The Joseon Prince Went To America And Didn’t Return – 88



< American Scrap (4) >

“Come in.”

Durham Stevenson opened the hotel room door very carefully.

After that he glanced at me and my group with eyes full of caution and then slowly backed away and moved to the window.

Knock knock-

But he couldn’t hide his anxiety so he kept biting his fingernails.

I also took a quick glance outside.

“What are you looking at?”

Even after our group was fully inside the hotel room Stevenson continued his behavior.

He didn’t say anything and just looked back and forth between me and the scenery outside the window.

‘hmm….’

I interpreted that he was making a silent protest.

After following his advice I moved and even opened the window.

After that I looked outside.

The area around the hotel was filled with Asians holding picket signs.

“Stevenson correct me!”

“Correct it! Correct it!”

“Stevenson apologize!”

“Apologize! Apologize!”

They are all Korean.

They were pressuring Stevenson chanting slogans in broken English.

‘It feels different when viewed from above.’

Your heart will start pounding.

Because Stevenson is a coward.

bang-

After slamming the open window shut I leaned against the window.

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After that he made an expression like ‘So what? Aren’t you the one who’s holding all these press conferences?’

Then Stevenson finally began to speak.

“Why do you have to come all the way here when you are so busy?”

As the Chinese idiom goes “bones in the mouth” his words were full of bones.

That’s also very sharp.

I put my right hand in my breast pocket and searched for something.

Shudder-

Stevenson flinched slightly.

Because it looked like I was taking a gun out of my pocket.

‘Tsk tsk. Do you think royalty would come to your hotel room in broad daylight and shoot you?’

Common sense tells you that this is something that would never happen.

But Stevenson didn’t think that far ahead.

Because I was in a state of panic.

I was so scared that my judgment seemed to have become greatly clouded.

I took an envelope out of my pocket and handed it to Stevenson.

“Take it.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a consolation money.”

Stevenson just stared at the envelope of money on the table with a look of disinterest.

He soon came back to the window and glanced at the Korean protesters.

“Didn’t our people beat you up at the last press conference? This is compensation for that.”

Then I tapped the envelope with the money and explained to him why he should receive it.

Stevenson snapped at me in a cold voice.

“Are you afraid that I will sue you? Did the four suspects even come to the prince and beg for their lives?”

I told Stevenson one hidden fact.

“It was an Oriental who stopped them and protected you. You probably didn’t realize it because you were so flustered.”

Stevenson looked dumbfounded at my words.

“Now that I think about it…..”

“Yes. All those who guarded you were my people.”

“….”

“I didn’t help you because you were pretty. I just stopped you because I was afraid that if you got seriously hurt things would get worse.”

Stevenson pretended to think about the past for a moment.

I looked back on the faces of those who protected me.

“Thank you Prince for saving me. I would have been more grateful if you had done so before I got beaten up like this by Korean residents.”

Stevenson thanked me with sarcasm.

Then he showed me the wound he had at that time and his eyes looked like he was asking if I was giving him the medicine instead of the disease.

“I’m not going to sue the Koreans who assaulted me so you can take that envelope.”

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Stevenson is a former diplomat and journalist.

He’s a guy with some sense.

He also knew very well that if he sued Koreans now he could face even greater trouble.

I shook my head and shoved the envelope of money hard towards him.

“But please accept it. You need to get treatment. I have taken care of it considering your psychological wounds so please accept it as a favor to me.”

“….”

Stevenson folded his arms and pretended to refuse but then reluctantly accepted the envelope of money.

He must have thought the envelope of money was quite thick so he quickly put it in his inside pocket.

‘This won’t change his mind but…’

Very small.

My voice was able to resonate in his head.

I looked out the window at the Koreans wondering how I could make the small gap bigger.

“I looked into your life history. It was quite impressive. I think I can understand why the Japanese government gave you a medal.”

Because we have been working for the past decade to establish equal diplomatic agreements between Japan and other countries.

The country would have taken care of it too.

“Yes. Because people cannot be discriminated against based on skin color.”

