The atmosphere in court was heavy.
A reply, still warm from the messenger who had ridden himself to near collapse, lay before them. The high officials could do nothing but watch the king's expression, hesitant to speak.
Someone ought to boldly condemn Gillian's insolence.
Yet not a single man dared.
If they did, and someone fired back—"Are you proposing we go to war with Britain?"—exile would follow immediately.
"…He told us to come to Dongnae."
"Your Majesty, Dongnae is far too distant. Even with the utmost care from the royal physicians and court ladies, it would place a severe strain upon your health."
"Indeed! If it were Jemulpo, perhaps—but Dongnae is out of the question!"
"But is it not said that, given the route of their warships, turning toward Jemulpo is impossible?"
In truth, Gillian's position was not unreasonable.
With the war in Europe still ongoing, he claimed he lacked the time and leisure to travel all the way to Hanseong for a grand reception. What argument could they make against that?
Moreover, coming down from the Maritime Province, a ship would have to circle the entire Korean Peninsula to reach Jemulpo.
Given that he had already stated he could not come due to lack of time, suggesting Jemulpo was nonsensical to begin with.
"Your Majesty! You are the sovereign of Joseon. There is no one within this land for whom Your Majesty must personally make the journey!"
"But is there truly anything incorrect in what Gillian has said?"
If they had invited him only to receive the reply, "You are not worthy—come to me instead," that would have been a clear insult.
But Gillian had been explicit—he could not come to Hanseong due to the ongoing war in Europe.
Still, if they truly wished to meet, he would wait one day in Dongnae and leave the choice to them.
It was a cunning move.
Then again, diplomacy was always cunning.
Seen one way, it was petty. Seen another, it was masterful.
In any case, lacking justification to take offense, Joseon had only two choices.
Either respond politely—"We regret the timing; let us meet another day"—and postpone the meeting,
Or say—"Then we shall accommodate your circumstances"—and travel to Dongnae themselves.
Ordinarily, the former would be the correct choice.
But for Yi Hwan, time was not a luxury he possessed.
At most two or three years… perhaps even less. The thought that he might close his eyes as soon as next year grew stronger by the day.
How could he afford to wait?
Considering his condition, traveling to Dongnae would be a considerable burden.
Yet part of him wished, just once, to breathe the open air beyond the palace and see the world outside.
"Minister of Rites… would it truly stain Joseon's dignity so greatly if I—no, if I, the king—were to go to Dongnae?"
"It would certainly be without precedent, Your Majesty."
"If I, unable to summon the British Prince Consort due to his circumstances, instead show consideration and go to Dongnae… could that not be seen as a fine tale that strengthens the alliance between our nations?"
"…That could indeed be interpreted as such."
Words, after all, could be framed however one wished.
"This is something I have often thought," Yi Hwan continued. "I am the king of Joseon, yet the lands I have seen with my own eyes amount to little more than within the Four Gates and the outskirts of Hanseong. Would it not be worthwhile to journey afar and witness my own country with my own eyes?"
"Your Majesty! We have failed to understand your noble intentions—please punish us!"
"What fault is there to punish? If you have time for self-reproach, use it to prepare for the journey to Dongnae."
If he could take in the land of Joseon with his own eyes one last time—and secure its future—
Then he could depart this world having fulfilled his duty as king.
There were uncertainties about what would follow, but Kim Jwa-geun and the others were not incompetent.
He had no choice but to trust them.
As for Kim Jwa-geun, his ambition was concerning… but with Gillian absent for the foreseeable future, it should not pose an immediate threat.
More than anything, the thought of finally seeing the man of legend stirred an unexpected excitement within him.
Dongnae or wherever—he would go to meet him.
He only hoped the meeting would not prove disappointing.
* * *
Considering the busy schedule of the Prince Consort of the British Empire, we shall travel to Dongnae ourselves.
He had been skeptical, but he had never expected such a reply.
The butterfly effect of history truly was terrifying.
That Joseon would respond with such flexibility…
Of course, this was likely the will of King Heonjong himself. Which meant he wished to meet him that badly.
Trying to guess his intentions yielded too many plausible answers.
It was impossible to pinpoint a single reason.
Still, he had not expected the king to actually come all the way to Dongnae.
He had only intended to decline politely—yet now he had no choice but to accept.
"Your Highness, where shall you hold the meeting with the King of Joseon? They propose the interior of Dongnae Fortress."
"What is your opinion, Captain William? As the commanding officer, I should defer to your judgment."
"To be frank… unless it is a port directly adjacent to our warship, I must oppose entering inland. In the event of any incident, we cannot guarantee an effective response."
"But this is the king of an allied nation."
"That may be so, but… ahem."
For some reason, William's cough sounded suspiciously like the word Qing.
Perhaps not surprising.
After all, there was already an Asian nation that had betrayed an alliance outright.
Distrust lingering in their minds was only natural.
"Then you propose we receive the King of Joseon aboard our ship?"
"Yes. This meeting was not thoroughly negotiated but rather arranged hastily. Unless it is aboard the ship, ensuring Your Highness's safety would be… difficult."
"…That makes sense. Though how Joseon will respond is uncertain."
They had already come all the way to Dongnae to meet him.
To now ask the king to step onto British territory—a warship—would very likely be taken as a grave insult.
Of course, there was justification.
As William had said, the specter of Qing remained—a symbol of betrayal.
Framed that way, Joseon would find it difficult to object without indirectly admitting comparison.
And though William did not say it outright, hosting the king aboard a British warship would also subtly demonstrate the hierarchy of power between the two nations.
Would the British Prince Consort step onto Joseon soil to meet the king—
Or would the King of Joseon step onto British territory to meet him?
A mere difference of a few dozen steps.
Yet in diplomacy, those steps could be decisive.
A tug-of-war of pride between one asserting dominance and the other resisting it.
Personally, Killian did not mind stepping ashore.
But as the Prince Consort of the British Empire, he had an obligation to prioritize his nation's interests.
"Let us first suggest using the flagship as the meeting place," he said. "They will certainly refuse. When they do, listen to all their demands and report them to me without emotion."
"Understood!"
Even so, the thought of meeting the King of Joseon stirred something within him.
Given his past life, perhaps that was inevitable.
It was not nostalgia—
but pure, unfiltered curiosity.
Would he really appear in the same dragon robe seen in historical dramas?
How closely related were they, actually?
As he waited, such thoughts continued to spiral endlessly.