Chapter Text
Sunggyu’s fingers cramped as he wrapped the last order for the day. He could practically hear his bones and joints singing in joy and anticipation for the warm bath the servants were probably already drawing up back at the Mansion. It would be a good night.
Or, it could be a good night. If his mind would stop offering him excruciating details of what the next day was going to be. Turning away from the door so as to hide his fury from anyone entering, he dusted the silky walls of his office to keep his hands busy.
It was no one’s fault that he was what he was. It was no one’s fault that the King would be entertaining yet another group of women the next day. It was certainly no one’s fault that Sunggyu wished he could be one of those women.
Steeling himself against any possible frustration, he stood to his feet, picking his ledger from the desk and approaching the picture behind which his safe hid when the door to his office opened. He stopped and turned around to find one of his tailors still present.
There was a time Sunggyu thought he was a workaholic. But that was way before he hired Lee Howon.
“Ah, you’re still here!” Howon said as if he was not aware that Sunggyu often spent nights locked away in the office. He disappeared from the office and next thing Sunggyu knew, Howon was pulling a cloaked mannequin in on a wheeled cart.
“What is this?”
“The answer to all your problems.” Howon replied, dropping the handle of the wheel before going to pick up a stool that he set up behind the mannequin. When he stood on it, he pulled a ribbon from the top and the veil hanging over it fell away with ease, slipping down the silky fabric of a beautifully tailored hanbok.
“Great god, Howon.” Sunggyu gasped, walking forward to admire the workmanship. “Whose order is this?” He asked, eyes wide with wonder. “You need to give this to her before the banquet tomorrow. Even if this isn’t meant for the King, I’m sure the owner would want to wear it tomorrow. It’s positively stunning.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
Sunggyu cleared his throat and stood back, watching it for mistakes or hanging threads but he found nothing.
“It’s for you.” Howon said and Sunggyu stopped.
“Excuse me?” He asked.
“The King’s banquet to select consorts is tomorrow.” Howon explained as if Sunggyu was not aware. “You can wear this and go.”
Sunggyu blinked at the beautiful monstrosity before him.
“I’m not wearing that.” He said, assessing the green dress again. “I’m not wearing it.”
“You are, if you ever want to dance with the King.”
*****
Sunggyu was just about to say “No” for the millionth time when Sungjong strolled into the office.
“Told you.” He smirked at Howon before he sashayed over to Sunggyu’s chair and sank into it with ease.
“Did you know about this?” Sunggyu asked Sungjong.
“Hyung, it’s the perfect opportunity.”
“To do what?” Sunggyu asked. “I’m a man.”
“Which is why we’re dressing you as a woman.” Howon gestured at the hanbok again.
“That doesn’t make sense. How would I even get in? No one would sponsor me.”
“Lots of Potentials get in without sponsorship.”
“Then I’ll be stuck on the side lines.” Sunggyu stated. Surely Sungjong must have lost his mind. “Barred from where the people with any chance at all would have access to the King.”
“You can buy some of those families, ten times over, hyung.” Howon said, bolstered by Sungjong’s obvious confidence.
“I’m new money. You think those old families would let me get in?” He asked. “What would I even gain?”
“You get to dance with the King.” Sungjong said.
“Except I might not get the chance. I’ll be stuck in a dress for the whole night and nothing would have happened.”
“You would have tried.” Sungjong said, looking at Sunggyu in a way that urged Sunggyu to rise to the challenge.
As if it was that simple.
“You’re not doing it for real, hyung.” Howon said. “No one’s expecting the King to choose you. But at least, you’ll get one day with him, right?”
“One day with no consequences.” Sungjong said.
“Think about it, hyung.” Howon suggested, waving Sungjong out of the chair as they disappeared from the office.
That was how Sunggyu’s anticipated bath became a charged mess of nerves and more frustration, rolling the scenarios over in his head. He wasn’t sure he wanted to put himself out there, but what did he have to lose? One day with the king could just as well mean one day spent watching him focus on other women. But if he was lucky, he might get a dance.
He might get called up to the King as he sinks into an embrace, basking in the king’s attention. It was just one day, after all. He’d be a woman. He’d fool the King. He’d be pretending to be something he was not. He’d get that one dance at the end of the day.
Or, at least, he’d try.