Work Text:
Seo-ryeong vs Lady Noh
Seo-ryeong had never been patient. She was nearly forty and she thought she was set for life, but she hadn’t reckoned on the arrival of the queen.
Eight years her junior and the queen was teaching her patience. Seo-gyeong hadn’t even done it, but maybe that was because she’d avoided Seo-gyeong for most of her life, hadn’t she?
She couldn’t exactly avoid the queen.
“Can you come here on Thursday?” the queen was saying. “You can stay the night and go back to Seoul on Friday after your report. Or even on Saturday, really. We can have breakfast and lunch then.”
“Your Majesty– why?” You should have led with the reason, you silly bint.
“Oh, sorry. I need your thoughts on an exclusive women’s science and technology university. It will be for women, run by women, giving scholarships to women. You know, because the king agrees the field and the other universities are dominated by men. In this one, we’ll also only hire women as professors. We can get them from abroad if needed. It’s a university where women aspire to go. To study or teach. Isn’t that awesome? We could get it off the ground and break ground by 2021, although I think we should just find an existing building. There’s plenty.”
Seo-ryeong didn’t hate the idea. While Corea wasn’t stingy with scholarships, she had still struggled all those years in the world of men. And it hadn’t changed much either.
She also didn’t hate the idea of picking an existing building and turning it into women’s turf. Oh how some of the men in parliament would froth at the mouth.
She looked at the phone suspiciously. Sometimes she wondered if the queen knew exactly what would pique Seo-ryeong’s interest.
“All right, ma’am, I’ll come.”
“Thank you. So how are you?”
Seo-ryeong leaned back in her chair. “I’m fine. What is that ridiculous thing you wore when you were photographed with Gong Shin?”
The queen laughed. “I knew it might go wrong. It looked better in low light. That was Valentino. It’s worth seven million won. I’m going to auction it for charity.”
It was Seo-ryeong’s turn to laugh. “Why did you even wear it? What made you choose it?”
“I don’t know. It was a dress. It was brown. It was lovely. The stage lights ruined it.”
“Ugh, you make me want to shake you.”
“As long as you don’t follow through. Because I can hit you where it hurts and won’t show.”
Seo-ryeong ignored that. “And what are all these hints in the papers? Are you pregnant?”
To Seo-ryeong’s surprise, Tae-eul was silent and didn’t immediately deny that. Seo-ryeong sat up in her chair. “You are?”
She counted back. The wedding was in July. It was September. The queen certainly could be. But damn. They didn’t waste any time at all. What was the hurry?
“I can’t– I don’t want to talk about it.”
Seo-ryeong marveled at the change in Tae-eul’s voice. This queen, this brat, never once backed down even at Seo-ryeong’s snappiest, and now her voice shook a little just to say she didn’t want to talk about the precious subject that was making her voice shake in the first place.
“Why? Are you all right?” Seo-ryeong heard the genuine concern in her voice and didn’t wonder where it came from. She had long ago been resigned to the fact that Tae-eul and Seo-gyeong brought this out in her.
“I’m fine. It’s just– it’s not safe to talk about it.”
That voice was still wobbly. Seo-ryeong stood up and put a hand on her waist. It was a power pose that calmed her. It was better than pounding the table. “Steady on. Are you saying you’re not safe? Is something wrong?”
“No, no. I just– It’s– They say it’s bad luck to talk about it until it’s past the twelfth week mark.”
Seo-ryeong scoffed. “Who says? Lady Noh?”
“Lady Noh.”
“And you believe her?”
“It doesn’t hurt to.”
Seo-ryeong sat back down. Her knees sort of folded under her. The steel was back in Tae-eul’s voice when she said that.
“Ahhh. I understand. You really want it.”
“O–of course I do. What a question.” The voice was shaky again.
Seo-ryeong laughed. She grabbed a pen from her table and thought it over. This would be amusing. Apparently, the unflappable queen now had something that sent her lips trembling. This was going to be fun.
“Did you plan it? Or was it an accident? It hasn’t even been six months–”
“Oh my god, yes, we p-planned it.”
Seo-ryeong bit her lips so she wouldn’t laugh into the phone. This time, Tae-eul’s voice had been a funny mix of steel and stuttering.
“Really?”
“Why am I even telling you this?”
“Because you decided to make me a friend and you’re like a dog with a bone and wouldn’t give up? Go on. You planned it. Since when?”
“I don’t have to tell you that!”
Seo-ryeong laughed. “Right. Because otherwise how would I be able to look at you and the king when I come at the end of the week? Knowing you’ve been on a project of baby-mak–”
“Bye.”
Seo-ryeong threw her head back and laughed. When her fit of giggles was over, she wiped her eyes.
“Really nice.”
“Oh are you still there?”
“I heard the entire witch laugh.”
Seo-ryeong chuckled again. But now, to fix what needed fixing. “Tae-eul. Listen. You’ve gone to the doctor?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t sound so hesitant. I’m not going to ask for details. I don’t care. But the doctor said you’re safe?”
“There are risks.”
“Don’t give me that. Are you safe or not?”
“Yes. I’m healthy.”
“There you are. Now don’t listen to Lady Noh and her superstitions. You have nothing to worry about.”
She heard Tae-eul expel breath. “I– I needed that.”
In her office, Seo-ryeong looked her most smug yet. To think that she’d bested Lady Noh. “I’ll see you Thursday, Mama. Bye then.”
She pressed the end button on the phone and didn’t realize she was smiling at the loudspeaker until she saw her reflection in the mirror.
She rearranged her face, laid her fingertips on her laptop, and Googled “outrageous expectant mom and dad gifts.”
—————————-
This call happened on the afternoon before the night shenanigans of Three Hours for Chicken
That’s why Tae-eul was bouncy and unafraid to go after her chicken.
Also, pregnancy brain can bounce from 200% efficiency and creativity to calling the knees “leg elbows” and back. Lololol
Home-stretch to my head canon. I’m working with non-linear points. Whichever I feel like sharing for our shared squee deliciousness.