The world is a curious place.
Heungseon-gun, a royal prince of Joseon, had never imagined he would one day board a ship and travel overseas like this.
He knew that the maritime prohibitions enforced during the Ming and Qing eras had long since lost their meaning. Even so, sailing across the West Sea and arriving in Shanghai was still a strangely surreal experience—something that would once have been unimaginable.
"Minister of War, this is not your first time leaving the country, so you must already be used to it."
"Last time I traveled by land. This time it's by sea, so the feeling is quite different for me as well."
"Ah, that's right. Still… I understand why you were chosen to lead this delegation, since you have met Prince Killian before. But why am I included in this mission? No one will explain the reason."
Kim Jwa-geun had remained completely silent whenever the question was raised.
He finally spoke only after the delegation had disembarked in Shanghai.
Glancing around to make sure no one else could hear, he lowered his voice and revealed the real reason Heungseon-gun had been brought along.
"Do you remember what you once told me? About seeing a slave in your childhood who had Western blood."
"Ah… yes, I did say that. But the boy named Yuseok died of some strange illness, according to what we found…"
"Indeed. All the servants who lived with him said the same thing. So we concluded Yuseok could not possibly be Killian."
Kim Jwa-geun's expression darkened slightly.
"But the more we investigated, the stranger it became. We found no other candidate who could possibly be Killian."
"Then perhaps he never lived in Joseon at all?"
Westerners were said to lie as easily as they breathed.
Perhaps they had deliberately spread false information to confuse them.
But Kim Jwa-geun immediately shook his head.
"Those who say such things have never actually seen him. If you meet him yourself, you will understand what I mean. The problem is that if we investigated this thoroughly, we should have identified someone. Yet we did not. That led me to one conclusion."
"Which is?"
"Someone tampered with the records."
Heungseon-gun frowned.
"Tampered with them? Why?"
"Because revealing the truth would be disastrous for someone. If we think about it that way, the most suspicious person remains the boy Yuseok who supposedly died of illness."
"So you're saying the slave I met long ago was Killian? That's… difficult to believe."
The memory was vague now.
He remembered the boy as unusually bold for a slave, and strangely knowledgeable.
If he had met him more than once, perhaps the memory would be clearer.
But as it was, everything felt hazy.
Still, that was hardly surprising.
How could anyone clearly remember the face of a ten-year-old child they had met only once, more than a decade ago?
And even if the boy had been clever—
Could a slave possibly grow up to become one of the most powerful figures in the empire that had crushed Qing China?
The idea simply did not feel real.
But Kim Jwa-geun seemed entirely convinced.
"The ages match. And how many mixed-blood children with Western ancestry exist in all of Joseon? Perhaps one or two at most. The chance of two individuals of the same age appearing is almost impossible."
He leaned closer.
"If Yuseok is Killian, and that household lied about his death, then every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly."
"But why would they lie?"
"Because Killian himself said he had unpleasant memories of Joseon. If he was mistreated for his mixed blood… what would happen if the truth were revealed? Could that household survive the consequences?"
Heungseon-gun slowly nodded.
That made sense.
If Yuseok truly was Killian, then hiding the truth would have been understandable.
The scandal could easily escalate into an international incident.
And if it were discovered that Killian's bloodline connected to Joseon's royal family…
It would be a catastrophe.
If such a person had been abused as a slave, the backlash would be unbearable.
Even the powerful Andong Kim or Pungyang Jo clans might not survive such a disaster.
"So that's why you brought me," Heungseon-gun murmured. "You want me to confirm whether Killian is really Yuseok."
"Yes. Exactly. It might be true, or it might not. But I cannot ask him directly."
"Of course not. Asking the British Prince-Consort if he was once a slave in Joseon would be… diplomatic suicide."
If they were wrong, the insult would be catastrophic.
Even if they were right, the question itself could provoke immense offense.
Heungseon-gun understood the reasoning.
But there was one problem.
He had no confidence that he could recognize Killian even if he saw him.
Seeing the adult version of a child he had met once, more than ten years ago…
How could he possibly be certain?
Still, there was no turning back now.
"…I will do my best."
All he could do was search his memory and hope something surfaced.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Killian did not return to Shanghai immediately.
During the wait, Heungseon-gun and Kim Jwa-geun toured the Shanghai Governor's Office and the Royal Navy base.
"Those British devils… whatever else they lack, their ships are extraordinary."
"You feel it now that you've seen them firsthand, don't you? To make enemies of people who sail fleets like these would be madness. Qing was utterly crushed for a reason."
"But these ships are so large. Wouldn't that make them slow?"
"Not at all. They move far faster than our vessels. They can even ignore the wind thanks to steam power. Their mobility alone is incomparable."
Kim Jwa-geun continued grimly.
"And their cannons have nearly double the range of ours. At this point, even Admiral Yi Sun-sin himself could not defeat them."
Heungseon-gun wanted to protest.
Surely Admiral Yi could perform a miracle.
