Seja went back to his rooms like one stunned. His discovery fairly frightened him . He tried to argue with himself that it could not be possibly true , but the conviction was there and he could not help it.
Was he to blame?
He could not remember that in any single degree, either by look , word or action, he had exceeded the bounds of civility and politeness. He had never flirted with her in the common acceptance of the word. He had never made the least pretense of loving her. Think as he would, he could not remember ever having said one word that could have misled her. Yet she loved him, there could be no doubt of it.
What was he to do?
He discarded his thoughts as he picked up an untouched document seeking his attention. His erratic thoughts returned to him condemning him. 'If she had known that I cared for another woman it would have prevented this', he thought.
She must know it soonest; common honour and common honesty demand that. He had chosen her purely out of politics, for she was one as he believed, the character of woman that would yield her seat willingly to his Yoona when he finds her.
Tomorrow, he would tell her , and then all would be avoided; yet even as he decided on doing so, there came to him a dim sense of the terrible pain she would suffer. Well, truth be told, he loved Yoona, and it was most certainly not his fault if Eun-hye misunderstood his kind and considerate gestures.
EMPEROR'S PALACE.
Consort Ki strode on towards the emperor's palace, yet it seemed to be ages since she last came here. At the entrance gate she stopped, and when one of the guards approached her, she said.
"Is the emperor with someone?". The presence of his whole guards is an indication that the emperor is around, but what left her puzzled was the sneaky gazes the guards darted around, as if they are guarding something that shouldn't be exposed to the rest of the world.
The guard cupped his fist and bowed. "Yes your highness, he's currently with a very important visitor".
The calm heart she painstakingly took time to steady resumed it's erratic beatings steeping with panic.
"Who?". The words left her mouth before she could curtail it, the sound of her own voice alarming her.
"A cloaked person with a hoodie", he righteously replied . After all it's no secret that the woman before him is the only one that has the emperor's heart. A woman the emperor adores faithfully.
She burst in through their defense, pushing and kicking those that dared approach her with a mad frenzy. The dignity of a royal woman thrown to the wind. Her heart grew warm with anger ,her soul rose in hot rebellion, jealousy burnt her heart away as she watched the guards firmly blocking her way.
Fiercely, as though the deep rest and peace of her heart were centred in each word, she threatened them."You dare block this emperor's woman path?!". They panicked but didn't budge.
They knew nothing of the storm that raged within her, or the tempest that seemed to overwhelm her , or the shock of pain she was suppressing, but they knew that if her wishes is not granted, they could lose their jobs.
"Leave my path right now or I will have your heads on a platter!". Forget losing their jobs, they could lose their heads.
They had been accustomed to her gentle sides and smiling face so much that this aggressive side of her scares them. Torn between two royal commands, they decided to bow out, as verily, she's the emperor's favorite. They are not allowed to enter too hence they can't even inform those inside of her visit for they received a strict order not to intrude. As for spies, they were ordered to kill at the spot then investigate later. Consort Ki surely isn't a spy right?
They created a path for her and submitted to their fate. Her servants tried to follow their mistress but the cold glares from the guards fixed them to their spots.
"We will wait for you here, your highness", they said. Consort Ki threw a cold glance at the guards once more and cursed. "Insolent fools!". Well that is a first, jealousy has turned a calm and collected woman into a bloodthirsty beast.
Nearing the emperor's inner chamber, a short low moan and muffled voices caused her to pause. Though her lips never trembled, and her cold eyes remained the same, there was something in the tone of the voice that filled her heart with vague , unreasonable fear.
She pretended not to have heard a word as her fingers touched the sliding door with the intention of opening it suddenly. She listened quietly as her heart was beating with a pain that knew no limit. The sting of jealousy almost maddened her.
Woosh!
She burst in as her eyes fell on the emperor's unclad body and his indulgent expression. A figure bent over him performing something on him. Something her poor reasoning didn't allow her to decipher.
"How dare you touch the imperial one royal body!". She screamed, her heated gaze directed to the one whose back was turned to her. The back of the figure stiffened but didn't turn to reveal her identity.
"Consort Ki!", an eunuch who she hadn't taken notice of shouted in alarm.
"How did you pass through the guards?", an indulging voice laced with pain asked her.
Her vision that allowed the occupancy of anger and jealousy cleared up allowing the pungent odour of herbs waft through her nose. She took notice of the presence of the emperor's most trusted eunuch and the face of the royal physician who had been dismissed from his post 2 weeks ago. The assumed woman who was spending the night with the emperor was actually a royal physician, in his hands held an acupuncture needle and dried up herb that needs to be burnt.
"Are you sick, your Majesty?". A faint flush was beginning to form on her face as she dreaded his response, lest he confirmed her fears and say that he was sick.
The emperor made to get up but gave up as his pain intensified. "Yes", he sighed as he saw the flush die out of her face.
Guilt!
Consort Ki ran out of the emperor's room becoming a prey of a thousand thoughts. Her darling was gravely ill and had kept it away from her__ ill, and he kept her away from him. With the rapidity of lightning all her dismal foreboding rushed over her. What was it she said so short a time ago? Sickness or death!
"Ah! surely Heaven was too merciful for that ; her darling would never be taken from her. Surely there was mercy in those bright blue skies". Then she laughed out loud. A laughter bedecked with reproach, pain and anxiety. A laughter of a madwoman.
"My darling has been suffering yet as a wife I have done nothing for him, while he was suffering I was associating the possibility of him being in the bossom of another woman... Ki Chae-won! you are pitiful!".