The 21st Century Grand Grand Duchess in the Royal Academy - Chapter 16

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Twenty-First Century Grand Duchess in the Royal Academy
Winter Break
Half of winter break had already slipped away. Which meant Sung Hee-joo had been at the Family Home for over three weeks now. Filling most of her days with advanced studies, she was beginning to feel restless. No matter how much she loved studying, being cooped up in her room all day was tedious.
Staying confined indoors was her own choice, not out of deference to her father. Though he looked like an unscrupulous corporate tyrant, he was actually quite a conscientious CEO. He typically left before dawn and didn’t return until well after sunset.
So living at the Family Home meant she rarely crossed paths with him. The real problem was Sung Tae-joo.
“Hey, Sung Hee-joo!”
“Ugh, what now!”
Tae-joo flinched at her irritation, shrinking back.
“Why are you always so grumpy?”
Tae-joo muttered while scanning across the desk, looking around frantically. He was searching for something again.
Now that he’d begun serious preparations for studying abroad, Tae-joo was pulling out all the stops to pack perfectly. The problem was he wanted to bring everything without even remembering where anything was.
“Um, have you seen that fountain pen I bought last year?”
“Haven’t seen it, won’t look for it, and won’t tell you even if I do.”
“Why are you like this?”
“Why are *you* like this? Is this your first time going abroad?”
Sung Hee-joo, who’d fielded dozens of questions from him today alone, asked with exasperation. He clearly suffered from a terminal condition where he couldn’t function without being dramatic. The way he fretted over possibly forgetting something when he wasn’t even leaving Korea forever was absurd.
It would be manageable if it were just Sung Tae-joo.
Even her father, who seemed like he’d never looked after anyone in his entire life, was anxious about what he might forget to pack—everything from emergency medicine to a single pair of socks. And Han Da-young, who visited constantly, was no different. She’d cling to him like a cockroach, fussing affectionately, then suddenly turn into a tragic heroine with glistening eyes at inexplicable moments.
“Tae-joo, I’m here!”
Han Da-young’s voice rang out from downstairs. It seemed she’d come to visit again after being here yesterday. Tae-joo, delighted, shouted “I’m coming down!” and rushed out of the room.
“I should get out too.”
Sung Hee-joo pushed herself up from her seat and grabbed her coat. She couldn’t bear to watch Sung Tae-joo and Han Da-young’s heartfelt farewell rehearsal two days in a row.
Once outside, Sung Hee-joo called Wan immediately. After listening and laughing for a while, Wan asked, “Want to come over?”
“Right now?”
— You’re already outside, aren’t you?
“Well, yes… but is it okay if I come?”
— Of course it is.
Sung Hee-joo firmly declined his offer to pick her up and headed straight to the Department Store nearby. It was because Han Da-young came to mind—the one who always brought fruit baskets whenever she visited. But Sung Hee-joo knew nothing about Wan’s parents. Nothing except that his father was the Prime Minister.
Sung Hee-joo alternated between examining dried tea leaves and cookies, fruits and rice cakes before selecting a moderately-sized cookie set. It had neither an extravagant feel nor looked too shabby.
Upon arriving in Bukchon, Sung Hee-joo began walking along the stone walls. The sight of traditional tile-roofed houses exuding the dignity of yangban estates was striking.
She thought Han Da-young had mentioned her house was somewhere around here. Had Sung Tae-joo been here before?
While walking with such idle thoughts, she spotted Wan, who’d come out to greet her early. The sight of him in a hoodie under a coat felt slightly unfamiliar. Perhaps it was because she’d only ever seen him in his school uniform.
“I told you not to bring gifts.”
Wan rushed over and gave an apologetic look upon seeing the shopping bag.
“It’s nothing much, just some sweets.”
“You always give me sweet things.”
Wan naturally took the shopping bag and spoke with a smile.
“I could probably start a business with all the snacks you’ve given me.”
“You haven’t eaten them all yet?”
“How much did you give me? I’ve already finished it all.”
After teasing her relentlessly, Sung Tae-joo finally relented and began walking ahead. Only after climbing a rather steep hill did he stop and point to a grand gate.
“Here it is.”
“Wow….”