But looking at the towering warships before him, far larger than the vessel they had arrived on…
He began to suspect Kim Jwa-geun might be right.
This was no abstract knowledge written in reports.
It was reality.
And reality was terrifying.
Suppressing his unease, Heungseon-gun waited anxiously for Killian to return.
At last—
"It has been a long time. I hear you have risen even higher since we last met. Seeing Your Highness achieve such success fills my heart with pride, as if it were my own accomplishment."
"Ha ha, thank you. I also heard you were appointed Minister of War. That is quite a meteoric rise in Joseon."
"I am unworthy of such praise. Ah—this is Prince Heungseon, a member of the Joseon royal family who accompanied me."
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness!"
The British Prince-Consort whose name alone shook the entire Joseon court.
Seeing Killian for the first time, Heungseon-gun lowered his gaze slightly while secretly studying his face.
…It does look somewhat similar.
Or maybe he only imagined the resemblance because he expected it.
Killian calmly turned his eyes toward him and smiled warmly.
"Pleasure to meet you. If you are a royal relative of Joseon, does that make us distant cousins on paper? Ha ha."
"You could say that," Kim Jwa-geun replied smoothly. "Prince Heungseon admires Your Highness's reputation, which now shakes not only Joseon but the entire world. He insisted on accompanying me just to meet you."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Killian looked at him with interest.
But Heungseon-gun could not read a single emotion from his expression.
For someone who prided himself on reading people better than anyone in Joseon…
It was a shocking experience.
Kim Jwa-geun glanced at him anxiously.
Well? Is it him or not?
But what was he supposed to say?
Heungseon-gun shook his head slightly.
How am I supposed to tell? All Westerners look the same!
Clearly, he could not rely on appearance alone.
Kim Jwa-geun finally cleared his throat and spoke.
* * *
A powerful figure of the Andong Kim clan.
And a man who might one day become the Daewongun of Joseon and sweep away the ruling factions.
Watching the two of them desperately trying to probe me for answers was thoroughly amusing.
I deliberately kept circling the conversation, enjoying their discomfort.
"You know," Kim Jwa-geun said carefully, "Prince Heungseon and Your Highness are distant relatives. Looking closely, there are even slight similarities in your features. It almost feels as if you might have met before somewhere…"
"Really? Do we look alike? I don't see it."
"Ah… haha… yes… perhaps not."
I turned to Heungseon-gun.
"Prince Heungseon, do I seem familiar to you?"
Caught off guard by the direct question, he stumbled.
"Well… that is…"
"Well, since we're supposedly relatives, it wouldn't be strange to feel a sense of familiarity. Blood ties are mysterious things, aren't they?"
"Haha… indeed."
Of course we share no blood whatsoever.
But Kim Jwa-geun and Heungseon-gun froze like statues, forcing awkward smiles.
Still—
I recognized him instantly.
And yet he could not recognize me?
That was a little disappointing.
I had always believed my appearance was quite memorable.
"So," Kim Jwa-geun said quickly, "I heard Your Highness recently visited the capital of Japan. Were your efforts successful?"
"Yes. Quite successful, in fact. It was an unexpected invitation, which made it even more interesting. Just like this meeting—I did not expect the two of you to come all the way to Shanghai."
"When a royal relative of Joseon comes so close, how could we not greet him personally? Besides, you have helped mediate a non-aggression agreement between Joseon and Russia. We wished to express our gratitude."
"Joseon truly values etiquette. Still, if one wishes to show sincerity, actions are best. Since I helped build that bridge with Russia, I believe I deserve compensation."
"Of course."
Kim Jwa-geun bowed repeatedly.
But watching Heungseon-gun struggle awkwardly was far more entertaining.
Once, I had considered using this man as a stepping stone for my own rise.
But that was ancient history now.
Honestly, I had hoped he might recognize me.
That would have made things even more entertaining.
But since he seemed uncertain…
Teasing him like this was even more fun.
"Then let us hear Prince Heungseon's opinion," I said. "What do you think of Joseon establishing diplomatic relations with the British Empire? Personally, I believe both sides would benefit."
The future icon of isolationism and anti-Western policy.
The man who would shout that making peace with Westerners meant selling the country.
What would he say now?
Under the intense gaze of both me and Kim Jwa-geun, Heungseon-gun hesitated, his eyes darting nervously.
"Please don't be so tense," I said kindly. "Speak honestly."
Come on.
Just like when you were young.
Show some confidence.
Encouraged by my gentle tone, Heungseon-gun finally spoke.
"In my personal opinion… it may be… too early… to conclude a trade treaty…"
"W-W-What are you saying, Prince Heungseon?! Do you realize where we are?! There are things one can say and things one cannot!"
Kim Jwa-geun exploded, pointing furiously.
Heungseon-gun awkwardly defending his opinion.
Kim Jwa-geun shouting in panic.
What a magnificent combination.
Yes.
This was exactly the Joseon I remembered.
Just as I expected.