The 21st Century Grand Grand Duchess in the Royal Academy - Chapter 18

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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
An Ideal Proposal
The Graduation Ceremony Hall erupted into chaos. It wasn’t because of Jeong-woo, who had claimed both the student council presidency and the honor of top graduate. It wasn’t because of Prince An, who stood with his usual impeccable bearing.
It was because Sung Tae-joo—sweeping across the stage in a brilliant azure robe to receive his diploma—
“Da-young, will you marry me!”
—had just proposed.
The hall, frozen in shock for a moment, erupted into laughter. Sung Hee-joo wanted to die of embarrassment. Glancing at her father beside her, she could tell he felt the same way. They’d barely come of age, and here was talk of marriage.
Even the headmaster handing over the diploma had flushed crimson, as had the Cheongryong Palace homeroom teacher standing nearby. But Han Da-young’s face was the most striking—so intensely red that Sung Hee-joo thought she might need ice water poured over her.
Just as Sung Hee-joo was thinking, for the first time, that she felt sorry for Da-young, she witnessed something she couldn’t believe. The girl she’d thought was flushed with anger was actually trembling with tears—and nodding her head in acceptance.
“What….”
Surely that didn’t mean she’d actually agreed.
The bouquet Sung Hee-joo had been holding slipped from her fingers. But knowing those two lunatics, it was entirely possible.
“Father, can we really send him alone to America?”
“Ha….”
Normally, her father would have scolded her older brother for such disrespectful language. Instead, he said nothing, seemingly struggling to contain his fury.
“Let’s go.”
Her father stood abruptly and spoke. Sung Hee-joo nodded quickly and followed him out. It wasn’t easy to escape the hall, where cheers and jeers from the students were mixing together.
Wan and Jeong-woo, standing on the platform, were left dumbfounded by the sudden spectacle.
“Is he Sung Hee-joo’s older brother?”
“Yes.”
“Is he always like that?”
“I’d say so.”
Their gazes naturally shifted from Sung Tae-joo to Sung Hee-joo’s retreating figure. The sight of her practically running toward the door made them smile. Without even seeing her face, they could imagine how mortified she must be.
“That’s why idealism is so frightening.”
Jeong-woo spoke softly.
“When people only think in ideals, they end up doing things like this.”
It was a jab at Cheongryong Palace, where idealists gathered. Wan, who was practically the symbol of Cheongryong Palace, tilted his head skeptically.
“It seems Vermillion Phoenix Palace’s will doesn’t presuppose ideals either.”
“Because will without realism isn’t will at all.”
“Coward.”
Jeong-woo’s face showed he found Wan’s emphatic declaration utterly childish.
“What, so? You are a coward.”
Wan shrugged and declared that there was nothing wrong with dreaming.
Behind the two of them, standing like pillars in the Grand Hall, the banners of the Four Sacred Beasts fluttered in the breeze. The difference between the Azure Dragon that flies without wings and the Vermillion Phoenix that flies with them was the same as the difference between these two.
After the graduation ceremony ended, Wan headed straight to his Private Residence. Hwan had come from the Palace, he’d been told. Last night, Hwan had lamented that no one was coming to the graduation, so somehow he’d managed to make time. Wan found himself looking forward to what graduation gift Hwan might give.
“Brother!”
Wan’s voice rang out loudly as he crossed the gate.
“….”
Hwan, waiting in the garden, gestured with his eyes toward their surroundings. There were attendants from the East Palace and Royal Guards present—a signal to watch his behavior. Wan, belatedly catching on, straightened his posture.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Only then did Hwan smile.
“Congratulations on your graduation.”
“Did you bring a gift?”
“You’ll like it.”
Hwan nodded with confidence, then glanced at Park Sanggung standing beside him. The palace attendants waiting behind promptly presented a lacquered box. Park Sanggung couldn’t suppress her laughter at the sight of Wan’s eyes sparkling with anticipation.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince went to great lengths to obtain this painting, so please treasure it.”
“A painting?”
