After exchanging a brief conversation with the Emperor, I returned to the banquet hall to find one person waiting for me.
Second Prince Lee Hyeon.
“Wow, so you really thought that highly of me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You defended me so courageously in front of my brother earlier. Saying that the Second Prince is a worthy member of the Imperial Family.”
Ah, that.
Though I didn’t think I’d said anything wrong.
“Aren’t you upset, Your Highness?”
“…What?”
“From what I could see, you don’t seem like the kind of person who deserves to be spoken of that way.”
At my words, Lee Hyeon blinked.
Normally, he would have fired back with a playful remark, but this time was different.
He simply stared at my face, like someone chewing over the meaning of what I’d just said.
Then, after a moment.
“You’ve got a knack for hitting people right in the sore spot.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“It is. Most people couldn’t say something like that even if you paid them. The moment the other person is Imperial Family, fear is only natural.”
Lee Hyeon continued.
“But my brother’s words weren’t entirely wrong.”
Lee Hyeon glanced toward one side of the banquet hall.
His older brother, Crown Prince Lee Hwan, the man who would one day bear the weight of the Korean Empire.
He was maintaining a relaxed smile among the crowd.
“I’m certainly not very Imperial-like. I sneak out of the palace whenever I get the chance, and I barely shoulder any of the responsibilities expected of royalty.”
“Hmm… Why is that not Imperial-like?”
“Oh? Then what do you think makes someone Imperial-like?”
Honestly, I didn’t know much about the Imperial Family myself.
At best, I had the knowledge of about two episodes of a trashy drama and the dense pile of documents Choi Yuna had organized for me.
But one thing was clear.
“I believe what matters most is not discriminating against people.”
“Discrimination?”
“Yes.”
Where someone was born.
Bloodline.
The position they currently stood in.
Not treating people differently based on such things.
“I believe that’s the most important part.”
Lee Hyeon stared at me without a word, and I took a moment to look around the banquet hall.
People laughing under the dazzling lights.
But woven into that laughter were calculation, hierarchy, and the quiet assessment of one another, as if it were only natural.
“Your Highness, what exactly does the Imperial Family exist for?”
At my question, Lee Hyeon’s eyes widened slightly.
It was a dangerous remark, one that could land me in trouble for defaming the Imperial Family, but knowing the world line of this Korea, I didn’t stop speaking.
“Is it to look after your own interests from on high? Or is it to exist for the people?”
A brief silence.
I continued slowly.
“If you asked people to name the greatest king in the history of the Korean Peninsula, most would say King Sejong the Great.”
Of course, the eras were different, and the titles of king and emperor differed as well.
Even so, I didn’t believe the essence was any different.
“Is it because he held great power that he’s revered?”
I shook my head.
“No. It’s because he was a monarch who knew how to understand the hearts of his people better than anyone.”
Being in a high position.
It wasn’t a qualification to enjoy more than others, but a call to see further and bear greater responsibility.
At least, that’s what I believed.
“So I think the Imperial Family, of all people, should never discriminate against others. Whether they’re illegitimate children, commoners, business leaders, or students.”
I recalled what had just happened.
When the titans of the business community rushed at me, seeing only the Chairman of Seonghwa Group, it was Lee Hyeon standing before me who had casually cut through them and steadied the atmosphere.
“Your Highness never saw me as an illegitimate child, nor only as the Chairman of Seonghwa Group. You simply treated me as another person your age.”
I finished calmly.
“By my standards, that makes you a perfectly worthy member of the Imperial Family.”
Though, to be fair, my standards had sunk pretty low by now.
Of course, the person listening didn’t know that.
“……”
After hearing my words, Lee Hyeon lowered his head for a moment.
He seemed lost in thought.
Then he raised his head and, for some reason, let out a small chuckle.
“Kang Geon?”
“Speak.”
“Come to the Imperial School.”
“?”
At that, I couldn’t help but tilt my head.
The Imperial School was the oldest educational institution in the Korean Empire, and the most prestigious academy directly sponsored by the Imperial Family.
It was also where the Second Prince currently studied.