Stevenson was actually a staunch Republican.

When I mentioned his past he confidently declared that he was not the type of person to be treated like this citing his own creed.

“So… how did such a kind and smart person like you end up between two countries that have been enemies for a thousand years?”

A thousand years?

Stevenson tilted his head.

The Korean Empire and Japan.

Because I only knew what had happened recently between the two countries.

“The long-standing feelings between the two countries began a thousand years ago. Since ancient times they have plundered and harassed our Korean people.”

From the fight against the Japanese pirates.

Imjin War.

And up to the present.

I have listed the history of love and hate in detail.

At first he also had an expression on his face like he was wondering why I was telling him this story.

As time passed Stevenson’s expression darkened.

In Europe as much as Britain and France France and Germany Britain and Russia.

I guess they realized that the relationship between the two countries is not good.

“You have taken too lightly the tightly woven thread of national sentiment between the people of our two countries. Moreover you have openly insulted our citizens… and you have done so here in San Francisco.”

Stevenson nodded.

At least of what I said today this much I couldn’t deny.

“I should have been enough. Tsk tsk.”

Stevenson was not a man who could be persuaded by money alone.

In times like these you need to pressure your opponent in a variety of ways.

Appeal to emotions.

Or scare me.

Or you can make them feel betrayed by revealing the hidden truth of an ally they trusted.

I intend to continue to practice these three things with persuasion.

“You’re smart. You probably thought you’d only care about me… but maybe someone was pushing you from behind the scenes?”

The current situation has opened up an exit route for Stevenson who insists that it is not him but some other external variable.

Stevenson looked intently at me as I spoke.

“It’s obvious. It’s probably the Japanese government.”

“….”

“The San Francisco consul must have told you to stimulate the Korean community.”

Stevenson remained silent.

I don’t deny it.

This could be interpreted as being positive.

“It’s a shame. In this situation you have only one fault. It was a mistake to trust the Japanese government too much.”

With these words I sent a signal to Woo Hyeon-sik with my eyes.

Woo Hyun-sik took out a document from the bag he was holding and handed it to him.

“What is this?”

“This is a letter from the Japanese consulate.”

For the past five days I have been consistently sending materials slandering Japan to the Japanese consulate.

And that’s not all.

Information on corruption within the current cabinet also continued to be sent.

He also expressed his intention to blow it up if necessary.

They responded to this last night.

“They denied the article you wrote. They said it was an individual’s deviation and suggested that we resolve the misunderstanding between us.”

The fact that he sent the article and pressured the Japanese cabinet was omitted.

It is common sense to only show the good side when trying to persuade someone.

“I feel sorry that the absurd speculations between the two countries are being circulated through the American media. If this kind of letter had come to me I think I would have sent someone to you as well.”

Japanese Cabinet.

Why did Saionji and Ito accept my proposal?

What could it be?

Because of the election.

Elections to elect Imperial Diet members will be held throughout Japan in June of this year.

If the majority party changes at this time the current cabinet will have no choice but to be replaced.

‘Like any politician he is extremely wary of the opposition party gaining power.’

Japan’s moderates did not want the hardliners led by Katsura Taro to gain power.

so.

They didn’t do much damage to me and only damaged their image but they backed down and asked me for a ceasefire.

“Am I wrong? I thought I warned you too. I told you not to write any more articles for the time being.”

“That’s true but….”

Stevenson covered his mouth and swallowed his own words.

Because he was so frightened that he momentarily lost his senses and confessed to me that he had acted as an agent of the Japanese government.

I continued speaking with a look of anticipation.

“But wasn’t there any story about a correction article?”

“….”

“Even if you persistently ask about that the Japanese consulate will probably just say that they have not received any information from their superiors.”

The unique Japanese manual culture.

This culture still exists in the 21st century but it is even more severe now.

They don’t like to take responsibility so they don’t do anything unless they are told to.

I said this while recalling a time when I had lobbied the Japanese in the past for semiconductor investment.

“They will continue to stall for time claiming they have not received any information from their superiors. They will not even care that you are so anxious.”