Wan’s eyes widened as he turned to Hwan with the question. Rather than answering, Hwan leisurely climbed onto the veranda with his hands clasped behind his back.
“Stop standing there and come inside.”
“Is it a painting? Really that one? What?”
Wan, forgetting that many eyes were upon him, asked excitedly. Seeing his brother so confident, it had to be that painting he’d been singing about wanting.
“Would you view something so precious in direct sunlight?”
“What? Oh, no!”
Wan quickly shook his head and followed Hwan toward the Study Room. Despite being a tall adult man over six feet, the way he clutched the wooden box to his chest made him look like a boy.
As Wan unrolled the painting, his joy was evident in the way his feet bounced. For someone who loved both folk paintings from the Joseon era and cats, a folk painting depicting a cat was nothing short of treasure.
“Where should I hang it? The Study Room is better than the Guest House, right?”
“We’ll hang it later. Sit down for now. You’re making a fuss.”
“Alright, alright.”
Wan answered promptly and settled into his seat with a docile expression. Today, he was prepared to grant his brother anything he wanted.
Watching his brother’s childlike demeanor, Hwan felt a twinge of guilt. He didn’t want to spoil Wan’s good mood, yet he found himself in a position where he had to make an unwelcome request.
“Wan.”
“Yes?”
“I have a favor to ask…”
“What is it?”
Noticing the apology reflected in his brother’s face, Wan’s brow furrowed. His brother’s apologies usually came when he needed Wan to give something up.
“Well…”
“…”
“The cabinet approved the royal marriage yesterday.”
“I know.”
“It’s formal, but I still need to make a proposal.”
“So what, you need help with that?”
“No, it’s… the ring that Mother left me…”
In that instant, Wan’s expression turned cold.
“No.”
“Wan.”
“Did Mother tell you to propose with Mother’s ring?”
“…”
Hwan averted his gaze. Wan felt as though his insides were turning over. He rose from his seat and opened the window. Even as the winter wind filled his lungs, his burning anger would not subside.
The Late Queen’s marriage ring was the only thing she had left him. Mother and his brother couldn’t possibly not know that.
He knew Mother disapproved. As if she had foreseen an unexpected accident and her own death, the Late Queen had left a record entrusting her marriage ring to her youngest son—something Mother could never seem to accept.
Wan found it equally difficult to comprehend how he’d come to possess a treasure of the Royal Family by mere chance. To such a bewildered Wan, the Sanggung from the Central Palace came and spoke.
‘Her Majesty was concerned about Prince An, who would have nothing to his name.’
‘So she gave him jewels?’
‘She said to give everything to the one you love.’
‘….’
‘She said that if you have someone you love, it’s as though you possess everything.’
Though considerable time had passed, Wan still couldn’t fully grasp the depths of her heart. Yet it was certain that this was the only legacy through which he could remember the Late Queen. It was his alone—something no one could ever take from him.
“It’s mine.”
“Wan.”
“Brother, stay out of this. I’ll tell Mother myself.”
On this matter alone, he had no intention of yielding to anyone.
Three months later, Hwan proposed to Irang. The scene of the Crown Prince, watching an opera performance from the Box Seat, presenting a ring to his beloved beside him was met with enthusiastic applause from the crowd. The greatest curiosity among them was what ring Irang had received.
It was not Queen Uihyeon’s ring. The King had raised the white flag before Wan’s stubborn refusal to eat or behave, for even a king could not forcibly seize a Royal Family treasure that his son had received as an inheritance.
To the King, who raged at whose stubbornness Wan had inherited, Hwan offered no answer. To anyone’s eyes, Wan was the spitting image of Mother.
Left with no choice, the King ordered the creation of a new ring for the Crown Princess. The King himself selected jewels from the Royal Treasury with such care that the ring would not be inferior in quality to Queen Uihyeon’s. The completed ring adorned Irang’s delicate fingers.
For a ring worn by a pianist, it was perhaps excessively ornate, yet no one thought of it as a flaw.
The Crown Prince’s state wedding was imminent.

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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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