But why the Imperial School all of a sudden?
What kind of grand idea led him to that conclusion?
“It just seems like having you around would be fun.”
Lee Hyeon answered my unspoken question with a bright, childlike smile.
Though anyone could tell he was hiding his true intentions.
He continued.
“Besides, you’re at the age where you should be in school anyway, right? Given your situation, you can’t go for now, but once the inauguration ceremony is over, things should start settling down, no?”
“Still, I’m the chairman of a major corporation. Would it even make sense for me to attend school?”
“If you’re going to play that card, I’m an Imperial Prince. And you’re supposed to be the chairman of the Korean Empire’s greatest company, yet you’re a middle school graduate. A middle school graduate.”
“What’s wrong with being a middle school graduate? And I just explained to you about discrimination. Are you already discriminating?”
“Ugh, forget it. If I say come, just come.”
The Second Prince suddenly started throwing a tantrum like a child.
The moment I saw that, one thought crossed my mind.
I take back what I said about him being a worthy member of the Imperial Family.
“Anyway, think about it seriously. The Imperial School is really fun, I’m telling you.”
“Yes. I’ll at least think about it.”
“Tch, if you keep brushing me off like that, I’ll have no choice but to bother you at the reception too.”
Lee Hyeon clicked his tongue as if he fully intended to follow through on his words.
I watched him and shrugged.
It wasn’t like we’d run into each other at the reception anyway.
Just then.
Park Doyun appeared from deeper inside the banquet hall.
He hurried over to where Lee Hyeon and I were standing and bowed politely.
“Chairman Kang Geon.”
“Yes.”
“We’ll be moving to the inauguration ceremony shortly. Please prepare.”
…Finally.
I let out a small breath.
Quite a lot had happened since entering the Imperial Palace, but the real event hadn’t even started yet.
The inauguration ceremony for the 3rd Chairman of Seonghwa Group.
By now, reporters would be flooding in to grab the front page of tomorrow’s papers.
And under everyone’s attention and expectations, I intended to give them a proper answer.
About the direction Seonghwa would take from here on.
Though a doubt still lingered.
“Secretary Choi.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“As the representative of a giant corporation like Seonghwa Group, am I really qualified to say such things?”
“…Now you ask?”
At my question, Choi Yuna wore a look of utter disbelief.
“With all due respect, someone who worries about such things wouldn’t be planning to say what you’re about to say at the Imperial Palace.”
“Hmm… Is that so.”
“And anyway, you wouldn’t listen even if I tried to stop you.”
At Choi Yuna’s words, I gave a bitter smile.
True…
I suppose that’s fair.
***
The inauguration ceremony for the 3rd Chairman of Seonghwa Group.
The event was held in a grand hall prepared separately beyond the banquet hall.
On the podium hung the emblem of the Korean Empire’s Imperial Family and the symbol of Seonghwa Group side by side.
Below it, the titans of the business community, government officials, and Imperial figures filled the seats in order.
Even those who had been chatting lightly in the banquet hall moments ago straightened their expressions for this moment.
After all, what was about to take place was no ordinary corporate inauguration.
The inauguration of the Seonghwa Group chairman at the Imperial Palace, a scene of the Korean Empire’s greatest enterprise standing shoulder to shoulder with the Imperial Family.
That alone carried countless meanings.
Click.
Click.
The reporters’ camera flashes went off in rapid succession.
Initially, coverage had been limited, but with the Imperial Family providing the venue, public attention was inevitable.
Numerous journalists had taken positions throughout the hall, and broadcast cameras for the live feed glowed quietly.
And then, a moment later.
A man from the Imperial Protocol Office walked calmly to the host’s position beside the podium.
He bowed politely and spoke in a composed voice.
“We will now begin the inauguration ceremony for the 3rd Chairman of Seonghwa Group.”
A low but clear voice.
That single sentence silenced the entire hall.
“This gathering has been arranged to celebrate Seonghwa Group as it prepares for a new beginning, and Chairman Kang Geon, who will be inaugurated as its new leader.”
The host’s gaze slowly swept across the audience.
