everyone doesn’t have any good impression of her. She does give an arrogant feeling, but her eyes… look so sad. It’s like she was longing about something…”
“Or maybe someone…” that old man added. He gave a kindly smile to Sungmin. Sungmin wasn't quite sure but that smile seemed familiar to him. He swore he’d never met this old man before.
“She was never loved by King. He always acted cold toward her”
“I knew that from Miss Sooyoung already. Because she had done bad things, the King cursed her so she lost her voice”
The old man chuckled “Do you believe that? She lost her voice just because of someone's curse?”
“He was King” Sungmin answered simply.
“King is also a human, Min. He can’t control things happened with his own will ”
Sungmin stunned “How…how do you know my na….?”
“He loved her but it’s too late. Because someone else already stole her heart” The old man didn’t let Sungmin finished his sentence and his eyes kept staring to the painting.
Sungmin looked at the old man curiously. This person was felt so familiar to him. Meanwhile, the old man kept staring at Queen Min's figure as like he had already known the queen personally. His eyes looked so sad.
Then he felt seismic disturbance. An Earthquake? But what the hell there is an earthquake in Seoul? He thought. The quake was slowly becoming bigger, making a big crystal lamp that hanged on the ceiling started shaking.
When Sungmin turned back, the old man had already disappeared. Where is him? As an old man, he run so fast. He thought.
“Sungmin hyung, I’ve been looking for you. Hurry we must get out from here” Eunhyuk came from nowhere. He grabbed Sungmin's hand and forced the latter to evacuate with him.
Sungmin followed without thinking but he stopped in front of a certain painting. A woman who's holding gayageum4. A small white board below the painting was written with ‘Gisaeng of Jonseong’
“So Pretty…..” he mumbled.
“Hyung, watch out !!!!!” Eunhyuk shouted at him. But it’s too late. All that he could see was black. Sungmin didn’t know was he dreaming or not. He didn’t understand either. He felt he’s experiencing someone’s memories. Definitely, not from this era.
Far… Far... Long….Ago..
“Min Mama. King Cho has arrived”
1 Hyung : Older brother. A word used by korean males to address a male older than them who they are close to
2 Nuna : older sister. A word used by korean males to address a female older than them who they are close to.
3 Mama : a term that have same meaning with Royal Highness for Empress or Queen
4 Gayageum : a traditional Korean zither-like string instrument, with 12strings, although more recently variants have been constructed with 21 or other numbers ofstrings. It is probably the best known traditional Korean musical instrument.
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