“….”

“They’re playing tail-cutting. They’re calling you in to use you as a kindling and then they’re going to get away.”

The Japanese government wickedly asked me for a ceasefire.

On the one hand I kept hoping for luck.

Some Koreans were looking forward to assassinating Stevenson.

“They always do that. They blow things up and then hide.”

If I had not called the Korean people together and warned them to be careful what they wanted would have happened.

I listed the facts one by one giving Stevenson cause for doubt.

“Why did the Japanese government and Ito Hirobumi call you to the Residency-General instead of so many other reporters?”

“What is it?”

“Because it’s easy to use and throw away.”

“What did you just say?”

“He said it was because it was easy to use and throw away.”

I mentioned Stevenson’s personal family history.

“You’re single. That means you don’t have a wife or children. Unlike other people.”

“….”

“That means that even if you die there will be no one to sue you. At best it will be your brothers and sisters. Why would they bother to sue you?”

“….”

“That’s why the Japanese government has continued to instigate you. They want to make our citizens suffer. They are secretly reaching out to you.”

Stevenson is a Japanese.

I wanted to take advantage of that.

“You’ve lived in Japan so you know their culture well. Japanese people never show their true feelings to others. Especially people from Kyoto.”

“I’ve heard of it. It’s called Kyokotoba.”

“okay.”

I looked at Stevenson my heart pounding.

“I… am different from them. I reveal my true feelings to others very easily.”

“….”

“So please write a correction for me.”

He openly asked me to write a correction for him.

“And please write it for your own safety.”

“….”

“Isn’t there any reason to go to such lengths for Japan which is trying to push you to your death?”

If it is difficult to report a correction I recommend that you ask the Daily California to take down the article.

So I suggested a roundabout way to calm the excitement of the Korean residents by writing another article based on this.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll be going now. I’ve kept a sick person here too long.”

After saying these words he stood up from his seat.

The group that followed me also began to prepare to leave.

“I thought it was a wound from the press conference but it was just a red spot. By any chance.”

The three Irish brothers who came with me.

Among them Max was about to leave the hotel room when he stared at Stevenson’s face for a moment and asked him one thing.

“Have you had any ulcers recently either in your mouth or in your groin?”

“Why do you ask that?”

Max warned Stevenson his voice rising.

“Looking at your symptoms I think you have syphilis just like my uncle. You should go to the hospital sometime.”

“omg….”

Stevenson looked astonished as if he had heard words he should not have heard.

I too was leaving the hotel room when I paused for a moment at Max’s words.

“syphilis?”

“Yes. Maybe not but since she was single and lived in Japan there’s a high chance she would have frequented a red-light district.”

Max’s mouth was open.

Whether Stevenson looked surprised or not he continued to pour out what he wanted to say.

“Oh Mr. Stevenson. Don’t worry too much. There are a lot of good medicines out there these days. I heard that in Europe they’re extracting a shiny substance and using it to treat syphilis. It’s called… radium I think. That’s probably it.”

huh?

radium?

Why radium all of a sudden?

“When I was in Holland or Germany last year I went around looking for technicians didn’t I? With the Wright brothers. I also made contact with medical professionals at that time and they told me about radium. They said it was emerging as a cure for syphilis.”

Has the radium already been extracted?

‘It wasn’t pure radium it would have been extracted synthetically in this era.’

Even so

This is the first time I’ve heard that radium is a cure for syphilis….

Rather isn’t it dangerous because of the radiation?

I tilted my head and tried to warn him about this.

“Max! Stop whining and come here quickly. We need to go home.”

“Oh yes brother.”

Aaron grabbed Max’s arm and led him out of Stevenson’s room.

I am Aaron’s last word.

Because of the advice not to stir up trouble I could not bring myself to speak out about the dangers of radium.

“Radium. Radium…..”

Stevenson must have been obsessed with something.

He continued to recite the word radium as he touched my ulcerated left arm until our group left the room.

I looked at him with pity and soon erased his figure from my sight.

< American Scrap (4) > End