“First, His Majesty the Emperor will deliver a congratulatory address.”
The moment those words ended, everyone rose from their seats.
The Emperor walked slowly onto the podium.
Unlike earlier when he had looked down from the balcony, the Emperor now stood before everyone.
Yet his presence hadn’t diminished in the slightest.
Eventually, the Emperor stopped at the center of the podium and quietly regarded the audience.
“Please, be seated.”
At the host’s words, everyone sat back down.
The Emperor surveyed the hall before speaking.
His address was, literally, textbook.
Seonghwa Group was an enterprise that had grown alongside the Korean Empire for generations.
It had raised countless industries, changed the lives of countless citizens, and played a major role in allowing the Korean Empire to stand proud on the world stage.
And.
“Even amid grief and chaos, Seonghwa did not fall. And today, welcoming a new chairman, it seeks to move forward once more.”
The Emperor’s gaze naturally fell upon Kang Geon, seated at the very front of the podium.
“I pray that Seonghwa Group will continue to spread its name as a proud enterprise of the Korean Empire. And I look forward to Chairman Kang Geon walking a path worthy of that heavy name.”
The brief address concluded, and applause immediately filled the hall.
Amid it, the Emperor slowly descended from the podium.
“Next, we will hear the inaugural address from Seonghwa Group’s 3rd Chairman, Chairman Kang Geon.”
At the host’s words, flashes erupted once more.
All eyes turned to a single spot, and within them, a boy in a formal suit slowly rose from his seat.
Thud.
The boy’s steps toward the podium were neither slow nor hurried.
The gazes of countless people.
The cameras of the reporters.
The giants of the Imperial Family and the business world.
All of it was fixed solely on him, yet his expression showed no sign of wavering.
Thud.
Finally, Kang Geon stepped onto the podium.
He stood before the microphone and slowly opened his mouth.
“Good evening. I am Kang Geon, the 3rd Chairman of Seonghwa Group.”
Introducing himself so, the boy took a deep breath.
“The reason Seonghwa Group was able to rise to its current position is not simply luck. I believe it was possible because there were great leaders, and countless employees who trusted and followed those leaders.”
Founder Kang Seongcheol.
And the many people who had led Seonghwa Group after him.
He didn’t mention each name individually, but everyone would know.
That a giant enterprise like Seonghwa was never built by the strength of one person alone.
“I believe in the resilience of Seonghwa more than anyone. There was a sudden tragedy, and I am well aware that many are worried about Seonghwa’s future.”
But the boy did not doubt.
“Seonghwa Group can rise again. No, I believe it is an enterprise with the potential to go even further, to climb higher than where it stands now.”
At those words, the atmosphere in the hall shifted subtly.
At least up to this point, everything had been within everyone’s expectations.
“Of course, that requires change.”
Kang Geon continued.
“The old ways are no longer enough. For Seonghwa to advance, we need new perspectives, new markets, and sometimes, partnerships with new parties as well.”
At that moment, the expressions of several business titans brightened subtly.
Partnership.
That single word was enough.
The new chairman of Seonghwa Group had mentioned partnership on an official platform.
That meant opportunities to join hands with Seonghwa were certain to open.
The Imperial figures reacted much the same.
Even the Emperor, who had traded places with Kang Geon, wore a faint smile at the corner of his lips.
The conversation they’d shared on the balcony earlier.
The Imperial Family can be your ally at any time.
He thought an answer to that offer might come right here.
And amid such anticipation, Kang Geon’s mouth paused for the first time.
Because a sudden thought surfaced of the last words Choi Yuna had said before he took the stage.
-No matter what anyone says, the chairman of Seonghwa Group is you. And I believe in your judgment without a doubt.
Choi Yuna did not doubt.
That no one suited the chairman’s seat more than the boy before her now, and that his judgment was, in itself, a judgment for Seonghwa.
To that faith, the boy… no, Kang Geon wanted to give this answer.
That what he was about to say was, without question, for Seonghwa.
And in that sense.
The place Seonghwa would extend its hand was not domestic.
“Overseas.”