Though Sung Hee-joo lived in a luxurious mansion, she couldn’t help but marvel at the elegant grace of the traditional Korean house. For the first time, I understood what it meant for a family to possess glory and honor. Now I grasped why people called these grand tile-roofed houses “whales’ backs.”
At that same moment, Wan was resting at Onyang Hot Spring Palace. After successfully completing both his university entrance and graduation exams, no gift suited him better than the hot springs of Onyang. Above all, Mother was away on an overseas state visit. This was happiness he could only enjoy at times like these.
Mother always said that members of the Royal Family should refrain from visiting hot springs unless it was for medical treatment.
So the moment Mother boarded the plane, Wan had asked Hwan for permission. Hwan worried that Wan might face scolding, but Wan didn’t care—he’d threatened to lie on the floor of the East Palace until permission was granted.
Once Hwan agreed, Wan gathered Hyun, Choi Sanggung, and all the attendants from his private residence, then headed to the hot spring palace. He’d planned to rest for a week, but Wan packed his things earlier than expected and boarded the official vehicle.
— Please, I beg you, return to the East Palace and comfort the Crown Prince.
An urgent message from Park Sanggung at the Palace had arrived. Wan stared out the window with an anxious expression. Park Sanggung would never ask him to return to the East Palace unless something serious had happened.
“You still don’t know what’s happened, do you?”
Choi Sanggung spoke gently, reading Wan’s thoughts.
“Please don’t worry too much.”
Yet even as she said this, Choi Sanggung’s own heart was uneasy. As Wan’s former nursemaid, she also remembered Hwan’s childhood. Unlike Wan, who would pluck every flower he fancied and keep them in his room, Hwan was a boy who would shed tears over a single wilting bloom.
It would have been lovely to cherish that tender heart, to comfort it. But his father was the King, and the King wanted his son to become a king as well. So Hwan could not live according to his true nature. He preferred quiet, yet lived under constant scrutiny. He disliked standing out, yet always stood at the forefront.
And so Hwan withered. It began with simple insomnia. But as days passed, his sleep hours became uncontrollable, growing longer and longer. When he began to lose his appetite and couldn’t even eat properly, the King issued a command: keep the Crown Prince awake by force if necessary.
After that, Hwan slept less and worked more, yet grew increasingly irritable and fragile with each passing day. His eyes held the vacant, drowsy gaze of someone forcibly awakened from sleep.
Few people knew of Hwan’s condition. Only the King, his father; Prince An, his younger brother; a handful of attendants who served him closely; and the royal physician at the Royal Hospital were aware. So when such urgent messages arrived, it was difficult to shake the anxiety.
“The Crown Prince and Prince An have not eaten, Your Highness.”
When Wan arrived at the East Palace, Park Sanggung reported in a trembling voice.
“Your Highness, it’s Wan.”
When there was no response from within, Wan’s heart raced. He announced his arrival himself. Still, there was no reaction, so Wan let out a small sigh.
“Park Sanggung, clear everyone from the area.”
“But, Your Highness….”
“Don’t worry. My brother won’t hurt me.”
Park Sanggung reluctantly nodded and led the palace staff down the corridor. Only then did Wan drop his smiling expression and open the inner door with an emotionless face. Broken inkstones, shattered folding screens, and overturned furniture lay scattered before the entrance—apparently placed there to prevent the door from opening.
“He certainly has strength.”
Pushing objects aside with his feet as he walked, Wan spotted Hwan huddled in a corner.
“Brother.”
Wan lowered his voice and gently shook Hwan’s shoulder.
“Wan….”
Hwan, whose eyes had been barely open, blinked and gave a faint smile. Then he collapsed, losing consciousness. Alarmed, Wan hastily laid him down and placed a finger beneath his nose. Fortunately, he was still breathing.
From the strong smell of alcohol, it was clear he’d been drinking since midday. The physicians had said alcohol was absolutely forbidden, but he seemed determined to ignore their warnings. It was strange—this man who obeyed almost everything else with stubborn compliance, yet could not resist alcohol.
“If you’re going to rebel, do it against Mother, not like this.”
Muttering to himself, Wan lay down beside Hwan. The tension drained from him, and exhaustion set in. If Mother learned he’d slept in the East Palace, no ordinary reflection would suffice—but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t bear to leave his brother alone, running from a world that terrified him.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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